The Security Versus Freedom Dilemma. An Empirical Study of the Spanish Case.

One of the classic debates in public opinion, now more prevalent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been the dilemma between freedom and security. Following a theoretical review, this article sets out to establish the sociodemographic profiles and those variables that can correlate and/or explain the inclination towards one or the other, that is, the dependent variable "freedom-security," such as victimization or the assessment of surveillance. The analysis is based on the results of a survey prepared by the Center for Sociological Research (CIS, in Spanish) and administered to a sample of 5,920 Spaniards. The conclusions indicate that the majority inclination is for security, especially among older men, with elementary education attainment level and right-wing ideology. Furthermore, although victimization correlated with the dependent variable, the perception of being a possible victim led to a preference for safety rather than the actual experience of having been a victim. Finally, the positive assessment of surveillance through technologies such as video cameras explains or is strongly associated with security, making it a promising line of research for future work and a means to improve the understanding of the analyzed dilemma.

Six Collective Challenges for Sustainability of Almería Greenhouse Horticulture.

Globally, current food consumption and trade are placing unprecedented demand on agricultural systems and increasing pressure on natural resources, requiring tradeoffs between food security and environmental impacts especially given the tension between market-driven agriculture and agro-ecological goals. In order to illustrate the wicked social, economic and environmental challenges and processes to find transformative solutions, we focus on the largest concentration of greenhouses in the world located in the semi-arid coastal plain of South-east Spain. Almería family farming, predominantly cooperative, greenhouse intensive production, commenced after the 1960s and has resulted in very significant social and economic benefits for the region, while also having important negative environmental and biodiversity impacts, as well as creating new social challenges. The system currently finds itself in a crisis of diminishing economic benefits and increasing environmental and social dilemmas. Here, we present the outcomes of multi-actor, transdisciplinary research to review and provide collective insights for solutions-oriented research on the sustainability of Almeria's agricultural sector. The multi-actor, transdisciplinary process implemented collectively, and supported by scientific literature, identified six fundamental challenges to transitioning to an agricultural model that aims to ameliorate risks and avoid a systemic collapse, whilst balancing a concern for profitability with sustainability: (1) Governance based on a culture of shared responsibility for sustainability, (2) Sustainable and efficient use of water, (3) Biodiversity conservation, (4) Implementing a circular economy plan, (5) Technology and knowledge transfer, and (6) Image and identity. We conclude that the multi-actor transdisciplinary approach successfully facilitated the creation of a culture of shared responsibility among public, private, academic, and civil society actors. Notwithstanding plural values, challenges and solutions identified by consensus point to a nascent acknowledgement of the strategic necessity to locate agricultural economic activity within social and environmental spheres.This paper demonstrates the need to establish transdisciplinary multi-actor work-schemes to continue collaboration and research for the transition to an agro-ecological model as a means to remain competitive and to create value.

Efectos del procedimiento de administración en la estabilidad de la escala de postmaterialismo / No disponible

La escala de Postmaterialismo de Inglehart fue desarrollada para intentar medir posturas que irían desde valores materialistas, referentes al bienestar material como mantener un alto nivel económico, luchar contra la delincuencia, mantener una buena fuerza armada, etc., hasta valores postmaterialistas, donde se enfatizan cuestiones tales como la libertad de expresión de ideas, mayor democratización y el desarrollo de una sociedad más humanitaria. Esta escala se ha incluido en la Encuesta Mundial sobre Valores tanto de 1990-91 como en la de 1995-96, pero ha tomado diferentes formas, simplificándose el procedimiento de administración en la segunda de las encuestas. El objetivo que se propone en este trabajo es doble: por un lado, se plantea el estudio de la fiabilidad a partir de la estabilidad de las puntuaciones que proporciona la escala, y por otra parte, se pretende conocer la influencia que tiene el procedimiento de administración de la escala de Postmaterialismo sobre la estabilidad de las medidas realizadas. El procedimiento para estimar la fiabilidad ha sido el test-retest. La muestra de sujetos utilizada ha sido dividida en grupos a los que se les ha aplicado las distintas formas de la escala de postmaterialismo.A partir de los datos recogidos se han estimado los coeficientes de fiabilidad de las escalas utilizadas tradicionalmente en las Encuestas Mundial de Valores, así como las otras formas alternativas de administración. Los resultados obtenidos permiten obtener conclusiones sobre el procedimiento de administración de la escala de postmaterialismo y la estabilidad en la medida. En este sentido cabe decir que la escala de postmaterialismo tal y como se ha venido empleando en la Encuesta Mundial de Valores (1990-91 y 1995-96), no tiene garantías de calidad respecto a la fiabilidad de la medida. Uno de los sistemas alternativos propuesto en este trabajo se muestra más estable que todos los otros, rebasando, aunque en poca cuantía, el límite de la fiabilidad exigida (AU)

Effects of the delivery procedure on the stability of a postmaterialism scale. The postmaterialism scale of Inglehart was developed to measure postures that would go from materialistic values, referring to the material welfare as: to maintain high economic level, to fight against the delinquency, to maintain a good army force, etc., until postmaterialistic values, where are emphasized problems such as the freedom of ideas expression, greater democratization and the development of a most humanitarian society. This scale has been included in the World Values Surveys (on 1990- 91 and1995-96), but it has taken different forms, being simplified the administration procedure in the second of the surveys. Furthermore, for this work two alternative forms of administration have been prepared. The main objective sof this paper are: 1) to study the reliability (as stability) of measures that provides the scale, and, 2) to know the influence of delivery procedure in the scale reliability. The procedure to estimate the reliability has been test-retest. The different forms of the scale have been applied in different subjects samples. The results permit to obtain conclusions about the delivery procedure and about the stability in the measure. In this sense, the postmaterialism scale is not good for its reliability of the measure, at least as it has been used in the World Values Survey (1990-91 and 1995-96). One of the alternative systems proposed in this work is shown more reliable than all the others, exceeding, though in few quantity, the limit of the demanded reliability (AU)