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The effect of dark personality traits on the detection of incivility in the workplace
No full textWorkplace incivility refers to acts of being rude or discourteous to others in work environments that are ambiguous in intent. Due to this ambiguity, incivility can be difficult to detect, and therefore is often not addressed. There is a need to address incivility given that it can lead to lower productivity and higher turnover rates in the workplace. When a person is a target of incivility due to a social group membership (e.g., women or those in minoritized ethnic groups), it is known as selective incivility. It is important to understand the detection of selective incivility, in particular, because it can drive members of minoritized groups out of work, therefore representing a barrier to workplace diversity and inclusion. In the current study, I examined participants’ ability to detect incivility, and perceive the motivations behind it. I examined whether the type of incivility (general or selective), and certain individual difference variables were associated with the detection of incivility. I looked at the differences in incivility detection based on personality traits of the dark tetrad (sadism, narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) and honesty-humility. I examined whether those higher in dark-tetrad traits or lower in honesty-humility will be less able to detect incivility. The sample of this study was recruited online via Prolific Academic; the study was completed online as well. It was found that, in general, participants detected incivility when it was present, no matter the target. Overall, dark personality did not have a strong association with incivility detection. However, a magnitude affect was observed in which those higher (vs. lower) in narcissism were somewhat less able to detect (general or selective) incivility, and that those higher (vs. lower) in psychopathy were somewhat less able to detect selective incivility. Additionally, exploratory analyses revealed that, although participants in general were able to detect incivility, incivility was more readily detected for when the target was a minoritized (i.e., selective incivility) versus the non-minoritized (i.e., general incivility) individual.</p
Development of quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the measurement of sucrose in cream beverages
No full textA method for the determination of sucrose in cream beverages by quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (qNMR) spectroscopy was developed using the Internal Reference Method. The method of qNMR was simple and straightforward and the precision and accuracy of the method were explored. The precision of the method was examined by evaluating RSD values for the method, these values ranged from 0.7 to 8.7%. The average of the RSD values fell within 5% displaying acceptable precision of the method. Spiked samples showed a high percent recovery, falling within 97.9 – 99.3%. Percent recovery of sucrose in the cream beverages ranged from 140% to 88%, detailing low accuracy for the method likely due to the interferences from the cream beverage, which overlapped with the analyte peaks of interest. Spectra with clear peaks and low levels of interference are necessary for qNMR as it is based on the integration of the peak areas and the nature of the cream beverage samples make this difficult.</p
Understanding culturally diverse temporal structures in the workplace
No full textThis dissertation explores the organizational culture of a ski hill nestled in the Kootenay region of British Columbia. Conducted through qualitative methods, the study seeks to understand ski hill employees’ perceptions of their work environment, unveiling the temporal structures associated with the organization. The term temporal structure is defined as a patterned organization of time, used by humans to help them manage, comprehend, or coordinate their use of time. Through the insights of five participants, a vivid portrayal of the Kootenay lifestyle emerges, shedding light on how ‘place’ significantly influences an organization’s temporal structure. Drawing from Edward T. Hall’s work, specifically the concepts of monochronic and polychronic cultures, the study categorizes the temporal dynamics inherent in the Kootenay ski hill. Additionally, John J. Ivers’ work on subcultural disparities was also relied on to better understand where temporal structures may emerge. The participants collectively agreed they had never heard any terms associated with temporal structures, yet they all described polychronicity perfectly when sharing their perspectives on their work environments. This study revealed how management and employees in a Canadian organization, situated in a country historically aligned with a monochronic way of life, comprehend and appreciate this supposedly foreign concept that is a polychronic lifestyle. There are numerous avenues one should consider if one wishes to expand upon the findings presented in this dissertation. The strongest opportunity would be to target a large-scale ski hill outside the Kootenays and conduct the same qualitative method in order to determine if ‘place’ influences the temporal structure at play within that organization.</p
Canada's emergency refugee programs: comparing the lived experiences of Ukrainian newcomers and Syrian refugees
No full textThis thesis investigates the different impacts of Canada’s emergency settlement programs through the lens of the integration experiences of Ukrainian newcomers and Syrian refugees, using the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) as a framework. Amidst the escalating conflict in Ukraine in 2022, Canada implemented the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program, facilitating rapid entry for Ukrainians fleeing war. This program is contrasted with the well-established Syrian Response and Refugee Initiative (SRRI), a program operational for over a decade. The study unfolds in three phases, the first is an in-depth literature review of Syrian refugees’ lived experiences which provides a comprehensive background of integration outcomes. In the second phase, qualitative interviews with Ukrainian newcomers, a settlement worker, and a local volunteer settlement group coordinator capture immediate experiences under CUAET. In the third phase, a comparative analysis integrates these insights, highlighting how each program influences the lived experiences of newcomers through a comparative analysis. This approach offers an understanding of how rapid policy implementation versus long-term structured policy implementation impacts the Social Determinants of Health of newcomers including, economic stability, education access and quality, healthcare access and quality, neighbourhood and built environment, and social community context of newcomers in Canada. The findings highlight disparities in program implementation and their consequent effects on newcomer adaptation and well-being. This comparison sheds light on the immediate impacts of rapid policy responses on the lived experiences of newcomers.</p
Testing for the presence of Dirofilaria immitis within the mosquito population of the Maritime provinces while providing a comprehensive cataloging of mosquito species
No full textAs climate change continues to shift species distributions due to changing weather patterns, the introduction of new species, such as invasive mosquitoes and/or pathogens, into the Maritime provinces is increasing the risk of emerging diseases. Dirofilaria immitis is a parasite that is being introduced into the Maritimes through the pet trade and is passed from mosquitoes to canine hosts, causing heartworm disease. Although the disease has not yet established here, our warming climate conditions should support its development in the mosquito host. To understand the risk of D. immitis to domestic canids and felids in the Maritimes, as well as the magnitude of other mosquito-related health risks to humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, we must conduct regular mosquito population surveillance. To update the current inventory of mosquito species currently within New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island we sampled 250 different locations within these two provinces from May to August, 2023. Further, of the 8066 mosquitoes collected in New Brunswick, we identified 41 species, 4 of which are new species records for the province: Aedes spencerii, Ae. mercurator, Ae. rempeli and Uranotaenia sapphirina. In Prince Edward Island, we identified 34 species, 6 of which are new species records for the province: Ae. atropalpus, Ae. hendersoni, Ae. japonicus, Anopheles walker, Culex salinarius, and Culiseta minnesotae. To assess if there is an established population of D. immitis within New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, I tested two vector species for the presence of this parasite. This included 542 Ae. vexans and 185 Ae. canadensis. One Ae. canadensis showed positive banding. Overall, the low incidence rate of D. immitis indicates that this parasite most likely has not established itself yet within the Maritime provinces. However, given that infected dogs continue to arrive and mosquito populations flourish, it is essential to continue monitoring.</p
Giving back: investigating the motives of female volunteer youth sport coaches
No full textDespite the many benefits of youth sport, the recruitment and retention of coaches is an ongoing pervasive issue faced by sport organizations. This lack of coaches is even more prevalent among females when compared to their male counterparts despite the significant increases in females participating in sport. Nevertheless, relatively little research has been conducted on the notion of “giving back” to sport as a coach, particularly with female sport coaches. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to utilize a grounded theory approach to explore the experiences of female coaches to identify key factors that have driven them to contribute to their sport organizations through coaching. Eleven Canadian female youth sport coaches participated in semi-structured interviews to investigate their own youth sport experiences, transition from athletic to coaching role, and current role as a coach. In line with a grounded theory approach, data collection and analysis followed a semi-iterative cycle including theoretical sampling which informed changes to the interview guide based upon previous interviews. Findings show that coaches’ motivations to contribute to sport fall under three categories: 1) deriving meaning from their coaching role; 2) enjoying their position; and 3) feeling moral obligation to give back to sport. These common motivators appear to outweigh common barriers of gender and age that arose as unique to the female experience. Results map onto similar literature as female coaches also strive to be the female role models they once had in sport, and gender stands in the way of many female coaches.</p
My breasts are down here: spiritual, medical, and colonial perceptions of the breast in early modernity
No full textThis thesis examines early modern attitudes toward the female breast as an important bodily site. Using art and literature published in the era, this thesis argues that the breast was used as a rhetorical site to communicate patriarchal ideas of female immorality, maternity, and the construction of race and racism. Art and literature were produced prolifically in early modernity and a variety of artistic depictions of the breast and lactating Marian imagery, medical texts, conduct manuals, travel literature, and court documents sought to define and describe an immoral breast, symbolic of a distinctive ‘other’ from the Christian community. Colonialism and the Reformation in Europe produced a society that was concerned with affirming Christian morals and establishing a strong white European identity. The breast offered a bodily site that could be inscribed with Christian and colonialist rhetoric; thus the breast became a marker of immorality and social difference. My analysis reveals that the breast was an important rhetorical tool used to define concepts of morality and immorality at the intersections of gender, spirituality, medicine, and race.</p
Ready for school? The influence of parental contributions on school readiness
No full textThis thesis explores the impact of parental involvement on grade primary students’ school readiness in Nova Scotia from the perspectives of grade primary teachers. Using theories that examine parenting styles, children’s socialization and socioeconomic status through cultural capital and habitus, this study revealed that parental involvement has a significant impact on students’ readiness skills upon entering the education system. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted with grade primary teachers in Nova Scotia. These interviews, in addition to the literature, determined that school readiness is broadly defined and is not restricted to only academic skills. Several factors were discovered that either positively or negatively impacted students’ level of readiness, many of which were not in the control of the parents themselves such as social class, access to resources and employment. This thesis explores a general misconception that school readiness is strictly academic-based and is developed by teachers when children arrive in the classroom. I argue that school readiness is largely the opposite, and instead is a variation of factors both academic and non-academic such as self-regulation, social-emotional, personal hygiene as well as basic academic knowledge. I conclude that teachers can acknowledge the gap between ways school readiness is interpreted and what it actually consists of when assessed in the classroom. Interviews with these teachers, in addition to the explored literature, determine that all levels of parental involvement impact students’ ability to be ready for school. The conclusion is also accompanied with suggestions for parental figures to better assist their child in preparing for them and sustaining them in their early academic career.</p
Sacrifice without acknowledgement: the plight of the demobilized disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War
No full textThis thesis seeks to represent a group that has only just recently started to gain traction within scholarship, and that group is the disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Those who survived the war came back to an apathetic environment, characterized by the near-total destruction of cities and towns across the European USSR. In an effort to get the country back to its levels of pre-war industrial production, the postwar administrations of Josef Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev largely ignored the plight of the disabled war veterans, and instead focused on economic reconstruction and growth. The public, still reeling from the unspeakable horrors of the war reacted to their government’s lack of care with apathy and disinterest; the disabled veterans were distinctly an afterthought in postwar Soviet society. Promised benefits did not provide enough for disabled veterans to live on, and in the absence of state-level coverage it was intersections of class and gender that could either make the situation better or more difficult at the local level. This thesis provides evidence of the plight that the disabled faced, focusing on oral histories, interviews, foreign policy, economic plans, and media apparatus. Secondary research focuses on analysis, relying on a few notable scholars such as Robert Dale, Mark Edele, and Sarah Phillips to unmask the competing realities offered by state propaganda versus real lived experiences of disabled veterans. The experiences of the disabled returning veterans showed the failure of the state to care about the brutal sacrifices made in their name and highlighted the dangers of a government more focused on quotas than people.</p
Comparative olfactory and behavioural responses of ant species to streptomyces bacterial volatiles
No full textActinomycetes bacteria, notably, the Streptomyces genus, has gained significant attention due to their pharmaceutical, agricultural, and medicinal use. There is a growing interest with how insects respond to these volatile microbial metabolites from both an evolutionary standpoint and for practical purposes. Understanding the interaction between insects and microbial metabolites may provide advancements towards more sustainable pest management. This study investigated the behavioural and electrophysiological responses of female worker ants, Lasius alienus, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, and Formica integra as well as male Formica integra ants. Electrophysiological responses to commonly produced Streptomyces volatiles were assessed using gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection. Aldehydes had significantly different electrophysiological responses compared to other stimuli within a species, however, few stimuli showed significant differences in sensitivity when compared among species. Overall electrophysiological responses of Lasius alienus was higher compared to other female species, however, was not found to be significant. Two-choice bioassays were used to determine attraction or repellence towards an industrial stain of Streptomyces coelicolor (strain M145) versus the same strain with a geosmin-production knockout (strain J3001). There was no evidence of significant attraction or repulsion to selected strains among species tested. Future work investigating the role of microbial metabolites in nest making and foraging activity in ants may prove beneficial for the development of pest management strategies. Particularly, the role of geosmin as an attractant or repellent as it is a common volatile produced by microbes and fungi.</p