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How to describe, reliably and effectively, the quality of a continuous stream is a problem facing many companies in the chemical industry. The average quality estimated from an average of individual test sample values is most useful if its distribution is known or can be estimated. A simple extension of the Central Limit Theorem is given that provides a means of estimating the distribution which, when coupled with the variogram method of variance estimation of Saunders et al., enables the calculation of probabilities of closeness of lot mean to the nominal value. The result “sits well” with the current emphasis being placed on the importance of “conformance to target”.

Some aspects of the current dilemma facing much of Australia′s manufacturing industry during the present recession are examined. Despite the wave of quality awareness that is permeating education and industry, progress is still limited. The joint issues of solving fundamental human problems and a discerning approach to the use of statistical techniques are highlighted as important in helping Australian industry become more competitive.

Much emphasis in recent years has been placed on evaluating product quality by use of the C⊂p and C⊂pk indices. These capability indices, particularly the latter, have much appeal as they seemingly wrap up quality into the calculation of a single number. The purpose of this article is to explain the statistical essentials involved in using the C⊂p and C⊂pk indices to assess product quality. Having discussed confidence intervals, definitions and provided some quantitative results, caution is urged in using these indices in practice. Some practical suggestions provide a climax.

Increasing participation in public service issues is a central theme in New Labour’s “modernisation” programme. This concerns service delivery issues but also connects to a broader concern for “democratic renewal”. Underpinning this is New Labour’s continuation of the attempt to re‐shape and redefine the welfare state by the construction of “active citizens”. Active choice is a central theme of the “third way”, which requires that governments recognise the need for reflexive citizens to secure “ontological security” through choice. New Labour then attempts to secure social cohesion by a communitarian appeal to duty and responsibility, central themes in its re‐structuring of welfare services. This exhortation to participate can be seen as a “technology of government”, and, drawing on the Foucauldian concept of “governmentality”, we can see how it is an attempt to “make up” citizens who “take responsibility for themselves”, allowing the government to “control at a distance”.

A key concern in debates about local government structure has centred around the competing claims for democracy, usually seen to require small units based on recognised communities of interest, and those of administrative efficiency or the instrumental requirements of the centre, usually seen to require larger units which can encompass socio‐geographical change and the functional requirements of large‐scale welfare provision. Britain provides perhaps the best example of this issue being settled in favour of the latter claim with structure being designed to reflect changing patterns of economic interaction between people and the technical requirements of service delivery. Although the various recommended changes in structure have recognised the importance of a sense of community to local government the dominant considerations have been those of economic rationality and the scale required for the delivery of services. Thus local government structure has been determined by functional requirement, with the economic welfare of communities being equated to total welfare. The adoption of a postmodernist stance however, provides the opportunity to reintroduce the concept of spiritual community and for claiming that the maximisation of economic welfare is not necessarily the same as the maximisation of total welfare. Postmodernist arguments are used in this paper to suggest local government structures which contain units of varying sizes. To define community in terms of welfare maximisation in this way would allow the combination of economic, social, physiological and psychological welfare. It is argued that such a definition would help the development of a local government structure which is not purely instrumental but which also promotes ownership and involvement. This approach is equally applicable not only where an instrumental attitude has prevailed, but also allows for the potential to re‐define “traditional” community bases for Local Government.

Climate change is happening now. Climate-induced disasters are occurring in the Asia Pacific region, where a distinctly increasing trend has been observed in recent decades. This shows that the region is the most disaster prone, compared with other parts of the world. Studies on the causes of disaster in many affected regions suggest that in a typical disaster, cities with high population density see increases in mortality and number of people affected. Increased economic losses within the region are also inevitable. In most Asian countries, 65–90% of economic activities are concentrated in urban areas. Estimates indicate that two out of three people on the earth will live in urban areas by the year 2030. Unless appropriate measures are taken in these urban communities, disaster incidents will continue to increase. Urban communities are a main player to confront this increasing trend of climate-induced disasters.

Findings regarding the relationship between biological sex and job stress remain inconsistent. In the present chapter, we suggest that this is due to the overly simplistic and synonymous treatment of biological sex and gender. Specifically, researchers have operationalized gender as sex, neglecting the inherent complexity of the gender construct. To address this, we take a more nuanced approach and develop a theory around the effects of biological sex and gender on job stress, considering how sex, gender, sex-based prescribed gender roles and work roles interact to create role conflict. We predict that a lack of congruence between any of the aforementioned variables results in various types of role conflict, leading to stress, and requiring coping. Drawing on the literature on role conflict, emotional labor, and facades of conformity, we introduce the concept of gender façades as a coping mechanism. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

We start from the assertion that the concept of “global citizenship” is neither simple nor stable. Rather, it is a contentious idea that is often uncritically based upon assumptions of the “global” and “citizenship” as positives. In geography, however, the “global” and how it relates to the idea of the “local” is a complex and debated concept. Drawing upon critical geographic theories of scale, we suggest that the concept of global citizenship should be thoroughly interrogated to understand its problems and paradoxes as well as its possibilities. In this chapter, we offer one such interrogation grounded in the experiences of designing and implementing the Parks and People experience. We identify tensions within the program such as how to sell the program, how to navigate between individual and group experiences, and how to simultaneously support one-time encounters and ongoing relationships. In exploring these tensions, we demonstrate how the everyday practices of “global citizenship” are enmeshed in uneven geographies of privilege. We suggest that our goal should not be to separate ourselves from such inequality, but, rather, to face the complexities of the relationships we are trying to foster in the name of promoting social justice.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of a couple‐level shared identity as forming the basis for the development of dual‐career couples' strategies regarding involvement in work and family roles. A model is developed that is intended to help researchers in this area conceptualize the relationship between career choices and career progression between members of a dual career couple. Examining career development at the couple‐level extends one's understanding of how the decisions made by one member of the dyad influence the career of the other.

In order to develop this model, the theories of cognitive interdependence and gender role ideology are examined and applied to the formation of a shared identity.

Development of the model, as well as a review of the extant literature, revealed that career decisions in dual career couples are made at the level of the dyad.

The findings demonstrate that organizations cannot view their employees in isolation, but that important transitions such as relocation, and taking on more responsibility are decisions that increasingly are made at the couple level. Employers may need to consider the dyad when offering career advancement opportunities and when implementing work‐life balance programs.

The career progression of one member has implications for the other. Therefore, it is insufficient for an individual to have a career in isolation when the individual is part of a dual career couple. Examination of career at the dyad level will advance one's knowledge of how careers unfold.

The purpose of this paper is to understand young children’s knowledge of visual literacy elements as well as their ability to comprehend newly introduced visual literacy concepts. The study also examined existing support for visual literacy programs from parents and educators.

The study explored the knowledge of basic visual literacy elements of young children enrolled in two private schools in the New York City metropolitan area. The authors interviewed 17 children, aged four to six years old, about fine art paintings using a semi-structured interview format. Children’s responses were qualitatively analyzed to determine their initial level of visual literacy and their ability to learn and retain the concepts of visual literacy after receiving basic instruction. The children’s educators and parents completed online questionnaires that were quantitatively analyzed to determine their level of support for visual literacy programs.

The findings show that young children exhibited extensive knowledge of simple visual literacy elements (color, shape, line), and limited understanding of more abstract elements (perspective and salience). Children’s knowledge of visual elements improved after instruction. Parents and educators expressed support for incorporating visual literacy instruction in early childhood education.

The study relied on a sample of children and adults drawn from two private schools. The sample’s demographics might have affected study findings. More studies are needed using a larger and more diverse sample.

The study suggests that young children are ready to receive instruction on visual literacy elements using art images. Children reacted positively to the images and were engaged in the discussions about them, supporting the use of fine art paintings as an instrument to introduce visual literacy concepts to young children. Survey of children’s parents and teachers indicated strong interest in, and support for such programs.

With the increase of visual information production and consumption, it is important to introduce visual literacy early in life. The study advances research in methods for developing visual literacy instruction for young children.

There are no previously reported studies that have examined pre-kindergarten children’s knowledge of basic visual literacy elements and reactions to visual literacy instruction.