Courage and hope : Towards an evolving paradigm of inclusive and transformational dis/ability research
- Authors: Marks, Genee
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 7th International Conference on Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations, Amsterdam, The Netherlands : 3rd-6th July 2007
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- Description: It has been argued by researchers in the field of dis/ability research that it is not possible for participatory research to be both inclusive and transformational, let alone emancipatory. In this paper I challenge that notion, and posit that in order for such research to be emancipatory, researchers and theoreticians in the field must develop new and eclectic ways of framing the problem, so that rather than losing hope and courage in our desires to be inclusive, our work is truly transformational. This paper addresses constructions of difference, drawing on a wide range of perspectives and theories, including Foucault's heteropia, Mestizaje and Borderland Theory (Anzaldua, 1987; Pallotta-Chiarolli and Lubowitz, 2003), Pagtatanong-tatong (Pe-Pua, 1989), Probin's (1996) work on "outside belonging" Freire's (1994) work on a pedagogy of hope, and the more recent work of Zournazi (2002) on hope as a new philosophy for change. Through this diversity of perspectives, I works towards presenting a new paradigm that, while applying specifically to dis/ability research, may be generalised to wider contexts of diversity, difference and culture. It is my intention to propose such a model, drawing on post-structuralist notions and critical theory within a post-modern milieu, and argue that participatory research with people with dis/ability as co-researchers may be both inclusive and emancipatory, rather than transformational research having the potential to be disempowering. I will contend that as researchers, we need to maintain hope, and indeed courage (Walkerdine, 2003) in our persistence to develop research paradigms and theories that have the potential to be emancipatory.
Theory, the social and the public - reflections on the fads and foibles of sociology
- Authors: Osbaldiston, Nicholas
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: The Annual Conference of The Australian Sociological Association 2012. Emerging and Enduring Inequalities, The Australian Sociological Association (TASA) p. 1-9
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- Reviewed:
- Description: Responding to a recent Nexus article from Eduardo de la Fuente, this paper is concerned primarily with two underpinning questions. Firstly, what makes ‘theory that lasts’. In answering this I briefly examine some of the work of Riley (2010) in his discussion of the Durkheimians to analyse what influenced their collective fervour over the sacred. It is my proposition that one of the fundamental features of this was the overarching concern with the social, which the Annéewas importantly concerned with. It is clear that the concept of the ‘sacred’ represents ‘theory that lasts’. Secondly, the paper reflects further on the role of theory in the public sphere. Using Juliet Schor as an example, it suggests that sociology which concerns itself fundamentally with the social, can find a place in the public. However, whether this is too idealistic in our contemporary setting is worth considering.
Examining the use of theory within educational technology and media research
- Authors: Bulfin, Scott , Henderson, Michael , Johnson, Nicola
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Learning, Media and Technology Vol. 38, no. 3 (2013 2013), p. 337-344
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- Reviewed:
- Description: Academic research in the areas of educational technology and media is often portrayed to be limited in terms of its use of theory. This short paper reports on data collected from a survey of 462 ‘research active’ academic researchers working in the broad area of educational technology and educational media. The paper explores their use (and non-use) of theory
Introduction to Nonsmooth Optimization : Theory, practice and software
- Authors: Bagirov, Adil , Karmitsa, Napsu , Makela, Marko
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Book
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- Description: This book is the first easy-to-read text on nonsmooth optimization (NSO, not necessarily differentiable optimization). Soving these kinds of problems plays a critical role in many industrial applications and real-world modeling systems, for example in the context of image denoising, optimal control, neural network training, data mining, ecomonics, and computational chemistry and physics. The book covers both the theory and the numerical methods used in NSO, and provides an overview of different problems arising in the field. It is organized into three parts: 1. convex and nonconvex analysis and the theory of NSO; 2. test problems and practical applications; 3. a guide to NSO software. The book is ideal for anyone teaching or attending NSO courses. As an accessible introduction to the field, it is also well suited as an independent learning guide for practitioners already familiar with the basics of optimization.
The work of theory in Ed-Tech research
- Authors: Johnson, Nicola
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Critical perspectives on techology and education p. 35-50
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Acknowledging the constructivist nature of meaning-making, "theory" means different things to different people (and to scholars). In writing this chapter, I was encouraged by colleagues (my fellow editors Scott and Chris acting as difficult
A Social identity approach to understanding and promoting physical activity
- Authors: Stevens, Mark , Rees, Tim , Coffee, Pete , Steffens, Niklas , Haslam, S. Alexander , Polman, Remco
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Medicine Vol. 47, no. 10 (2017), p. 1911-1918
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Against the backdrop of a global physical inactivity crisis, attempts to both understand and positively influence physical activity behaviours are characterized by a focus on individual-level factors (e.g. cognitions, attitudes, motivation). We outline a new perspective, drawn from an emerging body of work exploring the applicability of social identity and self-categorization theories to domains of sport and health, from which to understand and address this pervasive problem. This social identity approach suggests that the groups to which people belong can be, and often are, incorporated into their sense of self and, through this, are powerful determinants of physical activity-related behaviour. We start by reviewing the current state of physical activity research and highlighting the potential for the social identity approach to help understand how social factors influence these behaviours. Next, we outline the theoretical underpinnings of the social identity approach and provide three key examples that speak to the analytical and practical value of the social identity approach in physical activity settings. Specifically, we argue that social identity (1) can be harnessed to promote engagement in physical activity, (2) underpins exercise group behaviour, and (3) underpins effective leadership in exercise settings. We conclude by identifying prospects for a range of theory-informed research developments.