UVicSpace | Institutional Repository
UVicSpace is the University of Victoria’s open access scholarship and learning repository. It preserves and provides access to the digital scholarly works of UVic faculty, students, staff, and partners. Items in UVicSpace are organized into collections, each belonging to a community.
For more information about depositing items, see the Submission Guidelines.
Recent Submissions
Participatory mapping as a tool for social justice and mobilization in Brazilian informal settlements
(Media and Communication, 2026) Monteiro de Carvalho, Carolina
Participatory mapping’s main aim is to represent the community’s voice. It stimulates a powerful social mobilization that provides support for better and more efficient urban policies and social inclusion of marginalized populations, especially in Global South countries, such as Brazil. Our main urban challenges, such as poverty, inequality, and social injustice, are aggravated by climate change. The marginalized populations are often excluded from the decision-making process for planning our cities, which creates a mismatch between urban planning and the real demands of citizens. This article assesses how participatory mapping in informal settlements in Brazil can help to collect data from citizens that can make a difference in better local urban planning through prioritizing their demands and bringing to light their real concerns. Also, this article seeks to show how participatory mapping can provide products that improve communication between stakeholders and society reinforcing the need for urban planning improvements. Three case studies are presented, developed in São Paulo and Guarulhos informal settlements, with citizens’ perceptions about their urban life conditions, highlighting inequalities such as environmental racism, gendered perspectives, and social injustice, as well as potential solutions and specific areas for interventions. The three study cases provided citizens a space to speak and to be heard, to identify problems and concerns in a deprived environment through community mapping and look for solutions and alternatives for better urban scenarios together. Also, this article highlights the importance of the development of an urban agenda, putting the periphery in the center of the decision-making process through participatory mapping and communication products development.
Impacts and place-based approaches to transformative energy justice for First Nations
(Environmental Research: Energy, 2026) Hoicka, Christina E.; Berka, Anna; Chitsaz, Sara; Klym, Kayla; Regier, Adam; Macdonald, Megan
Place-based approaches to renewable energy transitions tailor solutions to specific social, cultural, economic and ecological contexts inherent to particular localities. Drawing on transformative energy justice frameworks and approaches, we argue that place-based framings and interpretations of impacts of community renewable energy projects provide the means to center Indigenous worldviews, observations and experiences of justice associated with these projects. This co-created study draws on interviews with knowledge holders in 14 First Nations across the Province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. Interview participants shared experiences and observations on both the process (community engagement) and outcome (impacts and benefits) dimensions of 36 operational and planned renewable energy projects, pointing to a rich diversity of social, political, material, economic, ecological and relational impacts. Across a wide range of project sizes and technologies, the findings indicate that deep community engagement and the collective decisions for allocation of revenues mediate the positive and transformative impacts experienced by the community. Taken collectively, these findings show that First Nations approaches to developing projects are place-based, ensuring a wide range of impacts to the community that can collectively contribute to transformative change. In the broader context of systematic neglect of social, environmental and justice-oriented values in public policy making, and amidst widespread failure of ‘decide-announce-defend’ approaches to achieving social acceptance for renewable energy projects, this study demonstrates what distinguishes place-based approaches in practice, and how they deliver transformative outcomes for First Nations. Policy, project and resource allocation decisions should reflect the diverse impacts and transformative outcomes of renewable energy projects in First Nations contexts. We conclude that embedding place-based approaches in institutional arrangements, policy and project design is critical to providing economic opportunities to First Nations without discrimination under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, alongside meeting BC’s power needs and decarbonization goals.
The impacts of the eastern seaboard project on Thai rural communities. A case study in Rayong: Implications for state policy of industrialization and economic development in Thailand
(1996) Pookaothong, Wacharin; Wood, Colin J. B.
This is a study of geographical change in the hinterland of a growth centre. The Thai government policy of modernization through industrialization is reviewed, with specific attention being focused on the growth pole policy. This study focuses on the impacts of that policy.
Map Ta Phut, formerly a small and obscure town in Eastern Thailand, has become a growth pole for industrial activities and business transactions since the establishment of the Eastern Seaboard Development Project in 1982, currently employing over I 0,000 people. The region around Map Ta Phut has been emerging as a potential beneficiary of this industrial development, an important factor in generating incomes and employment opportunities with forward and backward linkages. The socioeconomic impacts of the industrial development on the urban area as well as its rural hinterlands have diversified into various dimensions and facets. This changing circumstance has altered the perspectives of rural households in their occupations, incomes, consumption and commuting patterns, quality of life, standard of living, and so on.
This research focuses on a comparative study of two groups of farming households in the rural hinterland; one has a family member engaged in non-farm activity while the other has not. The study is aimed at investigating the impacts of the industrial development on the hinterland households, as well as their responses and adjustments to changing circumstance. The condition of industrial and service workers in Map Ta Phut is also explored.
It is found that the industrial development in Map Ta Phut appears to have generated positive impacts on its region. These are: - income-earning; job opportunities: exposure to urban milieu. and availability of infrastructural facilities. The rural-urban exchanges are minimum, with varying intensity proportional to its distance from Map Ta Phut’s urban centre. In this regard, households having members engaged in non-farm activities. on the average, earn higher incomes than those having members working only on farms, and therefore have a better standard of living. Villagers’ perceptions towards industrial development impacts are positive, in general. They are satisfied and proud that the industrial growth centre is established in their province.
Talks a good game: a self-talk intervention programme for enhancing rugby tackling and self-efficacy
(2000) Newman, William Robert; Howe, Bruce L.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a self-talk intervention programme on rugby tackling performance, self-efficacy and the use of self-talk. 40 male rugby players from the University of Victoria volunteered to participate in the study and were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Self-Talk or Unaided (Control) groups. The intervention consisted of eight weeks of classroom-based sessions and directed practice. Data on self-efficacy and self-talk usage were collected from 39 players at baseline and posttest, and 23 players completed the tackling assessments. Results indicate that players in the Self-Talk condition significantly increased their use of self-talk while tackling, and improved their understanding of these thoughts. The Self-Talk group displayed significantly greater tackling performance changes than the Control group. These results were considered in the light of previous research, with an emphasis on the focus of attention through self-talk.
The 'other' season at ski hills: applying the limits of acceptable change (LAC) to a study of summer alpine recreation on and adjacent to Whistler Mountain, British Columbia
(2002) Needham, Mark; Wood, Colin J. B.
Downhill skiing and snowboarding are commonplace winter activities at ski hills. However. The advent of operating chairlifts or gondolas during the summer to accommodate activities like hiking, sightseeing. and mountain biking is increasing. In 1991, only 12% of the major ski hills in British Columbia had a lift operating in the summer. A decade later, summer lift operations occurred at 65% of these areas. Some ski hills like Whistler Mountain are receiving upwards of 200.000 visitors each summer. However. this dimension of mountain use has yet to receive any serious research attention.
Therefore, this study analyzes summer recreation on Whistler Mountain and in adjacent areas of Garibaldi Provincial Park. British Columbia. The purpose of this study is to achieve a comprehensive baseline understanding of summertime use in this region and to determine appropriate management strategies for this area. This research is guided by the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) framework, which involves identifying acceptable social and resource conditions and prescribing strategies for attaining these conditions. The LAC has received considerable attention in the literature. and is thought to be perhaps the most sophisticated approach to visitor management in outdoor recreation settings. However, very few applications can be found or have been reported, especially in Canada.
This study focuses on the social dimensions of this framework as it ascertains the demographics, activities, trip characteristics, motivations, and satisfaction levels of summer visitors in this region. It also determines their perceptions of crowding and attitudes regarding lift ticket prices. facilities and services. detracting activities. and management alternatives. Moreover, recreation specialization levels of visitors are measured and a continuum from the least experienced “generalists” to the most experienced “specialists” is developed. The vehicle for collecting this information is a 37-question survey that was conducted face-to-face (on-site) with summer visitors. Sampling was stratified according to five sites and visitors were randomly selected at these sites. This approach is important because most recreation research is conducted at trailheads or through mail surveys. These methods do not reveal visitor differences that may exist between sites within a region, thus assuming that visitors throughout a setting are homogeneous. Therefore, this study explores these possible spatial variations, not normally examined in recreation research. After two pilot tests, the survey was completed by 548 summer visitors from July I to September 4, 2000 (response rate = 84.2%, margin of error=± 4.2%. confidence level = 95%). This survey is analyzed using descriptive, non-parametric, and parametric inferential statistical tests to reveal differences in visitor characteristics and attitudes between the sites.
The LAC demands input inclusive of all stakeholders with recreational, economic, and ecological interests in an area. Therefore, this study solicits multi-stakeholder input not only from visitors. But also from 21 representatives of 12 different companies, government agencies, and recreation and environmental special interest groups. Surveys and semi-structured interviews gathered input from these stakeholders concerning a plethora of issues related to summertime use in the study area. The survey results are reported as percentages given the small sample of representatives, while the interview results are reported using direct quotes and paraphrased comments.
An integral component of the LAC system involves measuring indicators to reveal standards of quality, or thresholds at which conditions reach unacceptable levels. This study employs a visual approach to normative theory using photographs depicting increasing levels of impacts for social (hiker and mountain biker crowding) and resource (bare ground at campsites, trail conditions, litter) indicators. The acceptability of these impacts is evaluated by visitors and stakeholder groups to reveal their norms and standards for each of these social and resource indicators. An expanded model for measuring indicators and standards is also introduced and empirically tested in this study.
Results indicate that most of the variables in the visitor survey significantly differ between the sites, suggesting the need to manage and monitor each area differently. The frontcountry visitors at the top of Whistler Mountain are mostly sightseers originating from around the world. They are not very specialized and they visit this area mainly to view the alpine scenery. The visitors at the backcountry sites are more specialized hikers and campers mostly from Whistler or Greater Vancouver who visit the area mainly to engage in specific recreation activities. Compared to the frontcountry visitors. They find indicator impacts less acceptable, are more capable of specifying standards for indicators, and in most cases, have a higher level of consensus regarding appropriate impacts. At some of the sites, many visitors feel crowded, are detracted by the helicopter over-flights, and want more staff presence and educational and interpretive activities offered. The stakeholder groups express similar concerns and also feel that use levels, litter, crowding, and helicopter over-flights are important indicators for this region. Crowding standards vary between the stakeholder groups, but there is little disagreement regarding standards for litter and trail conditions. Recommendations for improving visitor experiences and managing summertime use in the entire study area and at each site are suggested. Issues warranting further research are also discussed.