Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Montana Expression 2017: 2017’S Costly Fire Season, Jeremy L. Sage, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Montana, along with many western states, experienced a severe fire season in the summer of 2017. According to the Northern Rockies Coordination Center (NRCC), fires consumed 1,276,456 acres of Montana lands. Nearly half of these lands are U.S. Forest Service owned (Table 1). The severity of the fire season led Montana’s Governor, Steve Bullock, to declare a state of emergency at the beginning of September. At this time, the state had already exceeded the $30 million in its firefighting fund by $14.5 million.1 The NRCC estimates the total costs of fighting Montana’s wildfires topped $390 million.2 The combination of extreme …

Thinking Outside The Park - National Park Fee Increase Effects On Gateway Communities, Jeremy L. Sage, Norma P. Nickerson, Zachary D. Miller, Alex Ocanas, Jennifer Thomsen

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

In 2017, the National Park Service proposed an entrance fee increase across 17 park units, including Yellowstone National Park. The fee increase is proposed to help offset substantial deferred maintenance costs currently experienced across park units. This paper assesses the potential effects felt by gateway communities surrounding the parks. We identify, using Yellowstone as a case study, that even though revenue to the park may increase, spending in local communities can be expected to decrease, all else being equal.

Focus On Activities - Montana Visitors' Key Niche Activities, Norma P. Nickerson, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

For 12 months, nonresidents were intercepted at gas stations, rest areas, and airports and completed a questionnaire about the activities they participated in while visiting Montana. Results were compared to activities promoted by CVBs and travel regions in Montana. Visitor’s primary and favorite activity were highlighted by quarter. Results showed that while scenic driving was a top activity in all four quarters (mass tourism type activity), more niche-type activities became their favorite: skiing/snowboarding, day hiking, car/RV camping, watching wildlife, fly fishing, hunting, river rafting/floating, snowmobiling, and visiting breweries. Marketing and policy suggestions were provided.

2016 Nonresident Visitation, Expenditures & Economic Impact Estimates, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

A collection of 2016 full year and quarterly estimates of nonresident visitation, expenditures by nonresident travelers, and economic impact estimates, including expenditures by purpose of trip, airport of arrival, and international visitors.

2016 Economic Contribution Of Nonresident Travel Spending In Montana Travel Regions And Counties, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Money spent by those traveling in Montana has an effect directly on the businesses where spending occurs, and it ripples throughout the state’s economy from there. Statewide, spending by nonresidents (averaged over two years) totaled $3.16 billion. This report details the methods and results of the economic impact analyses for each of Montana’s travel regions, as well as analyses for counties in which nonresident travelers spent approximately $50 million or more.

Data Limitations In The American Community Survey: The Impact On Rural Disability Research, Lillie Greiman, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

The American Community Survey (ACS) provides disability data across a wide range of variables and geographies. In fact, the ACS provides county-level disability data for variables such as gender, race, veteran status, poverty status and employment for people with disabilities. This is beneficial to rural disability researchers as rural is most commonly classified at the county level. However, though the ACS is a rich and comprehensive data source it is not without limitations. Rural researchers in particular are acutely aware of these limitations. The ACS provides data estimates for disability in rural counties but because of the survey design these …

American Indian Female Prisoner’S Expressed Need For Reentry Services, Laurie A. Walker

University Grant Program Reports

The focus of this community based research project is on gathering information regarding what services could reduce recidivism for female AI/NA who are incarcerated in Montana. Their expressed needs may support programmatic changes to holistic defense programs and creating housing in a recovery village with culturally supportive services. The specific objectives of this project are to interview AI/NA women who are incarcerated in Montana in order to: (a) determine what factors are contributing to their disproportionate involvement in the criminal justice system; (b) identify their broad needs; (c) determing the impact of the disproportionate incarceration of AI/NA women on their …

Age Defining Life Stage Traveling: Montana Nonresident Travel Groups, Kara Grau, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

In this analysis of the 2015 full year nonresident data set, respondents were segmented by age, or life stage, according to the age groups represented within the groups. These discrete groups were then analyzed so that differences and similarities among travel groups of differing life stages could be observed.

Visitor Characteristics And Economic Analysis Of Northeast Montana, Jeremy L. Sage

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The northeast region of Montana receives by far the least amount of nonresident visitation to the state and is slowly losing population. While the oil boom related to the Bakken Shale improved the economic outlook for a few counties between 2010 and 2014, its sustainability as a consistent economic driver is questionable as demonstrated by the substantial drop in production since 2015 when oil prices globally declined. This paper reviews the current socioeconomic trends in northeast Montana - Montana’s Missouri River Country - in comparison to the state as a whole and identifies the current state of the counties in …

Prevalence Of Disability: Individual And Household Context, Christiane Von Reichert, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a widely used source of disability data. These data put individual disability rates in the US at 12% -13%, or 1 in 8. However, by considering the household context, the impact of disability is considerably greater than disability data for individuals would suggest. At the household level, disability affects approximately 78 million people, or 25% of the U.S. population. This analysis shows that millions of Americans without disabilities are influenced by household member with disabilities, highlighting that the impact of disability at the household level goes beyond the number of individuals with disabilities.

Analyzing Economic And Social Opportunities And Challenges Related To Bison Conservation In Northeast Montana, Jeremy L. Sage

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report provides a review of the current socioeconomic trends in northeast Montana in comparison to the state as a whole, followed by an economic analysis of the potential impacts of an expanded recreation amenity. The amenity is characterized by a large, intact grassland prairie ecosystem replete with a large bison herd. Results suggest significant latent demand for nonresident visitation to the region. To begin to capture this demand and ensure continued vitality of other economic sectors will require collaborative efforts between conservation proponents, tourism professionals, and the community at large.

The Montana Expression 2017: Invasive Species And Water Recreation, Norma P. Nickerson, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The purpose of this study was to assess how many Montanans participate in outdoor water recreation and to assess their awareness level of the 2016 water closures due to invasive species events. Nearly 12,000 Montana residents were surveyed and found that fishing, rafting, swimming and motorized boating are the water activities most participated in by Montanans. Awareness of the closure of waterways in 2016 was at its highest level the older one was in age. Eighteen to thirty-six year olds were least aware signifying a need to assess how these issues can be communicated to Montanans under the age of …

Murray Energy Corporation V. Mccarthy, Sarah M. Danno

Public Land & Resources Law Review

Holding that the widespread effects of environmental regulation on the coal industry constituted sufficient importance, the Northern District of West Virginia ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct analysis on employment loss and plant reduction resulting from regulatory effects. In admonishing the EPA’s inaction, the court ruled that the Agency had a non-discretionary duty to evaluate employment and plant reduction. Furthermore, the court held that the EPA’s attempt to put forth general reports in place of required evaluations was an invalid attempt to circumvent its statutory duty.

Accounts Of The Confidence-Accuracy Relation In Memory: Understanding Overconfidence In Low Performers, Yoohee Jang

University Grant Program Reports

This study aimed to investigate whether low performers have a general deficit of metacognitive monitoring ability, using a novel method based on Signal Detection Theory, which separates memory accuracy from response bias.

Creating A More Accessible Environment For Our Users With Disabilities: Responding To An Office For Civil Rights Complaint, Donna E. Mccrea

Mansfield Library Faculty Publications

In 2012, a University of Montana student advocacy organization filed a complaint with the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights stating that unequal access to the university’s electronic and information technologies (EIT) resulted in discrimination against students with disabilities. This article shares ways in which the University of Montana, including its archives and special collections, responded to the resulting mandate that “employees must create, obtain, and maintain all EIT in a manner that ensures it is accessible to individuals with disabilities.” The author argues that a professional and ethical commitment to diversity, access, and use compels archivists and …

Moving Toward A Holistic Menstrual Hygiene Management: An Anthropological Analysis Of Menstruation And Practices In Western And Non-Western Societies, Sophia A. Bay

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Educating girls is not only their human right, but also proposed as one of the best investments for improving quality of life in developing countries (Montgomery et al. 2016, 2). Although menstruation is a universal, biological process, it is fraught with cultural stigmas and taboos throughout Western and non-Western societies. Menstrual-related absenteeism is believed to be a primary cause of missed attendance and early dropout rates, so the developing field of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is seeking to understand and evaluate what factors are contributing to these findings. After the analyzation of the current literature, a more holistic, nine-pronged approach …

How Does The Million Baht Village Fund Impact Fertility In Thailand?, Kaci Felstet

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study evaluates the impact of Thailand’s Million Baht Village Fund program on household fertility decisions. Thailand’s fertility rates are alarmingly low and it is imperative to recognize the unintended consequences a microfinance program may have on fertility choices within Thailand. Using panel data from pre- and post-program years, this research identifies the change in number of babies in a household associated with getting a microloan from the Village Fund program. The quasi-experimental nature of the program and an instrumental variable model with fixed effects identifies a negative relationship between the number of babies within families and participation in the …

Visions Of Sovereignty: Tribal Sovereignty Through The Lenses Of Postcolonialism, Indigenous Film, And Visual Anthropology, Martin I. Lopez

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Tribal sovereignty has been a topic of discussion since the beginning of colonization in America. Anthropological thought, especially postcolonialism theory, addresses how colonialism can be analyzed to gain a better understanding of Indigenous perspectives on sovereignty. Visual sovereignty, an example of Indigenous Film, is an interdisciplinary approach that can contextualize in specific histories and social interactions all while serving individual tribes, depending on which tribe the filmmaker represents. A film, for instance, can be edited in a way to convey Indigenous ideas of time and space and staged presentations of oral histories that are nearly impossible to display through written …

An Investigation Of The Relations Between Stress And Prospective Memory, Brandon T. Stewart

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Prospective memory (PM) is a future-oriented memory system that entails “remembering to remember” intentions, or to perform actions in the future. People spend significant portions of their day-to-day lives forming and acting on intentions, and the ability to successfully generate, retain, and complete these intentions has important implications for one’s daily functioning and quality of life. Another common human experience is stress, whether that be short-term, acute stress, or long-term, chronic stress. Despite the significance and ubiquity of both PM and stress, the research base documenting the relations between them is sparse. This topic area necessitates additional research to delineate …

Viewing Sacred Lands Through The Federal Lens, Nicholas Shankle

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Shankle, Nicholas Lloyd, M.A., Spring 2016 Anthropology Viewing Sacred Lands Through the Federal Lens Chairperson: Gregory Campbell Traditional cultural properties have become one of the few avenues Indian Nations have to protect off-reservation lands. This thesis examines how the Federal Government, Indian Nations, and academia interact with one another given the creation and management of cultural heritage sites. Decolonizing methodologies are paramount to understanding the depth to which this relationship has gone within the federal preservation framework. Three case studies were used to explore how the Federal Government, Indian Nations, and academia interact with one another. The first looks at …

Universal Depression Screening In Student Health Centers Across U.S. College Campuses: Prevalence And Characteristics Associated With Use, Ivie English

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Universal depression screening at university student health centers can increase identification and treatment of depression among college students, but the rates of screening in these settings were, until now, unknown (Shepardson & Funderburk, 2014). The U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF), American College Health Association, and other organizations have recommended that all primary care settings universally screen for depression, provided that necessary supports are in place (USPSTF, 2016; ACHA, 2010). Notably, others disagree (Joffres et al., 2013; Mitchell et al., 2009; Gilbody et al., 2005). An online survey was electronically mailed to 493 college health center directors and/or medical directors of …

The Role Of Behavior In The Effectiveness Of Indoor Air Pollution Interventions: Results From The Artis Study, Madison J. Cole

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Using panel data from a randomized placebo-controlled trial of a wood stove changeout and air filter interventions, this study addresses the role of behavior in the efficacy of air quality interventions. The effectiveness of an intervention in improving air quality depends on how households respond to and use them. Two important responses are whether the target population complies with the requirements of the intervention and whether users adjust other behaviors that can affect air quality.

This paper’s results are consistent with prior studies in finding that in the absence of interventions, a number of behaviors can affect indoor air pollution, …

Raising Cultural Awareness In Undergraduate Students Through An Online Pen Pal Program, Jenny-Lin Smith, Mackenzie Lombardi, Rehana Asmi, Madison Hinrichs, Kayla Robertson, Lindsey Buck, Anna Reid

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

International written communication networks, such as pen pal programs, help spread cultural awareness by connecting people from around the world. Competent intercultural communication is the foundation for strong global partnerships. It encourages diversity, increases academic achievement, and gives individuals a competitive edge in the global workforce. This study examines changes in the cultural awareness of 50 U.S. undergraduate participants enrolled in an intercultural communication course at a northwestern university after they exchange private, online pen pal letters with 50 international partners from across the globe. The U.S. participants were divided into Group A (test-group) and Group B (control-group) and then …

Linguistic Imperialism And Volunteer English Teaching: A Neo-Colonial Practice?, Sarah K. Hamburg

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Colonial era tactics of oppression may seem obsolete; however, the United States continues to exploit the same peripheral nations that it, and other world superpowers, have dominated for centuries. In Latin America, the influence of the American hegemony penetrates every aspect of life. Unable to escape the grip of the capitalist system, Latin America has become culturally subservient to the United States, whose supremacy has, over time, led to the extinction and endangerment of hundreds of indigenous languages and cultures. Through years of exposure to American mass culture (i.e. television, music, media, and consumer products), and an unyielding economically dependent …

The Success Of Bottled Water: The Hidden Costs Hurt Us And The Environment, Cassandra Sevigny

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Bottled water is consumed worldwide as both a matter of necessity and preference. People who need bottled water live in areas with compromised water sanitation, such as developing countries. People who prefer bottled water despite its higher price tag tend to live in areas that already have ready access to clean water, such as developing countries. These preferences for bottled water stem partly from taste and convenience, but are largely driven by advertising efforts by bottled water companies. The preference for bottled water leads to increased sales as well as increased cost. Costs include damages to health and the environment. …

A Comprehensive Case Report Of The University Of Montana Case 37, Cody M. Lawson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this professional paper I examine the human skeletal remains of one individual. The remains were analyzed to gain insight into the age, sex, ancestry, stature, weight, pathology, and trauma of the individual. Forensic anthropological methods were applied to UMFC 37. The remains of UMFC 37 represent a male, between the age of 40 and 60. He is likely a Caucasian. UMFC 37 is between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs between 148 and 167 pounds.

Drivers Of Demographic And Socioeconomic Shifts At The Bridge River Site (Eerl4), British Columbia, Sarah Nowell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

ABSTRACT

Nowell, Sarah, M.A. Spring 2017 Anthropology

Drivers of Demographic and Socioeconomic Shifts Regarding the Bridge River II – Bridge River III Transition at the Bridge River Village (EeRl4), British Columbia

Chairperson: Dr. Anna Marie Prentiss

The Bridge River site is located near the confluence of the Bridge and Fraser Rivers in the Mid-Fraser canyon near Lillooet, British Columbia. This region has long been popular for archaeologists seeking to understand the emergence of wealth-based inequality in complex hunter-gatherers. Housepit 54 is one of over 80 pithouses or s7ístken that was continuously occupied throughout most of the village history. It …

The Last Best Hope: Are Voluntary Conservation Agreements Effective Tools For Protecting Imperiled Species?, Sophie B. Tsairis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances, or CCAAs, are little known, voluntary conservation agreements that protect imperiled wildlife on private lands. These agreements have emerged over the past decade and have had mixed results in providing adequate protections for candidate species.

Landowners, private industries, state and federal agencies, and environmental nonprofits, are using CCAAs as tools to eliminate the need for an endangered species listing. An Endangered Species Act listing can lead to land-use uncertainty for private landowners and this threat is the main incentive to enroll in a CCAA. When landowners enroll in CCAAs they are agreeing to provide specific …

Social Justice In Social-Ecological Systems: Resilience Through Stakeholder Engagement, Frederick I. Lauer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Successful management of social-ecological systems (SES) is predicated on quality collaborative exchanges between project stakeholders and management. The Southwest Crown of the Continent Collaborative (SWCC) Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) provided an opportunity to explore landscape scale collaborative management and SES outcomes. Global change and future uncertainty of landscapes prompted the SWCC to employ restoration treatment alternatives throughout 1.4 million acres of forests, most of which are publicly held. The SWCC currently monitors environmental and economic variables, with plans to monitor social variables. This thesis formalizes a proposed framework to investigate SES resilience, and explores public engagement as an …

Habitual Intravenous Drug Use And The Connection To Self-Medication In The Missoula County Area, Meaghan Gaul

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) about one-third of people living with mental illness in the US also experience substance abuse. It’s becoming apparent that dual diagnosis is common in our nation. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) insists that one doesn’t simply cause the other.

The purpose of this study is twofold. First, to examine the relationship between mental illness and intravenous drug use as self-medication among clients visiting the non-profit, Open AID Alliance (OAA), in Missoula, MT. Second, to explore the barriers to seeking mental health care among intravenous drug users who report mental …