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Exploring Characteristics of Indiana\u27s Local Park and Recreation Leaders
No full textThis was an exploratory study about the characteristics of Indiana’s local leaders in parks and recreation. Results of a statewide survey showed different roles of employees and volunteers in local agencies. In managing the supply side of recreation, they reported vast differences in scale of levels of populations served and natural resources managed, such as acres and trails. The Northern, Central and Southern regions were compared for types of local government, communities of different sizes, and nonprofit collaboration. Local leaders represented municipal, township and county providers collaborating with other local community organizations. Results showed that size of community served affected management of other resources in important ways. There are applications to social science research in the environmental, social, and geographic realms
Best Businesses for New Urbanist Communities: A Retake
Get PDFPlace defines the linkages between space and representation. Several theoretical concepts attempt to examine how people perceive a place and even their purpose as a part of it, including it being as a prescribed way of life, a public ideology to ascribe to, and as a set geographical residence. More often than not, this “sense” is simply categorized by a rural-urban continuum dictated by health and wealth. New Urbanism communities is an urban design movement that promotes a sense of community by designing walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods that are environmentally friendly and provide a wide range of housing and job types. In his book, The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida (2002) provided detailed examples of how cities ranging from New York City to Newark and Oakland have experienced dramatic turnarounds because of demographic shifts. While this trend is well documented within urban areas, few, if any, studies have been published that examine this phenomenon within New Urbanism communities. Most studies emphasize the residential aspects over commercial development. This longitudinal case study provides an in-depth analysis of businesses\u27 faring in five distinct suburban and urban localities in Florida, Indiana, and Kentucky that were first studied by Besel and Nur (2013). Comparisons based on the neighborhoods’ different socio-economic characteristics were also examined with community stakeholders in 2021 through 2022. This paper integrates the two studies, concluding with the entrepreneurial progress the communities have made. Results indicate that an essential component of any neo-traditional community requires a thriving commercial and nonprofit sectors. In addition to being able to cultivate and sustain businesses, these communities continue to attract an array of residents, positioning appeal to a wide generational range and diverse population
Perceiving the Perceiver: “Viewing” Sauron Through the Gestalt Theory of Perception
Get PDFThis paper uses Gestalt theory, the Gestalt laws of perception, and the reception theory of Wolfgang Iser to elucidate the character “Sauron” as he appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power, and Tolkien’s wider legendarium. It argues firstly that Sauron’s high degree of indeterminacy and ambiguity suggests he can be read as a gestalt entity, one the reader creates by mentally constructing a whole from (seemingly) disparate parts. Building on the semiotics work of Nagy (2013), it argues that Sauron in The Lord of the Rings can be read as gestalt across the spatial, temporal, and mythological dimensions of the Secondary World and has a geographical dimension that can be interpreted through the Gestalt laws of perception. Further, it argues that The Rings of Power season one attempts to mimic the indeterminacy of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings through the construction of a “Schrödinger box” (as opposed to a “mystery box”). Lastly, it argues that when viewing Sauron across the entire legendarium, Sauron can be said to be gestalt across an additional metatextual dimension. That high degree of indeterminacy and ambiguity has implications for how Sauron is interpreted by readers, fans creating fan works, and those producing adaptations that feature Sauron
The Only Thriller J.R.R. Tolkien (Never) Wrote: Jungian Shapes of Evil in “The New Shadow”
Get PDFJ.R.R. Tolkien\u27s The New Shadow, a fragment set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, offers a rich but often overlooked exploration of the psychological and cultural implications of peace following the defeat of Sauron. Although Tolkien abandoned the project, dismissing it as a mere “thriller”, the text presents significant insights into the dynamics of generational conflict, the origins of Evil, and the moral challenges of a post-heroic world. This paper examines The New Shadow through a dual lens: first, by contextualizing Tolkien’s depiction of good and evil within Christian ethical frameworks, and second, by applying Carl Gustav Jung’s psychological theories, including archetypes and the collective unconscious, to analyze the intergenerational tension between Borlas, the elder, and Saelon, the youth. This dynamic represents a deeper form of Evil—manifested not as an external threat but as an internal, psychological struggle exacerbated by the absence of tangible conflict. In contrast to traditional readings of Tolkien’s works, which often focus on external evils like orcs and trolls, this study reveals a more subtle, evolving force of darkness, one that resides within the psyche of Men. By reinterpreting The New Shadow through a Jungian lens, we argue that Tolkien’s fragment provides a unique reflection on the process of historical evolution and the existential disillusionment that accompanies the passage of time. This approach not only expands our understanding of Tolkien’s narrative intentions but also opens new avenues for interpreting the complexities of Evil and generational conflict in literary and psychological terms
Spatiotemporal Variation of Violet-Feeding Large Fritillaries (Euptoieta, Speyeria) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Central and Northern Wisconsin
Get PDFWe analyzed the relative abundance of the large fritillaries Euptoieta claudia (Cramer) (immigrant), Speyeria cybele (Fabricius) and S. atlantis (Edwards) (generalists), S. aphrodite (Fabricius) (grassland species), and S. idalia (Drury) (prairie specialist) in transect surveys at grasslands and pine barrens during 1990-2006 for variation and correlation over time (measured both as chronological year and as years since last management treatment) among six subregions in central and northern Wisconsin. Population trends (correlations of abundance with chronological year) were few and not significantly skewed toward either negative or positive trends. Spatial synchrony between pairs of subregions was significantly different among species, and these differences ordinated by ecological classification, with the strongest positive correlations for the immigrant species and lowest for the grassland species, with the only analyzable generalist (S. cybele) in between. The specialist was represented by only one correlation that fell between the generalist and grassland species. Little variation in this spatial synchrony was apparent across the range of distances in this study (19-388 km), but the relationship to distance was negative, as expected. Immigrants (non-resident vagrants) appear more affected by landscape scale factors, and so are more spatially synchronized, while less vagile species appear more affected by local conditions and less spatially synchronized by population exchange. Covariance in abundance between the subset of localities surveyed every year and all localities in the subregion surveyed per year suggests that results for a large sample of all surveyed areas, although varying from year to year, approximates the results of more rigorous methods of population monitoring. Differences in abundance by management type showed a pattern of more statistical differentiation with increasing specialization of the species, consistent with previous analyses of these species in other midwestern regions. Results at Buena Vista Grassland were more divergent from previous studies. For both S. idalia and S. aphrodite, mow+burn and burn were relatively more favorable and graze less favorable than elsewhere; the highest abundances of both species were found in graze+burn. Furthermore, years since burning and years since grazing were remarkably similar to each other for both S. aphrodite and S. idalia, and these were similar between the two species, especially for years 0-3. But in both this study and previous analyses, year 0 after burning (and relatively heavy season-long cattle-grazing at Buena Vista) had very low abundances. Contrasts of management results at Buena Vista with results at prairies and barrens may be due to differences in vegetation (old field at Buena Vista vs. native vegetation) and/or due to lower treatment frequency and size (relative to site size) at Buena Vista than elsewhere. Thus, degree of habitat specificity and dispersal tendency both strongly affect patterns of fritillary population abundance
The Tate Phenomenon: Examining Social Media Influencers through the Lens of Weber and Freud
No full textThough a social media influencer’s overnight success is a new phenomenon, its theoretical foundation is not and is explainable by Max Weber and Sigmund Freud. The case of Andrew Tate, a kickboxer turned social media influencer, is illustrative. Despite his misogynistic and discriminatory claims, Tate’s radical statements and cult-like following echo Weber’s nineteenth-century description of charismatic authorities and their followers. While the label of charismatic authority is a start, Weber’s theories alone do not sufficiently explain some questions of why anyone would adhere to Tate’s claims and how he gained popularity. Fortunately, Sigmund Freud’s pleasure principle describes an instinctive desire that is in contention with the reality principle of societal rules. Tate’s countercultural statements create a space for people to freely engage under the pleasure principle, making his behavior attractive to many. Further interpretation of the Tate phenomenon can be built through what Verena Wieser, a Weberian sociologist, calls charismatic entrainment. Charismatic entrainment argues that the interaction between a brand leader, consumer-followers, and consumer-critics creates prominent charismatic authorities. Through an online platform, Hustler’s University, Tate, the brand leader, allows his immediate fans, the consumer-followers, to spread his message and engage in discourse with others. This discourse often invites those who disagree with Tate, the consumer-critics, to bash Tate for his statements, but these protests produce only more publicity for Tate. Andrew Tate will not be the last influencer to engage in this process. Thus, society must understand these processes to halt a more detrimental influencer in the future