scholarly journals Do learning support assistants’ perceptions of their role support the capability approach? A small-scale study in a Jordanian international school

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32
Author(s):  
Matthew Lee
Keyword(s):  
Capability Approach ◽  
Human Life ◽  
International School ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Learning Support ◽  
Learner Agency ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Capability Approach

This article reports on a small-scale study which explored the perceptions of learning support assistants (LSAs) about how they facilitate learner agency and wellbeing, two key facets of the capability approach. Interviews were conducted with ten LSAs working in an international school to investigate whether LSAs support aspects of this theoretical framework within their role, where their efficacy is often valued by the quantity of time they spend with the child rather than the quality of the support provided. The capability approach was utilised as an analytic framework by using the four capability approach categories which Sen (1999) argues can evaluate human life: wellbeing achievements, agency achievements, wellbeing freedoms, and agency freedoms. The findings from the study indicate that whilst LSAs did support key aspects of the capability approach, they felt unsure if every part of their role could be based on it due to a range of factors beyond their control, such as parental expectations and the school’s deployment of the LSAs. Possibilities for future research, such as the impact of higher-education on LSAs’ ability to further the capability approach, are discussed briefly.

scholarly journals Unmanned Aerial Systems for Investigating the Polar Atmospheric Boundary Layer—Technical Challenges and Examples of Applications

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Lampert ◽  
Barbara Altstädter ◽  
Konrad Bärfuss ◽  
Lutz Bretschneider ◽  
Jesper Sandgaard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Atmospheric Boundary Layer ◽  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
The Impact

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) fill a gap in high-resolution observations of meteorological parameters on small scales in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Especially in the remote polar areas, there is a strong need for such detailed observations with different research foci. In this study, three systems are presented which have been adapted to the particular needs for operating in harsh polar environments: The fixed-wing aircraft M 2 AV with a mass of 6 kg, the quadrocopter ALICE with a mass of 19 kg, and the fixed-wing aircraft ALADINA with a mass of almost 25 kg. For all three systems, their particular modifications for polar operations are documented, in particular the insulation and heating requirements for low temperatures. Each system has completed meteorological observations under challenging conditions, including take-off and landing on the ice surface, low temperatures (down to −28 ∘ C), icing, and, for the quadrocopter, under the impact of the rotor downwash. The influence on the measured parameters is addressed here in the form of numerical simulations and spectral data analysis. Furthermore, results from several case studies are discussed: With the M 2 AV, low-level flights above leads in Antarctic sea ice were performed to study the impact of areas of open water within ice surfaces on the ABL, and a comparison with simulations was performed. ALICE was used to study the small-scale structure and short-term variability of the ABL during a cruise of RV Polarstern to the 79 ∘ N glacier in Greenland. With ALADINA, aerosol measurements of different size classes were performed in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, in highly complex terrain. In particular, very small, freshly formed particles are difficult to monitor and require the active control of temperature inside the instruments. The main aim of the article is to demonstrate the potential of UAS for ABL studies in polar environments, and to provide practical advice for future research activities with similar systems.

scholarly journals Serious Games, Mental Images, and Participatory Mapping: Reflections on a Set of Enabling Tools for Capacity Building

Informatics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teodora Iulia Constantinescu ◽  
Oswald Devisch
Keyword(s):  
Capacity Building ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Building Process ◽  
Participatory Processes ◽  
Urban Transformations ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City ◽  
The Capability Approach

Increasing complexity of societal questions requires participatory processes that engage with capable participants. We adopted Horellis’ stance on participation as not an isolated event but a constant communication between different groups that can be assured by using enabling tools. We applied the Capability Approach to frame a capacity-building process and understand how this framework can support a collective of entrepreneurs to become aware of their capabilities (and the impact of an ongoing urban renewal process on these capabilities). The Capability Approach emphasizes the personal and structural conditions that impact a person’s capability to choose—the conditions that affect the process of determining what a person values. The paper builds on a two year capacity-building process conducted in Genk, Belgium, and proposes a conceptual framework for building capacities, in which the process and outputs collide with ideas of choice, ability, and opportunity, notions central to the Capability Approach. The case study looks at one of the main commercial streets of the city (Vennestraat) and reflects on a set of enabling artefacts used to engage proprietors in the capacity-building process. This capacity-building process, characterized by the idea of space and capabilities, advances a critical viewpoint on issues related to participatory processes and gives practitioners a set of enabling tools to start a conversation over complex urban transformations, such as the one in Vennestraat.

Stakeholder Capability Enhancement as a Path to Promote Human Dignity and Cooperative Advantage

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle K. Westermann-Behaylo ◽  
Harry J. Van Buren ◽  
Shawn L. Berman
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Stakeholder Management ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Enterprise Strategy ◽  
Human Capabilities ◽  
Social Wellbeing ◽  
Human Capability ◽  
Cooperative Advantage ◽  
The Capability Approach

ABSTRACT:Promoting dignity is at the heart of the human capability approach to development. We introduce the concept of stakeholder capability enhancement, beginning with a discussion of the capability approach to development proposed by Sen (1985) and further advanced by Nussbaum (1990) to incorporate notions of dignity. Thereafter follows a review of the literature on value creation stakeholder management and convergent stakeholder theory (Freeman, 1984; Freeman, Harrison, Wicks, Palmer, & DeColle, 2010; Harrison & Wicks, 2013; Jones & Wicks, 1999), as the foundation for our concept of stakeholder capability enhancement. The remainder of this article develops a model that integrates stakeholder management with the human capability approach to detail the cooperative advantage that accrues to business and its stakeholders, as well as the gains in social wellbeing and dignity, when stakeholder capability enhancement becomes a common enterprise strategy. The model also explores the risks and boundary conditions firms face when seeking to profit from stakeholder capability tradeoffs. In explaining the model, we explore normative responsibilities and consequences with regard to human capabilities and dignity. We conclude with implications for future research.

scholarly journals L’incidence du milieu d’études sur les possibilités de choix de femmes autochtones : typologie de parcours scolaires

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-68
Author(s):  
Jo-Anni Joncas ◽  
Annie Pilote
Keyword(s):  
Capability Approach ◽  
Indigenous Women ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
The Other ◽  
Indigenous Students ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Capability Approach

This paper aims to assess the impact of the study environment on the opportunities of Indigenous women to complete the school pathway desired. During individual interviews, we collected 19 stories of Indigenous women’s experiences at two Quebec universities, one with several initiatives for indigenous students and the other with few. Through a typological analysis, four types of school pathways are presented according to the impact of the study environment; the pathway with: 1) pre-existing opportunities; 2) opportunities highlighted by the study environment; 3) rebound opportunities; and 4) driven by external impulses. Inspired by the capability approach, the results highlight the importance of focusing not only on the services and measures available to these students, but also on their ability to use them to achieve the desired academic path. This requires considering the factors that enable them to make effective use of educational resources for the purpose they choose.

Hope as a Critical Resource for Small Scale Farmers in Mpumalanga

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Goldin
Keyword(s):  
Social Action ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Emotional Life ◽  
The Capability Approach

I contrast formal institutional structures that are part of water resources management policy and practice with more fluid ‘outside’ spaces that I claim are more apt for participatory engagement around food production. I link these ideas to a discussion on hope. I make three distinct contributions. First the paper expands on the theoretical concerns of the Capability Approach by bringing to the fore the linkages between subjective well-being and emotions. The paper thus connects the Capability Approach and discourses of affect and emotions explicit. The Capability Approach (CA) is a helpful entry point into the idea of hope in particular and emotions in general. Second, I claim that emotions are of public concern and that they are embedded structurally. In these spaces the dimension of power is crucial in determining the nature of the emotions that are experienced, and there is a connection between hope and power. I argue that emotions mediate and inform social action and are a function of social processes. Third, I affirm that in the essentially technical and masculinised world of water, rural women farmers are more likely to experience positive feelings, such as self-esteem, hope, pride and dignity, in informal ‘outside’ spaces. Within the context of an ethics of care, the idea of ‘particularism’ places value on concrete circumstances and individual experience and the incorporation of emotions and compassion into a social justice discourse. I propose that hope be considered amongst a range of mental states contributing to valuable and complex social functionings that are relevant for assessing poverty and human development. Looking at emotional life might help answer the question: what makes people do what they do – and whether and in what ways they take on (or do not take on) board opportunities that present themselves? The article concludes that hope is a mental state that helps command commodities and helps achieve functionings. As such hope is an input as important as seeds and fertilizer for small-scale farming.

Preparing for PhD: exploring doctoral students’ preparation strategy

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Thamrini Fadzlin Syed Mohamed ◽  
Ahmad Fahimi Amir ◽  
Nur Khadirah Ab. Rahman ◽  
Emily Abd Rahman ◽  
Afifah Quraishah Abdul Nasir
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Preparation Phase ◽  
Personal Level ◽  
Preparation Strategy ◽  
Professional Doctorates ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to give insight on the important preparation task needed to be considered by prospective PhD candidates prior to the start of their study. As pursuing and obtaining a higher degree qualification is becoming more eminent for those who want to advance their academic career, crucial preparation is needed before embarking on the doctoral quest. Design/methodology/approach A small-scale study of the PhD experience was carried out in a public university in Malaysia using semi-structured in-depth interviews with eight successful doctoral students representing three different faculties to assess respondents’ experiences concerning the preparation aspect, challenges faced and strategies used to overcome the problem. Findings From the interview data, three overarching themes emerged: motives, task and financial and health as important dominators that could influence a successful venture of a PhD journey. Research limitations/implications As the present research respondents were few, further research with bigger number of respondents may shed better light in identifying other important aspect in preparation for PhD. The authors are unable, in the space of this paper, to fully explore the implications of the data, and the work of others that it builds on, for the future of professional doctorates or other types of PhD awards. As professional doctorates are fully concentrated on their professional endeavour, i.e. nursing and education, the preparation needed may include different groundwork. In addition, this study was carried out in Malaysia, where the system may not necessarily share the same characteristics to other doctoral systems in other countries. Cultural differences, the impact of age, gender and race, were other variables that could be weighed by future research in the same area. Practical implications The university’s graduate office should line-up courses to inform future doctoral candidates on the aspect of preparation at personal level that the students need to carry out. Social implications The study provides new views where potential doctoral students should be helped and guided to become more consciously aware of their decision in pursuing a higher degree. This paper provides suggestions on the guidelines of the initial preparation needed before embarking on a PhD journey and managing their own learning. Originality/value The paper establishes the important aspect of the preparation phase needed to be considered by future doctoral students before pursuing their doctoral quest.

scholarly journals In-Hospital Mortality Following Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries, Comparing Statin Users With Nonusers

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 225-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal Khokhar ◽  
Linda Simoni-Wastila ◽  
Julia F. Slejko ◽  
Eleanor Perfetto ◽  
Min Zhan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Statin Use

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant public health concern for older adults. Small-scale human studies have suggested pre-TBI statin use is associated with decreased in-hospital mortality following TBI, highlighting the need for large-scale translational research. Objective: To investigate the relationship between pre-TBI statin use and in-hospital mortality following TBI. Methods: A retrospective study of Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older hospitalized with a TBI during 2006 to 2010 was conducted to assess the impact of pre-TBI statin use on in-hospital mortality following TBI. Exposure of interest included atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin. Beneficiaries were classified as current, recent, past, and nonusers of statins prior to TBI. The outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing current, recent, and prior statin use to nonuse. Results: Most statin users were classified as current users (90%). Current atorvastatin (OR = 0.88; 95% = CI 0.82, 0.96), simvastatin (OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.79, 0.91), and rosuvastatin (OR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.67, 0.94) use were associated with a significant decrease in the risk of in-hospital mortality following TBI. Conclusions: In addition to being the most used statins, current use of atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin was associated with a significant decrease in in-hospital mortality following TBI among older adults. Future research must include clinical trials to help exclude the possibility of a healthy user effect in order to better understand the impact of statin use on in-hospital mortality following TBI.

Causes of psychopathology

2015 ◽  
pp. 94-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Brüne
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Immunological Diseases ◽  
Proximate Causes ◽  
Suboptimal Design ◽  
Epigenetic Modulation ◽  
The Impact

The causes of psychiatric and psychosomatic conditions can be categorized into two groups: proximate and ultimate (evolutionary) causes. Proximate causes comprise genetic factors, epigenetic modulation, childhood trauma and other life events, and senescence. Ultimate or evolutionary causes concern mismatch between adaptation and current environment, suboptimal design, and design compromises. Examples of evolutionary causes of dysfunction include cognitive and emotional adaptations to small-scale societies (mismatch), anxiety (suboptimal design), premature birth (design compromise), and other features associated with human life history. Furthermore, many ‘diseases of civilization’ fall under the category of mismatch, as well as immunological diseases that may arise from a lack of exposure to pathogens early in life. Prevention of psychopathology, though desirable, may not always be possible due to the fact that evolution does not select for emotional well-being. However, reducing the impact of early adversity and helping people develop alternative life-history strategies may be an attainable goal.

Public policy: from welfare to empowerment of women in India

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indira Mahendravada
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Sample Surveys ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Women In India ◽  
The Capability Approach

This chapter examines the paradigm shift in public policy from welfare to the empowerment of women in Karnataka, India. Drawing on data collected through sample surveys from two districts in rural Karnataka, it considers the impact of policy interventions on the empowerment of women in Karnataka at the micro level by using the capability approach. The study tests whether the policy of involving non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the empowerment of rural women positively affects the autonomy of women measured in terms of capabilities. The chapter first presents an overview of the capability approach, its application to women's empowerment and agency, and indicators to measure autonomy before discussing the findings from the study of Karnataka women. The study provides evidence that the policy of involving NGOs in delivering inputs for the empowerment of women has enhanced the capabilities of women in Karnataka.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document