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Ecosystem-based livelihood diversification (ESLD) approaches have been identified as one of the best solutions to alleviate poverty and improve living standards in rural communities in developing nations. This study aims to elucidate the motivations that drive Sri Lankan women in rural agri-based community to adopt ESLD activities.

The sustainable livelihood approach (SLA) five pillars were used as a theoretical framework. This study was carried out with women living in farmer families located in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. A purposive sampling technique was used, and semistructured interviews were performed with 46 women in a noncontrived setting. Deductive content analysis approach was used for answering research questions.

Making handcrafts using different plants, composting and home gardening are the major sources of ESLD of women in the study areas. Under the SLA factors, human resources include family size, education, vocational training, age and attitude. Social resources like participation in community work, family support received and becoming members in cooperatives encourage the women to partake in ESLD. Nonagriculture natural resources were considered as an incentive to engage in ESLD. Satisfaction with the income generated by the livelihood, other income sources and loans from the informal sector were the vital financial resources. Regarding the physical resources, the respondents were profound with infrastructure, marketplaces, training centers and tools/equipment.

Knowing the existing ESLD strategies and pointing out the determinant factors affecting women in practicing ESLD activities are unquestionably important in the provision of information to formulate an appropriate strategy for the development of the rural agri-based community.

Little is known about the ESLD efforts and the extent of adoption of ESLD practices by women in rural communities. The findings based on the SLA framework help to understand what is happening in livelihood diversifications in agri-based community and suggest important implications for the development of ESLD for the future.

This chapter honors the opportunity I have had to learn with David Maines over the past 35 years. I connect my research on communication and disability, specifically among individuals who are blind and visually impaired, to Maines' discussion of narratives incorporating Rawlins' exploration of similarity and difference. I discuss narratives of disability as difference using three examples: A short story written by H. G. Wells; the American with Disabilities Act; and interviews conducted with elite blind goalball athletes. I conclude with 10 lessons learned about disability and difference including that the goal of my research is to help us all perceive disability as a difference that matters, but not as a difference that disables.

Research shows that the physical locations of correctional facilities often contribute to environmental hazards. Research also shows that correctional facilities are often sited near hazardous or undesirable land(s). In combination, incarcerated individuals may be at increased risk of experiencing negative health consequences because of exposure to various environmental harms. This is especially alarming as incarcerated individuals lack the capacity to decide where they are detained. In these cases, health issues that may have developed while detained may extend beyond incarceration. Furthermore, incarcerated individuals are not protected by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice policies.

Using a case study approach, the authors examine two specific correctional facilities in the USA to not only demonstrate the various environmental harms that incarcerated individuals encounter but also highlight carceral spaces as sites of environmental violations.

Additionally, the authors address the negative health consequences incarcerated individuals report because of exposure to these harms. They also argue that creating safer communities requires more than reducing crime and preventing criminal victimization. Creating safer communities also includes promoting environmental safety and protection from hazards that cause sickness and disease.

This work contributes to an emerging and growing body of literature that examines the intersection of carceral studies and environmental justice.

This paper explores the collaborative dynamics and dimensions within a virtual multi-cultural and interdisciplinary workplace. The study focusses on the use of online communication technologies to enhance social inclusion and networking within academia.

This study uses an autoethnographic approach to draw on the personal experiences of a team of four scholars, including three early-career researchers and a senior scholar. Their reflections on their academic positionality and the institutional constraints reveal both the strengths and vulnerabilities of collaborating in a virtual workplace.

The findings offer insights into the complexities of navigating social dynamics, such as delegating responsibilities, organising meetings across various time zones and encouraging continuous collaboration, inclusivity and effective communication during an extensive timeline. As a result, their experiences revealed that a virtual workplace culture with similar and different attributes to a “normal” workplace emerged.

The paper demonstrates how to create an effective and inclusive virtual workplace by exemplifying best practices in academia and providing practical guidance for individuals and institutions based on honest, co-produced autoethnographic reflections of the authors’ lived experiences.