Strategic essentialism and ethnification : hand in glove?

The present article sets out to explore certain aspects of how individuals with an ethnic minority background experience the journalistic media. It is derived from a project based on in-depth interviews aimed at mapping the media experiences and strategies of individuals with a minority background. Many tell of their experiences of being ethnified or subject to culturalization by the reporters – and thereby ascribed a lesser Norwegian identity even if they happen to be born and raised in Norway. In several cases, the interviewees demonstrate how they have had to emphasize their ethnicity in order to gain better access to media with regard to issues and causes that have nothing to do with their minority background. These continuing intersecting processes may inspire (strategic) essentialism among minority groups as a necessary albeit disputed way of obtaining media attention and recognition. Anthropologists’ approaches to essentialism, ethnification and culturalization are discussed, and by way of conclusion, the article discusses Gayatri Spivak’s “strategic essentialism”, its advantages, pitfalls and limitations

Voices of a generation the communicative power of youth activism

Drawing from interviews with 31 young leading climate activists from 23 countries across the world this article aims to capture the contribution of the recent youth climate movement to communicating climate science and politics. We show that from the point of view of the youth activists, the movement powerfully connects personal and local experiences and emotions with climate science. This has enabled the activists to construct an authentic, generational and temporal identity that has helped them to carve out an autonomous position and voice with considerable moral authority among existing climate policy actors. Claiming to represent the future generation, we conclude that activists have offered an important added value to climate science as new ambassadors for scientific consensus and climate mitigation. The youth movement and the added value it brings communicating climate science is an example of the dynamics of the formation of "relational publics" and emphasizes the need to understand better the networked communication landscape where climate politics is debated.Peer reviewe

Statistical Learning and Inconsistent Language Input: An Experiment in Grammar Learning.

Denne masteroppgaven bygger på et eksperiment som ble utført for å undersøke robustheten ved statistisk læring. Voksne deltakere ble familiarisert med maskuline og feminine substantiver med doble kjønnsmarkeringer fra et ukjent språk (russisk). Materialet inneholdt ulike mengder og typer av ugrammatiske elementer. I oppgavens teoridel vil vi gi en oversikt over den teoretiske bakgrunnen for forskning innen statistisk læring. Dette inkluderer teori om språkinnlæring, læring av grammatikk og inkonsistent input. I metodedelen presenterer vi vårt forskningsdesign, deltakere, materiale, prosedyrer, metodologiske utfordringer og analyser. Avslutningsvis blir etiske aspekt og hensyn til validitet og reliabilitet diskutert. Femtiseks voksne (28 menn og 28 kvinner) ble fordelt i to eksperimentelle grupper (Høy og Lav Inkonsekvens). Familiariseringsfasene for de to gruppene var ulike, ved at stimuli materialet for hver gruppe inneholdt ulike prosentdeler av ugrammatiske elementer (25% og 50%). I den følgende testfasen ble deltagerne testet i nye leksikalske enheter for å undersøke deres evne til å generalisere. Familiarisering og testing ble gjennomført tre ganger, i tre ulike stimuli betingelser. Hver betingelse inneholdt ulike typer stimuli (ord som var grammatisk korrekt, ord som hadde feil kjønnsmarkering og ord som ikke hadde kjønnsmarkering). Deltagerne i begge grupper (Høy og Lav Inkonsekvens) viste signifikant læringseffekt, noe som indikerer evnen til å lære grammatiske subkategorier, også ved en høy andel av feil input. Læringseffekten var signifikant i alle betingelser, noe som indikerer at det ikke var forskjeller mellom familiarisering av grammatisk og ugrammatisk input.Masteroppgave i logopediLOGO345MAPS-LOG0

After the 22 July Terror in Norway. Media Debates on Freedom of Expression and Multiculturalism

This article analyses the mainstream press coverage of the terror in Norway post 22.07.2011 and discusses how and in what context the concepts of freedom of expression and multiculturalism occur. The aim has been to map important discursive trends in the aftermath of the terror. A clear division between different victim positions is identified. One blames majority society for not granting enough space to extreme right wing views on Islam and diversity/ multiculturalism; another one sees the terror connected to a majority society that already has demonstrated a high degree of hostility towards migrants and Muslims. Thus, two different understandings of the status for freedom of expression in Norway occur, linked to differing positions on the diversity society

Spatiotemporal patterns of red fox scavenging in forest and tundra: the influence of prey fluctuations and winter conditions

Concern has been raised regarding red fox (Vulpes Vulpes) population increase and range expansion into alpine tundra, directly and indirectly enhanced by human activities, including carrion supply, and its negative impact on native fauna. In this study, we used cameras on bait stations and hunting remains to investigate how spatiotemporal patterns of red fox scavenging were influenced by abundance and accessibility of live prey, i.e., small rodent population cycles, snow depth, and primary productivity. We found contrasting patterns of scavenging between habitats during winter. In alpine areas, use of baits was highest post rodent peaks and when snow depth was low. This probably reflected relatively higher red fox abundance due to increased reproduction or migration of individuals from neighboring areas, possibly also enhanced by a diet shift. Contrastingly, red fox use of baits in the forest was highest during rodent low phase, and when snow was deep, indicating a higher dependency of carrion under these conditions. Scavenging patterns by red fox on the pulsed but predictable food resource from hunting remains in the autumn revealed no patterns throughout the rodent cycle. In this study, we showed that small rodent dynamics influenced red fox scavenging, at least in winter, but with contrasting patterns depending on environmental conditions. In marginal alpine areas, a numerical response to higher availability of rodents possible lead to the increase in bait visitation the proceeding winter, while in more productive forest areas, low availability of rodents induced a functional diet shift towards scavenging. Red fox . Scavenging . Small rodents . Habitat . Climate . Camera trapspublishedVersio

Context-dependent demographic and genetic effects of translocation from a captive breeding project

Translocations are a widespread approach to conserve threatened populations. Given the rapid decline and genetic deterioration of many natural populations, translocations are expected to become even more common in the future. The success of translocations is, however, dependent on multiple context-dependent factors, such as demographic and genetic status, habitat quality and animal behaviour. The Scandinavian arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) exists in a small, fragmented population that is demographically vulnerable and exposed to inbreeding depression. In the early 2000 s, releases of arctic foxes from the Norwegian Captive Breeding Programme were initiated with the purpose of reintroducing populations to formerly inhabited areas and promoting connectivity. Since 2008/2009, 61 foxes have been released in Junkeren, Norway to re-establish an unoccupied area. We used a combination of field observations and microsatellite genotyping from the release site and two neighbouring subpopulations to investigate (i) the probability of establishment and reproduction for released foxes at the release site and in neighbouring subpopulations, and (ii) the impact on litter size and genetic composition in the recipient populations. Results showed that 18% of the released foxes were established at the release site, or in neighbouring subpopulations and 11.5% reproduced successfully. The extent of post-release dispersal into neighbouring subpopulations was also relatively high (11.5%). During the study period, the number of litters more than doubled in the subpopulations with released foxes contributing 29.5% to this increase, but no clear effect of immigration on litter size was found. There was a slight increase in genetic variation in one of the subpopulations, and a significant decline in genetic divergence between subpopulations. We conclude that despite extensive releases, demographic and genetic effects were highly context-dependent. This study highlights the challenges of reinforcement programmes in small populations and reintroductions to unoccupied sites, especially for highly mobile species in a fragmented landscape. conservation; immigration; translocation; genetic variation; demography; arctic fox; Vulpes lagopus; captive breeding; conservation breeding.publishedVersio

Læreres perspektiv på lek. «Det er vår plikt som lærere i skolen å være et lekende menneske»

Målsettingen med masteravhandlingen er å undersøke hvordan lærere forstår og bruker lek i undervisningen på 1. og 2. trinn. Gjennom bruk av kvalitativ forskningsstrategi, ble empiri innsamlet ved intervju og observasjon, der utvalget besto av syv lærere fra tre ulike skoler. Bakgrunnen for valg av tema var et ønske om å lære mer om hva en lekende praksis innebærer, da vi hadde lært mindre om dette gjennom vår egen utdanning. Fra studien fant vi mange funn av interessant karakter, dette på bakgrunn av at vi hadde et stort datamateriale. Blant annet fant vi at lek i undervisningen ble forklart ut fra flere kjennetegn, da en ensidig definisjon av fenomenet var vanskelig å avklare. Lærerne i studien skilte tydelig mellom lekens egenverdi og lek som pedagogisk metode i sin praksis. Bruk av lek i undervisningen stilte videre enkelte kriterier til lærerens kompetanse. En lekende tilnærming til undervisning ble også påvirket av flere faktorer enn læreren selv og den fysiske utformingen på skolen. Både lærerens opplevelse av metodefrihet, støtte og tillit fra ledelsen var faktorer som påvirket lærernes mulighetsrom. Stikkord som ble ansett som begrensninger var tid til planlegging, erfaringsdeling, kompetanseheving, den nye læreplanen og tilgang på materiale og ressurser

Rodent population dynamics affect seedling recruitment in alpine habitats

Questions: How do rodents with cyclic population dynamics affect seedling recruitment in alpine habitats? Does disturbance fromrodents have larger implications on seedling recruitment in some plant communities than in others? Location: Snowbeds and sheltered heaths in the low-alpine zone in areas of Børgefjell and Dovrefjell, Norway. Methods: We recorded seedling emergence, rodent activity and cover of mosses, lichens, litter and bare ground in 270 plots in snowbeds and sheltered heaths in a rodent population peak year and in the following low-density year. Results: Seedling recruitment was positively correlated with disturbances from lemmings and voles in both years. More seedlings emerged in the low-density year than in the year of the population peak. Snowbeds had higher seedling recruitment than the sheltered heaths, but both habitats were equally affected by disturbances fromrodents. Conclusions: Rodent activity created gaps and increased seedling emergence in these alpine plant communities, particularly in the year after the rodent peak, both in snowbeds and sheltered heath habitats. Our study therefore suggests that regeneration patterns in alpine vegetation are tightly linked to the population cycles of lemmings and voles,which peak in density at 3- to 5-yr intervals.publishedVersionPaid Open Acces

Spatial distribution in Norwegian lemming Lemmus lemmus in relation to the phase of the cycle

Competition between individuals of the same or different species affects spatial distribution of organisms at any given time. Consequently, a species geographical distribution is related to population dynamics through density-dependent processes. Small Arctic rodents are important prey species in many Arctic ecosystems. They commonly show large cyclic fluctuations in abundance offering a potential to investigate how landscape characteristics relates to density-dependent habitat selection. Based on long-term summer trapping data of the Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) in the Scandinavian Mountain tundra, we applied species distribution modeling to test if the effect of environmental variables on lemming distribution changed in relation to the lemming cycle. Lemmings were less habitat specific during the peak phase, as their distribution was only related to primary productivity. During the increase phase, however, lemming distribution was, in addition, associated with landscape characteristics such as hilly terrain and slopes that are less likely to get flooded. Lemming habitat use varied during the cycle, suggesting density-dependent changes in habitat selection that could be explained by intraspecific competition. We believe that the distribution patterns observed during the increase phase show a stronger ecological signal for habitat preference and that the less specific habitat use during the peak phase is a result of lemmings grazing themselves out of the best habitat as the population grows. Future research on lemming winter distribution would make it possible to investigate the year around strategies of habitat selection in lemmings and a better understanding of a fundamental actor in many Arctic ecosystems.publishedVersio

Scavenger community structure along an environmental gradient from boreal forest to alpine tundra in Scandinavia

Scavengers can have strong impacts on food webs, and awareness of their role in ecosystems has increased during the last decades. In our study, we used baited cam-era traps to quantify the structure of the winter scavenger community in central Scandinavia across a forest–alpine continuum and assess how climatic conditions affected spatial patterns of species occurrences at baits. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the main habitat type (forest or alpine tundra) and snow depth was main determinants of the community structure. According to a joint species dis-tribution model within the HMSC framework, species richness tended to be higher in forest than in alpine tundra habitat but was only weakly associated with temperature and snow depth. However, we observed stronger and more diverse impacts of these covariates on individual species. Occurrence at baits by habitat generalists (red fox, golden eagle, and common raven) typically increased at low temperatures and high snow depth, probably due to increased energetic demands and lower abundance of natural prey in harsh winter conditions. On the contrary, occurrence at baits by forest specialists (e.g., Eurasian jay) tended to decrease in deep snow, which is possibly a consequence of reduced bait detectability and accessibility. In general, the influence of environmental covariates on species richness and occurrence at baits was lower in alpine tundra than in forests, and habitat generalists dominated the scavenger communities in both forest and alpine tundra. Following forecasted climate change, altered environmental conditions are likely to cause range expansion of boreal species and range contraction of typical alpine species such as the arctic fox. Our results suggest that altered snow conditions will possibly be a main driver of changes in species community structure.publishedVersio