Response to “Seeking Democracy inside and outside of education”

This response considers the strengths of Carr and Thesee\u27s paper and explores further areas of research related to education for democracy or citizenship education

Social Studies in Three Canadian Provinces: A Comparative Exploration

This paper compares the similarities and differences in Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia’s Social Studies curriculum documents. It finds a number of similarities in the curriculum documents including in structural form, aims, and content. It also finds some differences based on historical contingencies and regional conditions. The paper then analyses possible reasons for the similarities and differences found, with a focus on key individuals involved and contexts, and comments on whether calls for a national Social Studies curriculum should be implemented

Understanding Social Studies: Student and Teacher Voices in Relation to Theoretical Orientations

Social Studies can be understood, or theorized, in a number of different ways as a consequence of its history (Evans, 2004).  This paper presents the findings of a research study of high school students’ and teachers’ conceptions of Social Studies in relation to four philosophical orientations, labeled the Classicist/Traditionalist, Essentialist, Progressivist and Reconstructionist frames.  These four frames are developed from literature in the field.  After describing these frames, the research methods of the British Columbia (BC), Canada survey study with teachers and students are summarized.  Participants included close to 200 students and teachers in three separate grades.  Findings and conclusions are presented next.  These findings illustrate that Social Studies is variously understood by participants and that connections exist between participants’ views of the subject and perceptions of its usefulness.  The paper also describes students’ knowledge of the Social Sciences and students’ and teachers’ comments on the subject.  The paper ends with recommendations, developed from the findings, which aim to improve teaching practice and student learning and engagement in the subject

Rethinking Belonging in Western Nations: Theorizing the Public Commons as a Shared Pluralistic Community

Western nations are becoming increasingly socially and ethnically diverse. National policies aim to address this diversity through policies such as multiculturalism in Canada, which promotes appreciation for cultural pluralism. However, policy rhetoric can hide social issues related to increasing diversity. Using Canada as a case study discussion, this paper begins by reviewing some of the issues associated with increasing social and ethnic diversity, including racism and conflict over values, and then discusses these issues in relation to contemporary political concepts which aim to build social harmony. It argues that we need to rethink how we understand diversity within a communitarian conception of community—theorized as that of the public commons. The paper concludes with recommendations that aim to improve citizenship education, with a focus on increasing youth’s knowledge of civic life, particularly their understanding of this concept of the public commons

Exploring Deweyian Experiential Learning Pedagogy as Citizenship Development

Developing good citizens is one of the root theoretical justifications and purposes of public schooling and social studies. Much discussion exists, however, over what good citizenship entails and how it can best be achieved. One approach — experiential learning and its associated service learning—is currently popular in a number of disciplines. It is argued to be aninvaluable way of developing students’ citizenship through experience basedlearning. This paper begins by reviewing Dewey’s educational theory, whichencompasses experiential learning with the aim of developing citizenship, thussetting the foundations for current experiential and service learning pedagogies. It then presents the findings of a qualitative interview study with high schoolstudents and teachers who have taken part in overseas service projects. Thediscussion illustrates the benefits and challenges of citizenship developmentthrough experiential curricula and concludes with recommendations that aim to strengthen this form of learning

The Effects of Very-Low-Calorie Diets on HDL: A Review

This paper investigates the effects of very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) used in the treatment of obesity on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Although the studies varied widely in their intervention format, duration, and baseline HDL levels, it would appear that HDL levels usually decrease during active weight loss using a VLCD, but these either return to pre-VLCD levels or improve overall during the weight-maintenance phase. More research needs to be done to determine optimal weight-maintenance programmes and the effects of VLCDs in the short term as well as on HDL levels in groups at increased risk of coronary heart disease

The nature of emotional support and counselling provision for people with sight loss in the United Kingdom

People with sight loss in the United Kingdom are known to have lower levels of emotional wellbeing and to be at higher risk of depression. Consequently ‘having someone to talk to’ is an important priority for people with visual impairment. An on-line survey of the provision of emotional support and counselling for people affected by sight loss across the UK was undertaken. The survey was distributed widely and received 182 responses. There were more services offering ‘emotional support’, in the form of listening and information and advice giving, than offered ‘counselling’. Services were delivered by providers with differing qualifications in a variety of formats. Waiting times were fairly short and clients presented with a wide range of issues. Funding came from a range of sources, but many felt their funding was vulnerable. Conclusions have been drawn about the need for a national standardised framework for the provision of emotional support and counselling services for blind and partially sighted people in the U

Low-carbohydrate diets, obesity and type 2 diabetes: a review.

This review examines the effects of low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets (LCHO) ( < 150g carbohydrate/day) on glycaemia and cardiovascular risk, appetite and satiety, liver and kidney function, energy expenditure, and bone metabolism. It also investigates the possible adverse effects of the same diets in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). At this stage, there is evidence to suggest that the use of lower carbohydrate diets improves glycaemia, cardiovascular risk and liver function in patients with T2DM. The results also suggest that patients' choices are in fact broader than previously believes, since LCHOs provide an alternative to standard dietary interventions. However, there is still a lack of evidence for the use of these approaches in the longer term