Digital Commons Network^™

A Farm Newspaper Capitulates To Advertiser Pressure: Determinants Of Readers’ Attitudes Toward The Firing Of An Editorial Cartoonist, Lulu Rodriguez, Supathida Kulpavaropas

Journal of Applied Communications

On April 2016, the weekly Farm News cut its ties with veteran freelancer Rick Friday who drew a cartoon that called attention to how much the CEOs of large agricultural corporations are paid. This study examines the determinants of people’s attitudes toward Mr. Friday’s firing. Using data gathered from a national online survey of newspaper readers, this study traced the antecedents of these attitudes. While the incident drew strong negative reactions, we found that public attitudes were strongly mediated by readers’ attitudes toward Big Ag advertisers. That is, those who saw Big Ag in a positive light were more inclined …

Why Websites Work: An Examination Of Interdisciplinary Agricultural Center Websites, Ashley N. Mcleod, Valerie Mckee, Savannah Woodall, Brandon Mckee, Joy Rumble

Journal of Applied Communications

This study examined the online content of interdisciplinary agricultural center webpages. Content modification dates, mission statements, and content were determined through a content analysis. Many of the websites did not mention a modification date for the content, while many websites had outdated content mostly older than six months. More than two-thirds of the websites provided PDFs that visitor could download to learn more about topics, by many of the websites lacked any media element that was being coded. Additionally, many websites did not use multiple forms of media. More than half of the websites were coded as lacking any social …

Collegiate Millennials' Perceptions Of Locally Produced Beef, Shelby Oesterreicher, Lisa K. Lundy, Joy N. Rumble, Ricky W. Telg

Journal of Applied Communications

Millennial consumers are stepping into important roles as decision makers and consumers. A knowledge and communication gap exists between cattle producers and consumers this knowledge seeking generation. This study focused on collegiate millennials’ perceptions of locally produced beef. The research design was qualitative in nature using focus groups. Participants associated the beef industry and beef products with the environment, management practices, treatment of animals, human health concerns, retail, experience with the beef industry, experience with beef, and transparency. Results of this study showed participants had minimal knowledge of the industry and relatively negative perceptions of the industry and beef products. …

Analyzing Media Coverage Of Agricultural Health And Safety Issues, Lisa K. Lundy, Tiffany M. Rogers-Randolph, Angela B. Lindsey, Clay Hurdle, Heather Ryan, Ricky W. Telg, Tracy Irani

Journal of Applied Communications

Farming, by the very nature of the occupation, is riddled with uncertainty. The risks associated with the agriculture industry are just as diverse as the industry itself. For all risks, one challenge is the development and dissemination of safety communication materials tailored for diverse audiences. Valkenburg, Semetko, and Vreese (1999) examined common frames used in news media. Their analysis pointed to four commonly used news frames: conflict, human interest, responsibility and economic consequences. The purpose of this study was to describe the agricultural and health safety issues discussed in Florida news media during the year 2016, discussing the prominence of …

A Sentiment And Content Analysis Of Twitter Content Regarding The Use Of Antibiotics In Livestock, Garrett M. Steede, Courtney Meyers, Nan Li, Erica Irlbeck, Sherice Gearhart

Journal of Applied Communications

On January 1, 2017, the final rule of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) was put into place requiring antibiotics approved for both humans and animals to be discontinued for growth promotion. This change was brought on by the role growth promoters in livestock production play in the development of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance increases the costs associated with human health care by increasing the length of stays in the hospital and requiring more intensive medical care for patients. The purpose of this study was to explore sentiment and characteristics of social media content and the characteristics of the key influencers …

Comparison Of Extension Personnel And Supervisor Perceptions Of Communications Activities, Brittany Bowman, Quisto Settle, Elizabeth Gregory North, Keri Collins Lewis

Journal of Applied Communications

Extension is often called the “best-kept secret” having low awareness with the public but high satisfaction with clientele. Extension services nationwide have faced budget cuts, creating a need for the organization to re-evaluate its activities, including how it communicates with its stakeholders. While Extension personnel are the ones who will do most of the communicating, their supervisors impact the personnel’s actions, which means it is important to assess both groups. A survey was conducted with Extension personnel and their supervisors in Mississippi assessing engagement in communications activities and perceptions of those activities, as well as personnel’s preference of professional development …

Perceptions And Attitudes: Analyzing Opinion Leaders In Relation To Genetically Modified Foods, Levy G. Randolph Ii, Joy N. Rumble, Hannah S. Carter

Journal of Applied Communications

Controversial issues in agriculture arise, and it falls on opinion leaders to disseminate information to their networks and the public. Agriculturalists are often blamed for not taken consumers’ concerns into consideration. This study sought to add to previous research by identifying the current perceptions of Florida agricultural leaders toward GM food, what percentage of them identify as opinion leaders with respect to GM food, and what they identify as sources of information regarding GM food. Through an online survey, the trust and attitudes towards GM foods and science, of agricultural leaders who participated in the Wedgworth Leadership Institute, were measured …

Front Matter - Volume 102, Issue 4, David L. Doerfert

Journal of Applied Communications

Lists JAC Editorial Board, ACE leadership, and information related to each.

Ace And Jac: An Essential Partnership, Elizabeth North

Journal of Applied Communications

ACE President Elizabeth Gregory North speaks to the history of JAC as well as its importance to ACE's future.

Genetic Modification, Factory Farms, And Alf: A Focus Group Study Of The Netflix Original Film Okja, Garrett M. Steede, Kelsi Opat, Leah S. Curren, Erica Irlbeck

Journal of Applied Communications

Okja is a fictional Netflix original film that was released in 2017. Okja features a “super pig” that is owned by the large, agricultural company Mirando Corporation. Okja is raised by a young girl, Mija, and her grandfather in the South Korean mountains. The film climaxes when Mija and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) narrowly save Okja and a smuggled piglet from the slaughter process. The purpose of this study was to understand how college students responded to the film. The viewers of this film included students who were majoring in a field within the agricultural college (COA) at Texas …

Blue Bell's Facebook Posts And Responses During The 2015 Listeria Crisis: A Case Study, Kelsi Opat, Haley Magness, Erica Irlbeck

Journal of Applied Communications

Blue Bell Creameries faced an unprecedented situation when it pulled all of its products during a Listeria outbreak in 2015. Despite a very public crisis that resulted in three deaths, Blue Bell survived the disaster and maintained a large and loyal customer base. A content analysis of the Blue Bell Ice Cream Facebook page was conducted to evaluate Blue Bell’s public communications, and its followers’ public reactions to the Facebook communication during the crisis. Results indicated that Blue Bell primarily posted messages that included recall and restocking information, thankfulness to stakeholders, and details about improvements to food safety during the …

The Communication Effectiveness Of Scientist-Stakeholder Partnerships Addressing Agriculture And Natural Resources Issues: An Analysis Of The Media Attention And Media Framing Of The Florida Water And Climate Alliance, Shuyang Qu, Tracy Irani

Journal of Applied Communications

Scientist-stakeholder partnerships are formed by scientists from academic institutions and industry representatives in an effort to address contingent science issues such as climate change, inform the public and influence public policies. Such organizations often lack expertise in communicating to the public and conducting outreach which are crucial components to building a good reputation. This study selected Florida Water and Climate Alliance [FWCA] as an example of such an organization, exploring its media attention and media framing to assess the visibility and reputation of [FWCA]. Results showed very limited media attention had been devoted to [FWCA]. The framing analysis results indicated …

Defining Homelessness In The Rural United States, Amelia Yousey, Rhucha Samudra

Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy

Rural homelessness in the United States is an understudied phenomenon. Among those studies which do address the issue, there exists no uniform or consistent definition for rural homelessness. In this review of the literature, we look at rural homelessness and consolidate the literature into four main groups based on the definitions currently in use. We recommend a comprehensive definition for rural homelessness that looks at this phenomenon on a spectrum of needs, populations, and periodicity. We further recommend that current homeless count methodology be improved by using a more detailed survey of homeless situations, not only in the rural United …

Conversations About Inclusion In An Aiaee Context: A Review Of Radical Inclusion: What The Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership, Glen C. Shinn, R. Kirby Barrick

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Martin Dempsey, U.S. Army Ret. and Rubenstein Fellow at Duke University, and Ori Brafman, a Distinguished Teaching Fellow at UC Berkeley with research in distributed networks, have analyzed today’s leadership landscape. Popular press reviews of the 2017 book, Radical Inclusion, report broad implications for corporate leadership and organizational improvement. This review compares and contrasts Dempsey and Brafman’s leadership principles with implications and applications for international agricultural and extension education networks.

An Analysis Of Evaluation Methods Implemented In Studies Published In The Journal Of International Agricultural And Extension Education From 1994 To 2018: A 25 Year Review, Theresa Pesl Murphrey, Taniya J. Koswatta, Kim E. Doody, Leslie D. Edgar

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Evaluation has been identified as a critical pathway to meet the grand challenges facing agricultureto feed the world.Understanding evaluation models and practicesused in articles published in the Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education(JIAEE) allowedus to identify areas of focus, need, and improvement. This content analysisassessed JIAEEarticlespublished from 1994 to 2018 for evaluation methods implemented according to characteristics outlined by Stufflebeam and Coryn (2014). This study initially identified 384 possible articles for consideration. Upon further assessment,81 articles were identified asmaintainingcharacteristics appropriate for review.Of these articles, the majority (70%) did not specifically identify an evaluation approach, even though21% of all feature …

The Future Of Extension: A Network Emergence Perspectivefrom The Case Of The Global Forum For Rural Advisory Services, Kristin Davis, David Dolly, Alexa J. Lamm, Kevan W. Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Extension, as a socially-based institution, must constantly evolve with society. This case study on the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services uses social network theory to add to the literature on network emergence in the context of extension. The researchers explored how an extension network evolved in response to global agricultural issues. The use of a qualitative content analysis of the eight themes of the annual meeting of the network showed how the Forum changed in response to current events and regional needs. The Forum first built and consolidated a network of global extension members and then moved to an …

Facing Boldly The Scourge Of Praedial Larceny On Food Production In The Caribbean, Wayne G. Ganpat, Wendy-Ann P. Issac

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Agricultural crimes or farm theft,commonly referred to as praedial larceny throughout the Caribbean, impacts significantly on food security through high levelsof economic loss. This paper provides an overview of praedial larceny worldwide, losses in the Caribbean region and some evidence from Trinidad and Tobago where the situation is prevalent. The study was guided by the routine activities theory; identifying the types of criminal acts perpetrated, the level of risks posed to farmers and a special emphasis on the concept of guardianship. Data from group discussions and interviews conducted among farmers in two major areas in Trinidad representing different terrain (flat …

Using Participatory Rural Appraisal For A Community Needs Assessment In Timor-Leste, Kim E. Dooley, Catherine Dobbins, Leslie D. Edgar

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Conducting timelyand effective needs assessments in the field is important for international development work. In many cases, a researcher has only a couple of hours to build rapport with a community, visually examine the state of the field, and conduct the needs assessment and achieve open, honest, and valid data. Working with translators further constrains the process by cutting available time. Thus, research focused on conducting these types of international assessments is valuable. This study aimed to identify the key needs of theFatubesi community in Timor-Leste using a combination of techniques for Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)—a transect walk and a …

Considering An Appreciative Approachto International Extension Evaluation, Alexa J. Lamm, Kevan W. Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Programmatic evaluation has become a common practice in international extension education. Evaluation has primarily been used to report the outputs, outcomes and impacts of extension efforts. Sometimes an evaluation is done for formative reasons, to make programmatic improvements, and most often for summative reasons, as a justification for further funding. Depending upon the evaluator (or evaluative approach) the evaluation will include stakeholder input and focus on collecting data the stakeholder will ultimately use. Some have even gone so far as engaging in developmental evaluation which allows for ambiguity and changes in direction throughout the duration of an extension program. Despite …

The Photo Narrative Process: Students’ Intercultural Learning In Agriculture, Emily Bost, Gary Wingenbach

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Cultural heritage describes our way of life. It comes from previous generational traditions and incorporates our current constructed and natural environments, and tangible artifacts. The photo narrative process, derived from photovoice, combines photography and narrative expression about artifacts important to one’s way of life. The purpose of this study was to explore effects of the photo narrative process on students’ intercultural learning in agriculture. Photo narrative assignments were developed for students to capture facets of their cultural heritage, and their host countries’ cultural heritage fromthree separate study abroad programs. Archival data werecollected (i.e., course assignments to illustrate one’s cultural heritage …

International Agricultural And Extension Education: Meeting The Unknown Challenges Of Tomorrow, James R. Linder

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this paper is to provide philosophical observations and reflections over 25 years of the Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education(JIAEE) as a reader, author, and editor. The paper provides a brief history of JIAEE including changes that occurred over the years. This paper honors those that contributed to JIAEE and stood as its caretakers over the past 25 years. This main body of the paper is divided into three sections: early years, middle years, and contemporary years. The paper exploresthe development and use of JIAEE keywords and provides visual depictions using wordclouds. The purpose of keywords …

Ruth Bush. Publishing Africa In French: Literary Institutions And Decolonization, 1945-1967. Liverpool Up, 2016., Madeline Bedecarre

Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature

Review of Ruth Bush. Publishing Africa in French: Literary Institutions and Decolonization, 1945-1967. Liverpool UP, 2016. 224 pp.

Editorial Board 2018-2019, Leticia Villarreal Sosa

International Journal of School Social Work

Editorial Boards 2018-2019

Applying The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Sedentariness And Stress, Shana M. Walsh, M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, Grant B. Morgan, Rodney G. Bowden, Eva Doyle, Paul M. Gordon

Health Behavior Research

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in the sedentary behavior (SB) of young and middle-aged U.S. adults. Relationships between SB over a six-week period were examined using socio-demographic characteristics, TPB constructs, and a stress variable.

Methods: Participants (n=45, mean age=31 years, 70% female, 83% White) completed surveys that included sociodemographic information, TPB constructs, and the Weekly Stress Inventory. Participants wore an activity monitor for six weeks and completed the stress inventory once weekly over the study period. A longitudinal model was estimated to determine the relationship between …

Should Schools Have Teachers Carry Guns?, John R. Lott Jr

Health Behavior Research

With 20 states having teachers and staff carrying guns to varying degrees on school property, we don’t need to guess how the policy would work. Fears of teachers carrying guns in terms of accidents or other problems have not materialized.Letting teachers carry is the only effective way to overcome the strategic advantages of mass public killers.The other alternatives to preventing mass public shootings have real limits.

A Public Health Argument Against Arming Teachers, David I. Swedler

Health Behavior Research

The peer-reviewed scientific literature does not support the idea that arming teachers will prevent school shootings. In this commentary, I draw on the criminal justice, injury prevention, and firearm safety literature to demonstrate how arming teachers will do more harm than good.

Front Matter - Winter 2018

Health Behavior Research

This is the front matter for the 2018 Winter Issue (Volume 1, Issue 3) of Health Behavior Review.

The Development Of A Social Work Program For An Islamic Day School In Southwestern Ontario, Siham Elkassem, Rick Csiernik

International Journal of School Social Work

The Development of a Social Work Program for an

Islamic Day School in Southwestern Ontario

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of a social work program for an Islamic Day School in London, Ontario, Canada. The Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration (MRCSSI), and London Islamic School (LIS) developed A Safe Space for Children (SPC) school social work program after extensive community consultation and feedback from leadership and school teachers revealed the need for mental health supports for students. A program implementation and evaluation design was developed by the MRCSSI in collaboration with the LIS and accepted by …

Parents’ Perception Of School Violence, Awareness Of Risk Factors, And School Safety: An Ecological Perspective, Hussein Hassan Soliman, Jennifer Koran, Abdel-Salam Gomaa

International Journal of School Social Work

Parents’ concerns about school violence and school safety have been documented in many research studies (Diaz-Vicario & Sallan, 2017; Hundeloh & Hess, 2003). Understanding parents’ perceptions of school safety can be an important issue that will guide teachers (Bosworth, Ford, & Hernandaz, 2011), administrators and staff (Heisterkamp, & Fleming, 2011), and legislators (Elliott, 2015) in setting strategies to enhance school safety and school climate. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that contribute to parents’ views of school safety. Based on existing literature, this study developed a model of one main endogenous variable -- feelings of instructional safety …

The Use Of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy In Chinese Schools: A Qualitative Analysis Of Practitioner Perceptions, Hong Chen, Xuanwen Liu, Samantha R. Guz, Anao Zhang, Cynthia Franklin, Yingping Zhang, Yanzhou Qu

International Journal of School Social Work

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a strengthens-based, future-oriented approach that has received promising results over the past decade. Literature on SFBT has demonstrated the approach’s ability to meet the unique needs of various client populations while adapting to a variety of service delivery settings. Schools are a specific setting in which SFBT has been successfully utilized in the United States. With the growing popularity of SFBT, countries outside to the United States are beginning to implement SFBT in their schools. This article explored perceptions of the use of SFBT in schools amongst Chinese mental health practitioners. A survey was conducted …