The present dissertation evaluates the internal dynamics of a specific type of common-pool resource, an information commons. Employing a novel dataset related to more than 800,000 transactions in distinct libraries during a 10-year period (2005-2015), I address distinct questions in the fields of organizational economics, law and economics, and public economics. This dissertation contains three chapters in the format of academic papers, besides the introduction and conclusion. The second chapter evaluates the behavioral responses of library users to monetary sanctions. I exploit variation in the timing of introduction of fines in a library, as well as differences among users, in terms of fine incidence. In the case of this chapter, I report two results: first, the introduction of fines reduces users\' delays, as predicted by standard models of law enforcement. Second, when evaluating the dynamic effects of such an introduction, I uncover a result in which fines lose efficacy over time since its nominal value remains the same after instauration. The third chapter measures externalities in an information commons. I estimate the magnitude of the impacts of actions of library users who were subject to a non-monetary sanction (professors and university employees) over users who were subject to a monetary sanction (students). Additionally, I estimate peer effects among users, considering the number of items they borrow from the library. When investigating external effects, I uncover a \"crowding-out\" effect: for an additional unity in professors and employees\' counts, there is an approximate one-to-one decrease in students\' counts. In the case of peer effects, I find that a rise in the borrowings of a user\'s peer group correlates with her own borrowings, an evidence of positive peer effects. Finally, the fourth chapter explores the interplay between common-pool resources and transaction costs. In particular, I try to answer the following question: what happens when transaction costs go down in a common-pool resource setting? I exploit variation in the timing of introduction of a cost-saving technology (return boxes) and its impacts on library performance measures. Contrarily to standard arguments based on transaction costs, I find a result in which the instauration of return boxes tend, on average, to raise the probability of delays and borrowings\' effective durations. The results reported in this dissertation have important implications for theories based on common-pool resources\' management, and constitute novel empirical evidence for the areas of law and economics, public economics, and organizational economics. / A presente tese avalia a dinâmica interna de um tipo específico de recurso comum, um \"information commons\". Utilizando uma nova base de dados contendo mais de 800.000 transações ocorridas em distintas bibliotecas, ao longo de um período superior a 10 anos (2005-2015), o trabalho busca responder distintas questões relacionadas às áreas de economia das organizações, direito econômico e economia do setor público. A tese contém três capítulos, em formato de artigos, além da introdução e conclusão. O segundo capítulo da tese avalia as respostas comportamentais de usuários de uma biblioteca a sanções monetárias, ao explorar variação no timing de introdução de multas, assim como diferenças entre usuários, em termos de incidência dessas multas. No caso deste capítulo, são reportados dois resultados: em primeiro lugar, a introdução da multa tende a reduzir atrasos dos usuários, conforme previsto por modelos convencionais de cumprimento da lei. Em segundo lugar, uma análise dos efeitos dinâmicos de instauração da multa sugere que ela perde eficácia ao longo do tempo, uma vez que seu valor nominal permanece o mesmo, desde a data de instauração. O terceiro capítulo da tese apresenta estimativas das magnitudes de externalidades em um recurso comum. Neste capítulo, são estimados os impactos das ações de usuários da biblioteca sujeitos a uma sanção não-monetária (professores e funcionários) sobre usuários sujeitos a uma sanção monetária (alunos). Adicionalmente, são estimados efeitos sobre pares (peereffects), considerando o número de itens emprestados por usuários da biblioteca. A análise da magnitude de efeitos externos leva à descoberta de um efeito \"crowding-out\": para cada unidade adicional emprestada por professores e funcionários, há uma redução, na escala de um por um, nos empréstimos de estudantes. No caso de estimações de efeitos sobre pares, um aumento nos empréstimos por parte do grupo ao qual um usuário pertence é correlacionado com seus próprios empréstimos, o que constitui evidência favorável à ocorrência de efeitos positivos sobre pares, no caso. Finalmente, no quarto capítulo, explora-se a interação entre recursos comuns e custos de transação. Especificamente, busca-se responder a seguinte questão: o que ocorre quando custos de transação são reduzidos em um contexto envolvendo recursos comuns? Para tanto, explora-se a variação no timing de introdução de uma tecnologia redutora de custos de transação (caixas de devolução), assim como seus impactos sobre medidas de desempenho na biblioteca. No caso deste capítulo, tem-se um resultado onde a instauração de caixas de devolução tende, em média, a aumentar a probabilidade de atrasos entre usuários da biblioteca, assim como a duração efetiva dos empréstimos, contrariamente a argumentos baseados em custos de transação. Os resultados reportados nesta tese têm importantes implicações para teorias baseadas no gerenciamento de recursos comuns, assim como correspondem a um novo conjunto de evidências empíricas relacionadas às áreas de direito econômico, economia do setor público e economia das organizações.

HIV/AIDS continues to challenge prevention, care and treatment efforts and presents an increasingly urgent threat to population health. In the context of prevention, this fatal sexually transmitted infection (STI) underscores the importance of providing youth (the fastest growing risk group) with adequate information, motivation, behavioural skills, and access to resources that support the achievement and maintenance of sexual health across the lifespan. However, youth have proven to be a difficult audience to reach, particularly with educational programs that approach adolescent sexuality from an adult frame of reference, one that often stresses the negative aspects of human sexuality. Yet many of the tasks associated with a successful transition into adulthood and social integration depend upon the ability to initiate and maintain long-term, intimate sexual relationships. Using a case study methodology, this research—which was conducted in British Columbia, Canada—investigated the potential effects of an innovative theatre-based, peer-led HIV prevention/sexuality education program on four groups of high school students and the peer leaders. The potential of theatre-in-education was examined to determine if this format would engage youth audiences—and keep them engaged—and if it would have a positive impact on self-reported confidence in performing risk-reduction behaviours. The results from the four case studies strongly suggest that peer-led theatre presented in conjunction with peer-led discussion has the potential to not only engage youth between 12 and 17, but to also increase self-reported confidence in their ability reduce risk. In two of the cases, engagement was high and constant; while the two other cases demonstrated that the format has a strong potential for drawing more reluctant audiences into discussions over time. In all cases, confidence reportedly increased. Further to this, audiences reported gains in knowledge, improvements in behavioural and communication skills, and increased motivation to use condoms and to access sexual health care. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, there were reports of increased communication about sexual health issues, the development of greater compassion and tolerance, along with the desire to avoid stigmatizing HIV-positive individuals and sexual minorities. The peer leaders reported comparable effects. Given that stigma has been identified as the most persistent barrier to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment, embedding peer-led theatre programs—focused on sexuality and HIV prevention—into currently existing theatre arts curricula within the public school system offers a powerful and cost-effective means of providing comprehensive sexual health education. It would be shrewd (from both a social and economic perspective) for education ministries and school districts to capitalize on the positive aspects of adolescent peer networks and youths’ natural tendency to learn from one another. This research, while based on informed judgment, adequacy and plausibility rather than on the gold standard of a randomized control trial, arguably provides initial evidence that the theatre-in-education format is worthy of implementation on a wider scale. Investing in the set-up, maintenance and rigorous evaluation of peer-led theatre-in-education programs which focus on sexuality has the potential to normalize safer sexual practices and improve population health, for this generation and generations to come.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / The aim of the study was to explore the socio-cultural influences in decision making involving sexual behaviour among adolescents in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Cultural beliefs associated with adolescents' decision to become sexually active were explored, as well as the social norms influences involved in adolescents' sexual behaviour. The theoretical framework used for the study was Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory of development. The results indicated that adolescent pregnancy was perceived as unacceptable behaviour although found widespread in communities. Social influences such as peer influence, low socioeconomic status, alcohol use and lack of parental supervision were found to play a role in adolescents' risky sexual behaviour. Cultural beliefs, cultural myths and social norms were identified as socio-cultural influences that endorsed issues such as gender disparities, which made adolescent mothers vulnerable. Findings from this study suggest that female adolescents are faced with sexual behaviour complexities. / South Africa

Magister Public Health - MPH / Background: Alcohol consumption among adolescents is increasing due to the general availability of alcohol in many community settings. Binge drinking (defined as drinking 5 or more drinks per occasion) (Parry, 2000) is considered the most common type of harmful alcohol consumption among young people. The United States Youth Risk Behaviour Surveillance report proposes that patterns of health risk behaviours are established during youth (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention,2006). The abovementioned report highlights behaviours such as alcohol misuse, drug use and risky sexual behaviour that have the potential to undermine the health and development of youth. Adolescent developmental theories recognise risk behaviours as central to normal adolescent development but there are complex predisposing risk factors that can cause these behaviours to compromise the healthy development of our youth. In order to design and implement effective intervention schemes, we need to understand the dynamics of alcohol use among local youth better, as these play out in their specific social environmental and personal contexts.Aim: The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of what influences the patterns of alcohol use among adolescents in a peri-urban historically disadvantaged community in the Western Cape. The study identified some of the factors that promote and inhibit drinking within the study community from the perspective of the adolescents themselves and a few of the adults who work with adolescents. The study also determined some of the harmful consequences to drinking as described by the adolescents.Method: This was an exploratory study using qualitative research methods. Four focus group discussions were conducted with adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years that were both attending and not attending school. Three key informant interviews with adults who were involved with the youth were conducted.Convenience sampling was used for the non-school attending participants and snowball sampling was used for the school attending youth. The adults in the study were purposively sampled. The study was conducted within the study setting during March and April 2009. Thematic and content analysis was used to interpret the data.The descriptive data was coded and categorised according to themes that emerged during analysis.Results: In general the youth of this study are drinking on weekends. They spend their time on the streets and access alcohol from the many illegal taverns in their neighbourhood. Some of the reasons why adolescents drink include just for the fun of it and because their friends drink and to cope with stress or boredom (risk factors for problem behaviour). Those who don’t drink generally have strong parental role models, have observed some of the harmful effects of alcohol use and seem able to resist peer pressure (protective factors for problem behaviour). There were no significant differences between the perceptions of male and female adolescents regarding alcohol consumption. The black adolescents in general appeared to be more affected by poverty than the coloured adolescents, a factor that influenced their choices around alcohol use. Risky sexual behaviour, rape and fighting seem to be some of the harmful consequences to drinking that are described by the youth of this study. The social environment in which the adolescents of this study live seemed to play a significant role in their attitudes toward drinking. Factors such as a lack of infrastructure for leisure, poverty and a tolerance for public drunkenness are community factors that affect these adolescents but over which they have little or no control.Conclusion: The potential for problem behaviour as perceived by the participants is determined by the balance of risk and protective factors that emanate from their social environment, the community itself and their own personality. Those fortunate enough to have cohesive families with interested adults around them are more likely to be protected from problem behaviour due to drinking.Recommendations: Recommendations from this study include engaging with the youth directly when designing intervention programmes; using peer-led programmes to effect change and to help adolescents to clarify their values; equip them with skills to plan for the future in order to develop their self-efficacy to make the right choices when it comes to alcohol consumption. It is also recommended that intervention programmes address relationships within the community itself such as strengthening parent-child communication; building positive adult role models and empowering community members to challenge issues such as illegal tavern owners serving alcohol to minors.

No description available.

This study builds on a small but growing body of research concerning socio-economic, cultural, political, and personal challenges influencing Saudi women’s professional development. Although Saudi women have more advantages and opportunities in 2020 compared to previous historical periods, women still face challenges related to employment and professional status. This research provides an in-depth analysis of the insider experience connected to challenges Saudi women face in work and life that hinder their professional development. Specifically, this research explored the role of social media in providing new opportunities to help Saudi women overcome challenges they face in work and life. Guided by a qualitative approach, this interpretive study is conducted through interviews, supporting documents analysis, and personal experiences. This study draws on Technofeminism, Intersectional Feminism, and Social Role Theory in order to provide a broad theoretical lens to help interpret findings. Using thematic analysis, six main themes were uncovered: (1) socio-cultural challenges, (2) personal challenges, (3) ethical challenges, (4) institutional challenges, (5) civic and professional engagement, and (6) socialization and privacy issues. General findings indicated that despite efforts from the Saudi Arabian government to enhance women’s rights in society, women continue to face socio-cultural, personal, and ethical challenges in work and life. The advanced analysis revealed that social media does have a positive role in providing Saudi women with new opportunities to overcome challenges they face but that cultural norms and traditional practices continue to create challenges that hinder Saudi women’s professional development.

The aim of my diploma thesis is to give an insight into the social reality of lightly tattooed people as well as those, who are just considering tattoo. Of people, for whom is tattoo neither a lifestyle nor only the fashion trend that recently penetrating into the mainstream culture. Presenting attitudes and opinions of these tattooed and potentially tattooed people the thesis tries to elucidate, what does it mean for them to be tattooed, if there are any concrete values and meanings connected with tattoo, how tattooed understand and reflect a possibility of conflict with the social norms and if the risk of this conflict somehow influences the decision of getting a tattoo. Main current approaches to the phenomenon of tattoo, historical development and changes of its situation in western culture are introduced in the theoretical part. The empirical part then draws on data acquired from semi-structured interviews with tattooed and potentially tattooed living in Czech Republic.

Job centers aid businesses seeking qualified employees and assist job seekers to select and contact employment and training services. Job seekers are also offered the opportunity to assess their skills, abilities, qualifications, and readiness. Furthermore, job centers ensure that job seekers are complying with requirements that they must meet to benefit from job assistance programs such as unemployment insurance. Yet, claimants often procrastinate and/or suspend their job search efforts even though such actions can make them lose their free time and entitlements, and more importantly they may lose the opportunity to take advantage of free information, services, training, and financial assistance for getting a job to which they have already made a claim. The current work looks to Chatman's "small worlds" work, Johnson's comprehensive model of information seeking, and Wilson's "costly ignorance" construct for contributions to understanding such behavior. Identification of a particular trait or set of traits of job seekers during periods of unemployment will inform a new Job Seeking Activities Model (JSAM). This study purposely examines job seeker information behavior and the factors which influence job seekers' behavior, in particular, family tangible support as a social norm effect. A mixed method, using questionnaires for job hunting completers and non-completers and interviews for experts, was employed for data collection. Quantitative data analysis was conducted to provide the Cronbach α coefficient, Pearson's product moment correlation, an independent-sample t-test, effect size, and binary Logit regression. The qualitative data generated from the interview transcript for each section of the themes and subthemes were color coded. Finally, simultaneous triangulation was carried out to confirm or contradict the results from each method. The findings show that social norms, particularly uncontrolled social support provided by their families, are more likely to make job seekers ignore the relevant information about jobs available to them in favor of doing other things. Finally, this research presents a form of data and the development of a workable model that are useful in more clearly and better defining the complex world of job seekers.

An exploration of the idea that tangible change could be made in the world when norms are unsettled rather than reinforced or left untouched. Bloom focuses on creating a space for the individual to re-define the outdated, toxic norms surrounding masculinity to explore ‘what men can be’. This is tied into questioning ‘what food can be’ — now and in the future — in relation to the norm of consuming animal food products in western societies. In collaboration with people who have actively reduced their meat consumption or identify as plant based or vegan, I have aspired to use my practice as a visual communicator to illustrate connections and reveal hidden narratives of these individuals who are already challenging these norms as change agents within society. The outcome is the Bloom Box — an interactive box containing their stories visualised with ‘out of the norm’ plant foods.

Flertalet företag och organisationer har börjat inse de fördelar som erhålls genom att engagera sig i hållbar utveckling och sträva mot en miljövänlig arbetsplats. Att få människor engagerade i miljöfrågor på olika sätt har överlag visat sig vara effektivt när det kommer till att påverka attityder och uppmuntra till miljövänligt beteende, likaså har sociala normer visat sig vara betydande när det kommer till att skapa miljöengagemang på arbetsplatser. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur engagemang och nya normer kan skapas för miljövänliga handlingar på arbetsplatser. Studien avgränsas till Casino Cosmopol i Malmö, där en öppen enkätundersökning har genomförts. Företaget har under en tid arbetat med hållbarhetsfrågor men upplevde att de behövde stöttning och råd när det kom till att skapa miljöengagemang bland medarbetarna och därmed också driva deras miljöarbete framåt. Undersökningen vände sig till samtliga medarbetare inom företaget. Resultatet från enkätundersökningen visar att medarbetare anser att verksamheter och företag har ett stort ansvar när det kommer till miljöfrågor. Undersökningen visade också att kommunikationen inte alltid är tillräcklig mellan arbetsgivare och medarbetare för att miljövänligt beteende ska genomsyra hela verksamheten och för att miljöengagemang ska skapas. Medarbetarna efterfrågar tydlighet, mer kunskap om miljö och klimatfrågor. Resultatet visar också att medarbetarna efterlyser redovisning av de åtgärder som införts, arbetsgivare som är lojala och visar ett genuint engagemang. / Most companies and organisations have realized the benefits of engaging in sustainable development and striving for an environmentally friendly workplace. Getting people involved in environmental issues in different ways has generally proven to be effective when it comes to influencing attitudes and encouraging environmentally friendly behaviour, and social standards have also been found to be important when it comes to creating environmental engagement in workplaces. The purpose of the study is to investigate how commitment and new values can be created for environmentally friendly actions in workplaces. The study is limited to Casino Cosmopol in Malmö, where an open survey has been conducted. The company had for some time worked on sustainability issues but felt that they needed support and advice when it came to create environmental commitment among the employees and taking their environmental actions to the next level. The survey was addressed to all employees within the company. The results of the survey show that employees believe that businesses and companies have a great responsibility when it comes to environmental issues, but that communication between employer and employees is not always sufficient to ensure that environmentally friendly behaviour permeates the entire business and that environmental commitment is created. The employees demand clarity, more knowledge about the environment and climate issues. The result also shows that employees are demanding the effects of the measures that have been establish, employers who are loyal and show genuine commitment.