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Portraits of happiness (The performance of happiness: a cultural critique)
Get PDFWhile happiness may be something seemingly everyone, or most, people wish for, what happiness consists of, how to obtain it, and how to determine if/when one is truly happy remains elusive. One may view happiness as a simple wish, but then arises the question: what exactly does one wish for in wishing for happiness? Or, moreover, what may a society wish for or wish to ensure through the imperative to be happy? My thesis will primarily involve an interpretation of philosopher Sara Ahmed’s book The Promise of Happiness, in which she offers a critique of “happiness,” or, moreover, the cultural imperative to be happy. Through consideration of Ahmed’s descriptions of “affect” and “happy objects,” my work will explore how the imperative to be happy or to perform happiness can cover over histories of struggle and oppression and fail to include those who may not be made easily happy by conventional forms of happiness, on the basis of, for example, their gender or race/ethnicity. Lastly, my work, through applying Ahmed’s concepts of “affect” and “affect aliens” to Albert Camus’ The Stranger and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, will examine the mother figure and the family as a happy object – and as a representation of cultural convention – in order to further explore how cultural convention is often protected by the performance of happiness or by being labeled a “happiness cause,” to the detriment of those who live outside of what’s deemed “normal” or “acceptable.
Boudica at the intersection: gender, alterity, and narrative in imperial Roman historiography
Get PDFTacitus (fl. ~100 ᴄᴇ) and Cassius Dio (fl. ~200 ᴄᴇ) wrote, respectively, the Annales and the Historia Romana, both now fragmentary, both detailing imperial Roman expansion, and both displaying anxieties about the barbarian ‘Other.’ Their accounts of Boudica, who led the Iceni against Roman encroachment in Britannia in 62 CE, provide a view into these authors’ visions of colonization, ethnicity, and gender. Characterizing this woman as a barbarian leader of war, the authors reveal not only their foundational ideologies but also the political projects underpinning their histories. This thesis will proceed in the following manner: I will provide 1) a dry recapitulation of the narrative of Boudica’s rebellion; then this thesis will turn to examine the historical moments of 2) Tacitus and 3) Cassius Dio, alongside 4) Roman attempts at the ethnography of Britannia and its residents, 5) social expectations of women in Rome and Britannia, and 6) the ambition animating Roman imperial policy in conquering Britannia. Thereafter, this thesis will introduce four theoretical approaches, namely, 7) post-structuralist narratology, 8) feminist and gender theories, 9) postcolonial theory, and 10) the theory of intersectionality. After establishing the historical moment and with these four analytical instruments in hand, I will 11) return to the only two surviving texts that attest to Boudica’s rebellion and determine how their respective characterizations of Boudica as a female, barbarian political-military leader might have reflected, refracted, and subverted the pre-existing Roman constructs of empire, ethnicity, and gender. In the joint analysis of these vectors of identity, this thesis will advance a more complete understanding of the entire imperial system as described by Tacitus and Cassius Dio
The impact of interdepartmental psychological safety on interdepartmental conflict management styles
Get PDFConflict is an inevitable part of life, and organizations spend a sizable amount of time addressing it. Literature has shown a connection between conflict management styles and psychological safety, but little research has been afforded to these interactions applied across departments. Data were collected from various companies across the United States using an anonymous survey to quantify respondents’ perceived level of general psychological safety, interdepartmental psychological safety, and preferred styles of conflict management. The results of this study indicated that a significant difference between interdepartmental and general psychological safety exists and is positively correlated with each other. Furthermore, certain styles of conflict management showed correlations to the raising and lowering of interdepartmental psychological safety. The results of this study will be helpful to managers and employees by illuminating how the interdepartmental psychological safety level of a company influences an individual’s propensity toward certain conflict management styles when addressing interdepartmental conflict
The ecological validity of prospective memory experimentation
Get PDFProspective memory (PM) is the ability to remember and fulfill future intentions, a crucial ability in everyday life. Discrepancies between performance in standard laboratory tasks versus naturalistic tasks has led to translational concerns to everyday life. Validity concerns surrounding laboratory PM tasks have been raised due to the lack of relationship between PM performance and measures of strategic monitoring, which is believed to be how much attention participants dedicate to the PM task. The present study (N=82) compares an eye tracking task, a standard laboratory task, and a naturalistic task. The findings support previous research indicating that performance in laboratory PM tasks is not a good predictor of performance in everyday life. Notably, both the eye tracking and standard laboratory tasks demonstrate a correlation between strategic monitoring and PM accuracy. Finally, participants were better at predicting their PM performance on each laboratory task but were overconfident in the naturalistic task
Developing a predictive geospatial habitat model for a rare species of salamander in Tennessee: a case study for the green salamander (Aneides aeneus)
Get PDFGreen Salamanders (Aneides aeneus; Cope and Packard 1881) are a secretive and cryptic species of salamander that can be relatively difficult to detect, due to their occupation of arboreal habitats. The incorporation of geospatial tools is critical in developing models that can be used to predict undocumented locations in Tennessee and elsewhere. Locating the species in Tennessee was accomplished through a total of 18 localities and with that, several habitat characteristics were able to be identified including, but not limited to: appropriately shaded and structured rocks, typical fauna co-occurring within the area, and general topography of the area. Of the 91.8% of sites that were deemed to have suitable habitat, 40% of those had positive presence, the remaining 60% is indeterminate for presence at this time as more field visits should be conducted in the future
The Black caucus: a theatrical exploration of the Black experience in a predominantly White institution
Get PDFThe foundation of my thesis was laid in May of 2022 when I had the privilege of taking part in a transformative journey to Kenya through the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga\u27s Honors College. During this remarkable experience, we immersed ourselves in the lives of the Kenyan people in Nairobi and the Maasai Mara, looking to unravel the interplay between innovation, empathy, and culture. As an African American, I experienced a profound sense of belonging in a majority Black environment for the first time in my life, which left an indelible impression on me, offering a sense of relief and connection. Those three weeks in Kenya remain among the most cherished memories of my life. However, during the third week, a life-changing event occurred as I contracted Covid and found myself confined to an isolated tent. In the solitude of that moment, I contemplated how this experience could serve as the foundation for a compelling script, but more importantly, a poignant thesis. It struck me that the contrast between my experiences as a Black individual in a predominantly Black space versus my experiences as a minority in predominantly white settings was a vital aspect worth exploring. This contemplation gave birth to the concept of a thesis: The Black Caucus, which revolves around the central question of how Black individuals find and shape their identities in predominantly white spaces. Upon my return to the United States, I engaged in discussions with my thesis instructor, solidifying the idea of a performance as the focal point of my thesis. Given my initial interest in playwriting, I saw this as a remarkable opportunity to put my writing skills to the test. I resolved to conduct interviews with Black students, faculty, and alumni of my institution, which happens to be predominantly white, to glean insights into their experiences. By skillfully transcribing their words into a script, I sought to craft a powerful production set to debut during the spring semester of my thesis year. Through this project, I aspired to shed light on the nuanced and complex realities faced by Black individuals in predominantly white educational spaces, fostering empathy, understanding, and meaningful dialogue on this crucial subject matter
Language learning in the trenches: unraveling the role of psychological safety in military second language acquisition
Get PDFMilitary second language acquisition is an important component of military training. Across branches of the United States Military Service, servicemembers are trained in a variety of foreign languages to support United States national interests. Adult Second Language Acquisition (SLA) poses significant challenges to learners, impacting their identity and self-concept. Exposure to a new language and culture threatens the learner\u27s sense of self and engenders psychological distress. Due to a variety of factors, such as decreased learning anxiety and increased team learning behaviors, psychological safety enhances learning outcomes across various sectors, including medical education, business, and Research and Development (R&D) sectors. According to the Senate Committee on Armed Services, the widespread deficiency of psychological safety within teams, and among teams, could compromise the national security of the United States of America by curtailing innovation and impeding the United States Department of Defense’s (DoD) adaptability to respond to threats and shifting landscapes. Investigating the relationships between individual perceptions of psychological safety in an adult second language acquisition (SLA) classroom group setting can illuminate the importance of psychological safety in learning environments and its role in adult SLA, particularly in a military environment. This study hypothesizes that higher psychological safety levels correlate with higher Defense Language Proficiency Test scores in SLA at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) and other SLA environments. Additionally, it is hypothesized that degree of instructor support and quality of interpersonal relationships, antecedents to psychological safety, will positively correlate with psychological safety in SLA classrooms. Participants will comprise of approximately 380 service members who successfully completed a second language acquisition course at DLI in the past 20 years. Participants will complete a 30-minute survey that includes scales assessing psychological safety (7 items), psychological safety antecedents (15 items), language proficiency self-assessments for reading and listening (50 items), and demographic information (29 items). The results of this research can be used to improve SLA training and thereby increase the foreign language proficiency of U.S. Service members. It will also provide insights into the impact of antecedents on performance in military and academic learning environments. Finally, the results of this research can provide suggestions about how to create psychological safety in all institutional and unit level training throughout the DoD
HBC- Who?: Perceptions of Talent from Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Get PDFQualified applicants strive to be recognized as a “good fit” in organizations. However, with a long history of racial discrimination in talent acquisition, how do Historically Black College and University graduates feel they are perceived by organizations in comparison to their Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) counterparts? Furthermore, how does the intersectionality of race and gender in the workplace affect these perceptions? It is important to examine these relationships and how organizations can improve direction and create meaningful strides for equity for a diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative. In this study, we will survey students and graduates from HBCUs and PWIs about how they feel they are perceived by employer organizations. We will examine the differences in self-reported perceptions between HBCU and PWI students and graduates. To conduct further analysis, we will collect data from the students and graduates via a survey in MTurk. The survey will include questions related to racial code switching, perception of professionalism, perceived notability of educational institutions, and attitudes toward organizations. Participation will be limited to those who are 18 years or older, graduated from a HBCU/PWI institution, or are a Junior/Senior student at a HBCU/PWI institution. We will test three hypotheses with this study: Hypothesis 1 (H1): Graduates and students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities will feel more negatively perceived by organizations in comparison to their PWI counterparts. Hypothesis 2 (H2): Graduates and students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities will feel less inclined to codeswitch in comparison to their PWI counterparts. Hypothesis 3 (H3): Female graduates and students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities will feel the most negatively perceived by organizations. Through prior research and survey data, we expect to find HBCU graduates will perceive that organizations view them as less professional and qualified in comparison to their PWI counterparts. These findings will stem from questions directed toward disposition, professionalism, University notability, and use of code switching. It is further predicted that Black women will feel they are perceived as more sexual, aggressive, and unapproachable, and therefore less professional compared to peers. This study will help quantify how HBCU graduates feel they are viewed in comparison to their PWI counterparts and help organizations identify where to develop inclusive and equitable talent acquisition initiatives. The study will assist organizations on how to best implement implicit bias training throughout their organization to create a more inclusive environment for all employees
Social organization during mating, but not offspring care, influences the reproductive success of male degus, Octodon degus
Get PDFWe report results of a longitudinal study on the influence of social organization during different seasons on male reproductive success in the common degu (Octodon degus), a caviomorph rodent endemic to Chile. Male social organization was variable across years and seasons. The best fit model for male reproductive success included autumn-winter social organization unit type, year, spring group ID, and autumn-winter group ID. During the autumn-winter, male reproductive success was greatest in female/male pairs (FM) and was lowest for solitary male units (M) and units containing one female and multiple males (FMM). Spring male social organization did not have an impact on male reproductive success. This suggests certain social organization types are reproductively costly to male degus during the mating season (autumn-winter) but not offspring care (spring). Our study highlights the importance of social organization as a core component of a social system when studying male reproductive success
Recruiting Technical Talent When You’re Not Big Tech
Get PDFIn our modern, digital economy all companies are now tech companies. But how do small or regional employers source, attract, select, nurture, and close the right technical talent for roles that many large, big tech employers also recruit? This session will provide HR, talent acquisition, and functional leaders from “non-tech companies” with evidence-backed tips and tricks for filling the technical roles they need. Employers need to understand methods that will appeal to a technical audience and know how technical roles, such as software engineering, are changing with the release of generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT). This session will also cover trends impacting how workers perform these roles and what human competencies will be critical to source and evaluate