Nation shall speak peace unto nation: television, sport and nationhood

It may prove useful to state what this project is not, before introducing what exactly I have set out to look at. It is not a history of Irish broadcasting, nor a social history of Irish sport; both projects remain tasks for another day. What I will attempt is to examine some of the impulses that have helped shape the contours of modem sport What will be argued throughout, is that any examination of sport is incomplete without an accompanying, and intergrated, study of its relationship with the media. The main thrust of my argument is that sport has been transformed as a cultural form through its interrelationship with the media. In turn both the media and sport are constrained by wider political and economic forces which set up the parameters within which this relationship can evolve. Mediated sport is an important arena in which ideas and representations of the social order can be displayed. The perception that this area of cultural activity is apolitical, or neutral, is of central concern. It is this pretence of neutrality that makes mediated sport such a key ideological arena. It is the validity of this neutrality that is challenged in this thesis

Becoming a different person in the zone of proximal development : a case study of sixth form students making career and HE choices

During the last decade there has been a significant expansion in higher education (HE) in the UK, and widening participation is high on the government's agenda, as it is seen as one means of achieving a better-qualified workforce. In their work with clients, Careers Advisers are required to promote equality of opportunity, which becomes problematic when studies show the HE system in the UK to be segregated along racial lines (Ball et al, 2002; Reay et al, 2001), with students from ethnic minorities much more likely to study in new universities in metropolitan areas, than in older, more established institutions. This study seeks to explore the ways in which Careers Advisers can promote equality of opportunity effectively, and critically evaluates the possible application of collectivist interpretations of the zone of proximal development, situated approaches and activity theory, to career guidance practice. The methodology chosen is that of social constructivism, and the study focuses on a small number of students (most of whom are from ethnic minorities) from a sixth form college in inner London who are making their HE choices. The method of enquiry adopted is one of a qualitative case study (Bassey, 1999), through which the stories of the students are interpreted. This study shows that whilst agency on the part of the individual may by itself not be enough to widen participation into HE, the opportunity for sixth formers to participate in the community of practice of HE, together with a level of openness to their participation on the part of HE systems could do much to bring about transformatory change in the HE system from within via expansive learning (Engeström, 2001). The work highlights a role for Careers Advisers in promoting individual agency, and in fostering a culture of participation in career guidance

Catharsis, Space and Motivation in Unconventional Event Performance Venues

The concept of catharsis, widely exploited in literature, music, drama and psychoanalysis remains still an untouched area in the event industry. Man and space have always defined one another. From the caves to the sky scrapers, humankind's evolution could be detected through its relation to the habitat and the way it has constructed the habitat, but it also defined the way society evolved. By understanding why individuals attend performances in unconventional spaces, our understanding of the events market, the industry, but also the human mind is enhanced. Therefore the purpose of this study is to demonstrate that space generates catharsis. By reviewing literature and undertaking primary research, the author developed a new framework by which motivations to attend events in unconventional spaces could be understood. Findings suggest that individuals prefer the genre of unconventional event venues because it portrays a holistic experience of calmness, serenity, relaxation and freedom of speech