A longitudinal examination of students’ health behaviours during their first year at university

During the transition from school to higher education, young adults experience a substantial amount of change where they progress from the highly controlled setting of school to the autonomous and self-motivated environment of university. Time spent at university is considered a critical period during which young adults establish a clear sense of identity, which can include forming positive health behaviours such as regular physical activity. The transition from school to university also involves a number of changes that can impact on the mental well-being of students including financial concerns, academic pressures and a lack of social support. Our aim was to longitudinally examine the physical activity levels and mental well-being of Scottish students during their first year at university. Participants were 48 first-year students (males, n = 24; females, n = 24) aged 18–19 years enrolled at two Scottish universities in the UK. At entry to university (semester 1) participants completed a validated self-report measure of physical activity and measures of anxiety and depression. Participants’ physical activity levels were assessed for seven days via accelerometry. Participants completed the same measures six months later (semester 2). Daily moderate physical activity levels decreased across the semesters yet perceptions of mental well-being remained stable. There was a significant increase in hip and waist circumferences across the semesters. The first year of university is a critical period for establishing positive health behaviours and there is a need for universities to actively encourage physical activity as an integral part of university life.     

Bachelor-master Programmes in the Netherlands and Germany

This article compares the results ofthe implementation of the new bachelor-mastersystem in the Netherlands and Germany. TheBologna Process presents the common Europeancontext for this reform process. However, therespective national contexts differ, and so dothe actual implementation processes and theemerging outcomes. For each of the twocountries, a limited number of aspects of thereforms that emerged as most relevant arehighlighted. In the final section, somecommonalities and differences are discussed.The former mainly concern the characteristicsof the binary system in both countries and theintroduction of accreditation in relation tothe bachelor-master system. With respect to thelatter, the implementation strategy and thefunding conditions are most strikinglydifferent, related to the fact that in Germanythe new system is implemented in parallel withthe existing system, whereas in theNetherlands the new system will replace theexisting one.     

Relationships Among Self-Concealment,Mindfulness and Negative Psychological Outcomes in Asian American and European American College Students

Research on Asian Americans and their psychological adjustment is limited. Consisting of two cross-sectional studies, the present investigation examined the relationships among self-concealment, mindfulness, emotional distress in stressful interpersonal situations, and general psychological ill-health in Asian American college students, and in comparison with European American counterparts. In the Asian Americans, self-concealment was found to be positively related to general psychological ill-health and negatively related to mindfulness. In both ethnic groups, mindfulness was found to be negatively related to general psychological ill-health. Findings suggest that, as seen with European American counterparts, both self-concealment and mindfulness may be important concepts in understanding the psychological adjustments of Asian American college students.     

Brands and Branding in Media Management—Toward a Research Agenda

This article provides a systematic overview and conceptual analysis of existing research on brands and branding in the literature on media management. The aim is to advance knowledge in the field by mapping out the different ways in which brands are understood and conceptualized in the literature. In doing so, the article identifies overlooked research areas and works toward a research agenda for future scholarly research on the topic. Overall, it is argued that the further development of the area calls for a more systematic theoretical analysis of the nature of media brands and the specific features and complexities of the media field as a strategic business environment where brands are built and managed. The development of the research area would seem to be crucial not only for scholarly reasons, but also because strong brands seem to be gaining strategic value and importance in today’s changing and highly competitive media markets.     

From Pre‐school to Primary School: When different contexts meet

The study aimed to investigate the pedagogy and beliefs of Icelandic pre‐school and first‐grade teachers during times of immense changes in the policy and trends of early childhood education. The practices of 2 pre‐school teachers working with the oldest pre‐school children and 2 primary school teachers working with the youngest primary school children were examined. Qualitative methods were used, including participant observations, interviews, and document collection. The results of the study show differences in the practices of the two pairs of teachers and the social contexts that influenced the teachers' practices. The degree of control the teachers had over their work varied between school levels and the degree of control the children had over their learning also varied between school levels. The results indicate that the downward pressure of academic subjects is becoming evident.     

Transnational geographies of academic distinction: the role of social capital in the recognition and evaluation of ‘overseas’ credentials

This paper examines the role of specific and place‐based social capital in the recognition and evaluation of international credentials. Whilst research on labour market segmentation has contributed towards an understanding of the spatial variability of the value of human capital, very little attention has been paid to the ways in which the credentials of more privileged social groups may in certain local contexts become valorised. At the same time, an increasing body of work in sociology has drawn attention to the globalisation of credentials and labour market competition. This paper brings together these perspectives, demonstrating how transnational social connections are put to work in the valourisation of ‘overseas credentials’ within a particular local labour market – Hong Kong’s financial services sector. It reveals the extent to which social capital, which is at once transnational and locally embedded, confers value upon particular international credentials, with consequences for individuals’ employment prospects. The paper stresses the continuing need to examine international academic credentials in localised contexts.