Critical criminological understandings of adult pornography and woman abuse: New progressive directions in research and theory

There is a small, but growing, social scientific literature on the racist and violent nature of contemporary adult pornography. However, considerably more empirical and theoretical work needs to be done to advance a critical criminological understanding of how such hurtful sexual media contribute to various forms of woman abuse in intimate relationships. The main objective of this article is to briefly review the relevant literature and to suggest a few new progressive empirical and theoretical directions.

Minimalistinen yhdyssanateoria ja käsitteiden yhdistely

The thesis aims to link the biolinguistic research program and the results of studies in comceptual combination from cognitive psychology. The thesis derives a theory of syntactic structure of noun and adjectival compounds from the Empty Lexicon Hypothesis. Two compound-forming operations are described: root-compounding and word-compounding. The aptness of theory is tested with finnish and greek compounds. From the syntactic theory semantic requirements for conceptual system are derived, especially requirements for handling morphosyntactic features. These requirements are compared to three formidable theories of conceptual combination: relation theory CARIN, Dual-Process theory and C3-theory. The claims of explanatory power of relational distributions of modifier in CARIN-theory ared discarded, as the method for sampling and building relational distributions is not reliable and the algorithmic instantiation of theory does not compute what it claims to compute. From relational theory there still remains results supporting existence of 'easy' relations for certain concepts. Dual-Process theory is found to provide results that cannot in theory be affected by linguistic system, but the basic idea of property compounds is kept. C3-theory is found to be not computationally realistic, but the basic results of diagnosticity and local properties (domains) of conceptual system are solid. The three conceptual combination models are rethought as a problem of finding the shortest route between the two concepts. The new basis for modeling is suggested to be bare conceptual landscape with morphosyntactiic or semantic features working as guidance and structural features of landscape basically unknown, but such as they react to features from linguistic system. Minimalistic principles to conceptual modeling are suggested.

3 - 5-vuotiaiden lukemaan oppiminen : montessorivälineet kielellisen tietoisuuden ja varhaisen lukitaidon edistäjinä

Aims. The beginning point of this research was confusion between studies claiming, that children mature Metalinguistic to read at 6-7 of age, and the fact, that in Montessori playschools children easily start writing and reading at age 3 to 5. Aim was also find out how conception of slow Metalinguistic development has started, and if there is some evidence of phoneme awareness of reading of young children in the field of research of reading. Aim was also seek evidence of the sensitive period of reading as Montessori described it. The research also wanted to turn up, if phoneme awareness only develops in children, who work with graphemes and with reading, or could it be found in children, who do not. The mean was to research how the Montessori reading material supports child’s Metalinguistic development, when child begins learning to read. The research plans to represent knowledge about how young children learn to write and read. Methods. Research performed in ordinary kindergarten and in Montessori playschool in Espoo. In kindergarten observed six children, age 3-4, at eight grapheme-rhyme sessions from January to April 2007, and conducting a test based on Chaney’s (1992) study of phoneme awareness of young children. In Montessori kindergarten were observed 17 children about their phoneme awareness and reading competition from January 2007 to March 2008. Their developments in reading were also measured three times from 1.9.07 to 20.3.08 with classification constructed for this study, loosely based on Chall’s (1983) reading stages. The Montessori reading material was analyzed about the influence they have to a child’s Metalinguistic development. This was done based to theory and its concepts from the field of research of reading; phoneme awareness, morphological, syntactical and semantic consciousness. Results and conclusions. Research proved that children 3-5 have naturally developed phoneme awareness. In kindergarten and in Montessori playschool children between 2 and 4 could do phoneme synthesis, and in the latter they also could do phoneme segmentation of words. Montessori reading material guided children gradually, except to read, also to observe and absorb Metalinguistic knowledge. Children learned to write and read. At the last evaluating day almost 50 % of children write and read clauses or stories, and 82 % could read at least words. Children can develop Metalinguistic awareness, while using the Montessori materials for learning to write and read. To reach literacy is easy for children because of their phoneme awareness.

Verkko-oppimateriaalin multimodaalisuus : kohteena YLEn Kansalaisen ABC -verkko-oppimateriaalit

Today information and communication technology allows us to use multimedia more than ever before in e-learning materials. Multimedia though can increase cognitive load in learning process. Because of that it cannot be taken granted what kind of learning materials should be produced. This paper intended to study the diversity of e-learning materials and the factors related cognitive load. The main purpose was to study the multimodality of the multimedia learning materials. The subject of this study is the learning materials on the web site Kansalaisen ABC published by YLE. Learning materials in the web site were approached from three different perspectives. The specific questions were: (1) What kind of form features are used in the representations of the learning material? Are certain form features preferred over others? (2) How do the cognitive load factors take shape in learning materials and between the forms? (3) How does the multimodality phenomenon appear in the learning materials and in what ways are form features and cognitive load factors related to multimodality? In this case study a qualitative approach was used. Analysis of the form features and the cognitive load factors in learning materials were based on content analysis. Form features included the specification of a format, the structure, the interactivity type and the type of learning material. The results showed that the web sites include various representations of both verbal and visual forms. Cognitive load factors were related mostly to visual than verbal material. Material presented according to the principles of cognitive multimedia theory multimedia representations did not cause cognitive overload in the informants. Cognitive load was increased in the case of students needing to split their attention between the multimedia forms in time and place. The results indicated how different individual characteristics are reflected by the cognitive load factors.

Työlähtöiset menetelmät työterveyshuollossa : Oppimisen johtaminen uuden toimintakonseptin käyttöönotto- ja vakiinnuttamisvaiheessa

Working life is changing. The core of the change is change in the production and service concepts of organizations. Changes at work are connected to problems in the well-being of employees. To respond to this challenge, occupational health care must develop a course of action. A group of occupational health care units has developed new activity theory-based methods, the object of which is to change the service concept of occupational health care. The focus is on the changes and disturbances in work activity. My aim was to study this development from the perspective of knowledge management; to clarify directors'/ managers' conceptions of the content and object of their managerial work and the tensions included in these conceptions; to examine the learning process involved in these methods and to bring to light the problems, developmental needs and challenges during the implementation and consolidation phases of the process. This was a case study which included 10 occupational health care units using or being trained to use activity theory-based methods. My data consisted of interviews with directors/managers and recordings of the meetings; 20 directors/ managers are represented; I interviewed seven directors/ managers who represented four units. Directors'/ managers' conceptions of the content and object of managerial work were divided into eight categories of description, which I connected to the historical forms of organizations and types of management. Intuitive and rational management are historically older forms of management. The categories of description representing intuitive and rational management contained many internal tensions, i.e. they do not satisfy the demands of the environment. On the other hand, the categories of description which represented management by results and the control of the development process contained very few or no tensions at all; they are effective in the present environment of occupational health care. The learning process of activity theory-based methods has been expansive in nature. The occupational health care units studied are in different phases of the learning process, and these processes have been different. In three units the focus was on work development; in one unit the focus was on development of the service concept. The most central problems, challenges and developmental needs during the implementation phase were related to learning and spreading of methods inside one's own unit, and during the consolidation phase to working with partners.

Pelaamiskokemukset ja pelaamisen yksilöllisten merkitysten yhteys flow n kokemiseen

The main goal of this study was to explore experiences induced by playing digital games (i.e. meaning of playing). In addition, the study aimed at structuring the larger entities of gaming experience. This was done by using theory-driven and data grounded approaches. Previously gaming experiences have not been explored as a whole. The consideration of gaming experiences on the basis of psychological theories and studies has also been rare. The secondary goal of this study was to clarify, whether the individual meanings of playing are connected with flow experience in an occasional gaming situation. Flow is an enjoyable experience and usually activities that induce flow are gladly repeated. Previously, flow has been proved to be an essential concept in the context of playing, but the relations between meanings of playing and flow have not been studied. The relations between gender and gaming experiences were examined throughout the study, as well as the relationship between gaming frequency and experiences. The study was divided into two sections, of which the first was composed according to the main goals. Its data was gathered by using an Internet questionnaire. The other section covered the themes that were formulated on the basis of the secondary aims. In that section, the participants played a driving game for 40 minutes and then filled in a questionnaire, which measured flow related experiences. In both sections, the participants were mainly young Finnish adults. All the participants in the second section (n = 60) had already participated in the first section (n = 267). Both qualitative and quantitative research techniques were used in the study. In the first section, freely described gaming experiences were classified according to the grounded theory. After that, the most common categories were further classified into the basic structures of gaming experience, some according to the existing theories of experience structure and some according to the data (i.e. grounded theory). In the other section flow constructs were measured and used as grouping variables in a cluster analysis. Three meaningful groups were compared regarding the meanings of gaming that were explored in the first section. The descriptions of gaming experiences were classified into four main categories, which were conceptions of the gaming process, emotions, motivations and focused attention. All the theory-driven categories were found in the data. This frame of reference can be utilized in future when reliability and validity of already existing methods for measuring gaming experiences are considered or new methods will be developed. The connection between the individual relevance of gaming and flow was minor. However, as the scope was specified to relations between primary meanings of playing and flow, it was noticed that attributing enjoyment to gaming did not lead to the strongest flow-experiences. This implies that the issue should be studied more in future. As a whole this study proves that gamer-related research from numerous vantage points can benefit from concentrating on gaming experiences.

"Valehtelu ei auta, mutta kaikkea ei kannata kertoa." : Kertomatta jättäminen parisuhteen vuorovaikutuskontekstissa

Topic avoidance in romantic relationships has not been researched before in Finnish speech communication research, and this study was expected to increase the understanding of a phenomenon that acquires relatively dramatic attributes in everyday conversation. The aim of this study was to describe topic avoidance based on what was told in the interviews, and to describe the beliefs concerning functional or dysfunctional relational communication that can be interpreted from the interviewees' speech when they talk about topic avoidance. The theoretical reference frame of this study consists of the Communication Privacy Management Theory, relational dialectics, and earlier, mostly American research on topic avoidance. Ten Finnish people aged 22-31, who all had previous experience on one or more marital or common-law relationships were interviewed for this study. Additional material for the study was gathered from the interviewees by using the role playing method to describe interactional events where something essential is left unsaid in the context of romantic relationship. The following values were attributed to functional communication in romantic relationships: openness, equality, honesty, trust and positivity. The dialectical nature of the phenomenon being researched is evident in the way that along with openness, the interviewees talked about excessive openness that should occasionally be avoided in the context of relational communication by leaving things unsaid. Topic avoidance was seen both as a conscious strategic communication for managing privacy, and as an uncontrollable force of nature that at its worst destroys the relationship. When topic avoidance is seen as strategic communication, the choice concerning what is left unsaid is made by weighing the following dimensions asgainst each other: risks/ benefits (for self, relationship), protects/ does not protect (self, partner, relationship), burdens/ does not burden (self, partner, relationship), honesty/ dishonesty, responsibility lies with self/ responsibility does not lie with self. Topic avoidance was acceptable if it was used in order to preserve the relationship, as opposed to gaining power in the relationship or causing insecurity for the partner. The acceptability of topic avoidance varied according to whether it differed from lying or not. When the interviewees talk about topic avoidance, their speech can be interpreted to mean that in spite of uncontrollability, communicative choices can be made in relational communication and that skills concerning communication in romantic relationships can be learned.

Kehittäjä-interventionistien peiliaineistokäytännöt muutoslaboratoriohankkeissa : Narratiivit käyttäjätiedon välittäjänä

This research has its background on Knowledge Practices Laboratory (KP-Lab) research project. One of the aims of KP-Lab is to create virtual and technological tools to support the interventionist who use the Change Laboratory method as a developmental tool. In this research I studied the interventionists' mirror material practices which are context and theory bound and for that reason they pose challenges on the development of new tools. I focused on the gathering and working on the mirror material. The purpose of this study was to find out what kind of user knowledge does the research on narratives of mirror material practices in Change Laboratory provide to the developers of virtual tools? I answered this question by three sub questions: 1. What kind of mirror material the interventionists gather and analyze in different phases of developmental cycle of Change Laboratory project? 2. What kind of knowledge the different mirror materials contain and how is the knowledge transformed when the mirror material is analyzed and worked on? 3. What kind of tools the interventionists use and create when gathering and working on the mirror material? What wishes do the interventionists have on tools? I interviewed five interventionists in four different projects. I created narratives from the document supported interviews. Then I analyzed the narratives in three steps: first I placed the mirror materials in the developmental cycle. Secondly, I analyzed the mirror materials by placing them in a table by the form of the knowledge. Thirdly, I examined the tools the interventionists had used and created and what wishes they had on virtual tools. This research showed that different user groups of Change Laboratory method have different needs. All interventionists transform knowledge from one form to another so they seem to need especially tools by which they can analyze and transform knowledge. It seems that standardized model of gathering and analysing mirror material is not meaningful because mirror material is constructed in accordance with the object developed. This research also shows that the mirror material has a social function. This finding should be also noted when developing virtual tools together with actual users.

Theory of the mixed valent state

After briefly discussing the question of a distinct mixed valent state and theoretical models for it, the area of greatest theoretical success, namely the mixed valent impurity, is reviewed. Applications to spectroscopy, energetics and Hall effect are then putlined. The independent impurity approximation is inadequate for many properties of the bulk system, which depend on lattice coherence. A recent auxiliary or slave boson approach with a simple mean field limit and fluctuation corrections is summarized. Finally the mixed valent semiconductor is discussed as an outstanding problem.

Teknillisen korkeakoulun konetekniikan osaston opettajien ja opiskelijoiden kokemukset oppimisen arvioinnista ja palautteesta

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of evaluation of learning and feedback among teachers and students of mechanical engineering at the Helsinki University of Technology. The differences and similarities between the perceptions of these two groups were also studied. Course feedback was examined, and a target was set to rationalize the collation and exploitation of the feedback data. The theoretical background for the evaluation of learning was based primarily on the theories of Brown (1997), Karjalainen (2001) and Rowntree (1977, 1988). The Biggs (2003) model on aligned teaching was used as an example of quality university education. Feedback practices were examined through the theory of Ramsden (1992) and many recent research articles. Methods. The qualitative study was executed by examining the evaluation of learning and feedback prac-tices of the courses in mechanical engineering at the Helsinki University of Technology. The data was gathered by interviewing the teachers responsible of basic and postgraduate studies, as well as students taking their basic studies. Four group interviews were arranged for both teachers and students, each with three participants. The data from these themed interviews were analyzed by means of content analysis. Result and conclusions. This study showed that teachers and students have similar perceptions of evalua-tion of learning and feedback excluding a few significant differences. The most essential difference in evaluation of learning was that students perceived the evaluation of the examinations to be inaccurate. Teachers on the other hand thought that the existing practice for the exam evaluation is working fine. Stu-dents also felt that they are not giving enough information on the opportunities to get feedback. Teachers instead expected students to actively ask for feedback. Students perceived the need for exploiting the course feedback for course development purposes more than before. Teachers saw foremost the challenges and problems in the exploitation of the feedback. In the future, more effort must be put on the research of the evaluation of learning and feedback, as the quality assurance and continuous improvement of the teaching calls for new data.

On anomalous U(1) gauge theory in four dimensions

We discuss the consistency, unitarity and Lorentz invariance of an anomalous U(1) gauge theory in four dimensions. Our analysis is based on an effective low-energy action valid in the chiral symmetry broken phase. The allegedly bad properties of anomalous theories (except non-renormalizability) are examined. It is shown that, in the low-energy context, the theory can be consistently and unitarily quantised, and is formally Lorentz covariant.

Opettajan uskomukset opetustyön lähtökohtana : näkökulmia pedagogiseen ajatteluun

The purpose of this research was to examine teacher’s pedagogical thinking based on beliefs. It aimed to investigate and identify beliefs from teachers’ speech when they were reflecting their own teaching. Placement of beliefs in levels of pedagogical thinking was also examined. The second starting point for a study was the Instrumental Enrichment -intervention, which aims to enhance learning potential and cognitive functioning of students. The goal of this research was to investigate how five main principles of the intervention come forward in teachers’ thinking. Specifying research question was: how similar teachers’ beliefs are to the main principles of intervention. The teacher-thinking paradigm provided the framework for this study. The essential concepts of this study are determined exactly in the theoretical framework. Model of pedagogical thinking was important in the examination of teachers’ thinking. Beliefs were approached through the referencing of varied different theories. Feuerstein theory of Structural cognitive modifiability and Mediated learning experience completed the theory of teacher thinking. The research material was gathered in two parts. In the first part two mathematics lessons of three class teachers were videotaped. In second part the teachers were interviewed by using a stimulated recall method. Interviews were recorded and analysed by qualitative content analysis. Teachers’ beliefs were divided in themes and contents of these themes were described. This part of analysis was inductive. Second part was deductive and it was based on theories of pedagogical thinking levels and Instrumental Enrichment -intervention. According to the research results, three subcategories of teachers’ beliefs were found: beliefs about learning, beliefs about teaching and beliefs about students. When the teachers discussed learning, they emphasized the importance of understanding. In teaching related beliefs student-centrality was highlighted. The teachers also brought out some demands for good education. They were: clarity, diversity and planning. Beliefs about students were divided into two groups. The teachers believed that there are learning differences between students and that students have improved over the years. Because most of the beliefs were close to practice and related to concrete classroom situation, they were situated in Action level of pedagogical thinking. Some teaching and learning related beliefs of individual teachers were situated in Object theory level. Metatheory level beliefs were not found. Occurrence of main principles of intervention differed between teachers. They were much more consistent and transparent in the beliefs of one teacher than of the other two teachers. Differences also occurred between principles. For example reciprocity came up in every teacher’s beliefs, but modifiability was only found in the beliefs of one teacher. Results of this research were consistent with other research made in the field. Teachers’ beliefs about teaching were individual. Even though shared themes were found, the teachers emphasized different aspects of their work. Occurrence of beliefs that were in accordance with the intervention were teacher-specific. Inconsistencies were also found within teachers and their individual beliefs.

Cloningerin psykobiologisen teorian temperamenttipiirteiden yhteys alkoholinkäyttöön nuorilla aikuisilla

The temperamental traits of Cloninger’s personality theory (novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependence and persistence) reflect independent systems of central nervous system deciding responses toward new, rewarding and aversive stimuli. Thus, certain temperamental traits and their combinations may predispose to heavy drinking and alcohol dependence. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate associations between temperamental traits and the amount of alcohol consumption, frequency of heavy drinking and the maximum number of drinks per occasion. In this study, we investigated also whether these associations are only confounded by between-family differences in genetic and environmental factors. Furthermore the associations between temperamental trait combinations that reflect Cloninger's typology of alcoholism and alcohol use were studied. The subjects (n=401) in the current study were a group of FinnTwin16 study participators, Finnish twins born in 1974-79. Temperament was measured with TCI-R (Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised) a self-report form. The amount of alcohol consumption was asked by Semi-structured interview (Semi-Structured Assessment of Genetics of Alcoholism = SSAGA). The frequency of heavy drinking and maximum number of drinks per occasion were asked by mail form. In accordance with previous studies, novelty seeking had a positive relationship with the amount of alcohol consumption, frequency of heavy drinking and the maximum number of drinks per occasion in both genders. In this study, the association was proven independent of between-family differences in genetic and environmental factors that are associated to both novelty seeking and alcohol use. Surprisingly, reward dependence was negatively related to the maximum number of drinks per occasion in both genders. Persistence had a weak positive relationship with maximum number of drinks per occasion in men. The temperamental trait combinations that reflect Cloninger's typology of alcoholism did not differ from the other combinations in regard to alcohol use as hypothesized. The results confirm the previous finding about the relationship between novelty seeking and alcohol use. Support for Cloninger's typology of alcoholism in regard to combinations of temperamental trait was not achieved in this study.

Note on the one-parameter scaling theory of localisation

The necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of the one-parameter scale function, the /Munction, is obtained exactly. The analysis reveals certain inconsistency inherent in the scaling theory, and tends to support Motts’ idea of minimum metallic conductivity.

Opetussuunnitelman mallin jäsennys : sisältö ja pedagogiikka kokonaisuuden rakentajina

Structuring of the Curriculum Design: Content and Pedagogy Constructing the Whole The object of this qualitative study is to structure curriculum design by drawing from the characteristics of subject content and pedagogy. The aim is to first outline the forms of content and pedagogy within the National Core Curriculum for Basic Education. By analysing these forms I then aim to construct a general view of the curriculum’s structure and its developmental potential as it relates to both current and future pedagogical and intellectual interests. The written curriculum is examined as part of the educational guidance system, which means that it is an administrative and juridical document that governs teacher action and has a pedagogical and intellectual character. Didactical schools, curriculum ideologies and curriculum-determinants are all discussed as means of approaching the curriculum model. Curriculum content itself is defined by the different forms and conceptions of knowledge. The representation of curriculum content can be defined to be either specific or integrated. Curriculum pedagogy is in turn defined on the basis of the prevailing conception of learning and teaching. The pedagogy within the curriculum can be open or closed depending on the extent of pedagogical freedom allowed. An examination of the pedagogical dimension also covers the subject of the interfaces between formal education and informal learning, which must be taken into consideration when developing school pedagogy and therefore also in the curriculum. The data of the study consists of two curriculum documents: The Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education issued in 1994 and the present National core curriculum for basic education issued in 2004. The primary method used in the study is theory-based content analysis. On the one hand the aim of the analysis is to determine if the structure, i.e., model, of the curricula is built from unconnected, self-contained elements, or whether the separate parts make a coherent whole. On the other hand, the aim is also to examine the pedagogical features the two curricula contain. The basis of the study is not the systematic comparison of the curriculum documents, yet an analysis of two very distinct documents must also be based on an examination of their inherent differences. The results of the study show that the content in the analysed documents is not integrated. The boundaries between divisions are clearly defined and the curricula are subject-oriented and based on theoretical propositional knowledge. The pedagogy is mainly closed and based on strong guidance of content, structured student evaluation and measurable learning experiences. However, curriculum documents do have representations of integrated content: the themes covered early on in the core curriculum guidelines of 1994 permeate systematically the different divisions of the curriculum. The core curriculum guidelines of 2004 in turn reveal skills which create connections between subjects. The guidelines’ utilise out-of-school environments and accommodate learner experiences, and focus on flexible studying and emphasize individual learner needs. These characteristics reveal an open form of pedagogy. In light of these results, it is possible to reach an understanding of the content and pedagogical development possibilities of the curriculum. The essential viewpoints are then the setting of thematically-oriented aims as a basis for content development, the curriculum’s pedagogical structuring on the basis of the learning process and the enhancement of connections between curricular content and pedagogy in a purposeful way. Keywords: curriculum, curriculum theory, curriculum design, core curriculum guidelines, teaching content, pedagogy