ALBERT

Description / Table of Contents: Questo volume è l’esito del confronto e delle riflessioni sviluppate durante il II Workshop “AIIG Giovani” organizzato a Roma nell’aprile del 2013. Nasce da un desiderio, quello di presentare l’importanza della combinazione tra metodi d’indagine tradizionali e nuovi per costruire sapere geografico, e da una passione, sostenuta dall’intreccio di relazioni umane che si evolvono nel tempo. Per chiarire quale possa essere il contributo della geografia alla comprensione del mondo contemporaneo, sempre più complesso, gli autori presentano le principali metodologie geografiche in quattro sezioni: “Territori della tecnologia”, “Identità, spazi, luoghi”, “Nodi della rete” e “Approcci sperimentali nella scuola che cambia”. Emerge dal lavoro un quadro multifocale che rispecchia la poliedricità e la trasversalità della geografia contemporanea, ancorato al comune bisogno di sviluppare strumenti interpretativi e d’azione. Ci si muove nell’ambito di una geografia critica e della complessità in grado di fornire ai cittadini globali differenti strumenti di interpretazione e comprensione del mondo, nuove metafore a partire dalle quali costruire e sperimentare forme alternative di cittadinanza consapevole ed attiva. Qui la geografia ritrova lo slancio di una disciplina fertile capace non solo di descrivere la Terra, ma anche di immaginare e creare nuovi mondi possibili. L’approdo naturale di questo percorso è la realtà scolastica dove è possibile sperimentare nuove forme di sapere e azione per rispondere alla sfida educativa contemporanea.

Description / Table of Contents: Chapter 1. High Resolution and Better Imaging --- MUSES-B Satellite System for VSOP / H. Hirosawa / pp. 3-9 --- Mechanical Design and Development of a Deployable Space Antenna for Japanese VLBI Space Observatory Program / M. C. Natori, T. Takano, K. Miyoshi, T. Inoue and T. Kitamura / pp. 10-20 --- Operation of the VSOP Satellite / Y. Murata / pp. 21-25 --- Ground Supporting Facilities for VSOP Observations / N. Kawaguchi, H. Kobayashi, T. Miyaji, H. Mikoshiba, A. Tojo, Z. Yamamoto and H. Hirosawa, / pp. 26-33 --- Space VLBI Simulations / D. W. Murphy, V. Yakimov, H. Kobayashi, A. R. Taylor and I. Fejes / pp. 34-38 --- Space VLBI Scheduling Studies: Techniques and Results / D. L. Meier / pp. 39-43 --- An Affordable Advanced Space VLBI Mission / J. S. Ulvestad, D. L. Meier, D. W. Murphy, R. A. Preston and J. G. Smith / pp. 44-48 --- Space VLBI Experiments Using ETS-VI / T. lwata, H. Kiuchi, M. Imae, M. Sekido and S. Hama / pp. 49-53 --- Space VLBI Polarization Observations / D. C. Gabuzda and A. R. Taylor / pp. 54-58 --- Space VLBI User Assistance Software / I. Fejes, D. W. Murphy, A. R. Taylor, V. Yakimov and G. Young / pp. 59-69 --- mm VLBI / L. B. Bååth / pp. 70-74 --- "High Sensitivity" VLBI at 86 GHz: First Fringes with the 100 m Radio Telescope at Effelsberg / K. J. Standke, D. A. Graham, T. P. Krichbaum, A. Witzel, C. J. Schalinski, A. E. E. Rogers, R. Booth, L. B. Bååth / pp. 75-85 --- Burst Mode System toward mJy Level mm-VLBI / M. Inoue, K. Matsumoto and N. Kawaguchi / pp. 86-88 --- 86 GHz Global VLBI Progress Report / S. Doeleman, A. E. E. Rogers, L. Bååth, C. Schalinski, T. Krichbaum, M. Inoue, A. Zensus, S. Padin, J. Carlstrom, D. Graham, C. Predmore, J. Moran, D. Backer, M. Wright, N. Whyborn, L. Nyman, K. Standke, M. Lerner and S. Kameno / pp. 89-92 --- Global 3- and 7-mm VLBI Observations of OJ287 / C. E. Tateyama and M. Inoue / pp. 93-100 --- VLBI Observations of the 22 GHz H2 0Maser in Late Type Stars / H. Takaba, T. lwata, M. Miyoshi, N. Ukita, S. Kameno and K. Matsumoto / pp. 101-104 --- The H2 0 Super Maser Outburst Region in the Orion Nebula / L. I. Matveyenko and P. J. Diamond / pp. 105-109 --- The Cosmological Application of the VLBI Technique at Ultimate Resolutions / L. I. Gurvits / pp. 110-114 --- First VLBI Images of Supernova 1993J in the Galaxy M81 / N. Bartel, M. F. Bietenholz, M. P. Rupen, J. E. Conway, A. J. Beasley, R. A. Sramek, J. D. Romney, M. A. Titus, D. A. Graham, V. I. Altunin, D. L. Jones, A. Rius, T. Venturi, G. Umana, R. L. Francis, M. L. McCall, M. G. Richer, C. C. Stevenson, K. W. Weiler, S. D. Van Dyk, N. Panagia, W. H. Cannon, J. Popelar and R. J. Davis / pp. 115-122 --- The Visibility-Spectrum Relation among Radio Loud AGNs / S. Kameno, M. Inoue, K. Matsumoto, H. Takaba, T. lwata, R. Nan and R. T. Schilizzi / pp. 123-129 --- Identification of the Superluminal Motion in Faint Parsec-Scale Jet of 3C390.3 / S. Wu, E. Preuss, W. Alef, K. I. Kellermann and Y. Qiu / pp. 130-136 --- A VLBI Search for Compact Nonthermal Emission from the Herbig Be Star MWC 297 / S. L. Skinner and R. B. Phillips / pp. 137-140 --- Snapshot VLBI Mapping of Variable Extragalactic Sources at 327 MHz / L. I. Gurvits, W. Alef, D. R. Altschuler, J. E. Carson, B. Dennison, D. Graham and A. S. Trotter / pp. 141-145 --- AO 0235+164151;A "Heretic" BL Lac / H. S. Chu, L. B. Bååth, F. T. Rantakyrö, R. S. Booth, R. E. Spencer and F. J. Zhang / pp. 146-155 --- Chapter 2. Antenna and Networks --- The New Receiver in the S, X, K Bands for the VLB1 Medicina Dish / A. Orfei, G. Maccaferri, S. Mariotti, M. Morsiani, G. P. Zacchiroli and G. Tomassetti / pp. 159-164 --- The Upgrade Proposal for the VLBI Medicina Antenna / A. Orfei, G. Maccaferri, S. Mariotti, M. Morsiani and G. P. Zacchiroli / pp. 165-170 --- VLBI at the Kyushu Tokai University / M. Fujishita, K. Miyasato, T. Yoshiyama and Y. Matsumae / pp. 171-175 --- VLBI Activities at the Matera Space Geodesy Center / R. Lanotte, G. Bianco, M. Fermi and L. Garramone / pp. 176-184 --- The Mizusawa 10-m Antenna and Its VLBI Observation System / K. M. Shibata, Y. Asaki, I. Asari, Y. Fukuzaki, T. Hara, K. Horiai, K. lwadate, 0. Kameya, N. Kawano, S. Kuji, S. Manabe, S. Sakai, T. Sasao, K. Sato, Y. Tamura and S. Tsuruta / pp. 185-190 --- The 6 m VLBI Telescope at Kagoshima, Japan / T. Omodaka, M. Morimoto, N. Kawaguchi, T. Miyaji, S. Yasuda, T. Suzuyama, T. Kitagawa, T. Miyazaki, L. Furuya, T. Jike, K. Miyazawa, H. Mikoshiba, S. Kuji, 0. Kameya and Kagoshima VLBI Group / pp. 191-195 --- Radio Telescopes and VLBI Facilities in Brazil / P. Kaufmann and C. E. Tateyama / pp. 196-199 --- Cryogenic Cooled Receivers for the QUASAR Network / A. V. lpatov, I. A. lpatova and V. V. Mardyshkin / pp. 200-204 --- The Australian Long Baseline Array—Status Report / A. Tzioumis, W. Wilson and R. Ferris / pp. 205-210 --- The Asia-Pacific Telescope—APT / A. Tzioumis / pp. 211-217 --- Present Status and Future Development on VLBI Facilities in China / Ye S. and Oian Z. / pp. 218-220 --- Chapter 3. The New Trends in Geodesy and Astrometry --- Plate Dynamics near Boundaries: What Governs the Transition between Episodic and Continuous Motions? / K. Heki / pp. 223-228 --- Improved Global Atmospheric Mapping Functions for VLBI and GPS / A. Niell / pp. 229-231 --- Method of Differential Fringe Phase Tracking / N. Kawano, T. Sasao, T. Hara, S. Kuji, 0. Kameya, K. Sato, K. lwadate and Y. Asaki / pp. 232-236 --- The Chinese National Space Geodetic Network / J. Cai / pp. 237-240 --- Satellite Position Determination by Difference of Range (DOR) Measurements / I. Kardos / pp. 241-250 --- Recent Geodetic VLBI Results from Shanghai Observatory / Ye S., Qian Z., Chen G. and Zhou, R. / pp. 251-253 --- An Antennacluster-Antennacluster VLBI Project VERA / T. Sasao, N. Kawano, T. Hara, S. Kuji, K. Shibata, K. lwadate, K. Sato, 0. Kameya, S. Tsuruta, K. Asari, Y. Tamura, K. Horiai, K. Sato, H. Hanada, T. Tsubokawa, K. Yokoyama, S. Manabe and S. Sakai / pp. 254-258 --- An Astronomical Observational Plan Using the VERA / O. Kameya, T. Sasao, N. Kawano and K. M. Shibata / pp. 259-263 --- Estimated Errors in the Antennacluster-Antennacluster VLBI / T. Hara, T. Sasao, K. Sato, N. Kawano and O. Kameya / pp. 264-271 --- Sub-Milliarcsecond Astrometry with Phase-Referenced VLBI / D. L. Jones, J.-F. Lestrade, R. A. Preston and R. B. Phillips / pp. 272-276 --- Selenodesy by Using Differential VLBI Observations of Artificial Radio Sources on the Moon / H. Hanada, M. Ooe, N. Kawano, K. lwadate, S. Kuji, K. Sato, S. Tsuruta, T. Sasao, 0. Kameya, T. Hara, N. Kawaguchi, M. Fujishita, M. Morimoto, S. Yasuda, H. Mizutani and A. Fujimura / pp. 277-281 --- Gravitational Lens Effect and Measurement of Stellar Mass / M. Hosokawa, K. Ohnishi, T. Fukushima and M. Takeuti / pp. 282-286 --- Evidence for Source Structure Effects Caused by the Quasar 3C273 in Geodetic VLBI Data / P. Charlot / pp. 287-294 --- Astronomical Periods in the Solar System / Y. Macyama / pp. 295-305 --- Pulsar VLBI Experiment Using Kashima-Usuda Baseline / M. Sekido, S. Hama, H. Kiuchi, Y. Hanado, Y. Takahashi, M. Imae, K. Fujisawa and H. Hirabayashi / pp. 306-312 --- The Celestial Reference System and Frame of the International Earth Rotation Service / E. F. Arias / pp. 313-315 --- Quasi Simultaneous Observations in the Arclength Method of Reduction of Astrometric VLBI Data / M. S. De Biasi, E. F. Arias and J.-F. Lestrade / pp. 316-318 --- Few-Hundred Microarcsecond VLBI Astrometry: Applications and Reduction of Limiting Error Sources / S. T. Lowe and R. N. Treuhaft / pp. 319-323 --- Chapter 4. Recorders and Correlators --- A New Advanced One-Unit VLBI Correlator (NAOCO) / K. Shibata, T. Sasao, N. Kawaguchi, Y. Tamura, S. Kameno, M. Miyoshi, K. Asari, S. Manabe, T. Hara, S. Kuji, K. Sato, T. Miyaji, K. Matsumoto, Y. Asaki, S. Yasuda and S. Nakamura / pp. 327-331 --- A Programmable VLBI Correlator Using Parallel Computing / G. Petit and T. Fayard / pp. 332-337 --- Status of the New K-4 System / H. Kiuchi, S. Hama, J. Amagai, Y. Hanado, A. Kaneko and M. Imae / pp. 338-344 --- The S2 Frequency Agile Data Acquisition Terminal / W. T. Petrachenko, P. Mathieu, J. Popelar, W. H. Cannon, H. Tan and R. D. Wietfeldt / pp. 345-350 --- A Chipset for a MKII Style Correlator / G. Tuccari / pp. 351-359 --- Keeping Compatibility in International VLBI Systems / T. Yoshino, S. Hama and N. Kawaguchi / pp. 360-364 --- Development of the Burst Mode VLBI / K. Matsumoto and N. Kawaguchi / pp. 365-370 --- The K4 Correlator / S. Hama, H. Kiuchi, M. Sekido and M. Imae / pp. 371-376 --- Notes on High Data Rate Recording / J. Takayama / pp. 377-380

Description / Table of Contents: This impressive collection celebrates the work of Peter Kershaw, a key figure in the field of Australian palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Over almost half a century his research helped reconceptualize ecology in Australia, creating a detailed understanding of environmental change in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. Within a biogeographic framework one of his exceptional contributions was to explore the ways that Aboriginal people may have modified the landscape through the effects of anthropogenic burning. These ideas have had significant impacts on thinking within the fields of geomorphology, biogeography, archaeology, anthropology and history. Papers presented here continue to explore the dynamism of landscape change in Australia and the contribution of humans to those transformations. The volume is structured in two sections. The first examines evidence for human engagement with landscape, focusing on Australia and Papua New Guinea but also dealing with the human/environmental histories of Europe and Asia. The second section contains papers that examine palaeoecology and present some of the latest research into environmental change in Australia and New Zealand. Individually these papers, written by many of Australia’s prominent researchers in these fields, are significant contributions to our knowledge of Quaternary landscapes and human land use. But Peopled Landscapes also signifies the disciplinary entanglement that is archaeological and biogeographic research in this region, with archaeologists and environmental scientists contributing to both studies of human land use and palaeoecology. Peopled Landscapes reveals the interdisciplinary richness of Quaternary research in the Australasian region as well as the complexity and richness of the entangled environmental and human pasts of these lands.

Description / Table of Contents: ‘Landscape Biographies’ explores the long and complex histories of landscapes from personal and social perspectives. As an essential part of human life-worlds, landscapes have the potential to absorb something of people's lives, works, and thoughts. But landscapes also shape their own life-histories at different timescales, transcending human life-cycles and generating their own temporalities and rhythms. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the co-scripting of landscapes and people figures prominently in the (auto-)biographical works of writers and attracts the interest of geographers, archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists. This has even resulted in a new genre in landscape research, rapidly gaining in popularity, under the heading of 'landscape biography'. In ‘Landscape Biographies’, twenty geographers, archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists investigate the diverse ways in which landscapes and monuments have been constructed, transmitted, and transformed from prehistory up to the present, from Manhattan to Shanghai, from Iceland to Portugal, and from England to Estonia. Among the authors are distinguished scholars like Gísli Pálsson, Cornelius Holtorf, Joshua Pollard, and Mark Gillings.

Description / Table of Contents: Issue Mapping for an Ageing Europe is a seminal guide to mapping social and political issues with digital methods. The issue at stake concerns the imminent crisis of an ageing Europe and its impact on the contemporary welfare state. The book brings together three leading approaches to issue mapping: Bruno Latour's social cartography, Ulrich Beck's risk cartography and Jeremy Crampton's critical neo-cartography. These modes of inquiry are put into practice with digital methods for mapping the ageing agenda, including debates surrounding so-called 'old age', cultural philosophies of ageing, itinerant care workers, not to mention European anti-ageing cuisine. Issue Mapping for an Ageing Europe addresses an urgent social issue with new media research tools.

Description / Table of Contents: Nous assistons actuellement au peuplement des zones périurbaines de la planète par des centaines de millions d’individus. Cette évolution pose de redoutables problèmes et des difficultés inédites pour les politiques publiques. Si les effets de la périurbanisation sont relativement bien connus dans les pays du Nord, les analyses dédiées aux pays du Sud sont bien moins développées. L’ouvrage « Territoires périurbains : développement, enjeux et perspectives dans les pays du Sud » permet de lever un coin du voile sur cette problématique et sur les grands défis que la périurbanisation pose pour le Sud en général et pour l’Afrique centrale en particulier. L’ouvrage débute en cherchant à clarifier ce qu’il faut exactement entendre par « territoire périurbain ». À la suite de cette mise en contexte, il se poursuit par cinq parties organisées autour des problématiques des ressources naturelles, de la sécurité alimentaire, de la santé publique, des services publics et de l’aménagement des territoires. Pour chacune de ces problématiques, des chercheurs spécialisés issus de disciplines variées apportent des contributions qui, tout en soulignant l’ampleur des défis, permettent la mise en avant de solutions innovantes pour améliorer la gouvernance et le bien-être des populations. Cet ouvrage s’adresse d’abord aux chercheurs préoccupés par les défis du développement. En parallèle, par les pistes pour l’action publique qu’il esquisse, il ne manquera pas d’également intéresser les décideurs et les praticiens qui opèrent dans le contexte des territoires périurbains des pays du Sud.

Description / Table of Contents: The importance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can hardly be overemphasized in today’s academic and professional arena. More professionals and academics have been using GIS than ever – urban & regional planners, civil engineers, geographers, spatial economists, sociologists, environmental scientists, criminal justice professionals, political scientists, and alike. As such, it is extremely important to understand the theories and applications of GIS in our teaching, professional work, and research. “The Application of Geographic Information Systems” presents research findings that explain GIS’s applications in different subfields of social sciences. With several case studies conducted in different parts of the world, the book blends together the theories of GIS and their practical implementations in different conditions. It deals with GIS’s application in the broad spectrum of geospatial analysis and modeling, water resources analysis, land use analysis, infrastructure network analysis like transportation and water distribution network, and such. The book is expected to be a useful source of knowledge to the users of GIS who envision its applications in their teaching and research. This easy-to-understand book is surely not the end in itself but a little contribution to toward our understanding of the rich and wonderful subject of GIS.

Description / Table of Contents: In the last several years, much has been written about growing economic challenges, increasing income inequality, and political polarization in the United States. Addressing these new realities in America’s metropolitan regions, this book argues that a few lessons are emerging: first, inequity is bad for economic growth; second, bringing together the concerns of equity and growth requires concerted local action; and third, the fundamental building block for doing this is the creation of diverse and dynamic epistemic (or knowledge) communities, which help to overcome political polarization and to address the challenges of economic restructuring and social divides.

Description / Table of Contents: Pazifikstaaten wie die Fidschi-Inseln sind wie kaum eine andere Region der Welt gekennzeichnet von gesellschaftlichen Veränderungen und dem globalen Umweltwandel. Auf Basis eines partizipativen Forschungsdesigns, durchgeführt in ausgewählten Küstendörfern, untersucht dieser Band die Auswirkungen der Globalisierung und des Klimawandels auf die Lebensqualität ihrer Bewohner. Dabei wird aufgezeigt, dass die Dorfbewohner keine passiven Opfer externer Prozesse sind, sondern aktiv ihr Leben gestalten. Mittels neo-traditioneller Bewegungen gelingt es den Bewohnern weitestgehend, ein festes Wertefundament als Grundlage ihrer kulturellen Identität zu bewahren. Eine intakte Gemeinschaft steht dabei im Zentrum spiritueller, ökonomischer und sozialer Werte. Im Zuge der gesellschaftlichen Transformation agieren die Gemeinschaften nicht mehr ortsgebunden, sondern bilden mithilfe moderner Transport- und Kommunikationstechnologien globalisierte Netzwerke – ohne dabei die Bezüge zu ihrer kulturellen Herkunft zu verlieren. Auswärts lebende Familienangehörige tragen so Wissen und materiellen Wohlstand in die Dorfgemeinschaften und erweitern die Handlungspotentiale und Lebensstandards der Küstendorfbewohner. Im Zuge der Wissensvermittlung erfolgt jedoch insbesondere die Darstellung des Klimawandels und seiner Gefahren verkürzt und nicht auf lokale Werte zurechtgeschnitten, sodass es auch zu Wahrnehmungsverzerrungen und Fehlanpassungen kommt. Im Kontext von Entwicklungszusammenarbeit rät diese Untersuchung daher zu kultureller Sensibilität und einer kritischen Reflektion ethnozentrischer Weltanschauungen, um die Lebensqualität in fidschianischen Dorfgemeinschaften nicht zu gefährden. In diesem Band werden ethnographische Ideale für eine kultur- und sozialgeographische Forschung im globalen Süden aufbereitet. Konzeptionell ist die Untersuchung in die kritische geographische Verwundbarkeits- und Transformationsforschung eingerahmt. In einem kulturräumlichen Überblick wird zunächst aus historisch-politischer Perspektive die Bedeutung postkolonialer Belastungen auf gegenwärtige Transformationsprozesse aufgezeigt. Das Herzstück bildet anschließend die ausführliche Analyse gesellschaftlicher Transformationsprozesse auf die Lebensqualität in drei Küstendörfern der Fidschi-Inseln. | As other Pacific Islands Countries, Fiji is shaped by processes of social transformations and global environmental change. This study utilises ethnographic ideals for enhancing cultural and social geographic research in the global south. A participatory in-depth analysis of rural life in three Fijian coastal villages is at the core of this study. This is framed by a historic-political overview of the burden of Fiji's colonial past. Fijian coastal villagers are not passive victims of global social transformation and climate change. Through neo-traditional movements they actively form processes of social and cultural change. Rural Fijian norms, values and cultural identity crystallize in robust communities. Via modern forms of communication and transportation Fijians established globalised networks securing individuals' quality of life. Family members living far from their home villages remain in contact with their relatives. This way they keep their Fijian Identities as source of wellbeing and as well support the villagers' material wealth and knowledge to enhance capabilities. Merely regarding hazardous climate change impacts the passed on knowledge is spread abridged and poorly fitting into local value systems. Therefore, misperceptions and maladaptations are prevalent. In consequence this study pleads for development agencies to act culturally sensitive and to critically reflect ethnocentric worldviews in order not to harm Fijian values and wellbeing.

Description / Table of Contents: Pazifikstaaten wie die Fidschi-Inseln sind wie kaum eine andere Region der Welt gekennzeichnet von gesellschaftlichen Veränderungen und dem globalen Umweltwandel. Auf Basis eines partizipativen Forschungsdesigns, durchgeführt in ausgewählten Küstendörfern, untersucht dieser Band die Auswirkungen der Globalisierung und des Klimawandels auf die Lebensqualität ihrer Bewohner. Dabei wird aufgezeigt, dass die Dorfbewohner keine passiven Opfer externer Prozesse sind, sondern aktiv ihr Leben gestalten. Mittels neo-traditioneller Bewegungen gelingt es den Bewohnern weitestgehend, ein festes Wertefundament als Grundlage ihrer kulturellen Identität zu bewahren. Eine intakte Gemeinschaft steht dabei im Zentrum spiritueller, ökonomischer und sozialer Werte. Im Zuge der gesellschaftlichen Transformation agieren die Gemeinschaften nicht mehr ortsgebunden, sondern bilden mithilfe moderner Transport- und Kommunikationstechnologien globalisierte Netzwerke – ohne dabei die Bezüge zu ihrer kulturellen Herkunft zu verlieren. Auswärts lebende Familienangehörige tragen so Wissen und materiellen Wohlstand in die Dorfgemeinschaften und erweitern die Handlungspotentiale und Lebensstandards der Küstendorfbewohner. Im Zuge der Wissensvermittlung erfolgt jedoch insbesondere die Darstellung des Klimawandels und seiner Gefahren verkürzt und nicht auf lokale Werte zurechtgeschnitten, sodass es auch zu Wahrnehmungsverzerrungen und Fehlanpassungen kommt. Im Kontext von Entwicklungszusammenarbeit rät diese Untersuchung daher zu kultureller Sensibilität und einer kritischen Reflektion ethnozentrischer Weltanschauungen, um die Lebensqualität in fidschianischen Dorfgemeinschaften nicht zu gefährden. In diesem Band werden ethnographische Ideale für eine kultur- und sozialgeographische Forschung im globalen Süden aufbereitet. Konzeptionell ist die Untersuchung in die kritische geographische Verwundbarkeits- und Transformationsforschung eingerahmt. In einem kulturräumlichen Überblick wird zunächst aus historisch-politischer Perspektive die Bedeutung postkolonialer Belastungen auf gegenwärtige Transformationsprozesse aufgezeigt. Das Herzstück bildet anschließend die ausführliche Analyse gesellschaftlicher Transformationsprozesse auf die Lebensqualität in drei Küstendörfern der Fidschi-Inseln. | As other Pacific Islands Countries, Fiji is shaped by processes of social transformations and global environmental change. This study utilises ethnographic ideals for enhancing cultural and social geographic research in the global south. A participatory in-depth analysis of rural life in three Fijian coastal villages is at the core of this study. This is framed by a historic-political overview of the burden of Fiji's colonial past. Fijian coastal villagers are not passive victims of global social transformation and climate change. Through neo-traditional movements they actively form processes of social and cultural change. Rural Fijian norms, values and cultural identity crystallize in robust communities. Via modern forms of communication and transportation Fijians established globalised networks securing individuals' quality of life. Family members living far from their home villages remain in contact with their relatives. This way they keep their Fijian Identities as source of wellbeing and as well support the villagers' material wealth and knowledge to enhance capabilities. Merely regarding hazardous climate change impacts the passed on knowledge is spread abridged and poorly fitting into local value systems. Therefore, misperceptions and maladaptations are prevalent. In consequence this study pleads for development agencies to act culturally sensitive and to critically reflect ethnocentric worldviews in order not to harm Fijian values and wellbeing.