Doing without representation: coping with Dreyfus

Hubert Dreyfus argues that the traditional and currently dominant conception of an action, as an event initiated or governed by a mental representation of a possible state of affairs that the agent is trying to realise, is inadequate. If Dreyfus is right, then we need a new conception of action. I argue, however, that the considerations that Dreyfus adduces show only that an action need not be initiated or governed by a conceptual representation, but since a representation need not be conceptually structured, do not show that we need a conception of action that does not involve representation

Virtue, character and situation

Philosophers have recently argued that traditional discussions of virtue and character presuppose an account of behaviour that experimental psychology has shown to be false. Behaviour does not issue from global traits such as prudence, temperance, courage or fairness, they claim, but from local traits such as sailing-in-rough-weather-with-friends-courage and office-party-temperance. The data employed provides evidence for this view only if we understand it in the light of a behaviourist construal of traits in terms of stimulus and response, rather than in the light of the more traditional construal in terms of inner events such as inclinations. More recent experiments have shown this traditional conception to have greater explanatory and predictive power than its behaviourist rival. So we should retain the traditional conception, and hence reject the proposed alteration to our understanding of behaviour. This discussion has further implications for future philosophical investigations of character and virtue

Who Stopped Flying around September 11th?

This paper presents the first set of empirical results on the effects of the events of September 11th, 2001, on individual flying demand using data collected before and after these atrocities.September 11th; Demand for flying

Grade surprise and choice at 16

This paper argues that an important influence on boys’ decisions to stay on into post-compulsory education is the attainment of maths grades that differ from expected.Bivariate probit; post-compulsory education; choice under uncertainty

Gender Specific Peer Groups and Choice at 16

The UK government’s aim of achieving a 50% staying on rate in higher education at the age of 16 might not be achievable because it is demandconstrained: not all students want to stay on in education at 16. Peer groups are known to be stronger for boys than for girls and often influence choice at 16. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of gender-specific peer groups on students’ intentions and realisations to stay-on into post-compulsory education at the age of 16. The results suggest that boys’ intentions and realisations are influenced by their male peers. However, girls’ intentions are influenced by their whole peer group while their realisations are influenced by their female peer group. Policy targeted to increase participation rates should recognise these gender differences.Education economics, School choice.

Prevention | Rescue | Resuscitation – The influence of New Zealand lifeguarding practice on global drowning prevention

Drowning is a serious public health issue and leading cause of unintentional injury mortality worldwide. Of the 320,000 deaths annually, most occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Not all drowning is fatal, but some survivors suffer long-term or permanent disability. Prompt rescue and resuscitation offers patients the best chance of survival. Prevention is the most important step in the Drowning Chain of Survival, and with drowning an ever-present risk at beaches and other aquatic locations, lifeguards play a critical role in this regard. The aim of this context statement is to critically review a series of public works in the field of drowning prevention, rescue, and resuscitation. The works originate from the author’s career as a New Zealand-based lifeguard, researcher, and health professional. Along with exploring their impact on the sector, the statement will outline the author’s role in producing the works, professional development, autoethnography as it relates to work-based learning, reflection on practice, future application, and recommendations for other practitioners in the field. Key actions from reflecting on practice include validating selected public works to ensure they are evidence-based, bridging the know-do gap, seeking answers to new and existing research questions, using work-based learning in the design of prospective studies, and promoting diversity with the sector. Significant achievements were the establishment of Pakistan Life Saving (PALS), foundation of the International Drowning Researchers’ Alliance (IDRA), and the creation of drowning prevention models that have received high-level endorsement. Conclusions are that work-based research contributes to the body of knowledge within the industry and that New Zealand lifeguarding practice has had a significant impact on global drowning prevention. There is no standardised evidence evaluation framework or system for grading practice guidelines in lifeguarding. It is recommended, therefore, that the profession embarks on creating one. To further assist in translating evidence into practice, practitioners who work across academia and operationally should be engaged at all levels of the sector. Autoethnography, as a method of self-reflection, has not been widely used in lifeguarding. It can be employed to increase the body of knowledge, especially in relation to non-technical skills and organisational culture. A suggested application is in the study of human factors, for which there is a lack of information and educational resources. Succession planning within the sector is vital. One way to achieve this is for new researchers to join or align themselves with a water safety organisation and find an experienced practitioner to mentor them. Attendance at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention and other similar events is advised to foster interest in a specialty subject area and help establish professional networks. This may lead to opportunities for collaboration on research projects or multicentre studies. Emerging leaders and delegates from LMICs should be encouraged and financially supported to attend these events. Lastly, future public works should always be developed with the end-user in mind, consider the applicability in LMICs, and be open-access wherever possible

Allotment gardening, connectedness to nature and wellbeing

The potential for green interventions to promote mental wellbeing and reduce mental distress is increasingly being recognised (Mind, 2007). Preliminary evidence suggests that allotment gardening activities may have a significant effect on mental wellbeing, but a paucity of research, particularly in non-clinical populations, has been highlighted (Partridge, 2010). A cross-sectional online survey of 171 allotment gardeners was conducted. Measures of subjective wellbeing (quality of life), eudaimonic wellbeing, connectedness to nature and preference for solitude were administered. Qualitative data were also collected through open-ended questions. Allotment gardeners’ scores on measures of environmental quality of life and eudaimonic wellbeing were significantly higher than those reported in the literature, but social quality of life was lower in allotment gardeners. Regression analysis showed that time spent on the allotment during summer predicted eudaimonic wellbeing. This relationship was fully mediated by feelings of connectedness to nature. A relationship was observed between spending time on the allotment and preference for solitude. Four main themes emerged from the qualitative data: allotments provided a space of one’s own, meaningful activity, increased feelings of connectedness, and improved physical and mental health. The results suggest that allotment gardening is associated with increased eudaimonic wellbeing, but not subjective wellbeing (also referred to as hedonic wellbeing). Furthermore, a mechanism through which allotment gardening enhances wellbeing is suggested: increased connectedness to nature. Limitations of the current study and clinical and research implications are discussed

Student Participation in Sporting Activities

Given that many universities spend large sums of money supplying sports facilities for student use, comparatively little is known about the factors that influence the quantity of student sporting participation. This paper presents evidence which suggests that the quantity of student sports participation is adversely affected by greater hours of work and increased by greater sports literacy and the decision to augment social capital. Effective investment in sports facilities by Universities would meet students’ demands and not simply increase the range of sports facilities available to students.Sport; Participation; Time; Social capital; Students