Creating cultural spaces in the Australian university setting

2003 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana A. Eisenchlas ◽  
Susan Trevaskes
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Cross Cultural Communication ◽  
Exchange Program ◽  
Academic Settings ◽  
Cultural Spaces ◽  
Cultural Mores ◽  
The University ◽  
Task Oriented ◽  
University Setting

This paper reports on a structured exchange program between Chinese and Australian students which focuses on discussion and reflections on everyday cultural practices and behaviours, the most relevant but often least accessible aspect of culture for international students. We ground these discussions in a setting common to both groups: the situationally familiar, yet culturally unfamiliar, environment of Australian universities. The interactions allow students to create a comfortable and non-threatening ‘cultural space’ from where they reflect on their own and others’ cultural mores and practices that occur within the context of the university setting. Students discuss the underlying values that drive behaviours in situations ranging from social gatherings such as parties, to task-oriented academic settings such as tutorials. The program includes a strong language component. We ask students to reflect on the language used in daily conversations, the language appropriate for particular situations, and the cultural norms that interface between situations and language appropriate to them. The aim of our program differs from that of models since it proceeds from less conventional understandings about culture, agency, and authenticity, and therefore the extent to which cross-cultural communication should involve interpretation rather than enculturation as the traditional programs appear to advocate.

scholarly journals An Understanding of the Students’ Perception about COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impacts on Pakhtun Society

sjesr ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-221
Author(s):  
Jan Alam ◽  
Akhtar Munir ◽  
Nauman Tahir
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Important Class ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Interpretive Approach ◽  
The University

COVID-19 Pandemic has different effects on society. Its effects have been differently perceived by different classes; one such important class is the university students because they play an important role in the development of a society. To explore their perception, this article used an interpretive approach to understand its impacts on education, the economy, and socio-cultural practices. The researchers used in-depth open-ended interviews for data collection. The sample size of the study consisted of twenty-four students i.e. six each from FATA University, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Preston University, and University of Peshawar. The primary data were analyzed by using the thematic analysis technique. The results reveal that there are divergent beliefs and superstitions about the prevention and presence of coronavirus. These included conspiracies about physicians and hospitals as death houses, and social distancing being a violation of cultural norms and values. The major impacts are observed on education, economy, psychological wellbeing, and socio-cultural practices. This study provides a roadmap for policymakers and future scholars to understand socio-cultural, educational, economic, and psychological problems that emerged due to COVID-19 Pandemic.

scholarly journals Student Movement in Portugal Throughout the ’60s: Actors’ Representations of a Period of Social and Cultural Experimentation

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-159
Author(s):  
Joaquim António de Sousa Pintassilgo ◽  
Alda Namora De Andrade ◽  
Carlos Alberto da Silva Beato
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Practices ◽  
University Student ◽  
Student Movement ◽  
Youth Activism ◽  
National Context ◽  
Final Phase ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Large Increment ◽  
The University ◽  
University Setting

The Portuguese university student movement was very active during the so-called «long ’60s» (also the final phase of Estado Novo) and took on a major role in the opposition to the regime. While the wide range of events and international mobilizations resulting from a large increment in youth activism was an important source of inspiration to the Portuguese students, it is equally certain that specific elements in the national context contributed to the characteristics that the movement came to assume. Specifically, we are referring to the regime’s authoritarianism and to the intense repression it unleashed, as well as to the resistance to the colonial war. At the same time, the strong moral, cultural, and artistic conservatism of that period is questioned, which led to the development of alternative behaviours and cultural practices, echoing those of the «May 1968» (Bebiano, 2003). The research underlying this work aims to capture the representations constructed by some of the actors who lived this moment of experimentation, who were then young university students; and to reflect on the contribution of these forms of social participation for the construction of a democratic society in the ’70s. In addition to the necessary literature review, we resort to a set of interviews with people who attended the University of Lisbon in the transition from the ’60s to the ’70s. Therefore, we will take as an example the Lisbon university setting.

Academic Leadership Skills

2019 ◽  
pp. 246-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melita Kovacevic
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Management ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Academic Context ◽  
Academic Settings ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
The University ◽  
University Setting ◽  
Individual Style ◽  
The Way

Academic leadership shares many features with any other kind of leadership, but at the same time, it is unique due to the specific features of academia and the way in which the system functions. Academia and the university setting consist of members among whom many have the same academic status and comparable levels of achievement. Although there is universal recognition of the relevance of leadership, not enough attention has been focused on ways in which academic leadership could be enhanced. In particular, the question of how someone's individual style of academic leadership is related to their capability to manage teams and conflicts remains unanswered. This chapter outlines academic leadership skills that have been observed from the perspective of the European academic context and looks at major ways in which teams are managed and conflicts are resolved, particularly in academic settings. Different strategies of conflict management are presented, and rationale for the employment of focused training courses and the sharing of experiences among leaders are provided.

CONSTRUCTING A DEMONSTRATION VEGETABLE GARDEN

HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 671f-671
Author(s):  
M. Marutani ◽  
R. Quitugua ◽  
C. Simpson ◽  
R. Crisostomo
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Agricultural Science ◽  
Drip Irrigation System ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Crop Cover ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The University

A demonstration vegetable garden was constructed for students in elementary, middle and high schools to expose them to agricultural science. On Charter Day, a University-wide celebration, students were invited to the garden on the University campus. The purpose of this project was twofold: (1) for participants to learn how to make a garden and (2) for visitors to see a variety of available crops and cultural techniques. Approximately 30 vegetable crops were grown. The garden also presented some cultural practices to improve plant development, which included weed control by solarization, mulching, a drip irrigation system, staking, shading and crop cover. Different types of compost bins were shown and various nitrogen-fixing legumes were displayed as useful hedge plants for the garden.

scholarly journals Teaching Sustainable Responsibility through Informal Undergraduate Design Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8378
Author(s):  
Louise R. Manfredi ◽  
Meriel Stokoe ◽  
Rebecca Kelly ◽  
Seyeon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Design Education ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Formal Curriculum ◽  
Informal Curriculum ◽  
Exchange Program ◽  
Sustainability Literacy ◽  
Material Conservation ◽  
Rich Data ◽  
The University

Recent reports, initiatives, and activities around higher education institutions revealed the relevance and value of sustainability education through both formal curriculum and informal curriculum activities. While the significance of sustainability education has continuously improved by raising awareness among new generations of students, it has not adequately promoted pro-environmental behaviors or attitude changes. This research study used a linear pretest–posttest experimental approach to understand whether two codesigned interventions; a trash and recycling bin system, and a Materials Exchange program, could improve sustainability literacy and material conservation behaviors across the School of Design. Additionally, a mid-experiment focus group study was conducted to provide text-rich data for analysis of 3R behaviors. Analysis of the data collected revealed that these interventions were reasonably successful in improving responsible material management. To have a greater impact on sustainable behavior, it is suggested that a formal educational experience should supplement the informal interventions described in this paper to onboard students as they enter the design studio culture. Additionally, the expansion of the trash and recycling bin station system into the university dormitories is discussed. This work has successfully catalyzed a collaboration between all School of Design stakeholders to address studio waste in a tangible way.

The Theatrical Memory of Space: from Piscator and Brecht to Belgrade

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 358-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvija Jestrovic
Keyword(s):  
Postdoctoral Fellow ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
Cultural Spaces ◽  
Theatre Studies ◽  
The University ◽  
The City

In this article, Silvija Jestrovic introduces the notion of spatial inter-performativity to discuss theatre's relationship to actual political and cultural spaces. Focusing on the Berlin of the 1920s in performances of Brecht and Piscator, then on a street procession of the Générik Vapeur troupe that took place in Belgrade in 1994, she examines how theatrical and political spaces refer to and transform one another. Silvija Jestrovic was a SSHRC postdoctoral fellow at York University in Toronto, and has recently taken up an appointment in the School of Theatre Studies at the University of Warwick. She is currently working on a book-length project entitled Avant-Garde and the City.

scholarly journals The University of Iowa Libraries’ Undergraduate User Needs Assessment

1998 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 571-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Clougherty ◽  
John Forys ◽  
Toby Lyles ◽  
Dorothy Persson ◽  
Christine Walters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
University Of Iowa ◽  
Resource Needs ◽  
The University ◽  
University Setting ◽  
Library User ◽  
Satisfaction With Services

The university community is not a static environment but, rather, one fraught with change and adjustment to change. How do academic libraries within a university setting effectively address the evolving service and resource needs of a diverse patron community? One method that has received increasing attention is the development and implementation of internal instruments specifically designed to assess user satisfaction with services and resources. This study assesses undergraduate resource and service needs, identifies librarywide unmet needs, and gives both library user and librarian an opportunity to engage in proactive dialogue.

Communicating value through strategic engagement

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 154-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Walter
Keyword(s):  
Academic Library ◽  
First Century ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Campus Engagement ◽  
Library Assessment ◽  
Culture Of Assessment ◽  
The University ◽  
Library Value ◽  
University Setting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which “library value” may be communicated in a university setting through more effective engagement with strategic planning and a broader array of campus partners. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a case study of an academic library in which alignment with the university mission and strategic plan and alignment of library assessment efforts with the broader culture of assessment at the university have resulted in positive gains for the library in terms of campus engagement and recognition of library value. Findings This paper provides insights into successful strategies for improved communication of library value to senior leadership, new investment in library facilities, and enhanced opportunities for collaboration across the university on strategic initiatives including student success, innovation in teaching and scholarship, and community engagement. Originality/value This paper provides library leaders with new approaches to engagement with campus partners and senior academic leadership in promoting the library as a strategic resource worthy of investment in the twenty-first century.

The effects of the World Wide Web on reading and writing skills in a Spanish cultural studies courseLos efectos de la Web en la adquisición de destrezas lectoras y escritas en un curso de cultura hispana

ReCALL ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
CARMEN CABOT
Keyword(s):  
Writing Skills ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Spanish Speaking ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
The University ◽  
Task Oriented ◽  
Target Culture

This paper presents the results of a study that demonstrates an effective use of the Web as a tool to increase motivation and thus promote reading and writing skills in Spanish as well as a deeper sense of the culture of the Spanish speaking world. In the study, thirty students of second year Spanish at the University of New South Wales were required to prepare an itinerary for a trip to a Spanish speaking country of their choice using the WWW as the only resource. In general our findings regarding improved language skills were consistent with the literature: an increase of vocabulary, more use of references, more student initiated interactions and greater interactivity in the classroom amongst students were observed. There was, however, one aspect, linguistic accuracy, in which improvement was not greatly noted. The data collected confirms that a task-oriented Web based course can increase the motivation of students, improve the scope of their reading, and enhance their perception of the target culture, all with a great effect on range of language explored, learned and re-processed, but a much lesser effect on the accuracy of written language produced.

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