Brutal Encounters: Primitivity, Politics, and the Postmodern Revolution

The switch from late modernism to postmodernism in Western aesthetic theory and criticism took place in the mid-to-late 20th century, radically changing the face of cultural criticism. Much has been written on how postmodernism broke from modernism, but what factors paved its way in the decades following the Second World War? This paper argues that postmodernism represents both a reaction to and a necessary evolution of late modernism, specifically as it manifests in architecture, politics, and the politics of architecture. It focuses on the crisis of confidence among Western left-wing circles following the upheaval of the Second World War and posits that, because of this upheaval, primitivism came to dominate the epistemology of a renewed modernism led by figures such as Clement Greenberg, Reyner Banham, and the practitioners of “the New Brutalism.” The paper then explores how the Western left-wing reaction to developments like decolonization and postwar modernization challenged primitivity’s newfound importance, resulting in a shift towards a “postmodern populism” in aesthetics and politics by the 1960s as described by Jean Baudrillard, Fredric Jameson, Robert Venturi, and Reyner Banham

Characteristics Associated with Increasing the Response Rates of Web-Based Surveys

Having a respectable response rate is critical to generalize the results for any survey, and web surveys present their own unique set of issues. This research identified web deployment and questionnaire characteristics that were significantly associated with increasing the response rate to web-based surveys based on a systematic evaluation of ninety-nine web-based surveys. Thirteen web deployment characteristics and nine web-based questionnaire survey characteristics were subjected to correlation and regression analysis with response rate. The resultant findings prompted recommendations: [1] Increasing the total days a questionnaire is left open, with two reminders, may significantly increase response rates. It may be wise to launch in one week, remind in the next week, and then send the final reminder in the third week; [2] Potential respondents must be convinced of the potential benefit of accessing the questionnaire; and [3] Do not be overly concerned about the length or detail of the questionnaire - getting people to the web site of the questionnaire is more important to increasing response rates. Accessed 17,461 times on https://pareonline.net from October 04, 2007 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

Large bias-dependent magnetoresistance in all-oxide magnetic tunnel junctions with a ferroelectric barrier

All-oxide magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) incorporating functional materials as insulating barriers have the potential of becoming the founding technology for novel multi-functional devices. We investigate, by first-principles density functional theory, the bias-dependent transport properties of an all-oxide SrRuO3/BaTiO3/SrRuO3 MTJ. This incorporates a BaTiO3 barrier which can be found either in a non-ferroic or in a ferroelectric state. In such an MTJ not only can the tunneling magnetoresistance reach enormous values, but also, for certain voltages, its sign can be changed by altering the barrier electric state. These findings pave the way for a new generation of electrically-controlled magnetic sensors.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Coexistance of giant tunneling electroresistance and magnetoresistance in an all-oxide magnetic tunnel junction

We demonstrate with first-principles electron transport calculations that large tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and tunneling electroresistance (TER) effects can coexist in an all-oxide device. The TMR originates from the symmetry-driven spin filtering provided by the insulating BaTiO3 barrier to the electrons injected from SrRuO3. In contrast the TER is possible only when a thin SrTiO3 layer is intercalated at one of the SrRuO3/BaTiO3 interfaces. As the complex band-structure of SrTiO3 has the same symmetry than that of BaTiO3, the inclusion of such an intercalated layer does not negatively alter the TMR and in fact increases it. Crucially, the magnitude of the TER also scales with the thickness of the SrTiO3 layer. The SrTiO3 thickness becomes then a single control parameter for both the TMR and the TER effect. This protocol offers a practical way to the fabrication of four-state memory cells

A Proposed Plan to Improve Farm and Family Living Based on a Survey of Fifty Farm Families in Fort Bend County, Texas

Farm and home life has been designed to help people cope with closely related rather than specific problems on the farm. An efficiently operated farm business should provide comfortable and pleasant living conditions, adequate food and feed for the farm needs, cash income and financial security for the home life. In light of the previous statement, it is believed that the farm families should have as their goal; to provide a better living and improve their farm operations. Operating a farm involves careful planning and many decisions which are more or less integrated and at the same time interdependent. To help farm families help themselves to have a more satisfying and abundant life, we need to know: (1) What can be done to improve farm family living? (2) To what extent have the families in Fort Bend County improved and developed over a period of ten years? (3) To what extent have these improvements increased ownership of farm and home equipment? and (4.) To what extent have these developments increased profit and improved health and sanitation conditions? We think that all farm families should have its own farm program. Therefore, the problem is to find out what farm families can do to improve their farm and home operations for better living

Using Guidelines To Support Quality Moderation of Focus Group Interviews

A Focus Group Interview (FGI) involves 6-9 people guided through a pre-thought line of questioning for 1-2 hours by a trained Moderator. The Moderator gives participants the opportunity to express ideas, thoughts, and views. This is a robust qualitative data collection method IF there is a skilled FGI Moderator. The Moderator sets the tone, delivers a high quality introduction, makes the discussants feel trusting, while at the same time managing a set of unstructured questions discussed by a mix of personalities within a relatively short time. The Moderators’ Code is a set of ten guidelines for moderating successful FGIs

Web-Based Surveys

Dillman states that one of the three most significant advances in survey technology in the twentieth century is the electronic survey. The other two are the telephone and random sampling. With such impact potential, Extension professionals should learn more about Web-based surveys. This article shares major advantages and disadvantages of Web-based surveys. It lists design guidelines, as well as tips for conducting Web-based surveys. A comparison of expenses of a traditional mail-based survey versus Web-based survey is made in today\u27s dollars. Finally, this article shares examples of the administration of three Web-based surveys

A blueprint for teacher empowerment : peer clinical supervision.

Teachers have long struggled to be recognized as professionals and to achieve autonomy. Key obstacles that influenced their perception of powerlessness, such as professional isolation of teaching staff, low teacher participation in decision making, and systems of supervision irrelevant to instructional improvement, were even scrutinized in national reports. The criteria suggested for the selection of a teacher supervision training model was based on a sound theory of education supported by research. It provided teachers the latitude for decision making that was congruous with the professional treatment of inservice teachers and that was acceptable to teachers receiving supervision. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of peer clinical supervision on teacher empowerment. The participants were 21 urban elementary school teachers located in southeast Washington, D.C. They along with their principal volunteered to be trained in clinical supervision using an adaptation of Cogan and Goldhammer\u27s Five-Step Clinical Supervision Model. Pre- and post program questionnaires, a perceptual inventory, interviews and field notes were used to report the study\u27s findings. The study concluded that training in peer clinical supervision had a positive impact on teacher empowerment when the results were associated with the six Empowerment Indicators: (1) increased receptivity toward supervision, (2) increased receptivity toward change, (3) decreased feelings of isolation, (4) increased evidence of collegiality, (5) increased participation in the decision-making process at the building level, and (6) increased peer classroom observations. Appendices present an outline of the training model used for this study with sample instruments