Directing Paths Into Adulthood: Newly Arrived Students and the Intersection of Education and Migration Policy

This article is centred on the tendency to align education for newly arrived students with migration policy. Drawing on an in-depth analysis of interviews with four adult migrant students, we aim to investigate how the participants’ experiences of studying and how they imagine their future intersect with their immigration status. The interviews were conducted when they were first studying a language introduction programme, and then three years later. We focus on the participants’ narratives about transitions within the education system and later into the labour market. Using Sara Ahmed’s approach to the orientation of subjects in time and space, the analysis shows that all students expressed a desire to “be in line,” meaning finishing their studies and finding employment. Students with temporary and conditional residence permits were directed towards specific vocational tracks and sectors of the labour market. Migrant students are a heterogenous group and, based on the findings presented, we argue that immigration status constitutes a crucial part of this heterogeneity, influencing how students imagine their future in a new society

Ecological resilience, climate change, and the Great Barrier Reef

The vulnerability assessments in this volume frequently refer to the resilience of various ecosystem elements in the face of climate change. This chapter provides an introduction to the concept of ecological resilience, and its application as part of a management response to climate change threats. As defined in the glossary, resilience refers to the capacity of a system to absorb shocks, resist dramatic changes in condition, and maintain or recover key functions and processes, without undergoing "phase shifts" to a qualitatively different state (Figure 4.1)32, 72. For example, people who are physically and mentally fit and strong will have good prospect of recovery from disease, injury or trauma: they are resilient. In Figure 4.1, a ball placed at position 1 is dynamically stable: not only will it remain in position, but if pushed in any direction, it will return to its original position; thus the ball in this state is resilient, in that it can absorb shocks and return to a similar condition or state. In contrast, a ball placed at position 2 may be initially stable (it will remain in position if undisturbed) but not dynamically stable: if disturbed, it will move away. Thus the ball at position 2 is not resilient, and disturbances will result in a shift in state. If the ball at position 1 is disturbed to anywhere within the red circle, the ball will return to position 1; however, if disturbed further, the ball may not return, but may move to a new, alternate stable state (eg position 3). This system is resilient to disturbances that push it within the red boundary. However, if external factors decreased the depth of position 1, or lowered the saddle at point 2, then the system's resilience would be reduced. By analogy to coral reef ecosystems, position 1 might be a coral-dominated reef, and position 3 algal dominated. A disturbance such as killing coral that is overgrown by algae would move the reef toward an algal-dominated state; if the reef is resilient, this change would be temporary and natural processes would allow coral to re-establish and recover. If not, the algal dominance might be sufficient to preclude coral regrowth or recruitment, and the reef would change trajectory, moving toward algal dominance. Ecological resilience refers to the capacity of an ecosystem, habitat, population or taxon to withstand, recover from or adapt to impacts and stressors, such as climate change, and retain the same structure, processes and functions³². For example, coral reefs are naturally very dynamic, undergoing constant change and disturbances, but, under natural conditions, they have considerable capacity to recover or maintain key processes and functions in the face of such disturbances or pressures. Tropical storms may cause dramatic damage to coral populations, and hence to the physical habitat structure, with dead coral being overgrown by various forms of algae. This will result in a temporarily changed state, and changes in ecological functions. On a resilient reef, over a period of five to 20 years, the altered state is unstable: coral fragments will regrow, and new corals will settle, grow and gradually replace the algae, restoring the reef to coral dominance, and restoring ecological structure and processes. In contrast, however, if human impacts have undermined that resilience, algal growth may be exacerbated, coral regrowth and colonisation may be suppressed, and the altered state and processes may become stable, causing a long-term "phase shift", or change, to algal dominance

Acetylations of Ftz-F1 and histone H4K5 are required for the fine-tuning of ecdysone biosynthesis during Drosophila metamorphosis

The molting during Drosophila development is tightly regulated by the ecdysone hormone. Several steps of the ecdysone biosynthesis have been already identified but the regulation of the entire process has not been clarified yet. We have previously reported that dATAC histone acetyltransferase complex is necessary for the steroid hormone biosynthesis process. To reveal possible mechanisms controlled by dATAC we made assumptions that either dATAC may influence directly the transcription of Halloween genes involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis or it may exert an indirect effect on it by acetylating the Ftz-F1 transcription factor which regulates the transcription of steroid converting genes. Here we show that the lack of dATAC complex results in increased mRNA level and decreased protein level of Ftz-F1. In this context, decreased mRNA and increased protein levels of Ftz-F1 were detected upon treatment of Drosophila S2 cells with histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A. We showed that Ftz-F1, the transcriptional activator of Halloween genes, is acetylated in S2 cells. In addition, we found that ecdysone biosynthetic Halloween genes are transcribed in S2 cells and their expression can be influenced by deacetylase inhibitors. Furthermore, we could detect H4K5 acetylation at the regulatory regions of disembodied and shade Halloween genes, while H3K9 acetylation is absent on these genes. Based on our findings we conclude that the dATAC HAT complex might play a dual regulatory role in Drosophila steroid hormone biosynthesis through the acetylation of Ftz-F1 protein and the regulation of the H4K5 acetylation at the promoters of Halloween genes

Use-Values for Inclusion: Mobilizing Resources in Popular Education for Newly Arrived Refugees in Sweden

In times of market reforms and international migration, the Swedish welfare model has been seriously challenged. In the context of the arrival of refugees in 2015–2017, the state turned to civil society in facing up to the challenges. In this article, we direct our attention to the Workers’ Educational Association’s (ABF) state-funded work with refugees, with a specific focus on the activities conducted, the resources making them possible and the use-value of the resources mobilised. The article is based on observations and interviews with study circle leaders, managers and asylum seekers. The analysis illustrates that ABF, in line with its historical legacy, the broader workers’ movement, the strong notion of popular education as ‘free and voluntary’, has, with its well-established connections throughout the country, not solely taken on the task defined by the state. In solidarity, ABF has also responded to the needs of the refugees. As highlighted in the analysis, ABF has mobilized a wide range of resources, not least providing refugees with social networks and help in contacting the authorities. With such mobilization, opportunities were provided for the inclusion of refugees in Sweden