POLARIZED PRIORITIES OR FLEXIBLE ALTERNATIVES? DIMENSIONALITY IN INGLEHART'S MATERIALISM--POSTMATERIALISM SCALE

Ronald Inglehart's Postmaterialism thesis has undoubtedly beenone of the most influential ideas in cross-national and cross-temporalresearch on political behavior over the past two decades. Thewide-ranging debate and criticism generated by the Inglehartthesis has focused both on theoretical issues concerning thenature of values and on methodological issues concerning themeasurement of Materialism and Postmaterialism, particularlythe method for ranking individual responses. Using a data setthat employed both the original ranking method for measuringvalues and an alternative rating method, we explore the dimensionalstructure of these values and discuss the implications of differencesbetween the two measurement strategies. The two-dimensionalsolution provided by the rating method is, we argue, a moretheoretically appropriate way of understanding Materialist andPostmaterialist values than the notion of a single conflictdimension, since it allows for a more flexible and realisticaccount of the choices made by most social actors—choiceswhich may represent both Materialism and Postmaterialism.     

Dopaminerge Modulation striataler Plastizität

This article attempts to outline the neuronal foundations of movement automatization. In particular, it is shown that an increase in automaticity corresponds to processes of synaptic plasticity in the corticostriatal and corticocortical system. This mechanism is supposed to induce changes in the neuronal representations of the respective skill. Furthermore, the role of phasic dopamine release will be discussed with respect to its modulating effect on processes of plasticity.     

Introduction−justifying a cross-cultural comparative approach to school leadership and management

England's Education Action Zones are a flagship New Labour policy geared towards raising standards and reducing social exclusion in areas of educational under-performance. This introduction outlines key features of the policy, considers its broader significance in relation to new models of educational governance and pulls out some of the key issues that arise from the contributions to this special feature.     

The Management of Dilemmas in School Restructuring: A case analysis

While there is growing interest in studying principals' perceptions of their work lives in terms of dilemmas, relatively few studies have gone beyond this to investigate how leaders manage and cope with such 'intractable' situations and the consequential effects and outcomes. Accordingly, this article provides an in-depth qualitative case study of the dilemmas faced by a principal who is involved in the restructuring of his school. It then analyses the ways in which he manages and copes with these intractable situations, and the effects and outcomes that result. The article begins by outlining a framework used in the analysis. It addresses some considerations of method, before describing relevant school and system contexts. Finally, the in-depth case study is presented using the structure associated with the framework described earlier. Among the key findings are that dilemmas present opportunities as well as challenges for visionary, proactive and creative school leaders.     

Diversified professionalism of physical education teachers in the Asian context of Hong Kong

This study investigates the socialization and professional experiences of primary school physical education teachers (PSPETs) in the Asian context of Hong Kong. A qualitative research design is adopted. The researcher used semi-structured interviews, supplemented by documentary sources (diaries) for conducting data collection. Eleven PSPETs participated in this study. Data were analysed through open axial and selective coding. The concepts of organizational sensitivity, sources of satisfaction, dealing with influential persons or critical incidents, status of the profession, educational reform as a trend, and versatile roles are revealed in the theory of ‘Diversified Professionalism’. The substantive theory thus contributes to an increased appreciation of the PSPETs’ work and to the literature on physical education teachers’ professionalization and professionalism.     

Resistance and Endurance: Harriet,The Irishman,and Movies About Indigestible History

Two current biopic movies, Harriet and The Irishman, present the life stories of real people who have been involved with slavery and organized crime. These images contradict the virtuous image of America that is fundamental to our sense of national identity and patriotism. Could this contradiction lead to oppositional movements for social change?