Governing Occupation Through Constructions of Risk: The Case of the Aging Driver

Risk and risk-management have become increasingly pervasive features of modern society and governmentality scholars have highlighted various ways risk discourses are taken up to govern citizens and their everyday conduct. Thus, attending to risk is imperative to advance an understanding of how everyday occupation is shaped and governed within contemporary society. Within this study, the example of driving in later life is drawn upon to address two objectives: 1. to advance the understanding of how risk is taken up to govern everyday occupation, and 2. to explicate how risk is taken up in discourses to constitute particular subjectivities and their occupational possibilities. In North-America, alarmist discourses predict a ‘grey Tsunami’ that will have devastating impacts on social and individual security if governments and individuals do not proactively prepare. Within this context, driving in later life has been problematized as a risky occupation. Consequently, the so-called ‘older driver problem’ provides an example to examine how risk is discursively employed to govern a specific occupation (‘driving’) and to shape a specific occupational subjectivity (‘the aging driver’). A critical discourse analysis (CDA) of information brochures targeting aging drivers and their families in Canada was conducted. Drawing upon governmentality as an analytical lens, the analysis focused on how risk as a rationality and technology was employed to construct the occupation of driving in later life and the subjectivities of aging drivers. Brochures incorporated a particular rhetorical structure and risk logic that served to construct the occupation of driving in later as a site of governing. The risks of driving in later life were located in the aging body which is constructed as a mis-fit with safe driving, and three knowledge assemblages were employed to forefront a particular ideal aging driver subjectivity, that is a risk-averse ‘activated’ driver. The texts also promoted an array of self-practices as a means to work towards this subjectivity and avoid becoming a risk to self and others. The study raises concerns regarding how risk is employed in neoliberal modes of governing in ways that individualize responsibility for occupation and obscure the social and political shaping of occupation

Modeling Migration and Citizen-Science Data to Estimate Golden Eagle Abundance in Eastern North America

Understanding animal movements is fundamental to ecology and conservation, yet direct measurement of movements of birds is both challenging and costly. Raptor populations are especially difficult to monitor, but movement models can provide information toward this goal. The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis) in eastern North America is a species of regional conservation concern, and little is known about its population ecology, movements, or behavior. Because of their rarity and role as apex predators, improving monitoring of this small population is of great importance. Similar to using movement models to help improve monitoring, developing new methods to estimate the size of wildlife populations is also important to ecology and conservation.;In my first chapter, I simulated autumn migration of golden eagles in Pennsylvania, USA based on regional topography, eagle flight behaviors, estimated uplift, and a principal axis of migration. In total, I modeled 6,094 flight routes, averaging 2,191 (+/- 1,281; +/- SD; range: 3 - 5,373) moves. I found that 71% of my simulations intersected the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the central Appalachians. Simulations were spatially comparable to historic, flight route data collected via telemetry. In my model, orographic uplift was significantly stronger and more frequently occurring than thermal uplift (Welch\u27s two-sample t = -560.13, df = 43,059,702, p \u3c 0.0001), and uplift values were not correlated with the number of simulated movements (orographic, Pearson\u27s r = -0.015 and thermal, r = 0.003). I used output from my simulations to select sites and collect field data in new areas concentrating golden eagles on migration. This not only preliminarily verified my modeled predictions, but it also allowed me to locate new, potential monitoring sites for migrant golden eagles. I also compared output from my migration model to that of another model, to evaluate the influence of topography, spatial relationships with hawk-count sites, and role of scale in modeling migration.;In my second chapter, I evaluated the utility of hawk-count data for population size estimation of golden eagles migrating in eastern North America. I used my computer model from the first chapter to simulate migratory flights of eagles to assess what proportion of the population is available to be counted at hawk-counts in Pennsylvania, USA. I then conducted a mark-recapture analysis to estimate mean detectability of migrating eagles and mean local abundance along an important migration corridor. Finally, I used estimates of availability and detectability to adjust data from hawk-count sites to derive regional estimates of population size. Mean (+/- SD) availability of golden eagles to hawk-count sites was 0.240 (+/- 0.140; range: 0.040 - 0.440). I estimated mean detectability as 0.073 (+/- 0.010; range: 0.048 - 0.109). Previous estimates of population size for golden eagles in eastern North America were 1000 - 5000.;All of my population estimates far exceeded that of previous approximations. When using detection rates from recent literature, only then were my estimates \u3c 5,000 individuals. Using my estimates of availability and detectability, mean population size was more than five times larger than the maximum previous estimate. My smallest estimate was three times larger than the previous maximum estimate. Larger estimates were driven by the low availability and detectability of birds passing by hawk-counts. Overall, this work suggests that (a) detection estimates need to be improved, (b) the majority of migrating golden eagles in eastern North America are not counted at hawk-count sites, and (c) previous population estimates for this species are likely low--possibly, greatly so. This exercise demonstrates the utility of using citizen-science data in concert with movement models to address a pressing conservation goal: estimating population size for species of regional concern. My research contributes to current scientific knowledge through development of a novel, cost-effective method for modeling migration patterns and abundance of a rare, low-density raptor species. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The Role of Affective and Behavioral Economic Factors in Predicting Response to a Brief Intervention for Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use in College Students

Brief motivational interventions (BMIs) have been shown to be efficacious in reducing heavy drinking and drug use among college students; however, effect sizes are small and more research is needed to identify predictors of responsiveness to these interventions. Depression, distress tolerance, delay discounting, and the reinforcing efficacy of substances have been implicated in substance use and may predict problem severity. Further, preliminary evidence suggests that these factors may be important predictors of treatment outcomes, but few studies have examined these constructs in this manner. This study tested a novel intervention approach that involves a BMI plus a supplemental intervention targeting behavioral economic and mood-related variables (Substance-Free Activity Session; SFAS). Participants were 97 college students who reported one or more past-month heavy drinking episodes. After completing an alcohol and drug- focused MI, participants were randomized to either the SFAS or an Education control session. The combination of the MI plus SFAS was associated with significantly greater reductions in drinking and drug use compared to the MI plus EDU at the 6-month follow-up. Across the two conditions, levels of depression were lower at 1 and 6 months post intervention and one measure of reinforcing efficacy was lower at 1-month follow-up suggesting a BMI may be effective at reducing depression and alcohol demand. Lower baseline proportion of reinforcement derived from substances and higher distress tolerance were predictive of better outcomes across conditions. Moderation analyses indicated that students with lower distress tolerance and higher discounting responded better to the MI + EDU session and students with lower discounting and reinforcing efficacy responded better to MI + SFAS. Changes in mood and behavioral economic variables did not mediate changes in substance use. These results suggest that a BMI + supplemental mood and behavioral economic session may be more effective overall in helping students reduce their drinking and drug use, but not necessarily through the targeted behavioral economic and mood-related mechanisms. So, although these variables may predict response to intervention, and students who vary in these domains may respond differentially to various interventions, more research is necessary to determine mechanisms of change in this novel intervention

The Role of Individual Difference Factors in Predicting Alcohol-Related Consequences in College Students

Although alcohol-related consequences are high in college students, thereis significant variability in the number experienced, evenamongstudents who drink heavily. Caucasian students drink more and experience more alcohol-related problems than African American students, but little research has investigated the potentially unique predictors of problems among these students.Depression, Distress Tolerance and Delay Discounting may be predictors of alcohol problem severity.We examined the relationship between these variables and alcohol-related problems among Caucasians and African American students using multivariate models.For Caucasian students, depression was associated with alcohol problems. For African American students, depression, distress tolerance, and delay discounting were associated with alcohol problems; and Distress Tolerance mediated the relationship between depression and problems. These results suggest that for African American students, the inability to tolerate negative emotions and to organize their behavior around future outcomes may be especially relevant risk factors for alcohol-related consequences

Scalar Deformations of Schwarzschild Holes and Their Stability

We construct two solutions of the minimally coupled Einstein-scalar field equations, representing regular deformations of Schwarzschild black holes by a self-interacting, static, scalar field. One solution features an exponentially decaying scalar field and a triple-well interaction potential; the other one is completely analytic and sprouts Coulomb-like scalar hair. Both evade the no-hair theorem by having partially negative potential, in conflict with the dominant energy condition. The linear perturbation theory around such backgrounds is developed in general, and yields stability criteria in terms of effective potentials for an analog Schr\"odinger problem. We can test for more than half of the perturbation modes, and our solutions prove to be stable against those.Comment: 24 pp, 16 figs, Latex; version published in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Vorschläge und Hinweise Jugendlicher zur Erhöhung der Ausstrahlungskraft des Jugendverbandes: (Zusatzbericht zum Anlauf des FDJ-Aufgebotes DDR 40)

Befragt wurden 1988 1.814 Jugendliche in der DDR über ihre Haltung zur FDJ. Die Hauptfrage lautete: "Die FDJ will mit ihrem Aufgebot alle erreichen. Was müßte die FDJ tun, damit dieses Ziel auch verwirklicht werden kann?" Die Antworten werden mit ausführlichen Beispielen dokumentiert und nach verschiedenen Kategorien (Angebote und Leistungen, Arbeitsweise der Leitungen, Aktivitätsmöglichkeiten, politisch-ideologische Arbeit, Beschlüsse, Interessen beachten, Forderungen nach besserer Verbandsarbeit, Popularisierung) zusammengestellt und analysiert. Hauptkritikpunkte bilden die ungenügende Zusammenarbeit der Leitungen mit den FDJ-Mitgliedern, der Druck bzw. Zwang gegenüber den Mitgliedern zur Teilnahme an Veranstaltungen sowie zum Eintritt in die FDJ sowie die unbefriedigende politische Arbeit: "Es muß vor allem mit Formalismus, mit mechanischen, vom Leben losgelösten Belehrungen mittels ausgehöhlter Losungen und Phrasen Schluß gemacht werden". "Wer nie gelernt hat, an eigene Ideen, Lösungen und Ergebnisse kritisch heranzugehen, auch einmal an ihrer unbegrenzten Wahrhaftigkeit zu zweifeln, verfügt auch kaum über die entsprechenden Fähigkeiten zur dialektisch-materialistischen Auseinandersetzung mit bürgerlichen Ideologien." (psz

Ergänzende Information zur Schnellinformation über die Studie des Zentralinstituts für Jugendforschung in Vorbereitung auf das XII. Parlament der FDJ

Diese Studie basiert auf einer Befragung von DDR-Jugendlichen zu ihrem persönlichen Beitrag zur Erhaltung des Friedens, zur Vorbildwirkung Ernst Thälmanns, zur Akzeptanz der Jugendzeitung "Junge Welt" und zu ihren Gedanken zur gegenwärtigen politischen Situation. Insgesamt seien über 80 Prozent der Jugendlichen überzeugt davon, etwas für den Frieden tun zu können. Im Beitrag werden die Aussagen junger SED-Mitglieder stets hervorgehoben. So zeige sich ein enger Zusammenhang "zwischen einer klaren politischen Haltung und der Anerkennung Ernst Thälmanns als persönliches Vorbild". (psz

Soziale Erfahrungen Jugendlicher

Um die Arbeit des Jugendverbandes FDJ der DDR neuen Bedürfnissen und Erwartungen anpassen zu können, wurde im Sommer 1988 eine Befragung von 1.900 Jugendlichen zu ihrem Geschichtsbewußtsein und speziell zu ihrer Einstellung zum DDR-Alltag durchgeführt. Hintergrund der Untersuchung ist das zunehmend gespannte Verhältnis der Jugendlichen zur FDJ und die nachlassende Identifikation mit ihrem Verband (So antworteten z. B. nur 19 Prozent zustimmend auf die Frage: "Die FDJ vertritt meine Interessen."; lediglich 1 Prozent der Schüler gaben ohne Vorbehalte die Antwort: "Ich werde in meiner FDJ-Gruppe gebraucht."). Als Fazit wird auf Grund dieser Ergebnisse folgerichtig formuliert: "Insgesamt stellt sich für den Jugendverband mit wachsendem Nachdruck die Aufgabe, die Verbundenheit mit den Jugendlichen unbedingt zu vertiefen." Insbesondere werden eine "Entfaltung der innerverbandlichen Demokratie, der Selbständigkeit und der Eigenverantwortlichkeit" für die Verbandsorgane und -mitglieder gefordert. (psz

"Das Geschichtsbewußtsein der Jugendlichen der DDR in der 2. Hälfte der 80er Jahre": Informationen über ausgewählte Ergebnisse der Pilotstudie zur Untersuchung

Die Arbeit enthält Aussagen zum Umfang und Niveau des Geschichtsbewußtseins der Jugendlichen in der zweiten Hälfte der 80er Jahre sowie seiner Bedingungen und Beziehungen zu anderen relevanten Einstellungs- und Verhaltensbereichen der jugendlichen Persönlichkeit. In die Pilotstudie wurden 394 Lehrlinge, v.a. aus der metallverarbeitenden Industrie und der Energiewirtschaft, darunter 97 Lehrlinge mit Abiturausbildung einbezogen und 106 Studenten der Sektionen Journalistik und Wissenschaftlicher Kommunismus als Kontrastpopulation. Schwerpunkte der Untersuchung sind: (1) politische Interessen und politisches Denken bei Lehrlingen; (2) politische Ereignisse und Prozesse, die die Lehrlinge und Studenten besonders bewegen; (3) Perspektivbewußtsein der Lehrlinge; (4) persönliche Erfahrungen der Lehrlinge; (5) DDR und BRD im Vergleich bei den Lehrlingen. Die Arbeit zeigt Probleme der befragten Lehrlinge auf und leitet Konsequenzen für die politisch-ideologische Erziehung der Jugend ab. (OC