Leverage and Alcohol Addiction

This paper confronts the question of whether messages can be diluted or even contradicted by the format in which they are delivered through a textual analysis of the TNT procedural drama Leverage, examining the portrayal of alcoholism in the program. The procedural drama, which often focuses on figures in law and order occupations, is characterized by close-ended episodes that often feature happy endings. Alcohol addiction has been a staple of many television programs, but these programs were mostly comedies or serial dramas. Leverage, a procedural drama with a light touch, is a modern day Robin Hood tale focused on five thieves led by an alcoholic protagonist. This paper finds that main character displays the expected negative effects of alcohol addiction but also displays positive qualities not often seen when the character is sober. The paper also examines the reactions of the protagonist’s closest colleagues to his addiction, and finds that these reactions, while prominent in the program’s first two seasons, are treated inconsistently in later seasons. The inconsistent treatment of this alcoholism in later seasons, the fantastical and often humorous nature of the program, and the procedural expectation of positive resolution to conflicts begun at the beginning of an episode often undercuts the program’s message about the dangers of alcoholism. This paper briefly contrasts the portrayal of substance abuse addiction in House, M.D., another program characterized by close-ended episodes and happy endings, with Leverage’s depiction of alcoholism. Leverage’s relative failure to accurately depict alcoholism raises questions about whether the procedural drama is the appropriate vehicle for portraying serious internal issues such as addiction

Biometric surveillance in schools : cause for concern or case for curriculum?

This article critically examines the draft consultation paper issued by the Scottish Government to local authorities on the use of biometric technologies in schools in September 2008 (see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/09/08135019/0). Coming at a time when a number of schools are considering using biometric systems to register and confirm the identity of pupils in a number of settings (cashless catering systems, automated registration of pupils' arrival in school and school library automation), this guidance is undoubtedly welcome. The present focus seems to be on using fingerprints, but as the guidance acknowledges, the debate in future may encompass iris prints, voice prints and facial recognition systems, which are already in use in non-educational settings. The article notes broader developments in school surveillance in Scotland and in the rest of the UK and argues that serious attention must be given to the educational considerations which arise. Schools must prepare pupils for life in the newly emergent 'surveillance society', not by uncritically habituating them to the surveillance systems installed in their schools, but by critically engaging them in thought about the way surveillance technologies work in the wider world, the various rationales given to them, and the implications - in terms of privacy, safety and inclusion - of being a 'surveilled subject'

Latin America 2060: consolidation or crisis?

This repository item contains a single issue of the Pardee Center Task Force Reports, a publication series that began publishing in 2009 by the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future.Latin America has produced vigorous ideas throughout its history, expressed in narratives about its struggles and successes, or its weaknesses and failures. Together, these have shaped a multi-faceted vision of the region and its peoples. Some of its expositors, finding the story to be neither complete nor precise, work toward reformulations, some quite radical. Such generation of knowledge in different fields seems destined to yield a variety of distinct outcomes, at least in part because some of the emerging social and cultural movements are not yet very well structured. This Task Force Report project seeks to harness ideas about the region’s future into a coherent and policy useful discourse. A Workshop and a Task Force meeting was held at Boston University on November 18-19, 2010. A select group of invited experts – a mix of academic scholars and practitioners – were asked to turn their ideas into short ‘Think Pieces’ essays. Each Think Piece focuses on a specific topical issue for the region as a whole, instead of looking only at particular countries. These Think Piece essays are compiled and edited by the Task Force coordinator and published by the Pardee Center as a Task Force Report

Improving patient reported outcomes in total hip replacement: What can we learn from the "best" and the "poorest" performing sites?

Introduction: Oxford Hip Scores (OHS) and Oxford Knee Scores (OKS) are being collected as part of the Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) evaluation programme on total hip and knee replacement. This study compares the PROMs outcomes from best and poorest performing English hospitals, as defined by NHS England’s data of elective hip and knee surgery. This was to quantify the difference and identify the scope for improvement. Materials and Methods: OHS and OKS were obtained from the Health and Social Care Information Centre for April 2013 to March 2014. Results: Seven sites for OHS and 10 sites for OKS were above the upper 95% control limit. Fourteen sites for OHS and 10 sites for OKS were below the lower 95% control limit. Median pre-operative scores were similar between best and poorest performers. Median post-operative scores were 4 points higher in best performers. Top OHS-performers scored better in limping, stairs, work, transport, dressing and shopping. Top OKS-performers scored better in walking, shopping and kneeling. Discussion: Pre-operative scores were similar for the best and poorest performers. The differences between best and poorest performing hospitals for OHS and OKS were below the minimum important difference. There was only moderate consistency for outliers. Results for any single year should be treated with caution. Conclusions: PROMs, one of many key tools in measuring and increasing person-centered healthcare, can be useful as part of an evaluation of practice but do not always reveal the full picture. It is important that balanced measures of quality should be used when benchmarking hospitals

Exploratory study of the antecedents of psychological contract breach

This research presents a systematic review of literature focusing on the Human Resource Management concept of the Psychological Contract between an employee and their organisation. An initial overview of research on the broader topic is outlined to identify key themes in the field and to identify areas of research to be reviewed in greater detail. The major themes explored at this stage are the basic definition of the concept, the contents of the psychological contract, viewing the concept as a mental model or schema, the current methods used in existing research, how the agreement can be breached, the link to various employee outcomes and how the concept can be managed. The systematic review methodology is then set out to identify the causes or antecedents of breach, the differing ontological perspectives on the psychological contract concept and existing research which integrates the psychological contract with the related concept of employee engagement. 34 studies are examined and results are presented in the form of a narrative synthesis. Results suggest that the empirical evidence base of antecedents to breach is limited and that numerous potential antecedents to breach have not been fully tested due to limitations in existing research designs. Secondly, a new ontological perspective based on the Critical Realist perspective of Harré (2002) is proposed to develop existing work on the basic definition of the psychological contract concept. Finally, the lack of existing work which integrates both the psychological contract and employee engagement is highlighted with a recommendation for additional research on the ontology of the engagement concept

The Value Orientations Method: A Tool to Help Understand Cultural Differences

To work with people of other cultures, it\u27s important to understand their world view. The Value Orientation Method (VOM) provides a way to understand core cultural differences related to five basic human concerns, or orientations. The method has been used widely in cross-cultural situations, including in higher education, health services, and conflict resolution. A 16-question oral survey is available and can be used for formal research about cultural differences or informally in training to help people become aware of and work with cultural differences at the individual and institutional levels

Decision-Making Styles: An Exploration of Preferences of On- and Off-Campus Faculty

Collaboration between off-campus agents and on-campus specialists is often strained. We hypothesized that the strain relates to the groups having different styles of decision making. We administered a variation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to on-campus specialists and off-campus agents in Utah. Although the groups share many MBTI preferences, there was a highly significant different on preference in the judging function, with 72% of the specialists indicating a Thinking preference and 60% of agents indicating a Feeling preference. This suggests major communication challenges when working together. We offer that the solution is in understanding the differences and using them as an asset

Decision-Making Styles: An Exploration of Preferences of On- and Off-Campus Faculty

Collaboration between off-campus agents and on-campus specialists is often strained. We hypothesized that the strain relates to the groups having different styles of decision making. We administered a variation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to on-campus specialists and off-campus agents in Utah. Although the groups share many MBTI preferences, there was a highly significant different on preference in the judging function, with 72% of the specialists indicating a Thinking preference and 60% of agents indicating a Feeling preference. This suggests major communication challenges when working together. We offer that the solution is in understanding the differences and using them as an asset

Total Rural Capital: A Model to Engage Extension Faculty and the Public in Rural Community Development

Rural community development is challenging work. This article introduces a tool that is useful for scholarship and for working with people in rural communities. Total rural capital is a multi-disciplinary model that can help faculty develop scholarship from their work while helping the public to better understand the complexity of community development