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Between Governance and Markets: An Assessment of Environmental Boundary Organizations
Get PDFThis article considers the genesis, characteristics, and dynamics of boundary organizations as they apply specifically to environmental boundary objects, that is, pieces of science on which policy is reliant. Boundary organizations have been widely discussed since the 1990s but are undertheorized in terms of political concepts; this paper approaches environmental boundary organizations as essentially liberal vehicles of power using Lukes’ definition, in which the liberal dimension of power is divided into (a) eliciting and (b) meeting wants of stakeholders equitably. Environmental boundary organizations are compared and contrasted with single-perspective organizations (that is, organizations beholden to either government or industry) and the failure of single-perspective organizations to bridge the needs of multiple stakeholders insofar as environmental issues are concerned. Case studies of successful boundary organizations, such as HEI and COST, are utilized to demonstrate how and why well-designed environmental boundary organizations function, with the basis of success being a commitment to multiple parties’ interests as represented by a neutral, balanced organization that supports joint agenda-setting, governance, research, and arbitration of knowledge. The findings support the claim that environmental boundary organizations are highly effective, sitting as they do between the needs of governance and the market, and the details provided in the case studies provide a convenient summarization of how such organizations should be approached and structured for maximum benefit to all parties
Title: Questioning Attebery’s ‘Bullseye’: Interviews with Young Readers of Fantasy May De-Center The Lord of the Rings
Get PDFIn 2018 and 2019, I interviewed young readers about their opinions of The Lord of the Rings (LotR) as a part of my PhD thesis. Their ideas concerning the genre of the text destabilize Attebery\u27s use of it as a central point for the genre. Since these readers do not demonstrate a consensus that LotR is a work of fantasy, one is left to wonder if the idea of the fuzzy set proposed by Attebery is accurate when considering the lived experiences of readers. This leads to several questions about why these young readers have categorized the story the way they have, and questions about what this means for Attebery’s attempted ‘definition’ of the genre. Does it limit his definition, or does it expand I in new ways? This presentation is a lengthy consideration of these questions as well as a brief summary of my findings from my interviews with young readers about the genre of LotR
Fallen Kingdoms and Ancient Monoliths: The Influence of Atlantis and Egypt in Tolkien’s Númenor
No full textIn light of the recent publication of The Fall of Númenor, my essay aims to focus on Tolkien’s, somewhat underappreciated, influences on Gondor; particularly Ancient Egypt. This essay looks at Plato\u27s Timaeus and Critias, Ignatius Donnelly\u27s theories, and examines the Atlantean and Egyptian motifs in Tolkien’s version of Westernesse, in particular, the remnants of Atlantean civilization survived by Egyptian colonists which mirror the Realms of Exile (Gondor and Arnor)
Confirmation of Avian Dispersal of a Seed Chalcid Wasp in North America and a New Host Record for Megastigmus aculeatus (Hymenoptera: Megastigmidae)
Get PDFDispersal of chalcid wasp larvae inhabiting the seeds of angiosperms by wild birds in North America has never been verified. I describe adult Megastigmus aculeatus Swederus that successfully emerged from seeds extracted from the droppings of six species of native North American non-captive birds. Rosa setigera is also confirmed as a host for this wasp for the first time
Infinitely Liminal Spaces
No full text“Infinitely Liminal Spaces” is a sculptural art installation of three dioramas containing 3D-printed sculptures and LED lighting within cubes constructed of acrylic and two-way mirrors simulating an other-worldly space of optical illusions. It is a manifestation of what can be created when applying creative approaches to technological machinery housed within the Sirko Makerspace, including the 3D Dremel Digilab printer and Glowforge laser cutter. Liminal spaces are unpopulated, transitory environments, and therefore associated with feelings of unsettledness. Infinity spaces carry connotations of possibility, imagination, and beyondness. While these two terms seem to contradict each other, these concepts go hand in hand when one is facing a period of transition in life. Not knowing exactly what lies beyond is unnerving, but thrilling knowing the possibilities ahead are seemingly endless. The titles of each diorama are “The Apartment,” “The Staircase,” and “The City.” Each of the three cubes is titled in accordance with the different themes it encompasses, each representing a different form of transitory space. Another additional feature that adds to the unsettling quality of these works, is the extreme variations in scale. Each piece has a drastically different perspective. This three-dimensional series allows spectators to glimpse into a portal-like space that they can view from all sides because of the cubes’ transparent, acrylic walls. The dioramas’ appearances are ever-evolving as viewers move closer and further from and walk around them. Different angles of observation offer new ways of seeing these reflections and illusions
Exploring the Realistic Factors Involved in the Pursuit of a Professional Counseling Career
No full textGraduate school includes many direct and indirect opportunity costs. In this presentation, we will explore multiple facets involved in choosing a counseling career; specifically, program cost and duration, economic conditions, clinical preparation, personal financial circumstances, and professional aspirations. Central to our exploration is the hypothesis that these variables significantly impact students\u27 wellbeing, particularly in terms of perceived stress levels, coping mechanisms, resource allocation, and support systems.
Broadly, economic stability fluctuates, and since the pandemic, individual consumers have been more sensitive to those changes (Egan, 2024). The economy impacts inflation, employment, and post-undergraduate enrollment rates. Previous research has only explored the impact of financial stress and student wellbeing on undergraduate and doctoral populations (Borgogna et al., 2020 & Moore et al., 2021), leaving a dearth of research concerning master’s level students. We were thus motivated to understand the impact of the current volatile economic environment on counselors-in-training.
To address program and individual differences, we began with an anecdotal survey of students in Valparaiso University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. The survey measured students’ financial stability and its interactions with their perceived stress and coping ability. This preliminary study will not only facilitate awareness of counseling students\u27 struggles within the VU community, but also serve as the foundation for an expanded study. The results of the subsequent survey will inform the broader counseling profession about the influencing economic factors in the lives of counseling graduate students. We hope that this information will affect positive change in equitable access to careers in counseling
Manufacturing Humans
No full textThe human race–having discovered ways to alter their genes with CRISPr techniques, engineer artificial wombs, and deploy other means to alter the human genome–experiences exponential growth in its venture to change our ways of living. Humans continuously seek to replace nature, or God, by exercising their intellect, seldom reflecting on the implications and consequences of doing so. In Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World, babies are grown in batches, manufactured with a pre-determined purpose. Huxley’s science fiction serves the plot of A Brave New World, driving and flavoring its overarching technocracy of subduing a population through pleasure. With biotechnologies on the rise, Huxley’s fiction becomes increasingly plausible. The precursors of manufacturing humans are here today. CRISPr-CAS9, artificial wombs, and even media manipulation enable human ambitions to control nature itself, and act as the governance of life. Urgently, humans must consider the means and ethics of manufacturing humans. With improving technologies, the manufactured human could be nearly within humanity\u27s grasp, along with its downfall. A genetic “tragedy of the commons,” as outlined by Garret Hardin in 1968, awaits a human race where effective, safe, and widely available gene editing creates a massive human monoculture that is prone to being wiped out by a single cause
Leveling Up the Leitmotif: Understanding How the Unique Medium of Video Games Explores and Develops the Leitmotif
No full textIn the 19th century, composer Richard Wagner popularized the leitmotif in his operas and music. Defined as a recurring musical melody or theme that is associated with a character, place, idea, theme, or situation, the leitmotif has become a crucial aspect of scoring music for entertainment mediums such as movies, television shows, and more recently, video games. Due to the unique aspect of audience and storytelling in the medium of video games, the leitmotif is transformed for different purposes both musically and narratively, such as providing gameplay cues for the player and expanding on the musical ideas based on atmosphere and story. Scholars such as Jibril Ibrahim, Karen Collins, and Ashley Hallett have studied the leitmotif as an aid to the player and the relationship between sound cues, while other scholars like Neil Lerner, Tim Summers, and Jamie Sexton have focused on the leitmotif’s role in aiding the story of the video game. This paper explores the unique function of the leitmotifs in games such as The Legend of Zelda series, Hollow Knight, Resident Evil, and Undertale. Games from the The Legend of Zelda series and Resident Evil demonstrate the way that leitmotifs can be used to provide information and feedback to the player in a specifically non-diegetic way. Hollow Knight and Undertale highlight the ways that leitmotifs are composed in video games to support the narrative; they way they would be traditionally used in other mediums. By understanding how leitmotifs can be utilized as a player assisting mechanic as well as developing the story, scholars can continue to analyze and appreciate the unique ways that video games help to further the development of the leitmotif
Corruption in Latin American States Affects Trust Among the Citizens
Get PDFThis study explores how citizens\u27 faith in government officials in socialist-run South American nations is affected by corruption scandals. It investigates whether individuals\u27 views of government integrity and political involvement are impacted by the easier access to information about corruption brought about by technology. This research aims to understand the relationship between the level of confidence in government entities and their vulnerability to corruption scandals using survey information from sources like the World Bank and the AmericasBarometer, in addition to free press ratings and verified cases of corruption. The study also looks at how the free press influences public opinion and trust by acting as a stand-in for other variables. The findings seek to provide insights into how corruption affects the political landscape in South American nations and citizens\u27 trust in their leaders