Manfred Brath, Jon Petersen, Stefan A. Buehler
et al.
Abstract Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator (ARTS) is an open source general purpose radiative transfer model used for a wide range of applications from remote sensing to the interaction of climate and radiation. In the past, it was confined to the microwave and infrared spectral range, as ARTS could not simulate the interaction of solar radiation in the atmosphere. Here we close this gap and extend ARTS to the shortwave range. We introduce a solar source that can be used as a collimated beam source and as background source allowing to resolve the finite solar disc. Additionally, we implemented a new clear sky solver that supports collimated beam sources and solar background sources, and updated the ARTS DISORT interface to utilize DISORT's capability for collimated beam sources. This allows consistent line‐by‐line radiative transfer simulations from the microwave to the ultraviolet range with ARTS. We evaluated the shortwave capabilities of ARTS by comparing it with LBLRTM for clear sky simulations. The root mean square deviation between them is 0.70 Wm−2 for the upward flux at top of the atmosphere and 0.66 Wm−2 for the downward flux at the surface. Simulations of a sunrise as seen from space, of satellite observations and of full spectrum all sky radiative flux illustrate the new capabilities. With the new features, ARTS can be used for a wide range of new applications.
The purpose of this paper is to historically clarify the relationship between liberal arts and basic disciplines, thereby revealing the limitations of basic disciplines within the the disciplinary system, and to establish the role of liberal arts within those limitations from the perspectives of research and education. Securing the academic legitimacy of liberal arts and Sciences(LAS) extends beyond merely improving liberal arts programs. it is directly linked to the task of reconfiguring the entire academic structure within the university. However, today's liberal arts education is disproportionately focused on teaching and lacks a robust research foundation, leading to persistent questions about its status and identity as an academic discipline. Therefore, reconstructing the relationship between liberal arts and basic disciplines is a core task for overcoming these structural limitations and enhancing the academic standing of LAS.Since the modern era, the humanities have gradually lost their function of fostering integrated human development as they shifted to a specialized, discipline-centered research system. Overwhelmed by research-oriented culture and pragmatism, they became marginalized into monumentalized scholarly discourse, while the educational foundation for realizing humanistic values also weakened. Social sciences became compartmentalized in response to modern state formation and practical demands, yet they faced criticism for becoming mired in state ideology, positivism, and scientism. This led to an inability to fully explain the complexity of human behavior and the totality of social structures, subordinating them to instrumental rationality. Natural science accumulated academic expertise by transitioning from the integrated cognitive system of the Quadrivium to specialized disciplines, yet this gave rise to problems of interdisciplinary fragmentation and the reduction of science's ethical implications. All three domains reveal structural limitations within the institutional framework of specialized disciplines, weakening interdisciplinary connectivity and social accountability, making it difficult to address today's complex problems. The reason we must establish liberal studies in humanities, liberal studies in social sciences, and liberal studies in natural sciences as new forms of the liberal arts is precisely to overcome these limitations.Liberal arts as an academic discipline must transcend the existing framework centered on education and establish itself as an integrated discipline anchored in the mission of research which pursues truth and the mission of education which is based on the transmission of knowledge. LAS must be established as a discipline that encompasses both the theoretical aspect of building cross-disciplinary achievements in foundational studies and the practical aspect of pursuing human self-formation—a discipline that combines academic excellence with humanity. This, ultimately, represents the path through which the liberal arts can secure their sustainability as an “old future”
Contemporary global crises reveal the limitations of classical civilization theories that privilege single causal dimensions such as economic growth, military power, or cultural ethos. Drawing on recent scholarship in complexity science, global political theory, and civilizational studies, this article proposes a multi-layer systems framework that reconceptualizes civilizations as complex, adaptive, and emergent living systems. Through the interplay of material, cognitive, spiritual-ethical, ecological, and technological layers, civilizations exhibit civilizational intelligence—an emergent capacity for integrative foresight, ethical governance, and adaptive resilience. Unlike deterministic or power-centric models, this framework explains both continuity and breakdown across civilizations while providing prescriptive insights for sustainable and pluriversal futures. Comparative examples and recent empirical research illustrate how inter-layer coherence fosters resilience, whereas misalignment leads to systemic fragility, offering a paradigmatic platform for new civilizational science.
This study highlights the necessity and proposes the direction for innovation in liberal arts education within the context of implementing the Undeclared Major Enrollment Policy, emphasizing the development and management of an integrated liberal arts curriculum. To ensure the successful institutionalization of this system, which aims to expand students’ autonomy in choosing their majors and cultivate creative and interdisciplinary talents in the era of the “Big Blur”, universities must address the key questions of what to teach and how to teach incoming students without a declared major or those enrolled in undeclared major departments. Additionally, they must define a clear identity and role for these undeclared major departments. Without such efforts, the Undeclared Major Enrollment Policy risks devolving into nothing more than a system of deferred major declaration. Building upon this recognition of the issue, this study develops an integrated liberal arts curriculum as a distinct academic framework tailored for students admitted under the Undeclared Major Enrollment Policy within the Liberal (Interdisciplinary) Studies Department. Chapter 2 outlines the curriculum design framework, whereas Chapter 3 examines its implementation and associated teaching methodologies
Accessing clean and pure water is a crisis for women and families all over the world. Without the proper resources to receive water can lead to the fatality of women and their families. This paper explores water scarcity and household coping mechanisms to water scarcity with special reference to women households in Chidothe village. It identifies the sources of water in Chidothe village, understands the challenges faced by women in fetching water and explores household coping mechanisms to water scarcity with the purpose of raising awareness to the community’s situation. Although the water supply system was expanded in 2001, many areas including Chidothe village are still experiencing water problems. In the past years’ researchers and policy makers have focused on improving the performance of water utility infrastructure in order to eliminate this threat. However, little efforts have been made to understand social issues to water shortage and how people respond to them. Data gathering methods were individual interviews and focus group discussions. All interviews were audio recorded. The data was processed manually and analyzed thematically. The results were analyzed through insights and arguments from Feminist Political Ecology (FPE). The study reveals that women and girls in Chidothe Village have a greater responsibility to fetch water, are facing challenges to access portable water such as lack of money to connect to tap water, the absence of water kiosks in the village further worsens the problem and circumstances force them to draw water from unsafe sources, hence, exposing themselves to diseases. The results imply that there is an urgent need to address water supply systems in order to prevent people from water borne diseases. The study concludes that there is need to incorporate women in decision making to articulate their concerns and interests at local level and also water aid stakeholders should use gender sensitive approaches when planning, designing and implementing water projects.
History of scholarship and learning. The humanities, Arts in general
: The value of performing arts is intangible and difficult to assess in a quantitative way. However, economic value assessment is particularly necessary considering the practical need for specific assessment indicators and operational measurement boundaries for benefit assessment in the cultural field. Broadway plays an important role in the cultural and economic of New York City. It not only provides high-quality cultural and entertainment activities, but also injects strong economic vitality into New York City, fully realizing the function of a venue with a holistic character of interaction between the cultural level and the economic level. The analysis of Broadway's annual report helps to enrich the dimension of understanding of the performing arts by the public funding sector, private patrons, and the general public, and also helps arts production organizations to realize their broad and deep value as sites of cultural participation from a quantitative perspective.
In order to improve liberal arts education in Korean universities, it is necessary to analyze the characteristics of European Liberal Arts & Science [LAS] programs. This is because LAS in Europe reflects the orientation of modern liberal arts education such as universal, academic, and contemporary property, and can supplement the limitations of the Korean liberal arts curriculum, which is heavily influenced by sub-disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of the European University College [UC]s’ Liberal Arts & Science model for undergraduate liberal arts education in Korean universities. To this end, text data of three European UCs and Amsterdam UC [AUC] were collected, preprocessed, and then analyzed using techniques such as frequency analysis, topic modeling, and a semantic network. By comparing the results of the frequency analysis, 14 common keywords were extracted and classified into universal (<i>social, human, public, development</i>), academic (<i>research, science, knowledge, skills, analysis</i>), and contemporary (<i>international, global, contemporary, data, economic</i>) orientation. In the structure of the semantic network, some keywords were assigned in several topics. As a result of analyzing 5 keywords of 8 topics in the course titled Data of AUC LAS, 18 of 226 courses included an Introduction. 11 of them are introductory courses of convergence and 7 are theme-oriented courses, which is different from the cases in Korea, which are mostly focused on introductory courses in sub-disciplines. Based on the analysis of texts of AUC LAS, this paper proposes three things: the introduction of a coordinator system and convergence courses, the strengthening of the role of advisors, and the development of teaching-learning methods. The results of these discussions based on text data analysis can be used to improve the standards of liberal arts education in Korea or to reorganize liberal arts education at each university. They can also be used as a reference when developing and managing educational programs such as in institutions dedicated to liberal arts education, university colleges, and departments for self-designing curriculum at Korean universities.
This study aims to improve the efficiency of learning by analyzing program development plans and field practice effects through college students' field practice projects in culture and arts education with the community based on the subject of ‘Understanding and Practicing Fields of Culture and Arts Education’ in liberal arts education at universities. It aims to elevate The subjects of the study were six students who took the liberal arts course of ‘Understanding and Practice in the Field of Culture and Arts Education’ at a four-year university located in S city. Class operation was conducted for 15 weeks, understanding and exploring the field of cultural arts education, preparation and planning for field practice, and field practice project. As for the research method, qualitative research was conducted through individual interviews and focus group interviews (FGI). As a result of the study, first, it confirmed that self-confidence was improved through the application of programs for field practice and case analysis in cultural arts education with the local community. Second, through cultural arts education field practice project activities, the study confirmed that students found their identity in the process of interaction and developed character. Third, it served as an opportunity to imprint the importance of arts and culture education, and helped them to have a vision for career and employment decision-making in the field of culture and arts education. The implication of this study is that college students were motivated to practice cultivating their character and instilling confidence in the development of cultural and arts programs. In addition, awareness of cultural arts education with the local community as a liberal arts education has increased, and interest in career and employment in the field of cultural arts education has increased. Therefore, it is considered that ‘understanding and practice of cultural arts education field’ in cultural arts education with the local community will be helpful as basic data for operating job competency liberal arts courses.
This study aims to determine how the college-authorities level variables such as the development, organization, operation, and facilities of liberal arts education affect students' satisfaction of liberal arts education courses through their class participation attitude and the degree of their competency improvement. For this purpose, a survey was conducted among students at a vocational college. The questionnaire covered of demand reflection, curriculum organization, course composition, teaching and learning and evaluation methods, support facilities, class participation attitude, perception of competency improvement, and satisfaction. To check the relationship between these variables, we examined the fitting and validity of the measurement model and structural model, and then analyzed them using the structural equation model. The results showed that teaching and learning and evaluation methods, support facilities, and perception of competency improvement were variables that directly affected student satisfaction of liberal arts education. At the same time, the results also showed that demand reflection, curriculum organization, course composition, and instructional attitude were indirectly affected. Teaching and learning, and assessment methods and support facilities, which are directly related to students, seem to have a relatively large impact on student satisfaction with liberal arts education. Nevertheless, in order to improve liberal arts education, more attention to its overall operation practices at the college-authorities level is necessary.
What is the effect of arts and psychomotor therapies, using art, dance, drama, music, movement and body awareness, in personality disorder treatment? This was explored by developing a treatment guideline based on a systematic review using the GRADE system within the context of the Dutch national multidisciplinary guidelines for treatment of personality disorders. Conclusions were formulated by a work group and based on the scientific substantiation and were integrated with other indications in the functioning of arts and psychomotor therapies in personality disorders. The first general search yielded 1,900 records which was brought back to 53 full-texts. Ultimately, 1 RCT and 2 pilot studies were included. Recommendations for treatment are that arts and psychomotor therapies are included in treatment, independent of age, sex or specific diagnostic characteristics. Arts and psychomotor therapies can be considered for purposes of coming into emotional contact with difficult aspects of patients and their experiences, to work on goals such as regulation of emotions, stress, identity/self-image, self-expression, mood/anxiety, relaxation, changing patterns and social functioning. Enlisting arts and psychomotor therapies for patients with a personality disorder is recommended because they value these therapies and perceive these to be effective. It could be considered to ask arts and psychomotor therapies to provide a contribution to the diagnostic process, to the problem analysis via observation and to determining treatment indication and treatment goals. More research is needed.
Recent research has indicated that many people around the world turned to artistic creative activities (ACAs) to support their mental health during COVID-19 lockdowns. However, studies have also shown that the negative psychosocial impacts of the pandemic have disproportionately affected young people, suggesting that the use of ACAs to support mental health in lockdown may have varied across age groups. This study investigated how Australians in four different age groups (18–24, 25–34, 35–54, and 55+) engaged in ACAs to support their mental health during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Participants (N = 653) recruited from the general public completed an online survey between May and October 2020, in which they reported which ACAs they had undertaken during the pandemic using an established list. Participants subsequently ranked undertaken ACAs in terms of effectiveness at making them “feel better,” and those who had engaged in musical ACAs also completed the Musical Engagement Questionnaire (MusEQ). Additionally, ratings of anxiety (GAD7) and depression (PHQ9) symptoms were obtained and examined for potential variations across four diverse variables: age, exercise, gender and state/territory of residence. ACA rankings showed that younger participants overwhelmingly rated musical activities as most effective, while, with the exception of singing, those aged 55+ rated non-musical activities as being most effective. These differences were further supported by ratings for all six MusEQ subscales, with responses strongly indicating that the youngest participants (aged 18–24) used music in significantly different ways during the pandemic than participants in all other age groups. Specifically, these youngest participants were more likely to integrate music into daily life, use music for emotion regulation, respond to music in embodied ways, and use music to perform a social identity. In line with prior research, further analyses indicated that symptoms of anxiety and depression were lessened for older participants, as well for those who reported exercising more during the lockdowns. These findings provide insight into how ACAs can support mental health during a pandemic crisis for specific age groups, which may inform future policy directions, and suggestions for how this can be done are provided.
The purpose of this study was to examine the demographic characteristics and music achievement of eighth-grade students in the United States using evidence from the 2016 National Assessment of Educational Progress in the Arts (NAEP). Analyzing NAEP data from a nationally representative sample of 4,340 eighth graders attending public and private middle schools in the United States in 2016, The author estimated enrollment percentages in various kinds of music classes and compared Music NAEP scores across various individual characteristics. Results showed that 64% of eighth graders enrolled in a school music class, with 34% of eighth graders enrolling in an ensemble class. Among ensemble students, there was underrepresentation of Black and Latinx students and underrepresentation of students of lower socioeconomic status. Students who were enrolled in general music and not an ensemble did not follow this pattern: Black and Latinx students and students of lower socioeconomic means were overrepresented among general music students. Controlling for contextual and demographic characteristics, ensemble music students significantly outscored nonmusic students on the Music NAEP, but students enrolled in general music as their only music course scored statistically indistinguishably from their nonmusic peers.
This paper explores the relationship between engagement in arts, culture and sport, and subjective well-being, contributing to our understanding of the leisure experience, and cultural value, of these activities. Ordered probit analysis of UK data from wave 2 (2010–2011) of Understanding Society provides evidence in support of a wide range of cultural goods generating positive leisure experience, reflected in overall (life, general happiness) and domain (leisure) satisfaction. Frequency of engagement is central to certain activities: only regular participation in arts activities and sport generates positive effects. In contrast, arts events are positive irrespective of frequency. The findings also indicate even less frequent engagement in activities exhibiting cultural characteristics, e.g. museums/historical sites, has positive association with satisfaction. Finally, although employment has a negative association with leisure satisfaction, engagement in leisure activities is not found to spillover into job satisfaction (with the exception of certain sports). This suggests individuals consider work and leisure (including quality of leisure time) separately.
Purpose: The main aim of the research was to analyse aggression dimensions among athletes practising martial arts and combat sports. Material and Methods: There were 219 respondents. The Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) in the Polish adaptation by Siekierka was applied. Results: Martial arts apprentices turned out to present a statistically significantly lower level of hostility (p < 0.001) and of the general aggression index (p = 0.04) than combat sports athletes. It turned out that lower level of aggression was noted in female participants (physical aggression (p < 0.001), verbal aggression (p = 0.004), hostility (p < 0.001), and the general aggression index (p < 0.001). Analysis revealed that the training experience and the training rank did not differentiated the level of the respondents' particular aggression dimensions. Conclusions: It would be advisable to perform parallel analyses in other areas of Poland and take into account the respondents' education and place of residence.
Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the mental health of college students. This study aimed to investigate the buffering effect of arts engagement on anxiety and resilience in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study design A cross-sectional study. Methods The data were collected via an online survey during a wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Shanghai (March 15 to April 15, 2022). In total, 2,453 college students throughout China reported general anxiety symptom levels (according to the GAD-7), resilience (according to the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), frequency of receptive arts engagement in the previous year, exposure to risk situations, and behavioral changes due to the pandemic. Results During the current stage of the pandemic, 43.7% of college students suffered from varying degrees of anxiety, and 2.6% showed severe anxiety. Gender and learning stage were not associated with anxiety. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the decision to return to academic institution, the degree of exposure to COVID-19, and the frequency of accepting art participation and resilience could significantly predict the anxiety level of college students. Gender, study stage, behavioral changes arising from COVID-19, and exposure to COVID-19 significantly predict the resilience level of college students. There was an association between high frequency music activities, reading activities and low anxiety level (p < 0.001). There was an association between high frequency digital art, music activities, reading and high resilience (p < 0.01). Conclusions Arts engagement appears to help students cope with mental health problems and those at risk. Policymakers should encourage college students to participate in art activities, especially in the context of social distancing.
Amanda J. Ashley, Carolyn G. Loh, Karen Bubb
et al.
ABSTRACT Diversity, equity, and inclusion are increasingly referenced as goals in general or master plans, yet we know little about how these concepts shape topical arts and cultural plans, which have become an important facet of economic development strategies. Through a detailed content analysis of 64 municipal arts and cultural plans in the United States, this project sought to find out how and when such plans integrate concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We found that these values are only occasionally guiding principles and that most plans are written from the perspective of the majority (usually White) with very little information about demographic or socioeconomic context. Many talk about being inclusive or diverse without ever identifying the marginalized or low-resourced groups in the community. The plans we evaluated span a 20-year time period; those from 2016 to 2019 demonstrate a much stronger equity focus in the planning process and strategy content.
An active engagement with arts in general and visual arts in particular has been hypothesized to yield beneficial effects beyond arts itself. So-called cognitive and socio-emotional “transfer” effects into other domains have been claimed. However, the empirical basis of these hopes is limited. This is partly due to a lack of experimental comparisons, theory-based designs, and objective measurements in the literature on transfer effects of arts education. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to design and experimentally investigate a theory-based visual-arts education program for adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years (Mage = 15.02, SDage = 1.75). The program was delivered in a museum context in three sessions and was expected to yield specific and objectively measurable transfer effects. To conduct a randomized field trial, three strictly parallelized and standardized art courses were developed, all of which addressed the topic of portrait drawing. The courses mainly differed regarding their instructional focus, which was either on periods of art history, on the facial expression of emotions, or on the self-perception of a person in the context of different social roles. In the first and more “traditional” course portrait drawing was used to better understand how portraits looked like in former centuries. The two other courses were designed in a way that the artistic engagement in portrait drawing was interwoven with practicing socio-emotional skills, namely empathy and emotion recognition in one course and understanding complex self-concept structures in the other. We expected positive socio-emotional transfer effects in the two “psychological” courses. We used an animated morph task to measure emotion recognition performance and a self-concept task to measure the self-complexity of participants before and after all three courses. Results indicate that an instructional focus on drawing the facial expressions of emotions yields specific improvements in emotion recognition, whereas drawing persons in different social roles yields a higher level of self-complexity in the self-concept task. In contrast, no significant effects on socio-emotional skills were found in the course focussing on art history. Therefore, our study provides causal evidence that visual-arts programs situated in an art-museum context can advance socio-emotional skills, when designed properly.