Introduction to the Special Section on Knowledge Management in Postmodern Society

This introductory essay contextualizes and meditates on the three articles—Bhattacharya, Day, and Waller—presented in this special section on “Knowledge Management in Postmodern Society.” In the process it reflects on following points: (1) the capacity the university had in the past to incorporate the irregular and its loss in the contemporary university, (2) the devaluation of humanities and social sciences because of the reduction of the narrative as well as the reflective and critical thinking to mere doxa, (3) the competition from mass media on university's traditional role in knowledge dissemination and the building of the public sphere, (4) the oscillation of academy between Taylorism and post-Taylorism, (5) the possible role students can play in overcoming crisis faced by the university, and (6) the evolution of the binomial writing/reading in the shift to digitalization and the information society.     

Top 10 Research Questions Related to Preventing Sudden Death in Sport and Physical Activity

Participation in organized sport and recreational activities presents an innate risk for serious morbidity and mortality. Although death during sport or physical activity has many causes, advancements in sports medicine and evidence-based standards of care have allowed clinicians to prevent, recognize, and treat potentially fatal injuries more effectively. With the continual progress of research and technology, current standards of care are evolving to enhance patient outcomes. In this article, we provided 10 key questions related to the leading causes and treatment of sudden death in sport and physical activity, where future research will support safer participation for athletes and recreational enthusiasts. The current evidence indicates that most deaths can be avoided when proper strategies are in place to prevent occurrence or provide optimal care.     

The public perception of doping in sport in Switzerland, 1995-2004

The article reports findings on the perception of doping and anti-doping policies from four representative population surveys carried out in 1995, 1998, 2001, and 2004, as well as from a 2005 - 2006 survey of top-level athletes in Switzerland. The results show a growing public awareness for doping issues and increasing support for a comprehensive anti-doping strategy in Switzerland. The vast majority of the Swiss population and top-level athletes are strongly against doping and support a strategy that combines strict prohibition and sanctioning with informational and educational efforts. The perception of the doping issue and the strategic preferences in fighting doping stated by the public are largely in line with the current anti-doping strategy followed by the Swiss authorities. The results thus suggest a successful use of information resources by the authorities to create public awareness and to communicate its strategy.     

Dropouts am Gymnasium

Despite an increasing importance given to research into dropping out from school, the research done in German speaking countries focuses almost exclusively on risk pupils with low academic performances. There is little research done on drop-outs in Gymnasia. In an explorative study in German-speaking Switzerland, 102 early school-leavers from Gymnasia (drop-outs) and 105 pupils who remained in the Gymnasia (stable) were asked to respond to a survey in order to find out about their reasons for dropping out, their personal and social characteristics and differences between males and females. The main results give evidence for clear differences between the stable and drop-out pupils. The latter came from low-education families, report serious motivational and relational issues with their teachers, the feeling of estrangement from their school and a significant perceived distance to their school. Their academic performance is, however, not much different to that of the stable pupils. Therefore, these results highlight the necessity for discussing dropping out from Gymnasia not singularly as an individual issue, but as an institutional problem.