Black widow spiders in an urban desert: Population variation in an arthropod pest across metropolitan Phoenix, AZ

The effects of urban disturbance are critical to understand, as the majority of the world??s population now resides in urban centers. For example, urbanization often leads to reduced species diversity at the expense of a few urban-adapted taxa. However, it remains unclear why some taxa thrive following human disturbance whereas others do poorly. The western black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus, thrives in disturbed, urban habitat??often forming dense aggregations (i.e., infestations) relative to typical low-density, desert populations. We examined the population dynamics of ten black widow aggregations spread across metropolitan Phoenix, AZ, during the peak of the breeding season (June?CAugust). Here we show that prey abundance, female mass, web volume and population density exhibit minimal temporal variation across the breeding season, but that prey abundance, female mass and population density show significant spatial variation across the ten urban aggregations. Our measure of prey abundance and foraging success, the number of prey carcasses found in black widow webs, shared a strong positive relationship with female mass and population density, but not with web volume. Surprisingly, female mass, web volume and population density were not correlated with each other. The abiotic variables we measured at each site did a poor job of explaining black widow population parameters, although we did find a marginal trend for more recent developments to harbor denser black widow aggregations. Our findings support the generalization that urbanization heightens spatial variation, and we suggest that local urban prey abundance is influential in promoting urban infestations full of heavy, fecund female black widows. Studies of the population ecology of urban pests are necessary to identify the mechanisms allowing some species to thrive following human disturbance while much native biodiversity is lost following urbanization.     

Eventful Subjectivity: The Experiential Sources of Solidarity

Scholarship on events has been devoted primarily to large‐scale occurrences that transform macro structures. Here we put forward a perspective that we term eventful subjectivity which moves the analysis of events in two related directions. First, we shift the arena of eventful analysis from rare world historical occurrences to smaller, more frequent events. Second, we direct attention away from macro‐structural outcomes to micro‐level changes in understanding. We employ the framework of eventful subjectivity to examine a living wage campaign in Chicago, demonstrating how the multi‐faceted diversity of the campaign – in the context of collective action – engendered solidarity rather than fragmentation.     

On Becoming a Good Enough Stepmother

Studies have shown that conflict over parent–child relationships are frequently at the root of stepfamily dissolution and that the stepmother/daughter relationship is the most problematic stepfamily relationship. This paper explores the stepmother–daughter relationship in the family where the biological mother is an active parent and discusses the unique challenges and internal conflicts that the stepmother confronts on entry into the family and its web of preexisting relationships and transferences. “An internal parental stance” which underlies “good enough” stepmothering is conceptualized and the complex psychological processes which underlie this achievement are explored in this paper along with implications for clinical strategies. The term good enough stepmothering is a play on Winnicott’s concept of the good-enough mother—the maternal figure whose attunement to her child enables her to adapt appropriately to her child’s stage of life thus allowing an optimal environment for the child’s development.     

The Migration of Westerners to Thailand: An Unusual Flow From Developed to Developing World

Thousands of Westerners migrate to Thailand; some go to expatriate jobs and some are self‐funded retirees but many are former tourists who live precariously for years on small local salaries with insecure visa status. The present study examined demographics, reasons for migration, well‐being, perceived assimilation and experiences of Westerners living in or who had lived in Thailand for at least one year. Westerners were studied in‐country and 1003 current and former migrants completed an online survey. Common migration motives were a preference for Thai lifestyle and culture, low living costs, a warm climate, and readily‐available, attractive sexual partners. Most Westerners in‐country reported feeling well‐assimilated; half had Thai partners, and most planned to stay for life. Their major reported problems were the difficult Thai language, visa policies, and official corruption. Common reasons for leaving Thailand were financial or disillusionment, occasioned in some cases by perceived poor assimilation. The move apparently works out well for many but assimilation often may be illusory and there are signs of a local backlash against the influx of Westerners.     

Economic and Psychological Benefits from Employment: the experiences and perspectives of mothers of disabled children

This qualitative research explores the perspectives and experiences of employed mothers of disabled children particularly with respect to the potential benefits of employment. Forty families with at least one disabled child, representing a variety of family structures and work situations, participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings of this study clearly illustrate that the economic, psychological and social benefits for mothers of disabled children from participation in paid work are strikingly similar to those for employed mothers of non-disabled children. This suggests that the low level of labour force participation of mothers of disabled children in comparison with other mothers is most likely a consequence of the inherent ideological and structural barriers these women face, rather than their qualitatively differing needs. Streamlining of the benefits system, integration both within and between health, education and social services, increased flexibility in the workplace, and dialogue and co-ordination between all of these elements, may go some way to providing the support these mothers need.