Once Upon the Bench: Rule Under the Fairy Tale

The idea that the fairy tale is worthy of study by legal scholars may seem uncomfortable to many. Even the strongest supporters of the law and literature movement may be given pause by this contention. It may be one thing for Kafka to give lessons in law, but the Brothers Grimm? After all, it was not until relatively recently that the fairy tale was even accepted as a legitimate subject of study by literature departments, and it is still disdained by many in the university. How could the childish world of fantasy stories have anything to do with the sophisticated study of law? This Note seeks to answer this question by investigating the unexplored relationship between the fairy-tale genre and law

“Somewhere in California”: New Regional Spaces of Mobility in Contemporary Vancouver Cinema

Scholars of critical regionalism have argued convincingly for a complex re-definition of regions/regionalism that examines the inherent mobility of cultures and their re-appropriation of place. This article aims to bring American-based critical regionalism into dialogue with research on Canada-U.S. cross-border regions, specifically the Pacific Northwest (Cascadia). I will examine an emerging aspect of western culture in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, i.e. a (post)regional space of flows governed by the hyper-volatile film and television/entertainment industry that links Vancouver to Los Angeles. The cinema of award-winning Vancouver auteur filmmaker Carl Bessai is illustrative of this phenomenon. Bessai’s two most recent films, Fathers and Sons (2010) and Sisters and Brothers (2011) feature characters in non-traditional families who desire to work in film and television in Los Angeles. Through caustic humor, the films engage in multiple levels of critique: of the dysfunctional nature of these cross-border families, but also of the superficiality of image-culture and the “forced” migration of talent who are sucked into the entertainment vortex. Analyzing these films through the lens of critical regionalism foregrounds “West Coastness” as a region of flows, of bodies in mobility/circulation yet—in the case of Bessai—without side-stepping the obvious asymmetries inherent in Canada’s complex and enduringly ambivalent relationship with the United States

Mating system and population genetic structure of the bulldog ant Myrmecia pavida

Understanding the evolution of the alternative mating strategies of monandry and polyandry is a fundamental problem in evolutionary biology because of the cost-benefit trade-offs associated with mating for females. The problem is particularly intriguing in the social insects because queens in most species appear to be obligately monandrous (i.e., only a single male fathers their offspring), while those in a minority of species have evolved high, and sometimes extreme, polyandry. One group which may shed particular insight is the ant subfamily Myrmeciinae (Myrmecia and Nothomyrmecia). Here we examine the population and colony genetic structure of the bulldog ant Myrmecia pavida CLARK, 1951 by genotyping offspring workers from 45 colonies. We find little evidence of geographic structuring or inbreeding in the population, indicating that the species outbreeds, most probably in mating swarms. We also find that queens of M pavida show moderately high polyandry, with 84% having mated with between two and seven males, and an overall mean observed mating frequency of 3.8. This is significantly higher than previously reported for queens of Nothomyrmecia macrops, in which most females mate singly. This was similar to that of M pyriformis, M brevinoda, and M pilosula, the three congenerics for which mating frequencies have recently been reported. The two genera in the Myrmeciinae therefore appear to show multiple transitions in mating frequency and further investigation of the subfamily may be highly informative for disentangling the forces driving the evolution of alternative mating strategies

Male Color Badges Advertise Multiple Messages: Tradeoffs Among Color Badge Intensity, Size, and Ectoparasite Load

Condition-dependent signals can be used by conspecifics to obtain information on an individuals’ quality such as health, fighting ability, or immunocompetence. Variation in the severity of parasitic infections could mediate the differential expression of sexual signals in distinct populations of the same species. This could create diverse condition-dependent relationships between signals and quality. In this study, I examine the relationship between male signal expression and quality of Sceloporus woodi that inhabit areas with distinct ectoparasitic pressures. First, I examined if the brightness or size of male signals is indicative of body size or body condition in males without ectoparasites. Second, I used S. woodi from habitats with heightened parasite pressure to evaluate if brightness or size of male signals is indicative of the male qualities of body size or body condition. Third, I tested whether ectoparasite load is a predictor of signal brightness or size as predicted by the good genes and immunocompetence handicap hypotheses. Males without mites were caught only in the early breeding season and exhibited a negative correlation between the brightness of the black throat border and body size, suggesting that there may be seasonal trends and tradeoffs mediating this relationship. Males with mites were captured during the middle to late breeding season and displayed no correlations between size or brightness of badges and quality (body size or body condition). Thus, body size and/or body condition may not be ecologically important for male-male competition or female mate choice during the later breeding season. The brightness of the blue throat badge was not related to body size, body condition, or mite load, and likely serves as a signal for sex identity. Males with moderate mite loads had the darkest, most fully expressed abdomen badges indicating that the abdomen badge may be a signal of immunocompetence and ability to tolerate heightened parasitic pressure, providing partial support towards the good genes and immunocompetence handicap hypotheses. My findings reveal that each signal in male S. woodi likely provide information on ecologically and seasonally relevant traits, supporting the multiple messages hypothesis

Optimal Policies and the Informal Sector

This paper characterizes optimal policies in the presence of tax evasion and undocumented workers. Equilibrium can be characterized as segmented or non-segmented, depending on whether domestic workers work exclusively in the formal sector (segmented) or also in the informal sector (non-segmented). Surprisingly, in equilibrium, wages are always equalized between domestic and undocumented workers, even if they do not work in the same sectors of the economy. This is driven by the interaction of firm level decisions with optimal government policy. We also find that enforcement may not always be decreasing in its cost, and that governments will optimally enforce segmentation if enforcement costs are not too high.Informal Labour Market; Enforcement; Undocumented Workers; Public Good Provision

Relating to others: the role of social stressors and social comparisons for individuals with intellectual disabilities

Background: People with intellectual disabilities report similar everyday life stressors as the general population; however, they rate social stressors as having a significant negative impact on their wellbeing. This study investigated salient social stressors experienced by young people with intellectual disabilities. Method: Data was collected from thirteen college students with intellectual disabilities during three focus groups and analysed using Thematic Analysis. Results: Five themes were identified: understanding stress, pressure of increased responsibilities, stigma and exclusion, the company of others: fears and worries, support and resilience. The participants reflected on past and present sources of social stress and communicated their worries about social stress in the future. Conclusion: This study highlights the impact of social stress for these young people. It also identifies their understanding and coping skills. Future research could trial adapted psychological therapies with this population to help them manage these social stressors

Water, Creativity and Meaning: Multidisciplinary Understandings of Human-Water Relationships

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE FULL BOOK TEXT - PUBLISHER POLICY ONLY ALLOWS ACCESS TO AN EXTRACT OF THIS BOOK IN THE UWE BRISTOL RESEARCH REPOSITORYAt a time of great turmoil and crisis, environmentally, socially and politically, water has emerged as a topic of huge global concern. Moreover, many argue that what is needed in order to change our relationship with the environment is a cultural paradigm shift. To this end, this volume brings together diverse approaches to exploring human relationships with the watery world and the other living things that rely upon it.Through exploring multiple creative ways of engaging with water and people, the volume adds to the current zeitgeist of writing about water by expanding the discussion about this vital substance and how, as humans, we relate to it. Chapters focus on creative explorations and explorations of creativity in relation to developing these understandings, including concepts such as hydrocitizenship and responses to drought and flooding. Drawing on the in-depth research and experience of arts practitioners including participatory artists, as well as academics from a variety of fields including geography, anthropology, health studies and environmental humanities, the book provides a rich and multidisciplinary perspective on water and creative ways of engaging and understanding human–water relationships.It represents a valuable source and inspiration for academics, arts practitioners and those involved in environmental policy and governance