Conservation monitoring of three management treatments for public understanding of meadow management

In this paper the declining habitat of flower-rich grassland on neutral soil (MG5a) is used as an example to show how non-classical ecological experiments set in a real-life situations can provide answers to practical questions and thus contribute directly to achieving biodiversity targets. Such biodiverse grassland is vanishing at an alarming rate from the farming sector, but remains as small areas within many community sites. Here it is unlikely to be managed appropriately unless the effect of different management treatments can be demonstrated to the local community and to those responsible for management decisions. This paper describes such a demonstration set up on a community site in Sussex. Three different treatments were imposed on the field in a way that was practical to apply and easily understood, but since this precluded replication of treatments the demonstration should be regarded as an example of pro-active conservation monitoring rather than a field trial. Discriminant analysis was used to show pre-treatment similarities between areas together with change of direction following treatments, supporting conclusions drawn from unreplicated analysis of variance models. Aftermath grazing led to a higher percentage cover of wildflowers in the sward and an annual application of organic fertiliser led to a lower percentage cover of wildflowers. Varying the timing of the hay cut made no significant differenc

The declining salience of race equality in higher education

Research continues to demonstrate that individuals from minority ethnic communities disproportionately experience adverse outcomes. To give two examples, BME academic staff continue to experience significant disadvantage in higher education and BME students continue to be less likely to be awarded good honours degrees. And yet universities are extraordinarily complacent. They see themselves as liberal and believe existing policies ensure fairness and in the process ignore adverse outcomes and do not see combating racial/ethnic inequalities as a priority. This points in my view to the sheer weight of whiteness (if not institutional racism) which will remain intact unless significant pressure is place on universities to change

The erasure of race and racism

With the advent in the UK of a new Labour government in 1997 and the publication of the Macpherson report in 1999, public debate over race and racism was reactivated after a long period when such concerns had remained dormant. In this article, I shall draw upon an ethnographic study of one university in the UK over a ten year period (Pilkington, 2011a). Here I shall focus on the early part of that period, predominantly 1999-2003 when arguably issues relating to race and racism were at their height. I examine how Midshire University responded in turn to the Commission for Racial Equality’s (CRE’s) leadership challenge; the government’s strategies for higher education relating to widening participation and equal opportunities; and the race relations legislation. The story is not a happy one, with the institution constantly subsuming race under a more general agenda and in the process failing to address the specificities of race. Midshire University is unlikely to be the only university to do this. For universities in the UK are typically characterised by the ‘sheer weight of whiteness’ which blinds senior managers and academics to racial inequalities in their midst

Proceedings of the Conference on Globalization and Its Discontents

This paper aims to put forward an original conceptual framework and a renewed perspective on monetary analysis applied to trans-national corporations based on some of the views of Bernard Schmitt developed over the last forty years. After reviewing the terminological principles of the theory of money emissions, we show that Bernard Schmitt’s theoretical insights have enabled the successful integration of money and output at the conceptual level along the lines of a Keynesian monetary theory of production. We then examine the issue of the definition of the trans-national corporation and its exponential rise in the world economy with regard to the globalisation process. Finally, the inclusion of trans-national corporations in the theory of money emissions allows us to redefine transnational production as an additional conceptual level in monetary macroeconomics, with far-reaching implications as far as the monetisation of trans-national production and the subsequent reform of international payments are concerned.trans-national corporations, Bernard Schmitt, Monetary Theory of Production

The politics of equality and diversity in Higher Education

The aim of this paper is to provide an exploration of the perspectives relating to equality, diversity and anti-discrimination legislation from multi-actors at different levels of seniority and with varying involvement with equality issues and diversity management within a Higher Education institution. The role of management has been regarded as key in providing the leadership required and sending out the message that equality and diversity issues are significant in order to ensure that legislation is adhered to, not just by the letter, but also the spirit. “This top-down commitment and support was regarded by line managers as extremely important for leading the cultural change which was felt necessary in order to achieve equality for all...” (Greene, A. et al (2005) p36) The same may be said of the role of management within Higher Education Institutions where “[t]he extent and importance of managers in higher education has increased considerably in recent years as UK higher education has expanded…and the commitment of senior managers to equality of opportunity is clearly of considerable significance…” (Deem, R et al (2005) p82) Management perspectives of the meaning of equality therefore have an impact on establishing the priorities for an institution thereby determining how equality and diversity issues are dealt with. In addition, a comparison between management perspectives of the meaning and scope of equality and other members of staff as well as students is significant as these perceptions may differ depending on the role and status of the individual. Previous research has found that “[t]here appeared to be a considerable gulf between the views of staff…and the perceptions of their senior managers.” (Deem, R et al (2005) p6) Differing perspectives of equality may affect the relationships between various actors within the institution and how the politics of equality and diversity are managed. Of particular interest are the views and perceptions of equality and diversity practitioners within Higher Education. Their position and role within the case study institution is unique as they are neither regarded as part of the academic departmental structure of the institution, nor part of the management structure and are therefore poised somewhere in between. Once again, their positioning within the institution, their role and status will be explored and the impact on the politics of diversity management considered. This research aims to further understanding of how perceptions of equality and diversity, and the role of equality and diversity practitioners, affect the management of equality and diversity within Higher Education and implications for the practice of equality will be considere

Beyond ‘peer pressure’: rethinking drug use and ‘youth culture’

The study of drug use by young people in the West has been transformed over the last decade by the development of sociological approaches to drug use which take serious account of the cultural context in which young people encounter drugs. One consequence is that the notion of ‘peer pressure’, as the primary articulation of the engagement between youth culture and drug use, has been displaced by that of ‘normalisation’, which envisages ‘recreational’ drug use as one expression of consumer-based youth cultural lifestyles. In stark contrast, academic discussion of drug use in Russia remains primarily concerned with the prevalence and health consequences of (intravenous) drug use while explanations of rising rates of drug use focus on structural factors related to the expansion of drugs supply and, to a lesser extent, post-Soviet social and economic dislocation. In this article, original empirical research in Russia is used to develop an understanding of young people's drug use that synthesises structural and cultural explanations of it. It does this by situating young people's narratives of their drugs choices in the context of local drugs markets and broader socio-economic processes. However, it attempts to go beyond seeing structural location as simply a ‘constraint’ on individual choice by adopting an understanding of ‘youth culture’ as a range of youth cultural practices and formations that simultaneously embody, reproduce and negotiate the structural locations of their subjects

Yoga practice in the UK: a cross- sectional survey of motivation, health benefits and behaviours

Objectives Despite the popularity of yoga and evidence of its positive effects on physical and mental health, little is known about yoga practice in the UK. This study investigated the characteristics of people who practise yoga, reasons for initiating and maintaining practice, and perceived impact of yoga on health and well-being. Design, setting and participants A cross-sectional online anonymous survey distributed through UK-based yoga organisations, studios and events, through email invites and flyers. 2434 yoga practitioners completed the survey, including 903 yoga teachers: 87% were women, 91% white and 71% degree educated; mean age was 48.7 years. Main outcome measures Perceived impact of yoga on health conditions, health outcomes and injuries. Relationships between yoga practice and measures of health, lifestyle, stress and well-being. Results In comparison with national population norms, participants reported significantly higher well-being but also higher anxiety; lower perceived stress, body mass index and incidence of obesity, and higher rates of positive health behaviours. 47% reported changing their motivations to practise yoga, with general wellness and fitness key to initial uptake, and stress management and spirituality important to current practice. 16% of participants reported starting yoga to manage a physical or mental health condition. Respondents reported the value of yoga for a wide range of health conditions, most notably for musculoskeletal and mental health conditions. 20.7% reported at least one yoga-related injury over their lifetime. Controlling for demographic factors, frequency of yoga practice accounted for small but significant variance in health-related regression models (p<0.001). Conclusion The findings of this first detailed UK survey were consistent with surveys in other Western countries. Yoga was perceived to have a positive impact on physical and mental health conditions and was linked to positive health behaviours. Further investigation of yoga’s role in self-care could inform health-related challenges faced by many countries