Minnesota State University, Mankato
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The Sociology of Families Reader: Issues, Perspectives, and Debates
No full textThrough a carefully curated selection of readings highlighting important empirical research on family life in the U.S., The Sociology of Families Reader: Issues, Perspectives, and Debates introduces students to the major questions, influential findings, and contested interpretations that animate the sociology of families today.The volume is organized into nine units, each dedicated to a unique aspect of family life. Units begin with a brief introduction, which situates the readings for that unit within broader patterns and trends playing out in both the institution of family and in society at large. Units I and II examine culturally dominant conceptions of family life and the dramatic ways in which the institution of family has changed over time. The remaining units are arranged in step with the life course, from dating and cohabitation to marriage and divorce. Students read about sexuality, reproduction, parenting, as well as violence and abuse within the family context. Additional topics include women’s conformity or resistance to traditional weddings, family diversity and gender convergence, college hookup culture, marriage equality, how divorce affects children, childfree adults, corporal punishment, and more.Insightful and engaging, The Sociology of Families Reader is an ideal resource for courses and programs in family studies and sociology.https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/university-archives-msu-authors/1453/thumbnail.jp
Volume 60, Issue 1, 2024 Speaker & Gavel Front Matter
Get PDFFront matter and table of contents for Volume 60, Issue 1, 2024 of Speaker & Gavel
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene: Image and Kategoria, Apologia, Antapologia
Get PDFRepublican Marjorie Taylor Greene was elected as the U.S. Representative from Georgia in November, 2020; her term of office began on January 3, 2021. On that day, Democratic Representative Jahana Hayes denounced Greene for “espousing hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of mass school shootings,” expressing this sentiment in a letter to the Republican leadership in the House which was posted on Twitter. Hayes argued that Greene should not be appointed to the House Committee on Education and Labor. The next day, Representative Greene responded with an apologia on the House floor. This defense in turn prompted Democratic Representative Steny Hoyer (Democrat from Maryland) to present a speech of antapologia the same day reinforcing Hayes’ kategoria against Greene. This essay analyzes these three image-related messages, an attack (kategoria), a defense (apologia), and a response to a defense (antapologia)
Examining Latinx Principals\u27 and Assistant Principals\u27 Desafios in K-12 Education in the Upper Midwest
Get PDFDespite the increasing number of Latinx students in Upper Midwest schools, Latinx school leaders remain underrepresented. This quantitative study explored the experiences of Latinx principals and assistant principals in K-12 schools across the region, focusing on community perception, stress, coping, and resilience. Data were collected from twenty-three principals and assistant principals, including fourteen women and nine men. The Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) showed a mean score of 13.52 (SD = 4.87). The Brief COPE Inventory (BCI) revealed a high mean score for problem-focused coping, indicating effective coping strategies. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) indicated higher stress levels (mean score 25.4, SD = 3.159) than the normative sample, while the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) showed moderate to high resilience (mean score 16.174, SD = 1.497). The study also examined the use of code-switching in leadership among Latinx principals. Findings highlighted significant challenges such as systemic racism, gender biases, cultural differences, and a lack of representation and mentorship. Despite these obstacles, Latinx leaders exhibited considerable resilience and effective coping strategies, underscoring their potential to improve educational experiences for diverse students. The study emphasized increasing Latinx representation in educational leadership and recommended policies and practices to promote inclusivity and equity. These insights form the basis for future research and initiatives to support and empower Latinx school leaders contributing to a more equitable and effective educational system
Teaching and Learning for Intercultural Competence in Pakistan Primary and Secondary Schools
Get PDFPakistan has rich history and a vast range of people from different castes, speaking various languages, and celebrating diverse cultural backgrounds. Since independence in 1947, Pakistan has faced significant challenges, including a polarized society marked by ethnic tensions and conflicts. Intercultural competence is the ability to function effectively across cultures, to think and act appropriately, and to communicate and work with people from various cultural backgrounds. Consequently, schoolteachers should be knowledgeable about various ethnic groups, to teach in a multiethnic classroom, and to prepare all pupils for life in a multicultural society. Previous investigations by the other researchers suggested that pre-service teachers in Pakistan have little life experience beyond their own home cultures. They may have a clear sense of their own values and practices and a desire to preserve their traditions. However, they see other persons as “others” without much definition or understanding. This leads to schoolteachers instructing pupils from a monocultural worldview and ignoring the diversity among their pupils. Despite official multicultural policies, issues such as intergroup mistrust, suspicion, perpetuation of stereotypes, identity-based conflicts continue to persist within higher education institutions. University faculty may want to revise and rebuild the curriculum and policies to intentionally incorporate teaching and learning strategies to foster intercultural competence among pre-service teachers. Through the identification, synthesis, and analysis of recent scholarly work, the project created a collection of teaching and learning strategies to foster intercultural competence in teacher preparation programs. Project outcomes hold potential to guide educational policies, curricula, and teacher training initiatives
The Dusk Maiden: Benefaction
No full textAfter a clash between the Dusk Maiden and the rival faction Brynjar, Reinhart, Nathaniel, and Anna are sent careening into wildly different situations. Reinhart suddenly finds himself chasing after a captured Nathaniel while trying to define their relationship and run away from a past he’d buried away. Anna suddenly finds herself the sole captain of the Dusk Maiden, something she’s been wanting since starting her life of piracy. Nathaniel suddenly finds himself torn between returning to the Dusk Maiden or rediscovering a life and family he’d long forgotten
You Never Walk Alone: BTS as a Symbol of Light for Youth
Get PDFThis essay examines how the South Korean music group, BTS, has utilized their platform to bring awareness to mental health in youth. I specifically analyze the use of their personal stories and experiences as a means of communication or outreach to their fans, also known as the ARMY. Exploring the theory of identification, or a direct sense of connectedness between a speaker and an audience, I argue that through their music and personalized rhetoric speech patterns, BTS seeks to allow their fans to view their experiences as the same. This has created a dynamic encompassing a sense of friendship and understanding rather than a typical artist-to-fandom phenomenon. Finally, I consider the implications of how this work has impacted the youth overall and inspired a change in systematic pressure for future generations, despite the group’s language distinction
The Influence of Ecoregions and Land Use/Land Cover on Fish Assemblages in Southern Minnesota
Get PDFLevel III ecoregions of the conterminous United States provide a framework for facilitating environmental understanding and aiding environmental management practices. In southern Minnesota near Mankato, there are two level III ecoregions: to the east is North Central Hardwood Forest (NCHF) and to the west are Western Corn Belt Plains (WCBP). They contained a combined 104 fish species in local lakes. However, little is known about how land use and land cover affect fish assemblages in these lakes, which are indicator fish species, and if any invasive fish species are adversely impacting native fish populations. This study addresses these issues through analyses of published datasets, and field data collection. NCHF lakes have 96 fish species and the WCBP lakes have 77. T-test and Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) results indicate that fish assemblages are significantly different between NCHF and WCBP lakes, and NCHF lakes have a higher fish species richness per lake area than WCBP lakes. NCHF lakes have eight fish indicator species, and the WCBP have 16 fish indicator species. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) results indicated that mean Trophic State Index (TSI) is negatively related to fish species richness by lake area. In contrast, percent planted, percent forest, and percent developed areas are positively related to fish species richness by lake area. Gill nets and small seine nets caught various fish species in both ecoregions, and small seine nets caught several small body fish species. The NCHF has a higher percentage of insectivore and intolerant fish indicator species than the WCBP. In contrast, the WCBP has a higher percentage of carnivore and omnivore and tolerant fish indicator species than the NCHF. Some rare fish species including Pugnose Shiner (state threatened), Yellow Bass (state special concern), American Eel (state special concern), and Least Darter (state special concern) are observed as indicator species. Common Carp is one of the indicator species in the WCBP. This study shows that WCBP lakes are unique in and of themselves, and not simply degraded relative to NCHF lakes. Future analyses by other researchers and the MNDNR should take this into account
Changing Careers, Changing Identities: The Role of Strong and Weak Ties on Career Change Decisions
Get PDFCareer development theories and business management/human resources explanations for career change and employee turnover suggest that there are many potential influences on career change including a lack of congruence between an individual’s changing needs and their environment, the discovery of new career options previously ignored or overlooked, ineffective or harmful management practices, and organizational or life changes outside of the individual’s control. However, we do not have a comprehensive sociological understanding of how workers leverage and are influenced by their social networks when changing careers. Working from Granovetter’s theory that “weak” and “strong” network ties provide access to job leads and job information at different rates of success, this mixed-methods research aims to clarify how these different types of social connections play a role in the decision to change careers. Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews and an online survey with people ages 25-60 who have changed careers within the last five years, I demonstrate how different weak and strong network ties provide: (1) job leads and job information and (2) instrumental or “hard capital” and (3) socio-emotional or “soft capital” support, including strategies for identity management. This research should help policy makers and career advisors better craft policies, practices, and educational campaigns to make career change easier for individuals