Personal Interpretation Starts with the Interpreter: How Do Outcome Priorities Change Over Time among Interpretive Staff?

Author(s):  
Clara-Jane Blye ◽  
Glen Hvenegaard ◽  
Elizabeth Halpenny

Personal interpretation is a key management tool to help visitors discover, value, and enjoy parks. Goals and objectives for personal interpretation should be consistent among staff to ensure that planning and delivery are effective in achieving targeted outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess how the outcome priorities for, and resources used by, front-line interpreters (employees who deliver personal interpretation programs) changed over the course of one season. Staff goals are also influenced by agency goals and agency support. We were interested in how park agency legislation and management goals were aligned with front-line staff goals and how the agency supported (or did not support) staff in achieving those outcomes. Front-line interpreters from Alberta Parks completed in-person questionnaires during May 2018 (time 1), describing their priorities for interpretive outcomes, perceived trends, resources used, opportunities, barriers, and demographics. Following the delivery of personal interpretation in 11 provincial parks across Alberta during the May to September 2018 park visitation season, the same interpreters completed a follow-up survey between October 2018 and January 2019 (time 2) to understand if and why those responses changed. Respondents were asked to rate their priorities for six main outcomes of personal interpretation. The top outcomes at time 1 were visitor enjoyment, connections to place, and learning. At time 2, learning and enjoyment priorities declined; attitudes, behavioral change, connections to place, and positive memories did not change as desired outcomes. When asked which of the six outcomes were most important, respondents indicated connections to place, positive memories, and enjoyment most often (but there were no changes from time 1 to time 2). As for resources used in guiding content and strategic decisions in delivering personal interpretation programs, the importance of park legislation and park finances declined; the importance of the other resources did not change. When asked what organizational factors helped them be successful (or unsuccessful), staff relied overwhelmingly on their immediate team, including their supervisors and fellow interpreters. However, responses from time 2 suggested that respondents felt in need of more training, more time to prepare new and innovative programs, and more support from upper-level managers and their agency. This research can help inform park practitioner efforts to understand how interpretive priorities change over time and what resources are important for interpreters. Park agency managers can use these results to hire, train, and nurture front-line interpreters, with a goal of improving the impact of personal interpretation programs.

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-167
Author(s):  
Catherine E. Travis ◽  
Inas Ghina

Abstract We examine variation in a rural variety of Acehnese spoken in Aceh Province, to better understand the impact of long-term contact with Indonesian and increasing urbanization. The Great Aceh variety is characterized by variable realization of word-final (t) as a dental vs. glottal stop. Analyses of over 2,000 tokens of this variable from a corpus of spontaneous speech from 35 speakers indicate that the variability is relatively stable among men, and among women of high mobility, measured in terms of education, occupation, and time spent outside Great Aceh. Women with low mobility produce the lowest rates of [t̪], and in this group we observe a higher rate of [t̪] by younger than older women, suggesting change over time. We thus find both stability – among those who have long enjoyed high levels of mobility – and change – among those most affected by recent social changes, namely low-mobility women.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-273
Author(s):  
Anna Szolucha

I explore the impact that Occupy in Ireland had on subsequent campaigns and the lives of some of its core activists and analyse the interpretative processes through which they evaluated and modified the lessons and tactics of the protest. The picture that emerges from this empirical analysis is inherently complex and transient. It shows how the symbolic associations and framing of the encampments evolved and stalled the diffusion of their most recognisable practices and tactics such as assemblies. This observation highlights the importance of studying the empirical processes that explain how the interpretations of movements change over time, influencing the potential for the diffusion of tactics from one movement to another. Additionally, movement–movement influence may be constructed subjectively and hence, the individual engagement trajectories of activists can inform the analysis of how past protest influences future campaigns. Even though the practices and tactics that were most characteristic of the movement did not diffuse to subsequent protests, the analysis of the impacts of Occupy in Ireland suggests that the encampments functioned as a space for political training and experimentation which may have durable effects for future protest as well as its participants long after they left Occupy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1103-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joukje C Swinkels ◽  
Marjolein I Broese van Groenou ◽  
Alice de Boer ◽  
Theo G van Tilburg

Abstract Background and Objectives The general view is that partner-caregiver burden increases over time but findings are inconsistent. Moreover, the pathways underlying caregiver burden may differ between men and women. This study examines to what degree and why partner-caregiver burden changes over time. It adopts Pearlin’s Caregiver Stress Process Model, as it is expected that higher primary and secondary stressors will increase burden and larger amounts of resources will lower burden. Yet, the impact of stressors and resources may change over time. The wear-and-tear model predicts an increase of burden due to a stronger impact of stressors and lower impact of resources over time. Alternatively, the adaptation model predicts a decrease of burden due to a lower impact of stressors and higher impact of resources over time. Research Design and Methods We used 2 observations with a 1-year interval of 279 male and 443 female partner-caregivers, derived from the Netherlands Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Survey Minimum Data Set. We applied multilevel regression analysis, stratified by gender. Results Adjusted for all predictors, caregiver burden increased over time for both men and women. For female caregivers, the impact of poor spousal health on burden increased and the impact of fulfillment decreased over time. Among male caregivers, the impact of predictors did not change over time. Discussion and Implications The increase of burden over time supports the wear-and-tear model, in particular for women. This study highlights the need for gender-specific interventions that are focused on enabling older partners to be better prepared for long-term partner-care.


2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. S. Davie ◽  
P. D. Falloon ◽  
R. Kahana ◽  
R. Dankers ◽  
R. Betts ◽  
...  

Abstract. Future changes in runoff can have important implications for water resources and flooding. In this study, runoff projections from ISI-MIP (Inter-sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project) simulations forced with HadGEM2-ES bias-corrected climate data under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 have been analysed for differences between impact models. Projections of change from a baseline period (1981–2010) to the future (2070–2099) from 12 impacts models which contributed to the hydrological and biomes sectors of ISI-MIP were studied. The biome models differed from the hydrological models by the inclusion of CO2 impacts and most also included a dynamic vegetation distribution. The biome and hydrological models agreed on the sign of runoff change for most regions of the world. However, in West Africa, the hydrological models projected drying, and the biome models a moistening. The biome models tended to produce larger increases and smaller decreases in regionally averaged runoff than the hydrological models, although there is large inter-model spread. The timing of runoff change was similar, but there were differences in magnitude, particularly at peak runoff. The impact of vegetation distribution change was much smaller than the projected change over time, while elevated CO2 had an effect as large as the magnitude of change over time projected by some models in some regions. The effect of CO2 on runoff was not consistent across the models, with two models showing increases and two decreases. There was also more spread in projections from the runs with elevated CO2 than with constant CO2. The biome models which gave increased runoff from elevated CO2 were also those which differed most from the hydrological models. Spatially, regions with most difference between model types tended to be projected to have most effect from elevated CO2, and seasonal differences were also similar, so elevated CO2 can partly explain the differences between hydrological and biome model runoff change projections. Therefore, this shows that a range of impact models should be considered to give the full range of uncertainty in impacts studies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Vrana-Diaz ◽  
Priya Balasubramanian ◽  
Nathalie Kayadjanian ◽  
Jessica Bohonowych ◽  
Theresa V. Strong

Abstract Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder in which hyperphagia (excessive appetite) is a hallmark feature. Understanding how weight changes over time in this population is important for capturing the contemporary natural history of the disorder as well as assessing the impact of new treatments for hyperphagia. Therefore, we aimed to determine the feasibility of a remote assessment of weight change over time in PWS. Methods: We developed a text message-based, prospective cohort study of adolescents and adults with PWS to assess changes in weight and body mass index (BMI) over a six-month period. Weight was collected weekly, while changes in height, living situation, access to food, activity level, and medication were collected at three-month intervals. Results: One hundred and sixty-five participants enrolled in the study, with a mean age of 19.7 years (range 12 - 48). There was considerable variability in weight across participants (range: 76.8 – 207.7 kg). Thirty-three percent of the participants were normal weight, while 15% were overweight and 52% were obese. Overall, the weight of the study participants increased over the study period (mean weight change +2.35%), while BMI was relatively stable, albeit high (mean BMI of 31.4 at baseline, mean BMI percent change + 1.42%). Changes in living situation, activity, food access, and medication had limited impact on weight and BMI changes. Multivariable analysis found that time, sex, age, and percentage of life on growth hormone (GH) therapy were statistically significant fixed effects. Participants submitted more than 95% of possible weight data points across the 26 weeks of the study. Conclusions: This remote, observational study of weight change in PWS showed small increases in weight and BMI over a six-month period. Participants were highly compliant with this text message-based study, suggesting that mobile technology-based data collection was manageable for the participants. We anticipate that the results of this study will inform clinical trials for hyperphagia/obesity related therapies in PWS and provide a basis for understanding the efficacy of new therapies for hyperphagia in the real-world setting.


Author(s):  
Jeroen Duindam

The never-ending lists of kings imparted the view of an unbroken chain extending into the past, but they also suggested the repeated rise and fall of ruling houses. Did dynasties necessarily follow the organic trajectory of birth, growth, maturity, old age, and death? ‘Persistence and change’ compares cyclical views of dynastic power throughout history and across the globe. It also asks how scale, change over time, and regional variety impacted dynasties. Finally, it considers the rise of Europe: royalty worldwide would undergo the impact of modernization first and foremost in the shape of European military and commercial dominance.


1983 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
James N. Rosenau ◽  
Ole R. Holsti

The adaptation of the United States to its declining role as a superpower is examined through an inquiry into the belief systems of the society's leaders. Three sets of mutually exclusive domestic policy belief systems are identified, along with three sets of mutually exclusive foreign policy belief systems. The degree to which they are linked to each other is explored, and the connections are found to be tenuous—suggesting that the cleavages at work in American society are more enduring and less subject to change than may be readily apparent. The last section of the paper uses more recent data from a sample of American leaders to examine the degree to which foreign policy belief systems are susceptible to change over time, allowing for an analysis of the extent to which the hostage crisis in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan affected pre-existing belief systems. The overall finding is that the impact was negligible, and that foreign policy belief systems are largely resistant to change.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nada Radwan ◽  
Beth Senne-Duff ◽  
Jesus Cuellar Fuentes

Abstract Objectives We evaluated the impact on growth in children 5 years of age and younger of a community- based nutrition intervention program in a coastal Peruvian community. Mother's in an “invasion” community were recruited to participate in the study. Interested mothers were trained as community agents. Nurses and community agents measured weight and height of children monthly and checked for parasites. Children were evaluated for anemia and micronutrient supplementation was provided. During the home visits nutrition education would be provided. Women participated in workshops on nutrition, water, gardening, and health and social concerns. Children were assessed over 16 months. Methods Growth was assessed by calculating Z-scores for weight-for-age (WZ) and height-for-age (HZ), A linear mixed model was adjusted to each response variable to assess its change over time. Because there were underweight and overweight children in the group analysis was conducted on subjects with initial WZ (WZI) < -1 or >2. For HZ only children with initial HZ (HZi) <-1 were included in a separate analysis. Results The analysis used 247 subjects, 115 (46.6%) females and 132 (53.4%) males. The The 95% confidence interval for month included a value of zero, indicating that, on average, ZW does not change over time for the ZWi <-1. However, in the severely overweight group ZW decreased, on average, by 0.325 units for each month that the subject was evaluated. In the HZi <-1 group the coefficient of month indicated that HZ increased at an average rate of 0.0156 units per month. The HZ did not change overtime when all children were included in the analysis. Conclusions The intervention seems to have been effective in improving the underweight condition of the children who were moderately to severely underweight and in decreasing weight in severely overweight children. In addition, children that started severely or moderately shorter than normal experienced a gain in height over the time they were evaluated. Funding Sources University of the Incarnate Word.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document