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Community Scale (community + scale)
Selected AbstractsTerritorial sense of community, ethnic prejudice and political orientationJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Miretta Prezza Abstract This research focused on territorial sense of community and ethnic prejudice. In particular, we related these two constructs and investigated their relationship to individual characteristics (personal political orientation, contact with immigrants, etc.) and community-level ones (such as ethnic composition and the political orientation of the local government). Two studies were conducted in four small towns in central and southern Italy. For each study, 160 people were contacted. The instruments used were a questionnaire, the Italian Sense of Community Scale and the Blatant Prejudice Scale. The results showed that territorial sense of community is not related to ethnic prejudice or to the ethnic heterogeneity of the territory. It was also found that people with right-wing political sympathies revealed higher levels of prejudice than people with left-wing sympathies. Finally, in a town with a stable and consolidated left-wing orientation of the local government we found, when the influence of personal political orientation was controlled for, lower levels of prejudice than in a town with a right-wing orientation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Validation of A brief sense of community scale: Confirmation of the principal theory of sense of communityJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2008N. Andrew Peterson First-order and second-order models of sense of community (SOC) were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of data gathered from a random sample of community residents (n=293) located in the midwestern United States. An 8-item Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) was developed to represent the SOC dimensions of needs fulfillment, group membership, influence, and shared emotional connection. The CFA results for the BSCS supported both the scale's hypothesized first-order and second-order factor structure. The overall BSCS scale and its subscales were also found to be correlated as expected with community participation, psychological empowerment, mental health, and depression. Findings provide empirical support for the BSCS and its underlying multidimensional theory of SOC. Implications of the study are described and directions for future research discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] A preliminary study for a new model of sense of communityJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Stefano Tartaglia Although Sense of Community (SOC) is usually defined as a multidimensional construct, most SOC scales are unidimensional. To reduce the split between theory and empirical research, the present work identifies a multifactor structure for the Italian Sense of Community Scale (ISCS) that has already been validated as a unitary index of SOC. This study was carried out in two steps: (a) a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted of a three-factor structure, and (b) the author tested the predictive validity of the dimensions to confirm its structure. The study results validate the three-factor solution (i.e., Place Attachment, Needs Fulfillment and Influence, and Social Bonds). Therefore, the ISCS is a valid measure of SOC and a base from which to develop a new model for this construct. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Influence of ambient light on the evolution of colour signals: comparative analysis of a Neotropical rainforest bird communityECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 4 2004Doris Gomez Abstract Rainforests offer two contrasted light environments: a bright canopy rich in blue and UV and a dark understorey, rich in green and orange. Therefore, natural selection for crypsis should favour dark brown signals in understorey and bright green signals in canopy, whereas sexual selection for conspicuousness should favour bright yellow-red signals in understorey and dark blue and UV signals in canopy. Using spectrometry and comparative analyses, we examined the relationship between ambient light and colour signals in a bird community of French Guiana. It appears that brightness and hue are mostly naturally selected, while UV content of plumage is more likely sexually selected. At each height, both sexes present similar coloration but males display more conspicuous sexually selected patterns than females. These results show that ambient light drives the evolution of colour signals at community scale, and should be considered when studying signalling in other communities and light-contrasted ecosystems. [source] Species,area relationships in Mediterranean-climate plant communitiesJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 11 2003Jon E. Keeley Abstract Aim To determine the best-fit model of species,area relationships for Mediterranean-type plant communities and evaluate how community structure affects these species,area models. Location Data were collected from California shrublands and woodlands and compared with literature reports for other Mediterranean-climate regions. Methods The number of species was recorded from 1, 100 and 1000 m2 nested plots. Best fit to the power model or exponential model was determined by comparing adjusted r2 values from the least squares regression, pattern of residuals, homoscedasticity across scales, and semi-log slopes at 1,100 m2 and 100,1000 m2. Dominance,diversity curves were tested for fit to the lognormal model, MacArthur's broken stick model, and the geometric and harmonic series. Results Early successional Western Australia and California shrublands represented the extremes and provide an interesting contrast as the exponential model was the best fit for the former, and the power model for the latter, despite similar total species richness. We hypothesize that structural differences in these communities account for the different species,area curves and are tied to patterns of dominance, equitability and life form distribution. Dominance,diversity relationships for Western Australian heathlands exhibited a close fit to MacArthur's broken stick model, indicating more equitable distribution of species. In contrast, Californian shrublands, both postfire and mature stands, were best fit by the geometric model indicating strong dominance and many minor subordinate species. These regions differ in life form distribution, with annuals being a major component of diversity in early successional Californian shrublands although they are largely lacking in mature stands. Both young and old Australian heathlands are dominated by perennials, and annuals are largely absent. Inherent in all of these ecosystems is cyclical disequilibrium caused by periodic fires. The potential for community reassembly is greater in Californian shrublands where only a quarter of the flora resprout, whereas three quarters resprout in Australian heathlands. Other Californian vegetation types sampled include coniferous forests, oak savannas and desert scrub, and demonstrate that different community structures may lead to a similar species,area relationship. Dominance,diversity relationships for coniferous forests closely follow a geometric model whereas associated oak savannas show a close fit to the lognormal model. However, for both communities, species,area curves fit a power model. The primary driver appears to be the presence of annuals. Desert scrub communities illustrate dramatic changes in both species diversity and dominance,diversity relationships in high and low rainfall years, because of the disappearance of annuals in drought years. Main conclusions Species,area curves for immature shrublands in California and the majority of Mediterranean plant communities fit a power function model. Exceptions that fit the exponential model are not because of sampling error or scaling effects, rather structural differences in these communities provide plausible explanations. The exponential species,area model may arise in more than one way. In the highly diverse Australian heathlands it results from a rapid increase in species richness at small scales. In mature California shrublands it results from very depauperate richness at the community scale. In both instances the exponential model is tied to a preponderance of perennials and paucity of annuals. For communities fit by a power model, coefficients z and log c exhibit a number of significant correlations with other diversity parameters, suggesting that they have some predictive value in ecological communities. [source] Spatial and temporal variability in seed dynamics of machair sand dune plant communities, the Outer Hebrides, ScotlandJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2001N. W. Owen Aim The subjects of seed banks and seed rain represent comparatively neglected areas of biogeography, yet at the community scale, exhibit interesting patterns in both space and time. This paper describes the seed bank and seed rain characteristics of the machair sand dune communities of the Outer Hebrides. As well as looking at individual species distributions and variability, the seed banks and seed rain are examined in terms of their detailed subcommunity composition and its local spatial and temporal variation. The machair plant (sub)communities show extensive degrees of anthropogenic modification because of past and present agricultural management, including cultivation for cereals over wide areas and for potatoes in large numbers of ,lazy beds' or small patches. Thus over the historical period, large areas of machair have undergone regular ploughing and cultivation, which have provided the opportunity for a patchwork of secondary succession to occur. This pattern continues to the present day. Furthermore, most other non-cultivated plant (sub)communities are intensively grazed, primarily by cattle and also by sheep and rabbits. Location South Uist, the Outer Hebrides, north-west Scotland. Methods At two carefully selected locations, a range of these various successional subcommunities have been sampled for their seed banks, by taking cores and for their seed rain, by using specially designed traps located where each seed bank sample was removed. This paired sampling strategy allowed direct comparison of the seed bank and the seed rain. Both individual species distributions and the community assemblages of seed bank/seed rain species are examined in space and time using techniques of numerical classification [two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN)] and ordination [detrended correspondence analysis (DCA)]. Results and conclusions There is considerable heterogeneity within and between machair subcommunities in terms of seed bank and seed rain characteristics. The soil seed banks and seed rain of the agriculturally disturbed machair subcommunities are consistently more dense and more species rich than non-cultivated areas of the machair. Overall, machair seed banks are small and stable with no discernible seasonal trends in either size or species composition. In contrast, seed rain on the machair is characterized by a distinct temporal trend. Both seed banks and seed rain are potentially very poor sources of propagules for recolonization following disturbance, indicating that the majority of revegetation following anthropogenic and/or environmental interference is through vegetative reproduction. [source] Validation of A brief sense of community scale: Confirmation of the principal theory of sense of communityJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2008N. Andrew Peterson First-order and second-order models of sense of community (SOC) were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of data gathered from a random sample of community residents (n=293) located in the midwestern United States. An 8-item Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) was developed to represent the SOC dimensions of needs fulfillment, group membership, influence, and shared emotional connection. The CFA results for the BSCS supported both the scale's hypothesized first-order and second-order factor structure. The overall BSCS scale and its subscales were also found to be correlated as expected with community participation, psychological empowerment, mental health, and depression. Findings provide empirical support for the BSCS and its underlying multidimensional theory of SOC. Implications of the study are described and directions for future research discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Leaf dry matter content and lateral spread predict response to land use change for six subalpine grassland speciesJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2007Nicolas Gross Abstract Question: Land-use change has a major impact on terrestrial plant communities by affecting fertility and disturbance. We test how particular combinations of plant functional traits can predict species responses to these factors and their abundance in the field by examining whether trade-offs at the trait level (fundamental trade-offs) are linked to trade-offs at the response level (secondary trade-offs). Location: Central French Alps. Methods: We conducted a pot experiment in which we characterized plant trait syndromes by measuring whole plant and leaf traits for six dominant species, originating from contrasting subalpine grassland types. We characterized their response to nutrient availability, shading and clipping. We quantified factors linked with different land usage in the field to test the relevance of our experimental treatments. Results: We showed that land management affected nutrient concentration in soil, light availability and disturbance intensity. We identified particular suites of traits linked to plant stature and leaf structure which were associated with species responses to these environmental factors. Leaf dry matter content separates fast and slow growing species. Height and lateral spread separated tolerant and intolerant species to shade and clipping. Discussion and Conclusion: Two fundamental trade-offs based on stature traits and leaf traits were linked to two secondary trade-offs based on response to fertilization shade and mowing. Based on these trade-offs, we discuss four different species strategies which could explain and predict species distributions and traits syndrome at community scale under different land-uses in subalpine grasslands. [source] The Water Poverty Index: Development and application at the community scaleNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 3 2003C.A. Sullivan The article details the development and uses of the water poverty index (WPI). The index was developed as a holistic tool to measure water stress at the household and community levels, designed to aid national decision makers, at community and central government level, as well as donor agencies, to determine priority needs for interventions in the water sector. The index combines into a single number a cluster of data directly and indirectly relevant to water stress. Subcomponents of the index include measures of: access to water; water quantity, quality and variability; water uses (domestic, food, productive purposes); capacity for water management; and environmental aspects. The WPI methodology was developed through pilot projects in South Africa, Tanzania and Sri Lanka and involved intensive participation and consultation with all stakeholders, including water users, politicians, water sector professionals, aid agency personnel and others. The article discusses approaches for the further implementation of the water poverty index, including the possibilities of acquiring the necessary data through existing national surveys or by establishing interdisciplinary water modules in school curricula. The article argues that the WPI fills the need for a simple, open and transparent tool, one that will appeal to politicians and decision makers, and at the same time can empower poor people to participate in the better targeting of water sector interventions and development budgets in general. [source] Typologie et vitalité des communautés francophones minoritaires au CanadaTHE CANADIAN GEOGRAPHER/LE GEOGRAPHE CANADIEN, Issue 4 2006ANDRÉ LANGLOIS La vitalité des communautés francophones minoritaires du Canada, souvent expliquée par les conjonctures démographique et institutionnelle et par le contexte politico-juridique, souffre encore d'une relative rareté de travaux empiriques illustrant l'action de ces facteurs à l'échelle des communautés. Cette rareté n'a pas permis jusqu'à maintenant d'élaborer une véritable analyse de l'effet de milieu sur la vitalité communautaire des minorités francophones. Notre étude se propose de mieux caractériser la présence francophone dans l'espace canadien hors Québec et, ce faisant, les milieux dans lesquels se construit la vie française au pays. Elle se fonde sur l'idée que la présence francophone, caractérisant un lieu donné, profite également d'un contexte plus large dont les ressources ne peuvent faire autrement que de rejaillir sur la communauté locale. À l'idée de présence localisée, nous ajoutons l'idée de présence contextualisée pour mieux faire le lien entre présence et vitalité communautaire. Une méthode originale est présentée ici qui permet de mettre en application cette complémentarité entre ces deux types de présence. Prenant la forme d'une typologie des milieux francophones minoritaires, elle fournit un nouvel éclairage sur la situation des populations francophones du Canada. Une analyse exploratoire des comportements linguistiques de ces populations selon les milieux issus de la typologie montre qu'une telle approche est susceptible d'ouvrir la voie à une meilleure appréhension de la vitalité communautaire en milieu minoritaire. The community vitality of the French-speaking minorities of Canada, often explained by their demographic and institutional situations as well by politico-legal context, still suffers from a relative scarcity of empirical work that illustrates the role of these factors at the community scale. This research neglect has meant that there is no effective analysis of the milieu effect on the community vitality of the French-speaking minorities. This study proposes to better characterize the French-speaking presence in Canada outside Québec and to interpret the milieus upon which French life is built. The analysis is based on the idea that the French-speaking presence that characterizes a given place benefits from a broader context whose resources further impact the local community. To the idea of ,localized presence', we add the idea of ,contextualized presence' to better understand the link between presence and community vitality. An original method is presented which makes it possible to apply the complementarity between these two types of presence. The paper presents a typology of Francophone milieus that provides new insights on the situation of the French-speaking populations of Canada outside Québec. An exploratory analysis of the linguistic behavior of these populations according to the milieus identified within this typology reveals the potential of this analysis for a better understanding of community vitality in a minority situation. [source] Children's Self-Reports About Violence Exposure: An Examination of the Things I Have Seen and Heard ScaleAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2007Richard Thompson PhD Children's exposure to violence is often found to be an important predictor of child outcomes. The measures most frequently used to assess it have not been systematically examined, and there is little consensus about how to use these measures. This study examined a version of the Things I Have Seen and Heard Scale in a sample of 784 children who completed the scale at both age 6 and 8. There was only modest support for the use of the scale as a set of single-item measures or as a simple sum of items. Exploratory factor analyses suggested that the scale consisted of two factors: a global/community violence scale and a home violence scale. The evidence for validity of the scales was stronger at age 8 than at age 6. These findings suggest that there may be some limits to the utility of self-reports of violence exposure in very young children. However, there is initial evidence that the global/community scale is a reliable and valid indicator of young children's exposure to violence. Further use and exploration of the subscales is warranted. [source] | ||||||||||||||||