Public awareness is crucial in the fight against human trafficking, but little academic research looks at the public policy implications of different types of messaging the public may be using in recognizing human trafficking. Using policy feedback theory as the theoretical lens, the purpose of this quantitative study was to compare mean awareness scores for both film and social media to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between the scores and their degree of public awareness. Data were collected through an online survey, which included questions related to both film and social media, using a participant pool service. The survey measured awareness of human trafficking with a sample of 100 participants who included diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, and ages. These data were analyzed using an independent-samples t test where the participants' awareness scores were compared for the 2 awareness strategies tested. The findings indicated that there is a statistically significant difference between film and social media at creating awareness of the phenomenon, with film being statistically higher. The implications for positive social change stemming from these results include recommendations for further research to be performed on human trafficking, specifically human trafficking awareness strategies. With improved anti-trafficking awareness strategies and a more informed public, the number of individuals affected by human trafficking will diminish and, eventually, the issue will cease to exist.

Public awareness concerning problematic of dementia Dementia is a problem that is socially becoming a very serious topic. Consequently, with the increasing aging of the population, the number of people who are suffering from it is growing. The symptoms of dementia include a decreasing of the intellectual and memory abilities in comparison with the level on which they were acquired before the illness started. Nonetheless dementia does not include the defects in intellect and memory only; it also includes other psychical functions. For example, dementia strongly affects the person in virtually all social situations and has a big impact on the quality of the patient´s life, as well as the life of his/her family and other people that are close to them. In most cases this illness starts very slowly. Thus, diagnosing dementia in advance gives the possibility of an early start of symptomatic treatment as well as maximum use of the therapeutical procedures available nowadays. At the same time it gives patients and their family time to prepare for future health, financial and law problems. The public cannot distinguish the pathological aspects of aging from the normal aspects of aging. Consequently, the usual idea of aging is still a perception that includes forgetting, change of personality and aggression. These symptoms are not the indivisible part of aging, but they can be the symptoms of pathological process. I believe that if the public accepts this fact, it can change its attitude to the elderly. The problem is that the public is still not informed enough. Considering the facts mentioned above which I regard as important, it seems we should make an effort to find out how much the public informed about the problems of dementia. The theoretical part of this work gives the basic information about the problems of dementia. It defines dementia, its epidemiology, etiopatogenezy, and it classifies the different kinds of dementia. It also deals with differential diagnostics, risk factors, diagnostics, treatment and prevention; and it also contains chapters dealing with dementia from the social, financial and law point of view. At the same time it gives information about the present possibilities of help in the institution of social care, and it also gives the list of the organizations in the Czech Republic which offer help in the care of people suffering with dementia. In the practical part of my theses I wanted to find out how much the adult population of Písek is informed about the problems of dementia. I used a method of a standardized questionnaire that consisted of 18 questions; and the research was done on a statistically significant group of adult inhabitants of the town Písek. The total number of distributed questionnaires was 250, 220 were filled in, out of which 25 were filled in a wrong way. The final number was 195 correctly filled in questionnaires that were possible to use. The hypothesis as stated :{\crqq} The adult population in the town of Písek is not informed enough about the problems of dementia{\crqq} has been confirmed, because the respondents were informed about it enough in only 42% of the sub-questions. I believe that it is important to inform the public. It would help to prevent or lower the risk of neglecting and disregard of the warning symptoms of the pathological process of aging. I wish this theses was available to the people working in health and social services and mainly to the public. Such an availability of the material would give them well-arranged basic information about the problems of dementia.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Brent Chamberlain / Air pollution is a serious health and environmental problem. In fact, poor air quality has been linked to numerous diseases and is a significant public health issue related to urban planning. These problems can be clearly seen in urban Chinese cities, most recently with the first ever Red Alert in Beijing China in 2015. In 2015, director Chai Jing developed a documentary depicting the bad effects on health of air pollution in China. However, soon after the release of the film, it was banned. One important finding in the film was the misperception the Chinese people had about the kinds of pollution and the health impacts. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the extent to which Chinese people understand the causes of air pollution and their related health effects. Accordingly, a survey was produced and delivered via Chinese social medium. The survey had three objectives: study the perception of 1) Air quality and the source of air pollution, 2) Health effects if air pollution, and 3) Air pollution and Environmental policies. The results show that 44% Chinese people feel air quality is worse now than a year before, and 72% people feel air pollution has affected their health. One main finding in this study was that younger people took the survey more than older people, as perhaps because they may have started to have a family or become a family; this is significant because air pollution is harmful for children. The other main finding was that 52% people did not know a China Air Pollution and Prevention Law exists.

Social capital is a concept which has almost recently entered into the literature of sociologyand during the last two decades, Robert Putnam and James Coleman have paid a particularattention to conceptualizing it. Putnam emphasizes the horizontal relationship among peopleand Coleman puts an emphasis on the vertical contribution and the relation among people incivil institutions as the creators of social capital on the one hand, and the products of socialcapital on the other hand .When it comes to the notion of sustainable development, social capital besides other capitalsis an essential part of the resources that a sustainable community requires, and is consideredas one of the engines of development.It needs to be considered that social capital has the characteristic of multiplication andreproduction. It means that through its proper utilization, there is an opportunity ofaggregating it. On contrary, leaving it not used leads to its destruction and diminishing. Thisfact shows an important difference between social capital and other forms of capital.The main objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between social capitaland sustainable development in the city of Zahedan the center of Sistan and Baluchestanprovince in Southern Iran. This province is located far away from the Capital city of Teheranand thus, compared to more central parts of the country, is considered as one of the leastdeveloped Iranian provinces.Zahedan on the one hand has an increasing population growth in a heterogeneous formconsisting of different cultures, social classes and ethnicities and on the other hand, theprovince shares the same border with two crisis stricken countries of Pakistan andAfghanistan, whose crises have great negative impacts on Zahedan such as social insecurity,economic instability, high risk of financial investment, and high rate of crime related tosmuggling and drug trafficking. The uncontrolled immigration of refugees and their dwellingin the most deprived parts of the city have resulted in conflict, weakened conformity coupledwith little sense of belonging, growth of formlessness in this area and also increase in povertyrate and marginalization. All of these problems created many obstacles in the way of theZahedan’s sustainable development. Thus sustainable development takes a new meaning withsocial capital. Knowing the indices such as public trust, participation and social awarenesscan play a significant role in increasing and decreasing social capital and sustainabledevelopment. According to the latest census, the population of this city was 567449 peoplewhich included the main ethnic groups of Baluch (48%), Zaboli (41%), Birjandi (7%) and others (4%). For the analysis of the above mentioned indices in this research, 183 peoplewere selected based on the proportion of each ethnic group through random sampling and thenecessary information was collected through using questionnaires and it was analyzedthrough using the Pearson Test in SPSS software. The results are as follows: The average level of each of the main components of social capital, namely publictrust, participation and awareness is low among the citizens of Zahedan. There is a positive correlation between the low level of social capital indices and the weak situation of sustainable development in the city of Zahedan.

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate a waste management project and its public awareness components, in the Korca region, Albania. We wanted to learn if the communication towards the population about the project had created an effect or not. We conducted interviews in the capital Tirana and in the Korca region situated south east in Albania. The focus on the study was on the population in the Korca region, and on the persons from the project who worked with the information towards the population. The research was a qualitative study consisting of a total of 22 standardized face-to-face interviews and 3 semi-structured interviews. A difference in the environment is now visible according to the inhabitants. We came to the conclusion that the messages conveyed to the target groups have reached an effect, but that an even bigger effect could be reached if the target groups had been more specified and the messages had been more specific.

<p>The purpose of this thesis was to investigate a waste management project and its public awareness components, in the Korca region, Albania. We wanted to learn if the communication towards the population about the project had created an effect or not. We conducted interviews in the capital Tirana and in the Korca region situated south east in Albania. The focus on the study was on the population in the Korca region, and on the persons from the project who worked with the information towards the population. The research was a qualitative study consisting of a total of 22 standardized face-to-face interviews and 3 semi-structured interviews. A difference in the environment is now visible according to the inhabitants. We came to the conclusion that the messages conveyed to the target groups have reached an effect, but that an even bigger effect could be reached if the target groups had been more specified and the messages had been more specific.</p>

Epilepsy, a paroxysmal brain illness, is not a disease that would prevent patients from living their lives fully and from achieving aims they set themselves. Even these days there is a great deal of prejudice and negative feeling when it comes to epilepsy. The present diploma thesis deals with the problem of prejudice and general public opinions towards people suffering from epilepsy in the region of České Budějovice (Budweis), Czechia. The thesis also handles the problem of respondents{\crq} awareness of epilepsy in that region. In the theoretical part of the thesis the author summed up all important knowledge about epilepsy from the medical point of view, focusing on the impact of the illness on each person{\crq}s social life. The objective of the present diploma thesis was to ascertain general public opinions on epileptics in the region of České Budějovice. A sub-goal was to ascertain general public awareness of epilepsy in the aforementioned region. In accordance with the set goals, the following hypotheses were formulated: ``The general public feel negative prejudice against epileptics.{\crq}q ``The general public does not have correct information on epilepsy.{\crq}q Both hypotheses have been confirmed. The research was a quantitative one. The author used the method of questioning, the questionnaire and semantic deferential techniques. Respondents were chosen from general population, aged 18 and older, living in the region of České Budějovice. The research has shown that ordinary people feel negative prejudice and have negative opinions in terms of epileptics. They often assume that epileptics are mentally ill, and not capable of working on a regular basis. Furthermore, the research has proved that the general public do not have correct information on epilepsy, particularly in the field of epileptic fits, first aid and the treatment. Public education ought to be oriented to primary and secondary school pupils and students because only thus young people can adopt positive thinking and opinions on epilepsy, and this may well survive when they grow older and be passed down to other generations.

Rapid growth of Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) provides promising potentials to the advancements of methods and applications in increasing public awareness on climate change. The fundamental principle behind this method is to provide quantifiable calculation approach on several major factors that affect climate change, where one of the most well-known factors is the Greenhouse Gases (GHG) with CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide as major contributors. By utilizing Big Data and IoT, an approximate release of GHG can be calculated and embedded inside common household devices such as thermostats, water/heat/electricity/gas meter. An example is the CO2 released by a cubic of water. By using reverse calculation, an approximate CO2 release can be sequentially retrieved as follows: (1) water meter measures consumption, (2) calculate hp and kWh of pump used to supply one m3 of water, (3) calculate the amount of fossil fuel needed to produce one kWh, and (4) calculate CO2 released to the atmosphere from burning of fossil fuel per metric tons/barrel. Such analytical approaches are then embedded on household devices by providing updated information on GHG produced by hourly/daily/weekly/monthly energy usage, hence educating the public and increasing their awareness of climate change. This approach can be developed to provide an alarm of percentage of GHG released to the atmosphere by the excessive use of electricity/water/gas. Further actions in order to influence socio-economic function can later be established such as by establishing a rewards program by the government for people who can successfully manage their GHG emission.

Urbanization of watersheds leads to the degradation of watershed health, as increased areas of imperviousness produce alterations in the flow regime of receiving water bodies. While centralized infrastructure improvements, such as detention ponds, are typically implemented to manage excess runoff, a more decentralized approach that utilizes Low Impact Development (LID) design principles may better preserve the predevelopment flow regime. Peak flow is traditionally used to design both of these types of infrastructure, but this does not capture the changes in the flow regime, nor does it convey the importance of stormwater sustainability to the general public. To further the general public's understanding about stormwater sustainability, an educational tool was used to take a complicated issue and make it easier to understand by a layperson. The first purpose of this work was to explore the effectiveness of educational tools that may be developed to increase public awareness about issues of watershed sustainability and encourage adoption of sustainable stormwater controls. To increase knowledge about stormwater sustainability and encourage more sustainable practices, a new stormwater sustainability metric, the hydrologic footprint residence (HFR), was recently introduced to measure more holistically the impacts of urbanization on the downstream residence. HFR measures changes to the flow regime as the area of land inundated for one unit of time in response to one rainfall event, which is a more relatable metric than peak flow for the general public. It was the second purpose of this work is to explore the effectiveness of HFR in communicating the impacts of urbanization on watershed health, as compared to traditional stormwater metrics, such as peak flow. To test these different objectives, collaboration with the Communication and the Computer Engineering Departments at Texas A&M University was needed to create a survey, which helped evaluate the effectiveness of the educational tool in educating the general public about stormwater sustainability, and encouraging more sustainable practices. The survey was also used to evaluate and compare the use of HFR and peak flow within the quiz for communicating to the general public about stormwater sustainability. Results indicated the quiz was useful for educating the public about stormwater sustainability, encouraging more sustainable practices. In addition, results indicated the HFR was more effective than peak flow in educating the public about LIDs.

Šio darbo tikslas - išanalizuoti visuomenės informavimo ir švietimo atliekų tvarkymo klausimais reglamentavimą teisės aktuose ir įvertinti regioninių atliekų tvarkymo centrų (RATC), savivaldybių tinklalapių išsamumą ir kokybę bei sukurti internetinę svetainę apie atliekų tvarkymą. Naudotas aprašomasis teisės aktų metodas. Palygintas regioninių atliekų tvarkymo centrų ir savivaldybių tinklalapių išsamumas. Magistro baigiamąjame darbe aprašomas magistro darbo autoriaus sukurtas tinklalapis apie atliekų tvarkymą. www.atliekos.visiems.lt . Alytaus, Šiaulių, Tauragės, Telšių, Kauno regioniniai atliekų tvarkymo centrai privalo rengti ir įgyvendinti visuomenės informavimo programas. Pagal pateikiamos informacijos išsamumą, Lietuvos regioninių atliekų tvarkymo centrų tinklalapiai buvo suskirstyti į 4 kategorijas. Šiaulių ir Telšių regiono atliekų tvarkymo centrų tinklalapiai yra išsamiausi tarp visų regioninių centrų tinklalapių. Neissamūs yra Marijampolės, Panevėžio, Tauragės, Utenos regioninių atliekų tvarkymo centrų tinklalapiai. Atliktas tyrimas parodė, kad dažnai savivaldybių tinklalapiuose nėra atskiros skilties apie savivaldybės atliekų tvarkymo sistemą arba tokiose skiltyje informacija neišsami. Suformuluotos 9 rekomendacijos esamai visuomenės informavimo situacijai pagerinti. / The aim of the paper is to analyze the legal aspects of public environmental education and awareness rising on waste management issues, to evaluate the completeness and quality of the websites of regional waste management centers and municipalities and to develop a web site for waste management issues. Methods of the work: descriptive analysis of the legislation, comparative analysis of educational material on the websites of regional waste management centers in Lithuania. Master's thesis describes the website (www.atliekos.visiems.lt) for waste management developed by the author. Alytus, Šiauliai, Tauragė, Telšiai, Kaunas regional waste management centers according to legislation must develop and implement public awareness programs on waste issues. According to the information provided, Lithuanian regional waste management centers, were grouped into four categories. Websites of Siauliai and Telsiai regional waste management centers are the most developed and complete among of all regional centers. The websites of the waste management centers of Marijampolė, Panevėžys, Tauragė, Utena were among those that mostly lacked comprehensiveness. The research revealed that in the websites of municipalities’ there is no a separate column on municipal waste management system or information in such column is not complete. It was formulated 9 recommendations for the improvement of public environmental education and awareness rising on waste management issues.