Nurturing Authority

When considering the role of local journalism in a networked media environment, it is crucial to examine how audiences attribute news with the power to define social knowledge. In particular, television news programs need to appeal to audiences by reinforcing a sense of local journalistic authority to assert the parameters of who and what is worthy of coverage. This article presents the findings from interviews with a range of commercial television news viewers in Sydney, Australia. It positions viewership in the context of people’s wider engagement with news, and in relation to their interpersonal and digital social interactions. The paper argues that local audiences have conflicting attitudes to the role of television news, both contesting and re-inscribing the programs with the power to demarcate social, political, and cultural knowledge. It traces how local audiences challenge the ability of news to convey boundaries within the community through processes of exclusion, connecting the contestations to the lived experiences of the individuals. It identifies that television news programs nurture journalistic authority in terms of their local relevance, and it contributes insights on the significance of local news by engaging with the means by which audiences themselves attach social power to journalism.     

Social relations as predictors of achievement in math in Kenyan primary schools

In sub-Saharan Africa, where there is limited financial and human capital, it is important to examine how social relationships may serve to promote or undermine human capital formation. However, little is known about the contributions of social relations to human capital development, especially in terms of academic achievement in Africa. This study examined how variations in key aspects of social relations among teachers; between teachers and students; between principals, teachers, parents and students affect achievement in mathematics among sixth graders in 70 schools in six districts in Kenya. We modeled mathematics achievement as a function of measures of social perception and support while adjusting for school-, classroom- and student level background characteristics. We found that net of teacher subject knowledge and background characteristics, teachers who display commitment to teaching by always correcting homework and keeping students engaged during math lessons had their students performing better. Teacher absenteeism and lack of interest in teaching were negatively associated with performance in math. Lack of parental involvement in the classroom also had negative effects on grades. At the school level, the level of engagement of the principal, measured by supervision of teachers and good interpersonal interactions with parents had positive effects on math achievement. Schools where parents provided material and financial support had better grades, while student delinquency and absenteeism negatively affected grades.     

Arts councils,policy-making and “the local”

ABSTRACT

In the British Isles, national policies for the arts are primarily viewed as the responsibility of arts councils with statutory duties to distribute state funding that meet the requirements of both “arms-length” principles and national strategic frameworks. This paper explores the tensions between policy making for the nation-state and for “the local” through comparative research on the arts councils (and equivalent bodies) in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with senior representatives from these organisations, it explores their notions of, responsibilities to and affiliations with “the local”. Findings suggest that despite their different models and relationships to the nation-state, and the disparities in the scale of investment, these national policy bodies commonly rely on networked governance to facilitate their relationship to “the local” which risks reproducing national interests, limiting the localised agency of place-based approaches and contributing to a culture of competition within cultural policy.     

No harmless child labor: The effect of child labor on academic achievement in francophone Western and Central Africa

This study empirically examines the effect of child labor on academic achievement in 10 francophone Western and Central African countries. The data were taken from the Programme d’Analyse des Systèmes Educatifs de la CONFEMEN and comprised characteristics of 25,288 grade six students across 1803 schools. Two-stage least squares analysis highlights that child labor undermines academic achievement regardless of subject, gender, and age. It lowers reading and mathematics scores for both genders and for children under 12 and over 13 years. Child labor therefore hinders human capital accumulation in African countries, and it takes place at the cost of future prosperity.     

沧桑往事的文化省察——论"老作家"写在"新时期"的反思散文

一批"老作家"在"新时期"陆续发表的反思散文,不仅体现出明确的文化承担意识,而且在对文化的反思和比较中抒写了丰富的伤痛和欣喜之情.他们对沧桑往事的文化省察,彰显了散文诚与真的诗学品格,本身也应当成为可贵的文化遗产.     

Facing the ”Literacy” Issue:

No abstract available for this article.     

社会资本与文化资本视野下的现代学校制度变革

社会阶层与教育获得之间存在着密切的联系。由于社会分层、社会流动以及家庭结构的变迁,导致人们之间社会资本与文化资本的差别日益扩大,从而使教育不平等问题愈加凸显。在某种程度上,一个好的学校制度能够降低出身的不平等或者降低家庭背景的重要性,因此,当今学校制度改革的一个重要方面就是弥补人们之间社会资本与文化资本方面的差异,即通过建立“公平教室”、创建“功能共同体”、改革考试制度等,以促进教育平等。     

在中琉文化交流中的福建人

在中琉文化交流中,闽籍人士起了重要作用.依其身份、地位和作用,大体上可分为三种类型.他们站在不同的视角,记录了交流活动.     

"文革"时期经济体制变动的逻辑嬗变

“革”时期经济体制的变动保持了放权改革的一般逻辑，但创设战备型的体制模型强化了计划的控制，限制了改革的进一步深入。“抓革命，促生产”的制度逻辑安排限定了体制变动的方式，歪曲了体制化观念，对中国的经济体制变动产生了消极的影响。解放体制观念，培育新的制度化，应是当务之急。     

全球化语境下的跨国公司及其对它的争论——一个认识当代资本主义的视角

作为全球新资本主义组织的中心,跨国公司起着十分重要的作用。资本的特性与跨国公司推动的全球化在实现资本世界一切的目标上相同。就本质而言,全球化就是资本全球化。资本全球化、跨国公司推动的全球化、全球资本主义化在本质上相通。全球化的支持者与全球化的反对者关于跨国公司的争论,实际上涉及到人类需要什么样的全球化以及全球化该由谁来主导等深层次理论问题。