In this paper, we argue that William Stephenson, Qmethodology, when demonstrated through the research conducted for the SANCOOP: "Climate & Beliefs" project can provide guidance for doing context-specific mixed-method research and has implications for climate change education in South Africa. In the project, Q-methodology was mixed…

Understanding students' relationships with their multiple home, community, and educational environments provides a more holistic understanding of students and recognizes that many spheres of influence shape their college experiences, development, and outcomes. Ecological Systems Theory (EST) directs higher education researchers and practitioners…

The purpose of this paper is to provide an alternative operationalization of amenities that does not privilege certain kinds of natural resources and climatic conditions and that can be used for assessing the quality of life in small towns. The amenity inventory presented here extends previous literature by including a broad range of amenities…

The EU Action Plan on Drugs (2005-2008) calls for member states of the European Union to provide information on five key epidemiological indicators. These are: general population surveys, prevalence and patterns of problem drug use, drug related infectious diseases, drug related deaths and mortality of drug users, and demand for drug treatment.…

Proposes a multimethod strategy designed to (1) reduce the existing confusion of methods for determining which neighborhoods within a community are at high risk for child maltreatment, and (2) identify neighborhood characteristics and problems associated with child abuse and neglect. Includes examples of data that can be obtained using this…

Utilising Nakata's (2007) description of the "cultural interface", two Indigenous researchers and one non-Indigenous researcher examine their development of Indigenous research in and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities conducted from within an institution of higher education. The authors reflect on their experiences in…

In the studies described, focus groups were conducted with recreation administrators, special-interest groups, and the general public to determine needs and opinions about recreation and leisure activities. The ways in which the groups elicited information about the needs, language, and history of the community are discussed. (SLD)

The authors used data from seven schools in a metropolitan region to explore continuity and change in adolescent cultures and status structures; they identified six major types of status structures and explained variation among them in terms of characteristics of communities and schools. A key feature of the study is comparison of school climates,…

Examined the impact of urbanism on the causal mechanisms by which life satisfaction is determined using a causal model that incorporates urbanism as a polytomous variable. Urbanism was found to have indirect main effects as well as interaction effects on life satisfaction. (Author/JAC)

Argues that research with ethnic minority and subcultural groups is often stymied by measures developed on samples of European Americans. Offers recommendations to help researchers create measures that are sensitive to both the culture and the communities of research participants. Further presents steps used to create measures that are culturally…

Community vitality is no longer tied to economic diversity. Community viability analysis provides a broader perspective by considering community self-image and social activities. Horizontal linkages, social solidarity, threshold values, and community catchment areas are explained and applied to an analysis that shows small towns such as Olsburg…

Examines problems that can occur when research is conducted in culturally diverse communities. The commentary comes from experiences conducting research in a particular African American community. The paper argues that understanding the nuances of appropriate cultural interaction, public discourse, and private meaning are all vital components in…