Between pluralism and majoritarianism: the European Court of Human Rights on religious symbols and education

How is it possible to square the development of a consistent Europeanapproach to religious diversity with the recognition of the sometimes-conflictiveplurality of state-religion models? The Court´s support of the liberalprinciples of separation and neutrality have either been deplored by Christianconservatives as the result of European Christophobia, or celebratedby secularists as contributing to the formation of a Europe free of religion.In contrast, the present chapter argues for a differentiated approach toEuropean jurisprudence, outlining how the Court has been oscillating betweenan appealing liberal-pluralist perspective or framework, and a questionablemajoritarian one. Both perspectives are illustrated by focusing onrepresentative decisions in the area of religious education and symbols.

Women's work histories in Italy: education as investment in reconciliation and legitimacy?

Within pre-enlargement Europe, Italy records one of the widest employment rate gaps between highly and poorly educated women, as well one of the largest differences in the share, among working women, of public sector employment. Building on these stylized facts and using the Longitudinal Survey of Italian Households (ILFI), we investigate the working trajectories of three cohorts of Italian women born between 1935 and 1964 and observed from their first job until they are in their forties. We use mainly, but not exclusively, event history analysis in order to identify the main factors that influence entry into and exit from paid work over the life course. Our results suggest that in the Italian context, where employment protection policies have also been used as surrogate measures to favour reconciliation between family and work, and where traditional gender norms still persist, education is so important for women's employment decisions because it represents an investment in 'reconciliation' and 'work legitimacy' over and above investment in human capital.

Not the right job but a secure one : over-education and temporary employment in France, Italy and Spain

Resorting to four waves of the European Community Household Panel, this research explores the association between temporary employment and the likelihood of being over-educated. Such an association has been largely ignored by the literature explaining over-education, more inclined to attribute such a mismatch to the system of education. Selecting three similarly standarised and stratified systems of education (France, Italy and Spain) and controlling for many other variables likely to affect over-education, like gender, age, tenure, job change, firm size or sector, the paper demonstrates that such an association between temporary employment and over-education exists. Being a stepping stone towards a more stable and adjusted position in the labour market, holding a temporary employment may be associated to a higher likelihood of being over-educated. Such an association is more likely in Italy and France. Yet, the opposite sign prevails where permanent employment becomes such a valuable asset as to make individuals trade human capital by employment security. This is the case of Spain.

Joint determinants of education enrolment and first birth timing in France and West Germany

We examined the reciprocal influence between educational decisions and the timing of first births, using the Family and Fertility Surveys of France and West Germany. Since these two processes are potentially endogenous, we modelled them jointly, using event history models. We hypothesise that the reciprocal impact of educational and fertility careers, as well as the impact of the common determinants of both processes, are gender specific and context specific.The results show a significant endogeneity for women and men in both countries. This endogeneity is stronger for women than for men, while no substantial differences are found between the two countries. Removing this shared and unobserved heterogeneity, the results show a stronger reciprocal impact between the processes for women than for men. A similar impact of being enrolled in education on first birth in both countries is found, while the effect of the birth (and especially of the pregnancy) of the first child on terminating one’s education appeared to be more marked in West Gernany than in France.

Overeducation among European university graduates : a comparative analysis ot its incidence and the importance of higher education differentiation

The incidence of over-education is here assessed by applying some standard subjective and objective indicators and a new skill-based indicator of over-education to the national samples of eight European countries in the REFLEX survey. With the exception of Spain, the results reveal that over-education is a minor risk amongst European tertiary graduates. Yet, the contrast between the standard indicators and the skill-based indicator reveals the existence of an over-education of a moderate kind in countries with high tertiary attainment rates (Norway, Finland and Netherlands). Such a type of over-education does not come to the surface when applying the standard indicators. Our results also reveal the importance of higher education differentiation (i.e. field of study and branch of higher education) for understanding the risk of over-education. Graduates from humanistic fields, bachelor courses and vocational colleges are more exposed to over-education, though their disadvantage varies across-nationally to a significant extent.

Finding a suitable job: the effect of the institutional context on self-perceived over-education

The current research compares the perception of over-education in four different European countries, resorting to European Household Panel Data. The results confirm that the type of educational system accounts for some of the cross-national differences in self-perceived over-education. In qualificational spaces, like Denmark, where vocational training receives more importance, self-perceived over-education is not associated as much with educational attainment as in the so-called’ organisational spaces’, like Spain, France and Italy. Yet, the results confirm that, controlling for the system of education, the traits and regulation of the labour market also have an effect on over-education. Thus, in Spain, where temporary employment has soared in recent decades, this type of contract is clearly associated with the perception of over-education, to a much higher extent than in Italy or France. Temporary contracts in Spain may not work as a steppig stone for attaining a job suitable to the training received by the individual, as they may in the case of France or Italy. In sum, not only institutions offering skills and human capital, but labour market regulation as well, have a clear impact on the incidence of over-education.

Condition of Education in Iowa The Future for Education in Iowa, 2005

Statistics about public education in the state of Iowa including graduation rates and No Child Left Behind Act.

Iowa Department of Education Performance Report, FY 2005

Agency Performance Report

Iowa Department of Education Performance Report, FY 2004

Agency Performance Report

Iowa Department of Education Performance Report, FY 2005

Agency Performance Report

Argumentation and education. Theoretical foundations and practices

During the last decade, argumentation has attracted growing attention as a means to elicit processes (linguistic, logical, dialogical, psychological, etc.) that can sustain or provoke reasoning and learning. Constituting an important dimension of daily life and of professional activities, argumentation plays a special role in democracies and is at the heart of philosophical reasoning and scientific inquiry. Argumentation, as such, requires specific intellectual and social skills. Hence, argumentation will have an increasing importance in education, both because it is a critical competence that has to be learned, and because argumentation can be used to foster learning in philosophy, history, sciences and in many other domains. Argumentation and Education answers these and other questions by providing both theoretical backgrounds, in psychology, education and theory of argumentation, and concrete examples of experiments and results in school contexts in a range of domains. It reports on existing innovative practices in education settings at various levels.

Nuorten mielikuvat Suomen Kansallisteatterista

This thesis is about young people's views and mental images of the Finnish National Theatre (FNT). Research was needed into the views of young people about the FNT. The results would also be useful for FNT's marketing operations. The research was executed as a qualitative interview (based on a structured questionnaire) among 16 young people in January and February 2006. Four different high schools were involved: Ressun Lukio, Mäkelänrinteen Lukio, Kallion Lukio and Helsingin Kaupungin Kuvataidelukio (which together represented art-oriented high schools) and Vuosaaren Lukio. From each high school two boys and two girls were selected for interview. FNT's marketing director was also interviewed. The questions for the interview were formulated in co-operation with the FNT. The structural questionnaire was basically broken down into three different sections. The first section concentrated on the interviewee's hobbies and his/her past and present relationship to theatre. The second section consisted of questions about his/her views on the FNT. There were different sets of questions regarding whether or not the interviewee had visited the FNT. The last section was about the interviewee's use of media. This thesis focuses on the second section of questions. The answers revealed that, out of the group of sixteen, all but one had visited the FNT. Most of them saw the FNT as a traditional and valuable institution which is easier to approach than Finnish National Opera. Eleven of the interviewees reported that the main reason for their visit was a school project, and that without it they probably wouldn't have gone to the FNT at all. The thesis contemplates co-operation between the FNT and schools, and the meaning of art education for children's and young people's positive cultural development.

Sanoin kuvaamaton : teatterintekijän pohdintoja intuitiosta

This thesis examines the concept of intuition from different aspects. The basis for this thesis has been the author`s experience about education as a supportive process for intuitive thinking. It studies what taking advantage of intuition means for the author of this thesis and how intuition can be defined as a concept. This thesis shows what intuition means both from the performer`s and the director`s point of view. The author attemps to explain how these two areas of her professional identity either support or prevent intuitive creativity from emerging successfully. The intuition of a performer is examined through playback theatre and the insight associated with playback theatre. Regarding the work of a director, the author describes the making of a walking tour performance called "Sama maa" (2006) that she directed. The author attempted to fully utelize her intuitive creativity while planning the performance. The intuitive choices of the author were the basis for planning and carrying out the performance. This thesis studies a concept that is very challenging to explain in words. There is not a lot of literature about concept of intuition with respect to theater. The author of the thesis has ended up thinging about guestion that is very important to her, a guestion about relationship between controlled and authentic mental processing. The author also engourages others to think about the meaning of intuition and insight to themselves as a part of a daily life and as a part of the artistic creativity.

Kaksoiselämäni teatteritaiteen palveluksessa : ammatti-identiteettini rakennuselementit

In my thesis I discuss the elements of my professional identity from the perspective of an actor, a director and a team. What are acting and directing to me? What are the problems in the symbiosis of acting and directing? What are the difficulties in acting and directing and how important are the issues related to responsibility, power, trust and confidence in my work? I also discuss the consept of self-confidence. Behind all of this, there is also the thought of my ancestry and its dualism, how my roots from my father's and mother's side are struggling against each other or supporting each other, and how they affect my professional identity. The basic idea in the present thesis is the perspective of the traditional theatre and a professional team. Also the childhood influence on my professional identity is being considered. Education is discussed at the end. Moreover, a discussion on the kind of future theatre maker I want to be considered as, is included. I also try to handle all these topics through Harri Virtanen's Kiinteistövälittäjä vastoin tahtoaan (2005), which I directed, and my latest role in Arto Paasilinna's and Kristian Smeds' Jäniksen vuosi (2006). The conclusion of the present thesis is that it is very important for me to be a member of different communities, in which I can express my professional identity. My professional identity is formed by many elements that support each other. Such elements in their own right form an inticate relationship, which at the end, makes me what I am. In conclusion, I am a theatre maker, who in an alternative field of theater has opportunities to form the professional identity, as different situations and projects require.

Luovuus ja itsetuntemus ohjaajantyössä

This research deals with obstacles and opportunities with respect to creativity. It mainly focuses on the author's most meaningful discoveries as an individual and a professional in the field of theatre during the past two years of her education. The research is a description of that transitional phase in her life. Firstly, the research discusses creativity and presence. Secondly, it describes the author personally and professionally and compares her earlier and current ways of working. It contemplates the obstacles and opportunities considering her self-knowledge and creativity, and disucsses the problems she has faced on the way to freedom and well-being. Following this, the author presents the tools for increasing her creativity, self-knowledge and body awareness in theatre work: the Gestalt Method, Acting with the Inner Partner and the Authentic Movement. She discusses the relativity between overall well-being in life and the quality of theatre work. The final section of the present research discusses the process of directing the play Suurin on rakkaus in 2006. It deals with issues such as self-knowledge in directing, group management, the importance of terror and excitement in directing and ways of enduring both. The conclusion explanes the reasons behind the author's capability of working with small groups, with creative and passionate theatre workers. It also lists the benefits of exploring one's passions, cooperating with enthusiastic and creative artists and the pursuit for balance in art and in everyday life.