In English, the word chair means something we sit on. Perhaps our most important set of symbols is language. Certain parts of the Middle East and Asia would be offended if they saw you using your left hand to eat, because they use their left hand for bathroom hygiene. “Thumbs up” in the United States means “great” or “wonderful,” but in Australia it means the same thing as extending the middle finger in the United States. In Bulgaria, however, nodding means no, while shaking our head back and forth means yes! In the United States, if we make an “O” by putting our thumb and forefinger together, we mean “OK,” but the same gesture in certain parts of Europe signifies an obscenity. In the United States, for example, if we nod our head up and down, we mean yes, and if we shake it back and forth, we mean no. However, the same gesture can mean one thing in one society and something quite different in another society (Axtell, 1998). Probably all societies have nonverbal symbols we call gestures, movements of the hands, arms, or other parts of the body that are meant to convey certain ideas or emotions. It commonly conveys friendship and is used as a sign of both greeting and departure. A common one is shaking hands, which is done in some societies but not in others. As the symbolic interactionist perspective discussed in Chapter 1 “Sociology and the Sociological Perspective” (Links to an external site.) emphasizes, shared symbols make social interaction possible.
Some symbols are actually types of nonverbal communication, while other symbols are in fact material objects. The journal particularly encourages innovative, original and cross-disciplinary research on the development and use of new or improved methodologies and technologies for scientific studies and practical work in environmental fields.Every culture is filled with symbols, or things that stand for something else and that often evoke various reactions and emotions. The journal aims to advance and apply scientific knowledge and practical methods to improve our understanding of environmental and sustainability issues and support evidence-based policy making and eco-friendly practice at regional or global scales. Stephen Brown, Queen’s University, Canada, Wendy Huang, University of Calgary, Canada, Weiyun Lin, Memorial University, Canada, Helen Zhang, Memorial University, Canada, Systems Research publishes high-quality, interdisciplinary and refereed research papers, review and comment articles, and topical collections on all aspects of environmental systems from water (terrestrial and marine), air, soil and biota. Chunjiang An, Concordia University, Canada, R. The manuscript must fully comply with the ESR submission guidelines and should be submitted via Editorial Managerįor any queries regarding submission, please contact the special issue guest editors via email:ĭr. All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere. This special issue resulted from the LEADERS & PEOPLE 2020 Virtual Symposium on August 30-September 1 however, it is open to everyone. The topic becomes ever challenging in the context of climate change and important for science and policy.
These emerging pollutants are found in air, surface water, groundwater, ice caps, oceans, soils, and sediments, and there is increasing evidence of their toxicity at all trophic levels, highlighting an urgent need for effective management and mitigation approaches globally. Many are not regulated or legislated, mainly due to the lack of in-depth knowledge about their fate, transport, impact, or corresponding lack of effective management and mitigation. Persistent, emerging, and organic pollutants (PEOPs) pose ecological and health risks due to their persistent, toxic, carcinogenic, and/or bio-accumulative properties and associated long-term ecological and health risks. You are invited to submit research articles, reviews, or comments for a special issue titled " Water Management in a Changing Climate” This issue will showcase state-of-the-art advancements on Persistent, emerging, and organic pollutants (PEOPs) especially within the climate change context.