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This paper examines the treatment of ontology offered by critical realism. It addresses much of the material elaborated upon in two editions of this journal. Three main groups of criticisms are made here of the critical realist treatment of open systems. It is argued that critical realism, particularly in the project in economics emanating from Cambridge, UK, tends to define systems in terms of events. This definition is shown to be problematic. The exemplar of a closed system provided by critical realism of the solar system is shown to be flawed in that it is not closed according to the closure conditions identified by critical realism. Second, the negativity of the definitions adopted is problematic for heterodox traditions attempting to build positive programmes. Furthermore, the dualism of the definitions is also inconsistent with Dow's approach, which has ramifications for the coherence of post Keynesianism. Third, the definitions tend to polarize open and closed systems and ignore the degrees of openness evident in reality. The polarization of systems leads to polarized methodology and unsustainable arguments to reject so-called “closed-systems methods.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on my own practice as a teacher educator at a university in the north-east of England and focuses on the effectiveness of dialogue as a tool for teaching the topic of socio-economic disadvantage in initial teacher education (ITE). The research was triggered by questions which had emerged within my work, about the compatibility of the liberal procedures of dialogic enquiry on the one hand, with the aims of critical teacher education on the other. Using critical realism as a theoretical framework, this article explores these tensions in a case study which follows dialogic enquiries across four consecutively taught groups of student-teachers. Results indicate that dialogic enquirycanbe used as a powerful tool in social justice teaching in ITE, but that critical teacher educators have a duty to support students in identifying false understandings and the workings of inequality. Neutrality on the part of the teacher educator and notions of equal validity of the students’ responses were thus found to be of secondary importance to the aims of social justice education. More widely, this article argues that critical realism can shed light on our understanding of the teaching of contentious and politically sensitive issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents trainees' 'flight turbulence' as they negotiate the complexities that lie between 'the self' and the securing of Early Years Teaching Status in England. Early Years Teachers, besides teaching, are expected to lead improvements to the quality of provision. However, drawing on interview data, an impasse is discerned where ideas meet instrumental policy in practice. Trainees are often unable to reshape the meeting of theory, policy and practice, and struggle in finding teaching approaches which they are comfortable with ethically. Drawing on Holland et al.'s concept of 'figured worlds', it is suggested that the development of theory-informed practice should not be seen as a solitary task for the student but as a dialogic though difficult conversation involving the student, university staff and placement practitioners. Dialogism is seen as requiring persistence but as offering opportunities for beginning early years' teachers, with support from teacher educators and experienced practitioners, to negotiate the challenging spaces between policy, theory and beliefs as they seek to construct, deconstruct and reconstruct ethical professional identities for themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand modelling plays a vital role in water resource management yet has rarely been critically reviewed. This paper adopts a critical realist framework for a historical analysis of demand modelling practices and their role in long-term water resource management in England and Wales from 1945 to 2010. It then focuses on recent domestic demand models in the English and Welsh private water sector. A critique of scientific realist assumptions regarding demand models is presented and the role of the current regulatory environment in encouraging a highly strategic use of demand models is discussed. Policy recommendations toward more effective modelling practices are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study had two objectives: (1) to explore which psychological skills (e.g., self-talk and imagery) and characteristics (e.g., motivation and focus) (PSCs) parents deemed important for their children's development, and (2) to investigate and understand the parental behaviours employed to support the growth or development of these PSCs. A nine-month qualitative study comprising observations of and semi-structured interviews with 15 parents of 11 British male elite youth tennis players (8-15 years of age) took place. Results suggested that parents were sceptical of the development of psychological skills due to (1) a perceived inability to support the development effectively, (2) a misconception of psychological skills, and (3) concerns about unnecessary pressure. Despite this, parents reported the use of four behaviours in an effort to develop psychological characteristics within their children, including (1) talking about valuable psychological characteristics, (2) intentionally creating learning opportunities, (3) enabling athletes to go the extra mile, and (4) fostering developmentally beneficial peer relationships. Although well intended, these behaviours were usually informed by intermittent self-education, sometimes resulting in unwanted consequences such as the establishment of performance-orientated climates. The results of this study add to the youth sport literature by providing insight into sport parents' perceptions of PSCs, as well as the behaviours they employed to support their children's psychological development. Additionally, it reinforces the need for more formalised parental education opportunities to support parents' positive involvement in their children's sporting lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical realism suggests that historical structures may operate as underlying generative mechanisms but not always be activated. This explains the near-absence of references to racism by black students with sickle cell disorder (SCD). Through case studies we show how latent mechanisms are not activated, and how social actors come to develop corporate agency. Themes discussed include:wider/historical racisms(carers' own experiences of overt racism at school);conscious actions(moving away from a school where racism was experienced);awareness of anticipatory retaliation(multiculturalism as a form of societal inoculation against accusations of racism);naming racism as an emergent strategy(when communal discussions enable multiple negative experiences to be framed and named as racism); and‘passing’(not ostensibly experiencing racism if one is sufficiently light-skinned). Critical realism suggests how racism may be structuring the experiences of students with SCD at school even in the absence of specific accounts by young people. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent years a group of researchers at Cambridge (UK) have (re)introduced conceptions of open and closed systems into economics. In doing so they have employed these categories in ways that, in my assessment, both facilitate a significant critique of current disciplinary practices and also point to more fruitful ways of proceeding. In an issue of this journal, Andrew Mearman has advanced three criticisms of the Cambridge position which, if valid, would seriously undermine this assessment. Below I defend the Cambridge position against Mearman's criticisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]