Education and Acculturation on Malaita: An Ethnography of Intraethnic and Interethnic Affinities

One of the central issues in educational anthropology is the changing nature of intraethnic and interethnic conflict and relationships. Conventional modernization theory suggests that the acculturation process will tend to diminish traditional allegiances and affinities. There are, however, indications that the opposite may occur. This essay reports on research into this issue undertaken on Malaita, in the Solomon Islands. The research method was sociometric and involved examination of the ethnic identity and affinities of individuals within the Malaitan language-groups, namely, the AreAre, Baegu, Baelelea, Dorio, Fataleka, Kwai Island, Kwaio, Kwara’ae, Langalanga, Lau, Sa’a and To’abaita language-groups. From this, I draw some conclusions on the acculturation process on Malaita, as well as what individuals in mass societies might learn from such language-group societies

Internal Assessment and the Teaching of English - A Response to the Argument from R. McGuire

This essay engages the arguments from Ray McGuire regarding the teaching and assessment of English in Queensland, specifically examining the problems of practicality, comparability and originality

Can History Teach Us Peace?

The idea that we can learn from history is a recurring one and this essay examines dialectically the arguments for and against the proposition that history can teach us peace. Eight objections to the proposition that we can teach peace through history are discussed: 1) the problem that history implies a social inevitability, 2) the difficulty in ascribing moral or ethical responsibility in historical explanation, 3) the reliance on counterfactual history in attempting to teach peace through history, 4) the war-centred nature of history, 5) the violence-centred nature of history, 6) the depersonalized construction of war in history, 7) the past-centred nature of history, 8) the problem of despair. The conclusion to this essay is that the teaching of peace is possible, although one does need to be mindful of the limitations to such a project and to have a deliberately open view of the future

The Australian National Commission for Unesco: Some Proposals for Reform

Unesco (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) was established in 1946 and the Australian government organisation responsible for advising on the implementation and coordination of Unesco policies and programs in Australia is the Australian National Commission for Unesco. Working from a Rawlsian notion of a public institution, a range of reforms are suggested for the commission: 1) development of a charter, 2) publication of an Annual Report, 3) widening the membership of the Commission, 4) funding reforms, 5) training of the membership of the Commission, 6) establishing a right of appeal against Commission decisions, and 7) developing programs for public participation. It is suggested that the above reforms may assist in establishing and strengthening the Australian Commission for Unesco as a significant and independent public institution in Australia, and thus assist in the implementation of Unesco programs and projects in the future

Australian Universities and International Standards: Compliance with the 1997 UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel

Soft law, that is, regulation which is technically unenforceable, is one means whereby international ethical and professional standards are now increasingly enunciated. This paper looks at one specific standard-setting instrument, the 1997 UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel, and compliance with this standard by Australian universities. It is concluded that this specific standard-setting instrument is routinely ignored by Australian universities, specifically on the issues of commensurability of pay and recognition of research work for casual academics. There are many possible reasons for this failure to comply with the 1997 Recommendation, although three suggested reasons are 1) ignorance within Australian higher education regarding international standards and the ethical obligations associated with such standards, 2) the dominance of a neo-liberal agenda within higher education in Australia, and 3) a trend towards disregarding international standards and institutions generally by Australia. It is suggested that the solution to this is situation is not simple, although education and publicity may be two starting points. Through this it may be possible to encourage a greater degree of ethical and professional commitment on the part of Australian universities, and possibly within the universities of other countries

Cyber-pseudepigraphy: A New Challenge for Higher Education Policy and Management

There is no lack of critical literature dealing with cyber-plagiarism and the implications for assessment in higher education. The practice of the selling of academic papers through the Internet is generally included under the category of plagiarism, although it is suggested that this ought to be considered under the separate category of cyber-pseudepigraphy. Pseudepigraphy is defined in this essay as the deliberate ascription of false authorship to a piece of writing, and cyber-pseudepigraphy is defined as using the Internet to have another person write an academic essay or paper, without this authorship being acknowledged. It is suggested that cyber-pseudepigraphy has widespread implications, and five critical issues are discussed. The essay finally raises the prospect of a return to some form of unseen examination as a method of student assessment as a way of dealing with this problem

Dedication of the Palomar Observatory and the Hale Telescope

The dedication of the Palomar Observatory, if it were being held in England, would be accompanied by brilliant pageantry both of the state, with its knights, heralds, pursuivants, kings at arms, admirals and captains, and of the church with its bishops, priests and deacons, crucifiers and choirs; and I am sure that we feel the quality of religion in this ceremony. We would hear the choirs chanting in antiphony that great canticle which so delights the choir boys: Benedicite, omnia opera Domini

Diversity-induced resonance in a system of globally coupled linear oscillators

The purpose of this paper to analyze in some detail the arguably simplest case of diversity-induced reseonance: that of a system of globally-coupled linear oscillators subjected to a periodic forcing. Diversity appears as the parameters characterizing each oscillator, namely its mass, internal frequency and damping coefficient are drawn from a probability distribution. The main ingredients for the diversity-induced-resonance phenomenon are present in this system as the oscillators display a variability in the individual responses but are induced, by the coupling, to synchronize their responses. A steady state solution for this model is obtained. We also determine the conditions under which it is possible to find a resonance effect.Comment: Reported at the XI International Workshop "Instabilities and Nonequilibrium Structures" Vina del Mar (Chile

The success of the micro-parties in 2013

One of surprising results from the 2013 federal election in Australia has been the success of the micro-parties, notably in contesting the Senate. There is no exact definition for micro-party, although this is generally taken to denote a political party with no relevant parliamentary representation, and thus a political party with little or no resources. The success of the micro-parties in 2013 in Australia offers some important lessons for political campaigning. The first lesson is on the importance of having a good online presence. In some ways, the internet has democratized political campaigning, in that the internet has diminished the fundamental advantage that major political parties enjoy. Increasingly, voters are going to the internet for information, and if a political party can project a good image and good information, then voters will be attracted. Social networking is important, with some 11 million Australians currently active users of social networking. However in addition to this a micro-party and indeed candidates need a good basic website. The second lesson is on the importance of engaging members. There are a number of ways this can be done, but central amongst them would be having regular meetings and good newsletters. In the internet age, meetings often have a symbolic significance. It is not so much how many attend, but the fact that meetings are held can be highlighted on the internet. Appearance is important, and the fact that a political party is having meetings gives the appearance of activity and dynamism. Engaging members is also important in attracting and retaining members, especially important considering the threshold of 500 members, without which a party will not remain registered. The third lesson, especially relevant for the Senate, is the importance of negotiating good preference deals. The way that micro-parties can be elected due to preference deals remains something of a controversial issue. There is an argument (for instance, as set forth in 'Directly chosen by the people' in Online Opinion on 11/1/2013 by this author) that such arrangements are contrary to the intent of the Australian Constitution. However until such time as there is either the political will to change this system, or until such time as some person or body can fund an appeal to the full High Court of Australia on this issue, it is likely such preference deals will continue, and it makes sense for micro-parties to make use of this system

The separation of powers, and the Australian Electoral Commission

The separation of powers is one of the central doctrines of contemporary representative democracy. The doctrine owes much to the influence of French philosopher Montesquieu, and particularly his 1748 work The Spirit of the Laws. Montesquieu therein outlined the principle that the best form of government is where no person needs to be afraid of another, and the way to do this, according to Montesquieu, was a separation of the powers of government, between the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. This was an essential safeguard against despotism, and a way to undergird the liberty upon which democracy relies