bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Analysis of Rural Regional Disparity in China
Authors: Chan Hing Lin , Chan Kai Ting
Published: March 2003

Rural regional disparity has now become one of the most concerning problems in China. This paper attempts to show that the inequality is mainly caused by the uneven development of rural collectively owned enterprises (COEs). In the early 1990s, COEs accounted for more than 70% of rural regional inequality. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of current government policies for lessening regional disparity, we use a data envelopment analysis to measure the efficiency of COEs in the rural areas. The analysis shows that COEs in the eastern region are relatively more efficient than those in the central and western regions. To explain this, the potential sources of the COEs’ production efficiency in different provinces are examined in detail. The production efficiency of Chinese COEs is found to be closely related to the employment of a shareholding cooperative system, foreign investment, skilled workers, and a bonus incentive scheme.
Deviation from Purchasing Power Parity: Evidence from Malaysia, 1973–1997
Authors: Khoon Goh Soo , Mithani Dawood M.
Published: March 2003

This paper presents an empirical test of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) applied to the Malaysia ringgit for the period from 1973 (CPI) and 1984 (WPI) to 1997. Consistent with other research findings, it is detected that real exchange rate follows a random walk. Using multivariate cointegration methodology for the long‐run relationship between real exchange rate and certain macro‐economic variables, the study provides evidence supporting a long‐run relationship between the real exchange rate and the current account balance and government spending, the last two variables have been not included in previous studies of this economy. The causality test between real exchange rate with the current account balance and government spending, however, does not receive support from the error‐correction model. This suggests that both government spending and current account balance are not adequate to explain the changes in ringgit real exchange rate. The puzzle still remains unsolved.
Are Older Workers Disadvantaged in the Hong Kong Labour Market?
Authors: Ho Lok Sang , Wei Xiang Dong , Voon Jan P.
Published: March 2003

Using data collected from two surveys on the labour market in Hong Kong, this paper shows that older workers on average are more likely to be unemployed than younger ones. Unemployed workers aged above 45 tend to face a longer spell of unempoyment, receive fewer job offers and expect lower future wages than the unemployed younger workers. Older employed workers may also be disadvantaged. This paper compares the promotion and training opportunities available to olderand younger employed workers. We found that older workers are less likely to bepromoted or selected for training.
How Effective are Different Accounts of Harm‐doing in Softening Victims’ Reactions? A Scenario Investigation of the Effects of Severity, Relationship, and Culture
Authors: Fukuno Mitsuteru , Ohbuchi Ken‐chi
Published: March 2003

In order to examine the effects of different types of accounts in terms of the victims’ reactions, we presented 193 American and 186 Japanese participants with scenarios in which an actor unintentionally harmed someone and then gave one of five different accounts. We asked the participants to estimate how the victim would react (emotional alleviation, impression improvement, or forgiveness) to these accounts. The participants rated that the victims would make more positive reactions to the mitigative accounts (apology or excuse) but more negative reactions to the assertive accounts (the denial). Although the reactions to accounts became generally more negative when the harm was severe, the mitigative accounts were more likely to be accepted by the victim than the assertive ones. As compared with the Japanese, the Americans rated the victim as more increasing their impression improvement reactions to one type of justification but more decreasing it to the denial. However, these results did not match the cultural preference of accounts, thereby casting doubt over the validity of cultural efficacy theory.
Theory and Method of Social Representations
Authors: Wagner Wolfgang , Duveen Gerard , Farr Robert , Jovchelovitch Sandra , Lorenzi‐Cioldi Fabio , Marková Ivana , Rose Diana
Published: March 2003

This paper gives an overview of social representation theory, definitions of the key terms and of the social processes leading to a representation and to social identity. Six empirical studies are presented and details of their methods and findings are given to illustrate this social psychological approach. These studies are about the ontogenesis of gender, the public sphere in Brazil, madness on British television, images of androgyny in Switzerland, individualism and democracy in post‐communist Europe and metaphorical thinking about conception. The methods are ethnography, interviews, focus‐groups, content analysis of media, statistical analysis of word associations, questionnaires and experiments. Finally, social representation theory is compared to theories of attitudes, schemata and social cognition.
“Taking” an Aerobics Class in the U.S. and “Entering” an Aerobics Class in Japan: Primary and Secondary Control in a Fitness Context
Authors: Morling Beth
Published: March 2003

The study tested Weisz, Rothbaum, and Blackburn's (1984) hypothesis that “primary” control is emphasized in the United States and “secondary” control is emphasized in Japan. Aerobics participants in Japan and the United States completed surveys about their reasons for choosing classes, their attributions for mistakes in class, their behavioral responses to a difficult class, and what others in the class typically do. Some responses indicated that both groups use some secondary control. But Americans were more likely to report that they choose classes based on convenience and that they change moves in the class that are too difficult, a pattern that suggests primary control. Japanese were more likely to report that they choose classes based on their ability level, work harder when moves are too difficult, and attribute mistakes to a lack of fit between their own ability and the level of the class, a pattern that suggests more secondary control.
Theory & Methods: Why do we do it? Statisticians and the Practice of Statistics
Authors: Hunt Lesley
Published: March 2003

There has been no work done on why statisticians have chosen their particular profession. With the increasing emphasis on the development of biotechnology, it seems important to encourage people to take up statistics and to offer the perspective that the study of statistics brings. This paper is an attempt to develop a preliminary understanding, by open‐ended in‐depth interviewing, of the personal backgrounds that have encouraged present practising statisticians to move into this field, and to see how they experience their work.
Applications: Generalized Additive Modelling of Mixed Distribution Markov Models with Application to Melbourne's Rainfall
Authors: Hyndman Rob J. , Grunwald Gary K.
Published: March 2003

The paper considers the modelling of time series using a generalized additive model with first‐order Markov structure and mixed transition density having a discrete component at zero and a continuous component with positive sample space. Such models have application, for example, in modelling daily occurrence and intensity of rainfall, and in modelling numbers and sizes of insurance claims. The paper shows how these methods extend the usual sinusoidal seasonal assumption in standard chain‐dependent models by assuming a general smooth pattern of occurrence and intensity over time. These models can be fitted using standard statistical software. The methods of Grunwald & Jones (2000) can be used to combine these separate occurrence and intensity models into a single model for amount. The models are used to investigate the relationship between the Southern Oscillation Index and Melbourne's rainfall, illustrated with 36 years of rainfall data from Melbourne, Australia.
An Evaluation of a Large‐scale Cati Household Survey Using Random Digit Dialling
Authors: Bennett Don J. , Steel David
Published: March 2003

Computer‐assisted telephone interviewing and random digit dialling are increasingly being used to conduct household surveys in Australia. However, there is little published information concerning Australian experience with such surveys. In 1995 the Government Statistician's Office in Queensland conducted a household survey to study population migration using these techniques. The survey involved a sample of 110 000 telephone numbers resulting in 38 000 responding households. This article describes a computerized survey management system that was developed and which provided information concerning important operational and quality aspects of the survey.
Median Estimation Using Double Sampling
Authors: Singh Sarjinder , Joarder Anwar H. , Tracy D.S.
Published: March 2003

This paper proposes a general class of estimators for estimating the median in double sampling. The position estimator, stratification estimator and regression type estimator attain the minimum variance of the general class of estimators. The optimum values of the first‐phase and second‐phase sample sizes are also obtained for the fixed cost and the fixed variance cases. An empirical study examines the performance of the double sampling strategies for median estimation. Finally, an extension of the methods of Chen & Qin (1993) and Kuk & Mak (1994) is considered for the double sampling strategy.
A Test of Equality of Regression Curves Using Gâteaux Scores
Authors: Kulasekera K.B. , Wang J.
Published: March 2003

This paper considers a test of equality of regression curves using a Gâteaux score statistic constructed through the derivative of the likelihood function. Judicious choices of the scores allow the proposed procedure to be generalized so that it can be used even with some long‐tailed error distributions. The paper examines asymptotic properties and presents some numerical results.
Applications: Estimation of the Magnitude of Victory in One‐day Cricket RMIT University, Mayo Clinic Rochester and Simon Fraser University
Authors: De Silva Basil M. , Pond Greg R. , Swartz Tim B.
Published: March 2003

The Duckworth–Lewis method is steadily becoming the standard approach for resetting targets in interrupted one‐day cricket matches. In this paper we show that a modification of the Duckworth–Lewis resource table can be used to quantify the magnitude of a victory in one‐day matches. This simple and direct application is particularly useful in breaking ties in tournament standings and in quantifying team strength.
Theory & Methods: On a Class of Nonlinear AR(P) Models with Nonlinear ARCH Errors
Authors: Chen Gemai , Chen Min
Published: March 2003

This paper studies general sufficient conditions for the geometric ergodicity and the existence of moments for a class of nonlinear autoregressive models with nonlinear ARCH errors. Applications of these conditions to various well‐known nonlinear time series models yield specific sufficient conditions, many of which are new or generalizations of existing conditions.
Theory & Methods: Incomplete detection in enumeration surveys: Whither distance sampling?
Authors: Welsh A.H.
Published: March 2003

This paper considers the problem of undercount or incomplete detection in enumeration surveys that are intended to estimate population counts or population abundance. The problem is widespread in ecology but also occurs in other surveys: the census undercount is a well‐known example of the problem. After framing the problem in a general context, the paper focuses on line transect sampling and the distance sampling method which has been widely applied in surveys of ecological populations. It describes distance sampling data and presents a graphical derivation of the distance sampling estimator. The graphical analysis leads to a new expression for the distance sampling estimator which gives useful insights into the nature of the estimator. The paper discusses the uniformity assumption on which distance sampling depends and describes the properties of the distance sampling estimator when uniformity does not hold. It then explores the relationship between this and other evaluations of distance sampling and mentions briefly some statistical ideas for treating the general incomplete detection problem. The paper concludes with some reflections on general insights arising from the research.
Theory & Methods: Semi‐parametric estimation of ROC curves based on binomial regression modelling
Authors: Lloyd Chris J.
Published: March 2003

This paper presents a method of estimating a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve when the underlying diagnostic variable X is continuous and fully observed. The new method is based on modelling the probability of response given X, rather than the distribution of X given response. The method offers advantages in modelling flexibility and computational simplicity. The resulting ROC curve estimates are semi‐parametric and can, in principle, take an infinite variety of shapes. Moreover, model selection can be based on standard methods within the binomial regression framework. Statistical accuracy of the curve estimate is provided by a simply implemented bootstrap approach.
Theory & Methods: Bayesian Measures of the Minimum Detectable Concentration of an Immunoassay
Authors: O'Malley A. James , Deely John J.
Published: March 2003

The minimum detectable concentration (MDC) is one of the most important properties of an assay. It is a statement about the smallest physical quantity an assay can reliably measure, and is used in assay design and quality control assessments. A plethora of measures of the MDC have been reported in a widely scattered literature. Many of these were developed at a time when accuracy and relevance had to be sacrificed for computational feasibility. This paper identifies limitations of existing measures and demonstrates how Bayesian inference may be used to overcome these limitations. Several new measures of the MDC are developed. These are conceptually simpler than existing measures, and are free of analytical approximations. The recent advances in Bayesian computation make them efficient to evaluate. A procedure developed in this paper measures the difference in the quality of two assays and shows that the new Bayesian measures perform better than existing measures.
Theory & Methods: An Optimal Multivariate Stratified Sampling Design Using Dynamic Programming
Authors: Khan M.G.M. , Khan E.A. , Ahsan M.J.
Published: March 2003

Numerous optimization problems arise in survey designs. The problem of obtaining an optimal (or near optimal) sampling design can be formulated and solved as a mathematical programming problem. In multivariate stratified sample surveys usually it is not possible to use the individual optimum allocations for sample sizes to various strata for one reason or another. In such situations some criterion is needed to work out an allocation which is optimum for all characteristics in some sense. Such an allocation may be called an optimum compromise allocation. This paper examines the problem of determining an optimum compromise allocation in multivariate stratified random sampling, when the population means of several characteristics are to be estimated. Formulating the problem of allocation as an all integer nonlinear programming problem, the paper develops a solution procedure using a dynamic programming technique. The compromise allocation discussed is optimal in the sense that it minimizes a weighted sum of the sampling variances of the estimates of the population means of various characteristics under study. A numerical example illustrates the solution procedure and shows how it compares with Cochran's average allocation and proportional allocation.
Problems of European Union Citizenship Rights at the Periphery
Authors: Muller Karis
Published: March 2003

European Union member states have different nationality laws. Those with overseas dependencies control access there to European Parliament (EU) voting rights. Gibraltar and French Polynesia are two dependencies in which the existing situation is contested. Gibraltar’s British citizens live on EU territory and therefore resent their exclusion from European elections. French Polynesia on the other hand is outside the European Union. Its citizens regard voting for the EP as at best irrelevant; its leaders wish to create a category of French overseas citizenship exclusive of European voting rights. This article compares the two situations and suggests some possible solutions.
ANZUS — Alive and Well after Fifty Years
Authors: Tow William , Albinski Henry
Published: March 2003

Marking its fiftieth anniversary in late 2001, the ANZUS alliance remains Australia’s primary security relationship and one of the United States’ most important defence arrangements in the Asia‐Pacific region. It is argued here that ANZUS has defied many common suppositions advanced by international relations theorists on how alliances work. It thus represents an important refutation of arguments that they are short‐term instruments of mere policy expediency and are largely interest‐dependent. Cultural and normative factors are powerful, if often underrated, determinants for ANZUS’s perpetuation. ANZUS may thus constitute an important test case for expanding our understanding of alliance politics beyond the usual preconditions and prerogatives normally associated with such a relationship.
The “Thin Dividing Line”: Prime Ministers and the Problem of Australian Nationalism, 1972–1996
Authors: Curran James
Published: March 2003

This paper is concerned with the way in which Australian prime ministers gave expression to an idea of “national community” in the post–1972 era. With the declining relevance of the British connection, the departure of “great and powerful” friends from the region, the imperative of engagement with Asia and the emerging concept of Australia as a “multicultural” society, one of the central challenges for these leaders has been whether or not they could offer an alternative myth of community which would preserve social cohesion in the new times. This raises an important historical question concerning Australian political culture at this time — what happened to the need for nationalism? By examining the speeches of Prime Ministers Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke and Keating, it can be seen that far from asserting an old–style, exclusive Australian nationalism, in most cases these leaders expressed great caution and hesitation towards the idea of nationalism itself.
The Demise of ATSIC? Accountability and the Coalition Government
Authors: Ivanitz Michele
Published: March 2003

ATSIC has been portrayed by the Coalition government as an organisation that is not financially accountable and, because of this, is not achieving positive service delivery outcomes for Aboriginal people. Drawing on documentary material and fieldwork data, this article argues that ATSIC is indeed accountable and that the Coalition is putting the accountability argument forward as a means of justifying the dismantling of ATSIC. Given the past and recent actions taken by the Coalition, it is unclear how much longer ATSIC will be able to survive in its current form.
Running the Risks: The Rationalisation of Australia's Water
Authors: Sheil Christopher
Published: March 2003

This article analyses the categories comprising the relationship between productivity and rate‐of‐return reporting in the context of water infrastructure. It examines the categories and relations comprising rates of return, showing how each can fail to capture real productivity gains. Theoretically, high returns may be obtained despite low real productivity and vice versa. This has implications for ‘corporatisation’, since the restructuring of Australia's water systems has entrenched rate‐of‐return reporting as the pre‐eminent measure of performance. The problem is, if water's rate‐of‐return is continually increased without ensuring commensurate real productivity improvements, eventually Australia's water systems must break down. The issue is acute as neither the theory of corporatisation nor the logic of ‘economic rationalism’ supplies a means for ensuring profitability does not outrun productivity. I conclude the rationalisation of Australia's water has exposed citizens to new, fundamental and otherwise unprotected social, environmental and economic risks.
Achieving Improved Health Outcomes for Urban Aboriginal People: Biomedical and Ethnomedical Models of Health
Authors: Ivanitz Michele
Published: March 2003

Urban Aboriginal people could be expected to achieve positive health outcomes owing to their close proximity to mainstream health care services. The available data indicate that this is not the case, although people generally self‐report as being in ‘good to excellent’ health. Research indicates that Aboriginal people may not be benefiting from mainstream services owing to the emphasis placed on biomedical models of health that conflict with more culturally‐based, ethnomedical models. This paper looks at achieving an interface between the two models as a means of pursuing more positive health outcomes in urban settings.
Looking Out for Our Indigenous People: The Canadian Experience
Authors: Smith Michel G
Published: March 2003

Respected Elders Djerrkura and Dodson, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. My Aboriginal name is Pad8gi Pai8, which means ‘Coming Thunder’ in the Abenaki language and I am a member of the Odanak Band of the Abenaki First Nation. I want to acknowledge and thank the traditional caretakers of the land we stand on today, the Larrakia People Meegwetch. I am truly honoured to be here with you today and want to take this opportunity to thank the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) and the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) for inviting me.
Departmental Machinery of Government Since 1987
Authors: Nethercote John
Published: March 2003

The editors gratefully acknowledge the permission of the Department of the Parliamentary Library (Information and Research Services) of the Commonwealth Parliament for permission to reprint this extract. A full version of this Research Paper (No 24 1998–99) can be found at www.aph.gov.au/library. The Department of the Parliamentary Library has an extensive research collection which may be of broader interest to readers of the journal.
The Debate on Australian Federalism: Local Government Financial Interrelationships with State and Commonwealth Governments
Authors: Worthington Andrew , Dollery Brian
Published: March 2003

The nascent debate on Australian federalism has hitherto focused almost entirely on Commonwealth‐state interrelationships to the virtual exclusion of local government. Since Australian local government employs around 156,000 people and spends in excess of $10 billion this neglect is unfortunate. In an effort to at least partly remedy this oversight, the present paper seeks to assess various unsettled questions in local government financial relationships with both Commonwealth and state governments, especially the issue of financial assistance grants and their efficiency consequences.
Beyond Participation, Hierarchies, Management and Markets: ‘New’ Governance and Place Policies
Authors: Reddel Tim
Published: March 2003

This paper argues that a ‘new local governance’ discourse offers some promise as a policy framework that can re‐conceptualise the state‐community (and market) relationship and deliver improved community outcomes, particularly in the context of place based or spatial policies and programs.
Australian Federalism Confronts Globalisation: A New Challenge at the Centenary
Authors: Kline John M
Published: March 2003

Globalisation poses a special challenge for federal systems of government. Despite administrative reforms, Australia has not fully confronted crucial questions regarding the role of states and territories when international issues overlap areas of subnational government authority. This challenge emerged with controversies over environmental regulations, import quarantines and Aboriginal policies. Initial reforms focused mainly on treaty approval processes, leaving broader policy questions largely unexamined. Subnational governments sometimes react protectively when facing dislocation threats from global forces; conversely, they can carry out constituency representation and education functions in ways that promote Australia’s competitiveness and counter public distrust of globalisation. Federalism’s new challenge is to devise political processes that foster positive state and territorial participation in Australia’s response to globalisation.
Managing Competing Values: Leadership Styles of Mayors and CEOs
Authors: Martin John , Simons Roland
Published: March 2003

The mayor and CEO play an important complementary role in local economic and community development. As the head of the elected council the mayor has a close working relationship with the CEO of the council organisation. Each has the opportunity to influence the policy and administration functions of council. The quality of their working relationship influences the quality of local governance in their community. In this study 413 pairs of Australian mayors and CEOs responded to metaphors assessing the effectiveness of their working relationship with each other. They also completed Cameron’s Management Skills Assessment Instrument. Effective working relationships are more likely to occur when their managerial style complements or is the same as the other, on Cameron and Quinn’s Competing Values Framework. The implications for CEOs are discussed along with strategies for enhancing the working relationship with their mayor.
The Australian National Commission for Unesco: Some Proposals for Reform
Authors: Page James S
Published: March 2003

Unesco (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) was established in 1946, and the Australian government organisation responsible for advising on the implementation and coordination of Unesco policies and programs in Australia is the Australian National Commission for Unesco. Working from a Rawlsian notion of a public institution, a range of reforms are suggested for the commission: development of a charter, publication of an Annual Report, widening the membership of the commission, funding reforms, training of the membership of the commission, establishing a right of appeal against Commission decisions, and developing programs for public participation. It is suggested that the above reforms may assist in establishing and strengthening the Australian Commission for Unesco as a significant and independent public institution in Australia, and thus assist in the implementation of Unesco programs and projects in the future.
Preliminary Submission to the House of Representatives Economic, Finance and Public Administration Committee Inquiry into Cost Shifting by State Governments to Local Governments
Authors: Pritchard John
Published: March 2003

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) is the peak body for local authorities across Australia. Representing 698 councils, shires and other local governing bodies, ALGA advocates on behalf of local institutions, the local communities they represent and the process through which they interact. Founded in 1947 by the six states, ALGA now represents all states and territories and is a full member of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). This article is an edited version of the ALGA’s preliminary submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee inquiry into the Financial Position of, and Cost Shifting onto, Local Government.
Inducement in Research
Authors: Wilkinson Martin , Moore Andrew
Published: March 2003

Opposition to inducement payments for research subjects is an international orthodoxy amongst writers of ethics committee guidelines. We offer an argument in favour of these payments. We also critically evaluate the best arguments we can find or devise against such payments, and except in one very limited range of circumstances, we find these unconvincing.
Is there an Asian Bioethics?
Authors: De Castro Leonardo D.
Published: March 2003

Is there an Asian Bioethics?

Some people might consider it blasphemous even to ask this question. But this paper asks it not so much to seek an answer as to clarify what it could actually mean. The idea is to sort out the presuppositions and possible implications of asserting the existence of an Asian bioethics.

In the end, this paper makes the following points: (1) In the attempt to assert an Asian identity, one must be careful not to commit the mistake of universalizing (among Asians) a single Asian perspective; and (2) In the face of pluralism and multi‐culturalism, there is some room for a kind of universalist ethics that is founded on a collage of culturally inspired perspectives rather than on a single standard of morality.
Bioethics in Brazil
Authors: Diniz Debora , Bellezi Guilhem Dirce , Garrafa Volnei
Published: March 2003

In this article the authors briefly sketch the nature of Brazilian bioethics. Bioethics emerged in Brazil later than in other Western countries and the 1990’s were the most important period for the spread of the discipline in the country. It is in this period that some structural elements of bioethics were established, such as research groups, regulation of Local Research Ethics Committees (Comitês Locais de Ética em Pesquisa – CEP), the creation of the National Commission of Ethics in Research with Human Beings (Comissão Nacional de Ética em Pesquisa com Seres Humanos – CONEP) and the Brazilian Bioethics Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Bioética – SBB). With regard to theoretical work, Brazilian bioethics is clearly an importer of theories from countries central to the studies of bioethics, or, in another words, countries where bioethics first emerged and was established. The most commonly used theory among Brazilian researchers is principlism
Conscientious Objection in Medicine
Authors: Wicclair Mark R.
Published: March 2003

Recognition of conscientious objection seems reasonable in relation to controversial and contentious issues, such as physician assisted suicide and abortion. However, physicians also advance conscience‐based objections to actions and practices that are sanctioned by established norms of medical ethics, and an account of their moral force can be more elusive in such contexts. Several possible ethical justifications for recognizing appeals to conscience in medicine are examined, and it is argued that the most promising one is respect for moral integrity. It is also argued that an appeal to conscience has significant moral weight only if the core ethical values on which it is based correspond to one or more core values in medicine. Finally, several guidelines pertaining to appeals to conscience and their ethical evaluation are presented.
Guidance and Justification in Particularistic Ethics
Authors: Kihlbom Ulrik
Published: March 2003

This paper argues that, contrary to a common line of criticism followed by scholars such as Helga Kuhse, a particularistic version of virtue ethics properly elaborated, can provide sound moral guidance and a satisfactory account for moral justification of our opinions regarding, for instance, health care practice. In the first part of the paper, three criteria for comparing normative theories with respect to action‐guiding power are outlined, and it is argued that the presented particularistic version of virtue ethics actually can provide more guidance than the universalistic theories favoured by Kuhse and others. In the second part of the paper it is claimed that universalist normative theories have serious problems accounting for the role that moral principles are supposed to play in the justification, of moral opinions, whereas the present version of virtue ethics accommodates a plausible alternative idea of justification without invoking moral principles or eschewing objectivity.
Infanticide and the Liberal View on Abortion
Authors: Card Robert F.
Published: March 2003

Mary Anne Warren provides a well‐known defense of the liberal position in the abortion debate, yet her argument is subject to the objection that it implies that infanticide is morally permissible. In a postscript to her original article, Warren argues that her position does not commit her to the moral acceptability of infanticide. I argue that the reasoning Warren presents in her postscript on infanticide undermines her original main argument in support of the liberal view: she cannot use this argument to both defend the liberal view on abortion and establish that infanticide is morally wrong.
A Critical Analysis of Australian Clinical Ethics Committees and the Functions They Serve
Authors: McNeill Paul M.
Published: March 2003

The predominant function of Australian clinical ethics committees (CECs) is policy formation. Some committees have an educational role. Few committees play any direct role in advising on ethics in the management of individual patients and this occurs only in exceptional circumstances. There is a tendency to exaggerate both the number and function of committees. It is suggested that studies of ethics committees, based on questionnaire surveys, should be interpreted cautiously. An examination of ethical issues indicates that there is a role for a critical analysis of power relations in Australian hospitals that is not fulfilled by CECs.
Morals, Suicide, and Psychiatry: A View from Japan
Authors: Young Jerome
Published: March 2003

In this paper, I argue that within the Japanese social context, the act of suicide is a positive moral act because the values underpinning it are directly related to a socially pervasive moral belief that any act of self–sacrifice is a worthy pursuit. The philosophical basis for this view of the self and its relation to society goes back to the writings of Confucius who advocated a life of propriety in which being dutiful, obedient, and loyal to one's group takes precedence over the desires of the individual selves that make up the group. I argue that this philosophical perspective poses formidable challenges to Japanese psychiatry (which accepts a contrary western perspective) because, as western psychiatry is based on the concept of autonomous individuality, the Japanese conceive of the self as socially embedded. Because suicide in Japan is viewed as a potentially honorable, virtuous, and even beautiful act of self–sacrifice expressing one's duty to one's group, the western perspective is quite foreign to the Japanese self–conceptual framework. Therefore, since Japanese psychiatry and law have embraced the western medical tradition of viewing suicide as a non–rational response to mental illness, which runs counter to the cultural view that suicide is a moral (and rational) act, I argue that western explanations of suicide present significant cross–cultural problems for Japanese psychiatry.
Research Section: The Potential Benefits of Outdoor Development for Children with Special Needs
Authors: Farnham Mary , Mutrie Nanette
Published: March 2003

Outdoor development programmes are used by mainstream and special educational schools as they contribute to a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum emphasising an action approach towards learning. This research looked at the philosophy behind outdoor development and its potential to facilitate social and integration skills for children with special educational needs. Three common outcomes of outdoor development programmes (group cohesion, tension/anxiety levels and physical self‐perception) were examined with qualitative and quantitative methodology. 19 subjects were involved who volunteered to go to the outdoor centre for four days.
Stereotyped Behaviours: How Should We Think About Them?
Authors: Murdoch Heather
Published: March 2003

Heather Murdoch, Lecturer in Special Education at the University of Birmingham, suggests that the repetitive or stereotyped behaviours displayed by many severely disabled children, and which often cause concern to parents and educators, may be used as part of an educational development programme. This programme might focus on developing the child's social and/or exploratory skills, depending on the behaviours shown and the individual's perceived educational priorities.
Sustaining the Family: Meeting the Needs of Families of Children with Disabilities
Authors: Carpenter Barry
Published: March 2003

A dramatic rise in the survival rates of children born with disabilities (particularly those born prematurely) has been reported in the last decade. The nature of their disabilities is, at times, significantly different from that previously reported, posing problems for the families attempting to nurture the development of these children. Barry Carpenter, Chief Executive of Sunfield, considers the needs of the self‐defining family, the implications for interdisciplinary practice, and the changing pattern of early childhood disability. He asks a fundamental question: ‘How can professionals sustain the family of a child with disabilities?'
Sensory training and special education — can practice make perfect?
Authors: Moore David
Published: March 2003

Sensory training, based on the latest research findings in neuroscience and perceptual psychology, is beginning to make a significant impact on practice in the treatment of language impairments. This training has three novel aims: the stimuli are designed to engage and develop specific brain processing modules; the training task difficulty is dynamically modulated, leading to the most efficient learning for an individual; and the tasks are presented as highly motivating computer games to encourage the long periods of training that result in optimal learning. The published results are impressive, with improvements averaging two years in language age following four weeks of intensive training. In this article, David Moore, Professor of Auditory Neuroscience at the University Laboratory of Physiology in Oxford and Chief Technology Officer for Mind Weavers Ltd at the Oxford Centre for Innovation, explores the research leading to these initiatives. While the mechanisms of the training remain controversial, it seems likely that, in the future, automated training of this type will make a major impact on practice in special education and in many other fields.
Parents reviewing Annual Reviews
Authors: Jones Phyllis , Swain John
Published: March 2003

In this article, Phyllis Jones and John Swain examine parents' perceptions of their involvement in the process of Annual Review for pupils with Statements of SEN. They report that they conducted a small‐scale research project with parents who had experience in a variety of schools, including both special and mainstream. A questionnaire and recorded discussions in two groups were used in order to gather data from parents. The experiences of these parents suggest that, while their views might be valued in principle, they can be devalued in practice. The authors go on to suggest key processes in facilitating the realisation of the principles of Annual Review in practice.
Macbeth: a poetry workshop on stage at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Authors: Park Keith
Published: March 2003

Keith Park, advisory teacher for Sense in the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham, has written a series of articles focused on the relationship between communication and access to literature for pupils with learning difficulties. In this article, he turns his attention to poetry. He explores the notion that all of us, to some extent, respond to great works of literature affectively. He describes his use of works by T. S. Eliot, James Joyce and Shakespeare in interactive and experiential sessions with pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties. In closing this article, Keith Park provides a case study in assessment by evaluating the responses of one student and showing how the Shakespeare workshop enabled her to become an active learner.
SENCos: SENCos Sharing Questions and Solutions: How to Make a More Convenient Phone Call
Authors: Wedell Klaus , Stevens Chris , Waller Terry , Matheson Lydia
Published: March 2003

Klaus Wedell, a project consultant, and members of the Special Educational Needs Co‐ordinator (SENCo) Project at the National Council for Educational Technology (NCET), Chris Stevens (Manager for Special Needs), Terry Waller (Senior Project Officer) and Lydia Matheson (Information Officer) report on the initial findings of the Project.
Towards inclusion — our shared responsibility for disaffected pupils
Authors: MacLeod Fiona
Published: March 2003

Finding ways of successfully including pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties in mainstream schools remains a significant challenge as we move towards a more inclusive future. In this article, Fiona MacLeod, Upper School Co‐ordinator at Willow Grove School, a special school for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties in Wigan, describes a pilot project designed to promote the reintegration of pupils at transfer to the secondary phase of their education.

She reports on a series of successful placements and discusses the factors that may have helped to sustain the inclusion of some of the pupils in her pilot group. The work described in this article was undertaken as part of the author’s MA (special educational needs) programme at Lancaster University.
Instructional Design Issues for Electronic Performance Support Systems
Authors: Milheim William
Published: March 2003

Electronic performance support systems are becoming a significant software resource in many corporate organisations due to their potential to improve human performance while decreasing the time required for users to obtain information or instruction. While these software tools are extremely powerful, they must include highly effective individual components and a powerful, yet intuitive, human–computer interface. The present article summarises and reviews instructional design issues for these increasingly popular software tools and provides suggestions for developing an effective electronic performance support system for a given organisational setting.
An authoring and learning kit for digital electronics
Authors: Beltcheva Olga , Ponta Domenico , Da Bormida Giorgio
Published: March 2003

A multimedia component kit for digital electronics authoring and learning is presented. It is based on a sophisticated structuring mechanism and a flexible link management scheme. Components available on the Internet facilitate sharing and reuse of educational software during the authoring process, make possible the support of all phases of the learning process, and allow students to achieve their desired depth of understanding. Emphasis is put on the implementation of a great number of components based on simulation and animation that provide a high level of interactivity and allow some presentation difficulties inherent in the subject to be overcome. An analysis of the impact of using the kit for authoring and learning is currently being performed.
Situating Cognition and Crossing Borders: Resisting the Hegemony of Mediated Education
Authors: Lauzon Allan C.
Published: March 2003

Advances in technology coupled with a changing social, political and economic climate is seeing a proliferation in the growth of mediated education. Recognizing that mediated education and the application of various technologies in mediated education is constructed from a particular cultural perspective, this paper proposes to challenge this perspective, arguing that we need to develop heuristic frameworks that help us think of meeting the needs of a culturally diversified population. Using the concept of communities of practice as an analytical lens it begins by making explicit the origins of mediated education and the implications this has had for culturally marginalized peoples. Arguing that mediated education, as it is constructed, is a form of neo‐colonialism, it proposes to examine mediated education within the context Giroux's concept of border crossings. Implications for application are then explored.
Semiotics as a basis for educational software design
Authors: Luiz de Oliveira Osvaldo , Baranauskas Maria Cecília Calani
Published: March 2003

Semiotics has recently been used to support formalisms for software design. On the other hand, every program has a certain educational potential as it exposes the user to a world of entities with which to interact. In this paper, we present a group of semiotic principles for software design and use them to show how they explain different educational possibilities. Our approach is illustrated by Theatre in the Computer: a software environment for children to experience the theatre.
Computers and the thought‐producing self of the young child
Authors: Fomichova Olga , Fomichov Vladimir
Published: March 2003

This paper extends a new, informational‐based cybernetic conception of the early development of child consciousness. A solution is suggested to the fundamental problem of formulating and creating the optimal cognitive preconditions of successful child‐computer interaction. Some negative aspects of using intelligent computer and communications technology at school and in everyday life are analyzed. The concept of the ‘Thought‐Producing Self’ of the child is introduced. A way of realizing the ‘Thought‐Producing Self’ of average 7‐9 year olds is outlined. The key idea is the early development of children's symbolic information processing skills. The first element is natural‐language‐processing abilities. The suggested approach has been successfully used during more than 9 years of teaching more than 360 4‐19 year old pupils in languages (mainly English and also Russian), literature, poetry, and art. Underpinning this approach are the Theory of Dynamic Conceptual Mappings (the DCM theory) and the System of Emotional‐Imaginative Teaching. The DCM theory is based upon ideas drawn from Artificial Intelligence (mainly), Philosophy of Language, Cognitive Science and Semiotics.
The design and evaluation of Link: A computer‐based learning system for correlation
Authors: Morris Erica
Published: March 2003

This paper describes the design and evaluation of a computer‐assisted learning program called Link, which was designed to be used by psychology students to review their understanding of correlation. Unlike existing computer‐assisted learning programs that were reviewed, Link makes use of data from authentic research studies in psychology and provides learner activities that are specifically designed to address students' misconceptions about correlation. A summative evaluation study of Link involving fifty psychology students was carried out to assess the effect on students' understanding of correlation. It was found that the use of Link significantly contributed to students' general understanding of correlation. However, it was found that students use of paper‐based instructional materials could also achieve this. The implication of this research outcome is considered in relation to the design and use of computer‐assisted learning applications for statistics in higher education.
A study of the effects of video tape recording in microteaching training
Authors: Kpanja Edward
Published: March 2003

The study investigated, in a Nigerian setting, whether the use of videotape recordings is an effective method of teacher education prior to full‐time teaching. Two groups of students were used for study. The first group was allowed to practice the skills through micro‐teaching with the aid of video recording equipment. The second group practiced their own skills through micro‐teaching but without the aid of video recording equipment. At the end of the study it was discovered that the group which used the video recording equipment had more significant progress in the mastery of teaching skills.