The Case of the Laggard Lionesses

0 N C 0 R D I A,S SDAY ~PORT VOL. 20 . OCTOBER I9, I995 • N ° 6 Biology Professor Luc-Alain Giraldeau was quoted in New York Times The case of the laggard lionesses Concordia Behavioural Ecology Pro Experts have recently begun territory. (Males aren't studied, in BY JACQUIE CHARLTON fessor Luc-Alain Giraldeau has been noting the intriguingly "altruistic" this case, because they have no terri s every biologist knows, altruistic trying to answer, and so far at least, behaviour of lions, one of. torial rights in the pride.) A behaviour is an evolutionary cul he hasn't found anything to contra Giraldeau's areas of expertise. The Behavioural ecologists have been de-sac. But how can we explain appar dict Darwin. What appears to be New York T imes science section trying to explain why the parasitic lionesses are not punished or driven ently selfless behaviour in animals? altruism, he says, is often only an (September 5, 1995) quoted out by the harder-working ones. And why do human beings often act elaborate structure of behaviour Giraldeau commenting on work on They're wondering if it could be the purely out of concern for others? established through the ages to help laggard lionesses, those who shirk on elusive example of altruism in ani These are some of the questions individuals survive. their share of hunting and defending mals that might turn evolutionary theory on its ear. Not quite, Giraldeau says. Lions' behaviour corresponds more to a "producer-scrounger" scenario, which dictates that as long as an opportuni ty for scrounging exists, someone will take it. The "producer lions" will overlook a degree of parasitism in the pride as long as it is sustainable. A ltruism, Giraldeau explains, doesn't really come into it. "It's like asking, How many bank robbers can the city of Montreal sustain?" See Giraldeau, p. 11 Women's Y protected moral, religious well-being of girls coming to the city T~e girl problem: Diana Pedersen explores.e .arly years of YWCA their imperialistic bent and their mid maiden. In fact, Pedersen said in her reform circles as "the pre-eminent BY JOANNE LATIMER dle-class agenda of controlling boys. I paper, the organization's initial goal authority on Canadian girl-life," hildhood has its own history, argue that the girls' organizations was to persuade unaffiliated young Pedersen wrote. Cand when the International shared a lot of those values, but they women to attend church regularly. "Underlying all its activities was a Congress of Historical Sciences con were also promoting young women as The YWCAs set up boarding vision of young women as the future vened in Montreal in late August, its a valuable national resource, which houses for these young working mothers and cornerstones of the discussions included that topic for was progressive." women, who were between 17 to 25, Christian family home, guardians of the very first time. The topic has a strong religious and lobbied for public and private the morality of the urban community component, Pedersen said. The money for summer camps and recre and the nation. In fact, the YWCA History Professor Diana Pedersen mainstream Protestant churches at ation facilities such as those enjoyed identified the young women of delivered a paper at the conference the turn of the century were evangel by boys. Canada as "the key to national called "Constructing Female Adoles ical, reformist, and highly influential, Gradually, the Y succeeded regeneration and the redemption of cence: Canadian YWCA Girls' and the YWCA defined in establishing itself in Canada's cities." Workers, Religious Education and the -~=- its elf as religious and At about this time, the new science New 'Girl Psychology,' 1909-1921." Severa I Concordians reflect on hand- social of developmental psychology (and the "Childhood has been an active their time in China at the recent recognition that "girlhood" was a United Nations conference. field of study for over 20 years," she legitimate stage of growth, with its Page8 said in an interview, "but almost all own needs) were giving birth to a of the attention has been focused on specialization called Girls' Work. boys." Her paper addressed what This approach was geared specifically Chomsky talks turn-of-the-century social activists to working with young women, and America's favourite dissident. called "the girl problem" - the it stressed that girls should actively Noam Chomsky, gave full influx of young, unsupervised participate in social and religious life. value when he appeared women to Canadian cities - and The YWCA experimented with · at Concordia. how the Young Women's Christian summer camps for girls, high-school Page9 Association responded to it. girls' clubs and girls' conferences, "Historically, people don't recog and helped the Protestant churches nize that the YWCA and the YMCA organize the Canadian Girls in NEXT ISSUE: [its male counterpart] were distinct Training (or CGIT) for girls aged October 26 organizations," Pedersen said. "Histo 12 to 17. The program still exists in rians have stressed how conservative YWCA girls' workers at a CG camp m Knowlton, Quebec, in 1916. many communities. the boys' organi_zations were, with (Photo courtesy of the National Archives of Canada.} See Pedersen, p. 11 This column is compiled by Lee Harris, Webster Library (LB-285, 848-7724, e-mail- lharris@vax2) Ailie Cleghorn and her colleagues in Education are working to improve .quality of instruction at all levels Concordia project helps Zimbabweans develop early childhood educators Surf the World Wide Web in the Libraries in Zimbabwe, as in many other Until now, most early educators in BY SYLVAIN COMEAU African countries," Cleghorn said. Zimbabwe have worked without the Great news! The Concordia Libraries are caught in the web. As being caught in a web is rarely described as great or even good o many people, international The project team is made up of fac benefit of a university education. news, some explanation is in order. Tdevelopment means building ulty members from both universities, They need a career track, as part of including Professors Larry Prochner, You will now find a Home Page for the Concordia Libraries on the roads and digging wells, but the world-wide trend towards the Sandra Weber, Gina Walker, Miran World Wide Web (WWW). The URL (that's Internet jargon for the Concordia's Ailie Cleghorn (Educa professionalization of teachers. tional Studies) believes that the ben da d'Amico and Sara Weinberg from address) is: http://juno.concordia.ca. The WWW is probably the The project is now entering the most powerful way to search for information on the global Internet. efits can also be intangible. She and a Concordia. It has also caught the last of its four years. As well as an Home Pages of institutions or even individuals, are starting points colleague at the University of Zim interest of several graduate students for finding electronic information by following hypertext links to babwe (UZ) are the co-directors of a who have helped out as project assis early childhood education depart other Web pages. Instead of just informing you of what is available, tants; a few have found their thesis ment at UZ, an observation nursery the WWW software allows you to make the link directly by clicking project aimed at early childhood the mouse on or moving a cursor to a highlighted portion of the ed4cators (ECE). topics in the project. school may be developed on campus Home Page or another Web page. By the time you are through Although the faculty at UZ hold Each year, two or more Concordia which would provide a site for train clicking from one site to another you may be quite far from the Master's and PhD degrees in educa team members spend a few weeks in ing and research. Libraries' Home Page but don't worry, it's easy to get back home. tion, they wanted to address the uni Zimbabwe helping to teach some of There is no doubt the World Wide Web is aptly named. Concordia hopes to keep its hand versity's lack of specialization in the program's courses. "It really in by applying for a second phase of The Web can be searched using two types of browsers, graphical or makes us take a close look at West young children's education. funding from the Canadian Interna text-based. Netscape is a graphical browser which allows you to see Of the eight Zimbabwe faculty ern notions of early education," all the images which may be contained in files you find on the Inter tional Development Agency members who have already spent· a Cleghorn said. net. Lynx is a text-based browser accessible on many Concordia (CIDA), which has been supporting computer systems. Lynx can't show you the images which are part semester at Concordia, four c~e for For example, the current philoso of Web documents but as most of the information on the World ideas about maths and science learn phy says that children learn in a the project. Wide Web is in text form, you won't be missing much. ing in young children. holistic way, not broken up into cat Netscape is available in the Reference areas and Media Centres of "Now they can not only train egories like maths and reading. But the Vanier and Webster Libraries. It can be used to access the teachers for the secondary schools, an integrated teaching approach Concordia Libraries Home Page which includes a link to the "Virtual but they are able to relate to chil built around class · projects is har~ to Library Tour" complete with floor plans, photos and directional dren's conceptual development in sustain when the materials that we signs.

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