Making an example of rioters

This article appeared on the OUP Blog Website on 25 August 2011. The final version can be accessed at the link below.In the wake of the recent riots, much attention has been given to the causes of the riots but an issue now at the forefront of press and public concern is the level of punishment being meted out to those convicted of riot-related offences. Reports of first offenders being convicted and imprisoned for thefts of items of small value have raised questions about the purposes of sentencing, the problems of giving exemplary sentences and of inconsistency, as well as the issue of political pressure on sentencers. The government has been emphasising the need for harsh punishment for riot-related offences and this has been reflected in some very severe sentences for offenders with no previous convictions, including young offenders, and where offenders have pleaded guilty

Reflections on the triple-helix as a vehicle to stimulate innovation in technology and security : a Belgian case study

In this contribution the main argument is that a triple helix collaboration between industry, government and knowledge institutes can be a vehicle to stimulate innovation and technology in the field of safety and security. To underpin this argument the significance of the evolution from a state model to a triple-helix model is described as well as the paradigm of open innovation that is a necessary condition for the triple-helix model. Relying on experiences since 2014 with the Belgian Innovation Centre for Security reflections are made on the dynamics of the triple-helix collaboration taking into account its creation, objectives, ambition, methodology, partners and funding. Some of the (perceived) barriers encountered and logics used by government, as one of the ‘hesitating’ participants in the triple-helix collaboration, are further discussed

Criminalising the possession of extreme pornography: Sword or shield?

Copyright © 2011 Vathek Publishing, Ltd. Shared with permission of the publisher.This article examines the reasons for the introduction of the extreme pornography provisions in s. 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, whether the provisions can be justified, whether they meet their goals and the problems they raise. It is argued that the provisions should be seen as an expression of benign perfectionism, grounded in respect for individuals, rather than repressive paternalism. The impact of the law is assessed with reference to recent cases and the author considers whether the fears expressed at the time the legislation was passed have been borne out in practice

Input, uptake, output : a study of intertextual source use in academic writing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Second Language Teaching at Massey University

Research in writing has moved from writing to learn to writing from sources. This represents a move to considering writing not just as an isolated activity, but one associated with acquisition and representation of knowledge from different forms of texts. Research on sources to date has focused on a limited number of inputs, mainly one or two sources, in relation to the target product. In contrast, the present study investigates a wide range of sources students use as material for their studies. This naturalistic study investigates sources used by different groups of students, (L1 writers. L2 writers; expert L1 writers, novice L1 writers), and their ability to integrate these inputs in written text. The research was conducted within the context of an academic course and followed a pilot study trialling pedagogical and data gathering procedures. The primary data was in-class essays annotated by students to indicate source use. The essays were analysed structurally by a coding scheme adapted from the work of Christensen (1966). Mann & Thompson (1988), and Hyland (1990). Secondary data was obtained through pre-course and post-course questionnaires and included information on students' cultural and linguistic experience, their perceived usefulness of particular sources in the course, and their attitude towards writing tutorials. Results indicated that there were differences in the way the identified groups of students accessed the varying sources. While the lecture remained the primary input for all students, the manner and extent students used personal experience was demonstrated in different ways. Results showed L1 students integrated a wider range of sources in their writing. The differing patterns of source use indicated that students followed different pathways in developing text, and that the strategies they used had consequences for their text construction. As an extension of this, a hierarchy of personal experience in writing was established; 1 personal narrative; 2 untransformed narrative; 3 integration of personal knowledge with concept and discipline knowledge. Findings also indicated the difficulties less proficient writers had in moving beyond the writer-oriented narrative form which is consistent with other research (Leki 1995, Flower in Leeds, 1996). There are a number of factors that appear relevant to explaining the different pathways. These include language proficiency, writing expertise, content and schema knowledge, and perceived saliency or interestingness of the task and topic. The results of the present research points to the fact that these and other affective factors deserve further research attention. Such research could possibly affect the pedagogical achievements of learning experiences in academic courses

Travels with Mike: from HMS Goodwill to Yacht Jester

[Selected correspondence of Michael William Dugdale Mills Richey MBE, Hon FRIN, first winner of the Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize for Literature (1942), b. 6 July 1917, 9 Chiswick Place, Eastbourne; d. 22 December 2009, 16 Lewes Crescent, Brighton.] It's difficult to write when you are at sea on a minesweeper, first of all on the lower decks as an ordinary seaman and then, having survived the sinking of your first ship, as an officer learning and quickly perfecting the art of navigation in the Second World War. Censorship prevents a full account of one's activities and destinations, and letters could take months to arrive. This visual essay, drawn from images in his official archive at Georgetown University and from his sea-chest at home in Brighton at Lewes Crescent, focusses on the wartime correspondence of Michael Richey. His brother Paul Richey wrote the classic account Fighter Pilot (published anonymously during the war), while Mike’s own story of the HMS Goodwill, ‘Sunk by a Mine’, won the very first Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize for Literature in 1942. Post-war, Michael Richey went on to have a distinguished career as the first director of the (Royal) Institute of Navigation, and became a legend for his single-handed sailing adventures in the famous little boat Jester. He had signature postcards printed for his solo voyages. On the front, a black and white photograph of himself sailing the boat, on the back, the incomplete address in black type, ‘Yacht Jester at ______’. This is a snapshot of one of the most fascinating figures in the ‘twentieth-century story’ who was also one of its most reluctant autobiographers [See Libby Purves http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/libby_purves/article6968938.ece]