Study Jacob & Brinkerhoff (1997): study US 1989

Public

'Back to the land' mini farmers, USA,1989

Sample

Respondents

N = 565

Non Response

43,8

Assessment

Questionnaire: Paper & Pencil Interview (PAPI)
Mailed questionnaire

Correlate

Authors's Label

TSR-Ecological Sensitivity Gap

Our Classification

Operationalization

Discrepancy between Technological Self Reliance and Ecological Sensitivity

PERFORMANCE
Technological Self Reliance. The index is calculated by multiplying tools or technology, possessed by a
respondent by the efficiency rating claimed for the particular technology, resulting in the sum of the efficiency rating for each of the 25 tools.The tools are: 1.garden, 2. greenhouse, 3.root cellar, 4.fish pond, 5. solar heat, 6.pigs, 7.wood lot, 8.wood stove heat, 9.wood stove cooking, 10.composting privy, 11.hydro-electric system, 12.graywater(waste water) 13.solar water heater, 14.chickens, 15.goats, 16.beef cattle, 17.milk cow(s) 18.sheep, 19.wind power, 20.weeder geese, 21.bees, 22.fruit trees, 23.butcher larger anaimals, 24.photo voltaic power, 45.work horses.
Efficiency is evaluated by asking the respondents about the effectiveness of the tool items of 'providing your family with independence or self-reliance from a one (not at all effective) to four(very effective point sequence. The TSR index-scores have a theoretical range betwee 0-100

VALUE
Ecological Sensitivity is importance of: 1. The expansion of wilderness areas; 2.preserving old growth forests; 3. Providing habitat for endangered species; 4. Recycling newspapers; 5. Reducing personal energy consumption.

GAP between value and performance is constructed by dichotomizing the value scale and performance indexes at their respective medians and to cross these indicators with each other. The respondents will fall in one of the four categories:
a. No gap, low values-low TSR
b. gap,    high values-low TSR
c. gap,    low values-high TSR
d. no gap, high values-high TSR.

Observed Relation with Happiness