A cultural approach to patriotism

This study explores an under-researched phenomenon of how African Americans communicate about patriotism via ordinary political conversation. We conducted two studies that offer a critical-qualitative analysis of how patriotism is colloquially articulated among African Americans. In study one, focus group interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using constant comparative method. In study two, we conducted a quantitative content analysis. The findings from study one revealed that there are three relational conceptualizations that help characterize one’s orientation to their nation (i.e., community: subordinate, guardian, and tumultuous). Participants expressed having an attachment to, identification with, and commitment to their communities.     

Power,Bodies and Identity: How different forms of physical education construct varying masculinities and femininities in secondary schools

Physical education (PE) lessons are an important arena for the construction and consolidation of dominant and subordinate masculinities and femininities within schools. The gym, sports hall, playing field and associated areas such as changing rooms and showers function as sites both for the gendered display of hegemonic forms of heterosexual masculinity and for the subordination of alternatives. Femininities of different sorts are also played out through the acceptance and refusal of different forms of school PE and out-of-school exercise activities. This paper considers how different forms of physical education and sports in schools contribute to the construction and perpetuation of different forms of heterosexual masculinities and femininities. In it I attempt to map Frank's (1991, 1995) ideal types of bodily usage against activities in the male and female traditions of school PE. I look at the gender marking of Frank's ideal types and the corresponding PE, sports and fitness activities and at how the different bodily usages encouraged by different forms of secondary school PE permit and encourage the development of particular masculinities and femininities while discouraging others.     

An Exploratory Evaluation of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation to Promote Collaboration Among Family,School, and Pediatric Systems: A Role for Pediatric School Psychologists

Pediatric school psychology is a relatively new subspecialty in the field; however, few specific, prescribed roles have been articulated, and fewer have yielded preliminary efficacy data. In this exploratory study, the acceptability and potential efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) as a model for linking families, schools, and pediatric settings to address concerns for children with medical issues were evaluated. Twenty-nine children, their parents, teachers, and consultants were involved in conjoint consultation, a model of cross-system collaboration to address shared concerns of medically referred children. In this structured indirect service delivery model, parents, teachers, and school psychology pediatric consultants worked collaboratively in interdisciplinary problem solving and joint decision making with extensive input regarding medical issues from a developmental pediatrician. Outcome measures included parent and teacher observations of child functioning across home and school settings as a result of consultation-mediated interventions and social validity indices assessing acceptability and consumer satisfaction. Results suggested that CBC is a socially valid procedure for addressing concerns of medically referred children across home and school systems. Both parents and teachers reported the consultation process to be highly acceptable. Preliminary effect size analyses of child outcomes, derived from uncontrolled case study designs, suggest generally positive effects across home and school, although limitations with the methodology preclude conclusive statements. Research is needed to determine the contexts and conditions under which the model is more or less effective using rigorous controlled trials.     

Modelling and analysis of alternative face guard designs for cricket using finite element modelling

In professional cricket, where bowlers can bowl balls that reach speeds of up to 160 km h^-1, effective head protection is vital. Current head protection equipment typically consists of a helmet with a high impact grade polypropylene shell, a high density EPS liner, and a metal face guard. Most of the weight in existing helmets is attributed to the steel grill used as the face guard. We present a virtual design approach to the development and evaluation of new face guards made from alternative materials. In particular, we investigate a face guard design for cricket made from polycarbonate rather than steel using an explicit dynamic finite element analysis (FEA) approach. The FEA model developed for this purpose incorporates the headform, helmet, polycarbonate face guard and the impacting ball. ABAQUS CAE was used for FEA. HyperMesh and SolidWorks were used to develop the geometric model. This work identifies appropriate modelling and simulation strategies, and key design attributes for the development of new face guards using alternative materials. A preliminary study shows that by using polycarbonates it is possible to reduce the mass of the face guard by 20%, thus contributing to greater comfort of the players without compromising their safety. The key criteria for reduction of ball deceleration by at least 25% at each test site were satisfied, with deceleration reduction values ranging from 44% to 87% from those due to ball impact with the bare head.     

‘Doing the Best for the Students’: dilemmas and decisions in carrying out statutory assessment tasks

This paper considers the effects on teachers, students and the curriculum of the experience, in the spring of 1993, of the first extended assessement tasks in Design in Technology in England and Wales. It examines the frustrations experienced and the dilemmas faced by teachers in working on these tasks with students, and their attempts to resolve their resulting role conflicts. It is suggested, that in this case at least, teachers' loyalties to their ideas about good teaching and learning took precedence over the requirement to follow the Government's assessment procedures. This is because teachers felt that the tasks set by the Government were inappropriate both for student learning and for assessing the curriculum which they had followed, and that the ways in which they were expected to carry them out were detrimental both to student learning and to ‘fair’ assessment. It is suggested that in some cases this led to a ‘radicalisation’ of a comparatively conservative group. The effects on the curriculum, the schools and the teachers concerned are critically examined in the light of planned changes in the Design and Technology curriculum.     

索菲娅·科波拉:名门才女的“迷失与寻获”

就像"肯尼迪"这个在美国政治圈影响力非凡的姓氏,冠上"科波拉"的名号在电影圈行走,别人会不自觉地对你肃然起敬。索菲娅·科波拉是好莱坞"任人唯亲"的受益者。索菲娅早年在父亲的电影中皆有出场表演机会,那些让多少人争得头破血流的机会,她唾手可得。她不缺乏机会、贵人、名利和奉承,但她需要真正意义上的认可和赞美。所以,她努力过,尝试过,摔倒过,思考过,终于,在导演这条路上,她找到了自己一直需要的如鱼得水和刮目相看。她的导演风格与父亲的恢弘大气完全不同,她喜欢小情调、小地方,她热衷于用女性的细腻捕捉那些生活中的曲调和故事,直戳观众的心窝。     

The Relationship Between College Students' Self-Reports of Class Participation and Perceived Instructor Impressions

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the extent to which college students' self-reports of their in-class participation are related to their impressions of instructors (i.e., credibility, attractiveness, and homophily). Participants were 223 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory communication course at a large Mid-Atlantic university. Students' self-reports of their in-class participation were positively correlated with perceived instructor social attractiveness, physical attractiveness, background homophily, and attititude homophily, but not with perceived instructor competence, character, caring, and task attractiveness. Furthermore, class size, perceived instructor social attractiveness, and perceived instructor background homophily emerged as significant predictors of in-class participation.     

This Little Piggy Went to Press: The American News Media's Construction of Animals in Agriculture

This textual analysis examines the representations of farmed animals in national print and broadcast news discourse in over 100 stories published from 2000 to 2003. Findings show these American news media largely support the speciesist status quo by favoring elite viewpoints and failing to provide balance. Although exceptions are provided, news media often objectify nonhuman animals discursively through: 1) commodification, 2) failure to acknowledge their emotional perspectives, and 3) failure to describe them as inherently valuable individuals.     

An Investigation of Student Response to a Potential Tuition Cap Increase at Casper College

Wyoming Community College Commission policy currently states any student enrolled for more than 12 credit hours will be charged tuition for only 12 credit hours. This policy is referred to as the tuition cap. In November 2010, the commission discussed increasing the tuition cap to 15 credits. An increase from 12 to 15 credits would have represented a 25% increase in tuition for students enrolled for 15 or more credits. Casper College president Dr. Walter Nolte commissioned a study to examine the impact such an increase would have on Casper College and its students. A survey instrument was designed to determine if students carrying more than 12 credit hours would reduce their enrollment credits and what sources of funding they would seek to defray the increased cost. Using a multistage sampling design, a sample of 67 Casper College course sections was selected to respond to the survey. The data were analyzed with logistic regression models, and the estimates were adjusted using sampling weights and a finite population correction. Analysis indicated that 42% of Casper College students would reduce their credit hours by an average of 3.3 credits. Approximately 58% of students would seek additional scholarships and 63% would seek increased work hours. The results of the study were presented to the Wyoming Community College Commission on October 28, 2011. In December 2011, the Commission announced a decision not to increase the tuition cap.