title: Exposing students to the potential and risks of stakeholder engagement when teaching sustainability: A classroom exercise

authors: Collins, Eva Marie

subjects: stakeholder engagement

abstract: In-class, stakeholder negotiation exercises are proposed as a means of students experiencing and reflecting critically on the potential and the risks of an increasingly popular mechanism for advancing sustainability—stakeholder engagement. This article reviews the theoretical framework for stakeholder engagement and for an issue-based rather than firm-centric approach to classroom stakeholder negotiation exercises. An example of a classroom exercise is given as the basis of a possible template for replicating the exercise. This assists students to recognize the potential and risks associated with stakeholder engagement at individual, organizational, and societal levels.

text: Exposing students to the potential and risks of stakeholder engagement when teaching sustainability: A classroom exercise In-class, stakeholder negotiation exercises are proposed as a means of students experiencing and reflecting critically on the potential and the risks of an increasingly popular mechanism for advancing sustainability—stakeholder engagement. This article reviews the theoretical framework for stakeholder engagement and for an issue-based rather than firm-centric approach to classroom stakeholder negotiation exercises. An example of a classroom exercise is given as the basis of a possible template for replicating the exercise. This assists students to recognize the potential and risks associated with stakeholder engagement at individual, organizational, and societal levels.

year: 2007

title: Diverse hypolithic refuge communities in the McMurdo Dry Valleys

authors: Cowan, Don A.

subjects: Antarctic

abstract: Hyper-arid deserts present extreme challenges to life. The environmental buffering provided by quartz and other translucent rocks allows hypolithic microbial communities to develop on sub-soil surfaces of such rocks. These refuge communities have been reported, for many locations worldwide, to be predominantly cyanobacterial in nature. Here we report the discovery in Antarctica’s hyper-arid McMurdo Dry Valleys of three clearly distinguishable types of hypolithic community. Based on gross colonization morphology and identification of dominant taxa, we have classified hypolithic communities as Type I (cyanobacterial dominated), Type II (fungal dominated) and Type III (moss dominated). This discovery supports a growing awareness of the high biocomplexity in Antarctic deserts, emphasizes the possible importance of cryptic microbial communities in nutrient cycling and provides evidence for possible successional community processes within a cold arid landscape.

text: Diverse hypolithic refuge communities in the McMurdo Dry Valleys Hyper-arid deserts present extreme challenges to life. The environmental buffering provided by quartz and other translucent rocks allows hypolithic microbial communities to develop on sub-soil surfaces of such rocks. These refuge communities have been reported, for many locations worldwide, to be predominantly cyanobacterial in nature. Here we report the discovery in Antarctica’s hyper-arid McMurdo Dry Valleys of three clearly distinguishable types of hypolithic community. Based on gross colonization morphology and identification of dominant taxa, we have classified hypolithic communities as Type I (cyanobacterial dominated), Type II (fungal dominated) and Type III (moss dominated). This discovery supports a growing awareness of the high biocomplexity in Antarctic deserts, emphasizes the possible importance of cryptic microbial communities in nutrient cycling and provides evidence for possible successional community processes within a cold arid landscape.

year: 2010

title: ‘Let’s Get Wild’: Sensuous Geographies of Kāwhia Kai and Hokitika Wildfoods Festivals in Aōtearoa New Zealand

authors: Modlik, Melanie

subjects: Food Festivals

abstract: Food Festivals allow communities to celebrate local food and drink. This original thesis examines the mutual relationship between food festival organisers, festival attendees and festival spaces. Two unique New Zealand regional food festivals – Kāwhia Kai on the West Coast of the North Island and Wildfoods Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island - are critically examined. The research addresses three questions. First, how do these food festivals construct their locations and vice versa? Second, in what ways do food festivals contribute to place identity? And, third, how do food festival attendees sensually experience the festivals?
The concept of embodiment provides the overarching framework for this research. With academic interests in both tourism and geography, I weave understandings of culinary tourism, festivals, tourist embodied experiences, sensuality, visercality and abjection to address my research questions. I use this theoretical ‘toolbox’ alongside qualitative methodological approaches which enable research participants to express their embodied experiences and emotions. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with festival organisers and food stall holders. Participant ‘sensing’ was carried out in both Kāwhia and Hokitika. In thinking about the social, cultural and ‘felt’ aspects of food, I also use my own body as an instrument of research. Promotional texts were collected and all data analysed using critical discourse analysis.
The empirical material is divided into two themes. The first theme focuses on location and place identity. Concepts of ‘place attachment’ and ‘sense of belonging’ construct food festival regions. The formation of ‘new colonial’ and ‘new Māori’ traditions is another way in which these food festivals created unique place identities. The second theme highlights the embodied experiences and spaces of both food festivals. Bodily senses, place and spaces are created through visceral and abject reactions to food experiences.
Food festivals have the potential to enhance the economic, social and cultural wellbeing of regional communities. The success of food festivals, however, is dependent on multi-sensual embodied experiences.

text: ‘Let’s Get Wild’: Sensuous Geographies of Kāwhia Kai and Hokitika Wildfoods Festivals in Aōtearoa New Zealand Food Festivals allow communities to celebrate local food and drink. This original thesis examines the mutual relationship between food festival organisers, festival attendees and festival spaces. Two unique New Zealand regional food festivals – Kāwhia Kai on the West Coast of the North Island and Wildfoods Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island - are critically examined. The research addresses three questions. First, how do these food festivals construct their locations and vice versa? Second, in what ways do food festivals contribute to place identity? And, third, how do food festival attendees sensually experience the festivals?
The concept of embodiment provides the overarching framework for this research. With academic interests in both tourism and geography, I weave understandings of culinary tourism, festivals, tourist embodied experiences, sensuality, visercality and abjection to address my research questions. I use this theoretical ‘toolbox’ alongside qualitative methodological approaches which enable research participants to express their embodied experiences and emotions. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with festival organisers and food stall holders. Participant ‘sensing’ was carried out in both Kāwhia and Hokitika. In thinking about the social, cultural and ‘felt’ aspects of food, I also use my own body as an instrument of research. Promotional texts were collected and all data analysed using critical discourse analysis.
The empirical material is divided into two themes. The first theme focuses on location and place identity. Concepts of ‘place attachment’ and ‘sense of belonging’ construct food festival regions. The formation of ‘new colonial’ and ‘new Māori’ traditions is another way in which these food festivals created unique place identities. The second theme highlights the embodied experiences and spaces of both food festivals. Bodily senses, place and spaces are created through visceral and abject reactions to food experiences.
Food festivals have the potential to enhance the economic, social and cultural wellbeing of regional communities. The success of food festivals, however, is dependent on multi-sensual embodied experiences.

year: 2015