Young People and Political Participation: An Analysis of European Union Policies

There is now widespread recognition that, far from being politically apathetic, young people across Europe are engaged in a wide range of \'political\' activities. While turnout at national and European elections among the 18-25 age group may be low, researchers have highlighted diverse and creative new forms of political participation. In relation to young women, in particular, Harris (2005) has presented a compelling analysis of the new \'borderspaces\' opened up between public and private domains by young women through the use of new technologies. She contends that in the face of greater surveillance and regulation brought about by the shift to neo-liberal forms of governmentality, carving out a protected space for oneself is a political act, in itself. Moreover, the creative ways in which young women across the world use such spaces – to question dominant narratives about the nature of contemporary girlhood, to resist discourses which construct young women as merely passive consumers, and to trouble conventional notions of \'youth participation\' – are highly political. Some EU representatives have indicated an awareness of these new forms of engagement and professed a desire to develop links between them and more traditional forms of party politics and policy making (Hoskins, 2005). Nevertheless, the degree to which these sentiments have been translated into policy remains unclear. This article draws on recent documents on young people, citizenship and political participation to assess the extent to which these new spaces of young women\'s politics are, firstly, recognised and, secondly, valued within EU policy.Political Participation, Young People, European Union, Gender

Fees, Funding and Overseas Study: Mobile UK Students and Educational Inequalities

An article in The Guardian in 2006 claimed that: \'some bright students have found an answer to the fees nightmare: in Europe\'. It went on to argue that the introduction of variable fees in the UK in 2006 had encouraged some UK students to consider moving overseas for their degrees and, in particular, to European countries such as Sweden and the Netherlands, which charged low fees or no fees at all. While there have been a small number of further press reports which have indicated that changes to the funding of higher education in the UK have encouraged more young people to consider seriously the possibility of studying abroad, we still know relatively little about the impact of financial factors on a decision to pursue a degree overseas. Although many researchers have explored the economic rewards which often accrue in the medium- or long-term as a result of overseas study, the academic literature has much less to say about both the impact of fee differentials on young people\'s decision-making, and the resources upon which they draw to fund a period of study overseas. In an attempt to redress this gap, this paper draws on data from a qualitative study of young UK citizens who had either completed a degree abroad, or were seriously considering moving overseas for this purpose, to explore the impact of short-term economic calculations on their decisions, and the sources of funding upon which they drew. In doing so, we argue, firstly, that there are important differences between mobile students: those who moved abroad for an undergraduate degree tended to be from more privileged backgrounds than those who moved for postgraduate studies and, as a result, considerably less sensitive to price differentials. Secondly, we suggest that, despite important differences in economic capital, both undergraduates and postgraduates were able to draw on significant cultural resources. This raises questions about the extent to which overseas opportunities can be opened up more widely, to include a greater cross-section of young people.Higher Education, Students, Tuition Fees, International Education, Cultural Capital

Oxford should withdraw its current policy on postgraduate funding immediately

The recent court case initiated against an Oxford University college has raised awareness of the issue of postgraduate funding. The requirement by St Hugh’s that all prospective students demonstrate that they have resources to cover tuition fees and living costs has attracted much criticism. Rachel Brooks explains how this is policy is problematic in a number of overlapping ways, pointing to the broader issues which differentiate postgraduate from undergraduate funding

A Letter from the IJNS Issue 7.1 Davis Editorial Fellow

The Davis Editor for Volume 7, Rachel Brooks, reflects on her time as Davis Editor and summarizes the contents of Issue 7.1

The Potential Roles of Melanopsin Signaling in Mediating the Effects of Environmental Light on Voluntary Ethanol Intake in Mice

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) comprise a small subset of photoreceptors found in the eye containing the newly discovered photopigment, melanopsin. ipRGCs project directly to the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the central “pacemaker” underlying the generation and entrainment of circadian rhythms. Photic stimuli detected by ipRGCs are transmitted to the SCN via the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT), mediating the entrainment of the SCN pacemaker. In addition to circadian entrainment, these pathways may also contribute to seasonal changes seen in both animals and humans, such as seasonal breeding cycles in animals and seasonal affective disorder in humans. Our lab has recently found that changes in the laboratory lighting environment can alter voluntary alcohol intake in mice, which may be related to the seasonal variation in alcohol use seen in humans. In this study, we examined the possible role of melanopsin signaling in mediating the effects of photoperiod on alcohol intake. Male and female melanopsin knockout (Opn4 -/-) and wild-type control mice of the same genetic background were housed individually in running-wheel cages and initially kept on a 12:12 light-dark (LD) cycle for 3 weeks, followed by constant light (LL) or constant darkness (DD) for 3 weeks, then returned to LD 12:12 for the final 3 weeks. Animals had continuous access to running wheels, plain water, and 10% ethanol solution throughout the experiment. Wheel turns were monitored by a computer interface and ethanol and water intake were recorded manually at weekly intervals. While Opn4-/- mice showed the expected reductions in circadian light sensitivity from controls, the two genotypes displayed identical reductions in ethanol intake under LL and DD. Thus, melanopsin-based photoreception is not necessary for light-induced changes in alcohol preference drinking in mice

Reviewer Perceptions of Englishes in the International Journal of Nuclear Security

Linguistic bias in academic publishing, the idea that a manuscript would be rejected due to its language alone, is a growing area of concern and study. Scholars are particularly concerned that EAL (English as an Additional Language, often referred to as “non-native”) writers face this bias more than first-language English authors. The research on linguistic bias relies on understanding the perceptions about language that belong to reviewers, authors, and other parties involved in publication. This MA thesis project investigates peer reviewer perceptions of English language usage in the manuscripts that they review using the International Journal of Nuclear Security (IJNS) as the site of research. Data sources came from an anonymous online survey and peer reviews from published IJNS manuscripts. Findings show that the participants, reviewers for nuclear security academic research, do notice language usage in manuscripts and consciously decide how to respond to perceived errors. Reviewers also seem to expect authors to use some standard, correct language when writing English-language manuscripts for international, academic publication, but none defined exactly what the standard or correct language was. These results suggest that IJNS and other international, academic, English-language publications should communicate clearly with reviewers about what is expected of them regarding comments about language in reviews and what the publication’s understanding of correct language is. The larger conversation about linguistic bias may be more productively conducted if it is shifted to a conversation about standard and nonstandard language rather than focusing on the native/non-native author divide

What does it mean to be a student in European higher education?

Students are all too often thought of as a homogenous bloc. Drawing on a new book, Rachel Brooks discusses the different ways in which students are imagined by themselves, as well as by policymakers and educators in Europe