Sociologia | Capítulos/artigos em livros internacionais / Book chapters/papers in international books
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Browsing Sociologia | Capítulos/artigos em livros internacionais / Book chapters/papers in international books by Author "Alves, Fátima"
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- Climate change and e-learning: interdisciplinarity and interculturality challengesPublication . Alves, Fátima; Azeiteiro, UlissesClimate change is a key issue on today’s scientific, social and political agenda. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals reinforce its current priorities in this regard (e.g. SDG 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts) and is one of the five priority areas of the Strategy 2020 of the European Commission. This chapter discusses the specificities of climate change online learning in respect to syllabus contents and highlights its multidisciplinary and multicultural components. One of the characteristics of online learning is its capacity to reach an extensive number of people, scattered around the world and with diversified cultural backgrounds. This opens an extremely valuable path to research and societal responsibility, filled with potentialities and challenges. Student’s cultural diversity and geographical belonging must be reflected in the syllabus contents, as well as in the objectives of the courses and in the competencies that should be promoted. Furthermore in the design of the courses it is increasingly relevant to reflect and value an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning, because it is a key factor in Climate Change Education and Awareness. In this interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary dialog, it is crucial to evidence the cultural and contextual validity of knowledge and the impact of socioenvironmental dimensions in the configuration of Climate change challenges. For the purpose of this study we took as an example two course proposals: “Environment, Health and Wellbeing” for social sciences undergraduate students and “Governance of Climate Change Adaptation” for postgraduate students, presenting teaching contents, teaching and learning methodologies, effectiveness through e-learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) and the potential for increase in public climate science literacy.
- Climate change and health: an overview of the issues and needsPublication . Leal Filho, Walter; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Alves, FátimaThis introductory chapter outlines some of the key issues related to climate change and health, as well as some areas where action is needed, so as to allow a more systematic approach towards the problem. It outlines the challenges of Climate change to societies and its impacts on human health; considers the influence on various groups of stakeholders and suggests some measures, which may lead to a better understanding of the connections between human health and ever changing climate conditions.
- Climate change and health: improving resilience and reducing risksPublication . Leal Filho, Walter; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Alves, FátimaA major objective of this volume is to create and share knowledge about the socio-economic, political and cultural dimensions of climate change. The authors analyze the effects of climate change on the social and environmental determinants of the health and well-being of communities (i.e. poverty, clean air, safe drinking water, food supplies) and on extreme events such as floods and hurricanes. The book covers topics such as the social and political dimensions of the ebola response, inequalities in urban migrant communities, as well as water-related health effects of climate change. The contributors recommend political and social-cultural strategies for mitigate, adapt and prevent the impacts of climate change to human and environmental health. The book will be of interest to scholars and practitioners interested in new methods and tools to reduce risks and to increase health resilience to climate change.
- Everything everywhere all at once”: a methodological framework for an inclusive ecological transition pathwayPublication . Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Freitas, Helena; Alves, Fátima; Filho, Walter Leal; Newman, Julie; Lange Salvia, Amanda; Viera Trevisan, Laís; Corazza, LauraThe narrative of an ecological transition is currently widespread, representing a significant challenge facing humanity. While the need for this transition is evident, our research proposal is centered around a fundamental question: How can we ensure that the ecological transition is not only environmentally responsible but also equitable and inclusive, considering the unique characteristics of various contexts to ensure that no one, whether human or non-human, is left behind in the process? Leveraging our expertise gained from the PHOENIX H2020 project, this study aims to introduce, discuss, and reflect upon a methodological framework designed to identify the biophysical, socio-cultural, economic, and legal aspects of a given territory. This comprehensive approach is intended to foster an equitable and inclusive transition. The research encompasses 11 pilot contexts across seven European countries and employs a mix of secondary and primary data sources. The application of the methodological proposal unfolds in 4 four main/distinct phases: (i) identification of the major socioenvironmental concerns and challenges related to the EGD transition pathway in each pilot territory according to stakeholder’s information; (ii) structures-level analysis to understand how Nature and Environment are represented within a country’s legal framework and to identify the biophysical characteristics of the territory, both acting as drivers or barriers to the ecological transition; (iii) agency/intersubjectivity analysis to analyse the social perceptions about Nature and the Environment of a diverse range of target groups, such as local authorities, civil society organizations, the scientific community, economic activity representatives, and citizens; (iv) cross-referencing the three previous information phases to identify the opportunities, risks and vulnerabilities for the ecological transition in each pilot. Through a thorough exploration of this methodological framework, and by addressing the challenges and potentials it presents, our goal is to provide a robust scheme that places value on the unique socio-cultural and biophysical characteristics of each context. By doing so, we aim to develop and propose a methodological framework that embrace a wide range of stakeholders, fostering an ecological transition that challenges the one-size-fits-all approach that has been traditionally employed, valuing the socio-cultural and biophysical specificities of each of the contexts in order to find participation tools that leave no one behind (humans and non-humans).
- From lay concepts to therapeutic itineraries: sociological study about mental suffering an mental illnessPublication . Alves, FátimaSocieties relate to madness in accordance with their dominant concepts about the world. Modern rationality has created mental illness as an ‘object’ controlled by medicine. In lay knowledge the concepts, attitudes and practices associated with mental illness are culturally distant from the scientific representation of the body, the disease and the patient. The ‘semi-peripheral condition of Portuguese society’ allows us to believe that inside the more universal system of modernity, the explanation of insanity and mental illness in Portuguese society contains modern and traditional elements. This study focuses on lay knowledge about mental suffering and mental illness. Besides dominant explanations and interpretations, besides professions and politics, what are the lay conceptions and interpretations? Results show that the concept of mental illness recognises the term “illness” (there are ill people) but it always rejects it (mental suffering is not illness). Lay narratives refer to ‘ill people’ and not to ‘illnesses’, placing the nosologic holistic entity before the disease. Those rationalities categorise people in three ways: ‘ill-people’, ‘weak-people’ (these may turn into ill-people) and strong-people (these ones succeed in the combat with mental suffering, a normal event during life). Social representations emphasise a biomedical instead of psychodynamic model. ‘Talking’ is the most valued therapeutic resource. This represents a culture of resistance to psychiatrisation (medicalisation) of mental suffering. Mental illness narratives (concerning ‘the others’) and mental suffering narratives (concerning the self) represent a confrontation with the self and its identity. Illness and non-illness are entities allowing individual construction or destruction. Briefly, this research found that lay relationship with mental illness is made of diverse, complex and multiple logics. It proposes the concept of lay rationalities, in plural – lay rationalities about mental suffering and illness are not exclusively modern, they are plural.
- Living with chronic depression: reconstructing biographies and representations about their own illnessPublication . Alves, Fátima; Neto, CecíliaThe rise of chronic diseases, including chronic mental illness, as well as the changes in the social answers to mental illness require the assessment of their impact on the daily lives of individuals, groups and social organisations, but also require the understanding of the experiences, the changes and the adjustments at the level of identity and the ways of life of people with major depression diagnosis. In Portugal, there are few studies about the experience with mental illness, particularly on those that live with it in their daily lives. In this chapter, based on empirical evidence resulting from an exploratory study, we analyse the data from in-depth interviews with ten people with a psychiatric diagnosis of chronic depression, exploring the conceptions about their own illness and the perception of its impact on their daily life, seeking their personal experience and the senses they give to it. We sought to understand how people with major depression experience, understand, explain and interpret this condition, and cope with its consequences and impacts on the various levels and contexts where their life unfolds. Finally, we give special emphasis to their concepts and representations of their own illness.
- Recognising madness in others; Relativizing madness in oneself : from lay concepts to therapeutic itinerariesPublication . Alves, FátimaSocieties relate to madness in accordance with their dominant concepts about the world. Modern rationality has created mental illness as an ‘object’ controlled by medicine. In lay knowledge the concepts, attitudes and practices associated with mental illness are culturally distant from the scientific representation of the body, the disease and the patient. The ‘semi-peripheral condition of Portuguese society’ allows us to believe that inside the more universal system of modernity, the explanation of insanity and mental illness in Portuguese society contains modern and traditional elements. This study focus lay knowledge about mental suffering and mental illness. Besides dominant explanations and interpretations, besides professions and politics, which are the lay conceptions and interpretations? Results show that the concept of mental illness includes the one of illness (there are ill people) but it always refuses it (mental suffering is not illness). Lay narratives refer to ‘ill people’ and not to ‘illnesses’, placing the nosologic holistic entity before the disease. Those rationalities categorises people into three kinds: the ‘ill-people’, the ‘week-people’ (these may turn into ill-people) and the strong-people (these ones succeed in the combat with mental suffering, a normal event during life). Social representations emphasize biomedical instead of psychodynamic model. ‘Talking’ is the most valued therapeutic resource. This represents a culture of resistance to psychiatrization (medicalization) of mental suffering. Mental illness narratives (concerning ‘the others’) and mental suffering narratives (concerning the self) represent a confrontation with the self and its identity. Illness and non-illness are entities allowing individual construction or destruction. Briefly, this research found that lay relationship to mental illness is made of diverse, complex and multiple logics. It proposes the concept of lay rationalities, in plural – lay rationalities about mental suffering and illness are not exclusively modern, they are plural.
- Understanding social sciences students’ perceptions of environment and nature: implications for critical thinking, reimagine socioecological futures and enriching intercultural dialoguesPublication . Alves, Fátima; Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Lourenço, Vitória; Viegas, Vanda; Filho, Walter Leal; Newman, Julie; Lange Salvia, Amanda; Viera Trevisan, Laís; Corazza, LauraThis study presents the results of a survey applied to students of the curricular unit called “Environment, Health, and Wellbeing” which is part of the undergraduate degree in Social Sciences at the Universidade Aberta (Open University), an online distance public university in Portugal. The purpose of the survey was to understand students’ perceptions of the environment and nature, as constructed in their particular sociocultural contexts. It consisted of a series of questions about their environmental perceptions, their position on the environmental crisis and a call to re-imagine future socio-ecological scenarios. The survey was applied online to a universe of 308 students, organised in 5 classes of this curricular unit. With a total of 92 responses (29.9%), the majority of responses came from females (79.8%), with an average age of 44 years old and employed. Through qualitative analysis and reference to established themes, we reveal the multifaceted nature of students’ perspectives on environmental challenges. Students are concerned about environmental issues such as climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity and believe that these issues should be addressed through policies and regulations. They were also capable of envisioning potential futures and exploring pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic scenarios. These findings underscore the significance of acknowledging and embracing diversity in social-ecological education. They bolster the argument that adjusting educational strategies to accommodate various perspectives, identifying obstacles, fostering critical thinking, and promoting innovation can inspire contextually relevant solutions to global socio-environmental challenges. Socio-ecological education needs to resonate with a wide range of students to empower them as agents of change in our rapidly changing world.