‘Contested knowledges’ and leisure studies provision

This paper discusses an initial exploration of some of the processes of leisure education. Focusing upon a level 2 module titled Gender, Difference and Leisure (GDL), which is concerned not only with developing knowledge but also critical reflection, it examines a number of interrelated emergent issues. These issues are concerned with formal and informal affects/outcomes of the provision of a module concerned with ‘contested knowledges’. The research examines a number of undergraduate student experiences of undertaking the module, which at times necessitated discussions of a sensitive or contentious nature. The majority of students undertaking this module were young men, many taking a sports specialization. The paper considers the module's impact upon students' perceptions. Rather than assessing students' experiences of the module in a quantitative manner, the research adopts a qualitative approach to interpreting students' understanding and experiences of the module content and its delivery, through the use of participant observation and interviews. Furthermore, it examines interactions in seminars, highlighting different perspectives on the relative significance of sex and ‘race’ issues. The problematic of the ‘silencing’ of ‘race’ and the strategies some students adopted to resist challenges to their gendered values and beliefs are examined. The findings show that making available ‘contested knowledge’ within a culture heavily steeped in masculinist, racist and positivistic discourses is difficult, beset with tensions and requires considerable sensitivity in approach and an awareness of current popular discourses.     

LOCAL AND STATEWIDE SMOKE‐FREE LAWS IN NEBRASKA: THE EFFECTS ON KENO ESTABLISHMENTS

This study examines how smoke‐free laws influence cross‐border keno shopping in Nebraska. We exploit smoke‐free law variation in timing and location to identify keno revenue gains and losses between neighboring smoke‐free and smoke‐friendly areas. We find the Lincoln municipal smoke‐free law reduced keno revenue by 23.5% in Lincoln and increased keno revenue by 30.0% in smoke‐friendly Surrounding Lincoln counties. The Omaha municipal smoke‐free law reduced keno revenue by 14.8% in Omaha and increased keno revenue by 7.1% in smoke‐friendly Surrounding Omaha counties. Following the Nebraska statewide law, no Nebraska areas had a smoke‐friendly advantage and keno revenue fell by an insignificant 1.0% and 5.2% in the surrounding Lincoln and Omaha counties, respectively. Our results may be of interest to local policy makers interested in understanding the amount of business activity and tax revenue that may be migrating out of a community or even the state. (JEL l18, K32)     

The Eurosystem, the U.S. Federal Reserve, and the Bank of Japan: Similarities and Differences

The paper provides a systematic comparison of the Eurosystem, the U.S. Federal Reserve, and the Bank of Japan. These monetary authorities exhibit somewhat different status and tasks, which reflect different historical conditions and national characteristics. However, widespread changes in central banking practices in the direction of greater independence and increased transparency, as well as changes in the economic and financial environment over the past 15–20 years, have contributed to reduce the differences among these three world's principal monetary authorities. A comparison based on simple "over-the-counter" policy reaction functions shows no striking differences in terms of monetary policy implementation.     

Empirical Estimates of Beta When Investors Face Estimation Risk

We examine empirical implications of models of differential information that formalize the following intuition: securities for which there is relatively little information are perceived as relatively more risky because of the greater uncertainty surrounding the exact parameters of their return distributions. The implication that beta risk for low information firms should decline as information increases is confirmed with several data sets. We find such a decline over the first several periods subsequent to initial public offerings and initial listings. There is also an abrupt risk decline at the first annual earnings announcement.     

中国“鬼镇”如何影响美国经济

正在房价高企的中国却出现了大量的闲置房,这些闲置房不但影响了中国经济,对世界经济也产生了不可估量的影响。你可以说这场危机起源于食品短缺。水果及谷物的高需求与供应短缺的矛盾使全球的食品价格创历史高位。在食品支出占支出总额40%的中东地区,食品价格上涨已经引发了政治动荡。动荡扩散至利比亚,催生原油危机导致国际油价大涨。印度、巴西正陷高油价、高铜价及商品通胀的烦恼中,债务危机阻碍欧洲经济增长,地震延缓了日本经济,美国经济要复苏还需打破更多壁垒。