Politics and race in American historical popular music: contextualized access and minstrel music archives

On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama, an African-American man was elected as the 44th President of the United States. The election of a man of Obama??s racial and ethnic background is an event of monumental social and political significance. Many Americans, both black and white, stated openly that they would never have imagined that such an election result could take place in their lifetimes, or during the lives of their children or even grandchildren. Such is the awareness of the legacy of racial hatred and injustice toward African-Americans in the United States. Ever present, that legacy was apparent in a myriad of expressions of racism throughout Obama??s presidential campaign and still continues since his election. Knowledge of the social and political dynamics that emerged from the demise of African-American slavery is essential to understanding race relations in twenty-first century America. Many of the economic and social ills that have plagued the nation for generations can be traced back to the struggle for and resistance to racial equality and fair treatment. Now accessible in digitized sheet music collections of blackface minstrel music on the internet, a record of nineteenth and early twentieth century perspectives is uniquely captured through the popular music of past generations. Illuminating the political and social attitudes that led to commonly held beliefs and practices regarding African-Americans, this music has the power to help make sense of current racial dynamics and contributes to understanding the connection between meaning and context in how cultural knowledge is developed and represented.     

Opening and transforming South African education

This article examines the challenge of opening and transforming South African education. ‘Openness’ and ‘transformation’ of any education programme in any society are ethicopolitical processes. In the case of South Africa, the transition from an autocratic education system serving the interests of a minority to a more modern and democratic educational dispensation demands a critical rethinking of the meaning of these twin concepts of openness and transformation. The policy of outcomes‐based education (OBE) has been used as a strategy for educational change. This article argues that, although OBE can be understood in the context of the desire for change, the programme’s implementation does not lead to radical opening and qualitative transformation of the South African educational sector. Any pedagogy of radical empowerment through political and deliberate advocacy policies needs to take into consideration the content of the new system of education, the professional quality of the educators, and the calibre of the new learners.     

The Subordination of Local Government and the Compliant Society

The paper depicts the changes that have taken place in the relationships between the state and local education authorities from the 1980s and in the freedom of the schools and the teaching profession to create and offer the curriculum. The changes are linked to a shift from the interactive to the idealist concepts of educational development. They are placed in the context of changes in assumptions about the role of local authorities and schools in sustaining democratic and professional roles and practices, and in the growth of what can be conceived of as the increasing development of a Compliance Society.     

Butterfly wing architectures inspire sensor and energy applications

Natural biological systems are constantly developing efficient mechanisms to counter adverse effects of increasing human population and depleting energy resources. Their intelligent mechanisms are characterized by the ability to detect changes in the environment, store and evaluate information, and respond to external stimuli. Bio-inspired replication into man-made functional materials guarantees enhancement of characteristics and performance. Specifically, butterfly architectures have inspired the fabrication of sensor and energy materials by replicating their unique micro/nanostructures, light-trapping mechanisms and selective responses to external stimuli. These bio-inspired sensor and energy materials have shown improved performance in harnessing renewable energy, environmental remediation and health monitoring. Therefore, this review highlights recent progress reported on the classification of butterfly wing scale architectures and explores several bio-inspired sensor and energy applications.     

Optimum take-off angle in the long jump

In this study, we found that the optimum take-off angle for a long jumper may be predicted by combining the equation for the range of a projectile in free flight with the measured relations between take-off speed, take-off height and take-off angle for the athlete. The prediction method was evaluated using video measurements of three experienced male long jumpers who performed maximum-effort jumps over a wide range of take-off angles. To produce low take-off angles the athletes used a long and fast run-up, whereas higher take-off angles were produced using a progressively shorter and slower run-up. For all three athletes, the take-off speed decreased and the take-off height increased as the athlete jumped with a higher take-off angle. The calculated optimum take-off angles were in good agreement with the athletes' competition take-off angles.     

A shorter cricket pitch improves decision-making by junior batters

ABSTRACT

This study sought to determine whether playing on a shorter cricket pitch would lead batters to make more appropriate decisions about whether to play front foot or back foot shots. Based on an analysis of the shots played by top order batters against seam bowling in county under-10 matches, an age-specific “good length” region between 5.0 yards and 6.5 yards (4.57 to 5.94 m) from the batters’ stumps was derived. This was where batters were uncertain whether to play on the front or back foot. It was then possible to define deliveries as “short” or “full” depending upon whether they bounced further from or nearer to the batter than the good length region. Club under-11 and county under-10 match data revealed that when playing on a 16-yard pitch batters played more back foot shots to short balls, and county batters also played more front foot shots to full balls compared with matches on the currently recommended 20- or 19-yard pitches. For batters, a shorter pitch should strengthen the coupling between the perception of delivery length and appropriate shot selection, and the increased task demand should lead to improved anticipation, both key features of skilled batting.     

A Simple Field Procedure for Estimating Ideal Body Weight in Males

The purpose of the study was to develop a simple field procedure for estimating ideal body weight. The statistical relationship between weight loss and girth measurements was analyzed in 40 male subjects. It was established that a decrease in total body weight was highly correlated (r = .842) with a decrease in abdominal girth while chest girth remained relatively stable. A regression equation was formulated to predict weight loss necessary to achieve ideal body weight corresponding to 15% of body fat or less on the basis of the chest abdominal girth relationship. The equation was as follows: (kg to lose) = .457 + .758 (Δ cm) where Δ cm are the missing centimeters required to achieve a positive difference of 12 cm between the chest and abdominal girths. The equation was employed on 40 other male subjects whose body density had been determined earlier by the hydrostatic procedure. Statistical analyses between the mean ideal body weight computed on the basis of 15% body fat and by the regression equation for these subjects revealed no significant difference. Data analyses of independent studies have also indicated that a 12 cm difference between chest and abdominal girth was associated with approximately 15% of body fat or less. It was suggested that in a field situation, the regression equation could prove a useful tool in predicting ideal body weight.