Values and Beliefs Held About Parenting and Education by School Staff and Parents of Pupils with Special Educational Needs in the Context of Home- School Collaboration

Effective collaboration between school staff and parents of children identified as having special educational needs is considered to be an essential component of the child’s successful education. Differences in beliefs and perspectives adopted by the school staff and parents play an important role in the process of collaboration. However, little is known about the precise relationship between the beliefs and the process of collaboration. The purpose of this study was to explore the values and beliefs held by the school staff and parents in the areas of parenting and education. The study also explored the link between these beliefs and the process of collaboration within four parent-teacher dyads from mainstream primary schools. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews based on repertory grid technique were used. The findings highlighted an overall similarity in the participants’ views on collaboration and in their important beliefs about parenting and education. At the same time, differences in perspectives adopted by parents and teachers were also identified. The author discusses how these differences in perspectives are manifested in the process of collaboration from the point of Cultural Capital Theory. The factors such as power differentials, trust between parents and teachers, and limited resources and constraints of educational system are highlighted. Implication for practice for teachers and educational psychologists are discussed.

A place for West Side Story (1961): Gender, race, and tragedy in Hollywood's adaptation

In 1961, three years after West Side Story premiered on Broadway, Hollywood created a highly successful film version. Although directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins strove to remain faithful to the original production in many ways, the change in medium necessitated a number of alterations, including those that conformed to the particular conventions of the Hollywood studio system. In this paper, I explore the film West Side Story as an adaptation in order to demonstrate how Hollywood’s conventions impact the show. The effects of the Production Code, the star system, and the practice of dubbing the actors all had a significant impact on the film. More than that, alterations made to Leonard Bernstein’s music coupled with cinematic techniques modify the musical’s dramatic arc while simultaneously affecting both the gendered and ethnic representations within the show. My approach within this paper takes into account how the music, lyrics, dialogue, and cinematography all work together to form a creative adaptation of West Side Story. Therefore, I combine cinematic and musical analysis in ways that have yet to be applied to this film. I take this approach in order to better understand how West Side Story reflects and even challenges the conventions and stereotypes present during the Hollywood studio era. Furthermore, this provides insight into the ways in which West Side Story fits into film history, particularly that of the movie musical.

Seeing Turkish state formation processes: Mapping language and education census data

Language provides an interesting lens to look at state-building processes because of its cross-cutting nature. For example, in addition to its symbolic value and appeal, a national language has other roles in the process, including: (a) becoming the primary medium of communication which permits the nation to function efficiently in its political and economic life, (b) promoting social cohesion, allowing the nation to develop a common culture, and (c) forming a primordial basis for self-determination. Moreover, because of its cross-cutting nature, language interventions are rarely isolated activities. Languages are adopted by speakers, taking root in and spreading between communities because they are legitimated by legislation, and then reproduced through institutions like the education and military systems. Pádraig Ó’ Riagáin (1997) makes a case for this observing that “Language policy is formulated, implemented, and accomplishes its results within a complex interrelated set of economic, social, and political processes which include, inter alia, the operation of other non-language state policies” (p. 45). In the Turkish case, its foundational role in the formation of the Turkish nation-state but its linkages to human rights issues raises interesting issues about how socio-cultural practices become reproduced through institutional infrastructure formation. This dissertation is a country-level case study looking at Turkey’s nation-state building process through the lens of its language and education policy development processes with a focus on the early years of the Republic between 1927 and 1970. This project examines how different groups self-identified or were self-identified (as the case may be) in official Turkish statistical publications (e.g., the Turkish annual statistical yearbooks and the population censuses) during that time period when language and ethnicity data was made publicly available. The overarching questions this dissertation explores include: 1.What were the geo-political conditions surrounding the development and influencing the Turkish government’s language and education policies? 2.Are there any observable patterns in the geo-spatial distribution of language, literacy, and education participation rates over time? In what ways, are these traditionally linked variables (language, literacy, education participation) problematic? 3.What do changes in population identifiers, e.g., language and ethnicity, suggest about the government’s approach towards nation-state building through the construction of a civic Turkish identity and institution building? Archival secondary source data was digitized, aggregated by categories relevant to this project at national and provincial levels and over the course of time (primarily between 1927 and 2000). The data was then re-aggregated into values that could be longitudinally compared and then layered on aspatial administrative maps. This dissertation contributes to existing body of social policy literature by taking an interdisciplinary approach in looking at the larger socio-economic contexts in which language and education policies are produced.

Neuroscience and education: prime time to build the bridge

As neuroscience gains social traction and entices media attention, the notion that education has much to benefit from brain research becomes increasingly popular. However, it has been argued that the fundamental bridge toward education is cognitive psychology, not neuroscience. We discuss four specific cases in which neuroscience synergizes with other disciplines to serve education, ranging from very general physiological aspects of human learning such as nutrition, exercise and sleep, to brain architectures that shape the way we acquire language and reading, and neuroscience tools that increasingly allow the early detection of cognitive deficits, especially in preverbal infants. Neuroscience methods, tools and theoretical frameworks have broadened our understanding of the mind in a way that is highly relevant to educational practice. Although the bridge’s cement is still fresh, we argue why it is prime time to march over it.

Contested Play and Clean Water: McMillan Park, Race, and the Built Environment in Washington, D.C., 1900-1941

This study focuses on the intersection of the politics and culture of open public space with race relations in the United States from 1900 to 1941. The history of McMillan Park in Washington, D.C. serves as a lens to examine these themes. Ultimately, the park’s history, as documented in newspapers, interviews, reports, and photographs, reveals how white residents attempted to protect their dominance in a racial hierarchy through the control of both the physical and cultural elements of public recreation space. White use of discrimination through seemingly neutral desires to protect health, safety, and property values, establishes a congruence with their defense of residential property. Without similar access to legal methods, African Americans acted through direct action in gaps of governmental control. Their use of this space demonstrates how African-American residents of Washington and the United States contested their race, recreation, and spatial privileges in the pre-World War II era.

[OA Permission Requested] Poverty and education in rural Chhattisgarh

Research for this chapter was funded by the Research Institute for the Study of Man and by the ESRC (grant number 1 SAN S281).

Essays on the Provision of Health and Education

This thesis consists of three independent chapters that all deal with questions relevant for the provision of health and education and contribute to the field of economic theory. Both Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 address the broad problem of public provision of scarce and indivisible goods. Therein, the role of wealth distribution and the impact wealth has on the assignment of the goods is of particular interest. Chapter 3 addresses quality concerns for the provision of health services that occur if quality cannot be observed precisely and cannot be contracted on.

Words and Emotional Work: Classification Theory’s Constructs Useful for the Analysis of Social Media Data in Terms of Gender, Race, and Sexuality

Presents constructs from classification theory and relates them to the study of hashtags and other forms of tags in social media data. Argues these constructs are useful to the study of the intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality. Closes with an introduction to an historical case study from Amazon.com.

Prevalencia de síntomas respiratorios en avicultores de una empresa de Bogotá

Este estudio identifico la prevalencia de síntomas respiratorios en avicultores de una empresa de Bogotá, mediante la aplicación del: “CUESTIONARIO EPIDEMIOLOGICO ESTANDARIZADO DE SINTOMAS RESPIRATORIOS. ATS-DLD-78-A (FERRIS 1978)”. Participaron 113 trabajadores del sector avícola comúnmente conocidos como galponeros, quienes son responsables de alimentar y cuidar a las aves (pollos), además de veterinarios. La prevalencia general de síntomas respiratorios fue del 45,1% (n=50), siendo el síntoma de sibilancias, la manifestación más prevalente representando el 34,4% (n=39). Se encontró asociación significativa entre la manifestación clínica de sibilancias y género, siendo mayor la prevalencia en los hombres que en las mujeres (22,8% vs. 5,4%, p=0,008). En el síntoma respiratorio de tos se encontró asociado al género (p=0,012), siendo el género masculino el más afectado (29,8% vs. 10,7%). El tiempo de exposición > 8 años está asociado al síntoma respiratorio de sibilancias (p=0,032). No se encontraron relaciones significativas entre hábito de tabaquismo, edad, raza y nivel de escolaridad. Siendo la prevalencia general de síntomas respiratorios alta es necesario fortalecer el uso de elementos de protección personal adecuados para la protección del tracto respiratorio y de gran importancia incluir a los trabajadores en programas de vigilancia epidemiológica para el control de los síntomas respiratorios de tal forma que se les realice un seguimiento anual que incluya exámenes ocupacionales de ingreso y periódicos al igual que exámenes complementarios dirigidos al factor de riesgo.

Raça e educação na América Latina: um estudo comparado do pensamento de José Veríssimo (Brasil/1857-1916) e José Ingenieros (Argentina/1877-1925)

O presente estudo teve como objeto de pesquisa o pensamento de José Veríssimo (Brasil) e José Ingenieros (Argentina) sobre raça e educação. Trata-se de uma proposta circunscrita num estudo comparado deste pensamento entre esses dois intelectuais. Problematizou-se como questão central: de que forma o pensamento de José Veríssimo e José Ingenieros articula a relação entre raça e educação na América Latina do final século XIX e início do século XX? Como objetivo geral, desejou-se analisar, por meio de um estudo comparado, o pensamento de José Veríssimo e de José Ingenieros sobre educação, dando destaque às interações destes com o conceito de raça na América Latina do século XIX. Como objetivos específicos, pretende-se: 1) destacar o contexto histórico do pensamento educacional de José Veríssimo e José Ingenieros; 2) identificar nas obras destes autores as relações entre raça e educação, assim como correlacionar o pensamento de José Veríssimo e de José Ingenieros sobre raça e educação com a história do pensamento intelectual latino-americano. Metodologicamente, inscreve-se o estudo no campo da História Intelectual e da História Cultural. O corpus da pesquisa está composto de duas obras de cada autor. De José Veríssimo, trabalhou-se com As Populações indígenas e mestiças da Amazônia: sua linguagem, suas crenças e seus costumes (1887) e Educação nacional (1906). De José Ingenieros, cotejou-se El hombre medíocre (1913) e Las fuerças morales (obra póstuma). Os resultados do estudo indicam que o modo como as teorias da raça chegam a América Latina são fundamentais para a compreensão do pensamneto dos autores. Nesse sentido, foi preciso realizar uma breve reflexão sobre as discussões teóricas que o tema raça suscitou na América Latina do século XIX, já que tanto José Veríssimo quanto José Ingenieiros nasceram e viveram parte de suas vidas nesse período. O primeiro nasceu no extremo norte do Brasil, no Estado do Pará, e viveu entre 1857 e 1916. Dedicou-se ao estudo da Crítica Literária e refletiu sobre a educação, colocando-a como instrumental necessário para a elevação da população mestiça do país à condição de civilizada. O segundo nasceu em Palermo, na Itália, mas migrou para a Argentina ainda criança, tornando-se cidadão argentino. Dedicou-se ao estudo da Psiquiatria, mas enveredouse, em particular, pela área da Antropologia Criminológica. Ao discutir as perturbações mentais dos indivíduos na sociedade argentina, José Ingenieros se reporta à colonização e às condições materiais dos sujeitos. Para ele, no final do século XIX as raças inferiores continuavam a representar um entrave para o desenvolvimento da Argentina. À princípio, identifica-se que o homem medíocre de Ingenieiros muito se assemelha ao homem indolente de Veríssimo. Ambos os estados – medíocre e indolente – representavam, para estes intelectuais, um estado atrasado que não se via mais presente no homem civilizado. Desse modo, defendem condições externas objetivas diferentes para que, tanto na Argentina quanto no Brasil, as mudanças internas determinadas pela raça, que resultaram no homem medíocre e indolente, fossem superadas. Dentre essas condições externas, a educação desponta como elemento necessário para a superação da indolência e da mediocridade.

Factors influencing participation in individuals with disability: A secondary data analysis

Individuals with disabilities face numerous barriers to participation due to biological and physical characteristics of the disability as well as social and environmental factors. Participation can be impacted on all levels from societal, to activities of daily living, exercise, education, and interpersonal relationships. This study evaluated the impact of pain, mood, depression, quality of life and fatigue on participation for individuals with mobility impairments. This cross sectional study derives from self-report data collected from a wheelchair using sample. Bivariate correlational and multivariate analysis were employed to examine the relationship between pain, quality of life, positive and negative mood, fatigue, and depression with participation while controlling for relevant socio-demographic variables (sex, age, time with disability, race, and education). Results from the 122 respondents with mobility impairments demonstrated that after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics in the full model, 20% of the variance in participation scores were accounted for by pain, quality of life, positive and negative mood, and depression. Notably, quality of life emerged as being the single variable that was significantly related to participation in the full model. Contrary to other studies, pain did not appear to significantly impact participation outcomes for wheelchair users in this sample. Participation is an emerging area of interest among rehabilitation and disability researchers, and results of this study provide compelling evidence that several psychosocial factors are related to participation. This area of inquiry warrants further study, as many of the psychosocial variables identified in this study (mood, depression, quality of life) may be amenable to intervention, which may also positively influence participation.^

Analytical analysis of consumption in Brazil

This thesis is an analytical analysis of consumption in Brazil, based on data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, years 2008 to 2009, collected by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The main aim of the thesis was to identify differences and similarities in consumption among Brazilian households, and estimate the importance of demographic and geographic characteristics. Initially, households belonging to different social classes and geographical regions were compared based on their consumption. For further insights, two cluster analyses were conducted. Firstly, households were grouped according to the absolute values of expenditures. Five clusters were discovered; cluster membership showed larger spending in all of the expense categories for households having higher income, and a substantial association with particular demographic variables, including as region, neighborhood, race and education. Secondly, cluster analysis was performed on proportionate distribution of total spending by every household. Five groups of households were revealed: Basic Consumers, the largest group that spends only on fundamental goods, Limited Spenders, which additionally purchase alcohol, tobacco, literature and telecommunication technologies, Mainstream Buyers, characterized by spending on clothing, personal care, entertainment and transport, Advanced Consumers, which have high relative expenses on financial and legal services, healthcare and education, and Exclusive Spenders, households distinguished by spending on vehicles, real estate and travelling.