The Metaphors of Conscientia in Seneca’s Epistles

Seneca’s masterful application of metaphors often illuminates some Stoic technical terminology in contexts, which render them meaningful and familiar to his Roman readers. In this paper I argue that in certain instances, these metaphors are also used to organize whole systems of concepts that refer to an essential theoretical component of Seneca’s philosophy. By studying the literary and philosophical context of these metaphors, I reconstruct Seneca’s requirement for moral self-improvement in his Epistles and propose that his conception of conscientia or ‘moral conscience’—a notion scattered throughout his writings but which, as the examination of his systematic metaphors will prove, has a consistent, identical function everywhere it appears—points to some novel rational characteristics of the philosopher’s conception of the self.

The Teachers’ Approach to the Theoretical Knowledge Taught in Online Physical Education Classes During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Context: In the current period, researchers in the field of physical education (PE) have highlighted the need for a theoretical component to support practical activity. This aims to provide students with a rational understanding of the objectives, principles and concepts underlying this discipline. Objective: The Covid-19 pandemic forced the Romanian government to move the educational process to the online environment. So, given this situation, we tried to find out if the PE teachers chose to teach theoretical content during this period. Procedure: A two-part questionnaire was designed for PE teachers: in the first part demographic information is requested, and in the second part, they were asked to provide answers to 8 items. For each item in the second part, teachers had to choose from 5 answer options built on the likert scale: <Not at all>, <A little>, <Enough>, <Much>, <Very much>. Results: The teachers said that they taught <Much> or <Very much> nutritional knowledge (43%), behavioral knowledge 48% and information about famous athletes (46%). But, 53% of them said they used the PE textbook <A little> or <Not at all>. Conclusion & Recommendations: During the period in which physical education took place online, the teachers stated that they taught a vast theoretical content. However, for the most part, the contents taught were not those in the PE textbook. In the future, clearer delimitations of the importance of theoretical knowledge are needed, as well as clarifications regarding the theoretical contents that must be mastered by students.

How to develop higher education curricula towards employability? A multi-stakeholder approach

PurposeThis paper aims to find out what conditions are needed to enhance higher education curricula towards employability from the perspective of different stakeholders in the graduate labour market.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study was developed, using a qualitative approach, based on semi-structured interviews with higher education institutions (HEIs) and labour market players, in the north region of Portugal. The data were analysed through content and descrip\tive analysis with NVivo.FindingsThe results show a set of constraints that hinder the match of higher education curricula with employability, namely, (1) the weak connection between HEIs and employers and (2) the curricular structure, which is characterised by a heavy theoretical component and a weak approach to the soft skills required by the current labour market. Possible solutions, with implications for educational policy, are given throughout the study.Research limitations/implicationsThe geographical scope and the nature of the study suggest that some precautions are required when generalising results. However, the literature on other areas in Portugal strengthens the findings and compensates for the sample's limitations.Originality/valueThis study combines the perspectives of the different individual stakeholders involved which, when taken as a whole, provide some recommendations for tailored curricula towards employability. Other studies in Portugal address each of these issues individually, without a connection between all the different perspectives.

The politics of presence: Political representation and New Zealand's Asian members of Parliament

<p>In New Zealand, existing studies relating to the political representation of the country’s minority groups are largely confined to that of women and the Māori population. Unsurprisingly then, the representation of Asian-New Zealanders is an area that has been mostly overlooked to date. However, the numerous indicators that allude to the group’s growing social and demographic presence also suggests it is of increasing importance that they are included in New Zealand’s political narrative. This thesis seeks to address the gap by undertaking a case study of current and former Asian-New Zealand members of Parliament, in an attempt to establish their representative role. The complexities of this undertaking are readily recognised. The theoretical component of this thesis draws on a number of concepts from under the umbrella of political representation. Similarly, the primary data gathered from a series of extensive interviews with the intention of supplementing the aforementioned literature review is subject to other factors, including but not limited to political structure and individual perception. In spite of the expansive and subjective area of focus, and while only intended to be an exploratory (rather than exhaustive) work, it is hoped that this thesis will make a meaningful contribution to an understudied field in New Zealand political studies.</p>

The politics of presence: Political representation and New Zealand's Asian members of Parliament

<p>In New Zealand, existing studies relating to the political representation of the country’s minority groups are largely confined to that of women and the Māori population. Unsurprisingly then, the representation of Asian-New Zealanders is an area that has been mostly overlooked to date. However, the numerous indicators that allude to the group’s growing social and demographic presence also suggests it is of increasing importance that they are included in New Zealand’s political narrative. This thesis seeks to address the gap by undertaking a case study of current and former Asian-New Zealand members of Parliament, in an attempt to establish their representative role. The complexities of this undertaking are readily recognised. The theoretical component of this thesis draws on a number of concepts from under the umbrella of political representation. Similarly, the primary data gathered from a series of extensive interviews with the intention of supplementing the aforementioned literature review is subject to other factors, including but not limited to political structure and individual perception. In spite of the expansive and subjective area of focus, and while only intended to be an exploratory (rather than exhaustive) work, it is hoped that this thesis will make a meaningful contribution to an understudied field in New Zealand political studies.</p>

Interventions Which Aim at Implementing the Knowledge-Based Approach in the PE Lesson: A Systematic Review

Background: Lately, there has been a change in the approach to physical education as a school subject. The new (knowledge-based) approach proposes the teaching of a theoretical component that provides information and complements the practical one. The students thus acquire a thorough understanding of the principles underlying physical activity and assimilate the knowledge needed to independently conduct their physical activity throughout their lives. Materials & Methods: Firstly, there were identified a number of interventions that implement the theoretical component specific to the new approach, in the school environment. Interventions targeting students from the first grade to the university level were taken into account, without setting any geographical or temporary limits. Then, we analyzed the way in which the theoretical content was adapted and implemented at each educational level. The tools used in the evaluation of the theoretical component were also presented. Results and Conclusion: Even from the elementary school level, we find adapted methods for implementing a cognitive component. As we advance through middle school, high school and university level, we find interventions that propose theoretical contents adapted to contemporary society. Within the university-level chapter, special attention was dedicated to future physical education teachers and to the way in which they are prepared to teach a cognitive component within the physical education lesson. Finally, three categories of tools used in the evaluation of the cognitive component were presented: questionnaires, interviews, interactive methods.

THE ESSENCE AND FEATURES OF THE LABOUR ORGANIZATIONS OF THE MODERN MANAGER

According to research results, the theoretical component of the article defines the process of organization of labor manager, as such that is carried out on the same basis as the organization of work of the entire collective. The organization of labor is based on social laws (Law of Labor District, Law Cooperatives, Law of Labor, etc.) and subjective organizational principles (principle of rhythm, principle of proportionality, principle of continuity, etc.). But in the methods of organizations of management labor are the features arising from the specifics of the management processes of the organization. They are due to the separation of managerial labor from the work of the executive, which is a form of manifestation of division of labor in society. Global Competition, Many Markets, Costs Increasing, Consumer Caution, Prejudice to top managers and owners of companies, Permanent Public Supervision, Instant Distribution of Information, Limiting Natural Resources, Future Future – All this imposes a print of management and work of managers. Management in social structures includes not only psychological interconnections between people, but also important for the implementation of social groups economic, cultural, political, legal, law enforcement, production, environmental and other attitudes in which the specific activities of people are carried out.

“NOT IMPORTANT” : an analysis of the Tibet photo service medium format negatives at the Tibet Museum

This thesis approaches a body of 1,428 6x6 cm gelatin silver acetate negatives in the Tibet Museum’s photographic archives in Dharamsala, India. This material, labelled “not important” by an archivist at their collecting institution, contains images of the Tibetan community in exile, made by the Tibet Photo Service (TPS) studio between 1962 and 1987. The practical component of this project involves arranging and rehousing the negatives for accessibility and preservation purposes. The theoretical component of this project provides a contextual framework for the TPS medium format negatives, unpacking the reasons behind their exclusion from care and display. Additionally, it engages the negatives as sites of “articulation and aspiration” of the Tibetan exile community. The objects and their images are recontextualized from material that is “not important” to social and political documents that serve as a subjective historical record of the foundational years of the Tibetan community in India.

“NOT IMPORTANT” : an analysis of the Tibet photo service medium format negatives at the Tibet Museum

This thesis approaches a body of 1,428 6x6 cm gelatin silver acetate negatives in the Tibet Museum’s photographic archives in Dharamsala, India. This material, labelled “not important” by an archivist at their collecting institution, contains images of the Tibetan community in exile, made by the Tibet Photo Service (TPS) studio between 1962 and 1987. The practical component of this project involves arranging and rehousing the negatives for accessibility and preservation purposes. The theoretical component of this project provides a contextual framework for the TPS medium format negatives, unpacking the reasons behind their exclusion from care and display. Additionally, it engages the negatives as sites of “articulation and aspiration” of the Tibetan exile community. The objects and their images are recontextualized from material that is “not important” to social and political documents that serve as a subjective historical record of the foundational years of the Tibetan community in India.

Dream interpretation from a cognitive and cultural evolutionary perspective: the case of oneiromancy in traditional China

Why did people across the world and throughout history believe that dreams can foretell what will occur in the future? In this paper, I attempt to answer this question within a cultural evolutionary framework by emphasizing the cognitive aspect of dream interpretation; namely, the fact that dreams were often viewed as significant and interpretable has to do with various psychological and social factors that influence how people obtain and process information regarding the validity of dream interpretation as a technique. Through a comprehensive analysis of a large dataset of dream occurrences in the official Chinese historical records, I argue that the ubiquity and persistence of dream interpretation have both a theoretical component (supernatural worldview) and an empirical component (predictively accurate dream cases) which is particularly vulnerable to transmission errors and biases. The overwhelmingly successful records of dream prediction in transmitted texts, I suggest, is largely due to the fabrication and retrospective inference of past dreams, as well as the under-reporting of predictive failures. These “positive data” then reinforce individuals’ confidence in the predictive power of dreams. I finally show a potential decline of the popularity of dream interpretation in traditional China and offer a few suggestive explanations drawing on the unique characteristics of oneiromancy compared to other divination techniques.