“There’s no manual for this” : A Multi-Case Study Exploring Familial Experiences of Maternal Incarceration

Women are the fastest growing prison population in the world (ICPR, 2017). This holds true in the Canadian context, where 70% of federally incarcerated women are mothers to children under 18 (Sapers, 2015). Inevitably, the carceral experience is inherently familial: the experiences of criminalized women cannot be extricated from that of their families, and the experiences of children and caregivers cannot be extricated from that of the criminalized mother and other family members. Yet, there is a great deal that we do not know about incarceration and family life—particularly from the perspectives of caregivers, mothers, and children themselves. This multi-case study explores three families’ co-constructed narratives of life before, during, and after a mother’s federal incarceration. Utilizing collaborative family interviews as well as within-case and cross-case analyses, this research illuminates the varying roles family members assume as they mother and are mothered in the context of incarceration. Without a map or manual, incarcerated women, their children, and kinship caregivers transition between three roles: the navigator, the gatekeeper, and the peacemaker. Evident across families and generations, these themes point to the ways in which families are not only shaped by crime, but by the criminal justice system itself

“There’s no manual for this” : A Multi-Case Study Exploring Familial Experiences of Maternal Incarceration

Women are the fastest growing prison population in the world (ICPR, 2017). This holds true in the Canadian context, where 70% of federally incarcerated women are mothers to children under 18 (Sapers, 2015). Inevitably, the carceral experience is inherently familial: the experiences of criminalized women cannot be extricated from that of their families, and the experiences of children and caregivers cannot be extricated from that of the criminalized mother and other family members. Yet, there is a great deal that we do not know about incarceration and family life—particularly from the perspectives of caregivers, mothers, and children themselves. This multi-case study explores three families’ co-constructed narratives of life before, during, and after a mother’s federal incarceration. Utilizing collaborative family interviews as well as within-case and cross-case analyses, this research illuminates the varying roles family members assume as they mother and are mothered in the context of incarceration. Without a map or manual, incarcerated women, their children, and kinship caregivers transition between three roles: the navigator, the gatekeeper, and the peacemaker. Evident across families and generations, these themes point to the ways in which families are not only shaped by crime, but by the criminal justice system itself

SB89_21-22_Resolution Calling for the Immediate Resignation of Clayton Looney

SB89_21-22_Resolution Calling for the Immediate Resignation of Clayton Looney. This resolution passed 19Y-1N-0A during the February 27, 2022 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM)

SB89-21/22-Resolution Calling for the Immediate Resignation of Clayton Looney

SB89-21/22-Resolution Calling for the Immediate Resignation of Clayton Looney. This resolution passed 19Y-1N-0A during the February 27, 2022 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM)

Supporting young people to manage gender-related distress using third-wave cognitive behavioural theory, ideas and practice

The Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) supports gender diverse young people, and their families but currently does not provide weekly psychological therapy as part of its core work. In addition, local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), may feel deskilled in providing support for this population. We, a group of three Clinical Psychologists, aim to share some common themes and observations gained from our work in GIDS. We talk about how existing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) models can be relevant and helpful for the challenges facing gender diverse young people, without pathologising, or aiming to change a young person’s gender identity. An illustrative case study is presented, based on an amalgamation of young people we have worked with highlighting how third-wave cognitive behavioural theory, ideas and practice can be used to support young people to manage gender-related distress. Further reflections on the broader socio-political context, and implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed

Is Pressure Stressful? The Impact of Pressure on the Stress Response and Category Learning

We examine the basic question of whether pressure is stressful. We propose that when examining the role of stress or pressure in cognitive performance it is important to consider the type of pressure, the stress response, and the aspect of cognition assessed. In Experiment 1, outcome pressure was not experienced as stressful but did lead to impaired performance on a rule-based (RB) category learning task and not a more procedural information-integration (II) task. In Experiment 2, the addition of monitoring pressure resulted in a modest stress response to combined pressure and impairment on both tasks. Across experiments, higher stress appraisals were associated with decreased performance on the RB, but not the II, task. In turn, higher stress-reactivity (heart rate) was associated with enhanced performance on the II, but not the RB, task. This work represents an initial step towards integrating the stress-cognition and pressure-cognition literatures and suggests that integrating these fields may require consideration of the type of pressure, the stress-response, and the cognitive system mediating performance

Is Pressure Stressful? The Impact of Pressure on the Stress Response and Category Learning

We examine the basic question of whether pressure is stressful. We propose that when examining the role of stress or pressure in cognitive performance it is important to consider the type of pressure, the stress response, and the aspect of cognition assessed. In Experiment 1, outcome pressure was not experienced as stressful but did lead to impaired performance on a rule-based (RB) category learning task and not a more procedural information-integration (II) task. In Experiment 2, the addition of monitoring pressure resulted in a modest stress response to combined pressure and impairment on both tasks. Across experiments, higher stress appraisals were associated with decreased performance on the RB, but not the II, task. In turn, higher stress-reactivity (heart rate) was associated with enhanced performance on the II, but not the RB, task. This work represents an initial step towards integrating the stress-cognition and pressure-cognition literatures and suggests that integrating these fields may require consideration of the type of pressure, the stress-response, and the cognitive system mediating performance

Ferrets exclusively synthesize Neu5Ac and express naturally humanized influenza A virus receptors

Mammals express the sialic acids ​N-acetylneuraminic acid (​Neu5Ac) and ​N-glycolylneuraminic acid (​Neu5Gc) on cell surfaces, where they act as receptors for pathogens, including influenza A virus (IAV). ​Neu5Gc is synthesized from ​Neu5Ac by the enzyme cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH). In humans, this enzyme is inactive and only ​Neu5Ac is produced. Ferrets are susceptible to human-adapted IAV strains and have been the dominant animal model for IAV studies. Here we show that ferrets, like humans, do not synthesize ​Neu5Gc. Genomic analysis reveals an ancient, nine-exon deletion in the ferret CMAH gene that is shared by the Pinnipedia and Musteloidia members of the Carnivora. Interactions between two human strains of IAV with the sialyllactose receptor (sialic acid—α2,6Gal) confirm that the type of terminal sialic acid contributes significantly to IAV receptor specificity. Our results indicate that exclusive expression of ​Neu5Ac contributes to the susceptibility of ferrets to human-adapted IAV strains

Role Fit and the Glass Ceiling: Exploring Factors That Contribute to Women\u27s Underrepresentation in Leadership

Women’s underrepresentation in high level leadership positions is a well-documented phenomenon (Center for American Progress, 2015) that has a number of contributing factors. One may be contextual factors such as the acceptable traits of a leader. One theory regarding this is role-congruity theory (Eagly & Karau, 2002), which states that due to men historically filling leadership positions, the agentic traits associated with men (i.e., dominance, assertiveness) have become associated with leadership itself. This creates an incongruity with women’s acceptable roles which revolve around communality (i.e., cooperation, sensitivity). Due to this incongruity, women find it more difficult to break into leadership than men do (Bongiorno et al., 2014) and are more disliked when they do become leaders (Lyness & Heilman, 2006). However, research regarding women’s representation in STEM fields suggest that when the roles of a domain are framed as requiring communal traits, women’s interest in STEM increased (Diekman, et al., 2011). A less studied factor contributing to women’s leadership representation could be individual differences in women’s beliefs about their group’s position in society. Specifically, identifying as a feminist (Zucker, 2004) may help to attract women to leadership positions, both as a way of promoting themselves as well as positioning themselves to help other women. Over the course of four studies, I studied both the effects of feminist identification as well as leadership role framing on outcomes related to women’s representation in leadership. I hypothesized that when leadership was framed as requiring communal traits (which fits women’s traditional gender roles), women would have more positive leadership-related outcomes than when leadership was framed as requiring agentic traits. Overall, I found that leadership framing on its own did not affect women’s leadership outcomes. However, across four studies, there was converging evidence that that when leadership was framed as requiring agentic traits, higher feminist identification in women was associated with lower distress (pilot study, Study 2), higher interest and identification (pilot study, Study 1), and higher self-efficacy (pilot study, Study 1) and that feminist identification may exert its effects on leadership outcomes through relationships with collective action, social support, and perceived sexism (Study 3)