Cognitive-ergonomics and instructional aspects of e-learning courses

This paper presents an analysis of cognitive-ergonomic aspects of e-learning courses, offered by an organism from Brazilian Public Administration. The Cognitive Ergonomic studies conductive and cognitive aspects concerning to the relation between human, physics elements and social elements of the work space. From that usability aspects were evaluated by these points: i) visualization; ii) text comprehension lecture; iii) memory; iv) interface; v) instructional design; and vi) attention and learning. That survey is characterized as having been applied using the following techniques: (1) bibliographic survey, (2) field survey and (3) analysis of the documents. It was chosen the semi-structured questionnaire as the main method of data collection. About the interacting with artifacts, the interface of the courses is classified as direct engagement, because it allows the user to get the feeling that acts directly on the objects. Although the courses are well-structured they have flaws that will be discussed below. Even with these problems, the courses have a good degree of usability.     

"Free- Will Talk" and Sociology

Hardcore positivistic or humanistic sociologies are rare. In the history of sociology the two extremes have tended to converge, producing an awkward hybrid. A watered-down positivism is brought to the rescue of a stalled Verstehen sociology, or vice versa, and a difficulty like the free nature of human action is covered over with a veneer of pragmatism. Here it will be argued that Paul Tibbetts'recent recasting of the positivism-humanism debate in sociology into an arbitrary choice between linguistic grids perpetuates this unsatisfactory practice. Five propositions will be advanced in opposition to Tibbetts'perspective. First, it will be argued that Tibbetts'discussion clouds the real issues at stake through his failure to really transcend the positivist framework of analysis. Second, it will be shown that the humanistic pre-supposition of voluntarism involves an ontological commitment to a model of rational agency which provides a methodological base for the "scientific" treatment of human freedom. Third, this commitment constitutes a necessary presupposition of all sciences of human action. Fourth, this fact means there are good epistemological reasons why a sociologist's choice of a linguistic grid is not arbitrary. Finally, it will be proposed that the most promising pattern of convergence between humanistic sociology and positivism stems from the formulation of a rough spectrum of principles of rationality to undergird a differentiation of "degrees" and not "kind" between what Tibbetts calls "free-will talk" and "causal-deterministic talk."     

Creativity in social work education and practice: reflections on a Survivor Arts Project

This article, written by survivor artists, practitioners and academics (each moving between these different identities and associated voices), will explore a creative arts approach to social work (SW) education within the context of service user and carer involvement. In addition to building upon a developing literature base, the writers will draw upon their own experience and the experience of other service user and carer contributors as well as student and practitioner feedback. In doing so, this article will seek to analyse some of the ways the creative arts can be harnessed as a tool for a more radical, creative and critical approach to professional education and how this in turn can help develop more empathic, critically self-reflective and creative (in the broadest sense of the word) practitioners. In critiquing the more traditional service user and carer involvement approach, this article will attempt to show how the more innovative approach of the Survivor Arts Project can move us beyond an arguably more limiting ‘expertise through experience’ model. In outlining an emancipatory model which recognises the relevance of lived experience and places this within the context of survivor movements, focusing also on the skills and insights survivors bring to SW education, this article will detail the ways we can work towards developing a more vibrant and dynamic learning environment which values our life stories and recognises our strengths as well as the many different and overlapping identities which place us along a continuum that connects our lives and informs our practice.     

The impact of welfare reform on the parenting role of women in rural communities

Current family policy suggests that in order to restore family values we, as a society, need to focus on reviving a child-centered household. Full-time mothering is lauded as an honorable choice that will advance this goal and ultimately strengthen traditional family values. However, current welfare policy is contrary to this notion in that mandatory welfare-to-work programs deny women receiving public assistance the choice to be full-time mothers. Based on in-depth interviews with female welfare recipients in four rural Appalachian counties, this paper evaluates the problems women face as they confront the difficult choices of being either a “good mother” or a “good recipient.” From a feminist perspective, findings suggest that welfare reform programs in rural communities have put poor women in a proverbial “catch-22” with regard to effective parenting. Although many of the women strive to be ideal mothers as defined by societal standards, they often find that they cannot carry out the role effectively because of welfare reform regulations.     

Subjective and objective evaluation of sense of space for vehicle occupants based on anthropometric data

At present, the number of the vehicle requirements has been continuously increasing. These requirements can be related to the customer as well as the technical requirements. Among these, the "feeling of space" of the occupants inside the vehicles can be regarded as one of the most important factors. In this respect, the driver and passengers should be able to experience positive feeling of space inside the vehicle. There are numerous factors that can influence the sense of space inside the vehicle. These include geometry (vehicle dimensions), light exposure, ambient lights, colors, material selection and material surface. Depending on the selection, the sense of space can be dramatically influenced by these factors. In general, human feeling is subjective and cannot be measured by any instrument. The measure can nevertheless be carried out by utilizing the method of subjective evaluation. Throughout the experiments, the method of evaluation is developed and the factors which can influence the interior feeling are analyzed. In this process, psychological perception, architectural aspects and anthropometry are considered and knowledge from the other domains is transferred in the form of a multidisciplinary approach. The experiments with an aim to evaluate the overall sense of space in the vehicle are carried out based on the physical mock up of BMW 1 series (E87). The space perception with different interior dimensions and anthropometric data of test persons are also analyzed. The use of Computer Aided Technology was shown by CATIA V5, PCMAN and RAMSIS. The results show a good correlation between the subjective evaluation and the geometric values.     

Standards and the Form of Agreement 2002 Presidential Address Western Economic Association

Contract stipulations tend to be subject to commodity standards. Standards make it clearer what transactors have agreed upon. They also bring stipulations from different contracts under a common denominator. The lower the cost of measuring an attribute and the wider the range of its application, the higher the likelihood that the attribute will become subject to new standards. New standards are predicted to increase the role of contracts in agreements and to reduce that of long-term relations; to lower the prices of the commodities that use the standards; to increase the rate of theft of these commodities; and, by making it clearer what it is that parties exchange, to reduce the level of vertical integration. Finally, new standards propel markets toward perfect competition.     

Canadian Leapfrog: From Regulating Charitable Fundraising to Co-Regulating Good Governance

The regulation of charitable fundraising is no longer just about the regulation of fundraising but about good governance, and increasingly involves co-regulatory regimes which blend elements of self- and state regulation. Canada??s charitable sector has undertaken a bold experiment in creating a comprehensive certification system for good governance, including fundraising, which reframes the target of regulation from the informed donor to the well-performing charity and has the ambitious goal of building a community of practice for self-improvement. At the same time, the federal government has introduced new guidance on fundraising that not only outlines accepted cost to revenue ratios but also specifies standards of good governance. It is an open question as to whether this new self- and state regulation will remain as dual systems or evolve into a hybrid co-regulatory regime in which government integrates sector certification into its own risk management.     

A home of their own. Women's boundary work in LAT-relationships

LAT-relationships (from Living Apart Together), in which partners retain their own homes although they have a long-term intimate relationship, represent an increasingly acceptable choice among elderly in Sweden. LAT-relationships, unlike marriage or cohabitation, create special conditions that enable an intimate relationship to be combined with autonomy. However, this does not mean that the way in which the balance between autonomy and intimacy is achieved is given. This study examines the home as a resource for women's boundary making, i.e. the process in which boundaries are established around their homes in order to influence their interaction with partners, friends and kin. The study is based on questionnaires to elderly Swedish men and women living in LAT-relationships (n=116) and on qualitative interviews. There is a broad variety of ways of establishing boundaries in time and space, ranging from having direct control over who has access to one's home to more subtle time-zoning strategies, but all the women studied seem to prioritize the possibility of keeping their various social relations separate from one another.     

Piloting different approaches to personalised offender management in the English criminal justice system

Various approaches to personalisation are well-established in the UK social care sector and are now starting to ‘travel’ to other sectors. In this paper we report findings from an evaluation of a pilot to test elements of personalisation in the management of offenders in probation services within the English criminal justice system. Following a review of evidence from social care, three different approaches to personalised-practice were developed and tested on a small-scale in three separate sites. The evaluation finds that all three approaches were implemented reasonably successfully, but challenges were identified including that personalised approaches are more time-consuming, that staff need support to exercise professional discretion and that balancing greater choice with managing criminogenic risk requires new ways of conceptualising the relationship between case manager and service user. Overall, ‘deeper’ approaches to personalisation, such as co-production, will take time to emerge. This paper makes two important contributions to the debate on personalisation in public services. First, it addresses the question of how transferable the concept of personalisation is from the social care sector to other sectors in the UK, in this case the criminal justice system. Secondly, it outlines a methodology for developing and evaluating personalisation pilots, prior to a wider roll-out.     

Options for balancing the OASDI Trust Funds for the long term

This article explores policy alternatives that can bring Social Security (OASDI) into long-term balance. The alternatives conform to long-standing principles that benefits are: an earned right, related to pay and time in the workforce, not based primarily on need; and related to annual changes in the cost of living. Furthermore, the OASDI is self-financed, employers and employees contribute equally, and participation is compulsory. In order to maintain public support, the policy alternatives also spread the "pain" of change between workers and beneficiaries, maintain income replacement rates for low-income earners, and retain a positive correlation between taxes and benefits. The article discusses varying four policy parameters to balance the funds: the primary insurance amount, the cost-of-living adjustment; the normal retirement age; and the payroll tax rate. Only by changing several policy parameters can all the objectives be satisfied. Discussed in detail are three scenarios, each of which includes a COLA cut and a pay-as-you-go FICA tax rate.     

‘It was clear from the start that [SDS] was about a cost cutting agenda.’ Exploring disabled people’s early experiences of the introduction of Self-Directed Support in Scotland

Abstract

The adoption of personalisation represents a global paradigm shift in the organisation of social care. However, such approaches have been criticised for failing to bring about transformative change. The passage of the Self-Directed Support (Scotland) Act (2013) was intended to bring about a significant change in the organisation of social care in Scotland, giving increased choice and control to new user groups. The implementation of the policy at a time of significant financial constraint for local government has cast doubt on this potential. This paper presents findings reflecting disabled peoples’ lived experience of this change during the early stages of implementation. Drawing on one-to-one qualitative interviews with disabled people living across the central belt of Scotland, this early snapshot suggests that the policy had not significantly increased choice and control for service users, and that austerity was leading to an erosion of gains made by existing Direct Payments users.     

Options for Balancing the OASDI Trust Funds for the Long Term

This article explores policy alternatives that can bring Social Security (OASDI) into long-term balance. The alternatives conform to long-standing principles that benefits are: an earned right, related to pay and time in the workforce, not based primarily on need; and related to annual changes in the cost of living. Furthermore, the OASDl is self-financed, employers and employees contribute equally, and participation is compulsory. In order to maintain public support, the policy alternatives also spread the "pain" of change between workers and beneficiaries, maintain income replacement rates for low-income earners, and retain a positive correlation between taxes and benefits. The article discusses varying four policy parameters to balance the funds: the primary insurance amount, the cost-of-living adjustment; the normal retirement age; and the payroll tax rate. Only by changing several policy parameters can all the objectives be satisfied. Discussed in detail are three scenarios, each of which includes a COLA cut and a pay-as-you-go FICA tax rate.     

INFRASTRUCTURE AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN THE NETWORKED UNIVERSITY

Many people believe that information technology will bring massive structural changes to the university. This paper draws on concepts from both computer science and social theory to explore what these structural changes might be like. The point of departure is the observation that the interaction between information technology and market economics creates incentives to standardize the world. Standardization can be a force for good or evil, depending on how it is done, and this paper develops normative ideas about the relation between the forces of standardization and the places in which university teaching is done. Information technology allows these places to be more diverse than in the past, and a good rule of thumb is that the places in which learning occurs should be analogous in their structure and workings to the places in which the learned knowledge will be used. Universities can support this increased diversity of learning places with appropriate structural reforms, including decentralized governance and explicit attention to certain aspects of the university organization, such as media services and the career centre, that, historically, have been marginalized.     

Polaritätserfahrungen in der Leitung von Gruppen

Taking part in groups offers several learning experiences as well as personal change for group members and also for facilitators of groups. These may precede from apprenticeship to routine, they will learn to avoid exhausting themselves and the group; encounters will happen on a moderate emotional level; self marketing may confound with intervening into the group process; growing competence can bring up new conflict. Facilitators aware of this change have a change to avoid professional deformation and to run their work in a good emotional balance.     

The free encyclopedia that anyone can dispute: An analysis of the micro-structural dynamics of positive and negative relations in the production of contentious Wikipedia articles

We consider two rival hypotheses on the emergence of organization in open production communities. According to the first (“reputation hypothesis”), patterns of agreement and disagreement among participants in open production communities are explained by differences in individual reputation for quality of contribution. The reputation hypothesis predicts that participants will tend to agree with more reputable others and disagree with less reputable others thus contributing to establish a stable open production community. According to the second hypothesis (“balance hypothesis”), patterns of agreement and disagreement are explained by membership in sub-communities of “friends” and “enemies.” The balance hypothesis predicts that participants in open production communities will agree mainly with friends and disagree mainly with enemies, regardless of considerations about reputation for the quality of their contributions. In this paper, we examine which one of these hypotheses is more consistent with patterns of positive and negative interaction events observed during the production of the complete set of 1,206 English-language Wikipedia articles officially considered controversial. We specify and estimate new models for signed and weighted relational event networks predicting the probability that a user deletes the contributions of another user – thus expressing personal disagreement – and/or protects the contributions of another user against deletion from third parties – thus expressing personal agreement. In an analysis of positive and negative interaction among Wikipedia contributors consisting of more than 60 million observations, we find strong support for the balance hypothesis and for the predictions of the reputation hypothesis that are more consistent with alter-centric interpretations of social status as conferred by alters through observable acts of deference.     

A behavioral model of the demand for consumer durables

It is argued that models of the demand for consumer durables would be strengthened by the introduction of a behavioral element reflecting the nature of the decision making process within the individual household. A possible behavioural model is described. It is suggested that this would consist of the following elements: general economic confidence of the consumer (derived from personal expectations and attitudes to the general economic situation): general durable purchasing orientation (including willingness to devote resources to durable purchasesand house moving expectations); specific product choice considerations (including orders of acquisition of new durables: the implicit depreciation of existing equipment; perceptions of the characteristics of new products; purchase expectations). Such a model is more extensive than that normally described by others working in this field. The interaction between the different variables is discussed. It is shown that all these elements can be estimated through regular surveys and so the model can be made operational for forecasting purposes. However, it needs to be recognised that there are also unexpected even as which will affect the outcome in individual circumstances and the nature of these is also considered.     

My Room,My Home,My Self

Abstract

The material culture of home cannot be supplanted in its entirety when moving into an aged care facility. When the time comes, the decision of what to take and what to leave behind is not simple. This article presents the balance between practical and emotional considerations in the choice and presence of personal objects in the rooms of residents. Intersubjective relationships between material objects in the room and the people who enter that space is viewed through a narrative lens. In this way, it is the materiality of the room-as-home for the self, which is key. Three major themes relating to the objects in the room of the older person were found to be: 1. Safety, 2. Family, and 3. Home. These themes emerged from ethnographic research in an aged care setting. Participants included residents, their families, care staff, and management of the facility. The article contributes to understandings of material objects as carriers of identity and meaning in an aged care facility.     

On the robustness of the impossibility result in the topological approach to social choice

In the first part we make an assessment of the impossibility result, due to Chichilnisky, in the topological approach to social choice theory. We observe that this result depends essentially on the choice of the topology for the set of preferences. In the second part, we present two positive results, obtained using the global approach. The first one deals with the space of continuous and strictly convex preferences, a space which, in the local approach, would produce an impossibility result. The second result deals with a class of preferences which is dense in the space of all continuous preferences. Thus, an approximate solution of the Chichilnisky problem has been obtained on this space.     

Mentoring or Monitoring: Formulating a Balance in Systemic Supervision

Contemporary supervision practice has increasingly involved tasks previously associated with line management; this has been uncomfortable and unresolved for both supervisors and supervisees. Context, individual preference and circumstance can drive the relationship more into surveillance or more into support, and each will have important implications for practice. This article argues for a balance between monitoring and mentoring, both are crucial for effective supervision to occur. Supervisors need to know the boundaries of their delegated task, given that supervision can be the intervention of choice for any number of organizational difficulties. However they also need to integrate the leadership and critical appraisal tasks required, commencing supervision relationships with these components being transparent and clear, such that all participants can meet their obligations to practice competently, ethically and in the clients' interests. The systemic model provides an effective framework to conceptualise and intervene in relation to the various stakeholders, relationships, service systems and political context in which arrangements for supervision are negotiated.     

The Intersubjective Experience of the Physical Body in the Clinical Setting of Eating Disorders

This paper will illuminate one dimension of self-disclosure as it relates to the inescapable presence of the body in treatment, and the female clinician’s ability to bring her physical body into clinical discussions during an encounter with a female client with an eating disorder. Although the clinical literature on eating disorders validates that transference and countertransference issues are particularly powerful, it generally neglects the exploration of these issues specific to the body’s physical presentation. Since body dissatisfaction is increasingly normative for women today, female clinicians need to have a theoretical road map on which to rely when they encounter a shared body experience. Thus, in order to encourage discussions of the therapist’s body in clinical social work practice, the body needs to be situated in a larger theoretical framework within which it can be explained and located; this framework is object relations theory viewed through an intersubjective lens. Concepts from object relations theory will demonstrate the importance of the body in the clinical exchange by highlighting the parallel between Winnicott’s ‘good enough’ mother and the ‘good enough’ therapist’s body. When the therapist is able to judiciously invite discussions of her body into the clinical arena, the client is given the opportunity to move from object relating to object usage. A case presentation exemplifies how this conceptual framework can be applied to clinical social work practice, strengthening the relationship between knowing and doing.