Fan identification and national identity

It is commonly assumed that sport plays an important role for national identity. However, empirical research has primarily focused on sport’s role for emotional-affectice rather than cognitive aspects of national identity. Therefore, research presented here explores whether identification with the German national soccer team serves to reinforce ethnic or civic conceptions of national identity. Analyses of a unique dataset conducted during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016?EURO show that national team identification is an important determinant of national pride and national belonging. Respondents who identify with the national soccer team can adhere to different conceptions of national identity. It seems that national pride and affection as well as conceptions of national identity represent stable attitudes not affected by the success of the national team. Further research should improve conceptual clarity and measurement.     

Sandwiched Between Sport and Politics: Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile,Formula 1, and Non-Democratic Regimes

As the governing body of world motorsports since 1904, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has, through the growth of Formula 1, become increasingly embedded in the globalization of commerce and faced with difficult political issues. Specifically, FIA events are used to sanitize the image of undemocratic countries, and FIA is, thus, becoming increasingly entangled in spheres other than sport. This presents a challenge to a sporting body which traditionally follows the principle of not mixing sport and politics. To explore this topic, two Formula 1 races where sport and politics are intertwined are chosen as examples: the 1985 South African Grand Prix and the 2016 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. As the holding of both events evoked controversy, for various reasons, this paper investigates whether something has changed at FIA along the way, and, in that case, what? As findings demonstrate, while the races differ and the context has changed, the FIA has kept its policy despite the fact that it has become increasingly difficult to maintain its neutral stance.     

A social neuroscience perspective on physical activity

The objective of this investigation was to examine the cognitive characteristics of individuals who demonstrate successful and unsuccessful self-regulation of physical activity behavior. In Study 1, participants articulated 1-week intentions for physical activity and wore a triaxial accelerometer over the subsequent 7 days. Among those who were motivated to increase their physical activity, those who were most and least successful were administered an IQ test. In Study 2, a second sample of participants completed the same protocol and a smaller subset of matched participants attended a functional imaging (fMRI) session. In Study 1, successful self-regulators (SSRs) scored significantly higher than unsuccessful self-regulators (USRs) on a test of general cognitive ability, and this difference could not be accounted for by favorability of attitudes toward physical activity or conscientiousness. In Study 2, the IQ effect was replicated, with SSRs showing a full standard deviation advantage over USRs. In the imaging protocol, USRs showed heavier recruitment of cognitive resources relative to SSRs in the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex during performance of a Stroop task; SSRs showed heavier recruitment in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.     

New Modes of Internal Governance of Higher Education Institutions: The case of Göteborg University

Swedish higher education institutions havebeen given increased autonomy to organise theirinternal affairs, raising numerous demands onleadership and governance. Changes are so profoundthat institutions wanting to create an`entrepreneurial response' through a newdecision-making structure must undergo a culturerevolution, threatening existing power structures. Three organising principles are used to describe andanalyse Göteborg University. One conclusion isthat collegial decision-making bodies shouldsimultaneously be redefined, reestablished andabolished, depending on the issues dealt with.Commissions as deans and department heads must beclear and accountable to superiors or tonon-sub-optimising boards in a balanced powerstructure.     

A Survey into Mainstream Teachers' Attitudes Towards the Inclusion of Children with Special Educational Needs in the Ordinary School in one Local Education Authority

Attitudes of mainstream teachers towards the inclusion of children with special needs in the ordinary school were surveyed soon after the release of the Green Paper. The survey was carried out in one Local Education Authority in the south-west of England and the sample comprised of 81 primary and secondary teachers. The analysis revealed that teachers who have been implementing inclusive programmes, and therefore have active experience of inclusion, possess more positive attitudes. Moreover, the data showed the importance of professional development in the formation of positive attitudes towards inclusion. In particular, teachers with university-based professional development appeared both to hold more positive attitudes and to be more confident in meeting the IEP requirements of students with SEN. The role that training at both pre-service and post-service levels has in the development of teachers' support for inclusion is discussed.