Concerning the Telling of Painful Tales: The Case of Masks of the Sacred Bush

Abstract The public seems more likely to take issue with what history museums say than with what art, anthropology, and natural history museums say. In part, this is because these disciplines are understood to be challenging, not least because of the often opaque language and methods designed to impart psychic distance from their content. Exhibitions in these disciplines work by equipping and requiring us to step back before we step in, thereby making it easier to process difficult subjects. One such exhibition which was potentially emotionally charged did not provoke controversy. Did the disciplines through which the story was approached remove the story temporarily from the highly charged slave narrative and place it in a different, less contested—because more reified—context, a different kind of narrative? If so, was that a constructive contribution or a missed opportunity?     

Equality in Higher Education in Northern Ireland

The higher education sector in Northern Ireland has been fully involved in the public policies designed to enhance equality. Starting with measures designed to secure greater employment between Catholics and Protestants, known as fair employment, the policies are now designed to promote equality of opportunity across nine designated groups together with the promotion of ‘good relations’ on the grounds of religion and race. The paper examines the implementation of this new policy framework in the universities and suggests that progress to date has been fairly limited.     

The Ecosystemic Approach to Personality

There has been considerable interest recently in the ecosystemic approach, particularly with regard to interpersonal relations and groups (Cooper & Upton, 1990a, 1990b; Upton & Cooper, 1990; Tyler, 1992). This paper shows how the personality theories of George Kelly and Carl Rogers embody many of the principles of ecosystemics. By considering the work of these two important figures in this way, further light is thrown on the nature of the ecosystemic approach itself and its connection with humanistic psychology.     

An alternative assessment to higher education outcomes: Differentiating by institutional type

In this paper we propose higher education, and community colleges in particular, be evaluated not solely on their functional merits, but on their value in promoting, what Dewey (1966) called an active citizenry. Rather than considering only how well higher education meets the needs of democratic capitalism, we investigate alternative methods of assessing the contribution of higher education to the development of active citizens. In this exploration we consider how higher education preparation differs based on an individual's gender, race, class, academic program and the postsecondary institution attended. We explore alternative concepts of assessment in higher education not as proof we have discovered the method for assessing outcomes of higher education, but, rather, as an alternative approach to understanding the potential outcomes of higher education at its different institutional levels. Of special significance for our study is the finding that although students who attend a community college, for example, may not be as successful economically as university students, attendance at a community college is associated with an increased sense of self-empowerment. When we consider community colleges have a higher proportion of students who are typically marginalized by postsecondary institutions, the community college does appear to offer opportunities for students that are not measured only in economic terms.     

Evaluating the impact of Forest Schools: a collaboration between a university and a primary school

The Forest School movement, an important part of education in Scandinavia, has gained momentum in the UK in recent years. Within the context of declining access to, and engagement with, the natural environment Forest Schools can provide invaluable life experiences for our children. In 2012 the University of Northampton investigated opportunities to develop part of its campus as a forest site for use by schools and to enhance its students' learning. A researcher from the university evaluated the impact of visits made by children from the pilot primary school through a series of pupil, staff and parent interviews. Analysis of the interview data showed that evidence of impact was anecdotal and it was clear that a systematic approach was needed. The university and school have collaborated in developing a toolkit for evaluating this impact, which will act as a starting point to support other schools visiting the site.