Reacting to Invasive Species: The Construction of a Moral Panic over Burmese Pythons

A variety of animals occupy the bad side of the Arluke‐Sanders (1996) socio‐zoological scale, including “invasives.” We contribute to the literature on animals and social problems by examining the societal reaction toward invasive Burmese pythons, focusing on the claims‐making process that culminated in the construction of a moral panic about these snakes. We seek to enhance sociological and public knowledge about social problems involving invasive species—a category of non‐human animals, plants, and organisms that attract significant scientific, political, and public attention. We draw from the work of, among others, Arluke and Sanders (1996), Nagy and Johnson (2013) and Jerolmack (2008) and argue that problematizing some animals, especially invasive species, involves the use of claims about ecological and physical harms. However, these claims do not come from the same sources or arouse similar responses. For strategic purposes, claims‐makers may rely on assertions that an animal is physically threatening, rather than ecologically threatening. They may emphasize the dangerousness or lethality of the animal to create fear and generate momentum toward a desired policy response, typically involving control or eradication of the animal. The goal is to restore the boundary between humans and nature which the animal's presence has disrupted.     

Culturally responsive online design: learning at intercultural intersections

Abstract

This article presents evidence-based guidelines to inform culturally responsive online learning design in higher education. Intercultural understanding is now a recognised core learning outcome in a large majority of Canadian public universities; however, supporting design methodology is underdeveloped, especially in online contexts. Our search for valid intercultural learning design criteria began with two questions: What is the research evidence for learning design practices that support intercultural learning? In what ways do current course design rubrics address intercultural learning? For answers, first we explored recent literature reviews, articles, books, professional discourse on cultural aspects of learning, and the related internationalisation and Indigenous literatures on formal learning. Next, we examined three course design rubrics commonly used in Canada to identify practice supports and gaps in relation to the literature. Various research-indicated supports are present in these rubrics; however, major gaps include critical and holistic pedagogies, explicit intercultural learning outcomes, and intentional diversity group work. The proposed guidelines synthesise key research-indicated supports for intercultural learning and show how they can be integrated in core online course design components. The guidelines present a base for online design methodology to support intercultural learning and enable formative evaluation of pedagogy, learning activity and assessment applications.     

Differences in Understanding Generation in the Workforce

From an analysis of two age diverse samples in which we explored the ways “generation” is understood in the workforce, we make several contributions to generational research. First, we propose new conceptualizations on generations in the workforce. They are: contribution (a generation is defined based on the impact its members make on society or organizations) and generation as an ambiguous or irrelevant concept (generational categories are meaningless or inconsequential). Second, we note that individuals draw on a combination of multiple understandings of generations, making each person’s understanding unique and nuanced. Third, though most of our study participants leveraged age in their definition of generation, they did so in different ways. Fourth, we discuss outcomes of different understandings of generation, including conflict and identity work.     

Messiahs, Pariahs, and Donors: The Development of Social Representations of Organ Transplants

This longitudinal, qualitative study investigated the genesis and transformation of the social representations of organ transplants. A search of the West Australian newspaper, from 1954 to 1995 found 672 articles pertaining to organ transplants. Two distinct, but conflicting, representations emerged in the analyses. In the first representation, found from 1967/68, the surgeon was paramount and organ transplants were iconised as 'spare part surgery'. In the second representation, found from 1984/85, the role of the donor was emphasised and transplants iconised as a 'gift of life'. Both representations were discernible in 1994/95. We consider the question whether there are now two conflicting representations or one representation with two conflicting sets of beliefs at its core. The results are discussed in terms of anchoring, objectification, transformation, and structure, as well as Moscovici's (1993) notion of canonic themata.     

A practice framework to guide screening and assessment in the Australian Family Relationship Centres and Advice Line

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the reactive way in which policy is translated into practice on the front lines of child and family welfare organizations, particularly in how risk is assessed and responded to by staff at all levels in these organizations. Major reforms to family law in Australia and programmes set up to complement the existing Commonwealth-Funded Family Relationship Services Program provide an opportunity to rethink how staff can be provided with a systematic and research-based set of guidelines for screening and assessment. This paper examines the role of practice frameworks in general and the Australian family relationships screening and assessment practice framework in particular to demonstrate not only how this broader evidence-based approach encourages well-informed, professional and ethical practice but also how it leaves room for creativity and local, place-based responsiveness.     

Understanding Quality-of-Life While Living with Late-Stage Lung Cancer: An Exploratory Study

U.S. Veterans have a higher prevalence of advanced lung cancer and poorer survival outcomes compared to the general population; yet, no studies exist which specifically explore the psychosocial and existential quality-of-life (QOL) of late-stage lung cancer among this population. This article presents the perspectives of older veterans (N = 12) living with late-stage lung cancer who were receiving chemotherapy, routine hospice care, or both concurrently. Based on individual interviews, themes associated with loss of functionality, close relationships, and communicative acts contributed to veterans’ perceptions of diminished or enhanced QOL while living with advanced disease. An overarching theme, loss of the person I know myself to be, suggests that personhood is an important concept to consider in QOL assessment. While findings suggest that the experiences of older Veterans with late-stage lung cancer are similar to other populations of lung cancer patients, and persons with incurable cancer in general, further research regarding the influence of veteran identity at end-of-life is warranted. Further research is needed which explores the influence of a whole person approach to QOL during life-limiting illness and end-of-life decision-making, particularly while receiving late-stage cancer-directed therapy.     

Children's Interpretation of Ambiguous Behavior: Evidence for a 'Boys are Bad' Bias

Possible gender-related evaluative biases were investigated among a group of 64 second and third graders (ages 6 y 11 m to 9 y 7 m). Participants were shown photographs of 8 unfamiliar children, and were told that each had performed a particular behavior. Each of the behaviors was consistent with multiple interpretations, including a positive interpretation and a negative interpretation. When the unfamiliar peers were male, participants were more likely to remember behaviors in unfavorable ways and to select more negative attributions for the behavior. This pattern of results held even among male participants, who reported greater expectations of liking the male peers.     

Modesty can promote trust: Evidence from China

When people let others know about their accomplishments, they can improve their social standing, but doing so may also have a cost, especially within social environments in which there is great emphasis on the value of modesty. One particular downside of self‐promotion, the risk of being seen as untrustworthy, was examined among children in China. Across three studies, children ranging in age from 7 to 11 years (total N = 251) judged the trustworthiness of protagonists who exhibited either modesty or immodesty. In Study 1, protagonists who told lies in the service of modesty were judged as more trustworthy than those who told lies to avoid getting into trouble. In Study 2, protagonists who demonstrated modesty were rated as trustworthy, but those who demonstrated immodesty were not. Study 3 showed that the positive implications of modesty for trust are specific to downplaying one’s own accomplishments and do not extend to downplaying the accomplishments of a peer. Taken together, the results suggest that for children in China, the level of modesty serves as a cue about which people can be trusted.     

The Symmetry and Asymmetry of Cultures: A Point of Departure for Bicultural Psychotherapy

The we-self and I-self relationships of the Asian and Western cultures, respectively, are examined from the perspectives of two creation myths, asymmetrical and symmetrical modes of thought, and an example of bicultural therapy.