An investigation of the La Porte, Indiana, convective rainfall anomaly,

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Meteorology, 1969.Bibliography: leaves 69-71.by Martin McCurdy Cassity, Jr.M.S

Agency as the Acquisition of Capital: the role of one-on-one tutoring and mentoring in changing a refugee student's educational trajectory

Current research into the experiences of refugee students in mainstream secondary schools in Australia indicates that for these students, schools are places of social and academic isolation and failure. This article introduces one such student, Lian, who came to Australia as a refugee from Burma, and whom the author tutored and mentored intensively during his final year of schooling. The article provides an empirically derived understanding of how one-on-one tutoring and mentoring became a platform through which this student was able to succeed in a structure which systematically tried to exclude him. Here, agency is conceptualised in terms of Bourdieu's concept of capital. The analysis highlights the ways in which one-on-one tutoring and mentoring provided the necessary platform by which this refugee student was able to acquire the necessary capital that effected a positive change in his educational trajectory

Improving literacy and numeracy in the Pacific

ACER is collaborating with member nations of the Pacific Community to address the common education challenges they face. Elizabeth Cassity reports

CHEMICAL MODIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CARBON NANOTUBES

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a relatively new allotrope of carbon that possess very unique and exciting physical characteristics. However, much is still unknown regarding their physical structure and chemical reactivity. The focus of this dissertation is to utilize the chemical modification of these filamentous carbon structures as a probe to investigate the structure and reactivity of carbon nanotubes. Also discussed is the ability of CNTs, once chemically modified, to interact with specific polymer matrices and how the addition of modified and unmodified CNTs affects the physical properties of these matrices

CONSCIENTIZATION THROUGH THE CONTEXT OF A BOOK CLUB: ADULTS’ EXPERIENCES OF CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING

The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the lived experiences of consciousness-raising for adults through the context of book clubs. Research about adult participation in book clubs remains scarce. Therefore, this study seeks to highlight how these contexts might promote adult learning and Conscientization

Contemporary Mental Health Care in Rural Areas: Challenges and Strategies

Mental health care and illness prevention present distinct challenges in rural areas with limited resources. This paper examines rural-specific mental health care concerns and uses a public health prevention model to discuss the most current and prolific strategies to address these issues. The unique role of the social work profession in implementing these strategies is highlighted

Institutional Anomie Theory: Does Market Mentality Mediate Normative Flexibility?

Institutional Anomie Theory argues instrumental crime and violence are a result of weakened social controls that are caused by an imbalance of values favoring the economy. Anomie causes a new moral standard to emerge, one that encourages normative flexibility to achieve goals. The emphasis on the economy permeates into noneconomic institutions that cause them to adopt economic principles and weakens them. The result of this process is that individuals may develop market mentality. Past research has considered normative flexibility to be embedded within market mentality. However, this assumption has not been formally tested. The concepts may be theoretically distinct and empirically distinct. A formal test of this assumption would provide a better understanding of how market mentality relates to deviance and crime. The current study tests if market mentality mediates the relationship between normative flexibility and delinquency using a sample of 2,748 adolescents from thirty-one schools across the U.S. A factor analysis found normative flexibility and market mentality are distinct theoretical concepts. A multiple regression found normative flexibility is a significant predictor of market mentality. A series of negative binomial regressions did not find evidence that market mentality mediates neutralization, property crimes, and violent crimes. Future research should regard market mentality and normative flexibility as distinct concepts and they should not be lumped together

To Die or Not to Die: The History and Future of Assisted Suicide Laws in the U.S.

Throughout United States history, society has viewed assisted suicide unfavorably. Recently, however, Americans seem to be more accepting of the controversial procedure. Although assisted suicide is legal in only three states, it appears that as society grows increasingly comfortable with regulation of the issue, it may be more inclined to allow the practice

Not Alone: Ironic Faith, The Comic Worldview, and Process Theology in Monty Python\u27s Life of Brian

Steven Benko points out that far from being anti-religious, Monty Python’s Life of Brian posits a type of belief he calls “ironic faith,” though he believes that the version evoked by this film falls short of calling for social transformation. If, however, we consider the resonance between process theology\u27s becoming-over-being and the open-ended “humorous outlook” as articulated by philosopher of comedy John Morreall, we can interpret Life of Brian as suggesting the possibility of social transformation through its concluding evocation of a shared humanity that surmounts isolation, hierarchy, and socially constructed barriers by promoting what sociologist Robert Putnam calls bridging social capital. Understanding Life of Brian as an evocation of ironic faith-in-process rather than as a fixed point of theological conclusion allows us to consider the later Eric Idle stage production Spamalot as a potential realization of themes pointed to implictly in Life of Brian, lending additional complexity to Benko\u27s reading