And . . . Action! Using Film to Learn about Foreign Policy

Here we recount the experience of designing and executing an experimental summer course, at two different universities, that used popular films as primary texts to facilitate active learning about foreign policy. One course, designed for non–political science majors, was offered at the introductory level as credit/no credit; the other, intended for students with some background in political science and international affairs, was offered as an upper-level graded course. We held many of the films and readings constant across the two courses so that we could track similarities and differences between the courses. Here we report on why and how we designed the movie courses and what films and readings we used. We also evaluate the courses by drawing on the assessment mechanisms we employed as well as the students' evaluations. In short, although there are some important trade-offs involved in designing a movie course, we found the experience to be a positive one that prioritized student learning in a relaxed and novel way and achieved with some success the procedural and conceptual learning goals that we set forth.     

Modified Shotguns in Turkey from 2006 to 2008

Abstract:  This study investigates the legal status of modified shotguns in Turkey by examining the cases submitted to the Aydın Regional Criminal Laboratory between January 2006 and August 2008. A total of 351 shotguns used in crimes were examined. These guns were evaluated in respect of their type, size, caliber, fitness for use, and legal classification. Eleven percent of these shotguns had been modified and it was found that 55% of the modified shotguns were classified according to law 6136 and qualified as a pistol and 45% were classified according to law 2521 and qualified as nonstandard shotguns. Within the Turkish criminal justice system, a nonstandard shotgun attracts a less stringent sentence than a pistol. It would therefore appear that this sentencing structure is considered when modifying shotguns in Turkey. This is clearly a loop-hole in the legislation that could perhaps be investigated and closed.     

Depressive Symptomatology and Program Efficacy: Examining a Program to Improve Communication in Community Families

Destructive conflict is linked with adjustment problems over time, putting families at risk even when conflict behaviors have not reached levels of clinical concern. The Family Communication Project (FCP) is a psychoeducational program designed to improve communication in families with adolescent children. The present study examines the role of depression in program efficacy over time. Data were collected across four time points, assessing aspects of marital and family conflict, adolescent emotional security, and depressive symptoms in mothers, fathers, and adolescents. Results indicated improvements in conflict strategies for families who received the psychoeducational program (relative to controls), and point to a role of depressive symptomatology in adolescents in relation to treatment outcomes.