Allison Fortner, Kristin Gibson, Katie Sanders, and Dr. Alexa Lamm travelled to San Jose, Costa Rica in late June to share research and learn from fellow social scientists at the International Association for Society and Natural Resources conference. The team presented one organized session, one paper, and one poster.
Systems Thinking
The Costa Rican rain provided background noise for an organized session that included three presentations about the role of systems thinking in the classroom through the lens of sustainable seafood. The three students designed the overarching study as part of a special course with Drs. Alexa and Kevan Lamm in summer 2021. Throughout the 2021-2022 academic year, the research team pilot tested and polished their research methods before conducting research with 4 classes of Generation Z undergraduates at UGA. The team was excited to share their research and innovative educational methods at IASNR!
Sanders presented a mixed-methods study that used hypothetical case scenarios to teach students about the complexities of seafood. Sanders shared preliminary findings from this study at the National American Association for Agricultural Education Conference in May and enjoyed discussing the results of the full study with the IASNR audience. The three authors discussed with the attendees how to integrate the hypothetical case scenarios in their classrooms, even making a few to test out the learning tool themselves!
Gibson presented a qualitative study that explored students’ experiences with seafood and how students conceptualize seafood’s role in feeding people while also sustaining the natural environment. The study found students experiences with seafood influenced their current consumption of seafood and students often prioritized sustainability when thinking about the role of seafood in the food system.
Fortner presented a quantitative study that examined the associated between students’ system thinking tendencies and green consumer values. The study found a weak but significant association between system thinking tendencies and green consumer values.
Click here to learn more about the Lamm Lab systems thinking research.
Healthier Together
Sanders presented the conceptual framework from her dissertation on the role of identity in community-based evaluation. Sanders analyzed interview data from the Healthier Together Project to conduct a constructivist grounded theory study to develop a conceptual framework for integrating culture and identity into community-based food access and Extension work.
The Healthier Together project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between UGA Extension, the College of Public Health, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the College of Environment and Design and the College of Family and Consumer Science. For more information about everything the Healthier Together project is working on, visit https://site.extension.uga.edu/healthiertogether/.
Water Research
Gibson presented a quantitative poster with data from her MAEE thesis that examined water conservation behaviors in the United States using the theory of planned behavior. Gibson shared the study findings that intent to engage in environmental citizenship behavior had a negative effect on water conservation behavior and intent to engage in domestic conservation practices had a positive effect on water conservation behavior.
Learn more about Lamm Lab water conservation research by clicking this link.
