Sarah Barnard

‘Celebrate humanity’ or ‘consumers?’: A critical evaluation of a brand in motion

The Olympics is a global event that acts as a carrier of cultural meanings and identities that are available to international audiences and markets. Our wider project examining the Athens Olympic Games seeks to investigate how such meanings are re-represented, distributed, and marketed by the media-sport complex. Here, we investigate how the initial formulation, development and use of the ‘Celebrate Humanity’ programme was framed by the IOC marketing department as a way both to deflect criticism of the IOC and as one means by which to provide ‘added-value’ to TOP sponsors. Attention is given to two main sources: IOC documents and interviews with personnel from TOP sponsors and representatives from their advertising agencies. Our conclusion is that this programme, and the wider Olympic movement, is characterized by a basic contradiction between the ideals of ‘Olympism’ and the realities of the modern Olympics in practice. The ‘message’ becomes embedded in a broader process of commerce whereby the media/marketing/advertising/corporate nexus is concerned less with the values underpinning Olympism per se and more with how such values can help build markets, construct and enhance brand awareness and create ‘glocal’ consumers/identities. ‘Celebrate Humanity’ is no exception.

Olympic Legacies in the IOC's ‘Celebrate Humanity’ Campaign: Ancient or Modern?

The Olympics is a global event that acts as a carrier of cultural meanings that are available to international audiences and markets. Though the heritage of the Olympics is claimed to be derived from the ancient world, in fact the contemporary legacy is very modern. Indeed, such meanings, and the legacy thereby attached, are re-represented, distributed, and marketed by a media-sport complex predicated less on the concept of arete and much more on a consumption ethos. Here, the initial formulation, development and use of the ‘Celebrate Humanity’ programme is investigated. The programme was framed by the IOC marketing department as a way both to deflect criticism of the IOC and as one means by which to provide ‘added-value’ to the Olympic Partner (TOP) programme sponsors. This programme, and the wider Olympic movement, highlights the basic contradiction between the ideals of ‘Olympism’ and the realities of the modern Olympics in practice. The ‘legacy’ of the modern games is consumption. The legacy ‘message’ becomes embedded in a broader process of commerce whereby the media/marketing/advertising/corporate nexus is concerned less with the values underpinning Olympism per se and more with how such values can help build markets, construct and enhance brand awareness, and create ‘glocal’ consumers/identities. Celebrate Humanity is no exception.

‘They're not girly girls’: an exploration of quantitative and qualitative data on engineering and gender in higher education

Despite sustained efforts to promote engineering careers to young women, it remains the most male-dominated academic discipline in Europe. This paper will provide an overview of UK data and research on women in engineering higher education, within the context of Europe. Comparisons between data from European countries representing various regions of Europe will highlight key differences and similarities between these nations in terms of women in engineering. Also, drawing on qualitative research the paper will explore UK students’ experiences of gender, with a particular focus on the decision to study engineering and their experiences in higher education.

Interdisciplinary content, contestations of knowledge and informational transparency in engineering curriculum

With the introduction of key information sets (KIS) for all university programmes in the UK from 2012, the character, content and delivery of university degrees may be increasingly used by potential students to differentiate between degree programmes. Therefore, developments in curricula and the relationship to the profession are of growing importance. In this paper, we explore the role of programme content in prospective students’ decision-making and describe the prevalence of interdisciplinary content in civil engineering curricula. Following this, we detail student perceptions of interdisciplinary content. It is found that universities currently operate a varied approach to transparency regarding curriculum; students pay little attention to programme content before embarking on their chosen degree; and engineering students view interdisciplinary content in the curriculum with ambivalence, usually ascribing its necessity in the preparation for post-university employment.

Enhancing skills of academic researchers: The development of a participatory threefold peer learning model

ABSTRACT In this article, we introduce a threefold peer learning model developed during the design and implementation of an innovative researcher-led digital skills training programme for early career researchers. The programme brought together researchers from three UK universities and facilitated the personal and professional development of: (1) the researchers who organised the programme; (2) the researchers who designed and delivered content; (3) the researchers who attended and participated in the digital skills workshops. This article outlines and reflects on its participatory approach to collaborative learning, which responded to the changing needs of UK higher education researchers who increasingly find themselves in interdisciplinary and digitally mediated research contexts. Finally, we propose the transferability of the approach to other fields of knowledge, student/staff learning and professional development.

The Athena SWAN Charter: Promoting Commitment to Gender Equality in Higher Education Institutions in the UK

The chapter provides an overview of the Athena Scientific Women’s Academic Network (SWAN) Charter, how it has been adopted across a selection of different institutions in the UK, the impact it has had so far, with a reflection on what it means in practice for an institution aiming to address gender equality. It draws on an analysis of Gold Award Departments and a case study university to explore what is required to engage with the Charter and what is considered good practice. The chapter offers an insight into a very influential scheme to address gender equality in higher education institutions in the UK that has relevance to policy makers with an interest in promoting commitment to gender equality.

Women in Engineering in the UK

Despite sustained efforts to promote engineering careers to young women it remains the most male dominated academic discipline. This paper will provide an overview of UK data and research on women studying engineering in higher education, within the context of Europe. Reporting on preliminary findings of a EUfunded project we will discuss how gender inclusion is being addressed in the UK alongside engineering curriculum development and innovation, and how research on engineering in education is framed in economic or utilitarian, rather than genderequality, terms. We suggest that the current climate of curriculum innovation is an ideal time to emphasise the importance of gender inclusivity in what is traditionally a male subject area in order to promote a culture of equality and inclusion in engineering at higher education institutions.