A Fragmented Diaspora? Online Communities and ‘Exiled’ Soccer Fans.

Generally speaking, sociological studies of soccer fans have labelled specific fan practices as ‘authentic’ or ‘inauthentic’, often doing so on the basis of a subjective prioritisation of ‘traditional’ forms of soccer fandom. Consequently, computer mediated communication (CMC) has become stigmatised and fan interactions via the internet have been widely regarded as one of the many negative consequences of the globalisation of the sport. An unhelpful dichotomy has thus emerged, which divorces CMC from ‘authentic’ fan practices and excludes those that interact online from ‘genuine’ fandom. Thorough research, therefore, into the nature of such interactions, and the distinct communities that emerge from this, has been largely neglected. Ironically, several studies, which have used online fan interactions as a source of data, have reported the replication of (or potential for) several forms of traditional soccer fandom within online settings – most notably, the centrality of geographic identity and origin, as well as the establishment of meaningful relationships and genuine communities of soccer fans. The results of such studies also suggest that it is precisely those fans engaged in traditional practices who are the most likely to converse via the internet. The central aim of this paper is to address the dearth of research on CMC between soccer fans and, more specifically, to provide conceptual outline for our understanding of online communities and the nature and consequences of online interactions. A case study on ‘exiled’ fans, based on a netnographic observation of an online forum, analyses the use and membership of online communities by soccer fans who are no longer connected, in geographic terms, to the club they affiliate with. Despite this, such fans are able to express their identity to a club (and/or place), establish relationships with other fans, and form a distinct community of soccer fans – features considered hallmarks of authentic fandom

What is the purpose of studying history? Developing students’ perspectives on the purposes and value of history education

This paper reports on an intervention study conducted with the A level students whom I teach at a sixth form college in the north-west of England. The study aimed to survey the students’ perceptions of the purposes of history education, and to broaden their understanding of the debate. The study drew upon data from 82 online forum posts from 41 history A level students. It consisted of two stages: the first surveyed students’ initial perceptions of the purposes of history education; the second aimed to further develop students’ perceptions through the deployment of stimulus material and activities designed to broaden students’ understanding of the issue. Following these activities, students’ perceptions were surveyed for a second time to facilitate comparison. The study data indicate that students who have chosen to pursue their historical studies to a higher level tend to appreciate the intrinsic value of knowing history (as opposed to its extrinsic value, such as developing transferable skills or for the sake of employability). The study also indicates that students’ perceptions of the purpose and value of historical study can be significantly altered by teacher intervention, although the long-term impact remains unassessed

Personality disorder: no longer a diagnosis of exclusion? Law, policy and practice in Scotland

Personality disorder has been and continues to be a contested diagnosis. Those who attract this form of diagnosis have been particularly vulnerable to the effects of stigma and have tended to be excluded from service provision. This thesis provides an examination of how recent developments in law, policy and practice have impacted upon the status of personality disorder as a diagnosis of exclusion in Scotland. The theoretical framework that provides this thesis with its structure is derived from the post-empiricist approach proposed by Derek Layder. This approach seeks to contextualise emergent inductive findings within a broader historical and contemporary analysis. In the case of this research the broader context consists of the interplay between mental health law, policy and practice in the field of mental health and the diagnosis of personality disorder more specifically. The empirical enquiry at the core of this thesis is based upon an analysis of the views, beliefs and expectations of front-line staff (psychiatrists and social workers qualified as mental health officers) involved in the process of assessment and service provision. In addition to front-line staff (n = 27) a range of key informants who were in a position to shed light on the strategic imperatives underpinning recent developments in law and policy were also interviewed. This analysis is contextualised within a review of key developments in law and policy that have particular significance for anyone who may attract a diagnosis of personality disorder. Despite the ostensibly inclusive approach towards those who may attract a diagnosis of personality disorder evident within the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, the reality is a highly selective and very limited inclusion of those who attract this form of diagnosis. The effective inclusion of those who may attract a diagnosis of personality disorder has been obstructed by several key impediments: 1: an insufficiently robust policy framework to drive forward the process of inclusion; 2: residual ambivalence towards the legitimacy of the diagnosis of personality disorder itself and the legitimacy of the claims made upon services by those who may attract a diagnosis of personality disorder; 3: insufficient and inadequately focused resources; 4: service structures that have not been redesigned sufficiently to engage successfully with service users who may attract a diagnosis of personality disorder. As a consequence of these impediments to inclusion, the majority of those who may attract a diagnosis of personality disorder in Scotland are likely to continue to face high levels of marginalisation and exclusion

What’s to Argue? A Comparison of Opposing Viewpoints in Context to the Updated Points of View Reference Center, with a Nod to the Original Points of View Reference Center

As one of the traditional rhetorical modes – along with narration, description, exposition, etc. – argument, or persuasion, has long been a staple in the curricula of speech and English at the secondary and higher education levels. Students are given an assignment in which they must select an issue or topic and argue in support of or opposition to it, marshaling evidence to support their position. While it has always been possible for students to locate evidence through standard searches in library catalogs for books and print periodical indexes for magazine and journal articles, such searches can be unwieldy. Some publishers saw this as an opportunity to serve what they perceived as a specific market demographic, and created book series designed to offer pro and con viewpoints on various social issues or “controversial” topics. Among these are H.W. Wilson’s The Reference Shelf, which dates as far back as 1924, and Greenhaven Press’s Opposing Viewpoints series. Reference Shelf titles select articles from respected publications while offering abstracts of twenty to thirty additional articles and a bibliography of other sources. Opposing Viewpoints follows the same pattern of offering articles culled from reputable sources which cover a topic from various points of view in a pro/con format. Gale Group, not yet Gale/Cengage Learning, introduced Opposing Viewpoints (OV) in digital format as the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) database, which in mid-2010 was “enhanced” and renamed Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Between Gale’s introduction of Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center and its repackaging as Opposing Viewpoints in Context, EBSCOhost rolled out its Points of View Reference Center database. While there is a common purpose shared by the two databases, because of their proprietary nature duplication of content is minimal, and each database possesses unique strengths and weaknesses

Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man and the Academic Instruction Librarian: Striving for Balance

The one-shot lecture format used in most information literacy/library instruction sessions generates a conflict between the objectives of the subject faculty member requesting the session and the objectives of the librarian conducting it. Trying to satisfy both sets of objectives often makes the librarian feel pulled in too many directions. Sometimes something as simple as an effective handout can resolve, or at least ameliorate, the conflict

GEC Ferranti piezo vibratory gyroscope

Prototypes of a piezo-electric vibratory angular rate transducer (gyroscope) (PVG) have been constructed and evaluated. The construction is on the lines suggested by Burdess. The sensitive element is a cylinder of radially poled piezo-electric ceramic. The cylinder is metallized inside and out, and the outer metallization is divided into eight electrodes. The metallization on the inside is earthed. A phase locked loop, using pairs of the electrodes, causes the cylinder to vibrate in one of its two fundamental, degenerate modes. In the presence of rotation, some of the vibration is coupled into the outer mode. This can be detected, or suppressed with a closed-up technique and provides a measure of rotation rate. The gyroscope provides a number of advantages over rotating mass and optical instruments: low size and mass, lower power consumption, potentially high reliability, potentially good dormancy, low cost and high maximum rate

Customization of Web-Scale Discovery Tools in Alabama’s Public & Independent College and University Libraries: A Longitudinal Study

This longitudinal survey of the library websites of sixteen Alabama senior universities tracks customizations done to these libraries’ web-scale discovery tools over a twenty-one month period. The findings of this survey could serve as reference points that could benefit libraries who have had web-scale discovery for some time as well as libraries considering purchase of web-scale discovery

From Both Sides Now: A Recently-Hired Librarian and a Library Veteran Respond to the Loss of a Favorite Database

The recent economic downturn has disrupted libraries no less than it has other sectors, causing cutbacks in funding which have resulted in hiring freezes and layoffs, reduced operating hours and services, and smaller acquisitions budgets for both print and electronic materials. These cutbacks have been most acutely felt by library acquisitions departments and collection development librarians, but the public services areas -- especially instruction librarians -- feel the blow too and must adapt their practices to the reductions in resources. This paper details the response of two instruction librarians -- one a veteran of some two decades’ service and the other a fairly recent hire -- to the loss of a favorite database

Pathfinders On-Line: Adding Pathfinders to a NOTIS On-Line System

For decades, print pathfinders have complemented card catalogs and been useful reference tools. They\u27re overlooked as components of on-line catalogs, even though they can extend the depth of the catalog. To encourage librarians to consider integrating pathfinders into on-line catalogs, the authors discuss problems in OPAC searching, describe the value and styles of pathfinders, and illustrate how to include them in a NOTIS system

Improving the Sensitivity of Advanced LIGO Using Noise Subtraction

This paper presents an adaptable, parallelizable method for subtracting linearly coupled noise from Advanced LIGO data. We explain the features developed to ensure that the process is robust enough to handle the variability present in Advanced LIGO data. In this work, we target subtraction of noise due to beam jitter, detector calibration lines, and mains power lines. We demonstrate noise subtraction over the entirety of the second observing run, resulting in increases in sensitivity comparable to those reported in previous targeted efforts. Over the course of the second observing run, we see a 30% increase in Advanced LIGO sensitivity to gravitational waves from a broad range of compact binary systems. We expect the use of this method to result in a higher rate of detected gravitational-wave signals in Advanced LIGO data.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure