Getting the message

Few would doubt the necessity of our previous contributors' questioning of the ‘purposes’ of topic work. Yet Mathematics' strong hold upon the primary school curriculum is rarely questioned! This provocative article tests out our assumptions about the “applications” and the “cultural uses” of the subject and argues for “purpose-driven ways of teaching and learning”.     

A message from the president

Spectatorship, a key component of political judgment, has received little critical attention. After describing reflective spectator judgment with respect to political judgment and rhetorical theory, I propose a method of stylistic analysis which may help to identify discursive features enabling reflective spectator judgment. These discursive features‐described as participatory forms‐are illustrated by performing a stylistic analysis of Fisher Ames's Jay Treaty speech. Advantages and limitations of this mode of reflective spectatorship and critical method are considered.