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Forensic expert evidence: research approaches to judicial, juror, and lawyer decision-making
No full textIn the United States, forensic experts routinely testify in legal proceedings to help solve crime. In doing so, forensic experts interact with key legal actors. Judges will determine the admissibility of the expert’s evidence, deliver jury instructions, and decide appeals. Lawyers will present and challenge the expert evidence, and jurors will weigh the evidence as part of determining a verdict. In this space, advances in DNA testing have led to concerns about the reliability of expert opinions concerning forensic comparison techniques like fingerprint and firearm analysis, which have served the criminal justice system for decades. The National Academy of Sciences has reported on these concerns, including the limitations of judges, lawyers, and jurors when it comes to understanding forensic science evidence. Against this backdrop, this chapter shares three research approaches developed by the authors to deepen understanding of judicial, juror, and lawyer decision-making about forensic science in context. It concludes with ideas for future research, including the relevance of these approaches to legal debates in England and Wales, Canada, and Australia
“We Only Have to Draw”: unearthing parallels between Xenakis and Oram in the design of KlangPad, a learner-focused graphic-composition tool
No full textLeveraging diaspora finance for inclusive and sustainable rural entrepreneurship in the Indian Punjab
No full textDiaspora finance has been studied extensively for fostering inclusive economic participation, supporting innovation and value addition. The extent and seminal literature indirectly present diaspora finance as an informal source of finance for the families and relatives of the diasporan population. There is extensive research on the flow of diaspora remittances to the home country, but less is known about the utilisation of diaspora funds as a formally organised alternative financing source for promoting entrepreneurship, especially rural entrepreneurship and farming. However, the use of diaspora finance in rural entrepreneurship in the Indian Punjab is amiss. Therefore, this chapter reaches out to explores the linkages between diaspora finance and rural entrepreneurship by analysing the challenges and opportunities of utilising formally organised diaspora finance to promote rural entrepreneurship in the Indian Punjab. Using the qualitative approach, the findings suggest that remittances and transnational philanthropy provide critical financial resources that supplement inadequate domestic funding, especially in rural areas where formal financial services are limited. An innovative conceptual framework has been developed to conceptualise the utilisation of diaspora finance for empowering rural entrepreneurship to foster economic growth. The conceptual framework provides the context and explains the factors that inhibit the Punjabi diaspora's large-scale engagement in rural entrepreneurship and farming specifically. This study advances the understanding of the underutilisation of diaspora finance for rural entrepreneurship in the Indian Punjab. It emphasises the need for a supportive policy framework to leverage diaspora finance for sustainable rural entrepreneurship, inclusive growth and reducing rural-urban disparities
Urban Shakespeare: Civic and Public Art in England's Second City
No full textWidely regarded as England’s second city, Birmingham is just thirty miles north of William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. As one enters the ceremonial county of Warwickshire in the West Midlands region where Birmingham lies, the road sign welcomes people to “Shakespeare’s county.” Yet, beyond the small market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the industrial city of Birmingham boasts a long, fascinating, and often overlooked history with Shakespeare
Streaming feminism? South Asian TV series by/about women
No full textFilms and TV series by and/or about women are among the most widely circulated content within South Asia. This is not a coincidence. The global expansion of VOD since the 2010s has coincided with the rise of a new global wave of militant feminism. Drawing on a long history of regional and intersectional alliances, in India and other South Asian countries the new feminist generation has been one of the most vociferous opponents of increasingly repressive forms of state power and socio-political control. ‘What a woman can and cannot do’ continues to be one of the most threaded discursive terrains over which national and regional politics are debated. And VOD-circulated TV series by and/or about women today fuel those debates.
And yet within the film industries of South Asia the rate of creative positions held by women barely reaches 10 percent. Corporate VOD platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Zee5 claim to promote women's access to the industry, but these claims remain unsubstantiated. To date no research exists on the impact of VOD on women’s access to creative roles or the percentage of content by women in VODs' libraries.
Taking off from the findings of the AHRC-funded South Asian Cinema and VOD Research Network (http://southasiavod.com/), this chapter asks: are the new forms of cultural exchange enabled by VOD entirely mediated by VOD companies? Can they be channels of transnational feminist dialogue, exchanges that are taking place across the region, below the radar of corporate interests and state control? By examining the circulation and aesthetics of a range of women-centred South Asian VOD series, the author considers how women filmmakers are moving within this new landscape, and how the pressures and opportunities that characterise it shape the VOD content they make
What are the functions of daily prayers?
No full textṢalāt, the daily obligatory prayers, according to Muslims, is the most regular form of worship and a highly praised pillar of faith leading to salvation
Strategies for preventing and controlling overweight and obesity among high school students in Kiribati
Full text linkIntroduction
Overweight and obesity are rising concerns particularly in Pacific Island Countries (PICs) where healthcare capacity is limited. However, limited studies have explored school-based prevention strategies in Kiribati. This study aims to identify effective strategies for preventing and controlling overweight and obesity among senior high school students in Kiribati, including curriculum and policy changes, nutrition education, and exercise interventions.
Methods
This mixed-methods study employed a prospective observational approach across four randomly selected senior high schools in South Tarawa, Kiribati from August to November 2020. Purposive sampling was used to select study participants. A total of 32 students (aged 13–19) and 20 School Committee Members (SCMs) participated in semi-structured interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Qualitative Data were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analysis were conducted to determine associations between student behaviors and overweight/obesity prevalence. Measures were taken to reduce selection bias, including stratified sampling based on school size and student demographics.
Results
None of the schools had physical education or nutritional health courses in their curriculum. Unhealthy dietary patterns, insufficient physical activity, and substance use (kava, alcohol, and tobacco) were prevalent among students. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in overweight and obesity prevalence among the four schools ( p = 0.04), with students from central and western schools exhibiting higher obesity rates. Meal skipping (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.21–4.97, p0.03) and low sports involvement (OR = 3.12, 95% CI: 1.45–6.73, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with overweight and obesity. SCMs reported policy gaps and lack of implementation regarding student health and nutrition.
Conclusion
The absence of structured physical education, inadequate health policies, and poor implementation contribute to overweight and obesity among high school students in Kiribati. Policy revisions, curriculum integration of health education, and school-based intervention programs are necessary to address these issues. Furthermore, regional differences in school environments should be considered when designing interventions
Digital Musical Lives
No full textThis chapter considers music technology from the perspective of young people, both inside and outside the classroom. It positions music technology within the role of the contemporary classroom music teacher and theorises these approaches within frameworks of critical pedagogy and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) model. The chapter discusses the multi-modal nature of digital technologies in schools, and considers how music technology can feature in musical interactions beyond the music classroom and across a school community. The place of digital technologies in young people’s musical development, and pedagogies to facilitate and enable this learning, are also addressed. The chapter concludes by considering how to develop digital thinking in a field which is constantly changing and developing, thereby equipping music teachers to be responsive and reflective practitioners
Efficacies of Process and REACH Therapeutic Models on Forgiveness of Counsellor Trainees
Full text linkObjectives
People who have learnt how to forgive others tend to be better forgiveness counsellors. This study delves into the effectiveness of the Process and REACH therapeutic models on forgiveness for counsellor trainees.
Methods
The researchers used the sequential explanatory mixed method model, which involved the use of a questionnaire and interview guide to gather data for the study. The research design of the study was quasi‐experimental and an interview. Two hypotheses and one research question were formulated to guide the study. The population of the study consisted of graduate students from three Ghanaian universities, totalling 80 individuals. They comprised 34 males and 46 females. Sampling techniques that were used for both the quantitative and qualitative aspects were simple random sampling and purposive sampling, respectively. The Enright Forgiveness Inventory was used to collect pre‐ and post‐test data. For the quantitative aspect, the data were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). For the qualitative aspect, data reduction technique and content analysis were used to analyse the data.
Results
The study revealed that the Process and REACH therapeutic models had significant positive effects on forgiveness among participants. However, there was no significant difference in the forgiveness level of participants on the basis of gender.
Recommendations
Based on these findings, it is recommended that professional counsellors and psychologists should consider these two therapies as alternatives to improving forgiveness levels in their clients' lives