Perpetual Beginnings: The Role of Phenomenological Hermeneutics in Art Education

This paper reflects on the role of phenomenological hermeneutics as part of art history and theory programmes in art education. Though initially confined to Philosophy, this branch of hermeneutics can be utilised in Art Education also, as concepts explored here such as the appropriation of knowledge, interpretation, reading and understanding offer an effective tool to investigate the strength and potential of subjectivity, metaphoricity and embodiment in art practice. This paper begins with a reflection on the most effective space where theory teaching can take place and offers the concept of the hermeneutical space, where teaching is inclusive and supportive of self determined contributions to processes of theoretical reflection on art practice. A mutual learning experience is fostered in this environment, where teacher and student respect each other's readings. Finally, I put forward suggestions as to how this can be realised in an actual teaching situation by relating my own experience.     

Archaeomagnetic investigation of a metallurgical furnace in Pisa (Italy)

An archaeological excavation has been carried out at Pisa (Italy), unearthing an ancient metallurgical workshop. Since archaeological burnt materials provide important records of direction and intensity of the Earth's magnetic field in the past and they can be used to better improve geomagnetic secular variation curves (SVCs), an archaeomagnetic study has been performed. This small copper-alloy furnace presents a circular concave shape covered with a thin layer of mortar, with some traces of heated clay surrounding the feature that confirms the high temperature reached inside it. Archaeological context dating points to the last firing of the furnace between the last quarter of the 13th century and the first quarter of 14th century AD, when then the metallurgical workshop was transformed in a warehouse. Archaeomagnetic sampling has been performed using the modified Thellier method, by collecting several, large and independently oriented aliquots of heated clay, forming the bottom part of the circular wall of the structure. Laboratory treatments have been conducted at the IGG-CNR ARCHEO_LAB (Pisa, Italy) and at St. Maur Palaeomagnetic laboratory (Paris, France). Analytical measurements of the thermo-remanent magnetization index acquired from the samples have been performed using a large cell induction magnetometer for large samples, and the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) has been successfully isolated after an alternate field demagnetization cleaning procedure for each sample. The final mean archaeomagnetic direction has been calculated at sampling site (D = 6.9°; I = 52.8°; N = 9; k = 305; α₉₅ = 2.6°) following the Fisher Statistics, and it exhibits a perfect agreement with some coeval already published directions obtained from Mt. Arso lava flows, these latter being an important anchor point in the preliminary Italian secular variation curve. Comparison with the preliminary Italian SVC, the French SVC and the SCHA.DIF.3K archaeomagnetic regional model have permitted to define an archaeomagnetic absolute age confirming the conventional archaeological age, underlining the importance of this result into the Italian archaeomagnetic data set.     

Market information approaches, product innovativeness, and firm performance: An empirical study in the fashion industry

In this study the authors propose a distinction between two approaches to market information, rooted in the marked-based learning theory. The two approaches are conceptualized and operationalized on the basis of their differences along three processes: generation, dissemination and use of market information. In the retrospective approach, the generation process is based on expressed customer needs and extant market relations; the dissemination is based on formal mechanisms; the use process is more instrumental. In the forward-looking approach, the generation process is based on latent customer needs and on the evolutionary patterns of the future market relations; the dissemination process is more informal; the use of information is more conceptual. A series of hypotheses concerning the relationships between these approaches, product innovativeness and firm performance are tested on a sample of Italian fashion firms. Results suggest that the two approaches are complementary for firm performance, but have opposite effects on product innovativeness: while a forward-looking approach is positively related to product innovativeness, a retrospective approach seems to be negatively related. The results also shed light on how market information approaches and product innovativeness jointly affect firm performance.     

Autonomy enhances running efficiency

Performer autonomy has been shown to contribute to effective motor performance and learning. Autonomy support is therefore a key factor in the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning (Wulf, G., & Lewthwaite, 2016). The purpose of the present study was to examine whether supporting individuals’ need for autonomy by giving them choices would increase movement efficiency. Such a finding would be consistent with the OPTIMAL theory prediction that autonomy facilitates the coupling of goals and actions. Participants (N = 32) were asked to run at a submaximal intensity (65% of VO₂ max) for 20 minutes. Before the run, participants in a choice group were able to choose 5 of 10 photos as well as the order in which they would be shown to them on a computer screen during the run. Control group participants were shown the same photos, in the same order, chosen by their counterparts in the choice group. Throughout the run, oxygen consumption and heart rate were significantly lower in the choice group than the control group. Thus, providing autonomy support resulted in enhanced running efficiency. The present findings are in line with the notion that autonomy facilitates goal-action coupling.     

The influence of situational emotions on the intention for sustainable consumer behaviour in a student-centred intervention

Within the curriculum guidelines for Bavaria, we designed a hands-on educational programme for teaching sustainability with regard to agriculture, food and consumerism, partly implemented on a farm as an out-of-school learning setting. The participants were fifth graders (N?=?176). The research followed a quasi-experimental design and used the subscale consumerism of the General Ecological Behaviour Scale and situational emotions (interest, well-being, boredom) to focus data collection activities. The study monitored the students’ knowledge increase and their Inclusion of Nature in Self (INS) scores as possible influencing factors on environmental behaviour. After participation in the programme, while we found that the students intended to consume in more environmentally friendlier ways, this intention did not persistent over a seven-week time span, nor did it relate to the INS or knowledge scores. There was, however, a high correlation with positive situational emotions like interest (r?=?.46, p???.001) and well-being (r?=?.39, p???.001), and a negative correlation with boredom (r?=??.42, p???.001). We conclude that the ‘effect’ of the programme immediately measured after the intervention was strongly linked to situational (short-term) emotions, and should be considered in educational planning as well as the evaluation of sustainability teaching and learning.     

STUDYING THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

This article proposes a methodology for studying the social history of telecommunications grounded in the interrelations and contaminations between Anglophone and Continental literature; its originality lies in the fact that it presents and discusses both traditions. Before tackling the central theme, the reasons for studying the history of telecommunications will be discussed and three different approaches will be considered. The first is the constructivist approach which, examines ‘relevant social groups’ and their decisions regarding telecommunications. The second is socio-economic and considers both path dependence theories and concepts useful in understanding the network economy: natural monopolies, economies of scale, externalities and public services. Finally, the macro-systemic approach will be considered. In our proposal these three approaches, deriving from both the Anglophone and Continental schools of thought, form a methodological basis for studying the history of telecommunications.     

The logic of practice in the practice of logics: practicing journalism and its relationship with business in times of technological changes

This paper investigates the workings of institutional logics in practice, by focusing in particular on the interplay between material, practical and linguistic dimensions of practices. In other words, drawing on Bourdieu's sens pratique, the paper explores the logic of practice in the practice of logics through a six months full-time ethnographic study at Il Sole-24 Ore, the largest Italian financial newspaper, between 2007 and 2008. An original conceptual framework is developed to analyse how the logic of journalism is enacted vis-à-vis that of advertising in a setting in which an old technology for news production – print newspaper – coexists with a new one – website – and thus encounters between new and old technological possibilities make workings of institutional logics particularly visible. The findings point out different mechanisms of institutional work dealing with actions that, made possible by new technological possibilities, are potentially, but not necessarily classified as divergent from institutional logics.     

Die Mitwirkungsbefugnisse der Betriebsratsvorsitzenden im Universit?tsrat

Mit dem Universit?tsrechts-?nderungsgesetz 2009, BGBl 2009/81, wurden die Mitwirkungsrechte der Betriebsr?te im Universit?tsrat gest?rkt. Zweck dieser Neuerung war es die Betriebsr?te in die Lage zu versetzen, ihre arbeitsverfassungsrechtlichen Befugnisse gegenüber der Universit?tsleitung noch wirksamer als bisher vertreten zu k?nnen. Die neuen Instrumente umfassen das Recht auf Einladung und Teilnahme an den Sitzungen und das Recht auf Stellung von Antr?gen, das freilich gewissen Einschr?nkungen unterliegt. Neu hinzugekommen ist auch die Befugnis, zus?tzliche Punkte auf die Tagesordnung der Sitzungen des Universit?tsrats setzen zu lassen sowie ein diesbezügliches Stimmrecht. Dieses ist jedoch an die Kompetenzen des Universit?tsrats und die bestehenden arbeitsverfassungsrechtlichen Befugnisse der Betriebsr?te geknüpft. Schlie?lich haben Betriebsr?te nun auch ein Recht auf Zustellung von Protokollabschriften. Insgesamt handelt es sich um nicht unerhebliche neue Kontrollbefugnisse mit pr?ventiver Funktion. Der folgende Beitrag untersucht die neue Rechtslage rechtsdogmatisch und zeigt die Inhalte, aber auch die Grenzen der neuen Mitwirkungsbefugnisse auf.