An area of knowledge creation can be said to come of age when it becomes integrated through publishing a handbook. The readers are the beneficiaries of that act, initiated by the Cambridge University Press in recognition of the vastly growing and socially important area. The world is filled with symbolic places in relation to which meaningful actions – tourist trips, pilgrimages, homecomings,wa...

South Africa (SA) is undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition and has the highest prevalence of obesity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with black women being the most affected (obesity prevalence 31.8%). Although genetic factors are important, socio-cultural, environmental and behavioural factors, as well as the influence of socio-economic status, more likely explain the high prevalence of o...

AIMS Several socio-cultural and biomedical risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are modifiable. However, few studies globally have examined socio-cultural associations. To eliminate confounding of increased risk of diabetes in subsequent pregnancies, elucidating socio-cultural associations requires examination only of first pregnancies. METHODS Data for all women who delivered...

This paper reviews the body of research that addresses `the social shaping of technology' (SST) (MacKenzie & Wajcman 1985). In contrast to traditional approaches which only addressed the outcomes or 'impacts' of technological change, this work examines the content of technology and the particular processes involved in innovation. We highlight the growth of socio-economic research falling within...

Introduction Improvement of the energy industry in developing countries is the major basis of the process of techno-economic and socio-cultural development. This improvement requires the transfer of energy technology which is dominated by non-renewable energy systems. Natural resources which are mostly non-renewable, on the other hand, face various threats caused by such a process of developmen...

Effective mitigation of climate change will require far-reaching transformations of electricity, heat, agricultural, transport and other systems. The energy studies and modelling research that so often dominates academic and policy debates provide valuable insights into these transitions, but remain constrained by their focus on rational decision-making and their neglect of non-linear dynamics ...

improving employment opportunities for people and reducing the economic burden on government requires a broad and concentrated effort on private sectors.  private sector growth is a key engine for creation jobs. the major advantage of private sector is its employment potential at low capital cost. these sectors are the nursery of entrepreurship, often driven by individual creativity and innovat...

based on a gender equity perspective and within a pluralistic civil society, women should have equal rights for presence in and use of urban open spaces. despite this, various factors decrease their presence including inappropriate design of space, as well as socio-cultural obstacles. since women’s major place of presence and activity has traditionally been in or near home, neighborhood open sp...

housing can be considered as one of the most important needs of each family and the provision ofsuitable housing for people has always been considered as one of the indicators of progress in any country. because ofthe specific attitude to the issue of housing in iran, in other words, turning it into an investment, the major part of thehouseholds' income has been accounted for housing. given the...