Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Despite calls to examine the labor movement as a social movement, analyses continue to treat it in ways that are quite different from those used to study other movements. Several key features of conventional labor studies analyses belie this fact. Union density is treated as the sole measure of labor movement power, although no other social movement is evaluated in this way. The labor movement is characterized by one form of movement organization—the union—while other social movements are not. Finally, labor scholars and union activists measure organizing outcomes in dichotomous terms such as a campaign loss or victory, while students of social movements investigate complex processes of consciousness-raising, collective identity formation, and/or social change. Taking seriously the calls to “make labor a movement again,” this paper seeks to demonstrate the analytic and strategic limitations inherent in using union density as the exclusive means by which to assess labor movement power and its potential to regain influence.

Publication Type: Extended Abstract
Abstract: This study seeks to examine the influence of structural complexity, defined as the frequency of structural features, and information density, defined as the amount of information introduced at the moment of structural onset, on the persuasive effectiveness of radio PSAs. A line of research has examined the effects of structural complexity in television and radio messages, such as cuts, edits, voice changes, and onset of music. Content features such as difficulty, arousal, and information density have also been found to influence information processing. The Limited Capacity Model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing has provided the theoretical background for those studies (Lang, 2005). According to this model, effects of content and formal features depend on the resource capacity available in audience members. Whether or not sufficient resources are available to process a message over time leads to dynamic results in different contexts. This study focuses on how the findings of the LC4MP can predict persuasiveness of the Radio PSAs.
Predictions in this study are also guided by two other theoretical approaches, the Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Caccippo, 1986) and an adapted model to advertisements (Yoon et al., 1995). Whereas the LC4MP focuses on cognitive subprocesses such as encoding, storage, and retrieval, the ELM manifests the different routes (central and/or peripheral) to form an evaluation of an issue object. From this, the present study seeks to examine how structural complexity and information density impact central/peripheral processing in evaluating of Radio PSAs and how involvement moderates the impacts.

Publication Type: Invited Paper

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: Many aquatic and terrestrial systems are experiencing increases in nutrient inputs. These increases can lead to significant changes in ecosystem function within streams; however, little is known about the effects of increased nutrient load on detrital-based systems, especially top predators. We examined the response of a five year Nitrogen and Phosphorus enrichment and one time fungicide treatment on the density and nutrient composition of larval and recently metamorphic plethodontid salamanders. Density and nutrient (C, N and P) data was collected in one experimental and five reference headwater streams located at the Coweeta Hyrdological Laboratory in southwestern North Carolina. Presumably, the one time fungicide treatment reduced production of metamorphic plethodontid salamanders in the experimental stream when compared to five reference streams. We are in the process of conducting nutrient analysis to examine if long-term enrichment caused differences in the nutrient composition and stoichiometry of plethodontids. These analyses will reveal if nutrient enrichment resulted in variation of nutrient composition or stoichiometry of plethodontids, which in turn can provide an opportunity to investigate top down nutrient effects on detrital systems. Our results will demonstrate how a reduction in density of plethodontids could alter nutrients pathways in detrital streams.

Publication Type: Oral Presentation
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Landings statistics in the past often present great geographic specificity since historical fisheries generally operated over smaller grounds located close to shore. In fact, as landings have declined over the years, the regions over which catch is aggregated have often grown larger. For instance, in 2005 NEFSC reported a total nominal catch of 500mt for shad landed that year from Cape Hatteras to the Bay of Fundy. In 1789, however, 830,000 shad were landed in the Merrimack River. Estimating an average fish size of 4.5 lbs, this comes to 1695 mt. A cursory comparison indicates a significant decline in catch, yet the true magnitude of decline is lost when landings over 120,000 km2 of ocean are compared with landings in one river. Without taking into account the geographical extent of fishing effort, it is impossible to accurately determine the extent of decline. We propose a new metric, Catch Density (CD), defined as landings/(unit area). In this paper, CD for 30 species fished in the Gulf of Maine from 1889 to 1945 are calculated and compared with the same species fished today, but aggregated over modern statistical areas. Because geographical area has not been calculated for most modern regions, this was generated using GIS. Returning to the example, for shad over the entire Merrimack watershed in 1789, CD = 0.131. For shad in 2005 over the modern statistical area, CD = 0.004, a decline of 97% that shows the true condition of the species.