THINKING ABOUT THE NATURE AND ROLE OF AUTHORITY IN DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION WITH ROUSSEAU'S EMILE

Educational authority is an issue in contemporary democracies. Surprisingly, little attention has been given to the problem of authority in Jean‐Jacques Rousseau's Emile and his work has not been addressed in the contemporary debate on the issue of authority in democratic education. Olivier Michaud's goals are, first, to address both of these oversights by offering an original reading of the problem of authority in Emile and then to rehabilitate the notion of “educational authority” for democratic educators today. Contrary to progressive readings of Emile, he argues, Rousseau's position on this issue is not reducible to “education against authority.” What appears at first glance to be an education against authority is, in a deeper sense, an education toward and even within authority. Michaud contends that we have to embrace these complexities and contradictions that inform Rousseau's work in order to gain insights into the place and role of authority in democratic education. Michaud sheds light on Rousseau's stance on authority through a close study of specific topics addressed in Emile, including negative education, opinion, one's relation to God, friendship and loving relationships, and, finally, the relation Rousseau established with his reader.     

Variability as a Measure of Competitive Behavior

Two problems stemming from the use of direct factor analysis of sociometric choices to identify group boundaries are that: (a) the use of sociometric choices to identify group boundaries is reliant on the subjective evaluation of the researcher; and (b) the method can classify individuals as belonging to the same clique without them necessarily choosing each other. A solution to the two problems is discussed, and data are presented to show the usefulness of this method in isolating large numbers of natural groups.     

New books

A List of Plays for High School and College Production. Prepared by the Committee on Plays for Secondary Schools and Colleges of the Drama League‐of America, and the Committee on Plays for Schools and Colleges of the National Council of Teachers of English. Chicago: The ‘ Drama League of America, 1916. Pp. 41. Paper, $0.25.

Teaching Literature in the Grammar Grades and High School. By Emma Miller Bolenitjs, A.M. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1915. Pp. 337. $1.25.

Practical Stage Directing for Amateurs. By Emerson Taylor. New York: Walton & Co., 1915. Pp. 193. $1.00.

The Natural Method of Voice Production in Speech and Song. By Floyd S. Muckey, M.D.C.M., New York: Scribner, 1915. Cloth, pp. 149. $1.00.

Public Speaking. By James Albert Winans. Ithaca, N.Y.: Sewell Publishing Co., 1915. Cloth, pp. xlii+476. $1.50.

Practical Argumentation. By George A. Pattee. New York: Century Co., 1915.

Oral English. By John M. Brewer. New York: Ginn & Co., 1916. Cloth, pp. 3960 $1.00.     

School as an epistemic apprenticeship: the case of building learning power / La escuela como aprendizaje epistémico: el caso de construyendo el poder para el aprendizaje

Resumen

Este estudio analiza el modo en que la situación de la familia española actual influye en la educación en valores de los hijos. La muestra está formada por 3.711 padres y madres de niños con edades comprendidas entre los 2 y los 12 años, de centros públicos y privados de 6 ciudades españolas. Se utilizó un cuestionario para evaluar en los padres y madres las variables consideradas relevantes para la educación en valores cívico-morales de los hijos.

Del análisis factorial, combinando las estrategias exploratoria y confirmatoria, se obtuvieron 11 factores. Para conocer qué factores explican la intervención moral de padres y madres se realizaron correlaciones y sendos análisis discriminantes. En ambos se obtuvo que el afecto y la aceptación incondicional de los hijos son las variables con mayor poder predictivo de la intervención moral familiar.     

‘People are suspicious of us’: a critical examination of father primary carers and English early childhood services

Positive father involvement and investment in the early years is of importance for children's later emotional, cognitive and social well‐being. This article critically examines the multiple motivations and barriers experienced by the growing number of father primary carers. The small‐scale research study presented suggests that for a ‘positive culture shift’ towards fathers in the UK to occur, early childhood services need to question the extent to which they are ‘father friendly’. Research suggests that policy initiatives such as a ‘Daddy month’ (found in Canada and most Nordic countries) may encourage much needed attitudinal shifts towards fathers by legitimising their caring activities. Other initiatives that encourage father primary carers in their role may include the recruitment of professional male early childhood workers.     

Visiting Fortaleza: motivation,satisfaction and revisit intentions of spectators at the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup provides opportunities to attract visitors to host cities and for local residents to enjoy event-related celebrations. This paper directs attention to Fortaleza, in the north-east of Brazil, where a survey was conducted of 285 spectators to identify the relative importance of enjoyment and competitive outcomes as motives to attend games at the 2014 World Cup. The study also examined the relationship between motivation, event setting and event satisfaction and whether any differences in these relationships existed between local and visiting spectators. In the case of visitors to Fortaleza, factors that influence intentions to revisit the city were also examined. Although satisfaction did not have an impact on visitation intentions, visitors were strongly influenced by competitive motives associated with the team they support. In comparison, local residents were more motivated by event excitement. The need to recognize the propensities of different types of spectators and the complexity of the relationship between spectators and the event setting are discussed.     

Theodore Roosevelt's Role in the 1905 Football Controversy

Abstract

At the beginning of this century, intercollegiate football was tremendously popular, but contests were dull and dangerous affairs in which offensive players rushed the ball through massed defenses. Efforts to improve the sport for spectator and participant met with failure because the Intercollegiate Football Rules Committee refused to adopt reform legislation. Although it represented only a few of the large number of colleges participating in the sport, the influence of the Rules Committee was so great that attempts to establish rival legislative bodies were unsuccessful. In 1905, dissident elements again challenged the authority of the Rules Committee but the movement was in jeopardy until President Theodore Roosevelt used his influence to secure for it the necessary recognition.