Postcard: #30 Branding Calves on the Plains

This black and white photographic postcard features cowboys branding cattle. A man on the left has a cow tied with rope and is wrestling it to the ground. Five men surround a cow that is on the ground. The man in the foreground is branding the cow with a branding iron. A herd of cattle are in the background. Written text is at the bottom of the card. Handwriting is on the back of the card. (Note indicates the photo was taken by Liberal, Kansas photographer Hal Reid.)https://scholars.fhsu.edu/tj_postcards/2342/thumbnail.jp

Portrayals of canine obesity in English-language newspapers and in leading veterinary journals, 2000-2009: Implications for animal welfare organizations and veterinarians as public educators

In industrialized societies, more than one in three dogs as well as people currently qualify as overweight or obese. Experts in public health expect both these figures to rise. While clinical treatment remains important, so are public perceptions and social norms. This article presents a thematic analysis of English-language mass media coverage on canine obesity from 2000 through 2009, and compares these results with a thematic analysis of articles on canine obesity in leading veterinary journals during the same time period. Drawing on Giddens’ theory of structuation, articles that emphasised individual agency, environmental structure or both as contributors to canine obesity were identified. Comparisons with weight-related health problems in human populations were virtually absent from the veterinary sample. While such comparisons were almost always present in the media sample, veterinarians and other animal welfare spokespeople were quoted in ways that emphasized the agency of individual owners over structural influences. Now that weight gain and obesity have been established as a pressing animal welfare problem, these results suggest a need for research and for interventions such as media advocacy that emphasizes intersections between animal-owner agency and socio-environmental determinants, and connections between animal welfare and human health

Queerness and Dating Violence Among Adolescent Mothers in Foster Care

Adolescent mothers, queer, and foster youth are all groups at heightened vulnerability for teen dating violence victimization. It is unknown how mothers in residential foster care perceive and experience violence within same-sex relationships. Literature suggests, however, that violence within these contexts may be met by minimization and even denial on behalf of practitioners (e.g., social workers) who may not have a comprehensive understanding of how to best serve queer clients, especially clients who may not be automatically perceived as queer (e.g., adolescent mothers). The present study utilized a mixed qualitative methodological approach to triangulate the perspectives of program staff (n = 12) who worked at a residential foster care facility through individual interviews with the views and experiences of adolescent mother residents (n = 13) through two focus groups. By taking a queer theoretical perspective, this study interpreted the fluid sexual performativity and viewpoints concerning violence victimization among foster care mothers within the context of a heteronormative service provision model. Specifically, we found that the meaning of relationships between mothers was minimized and violence between same-sex dating partners was interpreted as normative peer conflict. Such findings run contrary to youths’ experiences and perspectives, which holds important ramifications for practitioner–client interaction and service delivery

Economic Stress Among Low Income Latino Adolescent Fathers: An Application of the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation Model

Latino youth are more likely to live under the poverty line and to become adolescent parents. Although research exists examining adolescent mothers, less is known about adolescent fathers, particularly Latino adolescent fathers. Much of what does exist uses a deficit lens, as opposed to one of strength and resilience. Although adolescent fathers sometimes do struggle in their transition to fatherhood, it is critical to understand the positive ways in which they adapt. The present study uses in-depth interviews and applies the vulnerability-stress-adaptation (VSA) model to understand parental adaptation processes among a sample of low-income Latino adolescent fathers (N = 11). Despite economic vulnerability, including low income and limited resources, fathers’ aspirations to provide for their children served as an adaptive mechanism. These aspirations were influenced by the quality of their relationship with the mother of their children as well as by cultural influences from their families-of-origin. Findings indicated the importance of a positive, holistic family experience that includes cultural notions of familism. By identifying the processes by which adolescent fathers experience vulnerabilities, stress, and adaptation to those stressors, it is possible to develop and implement culturally responsive and strengths-based services and policies to better support their transition, including those related to job readiness, relationship education, and family involvement

Leu8 and Pro8 oxytocin agonism differs across human, macaque, and marmoset vasopressin 1a receptors

Oxytocin (OXT) is an important neuromodulator of social behaviors via activation of both oxytocin receptors (OXTR) and vasopressin (AVP) 1a receptors (AVPR1a). Marmosets are neotropical primates with a modified OXT ligand (Pro8-OXT), and this ligand shows significant coevolution with traits including social monogamy and litter size. Pro8-OXT produces more potent and efficacious responses at primate OXTR and stronger behavioral effects than the consensus mammalian OXT ligand (Leu8-OXT). Here, we tested whether OXT/AVP ligands show differential levels of crosstalk at primate AVPR1a. We measured binding affinities and Ca2+ signaling responses of AVP, Pro8-OXT and Leu8-OXT at human, macaque, and marmoset AVPR1a. We found that AVP binds with higher affinity than OXT across AVPR1a, and marmoset AVPR1a show a 10-fold lower OXT binding affinity compared to human and macaque AVPR1a. Both Leu8-OXT and Pro8-OXT produce a less efficacious response than AVP at human AVPR1a and higher efficacious response than AVP at marmoset AVPR1a. These data suggest that OXT might partially antagonize endogenous human AVPR1a signaling and enhance marmoset AVPR1a signaling. These findings aid in further understanding inconsistencies observed following systemic intranasal administration of OXT and provide important insights into taxon-specific differences in nonapeptide ligand/receptor coevolution and behavior

An Exploratory Study Using Participation Plans for Inclusive Social Studies Instruction

Limited research exists on teaching social studies content, including intervention research, in inclusive settings for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose of this exploratory project was to evaluate the use of participation plans for supporting students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in inclusive high school social studies classrooms. The study addressed two questions: (1) To what extent can students with IDD learn prioritized social studies content and skills in inclusive secondary settings? and (2) How do participation plans support students in learning prioritized social studies content and skills in inclusive general education settings? A university research team supported a public high school staff to employ a single-case, multiple baseline design across prioritized skills (knowledge of content, vocabulary, and summarization) and participants. Results showed students’ correct responses increased across prioritized skills after the team began using the participation plans. This discreet intervention exhibits promise for school staff (i.e., teachers, paraprofessionals) needing mediating tools for effective inclusive education. We discuss implications for future research and practice

Contexts of diffusion: Adoption of research synthesis in Social Work and Women's Studies

Texts reveal the subjects of interest in research fields, and the values, beliefs, and practices of researchers. In this study, texts are examined through bibliometric mapping and topic modeling to provide a birds eye view of the social dynamics associated with the diffusion of research synthesis methods in the contexts of Social Work and Women's Studies. Research synthesis texts are especially revealing because the methods, which include meta-analysis and systematic review, are reliant on the availability of past research and data, sometimes idealized as objective, egalitarian approaches to research evaluation, fundamentally tied to past research practices, and performed with the goal informing future research and practice. This study highlights the co-influence of past and subsequent research within research fields; illustrates dynamics of the diffusion process; and provides insight into the cultural contexts of research in Social Work and Women's Studies. This study suggests the potential to further develop bibliometric mapping and topic modeling techniques to inform research problem selection and resource allocation.Comment: To appear in proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Social Computing, Behavioral-Cultural Modeling, and Prediction (SBP2014

Types of Supplementary Aids and Services for Students with Significant Support Needs

Supplementary aids and services have been a provision in special education law since PL 94- 142, however, almost no guidance has been provided to help teams make decisions about their appropriate selection and use. In this exploratory study, we explore the types of supplementary aids and services selected for students with significant support needs using a conventional content analysis of Individual Education Program (IEPs) from 88 students in grades K-12. Results illustrate the wide variation in types of supplementary aids and services chosen for students overall. Curricular accommodations and personnel supports were the most commonly identified supports, while supports to assist students to communicate and make meaning of curriculum (e.g., curricular modifications) were less common, as were less intrusive supports such as peer assisted learning. Implications for policy, practice, and research are provided