Browsing by Author "Bright, Alan, committee member"
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Item Open Access An exploration of the use of problem-based learning at allopathic family medicine residency programs in the United States(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Benè, Kristen Leigh, author; Most, David, advisor; Timpson, William, advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Bright, Alan, committee member; Marvel, M. Kim, committee memberBackground: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a learner-centered approach that allows learners to be self-directed and learn content in the context where it will be applied. Recent research on outcomes shows strong evidence for a positive impact on physician competency. PBL was designed by Barrows to teach students in the preclinical medical school years; however, it is an approach well suited for adult learners, like those at the graduate medical education level. It is not known whether and to what extent PBL is used in graduate medical education in any specialty. This study provides an original contribution to knowledge by describing the use of PBL in graduate medical education specifically focusing on family medicine. Method: Surveys were sent to program directors at 444 allopathic family medicine residency programs in the United States. Results: One hundred seventy five programs (39.4%) responded to the survey. Of those responding, 82.9% used PBL as defined in this study; however only one-third of respondents used the term PBL at their programs. Use of PBL did not vary by program types or program location. Almost all (97.2%) programs used physician faculty to facilitate PBL and over half (56%) trained PBL facilitators with formal faculty development. Over 90% of programs relied on actual patient cases to provide case content for PBL. The majority of program directors felt their implementation of PBL was a success. Conclusions: PBL is widely used at family medicine residency programs and there is great consistency across programs for facilitator training, case creation, and perceptions of success with this method. It is a method that warrants further study based on its broad use.Item Open Access Applying social science to inform conservation solutions regarding owned outdoor cats in urbanizing landscapes(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Gramza, Ashley, author; Teel, Tara, advisor; Crooks, Kevin, advisor; VandeWoude, Susan, committee member; Bright, Alan, committee memberFree-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) incur and impose risks on ecosystems and represent a complex issue of critical importance to wildlife conservation and domestic cat and human health. There is an inherent social dimension to the issue of owned free-ranging cats, as humans are their caregivers and can contribute to the cause as well as the solution to this issue. To address this social component, we examined public risk perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs towards owned free-ranging cats along a gradient of urbanization via a survey of residents in two study areas in Colorado. Residents did not view all types of risks uniformly; they viewed the risks of cat predation on wildlife and carnivore predation on cats as more likely than the risks of disease transmission to and from wildlife. Additionally, risk perceptions were related to such factors as attitudes and general beliefs about cats, prior experiences with cats and their interactions with wildlife, and cat owner behavior. These findings provide support for the notion that changes in risk perceptions can result in behavior change, and they offer insight for development of communication campaigns aimed at promoting risk aversive behaviors and cat management strategies that are both acceptable to the public and have direct conservation implications. Our study can also be used as a model for further research focused on integrating social and biological information to promote conservation of wildlife and habitats.Item Open Access Diffusion of sustainability innovation among Colorado ski resorts: a mixed methods approach(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) McGrady, Pavlina Stefanova, author; Cottrell, Stuart P., advisor; Bright, Alan, committee member; Golicic, Susan, committee member; O'Leary, Joseph, committee memberTo view the abstract, please see the full text of the document.Item Open Access Effects of a non-lethal chemical repellent on airport bird communities(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Urchek, Kathleen, author; Pejchar, Liba, advisor; Werner, Scott, committee member; Kendall, William, committee member; Bright, Alan, committee memberHuman-wildlife conflicts are likely to occur wherever the interests and activities of humans and wildlife overlap. Airport environments are a prime example of where such conflict is pervasive because wildlife can view airports as habitat, yet the presence of wildlife increases the risk of collision. As humans increase our reliance on air travel and development encroaches on natural areas, conflicts between humans and wildlife will continue to be prevalent in airport settings, thus creating the need for effective management tools. To assess the effectiveness of one such tool, we evaluated the effect of a non-lethal chemical repellent on bird abundance, species richness, movement, and behavior in airport settings. Following a Before After Control Impact Paired study design we compared the changes among each variable from a period of pre-treatment to a period of active treatment, in both treated and control sites. Using Poisson and zero-inflated mixed effects models we found that the repellent is likely effective in shifting birds from treated to untreated areas within airports, and that the abundance of two common species, Bobolinks and European Starlings, declined following treatment. We also found that the repellent does not change the frequency in which birds move out of treated plots and intersect with runways, but may be altering the within-plot behavior of Eastern Meadowlarks, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Sandhill Cranes. Our mixed findings highlight the need for continued study of the mechanisms behind avian response to chemical repellents in airport settings. Although a diverse set of approaches will always be needed to alleviate the many human-wildlife conflicts associated with airports, here we show that, to promote co-existence with wildlife, this chemical repellent can be a part of that toolset.Item Open Access Encounters, norms, crowding: an application of the normative theory and methods in Turkey(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Bingül, Meryem Bihter, author; Donnelly, Maureen P., advisor; Vaske, Jerry J., advisor; Bright, Alan, committee member; Omur-Ozbek, Pinar, committee memberNational parks attract millions of visitors a year due to their natural and cultural importance (Manning, 2007). The number of visits to national parks has been rapidly increasing around the world (Manning & Krymkowski, 2010). The high level of visitation to these areas has generated concerns about sustaining appropriate levels of social and environmental impacts. Growing demand for access and participation in recreational activities in national parks can damage both the ecological integrity of the environment, as well as reducing the quality of visitor experiences. The quality of visitor experiences must be maintained at a high level for national parks to contribute their full potential to society (Manning, 2002). In the literature, the quality of the visitor experience has been addressed through the concept of carrying capacity (Manning, 2007). In the United States, several planning frameworks have been developed and applied for National Parks relating to carrying capacity such as Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC), Visitor Impact Management (VIM), and Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP). These frameworks share a common idea of identifying and establishing quantitative impact indicators and standards. National Parks in Turkey, however, have no such framework for monitoring the quality of both the natural environment and the visitor experience. Research on these issues is also very limited. The primary purpose of this dissertation is to examine the applicability of normative theory and methods in Turkey by addressing the interrelationships of visitor encounter norms and perceptions of crowding, resulting in the identification of appropriate indicators and standards of quality for management of the country's national parks. This dissertation presents three manuscripts designed to contribute this area of inquiry. The first chapter focuses on one of the structural characteristics of norms (e.g. norm prevalence) and methodological considerations that influence norm prevalence. The following research questions examined in this manuscript: first, what percent of visitors will report a norm in a given setting (Rocky Mountain National Park-ROMO)? Does the survey response format influence norm prevalence? Among those reporting a norm, to what extent do normative evaluations differ between two different response formats (e.g. closed and semi-open format)? Results indicated that norm prevalence is higher when respondents are asked to circle a number from range of values presented on the survey (closed format) as opposed to writing in a number (semi-open format). Among those reporting a norm, the average norm tolerance levels for the closed and semi-open question formats are equivalent across all specific locations. This work demonstrate that survey response format influence norm prevalence (percentage of individuals reporting a norm) and the numerical value of the reported norm. The second chapter examines the generalizability of the research findings from the ROMO study to Dilek Peninsula National Park-DPNP, in Turkey. The same research questions are asked in this second manuscript. First, what percent of visitors will report a norm in DPNP? Second, among those reporting a norm, to what extent do normative evaluations differ between semi-open and closed response formats? Results demonstrated that encounter norm prevalence (i.e., the percent of individuals who could specify a norm) is higher for the closed format of the survey as compared to the semi-open version. In addition, among those reporting a norm, the average tolerance levels were statistically higher in the semi-open format. The third chapter focuses on relationships among encounters, norms, and crowding for both settings ROMO and DPNP examining following research questions; First, what are visitor's norms regarding encounters with others at the site? Second, what proportion of visitors encounter fewer or more than their norm? Third, if they encounter fewer or more visitors than their norm, how does this affect visitors' perception of crowding? Fourth, to what extent does perceived crowding differ between ROMO and DPNP? Lastly, to what extent does the country of origin influence perceived crowding? Findings shows, in both settings, when visitors encountered more people than their norm, perceived crowding was higher compared to when individuals encountered less than their norms. The findings also showed that Turkish respondents felt more crowded than American visitors. In total, this dissertation is intended to provide a deeper look at the applications of normative theory and methods between two countries the United States and Turkey to contribute management of parks and outdoor recreation.Item Open Access Exploring the culinary tourism experience: an investigation of the supply sector for brewery and restaurant owners(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Minihan, Christina, author; Donnelly, Maureen, advisor; O'Leary, Joseph, advisor; Kang, Soo, committee member; Bright, Alan, committee memberTourists travel all over the world to taste different types of cuisine and create memorable experiences through them. Although cuisine can be the primary reason one travels; it plays a significant role in any tourist's daily routine. While the idea of culinary tourism has been around for decades, it has received limited research attention. The existing research primarily highlights the consumer aspects, with limited focus on the trade or supply realm. The purpose of this dissertation is to present an innovative study in the culinary tourism field that develops and tests a comprehensive culinary tourism experience model from the supply sector perspective. This dissertation includes three studies presented as potential journal articles. Chapter 1 explores a review of the current literature on culinary tourism. This chapter contains the general frameworks and models that have been proposed to date when considering culinary tourism and the theory on experience. Chapters 2 and 3 include qualitative analyses that test a proposed culinary tourism experience model through in-depth interviews from breweries and restaurant owners in Fort Collins, Colorado. The model encompasses the following 14 components: (a) learning and knowledge, (b) physical setting, (c) quality, (d) quantity, (e) service quality, (f) variety, (g) backstage access, (h) local culture, (i) senses beyond taste, (j) entertainment, (k) sustainability, (l) target market, (m) differentiation, (n) social media, and technology. The elements were selected from the results that emerged from the literature review, along with a pre-test. These elements were examined with owners and managers in terms of how the restaurants and breweries manage their operation and create a customer experience. Implications for future research and recommendations for improving this supply side approach to modeling the cuisine tourism experience are proposed.Item Open Access Factors influencing agency staff's willingness to adopt collaborative public participation techniques in the NEPA decision-making process(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Roberts, Peggy Cochran, author; Christen, Cindy, advisor; Champ, Joe, committee member; Bright, Alan, committee memberToday, U.S. government agencies face complex environmental issues and decisions. These issues involve diverse stakeholders with a broad spectrum of interests and concerns. While public participation has conceptually evolved over the years, many agencies continue to rely on the traditional public participation techniques such as the public meeting. However, both the public and agencies have been less than satisfied with the results of traditional public participation. A trend towards implementing collaborative public participation techniques has been embraced by the U.S. government in environmental decision-making. However, based on the literature and observation, collaborative public participation is rarely implemented in the decision-making process. This study reviewed the factors that either encourage or discourage agency staff from adopting collaborative public participation techniques, specifically in the NEPA decision-making process. Eleven semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with environmental managers and public affairs representatives from Western Area Power Administration, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. This study evaluated these factors and identified potential relationships between the factors and the willingness to adopt collaborative techniques. Agency culture was identified as the primary factor influencing agency staff to adopt collaborative public participation techniques. An agency culture that is service-oriented supports collaborative processes, and in turn, encourages training and education about the appropriate use of collaboration. Further, while there is a direct effect of agency culture on willingness to adopt collaborative techniques, the study identified a potential indirect effect of agency culture on other factors. Cost to implement a collaborative public participation programs and federal regulations were found to be encouraging factors, rather than discouraging factors as previously identified in the literature. The study found that with the cost reimbursement program and new technology, cost was not a hindrance to using collaboration. Also, threats to the agency's decision-making authority were not validated because the regulations secure this authority. Two new factors affecting agency decisions to use collaboration emerged from the study that warrants further research. The relationship between agency culture and the individual's mindset and how these factors influence the use of collaboration provides opportunities for future research. Also, additional studies should explore how staff determines the appropriate level of participation for their projects. Are they unaware of other techniques or are they misapplying techniques based on the scope or type of project? Collaboration is an extension of our democratic culture and when appropriately applied can be an effective means for resolving our environmental concerns. Without fear of losing decision-making authority, this study found that agency staff support alternative approaches to assist them in making sound decisions.Item Open Access Forging family outdoor identity: natural conversations about the effect of outdoor experiences on attitudes toward environmental science(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Crockett, Michele, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Long, Marilee, advisor; Bright, Alan, committee memberThis study used a qualitative, "walking interview" method to explore how families' outdoor experiences and parent-child interactions affected their attitudes about environmental science. Members of six families--at least one parent and one child--were interviewed during a walk in a city-maintained natural area in Fort Collins, Colorado. The discussion examined the themes of family time spent outdoors, engagement in science topics at school, family discussions about environmental science, and family media use. The conversational data was analyzed using idiographic and nomothetic approaches, from which emerged the theme of family outdoor identity-the extent to which families perceive themselves as outdoor-oriented. Parents in the study exhibited varying degrees of guiding behavior in discussions about environmental science, regardless of whether one of the parents had a science background. Although this study indicated that young children in particular consume very little print media, older children use electronic media, particularly web-based search tools, to find information about environmental topics. In addition, social media emerged as a useful media tool for parents seeking information about environmental topics.Item Open Access Is citizen science worth it? Economic decision making of natural resource managers(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Fauver, Brian M., author; Bruyere, Brett, advisor; Newman, Gregory, committee member; Bright, Alan, committee memberCitizen science, or public participation in scientific research, is often used by natural resource management agencies for monitoring. Citizen science has been studied for its effects on volunteer education, community engagement, data rigor, and cost savings. This thesis researches the cost savings of citizen science projects by comparing three citizen science projects to equivalent professional projects, and by analyzing the methodology of implementation of three citizen science case studies. It found that the citizen science projects studied are not notably cheaper than their professional counterparts but are lauded for their benefits of education, community engagement, and stewardship. For the case studies, supervised data collection and on-the-job training were found to have higher variable costs, while unsupervised data collection and training prior to data collection was found to have higher fixed costs. The findings of this thesis might aid resource managers in deciding if citizen science is an appropriate monitoring tool for their resource.Item Open Access It takes a village to support the National Park Service(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Espinosa, Tiffany, author; Vaske, Jerry V., advisor; Donnelly, Maureen P., committee member; Bright, Alan, committee member; Morgan, George, committee memberAs the United States becomes more diverse, the National Park Service will need to continue to adapt if it is going to continue to garner public, political, and financial support in the future. In these three chapters, the role of citizens, funders, politicians and visitors is investigated. The first two chapters of this study explore the historic role of citizens and legislators in creating and developing the National Park System. The third chapter takes park visitor data, joined with market research data, to explore different theories on barriers for diverse audiences, in-group heterogeneity of park visitors, and opportunities to use this research to engage new park visitors and boosters from diverse backgrounds. The first chapter provides a historical perspective on the origins of the National Park Service. This chapter considers the early advocates and park champions from all walks of life who helped shaped the system in its earliest years. In particular it focuses on those outside the government bureaucracy who helped provide the infrastructure and resources, and who got the country energized around the concept of government investment in conservation and heritage work. The second chapter explores political aspects of designating new sites into the National Park System. Federally designated protected lands represent a variety of political, economic, recreational and ideological costs and benefits. The chapter reviews some of the main arguments for and against creating new National Park sites, the legislative steps that proposed parks go through in the process to become an official national park unit, and tests the electoral competition theory, an adaptation of economic rational choice theory applied to political behavior. The electoral competition theory hypothesizes that as the congressional majority margin decreases (gets more competitive), politicians will act in a more strategic & less partisan manner. This study examined the creation of new National Park units from 1934-2010 in the US, and found evidence in support of partisanship, electoral competition, and that presidential election years heightened the competitive behaviors of legislators. This suggests that the evolution of the parks system has been influenced by political interests and political gamesmanship. The third chapter explored in-group racial and ethnic heterogeneity among National Park visitors. Park visitation rates for minority visitors are low compared to white visitors. Teasing out the in-group heterogeneity of visitors provides park administrators with better information on which specific audience segments they are currently drawing to the parks. In this study three theories were tested to evaluate and compare the role of (a) cultural differences, (b) affluence and proximity, and (c) an integrated model that includes race, resources, geography, and lifestyles factors in specifying statistically relevant differences between and within groups. For the study, park visitor information was joined with psychographic and geo-demographic data. The results show that there is significant heterogeneity within racial or ethnic groups and the model with the strongest effect size is the integrated model that considers visitors in a broadest context, though each model provided insights about visitor heterogeneity. Also included was a sample of ways park administrators could apply the information from the study to develop targeted outreach and programming.Item Open Access Messaging and national park visitor attitudes(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Taff, Brendan Derrick, author; Newman, Peter, advisor; Bright, Alan, committee member; Timpson, William, committee member; Vagias, Wade, committee memberNational Park Service annual visitation is approaching 300 million, and managers must balance internal stress, such as visitor use, and external stress, such as noise from aircraft overflights, while protecting resource and social conditions. Attitudes affect visitor perceptions of these influences, and largely determine behaviors via behavioral intentions. The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate national park visitor attitudes, specifically in regard to Leave No Trace minimum impact practices, alternative transportation, and soundscapes, and to increase understanding of effective strategies, such as educational messaging, which can alter visitor attitudes, perceptions and behaviors. This dissertation summarizes three studies and is presented as three journal articles suitable for submission to tier one or two journals. It begins by describing the origins of visitor capacity in national parks, and the associated frameworks and theoretical models that assess visitor perceptions and assist with the creation of effective messaging. The Theory of Planned Behavior and the Elaboration Likelihood Model are introduced as pertinent frameworks to the development of effective messaging which can alter visitor attitudes and perceptions. Chapters two and three present studies which evaluated visitor attitudes in NPS units, and chapter four builds upon this understanding by testing theoretically-based messaging with park visitors to determine if messaging can alter perceptions. Chapter five connects these studies by discussing how messaging can be applied in parks to alter visitor attitudes, perceptions and behaviors, while suggesting implications of the results and recommendations for future research. Study one investigates day-user and backcountry-overnight visitor attitudes concerning Leave No Trace at Rocky Mountain and Olympic National Parks. Leave No Trace is the most prominent educational message used to influence behaviors of protected-areas visitors with the end-goal of sustaining or improving resource conditions. The majority of previous research regarding Leave No Trace has focused on backcountry-overnight visitors. However, day-users are by far the largest user group of protected areas, and yet, research focused on this large and growing segment of users has been neglected. The purpose of this study was to enhance understanding of day-user knowledge, awareness and perceptions, and attitudes regarding Leave No Trace and compare them with those of overnight users. Greater understanding of the similarities and differences between these two user-groups is essential so that management can improve efficacy and create effective messaging strategies that alter behaviors and curb depreciative actions. Study two examines visitor attitudes toward alternative transportation systems in Rocky Mountain and Yosemite National Parks. The National Park Service is increasingly using alternative transportation to accommodate escalating visitation, while reducing the reliance upon personal vehicles that have attributed to resource and social condition impacts. Understanding of visitor perceptions of alternative transportation is vital for managers so that they may develop effective management strategies, frameworks, and messaging concerning alternative transportation use, yet little is known about visitor attitudes toward these systems. The purpose of this study was to examine visitor attitudes toward the alternative transportation experience and to determine salient variables that can be applied to user capacity frameworks, communication strategies, and park planning. Study three explores the role of educational messaging on visitor perceptions of military aircraft sounds in Sequoia National Park. Mandates require that the National Park Service protect natural soundscape, and research suggests that opportunities to experience natural sounds are among the most important reasons for visiting parks. Aircraft overflights are a significant source of anthropogenic noise intrusion in parks, and studies suggest that visitors frequently find these events annoying and unacceptable. The National Park Service must integrate methods to mitigate these impacts, and the purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of educational messaging and to determine if this information can significantly affect visitor acceptability of military aircraft sounds by altering visitor expectations.Item Open Access Motivating environmentally responsible behavior: an examination of message appeals from the reasonable person model(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Buczynski, Elizabeth M., author; Christen, Cindy, advisor; Bright, Alan, committee member; O'Keefe, Garrett, committee memberThis study operationalized a new model of environmentally responsible behavior as message appeals and tested its utility in predicting intention to reduce consumption of petroleum-based plastic shopping bags. The Reasonable Person Model (RPM) of environmentally responsible behavior hypothesizes that a mix of self-interest, altruism, personal norms, desirable choices, and participatory problem solving are the best predictors of behavior. This study employed a posttest-only experimental design to test the relative effectiveness of appeals to altruism, self-interest, and a combined RPM appeal to self-interest and multiple desirable choices among undergraduate students at Colorado State University. Appeals were presented in the form of written messages and effectiveness of each appeal was measured as expressed intentions. While the appeals used were unable to influence participant intentions to engage in the target behavior in a statistically significant manner, this study confirmed that the level of importance participants place on environmental protection was a significant predictor of intentions to perform the suggested environmentally responsible behavior. These results were used to re-examine recommendations from past theoretical literature about how to craft effective environmental appeals and messages.Item Open Access The motivations and barriers of landowner participation in reforestation on in the Bellbird Biological Corridor in Costa Rica(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Powlen, Kathryn, author; Jones, Kelly, advisor; Taylor, Peter Leigh, committee member; Bright, Alan, committee memberForest conservation and restoration approaches are implemented to address the decline in global forest cover, yet face institutional and social challenges in reaching end goals. A number of external and internal motivators can influence landowner participation in conservation, but there is still a lack of information on the relative influence of these types of motivators on decision making. This research examines the role of internal and external motivations and barriers on farmer participation in reforestation in the tropics. Eighty-five household surveys and 18 in-depth interviews were conducted with farmers in Costa Rica in 2017. Internal motivations analyzed include farmers' perceptions of environmental, economic and social outcomes of reforestation. External motivations analyzed include perceived support from conservation organizations. Multiple regression models were used to determine the significance of these factors, along with household and biophysical characteristics, on reforestation participation. External support and environmental perceptions were the most consistently significant variables across all regression models. Farm size and the number of years spent on the property also significantly influenced the decision to plant trees. Regression results were triangulated and contextualized with interview data. Results suggest that farmers are primarily concerned about securing regulating ecosystem services, such as water quality and quantity. Respondents showed a preference for in-kind support over cash. Interview data identified a lack of technical knowledge on how to plant trees and appropriate species to plant, unsuccessful past experiences and a lack of trust in external organizations as barriers to reforestation. Overall, this research suggests that both internal and external motivators influence the decision to participate in reforestation, and that those motivators are moderated by contextual factors. Management implications suggest future extension programs which focus on outreach and environmental education will be important for the success of reforestation projects in the study area. Overcoming the initial cost to plant trees and promoting ecosystem services values from tree planting will be important components of future reforestation project design.Item Open Access Tourism, poverty, and development: local perceptions, empowerment, and strategies for change in Peru's Sacred Valley(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Knight, David Warner, author; Cottrell, Stuart P., advisor; Bright, Alan, committee member; Pickering, Kathleen, committee member; Bohren, Lenora, committee memberIn the late 90s, growing emphasis on the eradication of global poverty led to a newfound focus on tourism as a tool for international development and poverty alleviation. During this time, Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) emerged as an approach aimed at 'tilting the tourism cake' and unlocking opportunities for the poor. Since its inception, PPT has sought to find more effective ways to measure the effects of tourism on the poor, to better understand the link between structure, agency, and tourism-based poverty alleviation, and to highlight issues of power that may influence how poor people become involved in or benefit from tourism. This dissertation addresses these trends in the PPT literature by seeking to understand and describe local perceptions of tourism-based poverty alleviation among four communities of Peru's Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley). It focuses particularly on interactions between tourism associations in each community and Intrepid Travel, an international tour operator based in Melbourne, Australia. The research was conducted between June and December of 2013 and employed an ethnographic methodology known as Rapid Qualitative Inquiry (RQI) to gain insiders' perspectives on tourism-based poverty alleviation. Sources of data included semi-structured interviews (N = 93), field notes, participant observation, and documents and reports from the associations, Intrepid Travel, and various government institutions. Study findings are presented in the form of three dissertation articles linking local perceptions of tourism and poverty to processes of empowerment, institutional change, and national discourses of development. Findings in the first article highlight expressions of power as domination through tourism both within and over communities, alluding to interactions that contributed to the disempowerment of some local people. The article also notes processes of empowerment for tourism association members in terms of enhanced agency, collectivity, and self-awareness. In the second article, the interplay between structure and agency is explored by presenting strategies for institutional change among association members. Findings suggest that tourism-based poverty alleviation is an opportunity-dependent and opportunity-generating process, influenced by both the institutional context and the specific strategies of reflexive actors to improve individual or collective functioning. Finally, article three compares national-level discourses of development in Peru to local perceptions of poverty and tourism practice outside Cuzco. Findings suggest that a great deal of overlap exists between local perceptions and income first, needs first, and rights first approaches to development. This overlap is observed through specific references to poverty as a lack of money, work, education, or control over tourism in the Cuzco region. The findings presented here reinforce previous appeals for both industry and government leaders to more effectively incorporate emic (local) perceptions and strategies into tourism policies effecting indigenous communities. Findings may hold broader practical and theoretical significance for Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) practice and research, as well. In particular, linking local perceptions and strategies for change to the frameworks presented may support efforts to understand the complex process by which `opportunities' are unlocked for local people - drawing attention to the agency and calculation of reflexive actors, to the selective influence of institutional configurations, and to the essentiality of indigenous voices and rights in pursuing tourism-based development at all levels of the socio-political spectrum.Item Open Access Water use in the western U.S.: irrigated agriculture, water leases, and public preferences(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Thorvaldson, Jennifer Lynn, author; Pritchett, James, advisor; Frasier, Marshall, committee member; Bright, Alan, committee memberIn the western U.S., water continues to be reallocated from agricultural to urban uses as a result of rapid population growth and urbanization. However, the negative implications of permanent rural-to-urban water transfers call into question the economic practicality and social acceptability of additional transfers. While some of the short-term economic impacts of permanent water transfers have been estimated, less attention has been given to the longer-term impacts of such transfers. There is also a need to evaluate the economic and social viability of emerging alternatives to permanent water transfers. In addition to assessing the economic contribution of irrigated agriculture, this dissertation assesses the economic and social viability of water transfers and some of their alternatives, from the perspectives of both farmers and urban households. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of western water law and motivation for the research. Chapter 2 assesses some of the longer-term effects of reduced irrigated acreage on the economic health of western rural counties. First, the relationship between irrigated agriculture and rural economic health is modeled via regression analysis of secondary data. The modeled relationship is then examined for structural breaks to test whether there is a minimum level of irrigated land necessary to sustain the economic health of rural agricultural communities. In Chapter 3, a survey of households in the western U.S. uncovers public perceptions and preferences regarding water use, conservation, and reallocation; current levels of water knowledge; and willingness to pay a fee in support of various water conservation and reallocation programs. In Chapter 4, a survey of irrigators in eastern Colorado is used to estimate a supply curve for leased water and to identify some of the factors that influence farmers' decision to lease their water. Chapter 5 concludes and suggests areas for further study. The research results will be useful to rural community leaders who are concerned with the evolution of their communities as their resources transition to urban use; urban planners as they consider water supply options; western households as they face the costs of water supply and reallocation programs; policymakers as they consider implementation of water lease markets; and farmers as they consider selling or leasing their water rights.