Movies, Mind and Meaning : Studying Audience and Favourite Films

Construction of identity and meaning is becoming increasingly important in both media studies and religion scholarship. (Lövheim, 2004) Meaning construction outside traditional religion has become more interesting for religious studies and what individuals in the audience do with all messages circulated through media in everyday life has attended increasing interest within media studies (Stout and Buddenbaum, 2001). Motion pictures, soap operas and advertising are all examples of media contents which generate ideas among its audience which to a various degree are used as resources within the construction of identity (Jansson, 2001). The investigation of what modern humankind’s world views look like and what components they are composed of, in this context seems to be an important topic of investigation (Holm and Björkqvist, 1996). The ways in which the development of media has effected the daily lives of individuals is interest as is the nature of the self and the ways in which the process of self-formation is affected by the profusion of mediated materials (Thompson, 1995). Film and religion are my interest within this larger frame. The topic is not exactly new but the combination of film and religion has during the last ten years resulted in a rapidly growing number of books by scholars interested in this field (Lyden, 2003). One growing focus is on the role that films can and do play within the emerging and developing valuesystem of people in the West today (Marsh, 2004). The British theologian Clive Marsh’s point of departure is very similar to my own. Viewers bring to a film life-experience, immediate concerns and worldviews and the exploration of this interplay between movies and the interpreting process of meaning making is the very focus in this paper. Theoretically, the semeiological model of Alf Linderman is combined with cultural cognitive approaches used by a number of Scandinavian media scholars developing perspectives in audience theory (Linderman, 1996, Höijer and Werner, 1998). 13 individuals, their favourite movie and what it means to them in their life My aim is to examine how individuals comprehend film and what the meaning process look like. In this paper I present the outcome of 13 interviews with young people about their favourite film. I suggest how it is possible to interpret how they interrelate film comprehension with their personal beliefs and their culturally constructed worldview from a sociocognitive point of view. Examples of films chosen range from Disneys Lion King (1994), sciencefiction and fantasy successes like The Matrix (1999) and Lord of the Rings (2001) or the next best movie ever according to www.IMdb.com The Shawshank Redemption (1994) as well as the Swedish blockbuster Så som i himmelen (2004), aka “As in Heaven”.

Making Energy Interventions more Effective : Situation, Interaction, and Precondition

A main purpose of this paper is to propose to policy makers, building professionals, and other non-social scientists a way to make energy interventions more culturally informed and, thereby, more effective. The case study on house purchasers gives an ample illustration of the richer results that can be achieved by paying attention to three aspects of energy efficiency initiatives: the contexts and situations of choice in each particular case, the interaction among relevant social actors, and the culture-specific preconditions for choice. Research on how purchasers of new pre-fabricated houses in Sweden choose their heating system show how such decisions tend to fall between two stools. Furthermore, the organizational structure of housing companies frames house purchasers' decision making. An important result is that energy saving or conversion measures must be promoted at an early stage amongst those who plan and construct buildings (rather than later amongst dwellers and energy end users).

Integrating the conceptual and practice worlds : a case study from Architecture

A compelling challenge for tertiary educators is to respond meaningfully to pressures to provide curricula that translate readily into realworld professional experience. To explore the synergies of an integration of the conceptual and practice worlds, this paper draws on a program, which the author evaluated, that was part of a Committee for University Teaching and Staff Development funded project for students of architecture and construction. The aspect discussed here, Composing Architecture—The Music Room, involved 74 second year students at Deakin University in semester 2, 2001. The case study is used as an illustration of curriculum design, including assessment, to explore how it met the aims of creating learning experiences that were purposeful, rich in their complexity, and mirrored the demands of the profession in a supportive environment that fostered development. One of the major aims was to model professional practice within the academy—in a sense, to enter into a dialogue between the academy and the profession—with the quality of that dialogue being determined by the accuracy or authenticity of the modelling. With this focus, having articulated and discussed the stated educational challenge that this project was intended to meet, the paper tests this against the attributes of authenticity in the environment of education as delineated by Martin-Kniep (2000) and, in so doing, questions some of her claims. Although some theorists (eg, Petraglia, 1998) contend that to prescribe what counts for authenticity is impossible, it is hoped that some insights into linking the academy and the profession will be gained.

Market virtues and public failures : antecedents to public sector reform in the contract state

This paper considers the historical factors that have contributed to the pressures for reform in the Australian State of Victoria which proved to be more radical than paths taken by the Commonwealth Government and any other Australian states. As public management in Victoria made tentative steps towards market orientated practices, the inexperienced public officials, together with a mixture of political, economic, administrative and social factors made the government more vulnerable to a perceived need for reform. Australia, like the United Kingdom and New Zealand with which it shares similarities of government structure, commenced the path of reform in a tentative manner with major reforms being implemented by powerful leaders. Powerful reformers were Margaret Thatcher in the United Kingdom, a group of like minded politicians from Treasury in New Zealand and in the Australian State of Victoria, Jeff Kennett. Each capitalised on a sense of crises to move their reform agenda forward at a rapid pace. Victoria is offered as an illustration of how the past provides a means of understanding why Premier Jeff Kennett was able during the 1990's, to implement public sector reform into Victoria in such a dramatic way.

The ultimate food energy guide

This is the third book in Garry Egger's new series of books based on his 'Professor Trim's Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program', a unique medically-based program being endorsed by GPs throughout Australia.In the same vein as Garry Egger and Rosemary Stanton's previously published fat and fibre counters, The Ultimate Energy Guide will provide a comprehensive listing of hundreds of Australian food products broken down by 'energy density', the hottest new topic in weight control research. Regulating the energy density of food that is consumed has begun to supersede previous medical arguments about fat or carbohydrate content as the pivotal factor in weight loss. This will be a quick reference listing which can be used in conjunction with the Becoming Gutless or Becoming Slim weight loss books for men and women respectively.

Between traditions : the villa and the country house

Sir Leslie Martin wrote in 1983, “The formal composition used by Lutyens is something totally related to the problems and culture of his time”. to reinforce this point Martin included a plan of Heathcote (1905) next to an illustration of one of Palladio’s final commissions, the Villa Rotonda (1566). Comparing the planning and symmetry strategies of the two architects, Martin was able to demonstrate how Heathcote embodied an eclectic yet fundamental link between two traditions - the irregularity of an Edwardian planning arrangement, and its containment within the symmetry demanded by the “full classical orchestra of a Doric order” (Hussey, 1950 p128). “Once inside the balanced mass of the exterior, the visitor’s movement through the building is controlled by volumes and composition of a totally different kind” 1. While Palladio appears to have been a significant influence on Lutyens, as revealed in the often quoted letter about the “High Game” which he wrote to Herbert Baker in 1903, few studies appear to explore the extent to which his newfound inspiration went beyond the issue of fenestration in affecting other aspects of his work. The following paper analyses Lutyens’s relationship to Palladio with particular reference to three concepts fundamental to the work of
both architects: proportion, plan arrangement and movement.

In the dreaded park : Gwen Harwood and subpersonality theory

'In the Dreaded Park', first published in the Bulletin in 1961 under Gwen Harwood's first pseudonym, Walter Lehmann, is an example of Harwood listing one of her subpersonalities. It is the best illustration of a site of conflict between scholars of Gwen Harwood's poetry and she is the first person to use the word 'dreaded' in her poem.

‘Till death do us part : judging the men who kill their intimate partners

This paper examines the construction of masculinity in judge’s sentencing remarks across seventeen cases of male perpetrated intimate femicide sentenced between March 2005 and May 2007 in the Victorian Supreme Court. Using a narrative analysis of sentencing transcripts it investigates how ideal understandings of hegemonic masculinity are used in judicial decision making to condemn or sympathise with male offenders of intimate femicide. The findings illustrate the profound influence that traditional understandings of masculinity and fatherhood still have on current sentencing practises despite the current climate of homicide law reform both within Australia and overseas. Whilst this paper did not directly assess the impact of recent homicide law reforms, specifically provocation, it is explicitly concerned with the continued influence of gender norms and bias at the sentencing stage of the legal process. As such, it provides a preliminary illustration of the key role that judges play in advocating or rejecting change within the criminal justice system, and more broadly legitimising attitudes about male violence against women throughout society. In condoning the use of extreme violence, in any context, judges send a message to society that such behaviour is either generally or specifically acceptable and accommodated within a legal framework.

Semiotic, rhetoric and democracy

This paper unites Deely’s call for a better understanding of semiotics with Jaeger’s insight into the sophists and the cultural history of the Ancient Greeks. The two bodies of knowledge are brought together to try to better understand the importance of rhetorical processes to political forms such as democracy. Jaeger explains how cultural expression, particularly poetry, changed through the archaic and classical eras to deliver, or at least to be commensurate with contemporary politics and ideologies. He explains how Plato (429-347 BCE) struggled against certain poetry and prose manifestations in his ambition to create a ‘perfect man’ – a humanity which would think in a way which would enable the ideal Republic to flourish. Deely’s approach based on Poinsot and Peirce presents a theoretical framework by means of which we can think of the struggle to influence individual and communal conceptualisation as a struggle within semiotics. This is a struggle over the ways reality is signified by signs. Signs are physical and mental indications which, in the semiotic tradition, are taken to produce human subjectivity – human ‘being’. Deely’s extensive body of work is about how these signs are the building blocks of realist constructions of understanding. This paper is concerned with the deliberate use of oral and written signs in rhetorical activity which has been deliberately crafted to change subjectivity. We discuss: (1) what thought and culture is in terms of semiotics and (2) Jaeger’s depiction of Ancient Greece as an illustration of the conjunction between culture and subjectivity. These two fields are brought together in order to make the argument that rhetoric can be theorised as the deliberate harnessing of semiotic affects. The implication is that the same semiotic, subjectivity-changing potency holds for 21st century rhetoric. However fourth century BCE Athens is the best setting for a preliminary discussion of rhetoric as deliberate semiotic practice because this was when rhetoric was most clearly understood for what it is. By contrast a discussion concentrating on modern rhetoric: public relations; advertising; lobbying; and public affairs would open wider controversies requiring considerably more complex explanation.

Meta-analysis and research synthesis in education

This bibliography begins with this introduction followed by a general overview of meta-analysis and research synthesis methods in education. The third section cites references to illustrate how the concept of statistical integration of research findings dates back to early 20th century. Citations in the fourth section highlight early calls from educational researchers to recognize the process of synthesizing research as a scholarly endeavor in its own right. As evident from the citations in the fifth section, it was in the 1980s when monographs exclusively devoted to research synthesis methods started to be published. Since then, a number of books have been published on research synthesis methods. The sixth section cites some of the most comprehensive books on research synthesis methods and includes contributions from key players of meta-analysis current at the time. The citations in the seventh section illustrate how meta-analysis has become very popular over time. Several large organizations have been set up and software developed to support systematic reviews of research. These are cited in the eighth section. Citations in the ninth section illustrate critiques of systematic reviews. As qualitative research is becoming popular in education, sophisticated discussions of issues associated with synthesizing qualitative research have also been published, some of which are cited in the tenth section. The eleventh section presents a methodologically inclusive account of current developments in research synthesis methods. The final section cites examples of journals exclusively devoted to publishing research reviews and exemplary research synthesis with different methodologies. Individual methods of research synthesis are discussed chronologically as they became popular in educational research. Accordingly, this bibliography starts with a discussion of statistical methods of integrating research that parallels the dominance of quantitative research in education until the 1970s. As the popularity and diversity of qualitative research methods have been increasing in educational research, more methodologically inclusive discussions of research synthesis methods are becoming popular as described in the later sections of this bibliography.

Nanomídia(s): legitimidade e interdisciplinaridade face ao antropoceno

New media epistemologies are emerging and might be considered illegitimate not because of plain rejection or criticism, but because of their alien origins and inter/ transdisciplinary implications. This article tells the story of a nano, tiny world within the world of media studies: the world of the term ‘nanomedia’ and its hyphenated sister ‘nano-media’. It narrates the different uses of this term as an illustration of the way in which disciplinarity determines the level of legitimacy or illegitimacy of an emerging term. We present another possible use of the term nanomedia in the field of media studies, one that is more closely aligned with its scientific origins. The importance and relevance of this proposition is connected to the present challenges we face in the anthropocene.

The book: production and participation

Purpose – The focus of this paper is on the benefits that may eventuate through new mechanisms of production and distribution. As we enter the twenty-first century, the nature of the book and the structure of the industry which produces it are undergoing radical transformation, as developments in information technology offer new mechanisms for production and distribution. Most of the discussion of these changes is conducted from the perspective of what has been lost through these changes. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews the history of the book from the perspective of the disruptive effects of the changes in production technology and impact on the roles involved in production, distribution and reading of books. Darnton’s Communication Circuit is updated to predict future limiting factors and opportunities for participation. Findings – The evolution of the book has seen successive categories of workers involved in book production supplanted by the adoption of new technology. The updated Darnton’s model suggests that the roles involved in the production and distribution of the book will, however, be supplanted in favour of authors and readers of the book in the future. Social implications – The predicted changes will alter the roles of authors and book users. Originality/value – This paper suggests a novel approach to the discussion of the future of book publication and suggests future developments.

Redefining the Academic Library Managing the Migration to Digital Information Services

Academic libraries are faced with a daunting series of challenges brought on by the digital revolution. In an era when millions of books, articles, images, and videos available instantaneously via the web, libraries across all institutional types are experiencing declining demand for their traditional services, built around the storage and dissemination of physical resources. At the same time, new demand for digital information services and collaborative learning spaces promise new areas of opportunity and engagement with patrons. A rapid and orderly transition to “the library of the future” requires difficult trade-offs, however, as no institution can afford to continue expanding both its commitment to comprehensive, local print collections as well as new investments in staff, technology, and renovations. This report illustrates how progressive academic libraries are evolving in response to these challenges, providing case studies and best practices in managing library space, staff, and resources.

Um estudo dos processos de atendimento ao consumidor no comércio eletrônico de livros no varejo brasileiro

O varejo de livros no Brasil já é marcado pela presença do Comércio Eletrônico, que tem causado grande impacto nos processos de atendimento ao consumidor. Partindo desta idéia, o autor, ao longo do trabalho, analisa as pnncipais características, aspectos e contribuições do CE para estes processos. Para realizar esta análise, o autor fez um estudo de caso em uma empresa atuante no ambiente tradicional, mas também com grande experiência no ambiente virtual. A atuação desta empresa nos dois ambientes e a sua grande experiência no mercado em estudo permitiu uma análise efetiva do impacto do CE nos processos de atendimento ao consumidor. A partir do estudo de caso, e à luz do referencial teórico disponível, o autor alisa a situação do CE no varejo de livros no Brasil, elaborando algumas reflexões sobre a contribuição deste' ambiente para os processos de atendimento ao consumidor.