Aging,precarity, and the struggle for Indigenous elsewheres

Abstract

Through the structures and logics of the settler/capitalist state, the aging body can only be viewed as a crisis of decreased labor power and increased social expenditure; an amortization that has only worsened under neoliberalism. As such, this article calls attention to the conspicuous absence of a counter discourse and politics of aging within Native American and Indigenous studies. Within Indigenous communities, elders have always held places of distinction, which not only renders the dearth of theories of aging within Native studies problematic but also deeply limiting to the project of articulating the “decolonial option”. As discussed in the article, Indigenous theories of aging are a critical component of securing alter-Native existences, defined by relations of mutuality, responsibility and reciprocity.     

Grounded practice and the design of constructivist learning environments

A variety of instructional approaches has been studied and implemented across educational and training settings. Vastly different design practices have been proposed that reflect fundamentally different philosophies, beliefs, and biases. Yet, evidence of mismatched frameworks and methods are widespread. This has become particularly problematic in advancing emerging constructivist learning environments. In this paper, we advance the concept of grounded design, a process that involves linking the practices of learning systems design with related theory and research. The purposes of this paper are to introduce the fundamentals of grounded design, to describe how underlying foundations and assumptions can be aligned with the corresponding methods, and to introduce examples of grounded constructivist learning environments.     

Urban student affairs data exchange

Urban institutions of higher education have need of a peer group for comparison purposes. This article describes a student affairs database developed specifically for urban institutions of higher education. Such a database enables urban institutions to refer to comparison groups having similar characteristics. Specific examples of how the data can be utilized by chief student affairs officers and others are provided.     

Needs,expectations and responses: New pressures on higher education

Faced with economic constraints, the governments of Western industrial countries are subjecting higher education to sharper scrutiny, and are looking for new guides to difficult policy choices. In many countries, the expectations of higher education held by specific groups have come to carry greater weight in policy-making as a proxy for analysis of national needs. This article draws on evidence from Austria, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and West Germany to review the changing expectations of the major groups affected by higher education - the increasingly influential employers of graduates, the consumers of research, young people and their families, new groups such as women and adult students, and others; compares these expectations with broader political interpretations of the needs of the community - for equality, investment and other functions; and describes the responses of government and of institutions of higher education.An earlier version of this article was commissioned by OECD to provide a synthesis of a Conference on Expectations of Higher Education, held at Hatfield Polytechnic in January 1982, organised by the UK Department of Education and Science for an OECD/CERI programme on Innovations in Higher Education. My thanks are due to all the participants in that conference, and especially to the authors of papers, some of whose contributions are quoted extensively in this article.     

Practical Beauty and the Legacy of Pragmatism: Generating Theory for Community-Engaged Scholarship

In this paper I consider how Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics can complement the pragmatic theory that has informed the field of service-learning, and with its emphasis on community and respect for others, can offer an orientation to further the work of service-learning and community engagement in a mutually satisfying way for scholars, practitioners, and community partners. In keeping with Gadamer’s contention that mythological thinking has its rightful place alongside analytical thinking, I provide an interpretation of the myth of Hermes for emancipatory education practice, and then invite readers to consider some implications of philosophical hermeneutics through traditional philosophical exposition. I posit there is much to be gained by framing community engagement as a civic art or practical beauty with a distinct epistemological foundation that values conversation, participation, and openended, collective processes to work for the common good. This orientation would require us to reconsider the purposes and reorient the values of this field of educational practice.     

Making Our Way Through: Voices of Hispanic Counselor Educators

Through 23 open‐ended questionnaires and 8 individual interviews, this phenomenological study explored the experiences of Hispanic men and women (N = 23) who completed doctoral degrees in counselor education. Six themes were identified: family role models, educational support, parental expectations, ethnic identity, acculturation/cultural expectations, and intrinsic motivation.     

The female fish is more responsive: gender moderates the BFLPE in the domain of science

Academic self-concept is positively related to individual achievement but negatively related to class- or school-average achievement: the big-fish–little-pond effect (BFLPE). This contrast effect results from social comparison processes. The BFLPE is known to be long-lasting, universal and robust. However, there is little evidence regarding its generalisability across genders. Females, as opposed to males, feel more attached to their peers and compare themselves more often. Thus, it was hypothesised that the BFLPE is larger for females. This was investigated with a focus on science self-concept in a German sample from an extension of the Programme for International Student Assessment 2006 study (N?=?35,015) using recent advances in multilevel modelling. Replicating previous findings, females reported lower self-concepts while controlling for achievement. Additionally, the BFLPE was replicated. However, its effect size was substantially larger for females (?.41) compared to males (?.30). The implications of the results are discussed in light of women’s persisting underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.     

Relationships between functional movement screen scores,maturation and physical performance in young soccer players

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between functional movement screen scores, maturation and physical performance in young soccer players. Thirty males (11–16 years) were assessed for maturation, functional movement screen scores and a range of physical performance tests (squat jump, reactive strength index protocol and reactive agility cut). Older players significantly outperformed younger participants in all tests (P < 0.05; effect sizes = 1.25–3.40). Deep overhead squat, in-line lunge, active straight leg raise and rotary stability test were significantly correlated to all performance tests. In-line lunge performance explained the greatest variance in reactive strength index (adjusted R² = 47%) and reactive agility cut (adjusted R² = 38%) performance, whilst maturation was the strongest predictor of squat jump performance (adjusted R² = 46%). This study demonstrated that variation of physical performance in youth soccer players could be explained by a combination of both functional movement screen scores and maturation.     

Developing a Managed Learning Environment Using 'Roundtables': An Activity Theoretic Perspective

To support and continue the motivation of participants in virtual learning environments it is important to achieve a successful learning atmosphere. Therefore, it is necessary to reach the participants on a personal level and to perceive their personal needs and emotions when conversing with them. These factors of learning motivation depend on the individual perception of virtual, text-based communication. The coding and encoding of purely, text-based language requires an enormous amount of compensation with regard to the absence of all verbal means of communication. For this reason it is important to determine the existence of any gender differences in the compensation for non-verbal communication or in the perception of text-based communication. In this study the gender gap in the perception of text-based communication was evaluated. The individual production and perception of text-based communication could be one reason for the decrease in the number of female participants in the majority of virtual learning environments. The objective of this survey was to define the characteristics of text-based communication, which then gives an indication of the condition of male and female participants of virtual learning environments. The results of this study provide information in relation to individual gender interpretation and production of written messages, as well as the implementation of measures which support the motivation to learn.