Engaging with art and learning democracy: A study of democratic subjectivity, aesthetic experience and arts practice amongst young people

This thesis explores the significance of art in the relationship between democracy and education, challenging the apolitical perspective that has often resulted from the application of instrumentalist approaches in the field. Rather than viewing arts practices as a neutral means of teaching democracy, I have built on Biesta and Lawy's concept of 'citizenship-as-practice' (2006) to investigate how the arts are implicated in the ways young people learn democracy across a variety of contexts. Specifically, the objectives for my empirical research were to add to existing knowledge about young people's democratic learning in arts contexts, and to explore the significance of young people's more general engagement with art and culture for their democratic learning. The terms of the study were conceptualised via a theorisation of the relationships amongst democracy, education and art based on the work of Mouffe (2005; 2007), Rancière (1999; 2004; 2006; 2007) and Biesta (2006; 2010). The research was conducted as an interpretative study with two sets of young people recently engaged in the arts, using an adapted version of Charmaz' (2006) approach to grounded theory. The findings of the research indicate that the young people's engagement with art contributed to the their experiences of being able to act democratically or not in a number of contexts, and that it sometimes enabled them to make the imaginative leap necessary in order to learn from the experience of becoming democratically subject. The research suggests that the most fruitful way in which democratic education can 'make use' of the arts is not by teaching democratic citizenship, but rather by supporting young people as they reflect on and respond to their experiences in arts and other contexts, and by taking seriously the democratic potential of all aspects of their arts engagement.ESR

Impact on Distribution System Protection with the Integration of EG on the Distribution Network

A significant increase in EG connections on the distribution network over the past decade in Ireland has presented challenges to the Distribution System Operator (DSO). The connection of EG can cause co-ordination of Distance protection to be altered and has resulted in variations in short circuit levels. Multidirectional power flow has been introduced into a Distribution system that was not designed for the direction change in current flow. The impact of connecting EG to a typical 38 kV Distribution Network was demonstrated as part of this study. Increasing fault levels and protection co-ordination selectivity problems were identified when the network was fed as a closed network. The increase in short circuit fault levels was evident when the fault contribution from the EG was considered. This increase in short circuit fault current could be a concern if EG is installed in an area where the maximum current rating of the switchgear could be exceeded. The co-ordination of Distance protection IEDs were also affected when EG was connected. Case studies on a typical Distribution Network were presented as part of this study. The impact that EG can have on the short circuit fault levels and the co-ordination of Distance protection when the network is feeding as a closed loop network was identified. When incorporating EG to a typical 38 kV Distribution Network, considerations must be made to ensure that the connection of the EG does not inhibit the performance of the overall protection system. A protection review of the network is required before any EG is connected. The issues identified the miscoordination of Distance protection IEDs. A revision of current IED settings in the vicinity of the installed EG and the addition of duplicate protection IEDs may be required

Finding a Place in the Discourse: Film, Literature and the Process of Becoming Politically Subject

This paper reports on the role of the narrative arts in young people’s political subjectivity and democratic learning. Drawing on theoretical insights into the process of subjectification and the relationship between politics and aesthetics, the paper discusses a number of findings from an empirical research project carried out with young people in two arts contexts. Interpreting these in the light of a theoretical framework that privileges a performative understanding of subjectivity, the paper argues that narrative art forms such as literature, film and television play an important role in the ways young people construct and perform their political subjectivity, and that this is an important part of their overall democratic learning. The implications of this for democratic education are discussed and the paper concludes with the suggestion that we need to rethink political literacy, civic engagement and democratic learning in aesthetic and imaginative terms.

RE teachers and the shifting landscape of values education in England

The promotion of fundamental British values (FBV) and character education in schools can be seen as part of a new policy landscape of values education in England, with significant implications for Religious Education (RE). Research on these policies has tended to emphasise their securitising and constraining effects. This paper shifts attention to teachers’ creative responses to this new policy landscape and the generative contradictions within it. Building on findings from a pilot study, the research used focus groups and creative writing workshops to explore RE teachers’ responses to the new policy landscape (including their perceptions of whole-school approaches to values education) and their imagined futures within it. The findings illustrate how teachers drew on a range of RE pedagogies in their responses to the new policies and illuminate teachers’ feelings about their faith-based interpretation at whole-school level. One key implication is the potential of RE for enacting the new policy agenda in meaningful ways. The research also offers an original contribution to conversations about the faith-based interpretation of FBV and character education at whole-school level, suggesting that the important question in relation to such interpretations may be not whether but how schools are drawing on religion

Theoretical approaches to the study of fundamental British values (FBV)

This article explores some of the critical instruments available to researchers investigating civic nationalist policy and practice via a review of the theoretical approaches that have been brought to bear on one such instance of national education policy, i.e. ‘fundamental British values’ (FBV) in England. The article offers a review of some key theoretical perspectives that have been applied to the study of FBV before offering some reflection on additional theoretical resources that might extend and compliment the insights that these provide. Specifically, I argue that concepts and interventions from the theoretical literature described as ‘radical democracy’ might be of particular use in complementing and extending some of the analysis of FBV in the existing literature.

Addressing the "Second Year Slump Phenomenon" in Australian Science Undergraduates

The noticeable increase in diversity of the student population over the past decade has now highlighted engagement issues that will be compounded by the general dissociative tendencies that Gen Y and other individuals of today's society now commonly participate in. More and more of our students try to complete degrees in an isolated, relatively off-campus, and academic environment. This is somewhat facilitated by the ever-increasing, time-flexible, blended learning approaches that incorporate the new information technologies. However, these strategies are often at the expense of extrinsic and intrinsic social interactions for students. Moreover, when the “Second Year Slump” is experienced by students, their engagement in learning and motivation are often impaired and they potentially find themselves without the supportive social networks that typically would provide both assistance and encouragement during this time and aid in the progression through their degree. In turn, this may negatively impinge upon student retention

A Wearable FES Compression Garment

Functional electrical stimulation is commonly used as a rehabilitation therapy to support the movement of individuals who have suffered traumatic spinal cord injury. Recently, there has been a focused interest on the development of textile electrodes, as they pose many benefits over traditional electrodes. This study presents design considerations and the feasibility of a wearable FES garment sleeve using flexible and extensible screen-printed electrodes

An analysis of management practices across firm ownership: the case of standalone domestic firms, domestic groups and multinational enterprises

Management practices are important drivers of firm productivity [Bloom et al. (2019), What drives differences in management practices? American Economic Review, 109(5), 1648–1683]. While differences in the formalisation and sophistication of management practices are evident in comparisons of foreign multinationals and domestic firms [Bloom et al. (2012). Americans do IT better: US multinationals and the productivity miracle. American Economic Review, 102(1), 167–201. Bloom and Van Reenen (2007a). Measuring and explaining management practices across firms and countries, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122(4), 1351–1408. Bloom and Van Reenen (2010). Why do management practices differ across firms and countries? Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(1), 203–224], a striking omission from many studies is the failure to distinguish between domestic firms and domestically owned multinationals [McDonnell et al. (2012). Human resource management in multinational enterprises: Evidence from a late industrializing economy. Management International Review, 54(3), 361–380]. We merge the World Management Survey with the FAME dataset to examine the influence of firm ownership (standalone domestic firms; domestic groups; domestic owned multinationals; foreign owned multinationals) across a broad range of management practices. Foreign owned multinationals exhibit the highest formalisation and sophistication of management practices compared to all other firm types. However, significant asymmetries exist between different management practices across firm ownership. This is important as it raises questions as to whether there is sufficient learning and transfer of practices taking place across firms

Carotid artery wall mechanics in young males with high cardiorespiratory fitness

The influence of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on arterial stiffness in young adults remains equivocal. Beyond conventional measures of arterial stiffness, 2D strain imaging of the common carotid artery (CCA) provides novel information related to the intrinsic properties of the arterial wall. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of CRF on both conventional indices of CCA stiffness and 2D strain parameters, at rest and following a bout of aerobic exercise in young healthy males. Short‐axis ultrasound images of the CCA were recorded in 34 healthy men [22 years (95%CI, 19–22)] before, and immediately after 5‐minutes of aerobic exercise (40% VO2max). Images were analysed for arterial diameter, peak circumferential strain (PCS), and peak systolic and diastolic strain rates (S‐SR, D‐SR). Heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were simultaneously assessed and Petersons' elastic modulus (Ep) and Beta stiffness (β1) were calculated. Participants were separated post hoc into moderate and high fitness groups [VO2max: 48.9 ml.kg‐1 min‐1 (95%CI, 44.7–53.2) vs. 65.6 ml.kg‐1 min‐1 (95%CI, 63.1–68.1); P 0.13) but were elevated in the moderate‐fitness group post‐exercise (P 0.05). High‐fit individuals exhibit elevated CCA PCS and S‐SR, which may reflect training‐induced adaptations that help to buffer the rise in pulse‐pressure and stroke volume during exercise