bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Properties Associated with an Aluminum Specimen during Experimental Analysis
Authors: Ganguly Snehasis
Published: February 2013

This paper discusses the linear relationship between stress and strain for an aluminum specimen and shows how its mechanical properties and associated stress distribution may be determined. This linear relationship forms the basis of the theory of elasticity, which is widely used to determine stress or strain in structural elements under a specific tensile loading condition. Study of the plastic behavior of structural elements is concerned with the analysis of stress and strains in the plastic as well as elastic ranges.
Angular Misalignment Effect on the Dynamic Behavior of Bearings
Authors: Hili Molka Attia , Fakhfakh Tahar , Hammami Lotfi , Haddar Mohamed
Published: February 2013

Dysfunction of rotating machines is often caused by shaft misalignment. This defect generates some important loads and vibrations, and can lead to a premature failure of a bearing, shaft or coupling. The objective of this study is to survey angular misalignment. The first part deals with the development of a theoretical model describing the phenomenon. This allows the vibration response as well as the reaction in the bearings to be analysed. The second part uses the finite element method to study the dynamic behavior of the bearings. The two methods showed a good concordance in results and enable the characterization of the angular misalignment.
Use of Frequency-Domain Concepts in the Analysis and Design of Mechanical Vibrating Systems
Authors: de Silva C. W.
Published: February 2013

This paper investigates the frequency-domain approach for some useful types of analysis and design related to problems of mechanical vibration. First, some attractive features of the frequency-domain analysis are noted. The possibility of a unified approach to analysis is indicated through the existence of analogies between mechanical and non-mechanical systems. The uses of mechanical impedance and transmissibility functions in the modeling, analysis, and design of mechanical vibrating systems are illustrated. Applications in the design of vibration isolators and in the analysis of material damping are given to demonstrate the attractive characteristics of some frequency-domain techniques in the field of mechanical vibration. The manner in which the material presented in the paper may be incorporated into an undergraduate core course in mechanical vibration is indicated.
University/College Cooperation in Course Development: Synchronous Collaborative Teaching/Learning in Advanced Engineering in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai Jo Peng , Lee Rong Shean , Wang Yen Zen
Published: February 2013

A synchronous cooperation model between institutes of higher learning for course development was implemented at the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and at the Far East College (FEC) in Taiwan. Synchronous computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) tools such as videoconferencing, application sharing, electronic whiteboard, and file transfer, through hybrid ISDN/Internet network services, were adopted for communication, coordination, and sharing of knowledge and equipment in two joint engineering laboratory course: ‘Remote collaborative reverse engineering’, based at the FEC, and ‘Computer-integrated manufacturing’, based at the NCKU. The major teaching objective of both courses was to present examples of complete industrial processes, rather than to demonstrate the hardware and software used to support the presentation between the two institutions. These industrial examples were presented synchronously and interactively to students at both the FEC and the NCKU to illustrate the importance of knowledge sharing and device integration with diverse synchronous CSCW methods. The industrial processes related to mold design and the forging of a metal part. The framework of the layered, synchronous, collaborative course presentation described in this paper also applies to the collaborative course development model, which has advantages over conventional engineering laboratory courses. The adoption of this model will relieve the cost of investment in teaching resources and equipment, as these may thereby be shared between institutions. The model has proved both feasible and extensible.
Experimental Determination of Moments of Inertia for an Off-Road Vehicle in a Regular Engineering Laboratory
Authors: Uys P. E. , Els P. S. , Thoresson M. J. , Voigt K. G. , Combrinck W. C.
Published: February 2013

Moments of inertia play a vital role in the motion of rigid bodies. Accurate information for moments of inertia is, however, not easily obtained for common bodies such as vehicles, aeroplanes, trains and humans. Presented in this text is a procedure, requiring minimal equipment expenditure, for the determination of the moments of inertia, for an off-road vehicle. The point of departure is rigid-body oscillation about a pivoting point, with a spring providing a restoring force. The moment of inertia about the pivoting point is then determined by both measuring the period of oscillation and calculating the gradient of the torque—angular acceleration curve. The results of the two methods for determining the pitch, roll and yaw moments of inertia of the body and chassis about the body's centre of gravity are compared. It is found that calculation is very sensitive to distance measurements and accurate determination of the position of the centre of gravity. The procedure gives results of adequate accuracy considering the experimental effort and costs involved.
Teaching Fundamentals of Finite-Element Theory and Applications Using Sophomore-Level Strength-of-Materials Theory
Authors: Rencis Joseph J. , Jolley William O. , Grandin Hartley T.
Published: February 2013

This paper presents a study module that is incorporated into a formal introductory undergraduate course on finite-element theory and applications. The module consists of an integrative project and homework exercises based upon sophomore-level education in strength-of-materials. The objective of the module is to support the teaching of the finite-element method and to emphasize assumptions and limitations in the application of the technique. The project centers on a simply supported beam with geometric discontinuities. This beam is investigated using commercial finite-element software in five different phases. Each phase uses a different solution model, consisting of a hand calculation, beam, two-dimensional area, and three-dimensional solid elements. The solution from each phase is compared to the solution from traditional strength-of-materials beam theory in terms of the following: weight and center of gravity, deflection, and stress. Static-failure theories, stress concentrations and a redesign are also considered. The approach of a comparative solution to a problem using different types of element has not been considered in any finite-element textbook to date and few books consider stress concentrations and failure theories. The homework exercises involve solving similar though smaller problems using commercial software and verifying the finite-element solutions against the strength-of-materials solutions. The five homework exercises considered here involve: a truss, an L-bracket with re-entrant corner, a plate with a notch, a thick-walled pressure vessel, and a pin joint connection. The project and some of the homework exercises reinforce the following: an understanding of finite-element theory, an understanding of strength-of-materials theory, knowledge of the physical behavior and usage of each type of element, the ability to select a suitable element for a given problem, and the ability to interpret and evaluate finite-element solutions. Emphasis is placed on the importance of verification. The project and several of the homework exercises also illustrate common major conceptual mistakes made by students and, often, by practitioners using commercial software.
An Advanced Virtual Program in Engineering Education for Research and Teaching Excellence
Authors: Kong L. X. , Hunter S. L. , Lin G. C. I.
Published: February 2013

In this paper, an advanced virtual program in engineering education developed at the University of South Australia for both on-campus and offshore students is described. This extensive training program is based on a comprehensive online tutorial and comprises both face-to-face and online learning. The program provides a tailored evaluation format to ensure that all postgraduate students, including those doing coursework and research, will have appropriate exposure to updated learning skills and research resources. Although the internet is the primary resource used in this educational program, other resources, such as videoconferencing, video-taping and face-to-face lecturing, have also played a role in promoting engineering teaching and research excellence. The feedback from students in recent years has been very encouraging, and students have shown increased information literacy skills and improved researching abilities. As off-campus class numbers have increased, further development of the program to meet their requirements has been a priority.
Fourier and Napoleon
Authors: Jones J. C.
Published: February 2013

This is the first of a series of mini-essays by Dr J. C. Jones that will be published in the next few issues. These have been peer reviewed to a degree appropriate to ‘notes’ rather than full articles. It is hoped that they will engender discussion, and readers with responses to any particular mini-essay are encouraged to contact Dr Jones himself or the journal editor. It is also believed that they will provide teaching material, in which case acknowledgement is requested. Editor
Models and Nonlinearity
Authors: Petrolito J. , Legge K. A.
Published: February 2013

The paper discusses an approach to teaching nonlinear analysis of frames. The approach involves illustrating the consequences of various approximations made in nonlinear frame analysis. We start with a fully nonlinear beam model and solve the governing equations by either an analytical or a numerical technique. Simplified theories are generated by expanding the nonlinear term using Taylor series. The results from the simplified theories can be compared with the fully nonlinear theory and this allows students to assess the effects of nonlinear approximations.
Macaulay's Method for a Timoshenko Beam
Authors: Stephen N. G.
Published: February 2013

The Macaulay bracket notation is familiar to many engineers for the deflection analysis of a Euler–Bernoulli beam subject to multiple or discontinuous loads. An expression for the internal bending moment, and hence curvature, is valid at all locations along the beam, and the deflection curve can be calculated by integrating twice with respect to the axial coordinate. The notation obviates the need for matching of multiple constants of integration for the various sections of the beam. Here, the method is extended to a Timoshenko beam, which includes the additional deflection due to shear. This requires an additional expression for the shearing force, also valid at all locations along the beam.
A Software Tool for Determining Steady-State Temperature Distributions in a Square Domain by the Finite-Difference Method
Authors: Oladejo K. A. , Adetan D. A. , Bamiro O. A.
Published: February 2013

This paper presents the development of an interactive program (called SSTDD) to solve two-dimensional conduction heat transfer equations in a square domain using the finite-difference method. The development of the tool (based on a computer-aided design package), on a Visual BASIC 6.0 platform, involved the application of the heat transfer equations and the appropriate boundary conditions to a square domain. The finite-difference method was used to express the elliptic differential equation in a form suitable for numerical solution. The system of linear equations generated was solved by the Gauss–Seidel iterative technique. The SSTDD model was tested by using problems solved by conventional analytical techniques. The results generated by the model and the analytical method were in good agreement. Hence the model can be used to solve practical engineering problems, with good accuracy, and also as a demonstration tool to students in the area of design and heat transfer of mechanical engineering.
Remote-Access Real-Time Laboratory: Process Monitoring and Control through the Internet Protocol
Authors: SoundraPandian K. K. , Rao Manoj , Khandekar Sameer
Published: February 2013

The development of a remote-access real-time laboratory (RART-Lab) is described, and a case study is presented of its application to a real-time mechanical engineering experiment, namely a study of thermo-hydrodynamics of flow through mini-channels. (The study of such flows is vital for many applications, ranging from electronics thermal management to fuel cells.) The RART-Lab concept encompasses data acquisition during the experiment, storage, post-processing and online transmission of data to multiple users logged on to their respective web browsers. Control of the experimental process parameters (e.g. liquid mass flow rate and heater power level) from one (or more) remote stations over the web in real time is also incorporated. Online video images of the experimental facility, visualization modules and color-indexed temperature data can be transmitted by webcam. The system developed has a friendly graphical user interface. It also allows transmission of process parameter alarm signals via an e-mail client server or via an SMS text message to a mobile telephone. Simultaneously, conventional chatting has also been incorporated to add vibrancy to inter-user communication. In addition, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations have also been done simultaneously with the real-time laboratory to mimic the experiments. Such an integrated development greatly widens the possibilities of collaborative research, development, simulation and experimentation, to overcome the need for the physical proximity of the experimental hardware and experimenters. Such generic tools not only make academic interactions and real-time data sharing more fruitful but also greatly facilitate joint research and development activities between academia and the industrial community.
Rocket Nozzle Payload Design for a High-Altitude Student Platform
Authors: Kornuta Jeffrey A. , Guo S. M.
Published: February 2013

This paper describes a unique project developed by a group of students at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Louisiana State University with a focus on the design, building, and testing of a rocket nozzle system on a high-altitude student platform (HASP). HASP provides student groups with access to a near-space environment for flight durations and experiment capabilities intermediate between what is possible with small sounding balloons and low-earth-orbit rocket launches. The detailed designs of the rocket nozzle testing system and the experiences gained through this project are presented.
Integrating Graduate Design Coaches in Undergraduate Design Project Teams
Authors: Powers Lance M. , Summers Joshua D.
Published: February 2013

This paper describes how a graduate mechanical engineering student was employed as a design coach on a senior undergraduate design team working on the development of a low-cost, low-volume plastic injection modeling machine. Traditional undergraduate design teams are formed with novice, inexperienced engineering students with limited training in project planning and management. By introducing a graduate engineering student who is formally trained in design methods and project management and who has experience in design practice, it was felt that the undergraduate students could focus more on the engineering design aspects of the project, similar to the work that they would experience upon graduation. For the graduate design coach, four roles were identified: design tool teacher, design reviewer, project manager, and, in this unique case, customer. A critique of the roles, including the time spent in each, is provided. This experience proved more satisfactory to both the students and the industry sponsoring customer than had been the case with similar projects.
Systems with Few Degrees of Freedom and Repeated Natural Frequencies
Authors: Chen Kui Fu , Wang Yong Gang , Zhou Zhe
Published: February 2013

The repeated natural frequency (RNF) is an important concept in vibration, and also fundamental to numerical computation and modal identification. Still, descriptions of physically simple systems, and especially mass–spring systems, are scarce in current textbooks. Here the authors investigate the conditions needed to establish a system with two degrees of freedom (DOF) possessing an RNF. The criterion is met if and only if entries of the mass matrix are proportional to the corresponding entries of the stiffness matrix. A two-DOF mass–spring system possessing an RNF is two independent systems in nature. Then, two three-DOF examples, all possessing an RNF, are constructed and discussed. One example is configured by identical masses connected by identical springs along a circumference. This model can be easily extended to higher-order systems. The article includes the general formula for the natural frequencies.
Further Investigation of the Hydrostatic Bulge Test in a Plasticity Laboratory
Authors: Ifedi O. , Li Q. M. , Lu Y. B.
Published: February 2013

In plasticity theory, the effective stress–strain curve of a metal is independent of the loading path. The simplest loading path to obtain the effective stress–strain curve is a uniaxial tensile test. In order to demonstrate in a plasticity laboratory that the stress–strain curve is independent of the loading path, the hydrostatic bulge test has been used to provide a balanced biaxial tensile stress state. In our plasticity laboratory we compared several different theories for the hydrostatic bulge test for the determination of the effective stress–strain curve for two representative metals, brass and aluminium alloy. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed based on the uniaxial tension test data. It was shown that the effective stress–strain curve obtained from the biaxial tensile test (hydrostatic bulge test) had a good correlation with that obtained in the uniaxial tensile test and agreed well with the analytical and FEA results. This paper may be used to support an experimental and numerical laboratory in teaching the concepts of effective stress and strain in plasticity theory.
Design, Fabrication, and Realization of a Supersonic Wind Tunnel for Educational Purposes
Authors: Ibrahim Mohammed K. , Abohelwa A. F. , Salem Galal B.
Published: February 2013

The supersonic wind tunnel is an indispensable facility for basic education in any course that covers compressible flows and one of the main pillars of any aerodynamic laboratory. The introduction of a supersonic wind tunnel at the aerodynamics laboratory of the Aerospace Engineering Department at Cairo University had often been postponed and was hindered by a lack of funds for the purchase of foreign equipment and expertise. Thoughts therefore turned to building such facility instead of buying it, substituting high-tech and complex foreign equipment for locally produced equipment, and ‘thinking out of the box’ to make the most use of available resources, even when this led to some unconventional applications. An extensive scheme for the design, fabrication, and realization of a multi-Mach number ( M = 1.5, 2, and 2.5) supersonic wind tunnel for laboratory experiments is proposed in this paper. The proposed scheme is simple, detailed and multi-level; it starts by utilizing one-dimensional isentropic flow theory for the conceptual design phase and makes full use of computational fluid dynamics at the detailed design phase. This ensured that we had a working design before we embarked on the manufacture of any components, which would have been costly to modify had there been any design error. A parametric study has been carried out for a number of design parameters, using numerical simulations. After the design and fabrication, a number of successful standard textbook experiments, for Mach number 2, were carried out as validation for the proposed scheme. The results showed good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
A Project to Develop Initiative and Innovation through Laboratory Improvement
Authors: Cioc Sorin , Ciocanel Constantin , Masiulaniec K. Cyril , Oliver Douglas
Published: February 2013

In an effort to cultivate initiative and innovative spirit, a new project was introduced in an undergraduate mechanical engineering laboratory, exemplified here by the Thermal Sciences Laboratory. In this project, each student lab group (typically a group of four) had to suggest improvements to a specific laboratory. There were no other imposed restrictions; improvements could be in any area, such as hardware, software, work procedure, technical presentation, and so on. By having the project run in parallel with the typical labs, several objectives were attained. First, students were exposed to the ideas of continuous innovation and product or process improvement. Second, being a group project, students were exposed to the practical aspects and important advantages of teamwork and brainstorming. Third, due to the latest innovations in technology and education, laboratory-based work is always in need of enhancement; students engaged in performing lab work are well positioned to understand the possible shortcomings, and thus propose improvements; each student should be able to have at least one contribution, ranging from very small to significant. Lastly, some of the best solutions can be followed by senior design projects in which the proposed improvements are further developed and implemented in the laboratory. This paper shows how the project was organized, and also presents results obtained during its first year of implementation.
Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Research Project Work in an Action Learning Environment
Authors: Stappenbelt Brad
Published: February 2013

This paper examines the nature of the action learning educational approach and its application to research project work in undergraduate engineering education. In particular, a case study involving the establishment of an action learning environment to improve student learning in the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Western Australia is discussed. The action learning environment implemented had a positive effect on students' performance, their ability to cope with the stresses associated with managing an engineering honours research project, the depth of learning and their development as autonomous learners, as well as their perception of the research project experience. It is argued that the deeper approach to student learning encouraged by the action learning approach directly addresses some of the concerns from industry regarding the attributes of engineering graduates.
Team-Based Design Method Teaching Using Product Dissection and Design Metrics
Authors: Booker Julian D.
Published: February 2013

The use of design methods in industry is established as an effective way of measuring and monitoring the performance of designs from the very early stages of integrated product development. Design teaching practices in undergraduate courses would benefit from more widespread adoption of such approaches, providing the necessary experience in design method use, their subjectivity, application strategies and domains, and the importance of design metrics for justification of redesign opportunities. This paper discusses the motivations, development and delivery of a new team-based exercise in design for manufacture and assembly, aimed at first-year mechanical engineering students, and facilitated by product dissection and the use of design methods. Selected results from the exercise are presented, together with reflections on the interaction and engagement of the students with the exercise and the design method.
Integration of Vision and Robot Motion: A Novel Approach to Teaching Kinematics Transformation Using an Industrial Robot Arm
Authors: Mekid S. , Labib A. W. , Rajemi M. F. , Frost H.
Published: February 2013

The paper reports on work carried out on an educational exercise for graduate and undergraduate students that aids the study of Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) programming, through a real application within a ‘learning by doing’ scheme. The work presented to students requires the integration of the motion of an industrial robot (ASEA IRB 6) with a camera vision system (Baxall CD9752); they are asked to develop software that will support: the motion of the robot arm, including forward and reverse kinematics; the detection of an object on a test table; the picking up of the object; and its move to a target position on another test table. To assess the experiment, students select seven random points in the active camera area to determine the difference between the actual location of the end-effector and the location calculated using two methods: the trigonometric solutions and the DH parameters. Students discover that the trigonometric technique gives better position accuracy than DH. The project forms an excellent practical exercise to enhance student learning.
Quantitative Reasons Why Ideal Air Standard Engine Cycles are Deficient
Authors: Shyani R. , Jacobs T. J. , Caton J. A.
Published: February 2013

The ideal air standard engine (IASE) cycles provide reasonable trend predictions of items such as thermal efficiency with respect to compression ratio, but over-predict the absolute values of the efficiency, as well as cylinder pressures and temperatures, and possess other such deficiencies. This study is aimed at quantifying the reasons for these deficiencies, by comparing the results from a thermodynamic cycle simulation (i.e. a representation of actual engines) and the IASE cycles. One of the major deficiencies of IASE cycles is the assumption of no heat transfer. For one case (compression ratio of 8), the gross indicated thermal efficiency for the cycle simulation increased from 35.9% to 41.9% by eliminating all heat transfer. The 41.9% thermal efficiency was in good agreement with the IASE cycle efficiency (41.8%) for a ratio of specific heats of 1.26. Other deficiencies were the assumed instantaneous combustion and lack of true property evaluations. The maximum cylinder pressures and temperatures were always over-predicted by the IASE cycles.
Thermodynamic Property Slopes from Primary Measurements
Authors: Srinivasan Kandadai , Saha Bidyut B. , Dutta Pradip , Ng Kim C. , Brear Michael J.
Published: February 2013

This paper lists the values of slope properties of entropy, enthalpy and exergy along isotherms, isochors, isobars and isentropes in terms of properties that can be primarily measured, namely pressure, volume, temperature, their slopes derivable from equations of state and one of the specific heats in the ideal gas state. It is also shown that all these slopes can be expressed in terms of a coefficient of thermal expansion and isothermal compressibility as well. These could be useful as an educational tool in chemical and mechanical engineering.
Recent Progress in Nanoethics and its Possible Effects on Engineering Education
Authors: Asmatulu R. , Asmatulu E. , Zhang B.
Published: February 2013

Nanotechnology can improve many physical, chemical, physicochemical, and biological properties of materials, which can be very useful for many industries, including the biomedical, aerospace, textile, cosmetics, manufacturing, oil, agricultural, defense, and electronics industries. However, nanotechnology products (or nanomaterials) can be hazardous because of the way they are manipulated on an atomic scale. Since nanomaterials, such as nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanofibers, nanocomposites, and nanofilms, are all new, produced with entirely new manufacturing techniques, there are no specific rules and regulations for them. In the present nanoethics study, we provide a detailed report of the ethical, social, philosophical, environmental, safety, and legal issues surrounding nanotechnology and its products, which can be very useful for the training and protection of students, as well as scientists, engineers, policymakers, and regulators working in the field.
Plagiarism in Mechanical Engineering Education: A Comparative Study of International and Domestic Students
Authors: Stappenbelt Brad
Published: February 2013

This paper addresses the cultural influences that contribute to student attitudes to plagiarism by examining undergraduate mechanical engineering students. The participants were selected based on their lack of familiarity with the Australian university system: they were either first-year undergraduate Australian students matriculating directly from high school or newly arrived international students. Attitudes to plagiarism were determined through interviews and surveys. Their abilities to recognise and rate the level of plagiarism in a series of writing samples were also examined. The results revealed that there was little difference between the international and first-year Australian students. Skill deficiencies and language issues, representing potentially significant disadvantage with respect to academic writing, were evident, however, when international students were asked to correct the identified plagiarised material. In the international student group there was poor alignment of students' understanding of plagiarism and their perception of its impact with that stated in university academic conduct policy. It also appears that after the admission requirements for an Australian tertiary institution are met, the lack of exposure to and familiarity with specific academic cultural expectations is as significant as the ethnicity and linguistic background of the student.
A Combination of a Piezoelectric Vibrator and a Permanent Magnet for Non-Contact Positive and Negative Damping of a Beam
Authors: Nandi A. , Neogy S. , Bhaduri S. , Irretier H.
Published: February 2013

An attempt has been made to develop a non-contact actuator consisting of a piezoelectric vibrator and a permanent magnet. In a simple control system the actuator dissipates energy and works as a damper. The actuator can also work as a negative damper, by supplying energy to the system and making it unstable. The demonstration of a negatively damped unstable system makes this experiment interesting for students.
The Ulster Unionist Victims' Movement: Political Opportunities and Injustice Masterframes
Authors: Nagle John
Published: February 2013

This paper provides an analysis of the origins, development and decline of the ‘Ulster Unionist victims movement’, a protest-based social movement that has developed since the inauguration of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The social movement, which represents a dense network of Protestant Unionist organisations, originated as a protest against what it viewed as discrimination meted out to Protestant Unionists during the political dispensation following the Northern Irish peace process. Utilising social movement theory to analyse the social movement, it assesses how political opportunities and cultural framing processes interact in the evolution of social movements to provide a richer and more dynamic analysis of how social movement actors change over time.
Health, Social Inequality and Taxation: How Ireland's Schizmogenic Social Model Undermines the Well-Being of the European Body Politic
Authors: Kuhling Carmen , Keohane Kieran
Published: February 2013

Before the recent economic recession Ireland had become one of the most affluent societies in the world, and the so-called Irish social model of low taxes and low public services provision was seen as one to be emulated, particularly amongst the accession states to the EU. However, Ireland has also become one of the most unequal societies in the OECD, and one of the unhealthiest, measured by all of the standard morbidity and epidemiological indicators, and the social gradient of health corresponds closely with social inequality. Ireland's healthcare system, always relatively underdeveloped in comparison to most European countries, reflects social inequality; it is a two-tiered system wherein a minority with private health insurance enjoy access to good care and facilities, while the rest make do with an underdeveloped, under-resourced and overstretched public health system and subsidise the private services. The Irish social model is schizmogenic, generating and amplifying social inequalities. This is clearly visible in the domain of health, which has become a crucible of public de-legitimation and political foment. Ireland's problems are problems for the health and well-being of the European body politic, insofar as other members emulate the Irish model, cutting corporate taxes and reducing public services in a race to the bottom away from the Rhinish and Nordic social models.
Civil Society, Social Movements and the Irish State
Authors: Kirby Peadar
Published: February 2013

This article develops a theoretical framework to consider the symbiotic relationship between civil society, social movements and the Irish state. Civil society, largely through social movements, laid the foundations for an independent Irish state in the half-century before independence. Following independence, the nature of the civil society–state relationship changed; civil society became much more dependent on the state. The article empirically traces the nature of society's relationship to the state since the 1920s, and examines the nature of the political system and its major political party, Fianna Fáil, the structure of the economy, and the dominance of particular understandings of the role of civil society and the nature of society itself.

The period since the advent of social partnership in 1987 is examined; this period marks a new attempt by the state to co-opt organised civil society making it subservient to its project of the imposition on society of the requirements of global corporate profit-making. The more forceful implementation of a global free-market project by the Irish state since the 1980s, and the co-option of organised civil society into this project, has left huge space for an alternative to emerge, the potential of which was indicated by the success of the ‘No’ campaign in the 2008 Lisbon referendum campaign.
The Darkness Drops Again: A Recurrence of the Táin Foretold in the ‘Corrib Gas Giveaway’
Authors: Keohane Kieran , Kuhling Carmen
Published: February 2013

This article locates an understanding of the Shell to Sea social movement (mobilised in response to the building of an onshore pipeline dispute in County Mayo) within a wider narrative which incorporates understandings of civil society containing a diverse set of ‘epic conflicts’ such as the anti-globalisation movement and neo-liberalism or phantasmagoric mythic zones and magic realism. In so doing, it puts forward a deeper understanding of the narrative of ‘the civil society’; one which has its roots in the Aristotelian civics which are integral to the ars vitae or art of living the ‘Good Life’. The article sets out a framework for understanding the Shell to Sea dispute as one where the civil society of a local rural community is targeted by the planners and shapers of a globalised type of risk-based post-modernity, causing a resistance which is embedded in the basis of civility which state, industry and society are meant to embrace and devise opportunities for, rather than having such communities targeted and undermined. The paper approaches these issues using a range of communications theories, including Habermas, narrative theory and interpretation and analysis, and identifies some of the societal strains surrounding the issue of community in (post) modern Ireland.
We do not Live in an Age of Cosmopolitanism but in an Age of Cosmopolitisation: The ‘Global Other’ is in Our Midst
Authors: Beck Ulrich
Published: February 2013

As against the current state of the art, this article argues for a cosmopolitan vision in the social sciences and, more specifically, for a cosmopolitan turn in social and political theory and research. A critique of the prevailing methodological nationalism leads to a presentation of an agenda for researching really existing cosmopolitisation. The proposed paradigm shift is illustrated by graphic examples of drastically altered social relations and social inequalities drawn from around the globe, and its urgency is underscored by an analysis of the political dynamics and transformations characteristic of the world risk society. The development of a cosmopolitan vision in the social sciences demands not simply the token adoption of methodological cosmopolitanism, but the painful excision of deep-seated Western and Eurocentric biases.
The New Welfare—Warfare State: Challenges to the Sociological Imagination
Authors: Ossewaarde Marinus
Published: February 2013

C. Wright Mills introduced his concept of the sociological imagination during the Cold War to warn against what he perceived as increasing moral and political indifference and the incapacity of people to relate their own private worlds to world history. Hence, social scientists failed to see that the welfare and peace at home, to which they contributed, were supported by wars waged somewhere far away. The post-Cold War epoch is characterised by new unprecedented challenges raised by neo-liberalism, global capitalism, biotechnology, eugenics, racial hygiene and the biologisation of social policy. The new world is ruled by political, economic and technological forces that closely cooperate with each other and determine world and local histories. The changed social structures also imply that domestic and foreign policies undergo mutations. Yet, they remain the two sides of the same coin, which has now become the neo-liberal objective of unhindered global capitalism. The ‘new’ or ‘updated’ social imagination still strives to unmask hidden powers that justify their dominion.
Social Theory and the Critique of Capitalism in a Communication Society
Authors: O'Mahony Patrick
Published: February 2013

The essay attempts to re-contextualise the normative import of capitalism in the light of modern social theoretical developments. It firstly explores the significance in this regard of the procedural turn in both social theory and political philosophy. While important, this turn has come at the price of a loss of focus on the substantive plane of how unjust social relations – such as those often arising from capitalist structures – diminish the moral capacities of democratic institutions to shape social change. The essay goes on to show in the second section how Axel Honneth (2004, 2007), offering a partial corrective, combines a procedural emphasis on communication with a substantive account of embedded normative structures, opening the way to a differentiated sociological approach that remains normative but not one-sidedly transcendent and deontological. Taking a lead from these reflections, the third section presents a social theoretical architecture concerned both with social structures and processes and with normative grounding, balancing a perspective drawn from sociological constructivism with normative reconstruction. Finally, in the concluding section, the foregoing is brought to bear on the study of capitalism in a manner that is intended to open up new avenues for its critical theoretical exploration.
Towards a Cognitive Sociology for Our Time: Habermas and Honneth or Language and Recognition … and beyond
Authors: Strydom Piet
Published: February 2013

This article argues that Habermas and Honneth's respective critical social theories contain elements which, although largely concealed, can be unearthed, consolidated and developed for the purposes of constructing a timely kind of cognitive sociology. The proposed departure attempts to draw out and build on the strengths of both authors, however divergent and opposed their social theories might appear. Amidst all the differences between them, the common core elements in their respective language-theoretical and recognition-theoretical versions of critical theory provide the means for devising a theoretical innovation that goes beyond both, yet remains within the metatheoretical parameters of critical theory encapsulated by its key concept of immanent transcendence.
The Irish Catholic Female Religious and the Transnationalisation of Care: An Historical Perspective
Authors: Yeates Nicola
Published: February 2013

The transnational turn in sociological studies of care and welfare is generating new research agendas focused on the circulation and hybridisation of social ideas, values, practices, resources, relations and provision across political borders. This article examines neglected aspects within care transnationalisation research by focusing on the involvement of the Irish Catholic female religious from a historical perspective. Successive histories of female religious care migrations reveal Catholic religious orders of women to be the epitome of a flexible, hyper-mobile labour force. The nature of religious life combined with the social, cultural, economic and organisational capacities of the Catholic Church rendered female religious orders pivotal to the formation of border-spanning care labour networks through which Catholic ideas and practices of carework circulated to forge and sustain links and connections between Ireland and many other places worldwide. The discussion emphasises the necessity of attending to ‘counter-geographies’ of global care migrations, the interlocking nature of religious and secular care migration and historical antecedents of contemporary care transnationalisation processes in future research programmes.
Lifelong Learning and Active Citizenship in a Global Society: An Analysis of European Union Lifelong Learning Policy
Authors: Jarvis Peter
Published: February 2013

Globalisation and Europeanisation are changing the nature of the nation state and, therefore, of citizenship itself. This article briefly reviews this process. Thereafter the article concentrates on the way that the European Commission's policy documents on lifelong learning have argued that employability and active citizenship should be the outcomes of lifelong learning. These relationships, it is argued, are more complex than the policy documents suggest.
An Appraisal of the Adult and Non-Formal Vocational Education Programmes in Kano: Implications for Northern Nigeria
Authors: Indabawa Sabo A.
Published: February 2013

This paper examines vocational adult education concepts, issues and problems in the context of Kano State, Nigeria. It has been pointed out by a number of commentators that vocational education practices and problems have some relatively universal commonalities across Europe, the USA and developing countries such as Nigeria. State-sponsored vocational adult education programmes in Kano State, Nigeria can open up opportunities for the current generation of local skilled technicians who can consequently earn more and contribute to the overall effort towards poverty reduction in society. Similar trends in the values, prospects and difficulties faced in Kano's vocational adult education programmes are found in the other 18 northern states of Nigeria. Therefore, the possible solutions recommended for Kano can have wider implications and relevance for all the northern states of Nigeria.
Adult Education and Training in Ireland
Authors: Morrissey Marie , McNamara Gerry
Published: February 2013

This paper focuses entirely on Irish adult education and training. During the 1990s and at the start of the new millennium, several reports and policy papers on education and training were produced by the Irish Government, some of which were reflections on policy and practice. Appropriate education and training provision for adult students and those in work has featured either as the central or a lesser theme in these publications. The purpose of this paper is to review these key publications concerning adult education and training with a view to elucidating the broad direction of recent policy in the field in Ireland.
University Continuing Education as Teamwork – Three Case Studies
Authors: Sandberg Håkan
Published: February 2013

Previous work has identified a lack of focused research in the field of team working in university continuing education (UCE). However, teamwork could be seen as self-evident in UCE, in part because UCE is of interest to employees, employers, universities and society.

The aim of this study is to describe teamwork in UCE at three universities in the UK. The main research question asks: ‘ How can the organisation of UCE be described as “teamwork”?’

A case study strategy is applied for two reasons: first, this is an empirical study involving the examination of objects in their natural environment; and second, it describes a limited but complex situation entailing many relevant factors and hence multiple sources of information. There is a built-in expectation of divergence across cases, since the cases are selected to expose and analyse variation. The chosen research methods are a document study and an interview, based on the nature of the object in question, the research question being raised and the descriptive purpose of the study. The methodological frame of reference used in this study, the ‘Organisational Context’, deals with conditions as prerequisites, team processes, results of teamwork and feedback. The model is reciprocal and basic to the contextual analysis. It has been used in earlier work by Sandberg (e.g., 1997b), and could be discussed in terms of the ‘ecological’ frame of reference (Sundstrom et al, 1990).

The result shows that teamwork is present in many cases in UCE, but many common conditions function as obstacles to teamwork. For example, in many teams members are not permanent, furthermore, the academic system rewards individual achievement more than teamwork.

The three cases in the study have significant similarities. The discussion points out that the actors in UCE have different perspectives beyond a common UCE-perspective. The difficulty in establishing the genuine teamwork necessary in UCE could be viewed as rooted in universities not having been originally created to meet the expectations of lifelong learning and continuing education.
Generative Dialogue as a Transformative Learning Practice in Adult and Higher Education Settings
Authors: Gunnlaugson Olen
Published: February 2013

This article explores Scharmer's account of generative dialogue, which followed from Bohmian dialogue in the 1980s and Isaacs' research with the MIT Dialogue Project in the early 1990s. It presents the author's view that generative dialogue offers a useful theoretical framework and effective means for facilitating transformative learning processes within adult and higher education group settings. Specifically, this article examines four distinctions between generative dialogue and conventional perspectives of dialogue, and how generative dialogue can support transformative learning processes within collaborative learning contexts such as cohorts and classrooms.
Widening Participation and Meta-Learning: Risking Less in He
Authors: Bamber John , Galloway Vernon , Tett Lyn
Published: February 2013

Issues of structure, exclusion and ‘choice’ mean that participation in HE is an inherently more risky, costly and uncertain exercise for working-class groups and there is a need to consider how educational cultures and practices themselves might create and perpetuate disadvantage. Active engagement in the teaching and learning process is more likely to occur when course content, tasks, activities, and vehicles for assessment systematically encourage and support meta-learning. The contention is illustrated with reference to the learning experiences of students in a course that sought to elicit and challenge taken-for-granted, often tacit, conceptions of self, work, education and the process of learning itself. The study suggests that attention to curriculum is central to the real achievement of widening access.