Growing older and social sustainability: considering the ‘serious leisure’ practices of the over 60s in rural communities

The important role which older people play in rural community development through their various activities has become a substantive area of interest across social science disciplines, including gerontology, sociology, psychology and human geography. Reflecting the demographic shift of an ageing countryside within many parts of the global north, the future of rural social policy initiatives will increasingly depend on a nuanced appreciation of the social and voluntary activities undertaken by the growing older population. We seek to expand this focus to consider the social value of these practices for both the individual and the particular communities of which they are a part, and make a case for ‘serious leisure theory’ (Stebbins 1982) as a potentially rich seam for exploring these relations. This is put into practice through a case study involving the over 60s residents of a village in rural Wales, and through in-depth interviews we draw attention to their role in securing socio-economic sustainability in the locality through voluntary, hobby-based and amateur pursuits. In conclusion, we consider the analytical merits and limitations of serious leisure theory and, more broadly, the implications of the political fashioning of community-engaged older people as exemplar public citizens in the context of ongoing neoliberal welfare reforms.     

Miniaturisation and the representation of military geographies in recreational wargaming

Miniaturisation affects space in many ways: projecting it, transforming it and co-producing it with those who make and gaze upon models. This paper draws on Stewart's work On Longing: Narratives of the Miniature, the Gigantic, the Souvenir, the Collection (Durham: Duke University Press, 1993) to demonstrate how concepts of miniaturisation have the ability to contribute to geographical study. The empirical focus for the paper is a study of scale models deployed in the hobby of miniature or figure wargames in which players fight battles on the table top using model terrain and miniature figures. In this paper, I use examples of scaled terrain and figures to explore the process of miniaturisation and how this represents and transforms space. In doing so, the paper contributes to understanding the ways in which military geographies are represented through the media of models and performances of playing with them.     

High‐Resolution 3D Marine Seismic Investigation of Hedeby Harbour,Germany

Offshore 3D‐seismic acquisition has been a standard for high‐precision structural imaging in the oil and gas industry for many years. Recently this technique has been adapted by only a few teams to the resolution required for archaeological marine investigation. In contrast to sonar techniques, the 3D‐seismic method produces images below the sea‐floor. We investigate the harbour of the Viking age proto‐town of Hedeby in Northern Germany with the SEAMAP‐3D system. SEAMAP‐3D allows for rapid acquisition and employs an automated data processing sequence. We observe a wealth of archaeologically relevant detail and compare our results with previous work.     

Some notes on water supply in South India

This Article investigates the assertion by many Indian agronomists that methods of water management advocated by various Research Institutes are not being applied in the field. The sample village studies on the coastal plain around Madras and in the Cumbum Valley to the West of Madurai were carried out in 1969. Particular reference is also made to the Coimbatore Agricultural Research Centre in Tamilnad and the value of informed leadership in the villages of South India. “Although India can boast of her gigantic feats in the storage of water for irrigation and the distribution thereof in well planned channel systems, her performance in the actual application within the field continues to be outdated”. — (A. P. Bhattacharya¹).     

我国旅游服务业营业税改增值税的影响机理及影响状况研究

营业税改增值税是我国实施结构性减税政策的重要改革方向。上海已经开始试点,试点范围将由上海市分批扩大至北京、天津、江苏、浙江、安徽、福建、湖北、广东、厦门和深圳10个省、直辖市、计划单列市,并将选择部分行业在全国范围试点。未来,营业税改增值税很可能向旅游服务业推广。在上述背景下,需要研究下列前沿性理论问题：我国旅游服务业营业税改增值税的影响机理是什么？我国旅游服务业营业税改增值税的影响状况是什么？本文运用不同税收特点及影响分析理论,探讨了我国旅游服务业营业税改增值税的影响机理,并通过对上海典型旅游企业的调查研究,分析了我国旅游服务业营业税改增值税的影响特点与影响状况。针对我国旅游服务业营业税改增值税的影响特点与状况,提出了我国旅游服务业营业税改增值税税率与存量固定资产进项税抵扣等的建议。     

武汉市养老设施空间可达性分析

基于Arcgis平台,以第六次人口普查数据为基础,以乡镇街道为分析单元,采用具有不同有效服务半径的改进的潜能模型对武汉市养老设施空间可达性进行测算。结果表明,改进的潜能模型能合理地评价武汉市养老设施空间可达性,有效判断养老设施稀缺程度;养老设施空间可达性从武汉市东南地区向四周逐渐递减;距市中心越远,乡镇街道养老设施空间可达性越低。文章直观揭示武汉市各乡镇街道养老设施空间可达性差异,有效判别武汉市各乡镇街道养老设施稀缺程度,为养老设施空间配置、优化布局提供科学依据。     

基于入境游客感知的中国旅游服务质量演进特征和影响机制

入境游客感知的旅游服务质量是影响入境旅游规模、衡量我国国际旅游竞争力的重要因素。本研究利用历史统计资料、问卷调查数据和结构方程模型方法分析了基于入境游客感知的中国旅游服务质量演进特征和影响机制。研究发现:1990-2012年入境游客对中国旅游服务质量的评价呈现"初步改善-大幅提升-提升趋缓"的趋势,旅游服务质量仍滞后于入境游客不断增长的需求,交通业、旅行社业、旅游公共服务等行业服务质量不高是主要制约因素。从内在影响机制看,入境游客对旅游服务质量比国内游客更为敏感,对入境游客满意度影响最大的因素是各行业服务和旅游公共服务,此外,旅游地形象对于入境游客的感知质量也有很大影响,旅游地形象、游客感知质量和游客满意度最终将影响入境游客的忠诚度,但旅游价格并不是影响入境游客满意度和忠诚度的主要因素。     

信息技术对南京城市居民休闲活动与出行的影响

从网络休闲角度出发,运用结构方程模型就信息技术对南京城市居民休闲活动与出行的影响进行实证研究,探索居民社会经济属性、信息化水平、网络休闲活动和出行之间的关系。结果显示:信息技术对南京城市居民的休闲活动已经产生了广泛的影响;而网络休闲活动的增加也确实减少了居民每日的非必要性出行时间,说明对居民出行有替代或修正性的影响;此外,居民的社会经济属性是影响居民网络休闲活动和出行选择的根本,其中,年龄和学历,学历和收入,分别是当前影响居民网络休闲活动状况以及居民出行方式选择的关键。     

我国居民休闲参与的影响机制研究——基于CGSS2006的数据应用

文章以CGSS2006调查数据中10151位居民资料为基础,运用多层线性模型分析了个人和结构层次因素对我国居民休闲参与的影响。研究发现,尽管多数居民休闲参与的方差存在于个人层次的因素中,但是仍有约20%的总变异是由结构层次因素引起的。分析结果显示,在个人层次上,居民所属的世代、社会经济地位、个性对其休闲活动参与有显著影响:在结构层次上,家庭收入、职业类别、单位类型、都市化程度以及区域等因素与居民休闲参与有显著影响;在影响居民休闲参与中,结构层次因索给出了约束框架,并调节个人层次因素的影响力。     

城市防灾避难空间安全性的评价——以北京市紧急避难场所为例

本文以城市防灾空间的关键要素-紧急避难场所为切入点,通过NDVI指数法从遥感图像中解译出适合作为紧急避难场所的绿地。同时,结合人口统计数据,利用GIS空间分析,对北京市城六区紧急避难场所的服务距离、覆盖率、人均避难面积等关键参数进行了测算。此外,研究在望京地区,通过实地调查以及问卷调查等方式,深入研究了影响居民避难行为的关键因素。结果表明:避难者的性别,年龄,避难的宣传教育,及避难标识系统等对避难者的成功避难起到了关键作用。据此,研究提出提升紧急避难场所服务水平的规划建议。