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Current educational reform efforts have called attention to the need for more male teachers, primarily in elementary education. Recent scholarship, however, has highlighted significant problems with some of the assumptions underlying these calls, arguing that if we are to incorporate male teachers in ways that truly challenge dominant discourses of masculinity, we must address questions such as why we need more male teachers and what masculinities these teachers will model. Importantly, research has shown that men do not question what it means to be a male teacher or a male role model. The authors seek to extend this research by inquiring into the confusion surrounding the concept and consequences of this confusion. The authors contend that the idea of a male role model needs questioning, the illusion of clarity it offers is potentially dangerous, and disrupting this idea could potentially rearticulate male participation in elementary teaching in more liberating ways.

Water scarcity is not simply the result of what nature has to offer but always involves power relations and political decisions. This volume discusses the politics of the freshwater crisis, specifically how access to water is determined in different regions and historical periods, how conflict is constructed and managed, and how identity and efforts to control water systems, through development, technologies, and institutions, shape one another. The book analyzes responses to the water crisis as efforts to mitigate water insecurity and as expressions of collective identity that legitimate, resist, or seek to transform existing inequalities. The chapters focus on different processes that contribute to freshwater scarcity, including land use decisions, pollution, privatization, damming, climate change, discrimination, water management institutions and technology. Case studies are included from North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and New Zealand.

Food policy councils (FPCs) are an increasingly common mechanism to improve participation in food system decision-making. Including individuals from under-represented groups can foster greater understanding of their needs and experiences with food system barriers and is an important part of food justice. However, engaging under-represented groups in food systems decision-making remains challenging for FPCs. This paper presents the results from a survey of FPCs and networks in New England to: (1) identify FPC policy priorities, (2) characterize FPCs engaged in policy initiatives based on attributes which, based on the literature, may impact effective public participation: geographic scale, organization type, capacity, policy priorities, and membership, and (3) analyze methods for engaging the public in FPC policy initiatives and demographic groups and sectors engaged. Findings indicate only half of New England FPCs work on policy efforts. Many surveyed FPCs engage multiple food system sectors and under-represented groups through a combination of different public participation opportunities. However, results indicate that New England FPCs could benefit from a greater focus on engaging under-represented audiences. FPCs interested in engaging more diverse participants should commit to a focus on food justice, strive for representative membership through intentional recruitment, and offer multiple methods to engage the public throughout policy initiatives.

Decisions about dams, like other environmental conflicts, involve complex trade-offs between different water uses with varying human and ecological impacts, have significant impacts on public resources, and involve many stakeholders with diverse and often conflicting interests. Given the many upcoming dam decisions in New England and across the United States, an improved understanding of public preferences about dam decisions is needed to steward resources in the public interest. This research asks (1) What does the public want to see happen with dams? and (2) How do public preferences regarding dam removal vary with demography and politics? We address these questions using data from three random sample statewide telephone polls conducted in New Hampshire over 2018 that asked people for their preferences concerning dam removal versus maintaining dams for specific benefits—property values, hydropower generation, industrial history, or recreation. Respondent age, education, gender, and political party were tested among the possible predictors. We find that majorities (52% or 54%) of respondents favor removing dams rather than keeping them for industrial history or property values, and a plurality (43%) favor removal over keeping them for recreation. A plurality (46%) prefer keeping dams, however, if they are used to generate hydropower. Respondent background characteristics and political identity affect these preferences in ways resembling those for many other environment-related issues: women, young or middle-aged individuals, and political liberals or moderates (Democrats or independents) more often support dam removal. Education, on the other hand, has no significant effects. The results quantify levels of general public support for dam removal in New England, illustrating the use of public opinion polling to complement input from public meetings and guide decisions. More broadly, they contribute a new topic to existing scholarship on the social bases of environmental concern. This presentation was given virtually by Natallia Leuchanka Diessner at the Maine Sustainability & Water Conference on March 31, 2021.

Decisions about dams, like other environmental conflicts, involve complex tradeoffs between different water uses with varying human and ecological impacts, have significant impacts on public resources and involve many stakeholders with diverse and often conflicting interests. Given the many upcoming dam decisions in New England and across the United States of America, an improved understanding of public preferences about dam decisions is needed to steward resources in the public interest. This research asks (1) What does the public want to see happen with dams?, and (2) Do demographic factors influence public preferences for dam decisions? This paper analyzes data from three statewide public opinion polls conducted in New Hampshire over 2018 using univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis of public preferences for dam removal or maintaining dams for specific benefits, including property values, hydropower generation, industrial history and recreation, and evaluates the effect of age, level of formal education, gender and political party. Our findings indicate that a majority of New Hampshire residents prefer to keep dams when they are used to generate hydropower, whereas majorities prefer instead to remove dams rather than to keep them for industrial history, recreation, or property values. Respondent demographic characteristics and political outlooks influence these preferences, in patterns broadly resembling those for many other environment-related issues. Political party, gender, and age are the strongest predictors: liberal leaning, younger, and female respondents are more likely to support dam removal. Level of formal education has no significant effect on preferences for keeping or removing dams. The results provide the first insights into statewide public preferences about dam removal in New England, support the use of public opinion polling to complement input from public meetings and guide decisions, and contribute to existing scholarship about public environmental preferences and the influence of demographic factors.

Decisions about dams, like other environmental conflicts, involve complex trade-offs between different water uses with varying human and ecological impacts, have significant impacts on public resources, and involve many stakeholders with diverse and often conflicting interests. Given the many upcoming dam decisions in New England and across the United States, an improved understanding of public preferences about dam decisions is needed to steward resources in the public interest. This research asks (1) What does the public want to see happen with dams? and (2) How do public preferences regarding dam removal vary with demography and politics? We address these questions using data from three random sample statewide telephone polls conducted in New Hampshire over 2018 that asked people for their preferences concerning dam removal versus maintaining dams for specific benefits—property values, hydropower generation, industrial history, or recreation. Respondent age, education, gender, and political party were tested among the possible predictors. We find that majorities (52% or 54%) of respondents favor removing dams rather than keeping them for industrial history or property values, and a plurality (43%) favor removal over keeping them for recreation. A plurality (46%) prefer keeping dams, however, if they are used to generate hydropower. Respondent background characteristics and political identity affect these preferences in ways resembling those for many other environment-related issues: women, young or middle-aged individuals, and political liberals or moderates (Democrats or independents) more often support dam removal. Education, on the other hand, has no significant effects. The results quantify levels of general public support for dam removal in New England, illustrating the use of public opinion polling to complement input from public meetings and guide decisions. More broadly, they contribute a new topic to existing scholarship on the social bases of environmental concern.

Decisions about dams, like other environmental conflicts, involve complex trade-offs between different water uses with varying human and ecological impacts. Given the many upcoming dam decisions in New England, an improved understanding of public preferences is needed to steward resources. This research asks (1) What does the public want to see happen with dams? and (2) How do public preferences regarding dam removal vary with demography and politics? We address these questions using data from three random sample statewide telephone polls conducted in New Hampshire over 2018 that asked people for their preferences concerning dam removal versus maintaining dams for specific benefits—industrial history, property values, recreation, or hydropower generation. Respondent age, education, gender, and political party were tested among the possible predictors. We find that when considering industrial history or property values, the majority of respondents favor removing dams. Similarly, when faced with using dams for recreation, respondents favor removal, but to a lesser degree. A plurality prefer keeping dams, however, if they are used to generate hydropower. Respondent background characteristics and political identity affect these preferences in ways resembling those for many other environment-related issues: women, young or middle-aged individuals, and political liberals or moderates more often support removal. Education, on the other hand, has no significant effects. The results quantify levels of public support for dam removal, illustrating the use of public opinion polling to complement input from public meetings and guide decisions. More broadly, they contribute to existing scholarship on the social bases of environmental concern. This presentation was given virtually by Natallia Leuchanka Diessner at the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting on April 8, 2021.