9441 research outputs found
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Climate Refugees: Justice and Global Warming
No full textThis essay was written for the course “TH530A-A: God and Theological Reflection,” taught by Mary (Joy) Philip at Martin Luther University College, Fall 2025
The Effects of Environmental Complexity on Brain Development and Personality Expression in Western Hognose Snakes
No full textThere is growing interest in snake cognition, personality, and welfare as more snakes are kept as pets, yet little research has been conducted. The effects of enrichment and environmental factors have been well documented in other taxa, and recent evidence suggests that snakes may benefit in similar ways. This dissertation investigated the impact of environmental and social enrichment on personality expression, personality stability, and brain development. Western hognose snakes (Heterodon nasicus) were used as the model species, as they are a popular choice in the pet trade. This allows the research to be readily translatable to husbandry practices of many snake owners. In Chapter 2, preference tests revealed that snakes showed a significant preference for enrichment stimuli, such as substrate and rooting material. This preference was even more evident when enrichment was paired with cooler temperatures. Personality assays indicated that boldness did not correlate with enrichment preference, suggesting that preference was not driven by pre-existing personality traits. In Chapter 3, half of the snakes were independently housed in enriched enclosures long-term, based on enrichment verified in Chapter 2. The remaining half were housed in minimalistic enclosures mimicking rack systems. Personality assays indicated that enriched snakes exhibited greater stability in traits, such as sociability and boldness. They also displayed significant increases in brain volume, particularly in the posterior brain region. In Chapter 4, snakes were housed either in same-sex pairs or in isolation long-term. Personality assays were conducted with body temperature manipulations to assess the influence of temperature on ectotherm personality expression. Results were similar to those of Chapter 3, as enriched snakes displayed greater stability in both sociability and boldness, regardless of temperature fluctuations. The findings from all three experimental chapters highlight that snakes exhibit an innate preference for enrichment, experience enhanced brain development, and demonstrate greater behavioural stability as a result of environmental and social enrichment. The consistency of these effects across both forms of enrichment further supports the notion that snakes benefit substantially from enrichment implementation. This dissertation challenges outdated assumptions regarding reptilian behavioural inflexibility and underscores the urgent need for more species-specific, welfare-centered husbandry practices for snakes
Minority Stress and Drug Use among 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians
No full textBackground: Several social and environmental factors influence drug use behaviors and contribute to frequent drug use among Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other (2SLGBTQ+) individuals. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between the minority stress, drug use, and other socio-ecological factors.
Methods: This study employed structural equation modelling on data (2021—2022) from a nationally representative pan-Canadian survey (N = 1542) on 2SLGBTQ+ health to examine the association between minority stress, drug use, and relevant socio-ecological predictors. A separate mediation analysis was conducted and controlled for socio-demographic characteristics.
Results: SEM results showed parsimonious fit of data [chi-square = 526.86 (df = 61, p \u3c 0.0001), SRMR = 0.04, RMSEA = 0.07 (95% CI = 0.07, 0.08), AGFI = 0.92, and CFI = 0.95]. The direct path of minority stress on drug use was significant (β = 0.07899, p = 0.0005) and other indirect effects were observed. Psychological distress significantly mediated the relationship through an indirect pathway (β = 0.07, p \u3c 0.0001).
Conclusions: Minority stress and drug use are inter-related through direct and indirect paths and psychological distress plays a crucial role in mediation. Study findings add valuable insight to the field of substance use and addiction by deepening our understanding of the mechanisms behind drug use in the population
Envisioning the Role of Community-owned Stores & Aligning Federal Food Policies: A Participatory Approach to Food Security and Food Sovereignty in Sambaa K’e, Denendeh (Northwest Territories, Canada)
No full textNorthern Indigenous communities have relied on traditional food systems for meaningful, nutritious diets since time immemorial. But many Indigenous communities in remote northern regions of Canada still face disproportionately elevated levels of food insecurity due to climate change radically altering the availability for traditional foods, colonial food policies imposing Western diets, and the high costs of transporting store-bought foods. Extreme weather events such as wildfires further isolate fly-in remote communities increasing both the costs of transporting store-bought foods and the difficulties of harvesting traditional foods. There are many examples of community-based initiatives for supporting traditional and locally grown foods, however, store-bought foods are usually neglected in these community-based food security and food sovereignty projects despite their increasing presence in northern diets. One of the many reasons for not focusing on store-bought foods, compared to traditional or grown foods, is that the majority of remote Northern communities have only one corporate-owned for-profit store that reduces the agency of community members to enact food system changes. This creates an urgent need for community-based initiatives to address simultaneously the high costs of store-bought foods and ensure that these initiatives are aligned with local visions for food sovereignty. Working with Sambaa K’e First Nation (SKFN), a Dene Nation in the Dehcho region of Denendeh (Northwest Territories, Canada), this thesis presents both a participatory action research case study and a policy change proposal for the Nutrition North Canada (NNC) retail subsidy to address the unique challenges for community-owned stores in remote Northern Indigenous communities. This study, using shop-along interviews, found that the community-owned store supported some pillars of food security, such as the availability of nutritious foods and its utilization, more than others. However, despite local efforts to reduce prices for whole foods and provide a space for free garden foods, economic access to nutritious food was mostly determined by the cost of flying in store-bought food and the failure of federal food subsidies. Through analyzing anonymized Point of Sale records that tracked purchases for two years, we show that SKFN missed out on between 70,910 per year in NNC retail subsidy dollars due to the current administrative barriers within the retail subsidy. This figure is the first estimate of the value of subsidies missed out by a remote, NNC eligible community. We then propose a change to the NNC retail subsidy that subsidizes air freight at a fixed rate specifically for community-owned grocery stores. This change eases the administrative burden faced by small community-owned stores and increases ordering flexibility at comparable program costs
The Phone Eats First: Reconfiguring Cultural Capital and Performing Taste on TikTok’s #TorontoEats
No full textThis study investigates how TikTok reconfigures cultural capital through the visual commodification and performative display of Toronto’s food culture using the hashtag “#TorontoEats”. Through a digital ethnographic multimodal critical discourse analysis, my research considers Bourdieu’s (1984) definition of cultural capital as the guiding definition of distinction, status, and personal taste. This analysis considers how cultural capital manifests through algorithmic engagement, adherence to platform norms, and TikTok’s multimodal format that blends video, sound, text, and gesture to entice audiences. Findings suggest that mundane food practices and activities are transformed into conspicuous commodities on TikTok, where creators position themselves as tastemakers and audiences participate in prestige consumption through digital validation. These findings suggest a shift away from food as nourishment to food as self-fulfillment, as well as how multimodal cues engage with this through editing, sound, visual aesthetics and overlays. While this study finds significant evidence of capital being reconfigured through TikTok’s attention economy, the intersection of voluntary participation in digital food culture and an urban city such as Toronto requires more time to unfold and be observed
To Till and Keep: Encountering God Through Nature
No full textThis essay was written for the course “TH530A-A: God and Theological Reflection,” taught by Mary (Joy) Philip at Martin Luther University College, Fall 2025
Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World
No full textBook Review Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World Alex Neve House of Anansi Press, 202
Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse
No full textBook Review Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse Luke Kemp Alfred A. Knopf, 202
Review of “Corps Commanders: Five British and Canadian Generals at War, 1939–45” by Douglas E. Delaney
No full textReview of Corps Commanders: Five British and Canadian Generals at War, 1939–45 by Douglas E. Delane