Articoli di riviste sul tema "Springfield Public Library (Springfield, Or.)"

Play is vital for early learning. It is not ‘recess’ or a ‘timeout’ from learning, rather it IS the way young children learn.” Because play is the foundation of early learning, the Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library District (SGCL) installed Racing to Read Play & Learn Centers with toys and accompanying activities in their children’s departments at all ten branches seven years ago. These centers have been well received, but SGCL staff wanted to determine the value to families in the community and the level of kindergarten readiness provided by the centers. A formal evaluation would help library staff learn how families used the centers, how they could be improved, and opportunities for center growth and development.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate, through the example of the Springfield Armory and its role in the development of interchangeable parts, the critical role of government in establishing a cluster of organizations that evolved into an innovation ecosystem primarily located in the Connecticut River Valley in the 1800s. Using the Springfield Armory example, we use the related but largely unjoined concepts of ecosystem and networks to show that these organizational forms are effective in driving innovation. Design/methodology/approach The design uses an in-depth analysis of the role of the Springfield Armory to explicate the joining of network and ecosystem theory as an early example of the importance of governmental funding and support for innovation. Findings The development of interchangeable parts in the American arms industry in the 19th century transformed manufacturing worldwide. At the heart of this transformation was the network of arms makers that developed in the Connecticut River Valley as a direct result of US Government investment and support. This network of arms makers evolved into an ecosystem of mutually reinforcing relationships as machine tool manufacturers benefited from an environment of free-flowing intellectual property, information and growing governmental demand for arms. The Armory illustrates the government’s role in initiating and sustaining clusters of innovation that otherwise might not have developed as quickly. Originality/value Much of the research on the role of government in creating innovation ecosystems and organizational networks is based on modern organizations. This use of the Springfield Armory in the early 1800s broadens the knowledge on how innovation ecosystems in conjunction with networked organizations can be created by governments serving the public good.

Abstract Baystate has collaborated with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to secure designation for Springfield, MA as both age and dementia friendly. We worked together so our city could be recognized as the first in the nation which was age and dementia friendly and also had an age-friendly health system within it. Baystate joined a Springfield coalition of CBOs; with the assistance of the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Coalition, AARP, State and local Elder Affairs, the Massachusetts Councils on Aging and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, we secured and celebrated all three recognitions at a public forum in June 2019. The event was attended by the Mayor, Baystate Health and local Elder Affairs leaders, the press and other stakeholders as well as older adults from the community. Along with ongoing efforts to improve transportation and housing, access to age-friendly health care is now also an additional area of focus for the coalition.

This instructional case considers the ethical issues in an actual legal case involving a Big 8 firm and a management consulting engagement. The engagement included the oversight of a forecast and an attestation service for the registration statement in an initial public offering. The objectives of the case are: to present an agency framework for the examination of ethical issues; to illuminate the obligations of full disclosure, the exercise of due care and the state of independence; to consider an ethical basis for the “deep-pockets” theory; and to provide a vehicle for ethical reasoning by students. The case is directed to a financial accounting course at the M.B.A. level, a professional development course or an upper-division undergraduate course.

This study assesses the financial knowledge of high school students prior to completing the Missouri public high school personal finance graduation requirement. The students consisted of upper division students at an unnamed public high school in Springfield. Students in this sample were preparing to take either a personal finance class or different business class. Characteristics of students in the sample appear to approximate most other students in Missouri public schools. Results indicate no statistically significant difference between genders for the overall measure of financial literacy. However, higher socioeconomic status, defined in this paper as not receiving free or reduced lunch, appears to be directly related to financial literacy.

State government has been moving from manual and paper-based processes to digital services. However, digital divide, declining trust in technology, and low IT/IS adoption rates by public sector employees are important challenges for successful delivery of e-government services to citizens. Previous studies in the area of IT/IS adoption and e-government have mainly focused on citizens. This paper examines IT/IS adoption by employees rather than citizens and the focus is on non-market environment and state government agencies. A research model has been proposed based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and technology acceptance model (TAM) which has been extended to include digital divide related constructs and trust in technology. To test the proposed model, a survey was conducted among early adopters of Office 365 at Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in Springfield and Chicago. The paper contributes to research on IT/IS adoption in public sector. The findings also provide insightful design and practical implications for successful IT/IS deployment in public sector.

This research tests the independent contribution of social capital and the use of the internet to obtain health information to support maternal-child communication about peer pressure to have sex among Puerto Rican families. A sample of 413 Puerto Rican households in Springfield, MA provides the data to independently test these hypotheses. The results of a logistic regression model suggest that Puerto Rican mothers with increased social capital and who accessed the internet for health information are more likely to communicate with their adolescent children about peer pressure to have sex. The combination of these two mechanisms provide opportunities to convey culturally generated resources to Puerto Rican mothers to assist them in helping their children develop healthy sexual behaviors.

Purpose: This article focuses on the role of school and district leadership in the development and implementation of reform aimed at increasing racial and religious tolerance. It chronicles the rise of intercultural and democratic citizenship curriculum in three North American sites—Springfield, Massachusetts, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, and San Diego, California—during the 1940s. Research Method: Parallel historical case studies were conducted using traditional historical research methods through the analysis of archival documents, school district memos, school board minutes, and contextualization through relevant secondary source literature. Findings: School and district leaders supported curriculum innovation aimed at prejudice reduction and propaganda analysis, networked and collaborated with community organizations, and used foundation funding to support curriculum and professional development for racial and religious inclusion. Implications: These cases highlight the critical role of leadership to support democracy in the development of partnerships between school and district personnel, community activists, and civic foundations; the establishment of advocacy networks across borders; and the “borrowing” of diversity policies from other school districts, which were adapted to their unique community contexts. This historical study has implications for how current school leaders might “lead for democracy” in challenging times.

In the 19th Century in much of Western Europe and North America the number and size of asylums increased hugely. In London, there was a wave of new asylums built in response to the 1808 County Asylums Act and the 1845 Lunacy Act, which required publicly funded care for those deemed mentally unwell. One such asylum was the Surrey County Lunatic Asylum which was built on the grounds which now house Springfield University Hospital in South West London. This paper describes the admission records from Surrey County Lunatic Asylum, between 1863-1867, from information stored in the London Metropolitan Archives. Although the terminology is different from that of today’s, the picture the records paint is of an institution aiming at recovery rather than long-term incarceration which can be how asylums are now remembered. This more nuanced view is starting to be discussed more in public conversations about the topic. The optimism this may imbue is tempered by the shocking number of patients who died within the institution.

This article focuses on the “wicked problem” of siting nuclear waste repositories. It addresses the question of why local communities are not willing to host nuclear waste facilities, and what factors play a decisive role for acceptance and voluntarism. We discuss the extent to which compensations together with trust could be decisive in easing the decision making processes for a site search. Starting from the assumption that voluntary processes have been the preferred path in countries in an advanced stage of planning or constructing a repository, we question whether the factors that allowed for success in siting in Finland, Sweden and France or for failure (United Kingdom) can be of use in other contexts, e.g., in Germany. By analyzing the relationship between government, industry and the communities willing to host repositories, we discuss different forms of voluntarism in combination with various site typologies, i.e., Blowers′ “nuclear oases”; “communities with industry awareness”; “nuclear communities”, and “Springfield communities.”

This article compares the experience of young African-American and Puerto Rican women with the female condom during a thirty-day trial period by examining qualitative data from participant observations and in-depth interviews conducted at the end of the trial. Research was funded by CDC and conducted in two neighborhood health centers in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Salient findings identify inter-group similarities and differences in the local sociocultural community context in which African-American and Latina young women considered using the female condom as a method of protection against unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, adopted strategies to introduce and negotiate the device with male partners, and communicated their experiences in post-trial interviews. Inter-group diversity is highlighted in community structures for promoting sexual health protection, and in women's patterns of communication, descriptions of their male partner's reactions to the device and trial activities and suggestions for health education focused on the female condom. Potential implications of these findings for future research and interventions in multicultural communities are also discussed.

Sinkhole formation is an ongoing hazard for urban karst settings, compromising construction foundations, and accelerating groundwater pollution. In Springfield, Missouri, the uppermost exposed unit is the Burlington limestone, a carbonate bedrock which is susceptible to karst formation, including caves and sinkholes. This study site concerns a detention basin near a major highway interchange, in which a new sinkhole is forming. Electric resistivity, very low-frequency electromagnetics, and dye-tracing surveys were performed at this sinkhole to determine its subsurface extent and any relation to surface features. The low resistivity associated with the sinkhole and thin soil contrasts with the high resistivity of the underlying Burlington limestone. This contrast highlights a curvilinear trough of thicker soil, which correlates with a former intermittent stream and represents a stream channel, which was graded and filled during construction of the highway and basin. The newly formed sinkhole lies entirely within this former stream channel. This relationship between the sinkhole and stream provides useful insights into the effects of urbanization on sinkhole formation. Knowledge of these relationships allows urban managers to better understand the risk this sinkhole poses to major highways and public buildings in the area.

Abstract This study aims to contribute to the development of community-responsive research approaches by describing the research methods used in the RxHL study and the interprofessional and community-based collaboration that produced them. The mixed-method RxHL study was developed in close consultation with staff and providers at our research site, a federally qualified health center in Springfield, MA. We utilized quantitative methods including chart review, manual pill counts and self-report surveys to assess factors associated with medication adherence in a diverse population of low-income patients with chronic disease. We triangulated these results with findings from qualitative methods that included in-depth interviews, home visits and chronic disease diaries. We used the constant comparison method and interdisciplinary, participatory team meetings to integrate quantitative and qualitative findings. A community-responsive approach facilitated the recruitment and retention of a diverse sample of patients. Self-report surveys revealed the widespread scope of barriers to care such as medication costs and transportation, and limited health literacy among diverse groups. Qualitative research methods offered a deeper understanding of the social and environmental contexts in which medication adherence takes place. Prioritizing the needs of community partners and research participants facilitates rigorous data collection in clinical settings with maximum participation from community partners.

While syringe exchange has been internationally promoted as an effective means of reducing HIV risk among injection drug users, it remains one of the most controversial HIV prevention measures available [McCoy et al. 1997, Singer 1994, Broadhead et al. 1999]. Syringe exchange is the provision of sterile syringes and risk reduction services in exchange for used syringes turned in by injection drug users. The Hispanic Health Council (HHC) became involved in work on syringe exchange during the early 1990s, and played a role as an advocacy organization in getting Connecticut state approval for the Hartford Syringe Exchange Program, in organizing the Hartford Syringe Exchange, and in evaluating the program (Singer 2001). This paper uses the debate over syringe exchange in Springfield, Massachusetts, as a case study of the dynamics of community opposition to syringe exchange programs and the role anthropologists have played in shaping and contributing to that debate. If one of our goals as researchers is the direct translation of research into policy recommendations and initiatives, then it is incumbent on us to participate in those forums in which policy is being debated and to contribute our data and insights to public understandings of the costs and benefits of HIV prevention programs such as syringe exchange. We further argue that anthropologists are especially well-equipped to understand community opposition through our long-term immersion in communities using ethnographic methods and culturally informed analysis.

Cities struggling with congestion need options to automobile-dependent transportation and land use patterns. Multiway boulevards are one alternative. Through lanes in the middle are separated by landscaped medians from side access lanes for bicycles and slow-moving local traffic. Using a case study from Oregon's Eugene–Springfield metropolitan area, this project considers what could happen if cities built arterials as multiway boulevards. This interdisciplinary study, which included widespread stakeholder and public participation as well as detailed land use and transportation modeling, was instrumental in the Eugene Planning Commission's decision to endorse converting a portion of the arterial into a multiway boulevard. Although the case study arterial, with its existing bus rapid transit lanes, requires an unusually wide right-of-way, the results show that the arterial could better accommodate residential and mixed-use buildings at the edges if reconfigured as a multiway boulevard. Projected benefits include the possibility of supporting 8,400 dwelling units, reducing annual vehicle miles traveled by nearly 100 million miles (161 million km), and reducing annual carbon emissions by nearly 110 million lb (50 million kg). Development along the boulevard can preserve up to 1,680 acres (680 ha) of farmland and lead to an annual transportation savings per household of about $1,500. New residences could generate more than $17 million annually in property tax revenue. This study offers lessons for communities interested in promoting environmental protection, enhancing quality of life, and reducing energy consumption.

AbstractObjectivePrevious research indicates that low-income individuals often struggle to consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables (F&V). LINK Up Illinois is a farmers’ market incentive programme that aims to increase F&V consumption among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients by improving access to and affordability of locally grown foods. The present research aimed to identify barriers to F&V consumption that exist among users of the LINK Up Illinois programme.DesignCross-sectional.SettingFarmers’ markets in Chicago, Springfield, Northbrook, Woodstock, Aurora and Urbana, IL.SubjectsIn 2016, a volunteer sample of 140 LINK Up Illinois users (mean age 42·5 years; 81·7 % female; 28·7 % African American; 44·0 % obese) completed a survey at participating farmers’ markets across the state. Information on demographics, food shopping behaviours, programme satisfaction, barriers to F&V consumption and frequency of F&V consumption was collected and examined.ResultsApproximately 23 % of survey participants reported consuming F&V ≥3 times/d. The barriers to F&V consumption most often reported by survey participants were the cost of F&V (29·5 %), spoilage (18·6 %), knowing how to cook F&V (8·7 %) and not thinking about F&V when hungry (8·6 %). Results from multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models suggested that reporting one or more barriers was associated with reduced odds of consuming vegetables ≥3 times/d, but not fruits.ConclusionsCost, spoilage and knowledge of cooking are key barriers to F&V consumption that exist among LINK Up Illinois users. Strategies are needed to mitigate these barriers and increase F&V consumption in this population.

This paper discusses the concepts and results from two contrasting types of water recycling initiatives in Australia. The first type of initiative is a centralised scheme based on local authorities recycling sewage effluent and/or stormwater in urban areas. A new urban subdivision in Queensland (Springfield) is provided as an example of such a centralised scheme, with uses ranging from dual reticulation, to public space irrigation, to urban lakes. The importance of strong public consultation and partnership is stressed for scheme success. A second example of a centralised scheme is an upmarket subdivision in Adelaide, South Australia (Mawson Lakes), where stormwater and recycled effluent are designed to supply in excess of 70% of the community's total water requirement. Scheme success is highly probable because of the ready adoption of innovative water supply alternatives by South Australians. The other type of initiative operates at a household scale (Healthy Home) and demonstrates that reinventing old ideas using new technologies can allow urban households to become largely self reliant for their potable and non-potable water needs, at least in high rainfall coastal areas. However, the cost effectiveness of this self reliance will require a substantial change in the sharing of savings from deferred public infrastructure costs. We include for comparison an analysis by Coombes et al. for the Lower Hunter region which clearly demonstrates that adoption of water sensitive urban design features, such as rainwater tanks in new developments, is not only more cost effective than traditional infrastructure solutions, but also allows the deferral of new urban water supply dams by the order of decades. We conclude the paper with the observation that advances in incorporating externalities into water development economics, the "trickle down" effect of new distributed technologies, and the growing desire by urban communities to live within the capacity of their regional ecosystems will probably ensure that reforms in the urban water and wastewater cycles will pioneer the way to genuinely sustainable and liveable urban communities in the near future. In short, the Ecological Footprint of urban development will be substantially reduced.

Background: Central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are an important public health issue. Recent data from the CDC have shown an increase in healthcare-associated infections (including CLABSI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the main aim of this project was to analyze the epidemiology of central-line–associated bloodstream infection during different periods at the Baystate Medical Center (Springfield, MA) before, during, and after COVID-19 peaks of infection. Methods: Two specific periods were considered during the year (quarter January–March and quarter July–September) to consider potential seasonal variations, and the incidence of CLABSI during those 2 quarters was analyzed for 4 different years: 2019 (prepandemic), 2020–2021 (intrapandemic), and 2022 (postpandemic). An analysis of the microbial pathogens causing line infections was also performed to investigate differences described by other authors. Results: In total, 97 CLABSI (all from different patients) were reported into the NHSN website during the 8 periods considered. The average age of the patients was 55 years, with a male:female ratio of 57%:43%, and 14 renal patients were on dialysis. The CLABSI rates ranged from a minimum of 1.11 in Q1 of 2020 (start of COVID) to a maximum of 2 in Q3 of 2021 (SARS-CoV-2 delta variant) (Table 1). A statistical comparison of the pre–COVID-19 period with the respective quarters during the pandemic years (2020, 2021, and 2022) did not show any significant differences (Table 2). In term of microbiological data, of the 97 patients with CLABSIs, most of the patients (n = 70) had only 1 pathogen isolated, 14 patients had 2 pathogens, and 3 patients had 3 pathogens, bringing the total number of bacteria cultured to 117. Candida spp and Enterococcus spp were the most frequently isolated pathogens at 19% and 13%, respectively (Fig. 1). There was no statistically significant difference between the pre–COVID-19 and intra–COVID-19 periods for Candida spp (rate ratio, 1.391; 95% CI, 0.5477–3.533; P = .48) or Enterococcus spp (rate ratio, 2.385; 95% CI, 0.8365–6.798; P = .09). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic did not seem to have an impact on the local epidemiology at Baystate Medical Center in terms of CLABSI rates or type of pathogens causing infections, but the sample size taken into consideration may not have been powerful enough to detect statistical significance.Note. This project was carried out as part of Dr Satta’s MPH requirements at UMass.Disclosures: None

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate students' perceptions about the characteristics of creativity and engagement in solving non-routine problems. It involved 64 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) university students, who participated in a two-year research project in New Zealand during which participants were given opportunities to utilise puzzle-based learning in their courses. Comparing open-ended responses of two surveys, this article focuses on student perceptions about attributes of creativity in non-routine problem-solving. These results have pedagogical implications for tertiary stem education. References A. J. Baroody and A. Dowker. The development of arithmetic concepts and skills: Constructive adaptive expertise. Routledge, 2013. URL https://www.routledge.com/The-Development-of-Arithmetic-Concepts-and-Skills-Constructive-Adaptive/Baroody-Dowker/p/book/9780805831566. S. A. Costa. Puzzle-based learning: An approach to creativity, design thinking and problem solving. implications for engineering education. Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA), 2017. doi:10.24908/pceea.v0i0.7365. N. Falkner, R. Sooriamurthi, and Z. Michalewicz. Teaching puzzle-based learning: Development of transferable skills. Teach. Math. Comput. Sci., 10(2):245–268, 2012. doi:10.5485/TMCS.2012.0304. A. Fisher. Critical thinking: An introduction. Cambridge University Press, 2011. URL https://www.cambridge.org/us/education/subject/humanities/critical-thinking/critical-thinking-2nd-edition/critical-thinking-introduction-2nd-edition-paperback?isbn=9781107401983. E. C. Fortes and R. R. Andrade. Mathematical creativity in solving non-routine problems. The Normal Lights, 13(1), 2019. URL http://po.pnuresearchportal.org/ejournal/index.php/normallights/article/view/1237. P. Gnadig, G. Honyek, and K. F. Riley. 200 puzzling physics problems: With hints and solutions. Cambridge University Press, 2001. URL https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/physics/general-and-classical-physics/200-puzzling-physics-problems-hints-and-solutions?format=AR&isbn=9780521774802. J. P. Guilford. Creativity: Yesterday, today and tomorrow. J. Creative Behav., 1(1):3–14, 1967. doi:10.1002/j.2162-6057.1967.tb00002.x. J. P. Guilford. Characteristics of Creativity. Illinois State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Springfield. Gifted Children Section, 1973. URL https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED080171. G. Hatano and Y. Oura. Commentary: Reconceptualizing school learning using insight from expertise research. Ed. Res., 32(8):26–29, 2003. doi:10.3102/0013189X032008026. S. Klymchuk. Puzzle-based learning in engineering mathematics: Students\T1\textquoteright attitudes. Int. J.Math. Ed. Sci. Tech., 48(7): 1106–1119, 2017. doi:10.1080/0020739X.2017.1327088. B. Martz, J. Hughes, and F. Braun. Developing a creativity and problem solving course in support of the information systems curriculum. J. Learn. High. Ed., 12(1):27–36, 2016. URL https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1139749.pdf. Z. Michalewicz, N. Falkner, and R. Sooriamurthi. Puzzle-based learning: An introduction to critical thinking and problem solving. Hybrid Publishers, 2011. B. Parhami. A puzzle-based seminar for computer engineering freshmen. Comp. Sci. Ed., 18(4):261–277, 2008. doi:10.1080/08993400802594089. URL http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&id. G. Polya. How to solve it: A new aspect of mathematical method. Princeton University Press, 2004. URL https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691164076/how-to-solve-it. M. A. Runco. Creativity: Theories and themes: Research, development, and practice. Elsevier, 2014. URL https://www.elsevier.com/books/creativity/runco/978-0-12-410512-6. A. H. Schoenfeld. Mathematical problem solving. Elsevier, 2014. URL https://www.elsevier.com/books/mathematical-problem-solving/schoenfeld/978-0-12-628870-4. C. Thomas, M. Badger, E. Ventura-Medina, and C. Sangwin. Puzzle-based learning of mathematics in engineering. Eng. Ed., 8(1):122–134, 2013. doi:10.11120/ened.2013.00005. M. O. J. Thomas. Developing versatility in mathematical thinking. Med. J. Res. Math. Ed., 7(2):67–87, 2008. A. Valentine, I. Belski, and M. Hamilton. Developing creativity and problem-solving skills of engineering students: A comparison of web and pen-and-paper-based approaches. Eur. J. Eng. Ed., 42(6):1309–1329, 2017. doi:10.1080/03043797.2017.1291584. G. Wallas. The art of thought. Solis Press, 1926.

Theoretical basis Brands are socially constructed (Askegaard, 2006) and are culturally dependent on the “cultural codes of branding” by taking into consideration the history, images and myths that can influence brand meaning (Schroeder, 2009). Brands can be of great value when they hold a favorable image in the consumer’s mind (Anholt, 2010). Regional differences and demographics can impact what has a favorable image in the consumer’s mind and can bias the expectancy set for consumers. When selecting a brand name, the SMILE and SCRATCH test should be used (Neck et al., 2018; Watkins, 2014). This name evaluation test can be used to assess the strength of a brand name. If the name has these five qualities, it should be kept, or you should “smile”: suggestive – it evokes positivity; meaningful – customers can understand it; imagery – it is visually memorable; legs – it lends itself well to a theme to run with; and emotional – it resonates with your market. On the contrary, if the name has any of these traits, it should be “scratched”: spelling-challenged – it is hard to spell; copycat – it is too similar to competitors’ names; restrictive – it would be hard to grow or evolve with; annoying – it is annoying; tame – it is lame or uninspired; curse of knowledge – only insiders or some people will understand it; and hard-to-pronounce – it is hard to say (Neck et al., 2018; Watkins, 2014). The marketing mix or 4P’s of marketing – product, price, promotion and place – is a set of tools business owners can use to achieve their marketing goals and is based on McCarthy’s (1960) work. The S.A.V.E. framework – solution, access, value and education (Ettenson et al., 2013) – has more recently been cited as a more modern replacement to the long used 4P’s model (Ettenson et al., 2013). Through this framework, business owners can work to align their brand to provide a solution to customers’ problems, give them access to the solution, provide value for customers and educate them about the product or service. The S.A.V.E. framework focuses on solutions, access, value and education rather than product, place, price and promotion. In this framework, the business should focus on meeting their customers’ needs and being accessible to customers along their entire journey from hearing about the company to making a purchase. Additionally, companies should provide value for their customers rather than solely worrying about price, and instead educate customers by providing information they care about (Ettenson et al., 2013; Neck et al., 2018). Research methodology Teaching case. Case overview/synopsis This case presents the story of Big Momma’s, a coffee shop in a deteriorated historic district in Springfield, Missouri. Big Momma’s owner Lyle, a black man in a predominantly white region, was new to the area and launched the business quickly, without much market testing of the concept or brand. Soon after launching, Lyle wondered if he was set up for doom as customers constantly ask for Momma or barbeque. It seemed necessary to take a critical look at the marketing and branding plans. Complexity academic level This case could have multiple uses, primarily for early stage undergraduate students studying entrepreneurship or integrated marketing communications. The case lines up nicely with the following textbook lessons. Entrepreneurship: the case can be used with Entrepreneurship: The Practice and Mindset (Neck et al., 2018), chapter 16, lesson on branding with a specific tie to the SMILE and SCRATCH test described in Table 16.1 and the S.A.V.E. framework described on pages 453–454. It can also be used with Entrepreneurship (Zacharakis et al., 2018), chapter 6, lesson on marketing strategy for entrepreneurs with a specific tie to the sections on marketing mix and value proposition described on pages 183–198. Integrated marketing communications: this case can be used with Advertising, Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications (Shrimp and Andrews, 2013), chapter 3, lesson on brand naming. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

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Turkeyen, Guyana: Dr. David Chanderbali, Department of History, University of Guyana, 1994. xiii + 277 pp.-Mindie Lazarus-Black, Brian L. Moore, Cultural power, resistance and pluralism: Colonial Guyana 1838-1900. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press; Mona, Kingston: The Press-University of the West Indies, 1995. xv + 376 pp.-Madhavi Kale, K.O. Laurence, A question of labour: Indentured immigration into Trinidad and British Guiana, 1875-1917. Kingston: Ian Randle; London: James Currey, 1994. ix + 648 pp.-Franklin W. Knight, O. Nigel Bolland, On the March: Labour rebellions in the British Caribbean, 1934-39. Kingston: Ian Randle; London: James Currey, 1995. viii + 216 pp.-Linden Lewis, Kevin A. Yelvington, Producing power: Ethnicity, gender, and class in a Caribbean workplace. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995. xv + 286 pp.-Consuelo López Springfield, Alta-Gracia Ortíz, Puerto Rican women and work: Bridges in transnational labor. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996. xi + 249 pp.-Peta Henderson, Irma McClaurin, Women of Belize: Gender and change in Central America. New Brunswick NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1996. x + 218 pp.-Bonham C. Richardson, David M. Bush ,Living with the Puerto Rico Shore. José Gonzalez Liboy & William J. Neal. Durham: Duke University Press, 1995. xx + 193 pp., Richard M.T. Webb, Lisbeth Hyman (eds)-Bonham C. Richardson, David Barker ,Environment and development in the Caribbean: Geographical perspectives. Mona, Kingston: The Press-University of the West Indies, 1995. xv + 304 pp., Duncan F.M. McGregor (eds)-Alma H. Young, Anthony T. Bryan ,Distant cousins: The Caribbean-Latin American relationship. Miami: North-South-Center Press, 1996. iii + 132 pp., Andrés Serbin (eds)-Alma H. Young, Ian Boxill, Ideology and Caribbean integration. Mona, Kingston: The Press-University of the West Indies, 1993. xiii + 128 pp.-Stephen D. Glazier, Howard Gregory, Caribbean theology: Preparing for the challenges ahead. Mona, Kingston: Canoe Press, University of the West Indies, 1995. xx + 118 pp.-Lise Winer, Richard Allsopp, Dictionary of Caribbean English usage. With a French and Spanish supplement edited by Jeanette Allsopp. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. lxxviii + 697 pp.-Geneviève Escure, Jacques Arends ,Pidgins and Creoles: An introduction. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 1995. xiv + 412 pp., Pieter Muysken, Norval Smith (eds)-Jacques Arends, Angela Bartens, Die iberoromanisch-basierten Kreolsprachen: Ansätze der linguistischen Beschreibung. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 1995. vii + 345 pp.-J. Michael Dash, Richard D.E. Burton, Le roman marron: Études sur la littérature martiniquaise contemporaine. Paris: L'Harmattan. 1997. 282 pp.

CREATIONISM USA: Bridging the Impasse on Teaching Evolution by Adam Laats. New York: Oxford University Press, 2021. 218 pages. Hardcover; $32.95. ISBN: 9780197516607. *Historian Adam Laats (a self-described noncreationist, nonscientist) has written a thorough and well-documented account of American creationism, past and present. His frequent use of primary literature and direct quotes assures the reader that s/he is being presented with accurate information. *Laats shows that most Americans don't know much about evolutionary theory and that they have taken the path of least resistance by carelessly embracing positions simply because of the persuasiveness of winsome idea champions. Latts argues that they should evaluate supporting evidence for those positions. He opposes the "missionary attitudes" on both sides of the controversy, pointing out that some creationists link views on origins with salvation, and some atheistic evolutionists wish to convince creationists to abandon religion for science. *Laats posits that the evolution/creation conflict is mostly between young earth creationists (YEC), whom he calls "radical creationists," and everyone else. He says that radical creationists incorrectly conflate the holding of "liberal" social positions on such things as sexuality, abortion, and politics with learning about evolution. In response, radical creationists have built systems and institutions to promulgate their views in competition with mainstream science. Sadly, his use of the harsh moniker "radical creationists" will not lead many YEC adherents to read his book. *Laats theorizes that creationists are such for many reasons, including seeking explanations of first cause, purpose, and the driving forces acting in the created order. He points out that they are also concerned about consciousness and morality. While he gives examples of the uncivil and fratricidal rhetoric between champions of various creationist positions, he also takes the time to describe the hermeneutical approach taken by a majority of YECers (famously promoted by Ken Ham and his ministry Answers in Genesis), that is, to understand the intended meaning of the biblical text under consideration. He then shows that while the old earth creationist perspective (championed by Hugh Ross and the ministry Reasons to Believe) is quite varied in the particulars, it agrees with the YEC view that speciation events were acts of divine intervention, not evolution. He continues to show that mainstream evolution gains the strongest support from creationists self-identified as evolutionary creationists (i.e., theistic evolutionists), who are represented by the "non-radical" umbrella organization BioLogos. He shows that intelligent design proponents hold diverse views on the age of the creation and on evolution, but that they share the belief that life is too complex to have arisen on its own. With keen insight he writes: "Radicals, non-radicals, old earthers, intelligent designers, evolutionary creationists all compete to have their creationist vision embraced by religious people who might or might not look askance at evolutionary theory" (p. 17). *While he thoroughly describes the main creationist viewpoints (young earth creation, old earth creation, evolutionary creation, intelligent design), and he quotes evolutionary creationist Kenneth Miller statement that "absolute materialism … cannot fully explain the nature of reality" early on (p. 21), for the rest of the book, Laats largely ignores how naturalism, materialism, and teleology affect theists' stances toward evolutionary theory. *Naturalism (ontological) is the view that the universe completely lacks supernatural or metaphysical elements.1 While many evolutionary creationists are methodological naturalists (science should not address metaphysics), they are not ontological naturalists. *Materialism, while similar to naturalism, posits that the universe consists only of matter and energy.2 Relating these propositions to science, David Griffin writes: "Science, it is widely agreed in scientific, philosophical, and liberal religious circles, necessarily presupposes naturalism … Most philosophers, theologians, and scientists, however, believe that scientific naturalism is incompatible with any religious view of reality."3 *Teleology (biological progress) is consistent with the theological view that God created the universe and life with purpose.4 Evolutionary creationists hold a variety of views on teleological evolution, and those who accept it in principle disagree on possible mechanisms of action. Many creationists conflate evolution, materialism, and ateleology. This strengthens their resolve to reject evolutionary theory of any kind. *To "bridge the impasse," Laats prescribes how evolution should be taught in public secondary schools: children should learn about evolution and religious ideas should be kept out of the classroom. Trust in educators should be fostered because Americans doubt mainstream evolutionary theory due to "our fundamental, divisive, enduring lack of trust" (p. 175). But this approach to gain trust of students through the presentation of convincing evidence and arguments has already been shown to be largely ineffective. Teachers who fail to consider religious presuppositions are likely to build intransigence among their religious students. On the other hand, culturally competent teaching methods have been shown to successfully engage both evolutionary theory and the learner's presuppositions and religious beliefs. A growing body of empirical studies shows that culturally competent evolution educators can gain the trust of their students, who are then less resistant to new or previously rejected propositions about evolution.5 *In summary, this fine book suffers from a failure to recognize naturalism/materialism as the core conflict between creationists and materialistic evolutionists,6 and it doesn't promote the building of trust and reconciliation in educational settings through culturally competent evolution instructional methods. *Notes *1David Papineau, "Naturalism," in E. N. Zalta, ed., The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2021 Edition), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2021/entries/naturalism/. *2William Jaworski, "Why Materialism Is False, and Why It Has Nothing To Do with the Mind," Philosophy 91, no. 2 (2016): 183-213, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031819116000036. *3David Ray Griffin, Religion and Scientific Naturalism: Overcoming the Conflicts (Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 2000), 11. *4Sy Garte, "Telelogy and the Origin of Evolution," Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 69, no. 1 (2017): 42-50, https://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2017/PSCF3-17Garte.pdf. *5For example, M. Elizabeth Barnes and Sara E. Brownell, "A Call to Use Cultural Competence When Teaching Evolution to Religious College Students: Introducing Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education (ReCCEE)," CBE--Life Sciences Education 16, no. 4 (2017), https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-04-0062. *6See M. Elizabeth Barnes et al., "'Accepting Evolution Means You Can't Believe in God': Atheistic Perceptions of Evolution among College Biology Students," CBE--Life Sciences Education 19, no. 2 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.19-05-0106. *Reviewed by Michael Tenneson, Department Chair and Professor of Biology at Evangel University, Springfield, MO 65802.

Discussions around community-based partnership and advocacy have focused on how individuals within universities (whether professors or administrators) can work alongside the community and sectors of government and industry to promote community-based solutions to social problems. Community-based participatory strategies center on the collaboration of multiple community members, entities, and organizations working toward solutions to social problems which consider the specific location, language, and culture of a region and the needs and challenges that individuals in these areas may face, with the purpose of making the solutions actionable and attainable.[1] Missouri State University—with its public affairs mission (discussed in further detail below) and the orientation of many of its colleges and departments around that mission—has consistently valued and promoted community-based participatory research (CBPR) as a means of contributing to these efforts. CBPR utilizes methods that allow researchers to build trust with community members, encourage community participation at all stages of the research, foster cross-sector collaboration, and empower communities to create and implement measures for addressing shared challenges. CBPR also allows universities to share resources, including the research and professional expertise of staff and faculty, to support community projects that improve the quality of life of area residents.[2]

Abstract Background Numerous reports have demonstrated the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on vulnerable populations. Our purpose is to describe our health care system’s response to this impact. Methods We convened a Workgroup with the goal to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the most medically vulnerable people in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, particularly those with significant social needs. We did this through (1) identifying vulnerable patients in high-need geographic areas, (2) developing and implementing a needs assessment/outreach tool tailored to meet cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds, (3) surveying pharmacies for access to medication delivery, (4) gathering information about sources of food delivery, groceries and/or prepared food, (5) gathering information about means of travel, and (6) assessing need for testing. We then combined these six elements into a patient-oriented branch and a community outreach/engagement branch. Conclusions Our highly intentional and methodical approach to patient and community outreach with a strong geographic component has led to fruitful efforts in COVID-19 mitigation. Our patient-level outreach engages our health centers’ clinical teams, particularly community health workers, and is providing the direct benefit of material and service resources for our at-risk patients and their families. Our community efforts leveraged existing relationships and created new partnerships that continue to inform us—healthcare entities, healthcare employees, and clinical teams—so that we can grow and learn in order to authentically build trust and engagement.

"Leadership is an essentially moral act," said A. Bartlett Giamatti, former president of Yale University,who later became Commissioner of Baseball. But consider these few news items, selected from amultitude of candidates: Eliot Spitzer, former governor of New York, resigned after his involvement witha prostitute was made public. Rod Blagojevich, former governor of Illinois, was removed from office byunanimous vote of the Illinois State Senate after conviction on federal corruption charges. BernardMadoff, former Wall Street executive and NASDAQ chair, currently is incarcerated in federal prisonafter conviction for investment fraud. Rev. Jeffrey Sarkies, a popular pastor at West Seattle’s HolyRosary Church, resigned after the Seattle Archdiocese determined that he had violated theirprofessional ethics policy in the area of sexual misconduct and harassment. Mike Garrison, formerpresident of West Virginia University, resigned after he was accused of compromising the university’sacademic integrity in what was described as an improper granting of an executive MBA to the daughterof the governor of that state. Jim Harrick, former head basketball coach at the University of Georgia,resigned after he was accused of National Collegiate Athletic Association violations; Harrick had beenfired six years previously as head basketball coach from UCLA for ethics lapses. Dr. Scott Reuben, ananesthesiologist at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA and prolific researcher, admitted thathe fabricated much of the data for his research. And so on.

Structural inequities influence young parents’ access to health care, housing, transportation, social support, education, and income. The current study adds to the extant literature by providing data directly obtained in collaboration with young parents to understand how structural violence affects the health and well-being of their families, ultimately resulting in community-driven policy recommendations developed in collaboration with the state health department. We engaged a diverse sample of young people—considered as community researchers in the project—including Black, Latinx, and/or LGBTQ+ pregnant and parenting young parents in a participatory action research (PAR) project in the spring of 2022 to explore their health and material needs while living in Springfield, Massachusetts. Together with young parents, we used participatory arts-based methods to conduct community and identity building, define research questions and photo prompts, conduct data collection (photos), engage in group thematic analysis, and take action at the state policy level. We also conducted individual semi-structured life-history interviews with the young parents. Participatory community-led findings indicate an urgent need for systemic change to increase access to safe and affordable housing; living-wage jobs; safe, high-quality, and affordable child care; and to bolster social support and disabilities services for young parents and their families. This participatory study funded by a state health department demonstrates that participatory community-driven data can have the power to mobilize community members and policy makers for social change if prioritized at the state and local levels. Additional practice-based implications include prioritizing participatory mentorship programs intended to aid young parents in navigating the complex systems that are vital to their survival.

The Florida I grew up with - Marineland, Coral Castle, Weeki Wachee, mom-and-pop motels - is fast disappearing, replaced with more and more theme parks and big box chain hotels. Before the interstates laced across the state, US1 was the main access to Florida and many of these older attractions (or what remains of them) lie along this highway. The Land of Sunshine is my photographic series that sets out to document these disappearing monuments before all trace of them is gone. So much of living in a place designed for the sole purpose of selling itself to visitors is the sacrifice of nostalgia. These cute mom-and-pops motels and the boardwalk, which hold fond memories for many in the region, just look run down and “old” to the tourists. For this reason, little stays the way it is; there is constant remodeling, a never-ending expansion, and a steady development. This happens to the point that much of Florida’s history is lost, forgotten, and covered up by the sky-rise, beach-view condos that seem to multiply daily. Florida’s commodity is itself. It’s an image. It’s a reflection of both careful branding as well as exterior expectations. This process creates a special sort of irony. In an area where tourism is a major part of the economy, this region chooses to let itself be shaped so that visitors will be pleased. A business could only succeed based on the public opinions of places such as Peoria, IL or Toledo, OH. Now the region mourns the loss of landmarks built primarily for others. Starting at the Florida-Georgia border, I have been traveling along US1 documenting the remnants of attractions, motels, roadside stands, “tourist traps” and whatever else I find along the highway. There is a reoccurring theme along this highway and throughout Florida (and probably much of America right now) - property. Past commercial successes no longer possible and unbridled ambition have motivated small groups to purchase, parcel and zone all possible land. The result is an area razed by “outsiders” in the name of progress. To those in the region, the word “developer” has become something most foul. They are seen as destroyers of mass pleasure for the sake of private profit. They are seen as vampires. In my series I photographed an empty lot that once was the Daytona Bowl. My memories of the Daytona Bowl include skipping class one afternoon to go there with a friend in high school. I had never been bowling before and although it seemed like an odd way to spend a skip day (usually young people enjoy more “dangerous” or exciting activities) but there, with the unemployed and the retired, I bowled for the first time and found out I was fairly decent at the sport. The Daytona Bowl lot was purchased in 2004 and torn down in preparation for a condominium that was never built. Now the empty lot is up for sale. There are a lot of things in Daytona that were torn down in the real estate boom that were never replaced. I can’t help but think as I drive by them that if only they hadn’t been torn down in the first place we could still be bowling or playing skee ball at the boardwalk. How long can we as a society continue to expand? Is new always better? Is old always bad? Perhaps this region should be allowed to embrace what the tourists have abandoned. Liz Murphy Thomas is an artist, photographer and educator. She holds a BFA in Creative Photography from the University of Florida and an MFA in Photography and Digital Imaging from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Ms. Thomas’ work investigates issues of identity, memory and the associations we give to our possessions. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the University of Illinois Springfield.

"Space, the limitless area in which all things exist and move." -- Merriam-Webster Dictionary(658) Can we determine our point in time and space at this moment of pre-millennium anticipation? The evolution of our visualisation of space as a culture is shifting and entering the critical consciousness of our global village. The infinite expansion of space's parameters, definitions and visualisation remains the next frontier -- not only for NASA, but for visual culture. Benjamin's vision of loss of the aura of originality through reproduction has come to pass, so has the concept of McLuhan's global village, Baudrillard's simulacra, and Gibson's cyberpunk. Recent technologies such as digital imaging, video, 3-D modelling, virtual reality, and the Internet have brought us to the cusp of the millennium as pioneers of what I call this 'NXT space' for visual thinking, for artistic expression. The vision being constructed in pre-millennium culture takes place in an objectless fictionalised space. This virtual reality is a space that is expanding infinitely, as we speak. The vehicle through which access is gained into this layer takes the form of a machine that requires a mind/body split. The viewer probes through the intangible pixels and collects visual data. The data received on this or that layer have the potential to transport the viewer virtually and yield a visceral experience. The new tools for visualisation allow an expanded perception to an altered state of consciousness. The new works cross the boundaries between media, and are the result of virtual trips via the usage of digital imaging. Their aesthetic reflects our digital society in which people maintain extremely intimate relationships with their computers. This new era is populated by a new generation that is inside more than outside, emailing while faxing, speaking on the phone and surfing the Web with MTV on in the background. We have surpassed postmodernist ideas of pluralism and simultaneity and have produced people for whom the digital age is no revolution. Selected colours, forms and spaces refer to the pixelisation of our daily experience. We are really discussing pop for ahistorical youth, who consider virtual reality to be the norm of visualisation via digitally produced ads, movies, TV shows, music videos, video games and the computer. The term "new media" is already antiquated. We are participating in a realm that is fluent with technology, where the visualisation of space is more natural than an idea of objecthood. (At least as long as we're operating in the technology-rich Western world, that is.) The relationship of these virtual spaces with the mass audience is the cause of pre-millennium anxiety. The cool distance of remote control and the ability to remain in an altered state of consciousness are the residual effects of virtual reality. It is this alienated otherness that allows for the atomisation of the universe. We construct artifice for interface, and simulacra have become more familiar than the "real". NXT space, cyberspace, is the most vital space for visual thinking in the 21st century. The malleability and immateriality of the pixel sub-universe has exponential potential. The artists of this future, who will dedicate themselves successfully to dealing with the new parameters of this installation space, will not consider themselves "computer artists". They will be simply artists working with integrated electronic arts. Digital imaging has permeated our lives to such an extent that like Las Vegas "it's the sunsets that look fake as all hell" (Hickey). Venturi depicts the interior of Las Vegas's casinos as infinite dark spaces with lots of lights transmitting information. Cyberspace is a public/private space occupied by a global village, in that it is a public space through its accessibility to anyone with Internet access, and a social space due to the ability to exchange ideas and meet others through dialogue; however, it is also an intimate private space due to its intangibility and the distance between each loner at their terminal. NXT needs a common sign system that is seductive enough to persuade the visitor into entering the site and can act as a navigational tool. People like to return to places that feel familiar and stimulate reverie of past experiences. This requires the visitor to fantasise while navigating through a cybersite and believe that it is an actual place that exists and where they can dwell. Venturi's model of the sign system as paramount to the identification of the actual architecture is perfect for cyberspace, because you are selling the idea or the fiction of the site, not the desert that it really is. Although NXT can not utilise object cathexion to stimulate fantasy and attachment to site, it can breed familiarity through a consistent sign system and a dynamic and interactive social space which would entice frequent revisiting. NXT Space, a home for the other? "Suddenly it becomes possible that there are just others, that we ourselves are an 'other' among others", as Paul Ricoeur said in 1962. If one were to impose Heidegger's thinking in regards to building and dwelling, they would have to reconstruct NXT as a site that would promote dwelling. It would have to be built in a way in which people were not anonymous or random. A chat room or BBS would have to be attached, where people could actively participate with one another within NXT. Once these visitors had other people that they could identify with and repeatedly interact with, they would form a community within the NXT site. Mortals would roam not on earth, nor under the sky, possibly before divinities (who knows), but rather through pixel light and fiber optics without a physical interface between beings. If the goal of mortals is a Heideggerian notion of attachment to a site through building and building's goal is dwelling and dwelling's goal is identification and identification is accomplished through the cultivation of culture, then NXT could be a successful location. NXT could accommodate an interchange between beings that would be free of physiological constraints and identity separations. This is what could be exchanged and exposed in the NXT site without the interference and taint of socio-physio parameters that separate people from one another. A place where everyone without the convenience or burden of identity becomes simply another other. NXT could implement theory in an integral contextual way that could effect critical consciousness and a transformation of society. This site could serve as a theoretical laboratory where people could exchange and experiment within a dialogue. NXT as a test site could push the parameters of cyberspace and otherness in a real and tangible way. This "cyber-factory" would be interactive and analytical. The fictional simulated world is becoming our reality and cyberspace is becoming a more reasonable parallel to life. Travelling through time and space seems more attainable than ever before through the Internet. Net surfing is zipping through the Louvre, trifling through the Grand Canyon and then checking your horoscope. People are becoming used to this ability and the abstract is becoming more tangible to the masses. As techno-literacy and access increase, so should practical application of abstract theory. NXT would escape reification of theory through dynamic accessibility. The virtual factory could be a Voltaire's cafe of cyber-thinkers charting the critical consciousness and evolution of our Web-linked world. Although ultimately in the West we do exist within a capitalist system where every good thought leaks out to the masses and becomes popular, popularity creates fashion, fashion is fetishistic, thereby desirable, and accumulates monetary value. Market power depoliticises original content and enables an idea to become dogma; another trophy in the cultural hall of fame. Ideas do die, but in another time and place can be resurrected and utilised as a template for counter-reaction. This is analogous to genetic evolution -- DNA makes RNA which makes retro-DNA, etc. --, and the helix spirals on, making reification an organic process. However, will cyberspace ever be instrumental in transforming society in the next century? Access is the largest inhibitor. Privileged technophiles often forget that they are in the minority. How do we become more inclusive and expand the dialogue to encompass the infinite number of different voices on our planet? NXT space is limited to a relatively small number of individuals with the ability to afford and gain access to high-tech equipment. This will continue the existing socio-economic imbalance that restricts our critical consciousness. Without developing the Internet into the NXT space, we will be tremendously bothered by ISPs, with data transfer control and content police. My fear for the global village, surfing through our virtual landscape, is that we will all skid off this swiftly tilting planet. The addiction to the Net and to simulated experiences will subject us to remote control. The inundation of commercialism bombarding the spectator was inevitable, and subsequently there are fewer innovative sites pushing the boundaries of experimentation with this medium. Pre-millennium anxiety is abundant in technophobes, but as a technophile I too am afflicted. My fantasy of a NXT space is dwindling as the clock ticks towards the Y2K problem and a new niche for community and social construction has already been out-competed. If only we could imagine all the people living in the NXT space with its potential for tolerance, dialogue, and community. References Bachelard, Gaston. The Poetics of Space: The Classic Look at How We Experience Intimate Places. Boston, MA: Beacon, 1994. Benjamin, Walter. Illuminations. New York: Schocken, 1978. Gibson, William. Neuromancer. San Francisco: Ace Books, 1984. Heidegger, Martin. The Question Concerning Technology, and Other Essays. Trans. William Lovitt. New York: Garland, 1977. Hickey, David. Air Guitar: Four Essays on Art and Democracy. Los Angeles: Art Issues, 1997. Koch, Stephen. Stargazer: Andy Warhol's World and His Films. London: Calder and Boyars, 1973. McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1994. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Springfield, MA: G.&.C. Merriam, 1974. Venturi, Robert. Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectual Form. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1977. Citation reference for this article MLA style: Sherry Mayo. "NXT Space for Visual Thinking: An Experimental Cyberlab." M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 1.4 (1998). [your date of access] <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/9811/nxt.php>. Chicago style: Sherry Mayo, "NXT Space for Visual Thinking: An Experimental Cyberlab," M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 1, no. 4 (1998), <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/9811/nxt.php> ([your date of access]). APA style: Sherry Mayo. (1998) NXT space for visual thinking: an experimental cyberlab. M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 1(4). <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/9811/nxt.php> ([your date of access]).

The 2000s have been a lively decade for cities. The Worldwatch Institute estimated that 2007 was the first year in human history that more people worldwide lived in cities than the countryside. Globalisation and new digital media technologies have generated the seemingly paradoxical outcome that spatial location came to be more rather than less important, as combinations of firms, industries, cultural activities and creative talents have increasingly clustered around a select node of what have been termed “creative cities,” that are in turn highly networked into global circuits of economic capital, political power and entertainment media. Intellectually, the period has seen what the UCLA geographer Ed Soja refers to as the spatial turn in social theory, where “whatever your interests may be, they can be significantly advanced by adopting a critical spatial perspective” (2). This is related to the dynamic properties of socially constructed space itself, or what Soja terms “the powerful forces that arise from socially produced spaces such as urban agglomerations and cohesive regional economies,” with the result that “what can be called the stimulus of socio-spatial agglomeration is today being assertively described as the primary cause of economic development, technological innovation, and cultural creativity” (14). The demand for social justice in cities has, in recent years, taken the form of “Right to the City” movements. The “Right to the City” movement draws upon the long tradition of radical urbanism in which the Paris Commune of 1871 features prominently, and which has both its Marxist and anarchist variants, as well as the geographer Henri Lefebvre’s (1991) arguments that capitalism was fundamentally driven by the production of space, and that the citizens of a city possessed fundamental rights by virtue of being in a city, meaning that political struggle in capitalist societies would take an increasingly urban form. Manifestations of contemporary “Right to the City” movements have been seen in the development of a World Charter for the Right to the City, Right to the City alliances among progressive urban planners as well as urban activists, forums that bring together artists, architects, activists and urban geographers, and a variety of essays on the subject by radical geographers including David Harvey, whose work I wish to focus upon here. In his 2008 essay "The Right to the City," Harvey presents a manifesto for 21st century radical politics that asserts that the struggle for collective control over cities marks the nodal point of anti-capitalist movements today. It draws together a range of strands of arguments recognizable to those familiar with Harvey’s work, including Marxist political economy, the critique of neoliberalism, the growth of social inequality in the U.S. in particular, and concerns about the rise of speculative finance capital and its broader socio-economic consequences. My interest in Harvey’s manifesto here arises not so much from his prognosis for urban radicalism, but from how he understands the suburban in relation to this urban class struggle. It is an important point to consider because, in many parts of the world, growing urbanisation is in fact growing suburbanisation. This is the case for U.S. cities (Cox), and it is also apparent in Australian cities, with the rise in particular of outer suburban Master Planned Communities as a feature of the “New Prosperity” Australia has been experiencing since the mid 1990s (Flew; Infrastructure Australia). What we find in Harvey’s essay is that the suburban is clearly sub-urban, or an inferior form of city living. Suburbs are variously identified by Harvey as being:Sites for the expenditure of surplus capital, as a safety valve for overheated finance capitalism (Harvey 27);Places where working class militancy is pacified through the promotion of mortgage debt, which turns suburbanites into political conservatives primarily concerned with maintaining their property values;Places where “the neoliberal ethic of intense possessive individualism, and its cognate of political withdrawal from collective forms of action” are actively promoted through the proliferation of shopping malls, multiplexes, franchise stores and fast-food outlets, leading to “pacification by cappuccino” (32);Places where women are actively oppressed, so that “leading feminists … [would] proclaim the suburb as the locus of all their primary discontents” (28);A source of anti-capitalist struggle, as “the soulless qualities of suburban living … played a critical role in the dramatic events of 1968 in the US [as] discontented white middle-class students went into a phase of revolt, sought alliances with marginalized groups claiming civil rights and rallied against American imperialism” (28).Given these negative associations, one could hardly imagine citizens demanding the right to the suburb, in the same way as Harvey projects the right to the city as a rallying cry for a more democratic social order. Instead, from an Australian perspective, one is reminded of the critiques of suburbia that have been a staple of radical theory from the turn of the 20th century to the present day (Collis et. al.). Demanding the “right to the suburb” would appear here as an inherently contradictory demand, that could only be desired by those who the Australian radical psychoanalytic theorist Douglas Kirsner described as living an alienated existence where:Watching television, cleaning the car, unnecessary housework and spectator sports are instances of general life-patterns in our society: by adopting these patterns the individual submits to a uniform life fashioned from outside, a pseudo-life in which the question of individual self-realisation does not even figure. People live conditioned, unconscious lives, reproducing the values of the system as a whole (Kirsner 23). The problem with this tradition of radical critique, which is perhaps reflective of the estrangement of a section of the Australian critical intelligentsia more generally, is that most Australians live in suburbs, and indeed seem (not surprisingly!) to like living in them. Indeed, each successive wave of migration to Australia has been marked by families seeking a home in the suburbs, regardless of the housing conditions of the place they came from: the demand among Singaporeans for large houses in Perth, or what has been termed “Singaperth,” is one of many manifestations of this desire (Lee). Australian suburban development has therefore been characterized by a recurring tension between the desire of large sections of the population to own their own home (the fabled quarter-acre block) in the suburbs, and the condemnation of suburban life from an assortment of intellectuals, political radicals and cultural critics. This was the point succinctly made by the economist and urban planner Hugh Stretton in his 1970 book Ideas for Australian Cities, where he observed that “Most Australians choose to live in suburbs, in reach of city centres and also of beaches or countryside. Many writers condemn this choice, and with especial anger or gloom they condemn the suburbs” (Stretton 7). Sue Turnbull has observed that “suburbia has come to constitute a cultural fault-line in Australia over the last 100 years” (19), while Ian Craven has described suburbia as “a term of contention and a focus for fundamentally conflicting beliefs” in the Australian national imaginary “whose connotations continue to oscillate between dream and suburban nightmare” (48). The tensions between celebration and critique of suburban life play themselves out routinely in the Australian media, from the sun-lit suburbanism of Australia’s longest running television serial dramas, Neighbours and Home and Away, to the pointed observational critiques found in Australian comedy from Barry Humphries to Kath and Kim, to the dark visions of films such as The Boys and Animal Kingdom (Craven; Turnbull). Much as we may feel that the diagnosis of suburban life as a kind of neurotic condition had gone the way of the concept album or the tie-dye shirt, newspaper feature writers such as Catherine Deveny, writing in The Age, have offered the following as a description of the Chadstone shopping centre in Melbourne’s eastern suburbChadstone is a metastasised tumour of offensive proportions that's easy to find. You simply follow the line of dead-eyed wage slaves attracted to this cynical, hermetically sealed weatherless biosphere by the promise a new phone will fix their punctured soul and homewares and jumbo caramel mugachinos will fill their gaping cavern of disappointment … No one looks happy. Everyone looks anaesthetised. A day spent at Chadstone made me understand why they call these shopping centres complexes. Complex as in a psychological problem that's difficult to analyse, understand or solve. (Deveny) Suburbanism has been actively promoted throughout Australia’s history since European settlement. Graeme Davison has observed that “Australia’s founders anticipated a sprawl of homes and gardens rather than a clumping of terraces and alleys,” and quotes Governor Arthur Phillip’s instructions to the first urban developers of the Sydney Cove colony in 1790 that streets shall be “laid out in such a manner as to afford free circulation of air, and where the houses are built … the land will be granted with a clause that will prevent more than one house being built on the allotment” (Davison 43). Louise Johnson (2006) argued that the main features of 20th century Australian suburbanisation were very much in place by the 1920s, particularly land-based capitalism and the bucolic ideal of home as a retreat from the dirt, dangers and density of the city. At the same time, anti-suburbanism has been a significant influence in Australian public thought. Alan Gilbert (1988) drew attention to the argument that Australia’s suburbs combined the worst elements of the city and country, with the absence of both the grounded community associated with small towns, and the mental stimuli and personal freedom associated with the city. Australian suburbs have been associated with spiritual emptiness, the promotion of an ersatz, one-dimensional consumer culture, the embourgeoisment of the working-class, and more generally criticised for being “too pleasant, too trivial, too domestic and far too insulated from … ‘real’ life” (Gilbert 41). There is also an extensive feminist literature critiquing suburbanization, seeing it as promoting the alienation of women and the unequal sexual division of labour (Game and Pringle). More recently, critiques of suburbanization have focused on the large outer-suburban homes developed on new housing estates—colloquially known as McMansions—that are seen as being environmentally unsustainable and emblematic of middle-class over-consumption. Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss’s Affluenza (2005) is a locus classicus of this type of argument, and organizations such as the Australia Institute—which Hamilton and Denniss have both headed—have regularly published papers making such arguments. Can the Suburbs Make You Creative?In such a context, championing the Australian suburb can feel somewhat like being an advocate for Dan Brown novels, David Williamson plays, Will Ferrell comedies, or TV shows such as Two and a Half Men. While it may put you on the side of majority opinion, you can certainly hear the critical axe grinding and possibly aimed at your head, not least because of the association of such cultural forms with mass popular culture, or the pseudo-life of an alienated existence. The art of a program such as Kath and Kim is that, as Sue Turnbull so astutely notes, it walks both sides of the street, both laughing with and laughing at Australian suburban culture, with its celebrity gossip magazines, gourmet butcher shops, McManisons and sales at Officeworks. Gina Riley and Jane Turner’s inspirations for the show can be seen with the presence of such suburban icons as Shane Warne, Kylie Minogue and Barry Humphries as guests on the program. Others are less nuanced in their satire. The website Things Bogans Like relentlessly pillories those who live in McMansions, wear Ed Hardy t-shirts and watch early evening current affairs television, making much of the lack of self-awareness of those who would simultaneously acquire Buddhist statues for their homes and take budget holidays in Bali and Phuket while denouncing immigration and multiculturalism. It also jokes about the propensity of “bogans” to loudly proclaim that those who question their views on such matters are demonstrating “political correctness gone mad,” appealing to the intellectual and moral authority of writers such as the Melbourne Herald-Sun columnist Andrew Bolt. There is also the “company you keep” question. Critics of over-consuming middle-class suburbia such as Clive Hamilton are strongly associated with the Greens, whose political stocks have been soaring in Australia’s inner cities, where the majority of Australia’s cultural and intellectual critics live and work. By contrast, the Liberal party under John Howard and now Tony Abbott has taken strongly to what could be termed suburban realism over the 1990s and 2000s. Examples of suburban realism during the Howard years included the former Member for Lindsay Jackie Kelly proclaiming that the voters of her electorate were not concerned with funding for their local university (University of Western Sydney) as the electorate was “pram city” and “no one in my electorate goes to uni” (Gibson and Brennan-Horley), and the former Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Garry Hardgrave, holding citizenship ceremonies at Bunnings hardware stores, so that allegiance to the Australian nation could co-exist with a sausage sizzle (Gleeson). Academically, a focus on the suburbs is at odds with Richard Florida’s highly influential creative class thesis, which stresses inner urban cultural amenity and “buzz” as the drivers of a creative economy. Unfortunately, it is also at odds with many of Florida’s critics, who champion inner city activism as the antidote to the ersatz culture of “hipsterisation” that they associate with Florida (Peck; Slater). A championing of suburban life and culture is associated with writers such as Joel Kotkin and the New Geography group, who also tend to be suspicious of claims made about the creative industries and the creative economy. It is worth noting, however, that there has been a rich vein of work on Australian suburbs among cultural geographers, that has got past urban/suburban binaries and considered the extent to which critiques of suburban Australia are filtered through pre-existing discursive categories rather than empirical research findings (Dowling and Mee; McGuirk and Dowling; Davies (this volume). I have been part of a team engaged in a three-year study of creative industries workers in outer suburban areas, known as the Creative Suburbia project.[i] The project sought to understand how those working in creative industries who lived and worked in the outer suburbs maintained networks, interacted with clients and their peers, and made a success of their creative occupations: it focused on six suburbs in the cities of Brisbane (Redcliffe, Springfield, Forest Lake) and Melbourne (Frankston, Dandenong, Caroline Springs). It was premised upon what has been an inescapable empirical fact: however much talk there is about the “return to the city,” the fastest rates of population growth are in the outer suburbs of Australia’s major cities (Infrastructure Australia), and this is as true for those working in creative industries occupations as it is for those in virtually all other industry and occupational sectors (Flew; Gibson and Brennan-Horley; Davies). While there is a much rehearsed imagined geography of the creative industries that points to creative talents clustering in dense, highly agglomerated inner city precincts, incubating their unique networks of trust and sociality through random encounters in the city, it is actually at odds with the reality of where people in these sectors choose to live and work, which is as often as not in the suburbs, where the citizenry are as likely to meet in their cars at traffic intersections than walking in city boulevards.There is of course a “yes, but” response that one could have to such empirical findings, which is to accept that the creative workforce is more suburbanised than is commonly acknowledged, but to attribute this to people being driven out of the inner city by high house prices and rents, which may or may not be by-products of a Richard Florida-style strategy to attract the creative class. In other words, people live in the outer suburbs because they are driven out of the inner city. From our interviews with 130 people across these six suburban locations, the unequivocal finding was that this was not the case. While a fair number of our respondents had indeed moved from the inner city, just as many would—if given the choice—move even further away from the city towards a more rural setting as they would move closer to it. While there are clearly differences between suburbs, with creative people in Redcliffe being generally happier than those in Springfield, for example, it was quite clear that for many of these people a suburban location helped them in their creative practice, in ways that included: the aesthetic qualities of the location; the availability of “headspace” arising from having more time to devote to creative work rather than other activities such as travelling and meeting people; less pressure to conform to a stereotyped image of how one should look and act; financial savings from having access to lower-cost locations; and time saved by less commuting between locations.These creative workers generally did not see having access to the “buzz” associated with the inner city as being essential for pursuing work in their creative field, and they were just as likely to establish hardware stores and shopping centres as networking hubs as they were cafes and bars. While being located in the suburbs was disadvantageous in terms of access to markets and clients, but this was often seen in terms of a trade-off for better quality of life. Indeed, contrary to the presumptions of those such as Clive Hamilton and Catherine Deveny, they could draw creative inspiration from creative locations themselves, without feeling subjected to “pacification by cappuccino.” The bigger problem was that so many of the professional associations they dealt with would hold events in the inner city in the late afternoon or early evening, presuming people living close by and/or not having domestic or family responsibilities at such times. The role played by suburban locales such as hardware stores as sites for professional networking and as elements of creative industries value chains has also been documented in studies undertaken of Darwin as a creative city in Australia’s tropical north (Brennan-Horley and Gibson; Brennan-Horley et al.). Such a revised sequence in the cultural geography of the creative industries has potentially great implications for how urban cultural policy is being approached. The assumption that the creative industries are best developed in cities by investing heavily in inner urban cultural amenity runs the risk of simply bypassing those areas where the bulk of the nation’s artists, musicians, filmmakers and other cultural workers actually are, which is in the suburbs. Moreover, by further concentrating resources among already culturally rich sections of the urban population, such policies run the risk of further accentuating spatial inequalities in the cultural realm, and achieving the opposite of what is sought by those seeking spatial justice or the right to the city. An interest in broadband infrastructure or suburban university campuses is certainly far more prosaic than a battle for control of the nation’s cultural institutions or guerilla actions to reclaim the city’s streets. 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