Key pedagogic thinkers: Jean Baudrillard

Jean Baudrillard was born in Reims, France, in 1929, and completed his undergraduate work at the Sorbonne, taking a degree in German. Upon graduation, he taught high school. In the early 1960s, he began graduate studies at the University of Paris, Nanterre, earning his doctorate in sociology in 1966. Baudrillard published 30 books in which he examined various facets of modern society: gender, race, consumerism, politics, the media, and so forth. His focus was semiological—how objects and signs reflect the current human condition. Although Baudrillard did not write about education, his work is nevertheless relevant if we recognize that our educational system is a reflection of society. A Baudrillardian perspective raises the following question: What effect has consumerism had on education? To address this question, we offer some background information related to Baudrillard’s philosophical inquiries. This is followed by our brief analysis of how Baudrillard’s work may provide some potential answers to the above question and of how it can help us interpret the changes that have occurred in education during the modern period. We give special emphasis to The Consumer Society and Simulacra and Simulation

An Ecological Note on the Microclimate of Three Species of Ants

Author Institution: Department of Zoology and Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus 1

A Study of the Kinetics and the Free Radicals Involved in the Low-Pressure, Vapor-Phase Pyrolysis of Toluene

This research was undertaken to study the pyrolysis of toluene in the vapor phase. Many pyrolytic reactions of toluene have been studied by others, but the difficulty of controlling the reactions and the complexity of the products have not allowed much successful application of the results. The present work was an endeavor to better understand the reaction mechanisms and the intermediates involved in pyrolysis. Specifically, the problem was to study the discrepancies between the results reported by M. Szwarc and by Hein and Mesee

TESTS OF A POTENTIAL METHOD FOR DECOYING STARLINGS TO BAIT STATIONS

The costs of existing Starling control programs prompted the design and test of an alternative method for removing significant numbers of Starlings from heavily damaged areas. The procedure involved the placement of taxidermically prepared adult Starling skins on and near bait stations, accompanied in some cases by broadcasts of recorded Starling vocalizations. Previous studies had indicated that bait stations unaccompanied by live Starling decoys were not acceptable to the birds. Although non-toxic baits were used during these tests to determine the attractability of the stations, ultimate substitution of chemically treated toxic baits was envisioned

Letters of concern, condolences, and sympathy from friends and relatives upon the illness and subsequent death of Mr. Fleming on December 20, 1908

Correspondents Include Dr. Robert E. Williams. The message says as follows The colored people feel deeply for [you] & your family in the untimely taking of Col Fleming, which is so recently and unusually regretted and sincerely lamented by those who were bound to him for his past and affectionate speech... Letters with accompanying envelopes have written answered on them, 1908-12-16 - 1909-02-1

A stakeholder approach to investigating public perception and attitudes towards agricultural biotechnology in Ghana

A stakeholder survey was conducted in Ghana to assess the level of public perceptions and acceptance of agricultural biotechnologies. A total of 100 respondents drawn from academia, Non-governmental organizations, business community, government and other stakeholders were interviewed on their views on self-protection attitudes, health and economic benefits, skepticism and optimism about agricultural biotechnologies as well as the level of confidence in existing government regulatory systems to protect society against any negative effects of biotechnological issues. Although half of the sample interviewed did not accept biotechnologies in general and GM foods in particular, there was rather high approval of some specific health and economic benefits. About 80 percent of the sample interviewed lack confidence in existing government regulatory systems probably due to inadequate capacity. Upgrading of the existing regulatory system with adequate capacity to regulate the ethical and moral issues associated with biotechnologies and GM foods was recommendedBiotechnology, Stakeholder, Acceptance, GM Foods

Acceptance of biotechnology and social-cultural implications in Ghana

Despite major scientific progress in the application of biotechnology in agriculture, public attitudes towards biotechnology in general and genetically modified food (GM food) products in particular remain mixed in Africa. Examining responses on acceptance of GM food through a stakeholder survey in Ghana, it was established that half of the 100 people sample interviewed were not in favor of GM foods. To this group acceptance of GM foods would make farmers loose focus on the traditional ways of cultivation, putting the whole nation at the mercy of profit driven foreign companies who produce GM foods. In order to have clear and unbiased attitudes towards agricultural biotechnology in Africa, there is the need to substitute dominant ideologies in the way biotechnology research and dissemination are conducted in developed countries with tailor-made methodologies in developing countries. This paper emphasizes the social dynamic force of food focusing on the need for social shaping of biotechnologies to reflect local and regional needs. Respondents’ perceptions of GM foods suggest that food is seen as not just a commodity to be consumed but food has both cultural and national identities. Generally, people are identified by their consumption and nutrition lifestyles and therefore take pride in what they eat. A proposal is made to set biotechnology research agenda in the context of social choices; social scientific coalition of biotechnology with endogenous development pathways’ as opposed to ‘exogenous biotechnology research’. Also there is the need for adequate capacity building of the existing regulatory institutions to handle ethical and moral issues associated with biotechnology research since survey findings showed lacked of public confidence in them.Biotechnology; survey; acceptability; social shaping; Ghana