Backpacker selves in a hostel: discourse, identity, and existential authenticity

Backpacker tourists are able to boldly lay claim to authenticity to local place—especially as they see themselves in relation to more (by their categorization) mainstream tourists—through the feeling of an authentic self that arises through backpacking tourism. Backpacker discourse about travel embodied travel experiences reflects and shapes sense of existential authenticity, a transformative travel euphoria in which the backpacker’s true identity is discovered through intense, sensuous experiences and perception of immersion in a foreign culture. This thesis uses ethnographic information and methods collected in a number of hostels—but primarily in Bogotá, Colombia—in order to demonstrate the relationship between the material, discursive, and phenomenological construction of identity and understanding of “authentic” local place. Through backpacking travel, these young travelers are constructing understanding of self, community, and the local, making backpacking a productive area of study for the study of tourist identity formation through language and bodily engagement

An analysis of academic performance by discipline of community college transfer students

This study analyzed the academic performance of successful community college transfer students by academic discipline courses. Grade distributions were compared between Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and Iowa State University (ISU) by matched disciplines. A T-test for equality of means and chi-square analysis was used to determine significant differences in the grade distributions.;The participants included 837 transfer students that graduated with a bachelor\u27s degree from ISU between 1998 and 2002. Descriptive analysis of student demographics identified overall patterns and unique features of successful transfer students. Analysis of grade distributions of specific disciplines and community college general education courses identified significant differences.;The results of the study indicated a majority of transfer students were female, white, traditional age, with lower than State of Iowa average ACT scores. Almost half (48,2%) of the students transferred 60--65 credits and 66% complete the bachelor\u27s degree in 5 years. Overall GPA was significantly different between DMACC (2.96) and ISU (2.84). Significant differences were found in 20 of 31 matched discipline groups. DMACC general education grade distributions and ISU grade distributions were also significantly different. The results suggest that further research is necessary to analyze specific student characteristics and the related transfer success. Student support services and academic performance of community college courses will need further research. The significant differences in grade distributions suggest that faculty and administration of both institutions need to review course competencies, grading criterion and assessment techniques. Further research is warranted to better understanding specific community college academic performance and related university major fields of study. Community college courses specifically designed for transfer students may need to be developed in the general education curriculum to better prepare transfer students for university course expectations. Also, a comprehensive assessment program of general education skills and abilities may need to be implemented to more fully understand the academic expectations of transfer students

Farm and Weather Summary, Horticulture Station

Includes: Farm Comments Field Days New Projects Weather Comment

"We know who we are": centering queer and trans youth narratives in the move toward affirmative healthcare

Healthcare in the United States is not accessible to everyone due to the medicalization of certain socially situated identities such as sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, and age, and race. Each of these identities are all interconnected in how the medical system treats individuals with varieties of these identities. There is little in-depth exploration of the personal health narratives of queer and trans youth. Due to this lack of knowledge, queer and trans youth often experience discrimination from providers which affects their utilization of health services and long-term health. Resources that try to fill this gap are often based in the opinions of providers and parents, not in the opinions of the youth themselves. Utilizing nine interviews and three focus groups, this project seeks to provide a resource based on narratives from queer and trans youth on their relationships with healthcare providers to understand how to foster positive relationships between this community and their doctors. My findings indicate that the most prominent concerns of queer and trans young people are based in their negative experiences with doctors who either actively keep certain care inaccessible to them or ignore their pleas for help in navigating the various barriers and borders to get adequate sexual or gender-based healthcare. The specific ways in which care providers make care inaccessible or refuse to help these individuals seem to vary highly depending on the patients’ racial or ethnic identities as well as their age. Future research should take these other identities into account when trying to understand the current state of LGBTQ youth healthcare and emphasize the role of doctors in making sexual and gender healthcare inaccessible for this group of individuals. In order to create a more accessible and adequate healthcare system for queer and trans young people, health care providers need to take on the responsibility to confront their biases against this group through workshops and community events run by people who confront the barriers to getting LGBTQ youth healthcare

Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Well-Being

There is a lack of research in the professions of physical therapy and occupational therapy. To be more specific, the areas of stress and burnout have been topics of research within the healthcare field for medical physicians and nurses, but currently there is little research looking at stress and burnout for physical therapists and occupational therapists. (Anderson 2015; Berry 2019). The current study aims to look at the emotional connections between patients and professions, along with the related emotional stress experienced by these professionals. A survey was administered to 59 physical therapists and occupational therapists for the purpose to give data on the mental and physical stress experienced within these two professions. Major findings from this study revealed connections between the emotional and physical stress of bringing additional work home, connections between the years worked and desire to leave the profession, and the high emotional stress experienced within the profession. Therefore, establishing self-care plans and educational courses to better prepare graduate students within these two professions would be effective in reducing overall stress and burnout