Movement Literacy: Creating a Healing Encounter in Physical Education

Modern Physical Education (PE) administered systemic models of teaching crafts. It atrophied the play element in human nature, and shaped a single-lens attitude to the treatment of bodies. Framing minds, it veiled the conditions of learning processes and thus “instituted” the sovereignty of subjective concerns. It created many unexplained “gaps” between abstract concerns and pragmatic issues. Following language’s poststructural analysis, PE’s professional communication practices were exposed to alternative methodological refocusing from conforming to move to personalise the agent’s experience in moving to learn. In the wake of poststructuralism came Whitehead’s Physical Literacy (PL) which I adopt as “leitmotif” to reform PE’s teacher preparation and schooling practices. PL addresses children up to 14 years. For older pupils, PL’s language needs to constitute versions of human purposes voiced by the introduction of a new development called “Movement Literacy” (ML). ML acknowledges that language and movement are very different forms of “self-expression”. By itself however, self-expression is inadequate when it comes to learning how to learn. Critical dialogue needs to be brought in to facilitate meaningful innovation in the PE world. By employing the philosophies of phenomenology and hermeneutics I make a case that expression in languaging movement [subjecting the agent’s account to hermeneutic treatment] is expression for others, and in exchange with others the expression is redefined, and changes the way one sees and talks about movement and about oneself. In its reflective practice, reverentially, ML will also unpack pedagogy’s hidden protocol, hoping to reclaim PE’s authentic purpose. It connects secular matters with sacred implications by reconciling the polemic differences between “techne” [purpose] and “phronesis ” [prudence]. With limited reference to Eastern “selflessness” ML advances teaching, through pedagogy and andragogy as a life-time mission. Not providing answers, the thesis offers a manifesto attempting to facilitate new questions such as: how can language and movement communicate? and how can movement educators “minister” to their learner’s sense of well-being

Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction: A Comparison of two Provocation Tests for the Screening of Athletes

BACKGROUND: Exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) affects a large number of athletes, with rates within literature between 7% to 50% for elite athletes (Dickinson et al., 2006; Falvey et al., 2010). Two provocation methods for the diagnosis of EIB include an exercise challenge test (ECT) and a eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea (EVH) test. Previous research has compared the airway response to ECT to EVH but has often failed to ensure that the ECT is conducted according to standardised guidelines (ATS., 1999; Trumper et al., 2009; Stickland et al., 2010). PURPOSE: Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the airway responses to ECT and EVH following standardised guidelines. METHODS: In a randomised order and on separate days, seventeen participants completed an ECT and an EVH test. Participants were all University level athletes or professional rugby league player (Age 25 ± 2 yr.; height 1.81 ± 0.06 m; mass 85.4 ± 13.7 kg) recruited via open enquiry to the study. The ECT procedure followed the American Thoracic Society (ATS) protocol, whilst the EVH test followed the procedures recommended by Anderson et al. (2001). Spirometry was performed prior to and at 0, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min post challenge. A positive EIB diagnosis was regarded as a ≥10% decrease in forced expired ventilation over one second (FEV1). RESULTS: Nine participants experienced a fall in FEV1 ≥10%, with five having falls ≥10% in both provocation tests. Two participants experienced falls in the ECT alone and EVH alone respectively. Out of the nine participants, only two had a previous history of asthma. There was no significant difference in the peak ΔFEV1 between the two provocation tests (p=0.143). CONCLUSION: In summation, athletes should be tested for EIB, with both the ECT and EVH being acceptable methods, although our results are inconclusive due to poor agreement and limitations. Future research should aim to have a greater number of participants

Revealing the Name: An Investigation of the Divine Character through a Conversation Analysis of the Dialogues between God and Moses in the Book of Exodus

YHWH’s statement to Moses, אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה , has been much discussed by biblical scholars and theologians. For much of the last century this discussion related to matters of etymology or history of religion, or the precise grammar of the text. However, recently there has been renewed interest in understanding the statement in its present context as part of the book of Exodus, and in particular its role in the call of Moses. My thesis seeks to deepen understanding of the implications of this statement through a close reading of the dialogues between Moses and YHWH. My close reading of individual dialogues involves three steps: first investigation of the way in which the narrator portrays the actions of the characters, then the manner in which the narrator portrays individual speech of the characters and finally the way in which an analysis of the dialogues utilising principles from the socio-linguistic field of Conversation Analysis adds to an understanding of the characters. Through this close reading I show that the phrase אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה is best understood as linking the meaning of the name YHWH to the verb “to be” and in particular God’s promise to “be with” Moses in 3:12. The phrase affirms both YHWH’s presence with Moses and his freedom to be present in the manner he chooses and the implications of this affirmation of presence and freedom are worked out more fully in the narrative of Exodus. In the thesis my reading of the dialogues in Exodus 3-4 shows that YHWH transforms Moses into the means by which YHWH delivers his people from Egypt and also by which YHWH is present with his people. My examination of the dialogues in Exodus 5-7 demonstrates that YHWH’s plans are accomplished by his speech which re-designates and reshapes those with and about whom he is speaking. My analysis of Exodus 19-24 finds that the dialogues demonstrate YHWH’s freedom to be present as he chooses to different people at different points. Exodus 32:7-33:11 gives further meaning and significance to the divine name in terms of YHWH’s withdrawal in response to the idolatry of the people. From the final section of dialogue, Exodus 33:12-34:35, I show that the intercession of Moses is critical to the demonstration of YHWH’s mercy and compassion. My analysis of each of these dialogues demonstrates that a key means by which YHWH is present to his people is in and through Moses

A study of the origins and development of Great War Memorials in the County of Gloucestershire (1917-1933)

Building upon the work of key writers such as Jay Winter and Robert Bushaway, this work examines the memorials of the First World War as historic structures and records the local monuments’ origins and original purpose within the county of Gloucestershire in contrast to previous work on war memorialisation which has focused more on the role of the monument in reflecting and strengthening national identity. After an initial county-wide survey, three in-depth case studies of different sized communities, (the village of Cam, the town of Cirencester and the City of Gloucester), are used to analyse the factors that most significantly influenced the location, form, and timing of the erection of different war memorials at these locations. In addition to considering the significance of community over national factors, the study explores the importance of different community size and of the groups within those communities that most significantly determined memorial construction, including the bereaved, the church and local government, and servicemen and ex-servicemen. Further, the study examines the different memorial forms considered such as non-secular and secular, monumental and utilitarian forms and other factors such as location, iconography, and the form of the Roll of Honour in the development of memorials that were acceptable to the local populations. The research has drawn upon many previous academic studies on the subject of Great War memorialisation, focusing on the historical perspective to compare how local memorials were used in commemoration and how they maintained significance at local memorial sites within the County of Gloucestershire. Through the analysis of this local involvement of the generation at the time in the development process, the conclusion provides insight as to whether the local war memorial’s role continues to provide the intended importance and understanding as a place of local or national significance

Conceptualizing Service Quality in Multichannel Fashion Retailing

The evaluation and understanding of customers’ service quality perception has been a topic of major interest for academics and practitioners since the 1980s. Despite this intense research focus, there is a gap in understanding service quality in multichannel settings. This is surprising, since multichannel service systems have become increasingly important with the rise of E-commerce. The overall aim of this study, therefore, is to contribute to the interpretation of multichannel service quality by explaining it from the perspective of so-called ‘multichannel customers’. The study looks at interactions when purchasing a fashion product at a multichannel retailer with the aim of conceptualising service quality in a multichannel fashion retail context. Therefore, the study considers extant service quality research from traditional, electronic, and multichannel settings. The perspective of the current study is different from mainstream positivist service quality research, which sees service quality as static, objectively measurable and dualistic. This study, however, acknowledges service quality as a dynamic, subjective and pluralistic phenomenon. Following this line of argument, the study postulates the existence of multiple realities as consistent with social constructivism. Therefore, the current study investigates the service quality perceptions of experienced multichannel customers. Perceptions are considered to be the meaning that these customers give to their service experiences. The current study indicates that the customers’ perceptions of service quality in multichannel settings imply some fundamental uniqueness. This study proposes a holistic conceptualisation of multichannel customers’ service quality perception by considering (1) the heterogeneity of multichannel customers and (2) all moments of contact between customer and retailer. The proposed framework contributes to research about service quality with a theoretical interpretation of the phenomenon

Separate lives, silenced voices: women offenders speaking out on domestic violence and community-based services

The primary aim of this study is to explore women offenders' experiences of, contact with, and delivery of, community-based health and social care services. Women offenders represent a particularly disadvantaged and silent group in society whose views have largely been disregarded in previous studies. More specifically, there has been a general lack of attention to their experiences of trying to meet their welfare needs before and after they encounter the Criminal Justice System (CJS). This research sought to provide a more informed understanding of what participants wanted to convey about their lived realities, the meaning of their experiences of help-seeking and their perceptions of appropriate responses to their welfare needs. The study was local, purposive and applied. It was underpinned by feminist epistemology and qualitative, heuristic and collaborative methodology. Reflexive dimensions were an integral part of the whole research process. It was also strengthened by a wish to change policy and practice as a direct consequence of hearing and taking account of service users' standpoints on experiencing those policies and practices. Of central importance was a desire to view women offenders not as research 'subjects' but as 'participants' in a process which would put their views and perspectives at the centre of the study. Therefore, before embarking on the study, I set up a research advisory group as a means of collaborating with women who had direct and personal experience of the CJS as 'expert advisers', to help guide and develop the research. I also sought ways of working collaboratively with research participants, for example, by utilising research methods such as participant observation and semi-structured interviews and asking participants to provide feedback on how I had written up my interactions with them. I also incorporated participant and gatekeeper evaluation methods to seek their views on their experiences of the research. The original contributions to the body of knowledge and understanding that this research makes are in the identification of characteristics of a service generic model of communitybased welfare provision. This relates particularly to the attitudes and behaviours of and delivery by service providers and individual practitioners. It is also framed in the context of participants' shared experience of domestic violence and its impact on their help-seeking from welfare services which was previously hidden and unknown. In addition, the study adds to feminist social research methodology through the development of a feminist and heuristic approach to collaborative research that seeks to involve the 'knowers' in an innovative way, that is, as 'expert advisers', throughout the research process. The profound and lasting impact is the clarity of its core findings: what emerge from women who participated in this work are appeals for service providers, individual practitioners (and researchers) to be in relationship with them. Hence, there is a call for the reduction of destructive boundaries in relationships and the integration of reflexive practice, in both the provision of community-based welfare services and approaches to conducting research of this kind

The persuasive portrayal of Solomon in 1 Kings 1-11 and the Josianic redaction theory.

This present research is motivated by observing the diversity of views held in understanding the portrayal of Solomon in 1 Kgs 1-11, its importance in resolving the problem of the composition of DtrH, and especially by a certain doubt about the pervasive Josianic understandings of Solomon. The main concern of the present study is to establish a sound understanding of Solomon as portrayed in I Kgs 1-11 in relation to the theories of the composition of Kings, especially the Josianic redaction theory. This study seeks to understand Solomon in 1 Kgs 1-11 from the perspective of the text's persuasive function in relation to the reader. Chapter one surveys modem researches on Kings in general and the Solomon narrative (1 Kgs 1-11) in particular. It shows that the essential question in studies of Kings and the Solomon account is the understanding of the thematic tensions in relation to their composition. This chapter also argues that a rhetorical approach is methodologically relevant in solving the question. Chapter two defines what rhetorical criticism is, and in relation to the definition, shows how a rhetorical approach will be applied to our study of 1 Kgs 1-11. Rhetorical criticism is a methodology concerned with determining the means of persuasion employed in the communication, through an analysis of the text in its final form. This chapter also establishes four practical steps for discovering the argumentative or persuasive function of the Solomon text: the rhetorical unit, arrangement (dispositio) and style (elocutio), argumentation (inventio), and finally the rhetorical situation and the original reader. Following these steps, chapter three identifies 1 Kgs 1-11 as a rhetorical unit by showing 1 Kgs 1-2 as the true beginning of the narrative through the structural and rhetorical connections between 1 Kgs 1-2 and 3-11. Chapter four examines how 1 Kgs 1-11 as a persuasive narration has been arranged in order to have an impact on the reader's apprehension of the Solomon narrative. It shows the concentric structure of 1 Kgs 1-11 based on the function of repetition, which guides the reader to the picture of Solomon's incapacity in his `covenant relationship' with Yahweh. Chapter five examines I Kgs 1-11 from the point of view of argumentation or invention, and deals with the understanding or evaluation of the issue in I Kgs 1-11. The narrator in 1 Kgs 1-11 shows the reader Solomon's failure in the relationship with Yahweh based on his ethical and rational, and emotional, appeal. Chapter six defines the rhetorical situation which causes the existence of 1 Kgs 1-11. It shows that Kings would be a fitting response to the rhetorical situation of the Jewish exilic community in Babylon. The community may have held very different views about their past, their identity, or the continuity of the covenant relationship with Yahweh in the exilic or post-exilic period. Our conclusion in this study of 1 Kgs 1-11 is that the subtle portrayal of Solomon in 1 Kgs 1-11 does not display a Josianic standpoint, but an exilic view, persuading the Babylonian exiles to recover their covenant relationship with Yahweh or to find a new understanding of this through the portrayal of Solomon in the light of his inevitable failure in relationship with Yahweh

Responding to a landscape: Symposium at MAC in association with the Matthew Murray Exhibition

RESPONDING TO A LANDSCAPE 24th November 2017, 9.30am-5.30pm Matthew Murray Will be speaking at the Responding to A Landscape Symposium at mac - Birmingham. The symposium has been planned in conjunction with the exhibition Matthew Murray’s Saddleworth; Responding to a Landscape, premiered at mac Responding to a Landscape will explore, debate and review the evolving relationship between artists and photographers and the landscape. We will hear from a number of perspectives, from acclaimed practitioners for which landscape is a recurring subject, a social and environmental concern, a research and archive practice and an essential departure. What does landscape and our natural world look like and mean to photographers and artists today? The symposium has been planned in conjunction with the exhibition Matthew Murray’s Saddleworth; Responding to a Landscape, premiered at mac, Birmingham. Murray is interested in depicting the landscape based on what he feels rather than what he sees. His landscape work is a personal story and odyssey. His Saddleworth is the result of a five year creative and sensitive journey that captures the beauty of the moorland landscape. The symposium invites acclaimed and outstanding photographers, artists, writers and photography historians to talk about their work and relationship with the landscape. Those speaking alongside Murray include; Richard Billingham, Chrystel Lebas, Jem Southam, Camilla Brown. The practitioners will talk about how they have approached landscape and their unique relationship with it. Landscape photography has a long and significant history and today approaches have perhaps never been so broad with practitioner’s motivations and aesthetic concerns been varied. Some document, others work with more abstract concerns; Some work collaboratively, others in isolation; Some are working on environmental concerns and others more personal stories. During the Symposium we will hear from the perspective of the photographer, curator and academic. They are motivated by landscape for many different reasons. We will hear from and celebrate those that create self-initiated projects and commissioned bodies of work and see a range of photographic practices that are at the cutting edge of photography now. The project is supported by GRAIN Projects, Arts Council England, Gallery Vassie, mac Birmingham, Pirate Design and the University of Gloucestershire. http://grainphotographyhub.co.uk/portfolio-type/responding-to-a-landscape-2

The practice of local partnership in rural development: the cases of Newent (UK) and Sault (France)

This research is concerned with the practice of local partnerships in the promotion of rural development with particular reference to two case study areas, Newent in the UK and Sault in France. In recent years, local partnership working has become increasingly common in the promotion of rural development. It is presented by academics, politicians, policy makers and practitioners as `inherent' and `imperative' to the preparation and implementation of rural development programmes today. However, there still exists limited understanding and knowledge about local partnership working in practice and the validity and importance of such statements. To advance this understanding the present research had four main objectives organised around the identification and the exploration of four main issues: the reasons, the processes, the outcomes and the implications of the local partnership practice in rural development. The author has sought to elucidate the subject by means of a detailed exploratory study involving the longitudinal observation of two particular examples of local partnerships. Two case study areas were selected, both with an active history of rural development initiatives and partnership working at parish or commune level. Newent is a small town in the Forest of Dean, which has sought to address growing socio-economic decline in recent years by preparing and implementing a regeneration strategy through local partnership working. Sault is a village in Provence, which has had to respond to depopulation and various economic difficulties as well as the closure in 1996-98 of the military base of Albion. Qualitative data on local partnership evolution and operation, collected in both areas between 1998 and 2001, was assembled from documentary research, semi structured interviews and direct observation at meetings. This investigation has allowed the identification of various explanations for the recent increase in the practice of local partnership in rural development, explanations which are mainly associated with the underlying context of the rural development process today and with the meaning of the partnership concept itself. From this investigation local partnership working in rural development has emerged as a long-term, progressive, comprehensive and pragmatic process that is organised over time. Its existence and longevity depend primarily on the local context, the existence of opportunities, the issues to be addressed, a broad mobilisation of local/rural actors, a flexible local space, some local re-organisation as well as regular and concrete achievements. In this respect, the most commonly reported outcomes of local partnership working pertain to the process of partnership working more than to the tangible outputs that may have resulted from it. These meet the initial expected benefits from such a practice as for example broader participation, greater reciprocity between rural development actors and territories, and an increase in local capacity for development action

Exploring the Notions of Investment Expertise and Strategies

This study explores the differences in expertise and investment philosophies among private and professional investors (mainly in Switzerland) in the management of their personal investment portfolios. It uses the valuable five-step adult skill acquisition model developed by Hubert L. Dreyfus (2004) to characterize the investment ‘experts’ and establishes key findings and suggestions from their investment behaviour, criteria and strategies for the ‘ordinary’ investor. The notion of what constitutes ‘expertise’ in general but especially in the area of financial investment (stock market) was found to be under-researched. A comprehensive review of the existing literature was conducted to form the theoretical basis for the research and to establish an initial hypothesis. This conceptual framework defines the organization of the study and identifies its challenges, concepts and ideas. A research design framework could then be developed to identify strategies for inquiry (research methodology) and data generation methods. These formed the basis for an extensive online questionnaire, which was answered by 550 participants. In regard to the three research questions developed, this survey was followed by diverse analyses and discussions that delivered key findings and answers for my research. One of the main foci and accomplished result of this research was to develop a method to identify and characterize the experts amongst the asset managers, institutional investors and private investors and to formulate their expert recommendations into a feasible investment process for the benefit of the ordinary investor. A key finding was that education, financial qualification and experience contribute significantly to informed investment decisions, i.e. diversification of assets, rebalancing of portfolios or passive investing. As hypothesized, the professional investors exhibit superior investment behaviour. However, every fourth private investor also demonstrated characteristics of an expert. A descriptive and statistical analysis of the expert group characterized them as highly educated, experienced, and diversified. They invest for more than 7 years in passive managed funds rather than single shares, with an expected average return of around 7%. Their preferred asset classes are shares, corporate bonds and commodities and they view the knowledge and size of a company as well as the industry as the most important investment criteria. In addition, they favour asset allocation, value investing and fundamental analysis as imperative investment strategies/applications. The main practical contribution of this study is the recommendations for general investors drawn from the experts’ knowledge and experience. These include: ‘educating oneself’ to become an informed investor or expert; qualification or re-qualification of financial advisers; knowing who you are by developing your risk-profile; investing for the long-term if disposable funds are not needed for short or mid-term purchases within a well-diversified portfolio; being wary of the cost, and thus reducing the total expense ratio as much as possible; not stock picking or timing the market; investing in passive funds within superior asset classes; controlling emotions when investing; rebalancing ones portfolio when required (keeping the asset class ratios in control) and continually investing additional disposable funds according to the concept of value averaging (increasing the value of your portfolio periodically). The limitations of these findings are also discussed and the possible directions for future research is outlined