Hanging on to the Edges: Essays on Science, Society and the Academic Life

What does it mean to be a scientist working today; specifically, a scientist whose subject matter is human life? Scientists often overstate their claim to certainty, sorting the world into categorical distinctions that obstruct rather than clarify its complexities. In this book Daniel Nettle urges the reader to unpick such distinctions—biological versus social sciences, mind versus body, and nature versus nurture—and look instead for the for puzzles and anomalies, the points of connection and overlap. These essays, converted from often humorous, sometimes autobiographical blog posts, form an extended meditation on the possibilities and frustrations of the life scientific. Pragmatically arguing from the intersection between social and biological sciences, Nettle reappraises the virtues of policy initiatives such as Universal Basic Income and income redistribution, highlighting the traps researchers and politicians are liable to encounter. This provocative, intelligent and self-critical volume is a testament to the possibilities of interdisciplinary study—whose virtues Nettle stridently defends—drawing from and having implications for a wide cross-section of academic inquiry. This will appeal to anybody curious about the implications of social and biological sciences for increasingly topical political concerns. It comes particularly recommended to Sciences and Social Sciences students and to scholars seeking to extend the scope of their field in collaboration with other disciplines

Public perception, justification and motivation of development aid. The Feasibility of Peter Singer's Culture of Giving

351 p.En esta tesis se discuten y contrastan las implicaciones éticas, psicológicas y práticas del altruismo efectivo de Peter Singer con el fin de responder a la pregunta de qué papel deben tener las donaciones y la recaudación de fondos en el contexto del alivio de la pobreza extrema global. Se examinen las consideraciones del punto de vista maximalista moral de Singer, que se basa en la responsabilidad individual de cada cuidadano de los países ricos de dedicar lo más posible a la erradicación de la pobreza extrema en apoyando las organizaciones más efectivas con sus ingresos. Esta posición es rechazada como demasiado exigente, ya que deja poco espacio para el desarrollo de la persona y de otras actividades valiosas. Per contra Singer capta una importante intuición ética, que es que parece irresponsable que la riqueza global se distribuya de tal manera que parte de la ponlación viva en la abundancia, mientras que otras sufren. Se demustra que hay maneras en que las instituciones globales y el estilo de vida occidental prejudica a la gente que vive en los paises en via de desarollo. Entonces se puede establecer un deber de actuar contra la pobreza global. Pero un análisis estadistico de los niveles de donaciones y del comportamiento de los donantes demuestra que las apelaciones como la de Singer pueden aumentar las donaciones solo de manera temporal. Las limites cognitivas y intuiciones conflictivas prevalecerán a largo plazo. Nuestra simpatía se centra en individuos que percibimos como cercano, inocente y similar a nosotros. La caridad puede incluso ser perjudical, ya que a menudo se centra en las simpatias y opiniones de los donantes. Por lo tanto, la posición de Singer ¿ que la evaluación de proyectos es necesaría ¿ es todavía más importante. Un análisis comparativo de las diferentes intervenciones concluye que el apoyo financiero directo es la mejor manera de ayudar a la gente en pobreza extrema. Debido a los mecanismos psicológicos y una desconfianza institucionalizada hacia los pobres, es poco probable que sea financiado a través de donaciones. Se propone como una solución un impuesto global sobre riqueza extrema, empresas multinacionales y recursos naturales

Educational Learning Theories: 2nd Edition

This open textbook was the result of a remix of pre-existing open materials collected and reviewed by Molly Zhou and David Brown. Learning theories covered include the theories of Piaget, Bandura, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, Dewey, Bronfenbrenner, Eriksen, Gardner, Bloom, and Maslow. The textbook was revised in 2018 through a Round Ten Revisions and Ancillary Materials Mini-Grant. Topics covered include: Behaviorism Cognitive Development Social Cognitive Theory Experiential Learning Theory Human Motivation Theory Information Processing Theoryhttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/education-textbooks/1000/thumbnail.jp

Nigeria-Biafra War and the Politics of Oblivion: Implications of Revealing the Hidden Narratives through Transformative Learning

Ignited by the secession of Biafra from Nigeria on May 30, 1967, the Nigeria-Biafra War (1967- 1970) with an estimated death toll of 3 million was followed by decades of silence and a ban of history education. However, the advent of democracy in 1999 catalyzed the return of repressed memories to public consciousness accompanied by renewed agitation for the secession of Biafra from Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a transformative learning of the Nigeria-Biafra War history will have a significant effect on conflict management styles of Nigerian citizens of Biafran origin regarding ongoing agitation for secession. Drawing on theories of knowledge, memory, forgetting, history, and transformative learning, and employing ex post facto research design, 320 participants were randomly selected from the Igbo ethnic group in the southeastern states of Nigeria to participate in transformative learning activities that focused on the Nigeria-Biafra War as well as complete both the Transformative Learning Survey (TLS) and Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI). Data collected were analyzed using descriptive analysis and inferential statistical tests. The results indicated that as transformative learning of the Nigeria-Biafra War history increased, collaboration also increased, while aggression decreased. From these findings, two effects emerged: transformative learning acted as a booster of collaboration and a reducer of aggression. This new understanding of transformative learning could help in conceptualizing a theory of transformative history education within the broader field of conflict resolution. The study therefore recommends that transformative learning of the Nigeria-Biafra War history should be implemented in Nigerian schools

Challenges of neuropsychological testing with Asian American adults: a critical review of the literature

The present study is a critical analysis of literature surrounding the challenges faced during neuropsychological testing with Asian American adults. This dissertation will provide a comprehensive overview and critically analyze what is known with regards to neuropsychological assessment of Asian individuals, challenges that psychologists face in conducting culturally competent neuropsychological assessment of this population, and recommendations for conducting such assessments. Current literature reveals how confounds such as culture, acculturation, language, and the inappropriate use of tests and normative data can impact scores and subsequent treatment recommendations. Given these confounds, recommendations will be made regarding the neuropsychological test selection, test administration, and normative data to discuss ways that testing with Asian Americans can be improved

‘Ni kubahatisha tu!’-‘It’s just a game of chance!’ Adaptation and resignation to perceived risks in rural Tanzania

Many HIV/AIDS prevention interventions have been shown to increase awareness and knowledge but few have been shown to impact on behaviour. This ethnographic study was designed to provide a holistic account of risk perception in order to inform our understandings of how HIV risk is perceived. Through qualitative methods it is both a deductive testing of the risk theories of Douglas and Giddens and an inductive, grounded investigation to identify which risks are prioritised and the discourses which influence risk perceptions in one rural and one neighbouring peri-urban site in north-western Tanzania. Risk perception is framed by multiple, sometimes contradictory, discourses which shape individual perceptions of risk at particular moments. These are defined as a series of ‘risk moments’, each of which is context specific and contingent on dynamic social conditions. Living in a society in flux, where multiple forms of tradition co-exist with modern ideals, rural dwellers’ experiences of past misfortune are often interpreted to inform a future-oriented risk perception. The role of chance and fatalism are dominant public and private discourses, but ones which co-exist with collective and individual capabilities to control risk through reliance on social capital and social networks to create maendeleo(development), despite restricted lifestyle alternatives and vulnerable socio-economic conditions. Responses to some risks are invariable and predictable, such as routinised actions like hand washing. Responses to other risks, such as crop failure, vary according to predictable patterns. These patterns include social position and biography, defined through gender, socio-economic status, partner type and exposure to alternative lifestyle choices through migration. This is one of several ways in which risk perceptions are dominated by social factors. Others are the presumed social causes of many risks, and the social benefits or costs of risk aversion. Conflicting social risks, such as exposure to jealousy and being too trusting, are subject to cautious strategies to manage ambiguous social relations. Within this dynamic social world, characterised by contradictions between adaptation and resignation, risk priorities are constantly re-assessed and management strategies renegotiated as individuals encounter novel circumstances. The results from this research have confirmed this contingent nature of risk perception and contributed to our knowledge of people’s approaches towards health risks and understandings of prevention which may be useful in the design of appropriate behaviour change campaigns