The behaviour of infants/toddlers at 'falling-off' places

Toddlers were observed as they freely explored different 'falling-off' places on a visual cliff. Toddlers played extensively with wet / non-rigid surfaces (e.g. water) and briefly explored dry / rigid surfaces. Edges were crossed intentionally and unintentionally, either as an extension or consequence of edge engagement, by a sub-group of toddlers. The findings have implications for drowning / injury prevention.

Challenging Australian higher education : three places to begin

I want to begin by thanking Professor Johnson for this opportunity to rehearse and indeed expand on the comments I made earlier this year at the Universities Australia meeting of Vice‐Chancellors in Brisbane. My comments then and now are in part speculative, given that they comment on what might be, although they are also cognizant of what we already know about student equity issues in Australian higher education and of the research data currently available, including research undertaken by the National Centre but also research available more widely, nationally and internationally. Informed by this work, the central thesis that I want to put to you today and to open up to discussion is that if the Australian higher education sector is to take seriously the federal government’s 20/40 targets, then there are three main challenges that need to be confronted.

First, that expansion of higher education provision and of a particular mix, will need to be done in the context of limited excess student demand, certainly compared with previous periods of expansion by the sector. Second, that the 20/40 targets have brought into sharp relief the problems with our current set of definitions and measurements of students: of equity groups (including socioeconomic status) but also student achievement and aspiration. And third, that universities will need to confront the teaching and learning that is higher education. This is the very thing – or at least one of them – for which we would hope school students would aspire.

Older women crafting ethical subjectivities in rural places

Over the last two years my colleagues and I conducted research conversations with older women living in rural Victoria about the meaning of craft in their lives. These conversations are the basis for our speculations on how women constitute ethical subjectivities through specific craft activities and through their engagement with Country Women Association (CWA) craft groups. The CWA is recognised as a ‘community of practice’ with local, regional, state, national and global networks, aiming to improve the lives of rural people. The focus of this paper, however, is on how ethical subjectivities by rural women are fashioned through specific involvements in craft activities and craft groups. I aim to elaborate on how Foucault’s later work on the ‘Care of the Self’ may open possibilities, even if limited, for understanding the complex ways women take up subject positions in interaction with historical, political, economic and social arrangements, and through engagement with specific institutions. For Foucault, ‘care of the self’ is an inherently social practice. Currently, modern power relations incite us to relate to our selves through self confessional and self-disciplining technologies. Could a differently constituted mode of self-care be drawn from the Ancient Greeks to offer us ideas for enacting personal and social transformations today?

Effect of gender on thermal comfort in multicultural public places

The city and the urban environment became extremely important in the daily lives of the increasing number of urban populations across the world. Urban research acknowledges that planning urban places should be responsive to the diversity of population. The aim of this paper is to analyse the results of thermal comfort study in the outdoor urban places. The location has been monitored regarding standard comfort variables: air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and globe temperature. The quantitative assessment of comfort conditions was combined with a questionnaire of pedestrians’ thermal comfort perception. In this paper, the analysis of observed thermal sensation with regard to gender and cultural background concerning the sensitivity of different groups to heat and cold is presented.

Thermal comfort adaptation in outdoor places

The level of international migration has been growing in the last decades creating a plurality of cultures and inspiring a multicultural nature in global cities (O'Byrne, 1997; Short and Kim, 1999; Hawkins, 2006). This created new challenges in urban planning or the management of the coexistence of different people that are having different characteristics shaping their unique identity and needs in shared places. Being the urban stages where the social interactions happen, public places are considered important parts of cities (Thompson, 2002; Varna, 2009). These places can contribute to enhance the quality of life within cities, or contrarily increase isolation and social exclusion (Lo et al.; 2003). As agreed by researchers the users’ state of comfort gives a good indication for how successful is the public outdoor places (Rosheidat et al.; 2008; Kwong et al.; 2009; Aljawabra and Nikolopoulou, 2010). In order to create a successful open space usable by all members of a community, urban designers need to satisfy their thermal comfort needs in its wider meaning according to a variety of users (Knez and Thorsson, 2006; Thorsson et al.; 2007). While assessing the thermal comfort, in addition to the strong influence of the microclimatic parameters, the term thermal adaptation seems to becoming increasingly important. The thermal comfort adaption is then a considerable issue in design guidelines of outdoor environments (Nikolopoulou and Steemers, 2003). The main aim of the research is to examine the influence of thermal adaptation and environmental attitude on participants’ thermal requirements in outdoor public places. It focuses on understanding the effect of adaptation on the thermal comfort perception of immigrants. The research methodology of the research is provided through quantitative analysis of a case study. The findings of thermal comfort investigations could be applied into improving the quality of urban areas in order to increase the outdoor activities of citizens and use of outdoor places.

Diversity and thermal comfort in outdoor places

Sustainable cities should be livable cities where people from different backgrounds and with different aspirations can meet and interact with each other. Public places being the urban stages where the social interactions happen are considered important parts of cities (Thompson, 2002; Varna, 2009). They can contribute to enhance the quality of life within cities, or contrarily increase isolation and social exclusion (Lo et al., 2003). As a consequence of globalization and the development of global cities, the level of international migration has been growing in the last decades creating a plurality of different cultures in global cities and inspiring in such cities a multicultural nature (O'Byrne, 1997; Short and Kim, 1999; Hawkins, 2006). This created new challenges in urban planning or the management of the coexistence of different people that are having different characteristics that shape their unique identity and needs in the shared spaces (Sandercock, 2004). Ideally, in order to invite a diversity of users, urban outdoor places should provide significant functional and physical qualities, and accessibility to them, which induce the fulfillment of physiological, psychological and social needs (Carr et al., 1992; Jacobs, 1993; Sandholz, 2007). Users’ state of comfort as stated by researchers gives a good indication for how successful is the public outdoor places (Rosheidat et al., 2008; Kwong et al., 2009; Aljawabra and Nikolopoulou, 2010). In order to create a successful open space usable by all members of a community, urban designers need to satisfy their comfort needs in its wider meaning according to a variety of different ages, genders and cultural backgrounds (Knez and Thorsson, 2006; Thorsson et al., 2007). The main aim of the research is to examine the influence of culture and environmental attitude on participants’ thermal requirements in outdoor public places. The paper explores the variables that constitute a successful multicultural design, issues of cultural complexity, and the measuring comfort in specific outdoor public place. Qualitative analysis of a case study provides the main research methodology of the research. The conclusion will provide a set of criteria that guide future design and development of a successful shared outdoor public places.

Thermal comfort in outdoor places a multicultural perception

The outdoor places are receiving more importance being contributing in the social cohesion and sustainability within societies. Providing comfortable sustainable urban places is an important factor affecting their success especially in multicultural areas where climatic conditions are perceived differently according to the diversity of users. Different design elements such as design form proved to be able to improve the outdoor thermal comfort. However, the integration of the climate dimension in the design process of outdoor places is lacking due to insufficient interdisciplinary work between urban climatology, and urban design. The main aim of the research is to examine the influence of cultural and climatic background on users’ thermal sensation and comfort within the same context. The methodology of the research is provided through quantitative analysis of a case study in Melbourne, Australia as one of the global cities characterized by the diversity and plurality of its population. The case study approach is adopted in order to examine the users’ thermal comfort within its contextual variables. Multiple sources of evidence such as climate measurements, questionnaires and observations are used to ensure the validity of results. The findings are to contribute to the quality and equality of design for outdoor urban places.

Doing without school! Spaces becomes places? Adolescent identity and engagement

This thesis highlights the failure of mainstream education to meet the diverse needs of some adolescent students. The interwoveness of identity, engagement and learning are significant, as it discusses the underlying assumptions that operate in many educational institutions, and that serve only a portion of adolescent populations.

A journey through places: politics of spatial location in the stories of South Asian diaspora in Australia

In this paper, I analyse the post-colonial and post-modern experiences in the light of questions and issues concerning the spatial identities or locations that the diasporans carry. By politics of spatial location, I mean a migrant's positions within power hierarchies created through geographic, historical, political, economic and other socially stratifying factors in the new homeland. This paper is mainly concerned with the theoretical ways in which a shift is accelerated in Australia's literary landscape by the South Asian diasporic writers who produce and cover the dynamics of politics of location in different contexts. It also focuses on South Asian diaspora's widely agreed ‘ability to recreate their cultures in diverse locations’. I conclude that these stories are not just of spaces but also of a promising future for the South Asian diaspora in Australia.

Recalling yesterday, predicting tomorrow : revisit South Australia conservation practice for heritage mining places, a practical guide for Malaysia

Mining started in South Australia in the early 1840s with the discovery of silver-lead ore at Glen Osmond in 1841 and later copper in Kapunda in 1842 and Burra in 1845; all these discoveries greatly contributed to South Australia's economic development. South Australia entered the mining era at the time when the Cornish engine was at the peak of its development, and the horizontal engine was beginning its rise in popularity. These South Australian historic mining sites contain extensive extant evidence of technology, innovation and human endeavours that previously went into the mining activity. This paper seeks to critically review items for inclusion on the South Australian State Heritage Register, the character of mining heritage places, enforcement by legislation, interpretation of the heritage assessment and how these practices could guide Malaysia in recognizing industrial heritage as a significant part of its cultural heritage that needs to be conserved, restored and managed as a legacy for present and future generations.