Who Wants to Have a Career in Science or Math? Exploring Adolescents’ Future Aspirations by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

Our study utilizes data from a national cohort of eighth-grade students to consider how different gender and racial/ethnic subgroups compare to White males in their likelihood to aspire toward a science or math occupation and examine the roles that self-concept, enjoyment, and achievement may play in shaping disparities at this early point in occupational trajectories. We find that the importance of enjoyment, self-concept, and achievement in explaining disparities in science career aspirations relative to White males varies according to the female subgroup considered, such that no singular story applies to females across different racial/ethnic backgrounds. For math, White and Hispanic females remain approximately half as likely as White males to aspire to a math occupation regardless of all indicators we consider. Finally, Black and Hispanic adolescent boys have generally comparable aspirations toward future careers in science and math as their White male peers, despite notably large differences in achievement. We discuss implications of our results for future research on equity

The Game Changer: How the P5 Caused a Paradigm Shift in Norm Diffusion Post-9/11

This Commentary recognizes a policy shift across nations of favoring national security over human rights and argues that smaller states were influenced by the key international decision makers, the Permanent Five Members (P5) of the United Nations Security Council, via norm diffusion. In doing so, it offers an alternative theory for how and why human rights norms have consistently been violated in the pursuit of security. Oppressive regimes have used the term “counterterrorism” or “national security” to justify rights violations because they see larger powers allowing these violations. This Commentary contends that the P5 are responsible for beginning this phenomenon and in doing so created a paradigm shift in the types of norms that are diffused globally, resulting in “negative norm diffusion.

The Game Changer: How the P5 Caused a Paradigm Shift in Norm Diffusion Post-9/11

This Commentary recognizes a policy shift across nations of favoring national security over human rights and argues that smaller states were influenced by the key international decision makers, the Permanent Five Members (P5) of the United Nations Security Council, via norm diffusion. In doing so, it offers an alternative theory for how and why human rights norms have consistently been violated in the pursuit of security. Oppressive regimes have used the term “counterterrorism” or “national security” to justify rights violations because they see larger powers allowing these violations. This Commentary contends that the P5 are responsible for beginning this phenomenon and in doing so created a paradigm shift in the types of norms that are diffused globally, resulting in “negative norm diffusion.

Learning to see, seeing to learn: The learning journey of three pre-service teachers in a video club setting

This study sought to develop a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of professional growth in pre-service teachers during their final practicum. The research was situated in a primary school and involved three pre-service teachers with widely differing backgrounds who brought differing experiences to the practicum. The study identified personal and contextual variables that affected the pre-service teachers’ professional growth and explored how professional discourse within a learning community of peers, informed by multiple perspectives on teaching practice that were facilitated by video, influenced professional growth. This qualitative research project used a broad phenomenological approach in that the methods used were designed to illuminate the process of a pre-service teacher becoming a teacher. Data were gathered over a six month period using semi-structured pre and post interviews, direct observations, video recordings of lessons, audio recordings of video discussion meetings, student questionnaires, and written feedback and reflections. Triangulated data from multiple sources were collated for each case, then open coded and grouped into themes. Cross-case analysis identified patterns in the emerging themes across all three cases, forming the basis for the discussion. This study found that pre-service teachers’ beliefs about the roles of teachers and learners influenced their approach to teaching during their final practicum; their approach to the use of feedback for their own learning; and, their response to pressure during their practicum. Pre-service teacher motivation and capacity to interpret and act on mentor feedback was shaped by the mentoring relationship, which in turn was influenced by mentors’ beliefs about their own role, and their expectations of pre-service teacher capabilities upon arrival. The inclusion of video in a purposeful, reflective process enabled pre-service teachers to relive their experiences and to recall the affective factors that influenced their thoughts and actions as they were brought back into the moment of noticing, reasoning and acting. This decreased pre-service teachers’ reliance on mentor feedback and gave them an opportunity to triangulate evidence about their practice and interpret that evidence in a way that continually refined their understanding of teaching and learning. Importantly, this study found that pre-service teachers’ capacity to adapt practice, and to grow as a teacher, is filtered through an affective lens

The Effect of the Dodd-Frank Act on Arbitration Agreements: A Proposal for Consumer Choice

The article presents information on the security in the markets and the regulatory reform as passed by the U.S. Congress. The impact of recession on the American economy and the destruction of public and private wealth are considered. The enactment of Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the executive compensations are discussed. The case law related to arbitration of disputes related to security and the need of law reform is also discussed

The use of a family agency in relocation for urban renewal.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

The Importance of Disguise in the Middle English Romances

This thesis examines the literary motif of disguise in the context of the Middle English romances. The thesis seeks to explore the various manifestations and functions of disguise, and how they relate to the familiar exile-and-return structure of the genre. Chapter I discusses the conversation of genre description of the Middle English romances, and presents the scholarship reviewed for this project along with relevant terms to the discussion at large. Chapter II explores disguise as it relates to a character’s social mobility in King Horn, Havelok the Dane, and The Tale of Gamelyn. Chapter III looks at disguise when it is used to test a character’s true self, specifically in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Amadace, and Sir Orfeo. Chapter IV investigates the disguises of women through the romance of Emaré. Finally, Chapter V offers suggestions for further exploration on the types and purposes of disguise

A Sanitation Assessment of Food Contact Surfaces in Child Care Centers using Microbiological Analysis and Rapid Sanitation Assays

Food contact surfaces are a major concern for food service facilities in controlling the spread of foodborne pathogens. Food service areas within these facilities are considered critical to health, and therefore the microbiological quality of these surfaces within child care center food service areas must be surveyed and assessed. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to gather information as to the environmental microbiological quality of food service surfaces and a non-food contact surface in child care centers, and (2) to evaluate several rapid sanitation assays for determining the sanitation quality of food contact surfaces and to determine if the methods have potential for utilization within child care centers. A microbiological survey was conducted in six (6) Knoxville, TN area child care centers. The facilities represented three large (\u3e 100 children) and three small (\u3c 50 children) centers. Each child care center was tested twice monthly over the course of an eight (8) month period for a total of 16 sampling periods per center. Four areas, one food service area, one diaper changing area, and two food preparation areas (n=288), within each center was sampled. The food service area and the food preparation areas consisted of three food contact surfaces, two food preparation surfaces (i.e. kitchen counters) and one food service surface (i.e. children’s eating table), while the diaper changing area consisted of one non-food contact surface (i.e. diaper changing surface). All surfaces were tested three times daily, pre-opening, lunch time, and following final clean-up of the day, to monitor the microbiological quality of each surface throughout the day. For the microbiological analysis, results were expressed as the mean aerobic plate count (APC) and coliforms per 50 cm2 area and by prevalence rates of the presence of coliforms and E. coli, i.e., the percentage of total samples in which coliforms or E. coli were detected, per 50 cm2 area. Mean log APC counts over the survey period were 3.04, 3.93, 3.08, 4.50, 3.45 and 4.16 log10 CFU/50 cm2 for centers 1 through 6, respectively. Mean coliform counts were 1.35, 17.96, 5.59, 87.55, 10.22, and 20.43 CFU/50 cm2 for the same respective centers. There was a significant difference between counts for center size based on mean log APC with large centers having lower mean log APC (3.55 log10 CFU/50 cm2) than small centers (3.81 log10 CFU/50 cm2). As for coliform counts, there was no significant difference between coliform counts for center size with large centers having a mean coliform count of 35.62 CFU/50 cm2 and small centers 10.72CFU/50 cm2. Coliforms were detected on 283 of 1,149 (24.7%) samples with counts ranging from 1 to 2,000 CFU/50 cm2 while E. coli was detected on 18 of 1,149 (1.6%) samples with counts ranging from 1 to 35 CFU/50 cm2. For the rapid sanitation assays, microbial data and ATP, protein and glucose results were available on 1,129 samples. Correlations between rapid sanitation assays and microbiological analysis (APC) were determined using Spearman’s rho analysis. Correlations (p \u3c 0.01) were found, using Spearman’s rho analysis between the APC and the ATP (r = 0.26) and protein assays (r = 0.16). Rapid sanitation assays were also compared with APC based upon percent agreement, i.e., the number of times the rapid sanitation assays and APC were in agreement of a “clean” or “dirty” surface or area. Surfaces and areas with \u3c 1,000 CFU/50 cm2 and ATP value of \u3c 300 relative light units (RLU) or a negative protein or glucose reaction were defined as “clean.” Surfaces with \u3e 1,000 CFU/50 cm2 and \u3e 300 RLU or a positive protein or glucose reaction were considered “dirty”. The overall percent agreement between APC and ATP bioluminescence, protein assay and glucose assay was 24.3%, 68.7% and 81.9%, respectively. Therefore, the protein and glucose assays were in agreement more often with the APC analysis. However, the level of RLU to define a “clean” surface using the ATP assay was based upon manufacturer recommendations used for food processing operations and could be modified for child care facilities. Using the manufacturer recommendations for RLU limits, the ATP bioluminescence assay classified only 16.2% of surfaces tested as “clean,” i.e., RLU \u3c 300. The greatest percentage of samples had RLUs between 1,000 and 5,000 (34.7%). These findings demonstrate that microbial contamination is present on food contact surfaces of child care centers. Due to the high risk of foodborne illness associated with children, the possibility of cross-contamination from food contact or non-food contact surfaces to foods is an aspect of food safety that requires more attention. The findings of the study indicate that rapid sanitation assays may be useful for monitoring the sanitation of food contact surfaces in child care centers. These tests could assist in improving sanitation and preventing cross-contamination by detecting unsanitary surfaces with food residues remaining on the surfaces