Avner Offer
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199216628
- eISBN:
- 9780191696015
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199216628.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Economic History
Since the 1940s Americans and Britons have come to enjoy an era of rising material abundance. Yet this has been accompanied by a range of social and personal disorders, including family breakdown, ...
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Since the 1940s Americans and Britons have come to enjoy an era of rising material abundance. Yet this has been accompanied by a range of social and personal disorders, including family breakdown, addiction, mental instability, crime, obesity, inequality, economic insecurity, and declining trust. This book argues that well-being has lagged behind affluence in these societies, because they present an environment in which consistent choices are difficult to achieve over different time ranges and in which the capacity for personal and social commitment is undermined by the flow of novelty. The book's approach draws on economics and social science, makes use of the latest cognitive research, and provides a detailed and reasoned critique of modern consumer society, especially the assumption that freedom of choice necessarily maximizes individual and social well-being. The book falls into three parts. Part one analyzes the ways in which economic resources map on to human welfare, why choice is so intractable, and how commitment to people and institutions is sustained. It argues that choice is constrained by prior obligation and reciprocity. The second section then applies these conceptual arguments to comparative empirical studies of advertising, of eating and obesity, and of the production and acquisition of appliances and automobiles. Finally, in part three, the book investigates social and personal relations in the USA and Britain, including inter-personal regard, the rewards and reversals of status, the social and psychological costs of inequality, and the challenges posed to heterosexual love and to parenthood by the rise of affluence.Less
Since the 1940s Americans and Britons have come to enjoy an era of rising material abundance. Yet this has been accompanied by a range of social and personal disorders, including family breakdown, addiction, mental instability, crime, obesity, inequality, economic insecurity, and declining trust. This book argues that well-being has lagged behind affluence in these societies, because they present an environment in which consistent choices are difficult to achieve over different time ranges and in which the capacity for personal and social commitment is undermined by the flow of novelty. The book's approach draws on economics and social science, makes use of the latest cognitive research, and provides a detailed and reasoned critique of modern consumer society, especially the assumption that freedom of choice necessarily maximizes individual and social well-being. The book falls into three parts. Part one analyzes the ways in which economic resources map on to human welfare, why choice is so intractable, and how commitment to people and institutions is sustained. It argues that choice is constrained by prior obligation and reciprocity. The second section then applies these conceptual arguments to comparative empirical studies of advertising, of eating and obesity, and of the production and acquisition of appliances and automobiles. Finally, in part three, the book investigates social and personal relations in the USA and Britain, including inter-personal regard, the rewards and reversals of status, the social and psychological costs of inequality, and the challenges posed to heterosexual love and to parenthood by the rise of affluence.
Josephine Mcdonagh
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198112853
- eISBN:
- 9780191670862
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198112853.003.0008
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century Literature and Romanticism
De Quincey finally died, after several efforts at predicting his death, on 8 December 1859 in the home which was procured by his children, and, for one who experienced living on social margins, he ...
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De Quincey finally died, after several efforts at predicting his death, on 8 December 1859 in the home which was procured by his children, and, for one who experienced living on social margins, he had a respectable and quiet death. In spite of how he had been recognized as an opium addict, he lived a relatively long life and died at the age of 74. Much of his work, however, tended to be neglected in some critical studies, as his works were viewed to be works of different kinds of knowledge instead of literary gems. Nonetheless, the variety and abundance of his work contributed greatly to the structure of Victorian society and culture, and his works serve as a commentary on how knowledge in a particular context was established during a particular time.Less
De Quincey finally died, after several efforts at predicting his death, on 8 December 1859 in the home which was procured by his children, and, for one who experienced living on social margins, he had a respectable and quiet death. In spite of how he had been recognized as an opium addict, he lived a relatively long life and died at the age of 74. Much of his work, however, tended to be neglected in some critical studies, as his works were viewed to be works of different kinds of knowledge instead of literary gems. Nonetheless, the variety and abundance of his work contributed greatly to the structure of Victorian society and culture, and his works serve as a commentary on how knowledge in a particular context was established during a particular time.
E. J. Milner-Gulland and Marcus Rowcliffe
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198530367
- eISBN:
- 9780191713095
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198530367.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
This chapter summarizes the methods available for estimating the population parameters that may be needed to assess biological sustainability, including population abundance, population and ...
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This chapter summarizes the methods available for estimating the population parameters that may be needed to assess biological sustainability, including population abundance, population and individual growth rates, rates of survival and productivity, and patterns of movement and distribution in space. The emphasis is on the need to sample populations effectively, and on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a wide range of available survey methods. This provides a basis for selecting the most appropriate methods in a given situation, and for assessing how much effort will be required to get useable data. Extensive links are provided to detailed information on analytical methods, including software and online resources.Less
This chapter summarizes the methods available for estimating the population parameters that may be needed to assess biological sustainability, including population abundance, population and individual growth rates, rates of survival and productivity, and patterns of movement and distribution in space. The emphasis is on the need to sample populations effectively, and on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a wide range of available survey methods. This provides a basis for selecting the most appropriate methods in a given situation, and for assessing how much effort will be required to get useable data. Extensive links are provided to detailed information on analytical methods, including software and online resources.
E. J. Milner-Gulland and Marcus Rowcliffe
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198530367
- eISBN:
- 9780191713095
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198530367.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
This chapter shows how data of the types discussed in Chapters 1 and 2 can be analysed to give an indication of sustainability in the present. A wide range of possible indicator variables is ...
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This chapter shows how data of the types discussed in Chapters 1 and 2 can be analysed to give an indication of sustainability in the present. A wide range of possible indicator variables is explored, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each. In particular, distinctions are drawn between studies that focus on biological variables (such as species abundance), variables related to the interaction between hunters and prey (such as offtake rates), variables associated with economics (such as profitability), and variables associated with the social setting (such as consumer preferences). A range of analytical approaches is described, from simple comparisons of the indicator variable with a benchmark, trends in the indicator over time, associations between indicator and multiple explanatory variables, and comparison of indicator states across multiple studies (meta-analysis).Less
This chapter shows how data of the types discussed in Chapters 1 and 2 can be analysed to give an indication of sustainability in the present. A wide range of possible indicator variables is explored, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each. In particular, distinctions are drawn between studies that focus on biological variables (such as species abundance), variables related to the interaction between hunters and prey (such as offtake rates), variables associated with economics (such as profitability), and variables associated with the social setting (such as consumer preferences). A range of analytical approaches is described, from simple comparisons of the indicator variable with a benchmark, trends in the indicator over time, associations between indicator and multiple explanatory variables, and comparison of indicator states across multiple studies (meta-analysis).
Claire Kremen
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195316957
- eISBN:
- 9780199871575
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195316957.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
Historically, farmers obtained pollination services from wild, unmanaged bees or made habitat modifications to attract them. Today, agriculture demands the use of managed bees, usually honey bees, ...
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Historically, farmers obtained pollination services from wild, unmanaged bees or made habitat modifications to attract them. Today, agriculture demands the use of managed bees, usually honey bees, although their availability is becoming uncertain due to diseases, pests, and other unknown causes of mortality. This chapter addresses the roles that wild bees play in agriculture today, and what roles they could play in the future. Research has shown that in some circumstances, wild bees can partially or fully replace managed bees or actually enhance their effectiveness as pollinators. Land use changes and habitat loss impact wild bee communities and their ability to provide pollination services within agricultural systems, and agricultural intensification can affect wild bee diversity and abundance in both positive and negative ways. The economic value of wild bee services is discussed, and the ways in which agricultural lands can be managed to restore healthy communities of wild bees.Less
Historically, farmers obtained pollination services from wild, unmanaged bees or made habitat modifications to attract them. Today, agriculture demands the use of managed bees, usually honey bees, although their availability is becoming uncertain due to diseases, pests, and other unknown causes of mortality. This chapter addresses the roles that wild bees play in agriculture today, and what roles they could play in the future. Research has shown that in some circumstances, wild bees can partially or fully replace managed bees or actually enhance their effectiveness as pollinators. Land use changes and habitat loss impact wild bee communities and their ability to provide pollination services within agricultural systems, and agricultural intensification can affect wild bee diversity and abundance in both positive and negative ways. The economic value of wild bee services is discussed, and the ways in which agricultural lands can be managed to restore healthy communities of wild bees.
Graham Bell
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198569725
- eISBN:
- 9780191717741
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198569725.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter gives some quantitative information about the rates of genetic and environmental deterioration. The first section in this chapter is about history, chance, and necessity, and includes ...
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This chapter gives some quantitative information about the rates of genetic and environmental deterioration. The first section in this chapter is about history, chance, and necessity, and includes subsections on Lamarckian evolution; the selection of undirected variation; descent; and delection. The second section is about drift and includes subsections concerning the rate of genetic deterioration; two scaled mutation rates; the rate of deleterious mutation; decay of isolate lines in the absence of selection; mutation rate in other replicators; mutation rate in stressful environments; the genomic mutation rate; the effect of mutations; beneficial mutations; the effect of gene deletion on growth; the rate of accumulation of genetic variance in fitness; the replication limit; the size spectrum; the distribution of species abundance; and finally genetic variation and species abundance. The final section is on the rate of environmental deterioration. Subsections in this section concern aggregation; the ecological population concept; dispersal; and the genetic population concept. Five theories of the environment are offered and environmental variation in space; environmental variation over time; and the biotic environment are also detailed.Less
This chapter gives some quantitative information about the rates of genetic and environmental deterioration. The first section in this chapter is about history, chance, and necessity, and includes subsections on Lamarckian evolution; the selection of undirected variation; descent; and delection. The second section is about drift and includes subsections concerning the rate of genetic deterioration; two scaled mutation rates; the rate of deleterious mutation; decay of isolate lines in the absence of selection; mutation rate in other replicators; mutation rate in stressful environments; the genomic mutation rate; the effect of mutations; beneficial mutations; the effect of gene deletion on growth; the rate of accumulation of genetic variance in fitness; the replication limit; the size spectrum; the distribution of species abundance; and finally genetic variation and species abundance. The final section is on the rate of environmental deterioration. Subsections in this section concern aggregation; the ecological population concept; dispersal; and the genetic population concept. Five theories of the environment are offered and environmental variation in space; environmental variation over time; and the biotic environment are also detailed.
Joshua S. Weitz
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691161549
- eISBN:
- 9781400873968
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691161549.003.0006
- Subject:
- Biology, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
This chapter introduces the theoretical and modeling approaches necessary to estimate (i) viral abundance, (ii) viral diversity, and (iii) virus–host interactions. Viruses are extremely abundant in ...
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This chapter introduces the theoretical and modeling approaches necessary to estimate (i) viral abundance, (ii) viral diversity, and (iii) virus–host interactions. Viruses are extremely abundant in the oceans, with estimates of virus-like particle densities ranging from approximately 104 to 108/ml. Virus abundance is estimated to be at its highest in coastal environments, during blooms, and in sediments. Viral diversity remains elusive. Those features of viral diversity that are estimable include Shannon and Simpson diversity, and should be utilized instead of attempting to estimate the total number of virus “species” in the community based on measurements of a small subsample. Viral diversity includes genotypic, genetic, and functional diversity. Individual viruses infect more than one host type, and individual hosts are infected by more than one virus. The cross-infection networks in natural systems include evidence of specialization, as measured by modularity, and hierarchical order, as measured by nestedness.Less
This chapter introduces the theoretical and modeling approaches necessary to estimate (i) viral abundance, (ii) viral diversity, and (iii) virus–host interactions. Viruses are extremely abundant in the oceans, with estimates of virus-like particle densities ranging from approximately 104 to 108/ml. Virus abundance is estimated to be at its highest in coastal environments, during blooms, and in sediments. Viral diversity remains elusive. Those features of viral diversity that are estimable include Shannon and Simpson diversity, and should be utilized instead of attempting to estimate the total number of virus “species” in the community based on measurements of a small subsample. Viral diversity includes genotypic, genetic, and functional diversity. Individual viruses infect more than one host type, and individual hosts are infected by more than one virus. The cross-infection networks in natural systems include evidence of specialization, as measured by modularity, and hierarchical order, as measured by nestedness.
Andrea Belgrano, Mauricio Lima, Nils Chr. Stenseth, and Odd Lindahl
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198507499
- eISBN:
- 9780191709845
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198507499.003.0008
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
This chapter presents a general statistical approach to studying changes in phytoplankton species abundance in relation to climate variability. It then applies this method to an example where changes ...
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This chapter presents a general statistical approach to studying changes in phytoplankton species abundance in relation to climate variability. It then applies this method to an example where changes in phytoplankton species diversity, the dynamics of three phytoplankton species in a Swedish fjord, are related to the North Atlantic Oscillation and other abiotic factors. The chapter concludes with a general outlook underlining the importance of further studies of changes in phytoplankton biovolume.Less
This chapter presents a general statistical approach to studying changes in phytoplankton species abundance in relation to climate variability. It then applies this method to an example where changes in phytoplankton species diversity, the dynamics of three phytoplankton species in a Swedish fjord, are related to the North Atlantic Oscillation and other abiotic factors. The chapter concludes with a general outlook underlining the importance of further studies of changes in phytoplankton biovolume.
J. Antonio Baeza and Martin Thiel
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195179927
- eISBN:
- 9780199790111
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179927.003.0012
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
This chapter proposes a conceptual model predicting the mating system of symbiotic crustaceans. It assumes that males and females have different optimal mating strategies which they attempt to attain ...
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This chapter proposes a conceptual model predicting the mating system of symbiotic crustaceans. It assumes that males and females have different optimal mating strategies which they attempt to attain by defending and moving between hosts, and that host characteristics and predation risk limit the behavioral options of symbiotic individuals. Five mating systems are predicted: (i) monogamy when predation risk is high, hosts are scarce, morphologically simple, and small in size; (ii) host-defense polygyny when predation risk is high, hosts are scarce, simple, and intermediate in size; (iii) pure-search polygynandry of mobile females when predation risk is low, hosts are abundant, complex, and large; (iv) pure-search polygynandry of sedentary females when predation risk is moderate to high, hosts are scarce, and extremely small; and (v) female-centered polygyny when predation risk is moderate, hosts are neither abundant nor scarce, and intermediate in size. Empirical evidence supports the model's predictions.Less
This chapter proposes a conceptual model predicting the mating system of symbiotic crustaceans. It assumes that males and females have different optimal mating strategies which they attempt to attain by defending and moving between hosts, and that host characteristics and predation risk limit the behavioral options of symbiotic individuals. Five mating systems are predicted: (i) monogamy when predation risk is high, hosts are scarce, morphologically simple, and small in size; (ii) host-defense polygyny when predation risk is high, hosts are scarce, simple, and intermediate in size; (iii) pure-search polygynandry of mobile females when predation risk is low, hosts are abundant, complex, and large; (iv) pure-search polygynandry of sedentary females when predation risk is moderate to high, hosts are scarce, and extremely small; and (v) female-centered polygyny when predation risk is moderate, hosts are neither abundant nor scarce, and intermediate in size. Empirical evidence supports the model's predictions.
Anders Angerbjörn, Pall Hersteinsson, and Magnus Tannerfeldt
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198515562
- eISBN:
- 9780191705632
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198515562.003.0008
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
This chapter examines the life history characteristics of two Arctic fox populations, a relatively stable one in Iceland and a fluctuating one in Sweden. Intraspecific variation in reproductive and ...
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This chapter examines the life history characteristics of two Arctic fox populations, a relatively stable one in Iceland and a fluctuating one in Sweden. Intraspecific variation in reproductive and social strategies of Arctic foxes in Sweden and Iceland suggests that adaptations to different resource distributions in have resulted in divergence in strategies between the two populations. In Sweden, where food availability fluctuates widely in time but less in space, the foxes have adopted the ‘jackpot’ strategy which exhibits enormous variation in reproductive output from year to year with much inter-annual variation in cub and juvenile survival, depending on food availability. In Iceland, on the other hand, where food availability is predictable in time and space, reproductive output is stable with small litter sizes, high cub survival, and intermediate dispersal distances, and female yearlings frequently use their natal territories as a base while searching for a vacant territory or mate in the neighbourhood.Less
This chapter examines the life history characteristics of two Arctic fox populations, a relatively stable one in Iceland and a fluctuating one in Sweden. Intraspecific variation in reproductive and social strategies of Arctic foxes in Sweden and Iceland suggests that adaptations to different resource distributions in have resulted in divergence in strategies between the two populations. In Sweden, where food availability fluctuates widely in time but less in space, the foxes have adopted the ‘jackpot’ strategy which exhibits enormous variation in reproductive output from year to year with much inter-annual variation in cub and juvenile survival, depending on food availability. In Iceland, on the other hand, where food availability is predictable in time and space, reproductive output is stable with small litter sizes, high cub survival, and intermediate dispersal distances, and female yearlings frequently use their natal territories as a base while searching for a vacant territory or mate in the neighbourhood.
Axel Moehrenschlager, Brian L. Cypher, Katherine Ralls, Rurik List, and Marsha A. Sovada
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198515562
- eISBN:
- 9780191705632
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198515562.003.0010
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
Swift foxes and kit foxes are found in the relatively flat, arid regions of North America. Swift and kit foxes are phenotypically similar, although kit foxes have slightly longer, less rounded ears ...
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Swift foxes and kit foxes are found in the relatively flat, arid regions of North America. Swift and kit foxes are phenotypically similar, although kit foxes have slightly longer, less rounded ears and weigh less. Although early morphometric comparisons and protein-electrophoresis suggested that these foxes constitute the same species, recent multivariate morphometric analyses as well as mitochondrial DNA restriction-site and sequence analyses showed that they are separate species. This chapter compares swift and kit foxes to determine whether morphological and genetic differences might also be indicative of differences in life history, ecology, or population threats.Less
Swift foxes and kit foxes are found in the relatively flat, arid regions of North America. Swift and kit foxes are phenotypically similar, although kit foxes have slightly longer, less rounded ears and weigh less. Although early morphometric comparisons and protein-electrophoresis suggested that these foxes constitute the same species, recent multivariate morphometric analyses as well as mitochondrial DNA restriction-site and sequence analyses showed that they are separate species. This chapter compares swift and kit foxes to determine whether morphological and genetic differences might also be indicative of differences in life history, ecology, or population threats.
Lue Ping Zhao, Jessica Andriesen, and Wenhong Fan
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199532872
- eISBN:
- 9780191714467
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199532872.003.0008
- Subject:
- Mathematics, Probability / Statistics, Biostatistics
This chapter discusses the use of bioinformatic methods to analyze alternative splicing and investigate its role in cancer biology. A brief introduction to alternative splicing is followed by a ...
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This chapter discusses the use of bioinformatic methods to analyze alternative splicing and investigate its role in cancer biology. A brief introduction to alternative splicing is followed by a discussion of methods for alternative splicing analysis. Both historical and current methods for detecting alternative splice variants are presented, including a detailed discussion of the application of microarray technology. Designs for bioinformatic approaches useful in studies of cancer biology are outlined, including those for matched and unmatched studies. These designs incorporate a general framework for alternative splice variant detection, methods for transcript abundance measurement, and limits of current technology. An example is presented from a study of alternative splice variants in medulloblastomas which illustrates the complex yet significant differences that can be detected between tissues when alternative splicing is considered.Less
This chapter discusses the use of bioinformatic methods to analyze alternative splicing and investigate its role in cancer biology. A brief introduction to alternative splicing is followed by a discussion of methods for alternative splicing analysis. Both historical and current methods for detecting alternative splice variants are presented, including a detailed discussion of the application of microarray technology. Designs for bioinformatic approaches useful in studies of cancer biology are outlined, including those for matched and unmatched studies. These designs incorporate a general framework for alternative splice variant detection, methods for transcript abundance measurement, and limits of current technology. An example is presented from a study of alternative splice variants in medulloblastomas which illustrates the complex yet significant differences that can be detected between tissues when alternative splicing is considered.
T. J. Jackson Lears
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199769063
- eISBN:
- 9780199896851
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199769063.003.0009
- Subject:
- Sociology, Economic Sociology
This chapter discusses the new managerial thrift which emphasized “efficiency” as a means to higher productivity. This shift reemphasizes the movement toward a new psychology of “abundance” that ...
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This chapter discusses the new managerial thrift which emphasized “efficiency” as a means to higher productivity. This shift reemphasizes the movement toward a new psychology of “abundance” that characterizes this whole era of American history. The apotheosis of the managerial ethic was found in Progressives such as economist Richard Ely, who championed the practice of thrift in relation to resources in industrial productivity and thought this moral watchfulness in one area was certain to produce increased wages for workers in another. The optimism of this sort of approach fell apart in the stock market crash of 1929, and the response over the course of the Great Depression was the need for collective, not merely individual, methods of saving. Another key aspect of the new managerial age was the growth of consumer culture based on planned obsolescence and ever-changing styles. The result was a compromise between labor, management, and government that tied increasing consumption and productivity together as the major engines of American economic growth for the better part of the 20th century.Less
This chapter discusses the new managerial thrift which emphasized “efficiency” as a means to higher productivity. This shift reemphasizes the movement toward a new psychology of “abundance” that characterizes this whole era of American history. The apotheosis of the managerial ethic was found in Progressives such as economist Richard Ely, who championed the practice of thrift in relation to resources in industrial productivity and thought this moral watchfulness in one area was certain to produce increased wages for workers in another. The optimism of this sort of approach fell apart in the stock market crash of 1929, and the response over the course of the Great Depression was the need for collective, not merely individual, methods of saving. Another key aspect of the new managerial age was the growth of consumer culture based on planned obsolescence and ever-changing styles. The result was a compromise between labor, management, and government that tied increasing consumption and productivity together as the major engines of American economic growth for the better part of the 20th century.
David L. Strayer
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520255265
- eISBN:
- 9780520942523
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520255265.003.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
This chapter considers what would be required to build a mechanistic understanding of one specific ecological problem: that of predicting the distribution and abundance of freshwater unionoid ...
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This chapter considers what would be required to build a mechanistic understanding of one specific ecological problem: that of predicting the distribution and abundance of freshwater unionoid mussels. It then assesses the feasibility of this enterprise. It details the three important ways our current understanding of unionoid ecology is inadequate. It sets out the main purposes of the book, which are to assess the feasibility of producing a theory to predict the distribution and abundance of unionoid mussels and, to the extent possible, rough in parts of that theory.Less
This chapter considers what would be required to build a mechanistic understanding of one specific ecological problem: that of predicting the distribution and abundance of freshwater unionoid mussels. It then assesses the feasibility of this enterprise. It details the three important ways our current understanding of unionoid ecology is inadequate. It sets out the main purposes of the book, which are to assess the feasibility of producing a theory to predict the distribution and abundance of unionoid mussels and, to the extent possible, rough in parts of that theory.
Mahani. Zainal Abidin
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199275786
- eISBN:
- 9780191602160
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199275785.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter examines the main differences between the development of Malaysia and that of other small resource-abundant countries that did not achieve competitive industrialisation. It discusses the ...
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This chapter examines the main differences between the development of Malaysia and that of other small resource-abundant countries that did not achieve competitive industrialisation. It discusses the high growth of Malaysian investment, public sector contribution to total investment, Malaysia’s open trade regime, industrial policy that fostered competitive industrialisation, and the accumulation of human capital. It reviews Malaysia’s capacity to manage external and internal shocks without experiencing a growth collapse.Less
This chapter examines the main differences between the development of Malaysia and that of other small resource-abundant countries that did not achieve competitive industrialisation. It discusses the high growth of Malaysian investment, public sector contribution to total investment, Malaysia’s open trade regime, industrial policy that fostered competitive industrialisation, and the accumulation of human capital. It reviews Malaysia’s capacity to manage external and internal shocks without experiencing a growth collapse.
Anthony Quinton
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199694556
- eISBN:
- 9780191731938
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199694556.003.0022
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This chapter discusses the following topics: how the nature of one's ideas about religion is strongly conditioned by the words in which they are expressed; the rhetorical abundance of Americans; the ...
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This chapter discusses the following topics: how the nature of one's ideas about religion is strongly conditioned by the words in which they are expressed; the rhetorical abundance of Americans; the use of the word ‘society’; how one third of other people's conversation is usually made up of words that appear to do no work at all; how the last and highest state of language evolution is its employment for purposes of factual description and rational argument; and the discriminating use of Roget's Thesaurus.Less
This chapter discusses the following topics: how the nature of one's ideas about religion is strongly conditioned by the words in which they are expressed; the rhetorical abundance of Americans; the use of the word ‘society’; how one third of other people's conversation is usually made up of words that appear to do no work at all; how the last and highest state of language evolution is its employment for purposes of factual description and rational argument; and the discriminating use of Roget's Thesaurus.
John Harte
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- December 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199593415
- eISBN:
- 9780191774614
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199593415.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
A goal of every science is comprehensive theory that is predictive, realistic, and parsimonious. Is such theory possible in ecology? The sheer complexity, historical contingency, and scale-dependence ...
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A goal of every science is comprehensive theory that is predictive, realistic, and parsimonious. Is such theory possible in ecology? The sheer complexity, historical contingency, and scale-dependence of organisms and their interactions with their surroundings suggest to many a negative answer. This book answers yes. Rather than building and combining mechanistic models of ecosystems, the approach here is grounded in information theory and the logic of inference. Paralleling the derivation of thermodynamics from the maximum entropy principle, the state variable theory of ecology developed in the book predicts realistic forms for all metrics of ecology that describe patterns in the distribution, abundance, and energetics of species across multiple spatial scales. Part I is foundational, discussing the nature of theory, the relationship of ecology to other sciences, and the concept of the logic of inference. Parts II and III, respectively, present the fundamentals of macroecology and of maximum information entropy from the ground up. Part IV integrates the fundamentals, leading to the derivation and testing of the predictions of the maximum entropy theory of ecology (METE). Part V widens the perspective by showing how METE can help clarify several major issues in conservation biology, placing METE in context with other theories, and pointing readers along avenues for future research.Less
A goal of every science is comprehensive theory that is predictive, realistic, and parsimonious. Is such theory possible in ecology? The sheer complexity, historical contingency, and scale-dependence of organisms and their interactions with their surroundings suggest to many a negative answer. This book answers yes. Rather than building and combining mechanistic models of ecosystems, the approach here is grounded in information theory and the logic of inference. Paralleling the derivation of thermodynamics from the maximum entropy principle, the state variable theory of ecology developed in the book predicts realistic forms for all metrics of ecology that describe patterns in the distribution, abundance, and energetics of species across multiple spatial scales. Part I is foundational, discussing the nature of theory, the relationship of ecology to other sciences, and the concept of the logic of inference. Parts II and III, respectively, present the fundamentals of macroecology and of maximum information entropy from the ground up. Part IV integrates the fundamentals, leading to the derivation and testing of the predictions of the maximum entropy theory of ecology (METE). Part V widens the perspective by showing how METE can help clarify several major issues in conservation biology, placing METE in context with other theories, and pointing readers along avenues for future research.
John Barry
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199695393
- eISBN:
- 9780191738982
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199695393.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This chapter looks at the importance of the values and practices of solidarity and sharing as a mode of economic production and consumption, often typically expressed in the ‘social economy’—in part ...
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This chapter looks at the importance of the values and practices of solidarity and sharing as a mode of economic production and consumption, often typically expressed in the ‘social economy’—in part anticipating the later discussion in chapter 8 on how a sustainable and resilient economy could be organized consistent with a green republican agenda. It outlines an ‘economy of sustainable desire’ which seeks to go beyond the usual descriptions of a resilient, green economy as one defined by ascetic puritanism, denial, and scarcity. In looking beyond the ‘scarcity principle’ as an ordering and organizing feature of orthodox (and some heterodox) economics, this chapter presents the type of economy and society consistent with the principles of green political economy as one of abundance. But if, and only if, we abandon conceptions of orthodox economic growth and consumerism, and replace these with meaningful free time, creativity, and the internal goods creative labour. And above all abandon the confusion and problems related to collapsing the distinction between ‘formally paid employment’ and ‘work’, including ‘socially necessary work’.Less
This chapter looks at the importance of the values and practices of solidarity and sharing as a mode of economic production and consumption, often typically expressed in the ‘social economy’—in part anticipating the later discussion in chapter 8 on how a sustainable and resilient economy could be organized consistent with a green republican agenda. It outlines an ‘economy of sustainable desire’ which seeks to go beyond the usual descriptions of a resilient, green economy as one defined by ascetic puritanism, denial, and scarcity. In looking beyond the ‘scarcity principle’ as an ordering and organizing feature of orthodox (and some heterodox) economics, this chapter presents the type of economy and society consistent with the principles of green political economy as one of abundance. But if, and only if, we abandon conceptions of orthodox economic growth and consumerism, and replace these with meaningful free time, creativity, and the internal goods creative labour. And above all abandon the confusion and problems related to collapsing the distinction between ‘formally paid employment’ and ‘work’, including ‘socially necessary work’.
Carolyn M. King and Roger A. Powell
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195322712
- eISBN:
- 9780199894239
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195322712.003.0010
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
All methods of estimating density of weasels are difficult to verify, largely because the study area has to be large and many individuals will escape detection. Systematic trapping, footprint ...
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All methods of estimating density of weasels are difficult to verify, largely because the study area has to be large and many individuals will escape detection. Systematic trapping, footprint tracking, and population modelling have produced estimates reckoning from 0 up to (in exceptional conditions of abundant food) about 13 least/common weasels per km2 and 22 stoats or longtails/km2. The distributions and local breeding success of voles and rabbits easily explain this surprising variety. In all cases, well-documented interactions between fecundity, fertility, and productivity determine the link between food and density. The sudden drastic decline in rabbits in the UK after the arrival of myxomatosis stimulated an irruption of voles; stoats almost disappeared, but common weasels thrived, as do least weasels after a vole or lemming irruption in the far north. Stoats in New Zealand do the same when non-commensal house mice irrupt after a heavy seed fall of southern Beech.Less
All methods of estimating density of weasels are difficult to verify, largely because the study area has to be large and many individuals will escape detection. Systematic trapping, footprint tracking, and population modelling have produced estimates reckoning from 0 up to (in exceptional conditions of abundant food) about 13 least/common weasels per km2 and 22 stoats or longtails/km2. The distributions and local breeding success of voles and rabbits easily explain this surprising variety. In all cases, well-documented interactions between fecundity, fertility, and productivity determine the link between food and density. The sudden drastic decline in rabbits in the UK after the arrival of myxomatosis stimulated an irruption of voles; stoats almost disappeared, but common weasels thrived, as do least weasels after a vole or lemming irruption in the far north. Stoats in New Zealand do the same when non-commensal house mice irrupt after a heavy seed fall of southern Beech.
Russell Lande, Steinar Engen, and Bernt-Erik SÆther
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198525257
- eISBN:
- 9780191584930
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198525257.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
This chapter introduces the species abundance distribution in a community or random sample. It describes statistical procedures that account for sampling variance in the estimated abundance of each ...
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This chapter introduces the species abundance distribution in a community or random sample. It describes statistical procedures that account for sampling variance in the estimated abundance of each species to fit species abundance distributions with Gamma or lognormal forms. Statistical properties are described for the three most commonly used nonparametric scalar measures of species diversity: species richness, Shannon information, and Simpson diversity. For each of these diversity measures we analyze the statistical accuracy of estimates of the actual diversity in a community that can be made from random samples. The chapter explains additive partitioning of species diversity into components attributable to subdivisions of the community in space and time. It concludes with examples of partitioning diversity into spatial and temporal components in highly diverse insect communities.Less
This chapter introduces the species abundance distribution in a community or random sample. It describes statistical procedures that account for sampling variance in the estimated abundance of each species to fit species abundance distributions with Gamma or lognormal forms. Statistical properties are described for the three most commonly used nonparametric scalar measures of species diversity: species richness, Shannon information, and Simpson diversity. For each of these diversity measures we analyze the statistical accuracy of estimates of the actual diversity in a community that can be made from random samples. The chapter explains additive partitioning of species diversity into components attributable to subdivisions of the community in space and time. It concludes with examples of partitioning diversity into spatial and temporal components in highly diverse insect communities.
