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Identity and Status in the Entertainment Industry through Contemporary Documentary Media
No full textThis paper asks the following set of questions about the documentary film: Who determines identity, ourselves or others? Despite its purported truth-telling goals, the constructed nature of the documentary does not allow for objectivity. Showing how documentaries present highly selective versions of Truth, I examine how they construct a desired identity for the individuals they depict. Furthermore, I explore how the constructed identity of entertainment figures within the documentary film influences or is influenced by their industry status. Because the genre lacks objective truth, the truths told in media are analyzed through the lens of authenticity and what exactly is being conveyed to the audience. Since documentaries contain specific truth claims, the construction of reputation and identity must be analyzed through a lens of authenticity. Although past uses of documentary primarily showcased facts and how reality “truly” is, the genre has changed in understanding, functioning more as a medium to portray a single perspective or set of beliefs (Williams). Using three contemporary American documentaries – The Last Mogul: The Life and Times of Lew Wasserman, Trumbo, and Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV – this paper argues that the subjective, yet authentic nature of documentary media affects the construction of people’s identity and therefore status of the individuals. Because documentary functions as an archive of memory, preserving pieces of history, these documentaries about individuals in entertainment transmit their identity and status into collective memory, incorporating them into history as a result
Lau v. Nichols revisited: unveiling dual language program disparities in California for Asian students and marginalized communities
No full textCalifornia has witnessed substantial growth in multilingual programs over the past half-century since the foundational Lau v. Nichols decision, with one in seven public schools statewide offering such programs for students. Likewise, the rapid rise in California’s Asian population, as well as the increase in both overall racial diversity and socioeconomic disparities across the state, have influenced dual language bilingual education discussions. Commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Lau decision, this study examines the impact of school and community characteristics on the availability of dual language programs in California public schools, with particular focus on the state’s Asian student population. Employing logistic regression analysis to delve into the American Community Survey and California Department of Education datasets, the study specifically examines how student demographics and school characteristics (e.g., grade level, charter, and magnet status), as well as community features (e.g., the share of foreign-born populations and median household income), are associated with the offering of dual language programs in California schools. Despite the considerable growth of the state’s Asian American population, the study could not find a meaningful connection between Asian representation and the provision of dual language programs. In addition, the results reveal severe equity concerns regarding low-income students’ access to dual language programs. Charter schools also tend to underutilize dual language programs compared to their non-charter counterparts. Based on the study’s findings, we raise concerns regarding why the presence of Asian students cannot be better leveraged as a driving force for implementing dual language programs in California’s public schools and highlight the persistent disparities faced by economically disadvantaged students
Cross-border clientelism, commitment, and the protraction of irredentist conflicts
No full textIrredentist disputes have produced distinct political ethnoterritories under the de jure sovereignty of recognised parent states, but the de facto political authority of external national homelands. This study problematises the relationship between national homeland and claimed ethnoterritory as a nested game in which, in addition to bargaining with each other, they face internal competition, outbidding, and changing costs of conflict, ultimately reducing commitment to external-facing bargains. This study contends that homelands pursuing irredentist conflict can reduce uncertainty and increase commitment from ethnoterritories by building hegemonic cross-border clientelist pyramids that link ethnoterritorial publics’ and elites’ political survival and livelihoods to supporting homelands’ preferences. Further, these structures marginalise alternative elites who may seek to contravene preferences by escalating conflict and increasing costs on homelands or bargaining across ethnic cleavages. Case studies of protracted conflicts in Cyprus, Kosovo, and Croatia support this argument and further find that public-sector distribution linked to the homeland is most effective in reducing competition and uncertainty, thereby increasing long-term commitment to preferences
Student Loan Debt and Mental Health: A Comprehensive Review of Scholarly Literature from 1900 to 2019
No full textPurpose
The review had two purposes. The first was to examine the nature and extent of published literature on student loan and the second was to systematically review the literature on student loans and mental health.
Materials and Methods
Data from academic databases (1900–2019) were analyzed using two methods. First, topic modeling (a text-mining tool that utilized Bayesian statistics to extract hidden patterns in large volumes of texts) was used to understand the topical coverage in peer-reviewed abstracts (n = 988) on student debt. Second, using PRISMA guidelines, 46 manuscripts were systematically reviewed to synthesize literature linking student debt and mental health.
Results
A model with 10 topics was selected for parsimony and more accurate clustered representation of the patterns. Certain topics have received less attention, including mental health and wellbeing. In the systematic review, themes derived were categorized into two life trajectories: before and during repayment. Whereas stress, anxiety, and depression dominated the literature, the review demonstrated that the consequences of student loans extend beyond mental health and negatively affect a person’s wellbeing. Self-efficacy emerged as a potential solution.
Discussion and Conclusion
Across countries and samples, the results are uniform and show that student loan burdens certain vulnerable groups more. Findings indicate diversity in mental health measures has resulted into a lack of a unified theoretical framework. Better scales and consensus on commonly used terms will strengthen the literature. Some areas, such as impact of student loans on graduate students or consumers repaying their loans, warrant attention in future research
Influence of Community Characteristics on Urban Forest Management Programs in New York State
Get PDFUS state and federal urban forest management agencies endeavor to support municipal forestry programs. However, the variation in programs within and among states may complicate support delivery. Municipal programs are often categorized by population size and community affluence to identify common characteristics and needs and facilitate support. To describe local urban forest management programs in New York State, a survey of municipalities gathered information on urban forest management program components, intentions, and needs. In addition to examining the contributions of population size and affluence, this study also evaluated the influence of metropolitan areas on programs in small municipalities and compared all community categorizations using national program standards. The survey revealed that a high percentage of municipalities plant and maintain trees. Nearly half of municipalities have tree inventories and street tree advisory boards, and a low percentage have an urban forest management plan. Almost all reported needing technical and educational assistance. Larger communities were more likely to have a comprehensive urban forest management program than medium-sized communities, and medium communities were more likely than small communities. Communities with high median household income (MHI) were more likely to have comprehensive urban forestry management programs than less affluent communities. However, low MHI and middle MHI communities had equivalent programs. Small municipalities in counties with large metropolitan areas possessed attributes similar to larger municipalities, compared to small communities in counties without these areas. This may indicate that proximity to a large metropolis has the potential to provide a small community with additional resources. These results suggest that smaller and less affluent communities, especially those outside counties containing large metropolitan areas, need more urban forest management assistance than larger and more affluent communities. However, all survey respondents indicated the need for support
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No full textAn alien from an emotionless species hides from her own kind on Earth by stealing the skin of a young woman, but when the alien starts to feel that woman’s emotions, she finds that human impersonation is more than skin deep
The Impact of Land Use and Human Population Density on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Diversity in a Highly Urbanized River
Get PDFMany studies have documented the detrimental effects of urbanization on aquatic ecosystems. What is less known is how “super urban” centers—areas with unusually high human population densities and immense infrastructures—impact biodiversity. Specifically, freshwater streams and rivers that are situated in highly urbanized metropolitan areas might be more susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance. Here, we evaluated the impacts of land use and human population density on benthic macroinvertebrate diversity along the Bronx River, a freshwater river situated in one of the largest urban centers in the world: the New York metropolitan area. We addressed the following research question: How does (1) high intensity development, (2) distance to the Bronx River Parkway, and (3) human population density impact benthic macroinvertebrate diversity along the Bronx River? To answer this question, we sampled benthic macroinvertebrates from 18 study sites, and calculated five measures of benthic macroinvertebrate diversity: (1) family richness, (2) Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera (EPT) family richness, (3) Simpson’s diversity index, (4) invasive species abundance, and (5) family dominance. Our study yielded three main results. First, benthic macroinvertebrate diversity was extremely low. Across study sites, family richness ranged from two to seven and EPT family richness ranged from zero to one. Indeed, only four of 18 sites harbored pollution-sensitive mayflies (Ephemeroptera) or caddisflies (Trichoptera), and zero sites supported stoneflies (Plecoptera). Second, two measures of land use, high intensity development (80 to 100% impervious surface cover) and distance to a major highway (Bronx River Parkway) were associated with reduced biodiversity. Specifically, high intensity development was negatively associated with family richness and Simpson’s diversity, and positively associated with invasive species abundance. Study sites located closer to the Bronx River Parkway harbored more invasive species than study sites located further away. One invasive species, the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), was the second most dominant taxon on the Bronx River. Finally, we found that high human population density was negatively associated with family richness and positively associated with invasive species abundance. Our results suggest that “super urban” centers are especially vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures and that large urban areas warrant special attention for mitigating the decline of benthic macroinvertebrates
Charting Your Course: Creating Impactful Visualizations in Excel
Get PDFAttendees will learn how to use Excel to create pivot tables with their data in order to create quick and effective data visualizations. All participants will receive access to a dataset and handout of material covered in the session, to practice with after the conference
