American Reality Shows: Bodily Agency and the “Other”

In a time when every B-list celebrity is the star of their own show, it is no secret that America is addicted to reality television. However, it may not be as widely known is that staged reality is not only a contemporary fad, but that this trend in America can be traced back as far as the frontier days – to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. I will examine the bodily agency as found by Native American performers within Buffalo Bill’s show and compare it to that of the characters on MTV’s contemporary reality show Jersey Shore. Using this methodology I propose that it is America’s fascination with the bodily agency of the “other” that is on display within staged reality that establishes this phenomenon as a staple of American pop culture. In her book The People Have Never Stopped Dancing, Jacqueline Shea Murphy proposes that the, “appeal of the ‘Wild West’ stemmed in large part from their staging of authentic Indians for non-indian audiences” (59). In other words, the staging of authentic “Indians” performing Native American dances provided an “other” that piqued early American audiences’ attention. It is this same fascination with the “other” that validates America’s obsession with the self-proclaimed, “Guido” subculture of the cast members of Jersey Shore. Central to the identity of both these “others” are their specific forms of bodily agency, including dance, dress, and speech. It is proposed by author and historian Bobby Bridger that, “arguably, the unprecedented relationship between Buffalo Bill and the American press is the genesis of modern pop culture and the coast – to – coast fascination we have with showbiz celebrities.” This would leave one to conclude that Buffalo Bill and his characters on display can be considered as America’s first reality show personas, or the so-called predecessors to the lively “Guido” crew. By examining these two ends of the spectrum for staged reality, I will discuss how the precedents set by audiences and performers in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show are still relevant to shows like Jersey Shore in pop culture today

Childcare quality improvement and assurance practices

This study set out to examine how quality assurance and quality improvement schemes are being used by Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships and childcare providers in England to improve the quality of services beyond minimum standards. Three types of early years providers took part: day nurseries, out-of-school clubs and childminding networks

Satellite-Based Drought Reporting on the Navajo Nation

The Navajo Nation (NN) is the largest reservation in the US, and faces challenges related to water management during long-term and widespread drought episodes. The Navajo Nation is a federally recognized tribe, which has boundaries within Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The Navajo Nation has a land area of over 70,000 square kilometers. The Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources (NNDWR) reports on drought and climatic conditions through the use of regional Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) values and a network of in-situ rainfall, streamflow, and climate data. However, these data sources lack the spatial detail and consistent measurements needed to provide a coherent understanding of the drought regime within the Nation's regional boundaries. This project, as part of NASA's Western Water Applications Office (WWAO), improves upon the recently developed Drought Severity Assessment Tool (DSAT) to ingest satellite-based precipitation data to generate SPI values for specific administrative boundaries within the reservation. The tool aims to: (1) generate SPI values and summary statistics for regions of interest on various timescales, (2) to visualize SPI values within a web-map application, and (3) produce maps and comparative statistical outputs in the format required for annual drought reporting. The co-development of the DSAT with NN partners is integral to increasing the sustained use of Earth Observations for water management applications. This tool will provide data to support the NN in allocation of drought contingency dollars to the regions most adversely impacted by declines in water availability

How food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report how food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety and how they believe consumers understand their role in relation to food safety. The implications of this on the role of food regulators are considered. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 42 food regulators from Australia, New Zealand and the UK participated in a semi-structured interview about their response to food incidents and issues of food regulation more generally. Data were analysed thematically. Findings – Food regulators have a key role in communicating information to consumers about food safety and food incidents. This is done in two main ways: proactive and reactive communication. The majority of regulators said that consumers do not have a good understanding of what food regulation involves and there were varied views on whether or not this is important. Practical implications – Both reactive and proactive communication with consumers are important, however there are clear benefits in food regulators communicating proactively with consumers, including a greater understanding of the regulators’ role. Regulators should be supported to communicate proactively where possible. Originality/value – There is a lack of information about how food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety and how food regulators perceive consumers to understand food regulation. It is this gap that forms the basis of this paper

An Examination of the Factors That Influence the Transfer of Learning Among K-12 Educators Participating In Professional Learning Communities

The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify the factors that either support or inhibit learning transfer among educators within K-12 professional learning communities (PLCs) as well as to obtain a better understanding of how adult education principles relate to teacher learning and job satisfaction within this environment. Although research regarding professional learning for educators within the K-12 setting is available, much of this research is not focused directly on adult education principles and often fails to examine learning transfer. The present study addresses both areas using a two-phase exploratory sequential mixed methods approach to obtain both qualitative and quantitative information about the above topics from teachers and other education professionals. Qualitative data was collected in the form a case study that included a review of artifacts, observations, and interviews with approximately six educators. An analysis of the qualitative data identified a total of 32 factors associated with the promotion of learning transfer and 11 factors related to the inhibition of learning transfer within professional learning communities. These factors were grouped into categories focusing on the individual/learner, PLC design and implementation, and school/work environment. Following the completion of the qualitative phase of the study, each of the factors was incorporated into a survey instrument that was distributed to a larger population of educators. An analysis of the obtained survey data suggested that two work/school environment factors and three individual/learner factors were most closely associated with supporting learning transfer within PLCs. A lack of time was identified as the factor most closely association with the inhibition of learning transfer by survey respondents. The knowledge gained in this study may be used to support the development of professional learning communities as well as other professional learning opportunities for educators. It may also be useful with regard to the development of a future model of K-12 teacher learning and a line of research that is grounded in adult education principles