tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/performance-5965/articlesPerformance – The Conversation2024-03-21T19:07:45Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257882024-03-21T19:07:45Z2024-03-21T19:07:45ZFrom Taylor Sheesh to The Smyths: why tribute acts can no longer be considered just cheap copies<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583341/original/file-20240321-21-xs1qer.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C25%2C5535%2C3676&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The tribute music scene has evolved time and again since it first emerged more than <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-rising-popularity-of-tribute-acts/">60 years ago</a>. </p>
<p>Beginning with Elvis impersonators, tribute acts garnered somewhat of a “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZpQFApy7Ng">grubby</a>” reputation through the 1970s and ’80s. They became synonymous with glitter, wigs, jumpsuits and elaborate stage props – frowned upon by anyone with an ounce of self-perceived integrity.</p>
<p>However, while these acts mainly existed as tributes to music no longer accessible, in recent years we’ve seen an increase in artists being tributed while they’re still active.</p>
<p>For the many Australian “Swifties” left <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/tours/tickets-for-taylor-swifts-australian-eras-tour-go-on-sale-again-today/news-story/a53ba279656c44514e0a1859ef0997a3">without tickets</a> for the recent Eras tour, tribute shows offered a financially viable alternative. Interstate fans who couldn’t embark on a “<a href="https://www.escape.com.au/escape-travel/taylor-swift-effect-travel-trend/news-story/281bec360b666889ef71a4939d169e9a">swiftcation</a>” could instead see Adelaide sister duo <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13111777/Desperate-Taylor-Swift-fans-missed-pop-singers-Australian-Eras-Tour-snap-tickets-tribute-concerts.html">Reputation</a>. </p>
<p>In Melbourne, drag star <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-20/taylor-swift-eras-tour-recreated-by-taylor-sheesh/103490240">Taylor Sheesh</a> performed “The Errors Tour” for a crowd of thousands, while Taylor Swift performed about a kilometre away at the MCG. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="TiktokEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.tiktok.com/@grace.mitscherlich/video/7337361410697055534?q=taylor%20sheesh\u0026t=1710803415644"}"></div></p>
<p>But while they say it’s the sincerest form of flattery, can tribute acts really come close to the “real thing”?</p>
<h2>A ‘real’ experience?</h2>
<p>It’s not only affordability and accessibility that make tribute shows appealing. Experiencing live music in a smaller, dedicated live music venue also provides audiences with a much more personal experience. </p>
<p>Perth-based Ed Sheeran tribute singer <a href="https://grandstandagency.com.au/joe-boshell/">Joe Boshell</a> said, as a fan, he would much rather experience his musical heroes in a more intimate setting. “Obviously these tributes are not the real guys but the sound can be better [at smaller venues],” he said. </p>
<p>“You feel like you’re at a gig rather than watching it from miles away on the [stage-side] TV screen.” </p>
<p>The experience at a stadium can sometimes feel detached and isolated. Not to mention, climate change and extreme weather events are making it <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-music-festivals-are-increasingly-affected-by-climate-change-but-is-the-industry-doing-enough-to-mitigate-its-impact-225183">increasingly difficult</a> to hold large festivals and outdoor stadium concerts.</p>
<p>Smaller venues are usually indoors and offer easy access to the bar and toilets, liberating people of the conundrum of giving up a <a href="https://seattlespectator.com/2023/10/25/concert-culture-has-a-problem/">hard-earned vantage point</a> to relieve a bursting bladder.</p>
<p>At tribute shows, you can even initiate a dialogue with the <a href="https://books.google.nl/books?id=l5bkYhQJz_QC&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false">band onstage</a>, or share a drink with them afterwards. They’re often happy to chat as fellow fans of the music – and don’t have to be whizzed off to a nearby hotel. </p>
<p>This experience surrounds you with friends, loved ones and like-minded individuals. Tribute events aren’t just a spectacle, but an immersive, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-23/tribute-acts-celebrate-music-of-their-idols-with-their-audience/102858838">participatory outlet</a>.</p>
<h2>Authenticity in imitation</h2>
<p>You might be wondering: should the original artist hold precedence when it comes to performing their music? </p>
<p>While it seems like a straightforward question, the answer isn’t always simple. As ageing rockers become distant from their original ethos, some argue they may as well be performing a <a href="https://books.google.nl/books?id=l5bkYhQJz_QC&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false">tribute to their former selves</a>. </p>
<p>For example, Morrissey of fabled indie pop band The Smiths has little in common with his 1980s back catalogue that he still performs today. Many fans feel “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/30/bigmouth-strikes-again-morrissey-songs-loneliness-shyness-misfits-far-right-party-tonight-show-jimmy-fallon">betrayed</a>” at his political transition from leftist torchbearer for disillusioned youths to an outspoken rightist provocateur. </p>
<p>Another consideration is that tribute acts aren’t just imitative; they have their own personality. </p>
<p>Graham Sampson, the lead singer of The Smiths tribute band, The Smyths, said their audiences desired a more individual performance. They want the band to “be themselves” rather than provide a “pantomime” version.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="TiktokEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.tiktok.com/@oscar_mclaughl05/video/7178479048044072197?q=the%20smyths\u0026t=1710807214957"}"></div></p>
<h2>Impact on local music scenes</h2>
<p>Accessibility is a major factor contributing to the popularity of tribute scenes throughout Australia. Perth had more than 70 <a href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/instant-replay-perths-80s-live-music-scene-reconnects-ng-b5c19ec2aaa8a87ceca549c0eda27089">ticketed tribute shows</a> dedicated to ska, punk and Britpop in 2022 alone – and as many as five tributes to Oasis over the past few years.</p>
<p>Tributes now jostle for space in a competing musical landscape, striving to prove their legitimacy as cultural ambassadors of music history. This competition is driven further by the fact that our love for old music is far from shrinking. In fact, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/old-music-killing-new-music/621339/">music of the past</a> increasingly dominates the music charts today.</p>
<p>At the same time, tributes reflect our society’s desire for streamlined consumption: getting what we want, when we want it. They are therefore a corrosive agent in local <a href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/instant-replay-perths-80s-live-music-scene-reconnects-ng-b5c19ec2aaa8a87ceca549c0eda27089">original music scenes</a>. </p>
<p>An abundance of tribute shows gives fans a choice of what music they can experience on any given night, rather than having to “take a punt on an original band”, as one Perth promoter grimly said. </p>
<p>This is where tribute acts differ from “cover bands”. Cover bands play a mix of hits that appeal to a broad demographic, rather than targeting individual taste groups. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/holograms-and-ai-can-bring-performers-back-from-the-dead-but-will-the-fans-keep-buying-it-202431">Holograms and AI can bring performers back from the dead – but will the fans keep buying it?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The future of tributes</h2>
<p>Swedish rock band The Hives is now looking to <a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/the-hives-issue-call-for-cover-bands-saying-theyre-franchising-live-shows/">franchise tribute bands</a> across the globe (seemingly drawing on <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/wiggles-how-did-four-ageing-australian-musicians-become-the-world-s-bestselling-preschool-act-2015154.html">The Wiggles’ blueprint</a>). We may be on the cusp of a new era where tribute shows can achieve commercial prominence. </p>
<p>In a similar vein, the Netherlands now has a tribute-based Battle of the Bands <a href="https://senalnews.com/en/content/talpas-the-tribute-battle-of-the-bands-garners-high-ratings-among-dutch-viewers">TV show</a>. And this isn’t a big leap from the 2005 reality TV show <a href="https://ultimateclassicrock.com/inxs-rock-star-show/">Rock Star: INXS</a>, in which contestants battled it out to replace deceased lead singer Michael Hutchence.</p>
<p>“Tributing” is undoubtedly dribbling into all areas of the music industry. We live in a world where The Rolling Stones continue to make <a href="https://www.musicradar.com/news/damon-albarn-rolling-stones">commercially successful music</a> that offers little more than a reminder of their younger years, and where <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/02/the-beatles-now-and-then-review">AI is used to</a> reincarnate deceased musicians and release songs written decades ago.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8eZBvLaALWQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Clearly, tribute shows aren’t the sole contributors to a lack of forward propulsion in music. Perhaps, for the time being, we should focus on what they do offer: an affordable, accessible and intimate space to celebrate the music we love with others who love it, too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225788/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Colin Outhwaite does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Perth has had as many as five tributes to Oasis in recent years. As large concerts get more expensive and inaccessible, tributes will become even more important.Colin Outhwaite, PhD Candidate, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2246912024-03-05T20:57:58Z2024-03-05T20:57:58ZWomen want to climb the corporate ladder — but not at any price<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578677/original/file-20240115-27-31qawf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Women are just as interested in opportunities for advancement as men are. However, they find them less attainable because of their busy schedules.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The consulting firm <a href="https://www.spencerstuart.com/">Spencer Stuart</a> recently published a study <a href="https://www.spencerstuart.com/-/media/2023/december/f500-profiles/fortune-500-csuite-snapshot-profiles-in-functional-leadership.pdf">of top management at Fortune 500 companies</a>, the 500 richest companies in the United States.</p>
<p>The analysis focused specifically on the gender of the people in these positions, their functions and the source of their appointments, whether they came from inside or outside the organization.</p>
<p>Studying the composition of top management, often referred to as the C-Suite, is particularly important since it allows us to see how many women make it to the position of CEO in an organization.</p>
<p>Respectively Dean of the John Molson School of Business, and an expert for several decades on the place of women in the upper echelons of the business world, we will discuss the main findings of the Spencer Stuart study.</p>
<h2>Starting points</h2>
<p>Three conclusions in particular caught our attention:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Men represent 60 per cent of the select group that constitutes top management. Men principally occupy the positions that offer the greatest potential for appointment as CEO, <a href="https://www.spencerstuart.com/-/media/2021/december/lastmile/the-last-mile-to-the-top-future-ceos-who-beat-the-odds.pdf">according to the history of appointments to such positions</a>. These include, for example, Chief Operating Officer, Head of Division and Chief Financial Officer;</p></li>
<li><p>Although women are increasingly present in top management positions (40 per cent), they are still found in the positions of Head of Human Resources, Head of Communications, Head of Diversity and Inclusion and Head of Sustainable Development. In other words, women are in so-called support functions that, while important for organizations, are unfortunately perceived as having little impact on shareholder equity and financial performance;</p></li>
<li><p>Appointments to top management positions that lead to the position of CEO come mainly from within the company. What does this mean? That an intimate knowledge of the organization gained over a long period is valued and that there is generally a promotion process in place to feed the succession pool.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Global overview of the situation</h2>
<p>Our experience over the last few decades allows us to draw similar conclusions about Canada. So we wanted to check whether this situation was similar in other countries.</p>
<p>A report by the International Labour Organization called <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_700953.pdf">“The Business Case for Change”</a> provides an overview of the position of women in the upper echelons of power in 13,000 companies operating on every continent.</p>
<p>As in the United States and Canada, the gender divide between positions that could be called support jobs, and those that contribute directly to an organization’s profitability, appears to be widespread. According to the authors of this study, it is also referred to as a “glass wall,” since it limits the pool of potential female candidates for the position of CEO.</p>
<p>But how can this phenomenon be explained?</p>
<h2>Stereotypes, biases and prejudices</h2>
<p>First of all, gender stereotypes and prejudices come into play from childhood.</p>
<p>They have an impact on the toys children play with, the subjects they study, their lives and their future careers.</p>
<p>Girls — generally speaking — aspire to become doctors, teachers, nurses, psychologists and veterinary surgeons. As for boys, they want to become engineers and <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/smashing-gender-stereotypes-and-bias-and-through-education">work in IT and mechanical fields</a>.</p>
<h2>Organizational culture</h2>
<p>Secondly, organizational culture is a <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_700953.pdf">mirror of our society and its traditions</a>.</p>
<p>It therefore conveys biases regarding the leadership potential of women compared to men.</p>
<p>According to the International Labour Organization survey cited above, 91 per cent of the women questioned agreed or strongly agreed that women lead as effectively as men. However, only 77 per cent of men agreed with this statement.</p>
<p>Arguably, this leadership bias has an impact on the recruitment, appointment, talent development and “stretch assignment” processes that pave the way for career progression.</p>
<p>There is also reason to believe that these biases are equally present on boards of directors, which are responsible for appointing CEOs and which are still predominantly composed of men.</p>
<h2>Different life goals</h2>
<p>Finally, women and men have different preferences and career goals.</p>
<p>According to a study by Harvard Business School professors Francesca Gino and Alison Wood Brooks entitled <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/09/explaining-gender-differences-at-the-top">“Explaining the Gender Differences at the Top,”</a> women are just as interested in opportunities for advancement as men are. However, they find them less attainable because of their busy schedules. As a result, women have to more seriously take into account the compromises and sacrifices they will have to make to occupy positions of high responsibility and power.</p>
<p>The authors are careful to point out that these results do not mean that women are less ambitious, but that career success means different things to different people. For some, it takes the form of power. For others, it can mean making colleagues happy and helping to make the world a better place in a collaborative and supportive environment.</p>
<p>This research is in line with that of Viviane de Beaufort, a professor at the École supérieure des sciences économiques et commerciales (ESSEC). In a survey of the career aspirations of 295 French women managers, she found that women do want to rise to the highest positions. <a href="https://www.academia.edu/80171918/WP_CERESSEC_CEDE_ESSEC_Viviane_de_Beaufort_2022_avec_le_collectif_WOMEN_BOARD_READY_ESSEC">But not at any price</a>.</p>
<h2>What determines career paths?</h2>
<p>This article therefore raises the following question:</p>
<p>Can we, as women, one day hope to be CEOs or fulfill our professional dreams despite the biases, prejudices, stereotypes and barriers we have to overcome?</p>
<p>Simone de Beauvoir wrote in 1949 in her essay “The Second Sex”:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Women determine and differentiate themselves in relation to men, not men in relation to women: they are inessential in relation to what is essential. He is the subject, he is the absolute, she is the other.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This excerpt reminds us that the skills and knowledge required to perform strategic functions have always been defined in terms of the male exercise of power in an environment where the organization’s performance is judged almost exclusively by financial success and growth of shareholder value.</p>
<p>It’s time to think about new career paths and skills that are not defined by gender, but rather, by an organization’s mission and objectives. These goals must take into account <a href="https://hbr.org/2022/07/the-c-suite-skills-that-matter-most">how they contribute to creating a better world</a>, as much as ensuring the financial success of organizations.</p>
<p>Functional skills must be valued as much as softer skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy, a sense of community and boldness.</p>
<p>Breaking down glass walls also means that organizations and their boards have a responsibility to identify and encourage women to take up positions where they can gain experience and develop their leadership skills in front line rather than support roles.</p>
<p>In such a context, women, as much as men, will have a better chance of reaching the highest positions in a company while remaining true to themselves — and doing so on equal terms.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224691/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Women are increasingly present in top management positions, but they end up in so-called support functions, which rarely lead to CEO positions.Louise Champoux-Paillé, Cadre en exercice, John Molson School of Business, Concordia UniversityAnne-Marie Croteau, Dean, John Molson School of Business, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2243402024-03-05T13:58:57Z2024-03-05T13:58:57ZBradley Cooper, Cillian Murphy and the myths of Method acting<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579255/original/file-20240301-26-y48ck5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C11%2C2544%2C1812&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein and Carey Mulligan as Bernstein's wife, Felicia Montealegre, in 'Maestro.'</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/6580a0cc97c77278da928c1c/master/pass/Maestro_20220928_20662r.JPG">Jason McDonald/Netflix</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Should actors and actresses who go to extremes to prepare for their roles get more love from Oscars voters? </p>
<p>This year, best actor nominees <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0614165/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk">Cillian Murphy</a>, who played nuclear physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15398776/">Oppenheimer</a>,” and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0177896/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_3_nm_4_q_bradley%2520cooper">Bradley Cooper</a>, who starred as <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/12/15/the-legend-of-lenny">Leonard Bernstein</a> in the biopic “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5535276/">Maestro</a>,” are getting lots of buzz not only for their performances but also for how those performances were achieved.</p>
<p>The already slim Murphy lost roughly 20 pounds and took up smoking fake cigarettes to mimic the look and habits of the real-life Oppenheimer. His preparation for the role <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/07/inside-cillian-murphy-intense-oppenheimer-prep-i-didnt-go-out-much">was purportedly so intense</a> that he isolated himself from his co-stars during the making of the film.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Cooper allegedly <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/features/bradley-cooper-spike-lee-maestro-no-chairs-set-method-acting-1235821551/">spent six years training</a> in the art of conducting in order to film a key sequence for “Maestro.” And on a December 2023 episode of the podcast “SmartLess,” best actress nominee <a href="https://podcasts.musixmatch.com/podcast/smartless-01gttmmw40q3na01cxg9j6kp91/episode/carey-mulligan-01hhxzwj46vx83k5ne3vfhv53p">Carey Mulligan</a> recounted how Bradley Cooper called her on the phone and spoke to her in Leonard Bernstein’s voice years before they had begun filming “Maestro.”</p>
<p>Reporting on the actors’ preparation often references <a href="https://www.nfi.edu/method-acting/">Method acting</a>, a psychological approach to performing that’s designed to make the character seem more real and believable. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.holycross.edu/academics/programs/theatre/scott-malia">But as someone who has taught theater for over 20 years</a>, I’ve found that much of what is said or written about Method acting perpetuates a number of myths about the technique. Sometimes, it can be tough to tell whether actors are genuinely preparing for a role or simply “performing” their preparation for their co-stars, the media and the public.</p>
<h2>The origins of ‘the Method’</h2>
<p>Method acting – sometimes called “the Method” – derives from “the system,” an approach to acting developed by Russian actor and director <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94675.An_Actor_Prepares">Konstantin Stanislavski</a>, which he describes in the 1936 book “<a href="https://archive.org/details/2015.126189.AnActorPrepares">An Actor Prepares</a>.” </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579257/original/file-20240301-48072-drn68t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Painting of a middle-aged man with gray hair." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579257/original/file-20240301-48072-drn68t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579257/original/file-20240301-48072-drn68t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=942&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579257/original/file-20240301-48072-drn68t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=942&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579257/original/file-20240301-48072-drn68t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=942&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579257/original/file-20240301-48072-drn68t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1184&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579257/original/file-20240301-48072-drn68t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1184&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579257/original/file-20240301-48072-drn68t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1184&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Konstantin Stanislavski’s techniques have been hugely influential in the training of European and American actors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/portrait-of-the-actor-konstantin-sergeyevich-stanislavsky-news-photo/1144560864?adppopup=true">The Print Collector/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Stanislavski asks actors to identify the forces that motivate and drive their characters. In doing so, the actor strives to be in the moment with their fellow actors, responding as their character would to imaginary circumstances.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000008/">Marlon Brando</a> brought mainstream awareness to Method acting. To prepare for his role in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042727/">The Men</a>,” in which he plays a paralyzed war veteran, Brando reportedly <a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/846709/marlon-brando-only-broke-method-once-during-his-intense-prep-for-the-men/">spent time in a veterans hospital</a> using a wheelchair and did not initially reveal to the other patients that he was not disabled. He also reportedly stayed in his wheelchair between takes while filming.</p>
<p>In the decades since, Method acting has become associated with actors losing themselves in their characters, such as Daniel Day-Lewis <a href="https://screenrant.com/daniel-day-lewis-wild-method-acting-stories/">having people spoon-feed him</a> in order to prepare for his role as a painter with cerebral palsy in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097937/">My Left Foot</a>” (1989).</p>
<h2>This is the new me!</h2>
<p>Despite all of the attention these stories get, some of the extremes actors go to would have likely made Stanislavski laugh.</p>
<p>“An Actor Prepares” is built around a fictional acting class in which a teacher – most likely a stand-in for Stanislavski himself – breaks his actors’ bad habits and teaches them the foundations of the system. </p>
<p>Many of the exercises the teacher designs are to help the actors imagine what they might do if they were in the same situation as their characters – not to recreate those circumstances in real life. </p>
<p>Along the way, Stanislavski’s acting teacher regularly lampoons actors going to phony extremes to achieve what they think is authenticity. </p>
<p>Not unlike the ethically questionable issues of Brando and Day-Lewis <a href="https://theconversation.com/on-screen-and-on-stage-disability-continues-to-be-depicted-in-outdated-cliched-ways-130577">appropriating disability</a>, one of the actor characters in Stanislavski’s book adopts mind-bogglingly racist approaches, including blackface, as he prepares to play Othello. </p>
<p>Decades later, there are echoes of this critique in the work of Robert Downey Jr., <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/robert-downey-jr-tropic-thunder-blackface-regrets-1202204722/">who wore blackface</a> in an irony-drenched but nonetheless problematic sendup of Method acting in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0942385/">Tropic Thunder</a>” (2008).</p>
<h2>Does this character make me look fat?</h2>
<p>Much of the debate around <a href="https://time.com/6240001/the-whale-fatsuit-controversy/">last year’s best actor winner, Brendan Fraser</a>, had to do with his wearing prosthetics to play the morbidly obese Charlie in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13833688/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520whale">The Whale</a>.”</p>
<p>It should be noted that Cillian Murphy denies that he is a Method actor – as does Day-Lewis – and Murphy has refused to disclose the <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/07/inside-cillian-murphy-intense-oppenheimer-prep-i-didnt-go-out-much">weight loss tactics</a> he used to shed pounds for his role in “Oppenheimer.” Yet one of his co-stars, Emily Blunt, semi-jokingly referred to Murphy as eating an almond a day to maintain his underweight physique during filming.</p>
<p>What any actor does with their body is between them and their doctors; however, there are major medical and ethical implications when weight loss and weight gain are marked as evidence of a disciplined commitment to one’s craft. </p>
<p>Stanislavski didn’t tell actors to bulk up or go on a crash diet for their roles; in fact, early in “An Actor Prepares,” the acting teacher admonishes his students for practicing in front of mirrors and being too focused on their outward appearance. Later in the book, the teacher also warns against what he calls an exhibitionistic approach to acting, in which the actor is trying to show the audience how hard they are working at their craft.</p>
<h2>Come at me, bro</h2>
<p>And then there are stories of actors who prod, tease and surprise their co-stars to try to elicit authentic responses.</p>
<p>During the height of the #MeToo movement, <a href="https://people.com/movies/meryl-streep-dustin-hoffman-slapping-overstepping/">a story about the filming</a> of “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079417/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk">Kramer vs. Kramer</a>” (1979) resurfaced. Meryl Streep recalled that co-star Dustin Hoffman slapped her before shooting one of their scenes in order to get a response from her. Those actions were allegedly part of a larger pattern of behavior and strained relations between the two during the making of the film.</p>
<p>Similarly, when “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386697/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_suicide%2520squad">Suicide Squad</a>” (2016) was being filmed, Jared Leto reportedly sent gag gifts to his co-stars from his character, The Joker, that included dead animals and used condoms. <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1309072/jared-leto-defends-his-gag-gifts-to-castmates-says-he-never-crossed-any-lines">Leto has alternately endorsed and walked back</a> the stories about the pranks.</p>
<p>Contrast these stunts with Stanislavski’s take on working with acting partners: Create communion and engage in active listening. Ticking them off, whether it’s in service of a scene or part of their own technique of “staying in character,” is selfish.</p>
<h2>Is it process or privilege?</h2>
<p>Since Stanislavski’s book was published, a number of acting approaches have emerged that do favor the kind of personal psychological investment that seems to blur the line between actor and character, most notably those of American acting teacher and theater director <a href="https://newyorkimprovtheater.com/2023/09/28/the-legacy-of-lee-strasberg-stella-adler-and-sanford-meisner-shaping-american-acting-methods-derived-from-stanislavski/#:%7E:text=Strasberg's%20emphasis%20on%20emotional%20recall%2C%20Adler's%20championing%20of%20imagination%20and,on%20the%20art%20of%20acting.">Lee Strasberg</a>.</p>
<p>However, in Chapter 8 of “An Actor Prepares,” Stanislavski makes a clear distinction between what’s true and real for the actor and what’s true and real for the character they are playing.</p>
<p>In other words, he did not subscribe to the idea that an actor can lose themselves in their part.</p>
<p>Yes, the media loves these kinds of stories, and they can demonstrate a certain type of commitment. But they can also paint actors as pampered and pretentious “artistes” <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/12/13/on-succession-jeremy-strong-doesnt-get-the-joke">whose process is self-indulgent</a>. A working actor struggling to pay the bills doesn’t have the luxury of, say, insisting that everyone address them by their character’s name.</p>
<p>In fact, these narratives about Method acting can swing the other way: Much of the praise around Ryan Gosling’s turn in “Barbie” plays on the idea of a serious actor’s willingness to get blond, goofy and take a decidedly un-Methody approach, something <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/ryan-gosling-ken-casting.html">the actor cheekily embraced while doing press for the film</a>.</p>
<p>So when the acting Oscars get handed out, hopefully it will be because voters believed in the performances – not because of some meta narrative about their off-screen behavior.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224340/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Scott Malia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Hopefully, Academy Award winners will be chosen because voters believed in the actors’ performances − not because of some meta narrative about their off-screen behavior.Scott Malia, Associate Professor of Theatre, College of the Holy CrossLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2182012024-01-19T13:41:44Z2024-01-19T13:41:44ZI’m an artist using scientific data as an artistic medium − here’s how I make meaning<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569152/original/file-20240112-27-8u7iv7.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2%2C0%2C1393%2C932&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sarah Nance at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, 2019.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Courtesy of Sarah Nance</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As an <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/art/profile.html?id=snance">artist working across media</a>, I’ve used everything from thread to my voice to poetically translate and express information. Recently, I’ve been working with another medium – geologic datasets. </p>
<p>While scientists use data visualization to show the results of a dataset in interesting and informative ways, my goal as an artist is a little different. In the studio, I treat geologic data as another material, using it to guide my interactions with Mylar film, knitting patterns or opera. Data, in my work, functions expressively and abstractly. </p>
<p>Two of my projects in particular, “points of rupture” and “tidal arias,” exemplify this way of working. In these pieces, my goal is to offer new ways for people to personally relate to the immense scale of geologic time.</p>
<h2>Points of rupture</h2>
<p>An early project in which I treated data as a medium was my letterpress print series “<a href="https://www.sarahnance.com/shroud/alaska">points of rupture</a>.” In this series, I encoded data from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/cryoseism">cryoseismic, or ice quake</a>, events to create knitting patterns. </p>
<p>Working with ice quake data was a continuation of my research into what I call “archived landscapes.” These are places that have had multiple distinct geologic identities over time, like <a href="https://www.nps.gov/gumo/learn/nature/coralreefs.htm">mountains that were once sea reefs</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569121/original/file-20240112-17-umjli0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="silver knitting symbols on black background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569121/original/file-20240112-17-umjli0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569121/original/file-20240112-17-umjli0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569121/original/file-20240112-17-umjli0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569121/original/file-20240112-17-umjli0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569121/original/file-20240112-17-umjli0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569121/original/file-20240112-17-umjli0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569121/original/file-20240112-17-umjli0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘points of rupture (alaska glacial event 1999),’ 2020. Letterpress print of knitting pattern coded using cryoseismic data. Edition of 15. 18 x 18 in.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sarah Nance</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Because knit textiles are made up of many individual stitches, I can use them to encode discrete data points. In a knitting pattern, or chart, each kind of stitch is represented by a specific symbol. I used the open-source program <a href="https://stitch-maps.com">Stitch Maps</a> to write the patterns for this project, translating the peaks and valleys of seismographs into individual stitch symbols. </p>
<p>Knitting charts typically display these symbols in a grid. Instead, Stitch Maps allows them to fall as they would when knitted, so the chart mimics the shape of the final textile. </p>
<p>I was drawn to the expressive possibilities of this feature and how the software allowed me to experiment. I was able to write patterns that worked only in theory and not as physical, handmade structures. This gave me more freedom to design patterns that fully expressed the datasets without having to ensure their viability as textiles.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568495/original/file-20240109-29-ojgmd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="graphite drawing of mitten knitting chart on gallery wall" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568495/original/file-20240109-29-ojgmd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568495/original/file-20240109-29-ojgmd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568495/original/file-20240109-29-ojgmd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568495/original/file-20240109-29-ojgmd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568495/original/file-20240109-29-ojgmd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568495/original/file-20240109-29-ojgmd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568495/original/file-20240109-29-ojgmd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘and when you change the landscape, is it with bare hands or with gloves? (lichen, woodwork, grate),’ 2023. Graphite drawing of selbu mitten knitting chart. 99 x 67 linear inches as installed.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sarah Nance</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://nsidc.org/learn/parts-cryosphere/glaciers">Glaciers form</a> incrementally as new snowfall compacts previous layers of snow, crystallizing them into ice. A knitted fabric similarly accumulates in layers, as rows of interlocking loops. Each structure appears stable but could easily be dissolved.</p>
<p>Ice quakes occur in glaciers as a result of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/cryoseism">calving events or pooling meltwater</a>. Like melting glaciers, knitting is always in danger of coming apart – but instead of melting, by snagging and unraveling into formlessness. These structural similarities between glaciers and knitting are reflected in the “points of rupture” prints, where disruptive ice quakes translate into unknittable patterns. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569080/original/file-20240112-19-758bfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="silver knitting symbols on black background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569080/original/file-20240112-19-758bfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569080/original/file-20240112-19-758bfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569080/original/file-20240112-19-758bfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569080/original/file-20240112-19-758bfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569080/original/file-20240112-19-758bfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569080/original/file-20240112-19-758bfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569080/original/file-20240112-19-758bfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘points of rupture (glacier de la plaine morte icequake 2016),’ 2020. Letterpress print of knitting pattern coded using cryoseismic data. Edition of 15. 18 x 18 in.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sarah Nance</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The loop</h2>
<p>Repeated, interlocking loops are the base units that compose the structure of a knitted textile. The loop also forms the seed of an in-progress work I pursued during an artist residency with the <a href="https://lunarscience.nasa.gov/sserviteams">NASA</a> <a href="https://www.geodes.umd.edu">GEODES</a> research group. I joined their research team in Flagstaff, Arizona, in August 2023. I assisted in gathering data from sites within the San Francisco volcanic field, while also conducting my own fieldwork: photography, drawing, note-taking and walking.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568498/original/file-20240109-21-we196t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A digital map showing a crater, with a green circle indicating the path walked, around the lip of the crater." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568498/original/file-20240109-21-we196t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568498/original/file-20240109-21-we196t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=629&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568498/original/file-20240109-21-we196t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=629&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568498/original/file-20240109-21-we196t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=629&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568498/original/file-20240109-21-we196t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568498/original/file-20240109-21-we196t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568498/original/file-20240109-21-we196t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sarah Nance’s walk at S P Crater in Arizona, as recorded in AllTrails.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Screenshot of All Trails map</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of my walks was a trek around a particularly prominent geologic loop – the rim of the S P cinder cone volcano. This is the second crater walk I’ve completed, the first being a tracing of the subsurface rim of the <a href="https://insider.si.edu/2013/03/iowa-meteorite-crater-confirmed/">Decorah impact structure</a> in Iowa. </p>
<p>I see my paths through these landscapes as stand-ins for yarn. Over time, by taking walks that trace craters, or geologic loops, I will perform a textile. The performance of something as familiar as a textile offers me a new way to think about something that is much more difficult to comprehend – <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/geologic-time">geologic time</a>. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567788/original/file-20240103-23-yg479z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A square box with the words 'Art & Science Collide' and a drawing of a lightbulb with its wire filament in the shape of a brain, surrounded by a circle." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567788/original/file-20240103-23-yg479z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567788/original/file-20240103-23-yg479z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567788/original/file-20240103-23-yg479z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567788/original/file-20240103-23-yg479z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567788/original/file-20240103-23-yg479z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567788/original/file-20240103-23-yg479z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567788/original/file-20240103-23-yg479z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Art & Science Collide series.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">source</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/art-in-science-series-2024-149583">This article is part of Art & Science Collide</a></strong>, a series examining the intersections between art and science.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/literature-inspired-my-medical-career-why-the-humanities-are-needed-in-health-care-217357">Literature inspired my medical career: Why the humanities are needed in health care</a></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/i-wrote-a-play-for-children-about-integrating-the-arts-into-stem-fields-heres-what-i-learned-about-encouraging-creative-interdisciplinary-thinking-218001">I wrote a play for children about integrating the arts into STEM fields – here’s what I learned about interdisciplinary thinking</a> </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/art-and-science-entwined-this-course-explores-the-long-interrelated-history-of-two-ways-of-seeing-the-world-210250">Art and science entwined: This course explores the long, interrelated history of two ways of seeing the world </a></p>
<hr>
<h2>Performance and tides</h2>
<p>Performance has been a useful tool in my work, as it can help people understand and relate to geologic processes.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569102/original/file-20240112-21-spkjsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="artist's hands holding small chunk of glacial ice" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569102/original/file-20240112-21-spkjsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569102/original/file-20240112-21-spkjsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569102/original/file-20240112-21-spkjsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569102/original/file-20240112-21-spkjsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569102/original/file-20240112-21-spkjsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569102/original/file-20240112-21-spkjsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569102/original/file-20240112-21-spkjsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘transference,’ 2017. Atlantic sea ice, body heat. Documentation of site-responsive performance on the East Coast Trail, Newfoundland, Canada. Project supported in part by La Soupée, Galerie Diagonale, Montréal, Québec.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sarah Nance</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The field of geology emerges from a <a href="https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/a-billion-black-anthropocenes-or-none">long history</a> of extraction and <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/geontologies">colonialist ventures</a>. In this context, land is valued for its economic importance – as raw material to be extracted or territory to be claimed. In my performances, I aim to interact with geology as its own active entity, rather than as a consumable resource. </p>
<p>In recent years, I have composed and performed two arias from tidal data. </p>
<p>The first, “<a href="https://www.sarahnance.com/marseille">marseille tidal gauge aria</a>,” sourced 130 years of sea level data collected from a tidal gauge in the Bay of Marseille, France. I converted each yearly average sea level into an individual note within my vocal range. This resulted in a composition that expresses the rising sea levels of the bay as increasingly higher pitches in the aria. </p>
<p>Its lyrics come from a somber poem in Rasu-Yong Tugen’s book “<a href="https://gnomebooks.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/songs-from-the-black-moon/">Songs From the Black Moon</a>.” Each note of the aria communicates not just the measured sea level but also my emotive response to this dataset. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569098/original/file-20240112-23-ffk4lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Black flexi disc with gold text and image" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569098/original/file-20240112-23-ffk4lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569098/original/file-20240112-23-ffk4lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569098/original/file-20240112-23-ffk4lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569098/original/file-20240112-23-ffk4lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569098/original/file-20240112-23-ffk4lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569098/original/file-20240112-23-ffk4lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569098/original/file-20240112-23-ffk4lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘tidal arias,’ 2022. Limited edition flexi disc with vocal performances ‘marseille tidal gauge aria’ and ‘skagway tidal aria.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sarah Nance</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Last fall, “marseille tidal gauge aria” was transmitted <a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/ionosphere">to the ionosphere</a>, the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. This was done as part of artist Amanda Dawn Christie’s project “<a href="https://ghostsintheairglow.space/transmission/august-2023">Ghosts in the Air Glow</a>,” using the <a href="https://haarp.gi.alaska.edu">High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program</a>’s ionospheric research instrument, which is an array of 180 antennas transmitting high-frequency radio waves. </p>
<p>The aria’s transmission reflected off the ionosphere, back to Earth and to shortwave radio listeners around the world.</p>
<p>For the second of these vocal pieces, “skagway tidal aria,” I used predictive as well as recorded tidal data from Skagway, Alaska. With this data, I composed an aria for <a href="https://t2051mcc.com">The 2051 Munich Climate Conference</a>, where speakers presented from the perspective of a climate-altered world 30 years in the future. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569106/original/file-20240112-25-4mocnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="vocal music score" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569106/original/file-20240112-25-4mocnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569106/original/file-20240112-25-4mocnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569106/original/file-20240112-25-4mocnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569106/original/file-20240112-25-4mocnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569106/original/file-20240112-25-4mocnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569106/original/file-20240112-25-4mocnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569106/original/file-20240112-25-4mocnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Score for ‘skagway tidal aria,’ 2021. Recorded and speculative tidal data from Skagway, Alaska (1945-2081), sonified as a vocal composition. Text from ‘Songs From the Black Moon’ by Rasu-Yong Tugen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sarah Nance</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I was drawn to this particular dataset because the falling tide levels in Skagway appear to contradict the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-drives-sea-level-rise-us-report-warns-of-1-foot-rise-within-three-decades-and-more-frequent-flooding-177211">global trend of rising sea levels</a>. However, this is a temporary effect caused by melting glaciers releasing pressure on the land, allowing it to rise faster than water levels. The effect will flatten over the next half-century, and Skagway’s tides will start to rise again.</p>
<p>Over the next few months, I’ll be working with geophysical datasets gathered during the NASA GEODES field expedition to write new arias. I want these pieces to continue blurring the separation between the human and the geologic, inviting listeners to think more deeply about their own relationships with the lands they use and occupy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218201/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The author's projects with GEODES and Ghosts in the Air Glow were supported with funding from these organizations.</span></em></p>Sarah Nance uses geologic data and a variety of artistic media to help people think about their place in the landscapes they use and occupy.Sarah Nance, Assistant Professor of Integrated Practice in Art and Design, Binghamton University, State University of New YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2191102023-12-04T03:55:49Z2023-12-04T03:55:49ZAt the End of the Land: an avalanche of images that invites us to sit alone in time and space together<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563198/original/file-20231204-21-ly2bjt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=13%2C4%2C2978%2C1991&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Aaron Claringbold/PICA</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>At the End of the Land, a world premiere production by Western Australian interdisciplinary theatre makers Too Close to the Sun, is an experiential encounter with the liminal space between life and death and other unknowable things.</p>
<p>Performed, written and co-devised by Talya Rubin with co-devisor and director Nick James, At the End of the Land integrates Rubin’s live, amplified voice, delivered via direct address, with Samuel James’ luscious, seemingly three-dimensional video. </p>
<p>Working in concert with the soundscape (composed by Rachael Dease with sound design by Daniel Herten and Hayley Forward), the performance is a parade of images – aural, live and projected – that hold for a moment to imprint on our retinas, but then are gone as quickly as they appeared. </p>
<p>Rubin’s spoken text, sometimes heightened and poetic, other times direct and specific, has multiple narratives. The most recurring throughline references a story of the deaths of 18 young women in a Victorian-era boarding house. Speaking as one of these vanished women about “the day we all died” and what it’s like to be dead, Rubin guides the audience into this in-between place. There is a slightly disembodied quality to her presence, anchored by the serious sincerity of her deliberate delivery.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-hardest-and-most-beautiful-conversation-ive-ever-had-how-end-of-life-storytelling-on-tiktok-helps-us-process-death-206999">'The hardest and most beautiful conversation I've ever had': how end-of-life storytelling on TikTok helps us process death</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Dreamscapes</h2>
<p>The stage is variously zoned, with miniature rooms and landscapes enlarged via projection that plays with perspective, as the performer manipulates the tiny scenes. </p>
<p>One of the zones features a red velvet armchair, with a small side table and lamp, on a black and white checked floor, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. This space places Rubin in her Peter Pan-collared outfit as a sort of Alice in the underworld.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563201/original/file-20231204-17-nm67f5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A scary red monkey." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563201/original/file-20231204-17-nm67f5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563201/original/file-20231204-17-nm67f5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563201/original/file-20231204-17-nm67f5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563201/original/file-20231204-17-nm67f5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563201/original/file-20231204-17-nm67f5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563201/original/file-20231204-17-nm67f5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563201/original/file-20231204-17-nm67f5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Red Monkey is a sort of demonic oracle.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Aaron Claringbold/PICA</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sometimes accompanied by the recurring figure of the Red Monkey, the narrator’s sidekick who acts as a sort of demonic oracle, the overall effect is of a surreal, painterly dreamscape. </p>
<p>At one point Rubin narrates a verbatim interview with American filmmaker and painter David Lynch talking about his ideas and process, particularly with regards to his first feature Eraserhead. It works to position the performance in the highly visual “<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/620859">dreamlike logic</a>” of a Lynchian landscape.</p>
<h2>Our own memories</h2>
<p>At The End of The Land creates a very specific, sustained introspective mood, twice deliberately broken by Rubin when the house lights are raised and the audience directly engaged. </p>
<p>There is a relief in this direct connection, momentarily unfiltered by technology. Rubin invites us to embrace the living and the dead, to contemplate and embrace the inevitability of our own death and the invisible threads that guide (and sometimes abandon) us all. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563200/original/file-20231204-22-lmlt5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman talks into a microphone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563200/original/file-20231204-22-lmlt5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563200/original/file-20231204-22-lmlt5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563200/original/file-20231204-22-lmlt5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563200/original/file-20231204-22-lmlt5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563200/original/file-20231204-22-lmlt5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563200/original/file-20231204-22-lmlt5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563200/original/file-20231204-22-lmlt5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rubin becomes an Alice in the underground.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Aaron Claringbold/PICA</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These moments of suspension create space and self-reflection leaving us alone with our own memories. </p>
<p>Operating in a non-linear surreality, Rubin’s text gives us hooks and signposts, but ultimately the density of images create a sensory overload that washes over you. It works to open the viewer up to the varied associations that accord with their own experience, ensuring At the End of the Land will land differently for each person. </p>
<p>For my companion, the references to the 18 dead women, provoked an association with <a href="https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/16-days-wa">16 Days in WA</a>, a family and domestic violence campaign currently running in the state. Amid the myriad associative possibilities, Rubin’s endeavour is personal but also invitational as she finds ways to bring us together.</p>
<p>It is a seamless performance, which is pretty remarkable considering the work is really all seam: an avalanche of images knitted together with visible seams that invite the audience to sit alone in time and space together.</p>
<p><em>At the End of the Land played at PICA, Perth. Season closed.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/49-women-have-been-killed-in-australia-so-far-in-2023-as-a-result-of-violence-are-we-actually-making-any-progress-217552">49 women have been killed in Australia so far in 2023 as a result of violence. Are we actually making any progress?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219110/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leah Mercer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>This production by Western Australian interdisciplinary theatre makers Too Close to the Sun is an experiential encounter with the liminal space between life and death.Leah Mercer, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2160582023-11-06T13:35:07Z2023-11-06T13:35:07ZWhat’s your chronotype? Knowing whether you’re a night owl or an early bird could help you do better on tests and avoid scams<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557337/original/file-20231102-21-hyagg8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C1994&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Owl chronotypes function better at night, while lark chronotypes are more energized in the morning.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/blue-owl-royalty-free-image/1164845949">The Photo Matrix/Moment, nomis_g/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Timing is everything. For early risers and late-nighters alike, listening to your internal clock may be the key to success. From the classroom to the courtroom and beyond, people perform best on challenging tasks at a time of day that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231178553">aligns with their circadian rhythm</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/your-body-has-an-internal-clock-that-dictates-when-you-eat-sleep-and-might-have-a-heart-attack-all-based-on-time-of-day-178601">Circadian rhythms</a> are powerful internal timekeepers that drive a person’s physiological and intellectual functioning throughout the day. Peaks in these circadian rhythms vary across individuals. Some people, known as larks or morning chronotypes, peak early and feel at their best in the morning. Others, known as owls or evening chronotypes, peak later in the day and perform best in the late afternoon or evening. And some people show neither morning nor evening preferences and are considered neutral chronotypes.</p>
<p><a href="https://psychology.cofc.edu/about/faculty-and-staff/may-cynthia.php">As a researcher</a> seeking ways to improve cognitive function, I’ve explored whether your chronotype affects your mental performance. Understanding the kinds of mental processes that vary – or remain stable – over the course of a day may help people schedule their tasks in a way that optimizes performance. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UbQ0RxQu2gM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Your brain has an internal clock that influences how your body functions over the course of a day.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why your chronotype matters</h2>
<p>Chronotype can be measured with a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1027738/">simple questionnaire</a> that assesses things like your perceived alertness, preferred rising and retiring times and performance throughout the day. Even without a questionnaire, most people have a sense of whether they are a lark or an owl or fall somewhere in between. Do you wake up early, without an alarm, feeling sharp? Are you mentally drained and ready for pj’s by nine? If so, you are likely a morning type. Do you sleep late and wake feeling sluggish and foggy? Are you more energized late at night? If so, you are likely an evening type. </p>
<p>People perform best on many challenging mental tasks – from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(90)90056-W">paying attention</a> and <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/pag0000199">learning</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(02)00320-3">solving problems</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2021.100226">making complex decisions</a> – when these actions are synchronized with their personal circadian peaks. This is known as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1993.tb00573.x">synchrony effect</a>. Whether you are an air traffic controller scanning the radar, a CFO reviewing an earnings report or a high school student learning chemistry, synchrony can affect how well you perform.</p>
<p>Much of the evidence for synchrony effects comes from lab studies that test both larks and owls early in the morning and late in the day. People with strong chronotypes are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088820">more vigilant</a> and better able to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24885-0">sustain attention</a> at their peak relative to off-peak times. Their memories are sharper, with <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01764">better list recall</a> and more success in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2016.1238444">remembering “to-do” tasks</a> like taking medication.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557340/original/file-20231102-17-6nvix8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Hand reaching out under bedsheets towards a blue alarm clock on a nightstand" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557340/original/file-20231102-17-6nvix8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557340/original/file-20231102-17-6nvix8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557340/original/file-20231102-17-6nvix8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557340/original/file-20231102-17-6nvix8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557340/original/file-20231102-17-6nvix8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557340/original/file-20231102-17-6nvix8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557340/original/file-20231102-17-6nvix8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When you feel the urge to hit snooze may tell you something about your circadian rhythm.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/early-morning-royalty-free-image/626952608">eggeeggjiew/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>People are also less prone to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.57536">mind wandering</a> and less distracted at their optimal time. For example, a study I conducted gave participants three weakly related cue words (such as “ship,” “outer” and “crawl”). They were tasked to find another word that linked all three (such as “space”). When my team and I presented misleading words alongside the cue words (such as “ocean” for ship, “inner” for outer and “baby” for crawl), those who were tested at synchronous times were <a href="https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210822">better at ignoring the misleading words</a> and finding the target solution than those who weren’t.</p>
<p>Synchrony also affects high-level cognitive functions like persuasion, reasoning and decision-making. Studies on consumers have found that people are more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.01.021">discerning</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-013-9247-0">skeptical</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20169">analytical</a> at their peak times. They <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2008.04.002">invest more time and effort</a> in assigned tasks and are more likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2009.08.002">search for important information</a>. Consequently, people make <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2021.106165">better investment decisions</a>, are less <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1990.tb00226.x">prone to bias</a> and are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-013-9247-0">more likely to detect scams</a>. </p>
<p>At off-peak times it takes people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(02)00320-3">longer to solve problems</a>, and they tend to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.10.031">less careful</a> and more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1990.tb00226.x">reliant on mental shortcuts</a>, leaving them <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-013-9247-0">vulnerable to flashy marketing schemes</a>. Even ethical behavior can be compromised at non-optimal times, as people are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614541989">more likely to cheat</a> at their off-peak times.</p>
<h2>In the classroom and the clinic</h2>
<p>The basic mental abilities that are affected by synchrony – including attention, memory and analytical thinking – are all skills that contribute to academic success. This connection is especially significant for teens, who <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2010.535225">tend to be night owls</a> but typically start school early.</p>
<p>One study randomly assigned over 700 adolescents to exam times in the early morning, late morning or afternoon. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0748730414564786">Owls had lower scores</a> relative to larks in both morning sessions, but this disadvantage disappeared for owls taking the exam in the afternoon. Early start times may put student owls a step behind larks.</p>
<p>Time of day may also be a consideration when conducting assessments for cognitive disorders like attention-deficit disorder or Alzheimer’s disease. Scheduling time may be particularly significant for <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00003">older adults, who tend to be larks</a> and often show <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17470210902834852">larger synchrony effects</a> than young adults. Performance is better at peak times on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2015.1028326">several key neuropsychological measures</a> used to assess these conditions. Failing to consider synchrony may affect the accuracy of diagnoses and subsequently have consequences for clinical trial eligibility and data on treatment effectiveness.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557341/original/file-20231102-27-tovoh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Person writing on a piece of paper on a clipboard with a pen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557341/original/file-20231102-27-tovoh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557341/original/file-20231102-27-tovoh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557341/original/file-20231102-27-tovoh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557341/original/file-20231102-27-tovoh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557341/original/file-20231102-27-tovoh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557341/original/file-20231102-27-tovoh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557341/original/file-20231102-27-tovoh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">What time of day you take a cognitive test may influence your results.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-hand-writing-on-clipboard-with-a-pen-royalty-free-image/1434437996">Violeta Stoimenova/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Of course, synchrony doesn’t affect performance on all tasks or for all people. Simple, easy tasks – like recognizing familiar faces or places, dialing a close friend’s phone number or making a favorite recipe – are unlikely to change over the day. Furthermore, young adults who are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2023.2256843">neither larks nor owls</a> show less variability in performance over the day.</p>
<p>For those who are true early birds or night owls, tackling the toughest mental tasks at times that align with their personal circadian peaks could improve their outcomes. When small improvements in performance offer an essential edge, synchrony may be one secret to success.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216058/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cindi May received funding from the National Institute on Aging. She currently serves on the board for Disability Rights South Carolina.</span></em></p>Synchronizing your daily activities to your circadian rhythm could help you improve your performance on a variety of cognitive tasks − and even influence diagnosis of cognitive disorders.Cindi May, Professor of Psychology, College of CharlestonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2135342023-10-05T12:34:58Z2023-10-05T12:34:58ZWhat live theater can learn from Branson, Missouri<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551211/original/file-20230929-29-joncoy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C17%2C2986%2C1980&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'The Shepherd of the Hills' has been running for 63 years and is the most performed outdoor drama in the U.S.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/staff-and-visitors-to-the-theatre-for-the-shepherd-of-the-news-photo/1244096062?adppopup=true">Terra Fondriest/The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In summer 2023, the publication American Theatre declared unequivocally that live theater was “<a href="https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/07/24/theatre-in-crisis-what-were-losing-and-what-comes-next/">in crisis</a>” – particularly regional, nonprofit theaters. Writing for The New York Times, Isaac Butler preferred the phrase “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/opinion/theater-collapse-bailout.html">on the verge of collapse</a>.”</p>
<p>The numbers are stark. Not only have dozens of theaters across the country <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/23/theater/regional-theater-crisis.html">closed their doors</a> since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, but those that are still open have also contracted their seasons massively, <a href="https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/07/24/theatre-in-crisis-what-were-losing-and-what-comes-next/">producing 40% fewer shows than in 2019</a>.</p>
<p>What can regional, nonprofit theaters do to survive?</p>
<p>One place to look for ideas is the tourist town of Branson, Missouri. Scholars and theater critics have ignored this mecca of live entertainment that attracts <a href="https://www.bransontrilakesnews.com/news/local/article_0091efaa-ba7b-11ec-a579-4f4da3995178.html">millions of people a year</a>, largely because of its reputation for cheesy performances and political conservatism.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XdEcpDYAAAAJ&hl=en">I’m a theater and dance historian</a> at Washington University, a liberal arts institution in a city. My politics differ from that of most Branson residents. But that’s precisely why I am in the process of writing a book about the town’s entertainment industry. In an age of polarization, could I challenge myself to approach the place with an open mind? I expected to feel discomfort; I did not expect to feel envy. In Branson, people really seemed to believe in theater’s power. </p>
<p>And nowhere more so than at <a href="https://www.sight-sound.com/">Sight & Sound</a>, a for-profit Christian theater. On a Wednesday afternoon in May 2023, I joined 2,000 other patrons to watch their performance of “<a href="https://www.sight-sound.com/shows/branson/queen-esther/2023">Queen Esther</a>,” a musical retelling of the biblical story of Hadassah. </p>
<p>In “Queen Esther,” Hadassah adopts the name Esther and conceals her Jewish identity in order to marry the Persian emperor Xerxes. She faces challenges in the royal court and doubts herself. Eventually, she learns to trust in God that she was “<a href="https://www.sight-sound.com/shows/branson/queen-esther/2023">made for such a time as this</a>” and bravely saves the Jewish people from annihilation.</p>
<p>The Old Testament story is not as well known as those of Noah or Moses, nor does the musical feature any celebrity performers. Yet approximately eight times a week, 40 weeks a year, Broadway-sized crowds watch “Queen Esther” in a town of 12,000 people in the Ozark Mountains.</p>
<h2>Embracing the spectacle</h2>
<p>Sight & Sound’s formula is seemingly simple: “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqpDd5EveRo&t=3s.%5D">spectacle meets story</a>.”</p>
<p>In one scene of “Queen Esther,” over a dozen women in bejeweled gowns twirl with lengthy scarves, turning the stage into a hypnotic, swirling sea of color. In another scene, 45 cast members sing from windows and doorways across a 300-foot-wide set that wraps around three sides to immerse the audience in live surround sound. At several points in the show, Xerxes and his men gallop up the aisles on real horses. Members of the royal court also ride a mechanical, full-sized elephant across the stage.</p>
<p>Nonprofit theater has long resisted the siren call of spectacle. For artists who have adopted the theories of cultural critics <a href="https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/adorno/1944/culture-industry.htm">Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer</a>, outlandish, flashy performances reflect cynical pandering to the sensory pleasures of the masses to make money. </p>
<p>But spectacle creates an experience that only live performance can offer: a visual, auditory and even – in the case of the horses in “Queen Esther” – olfactory. The effect transports an audience to another world, drawing people off their couches with the promise that they, too, <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-behind-the-magic-of-live-music-169343">can become part of an experience to remember</a>.</p>
<p>While some theater owners are beginning to recognize the <a href="https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/07/24/theatre-in-crisis-what-were-losing-and-what-comes-next">value of spectacle</a>, there’s another lesson from Sight & Sound: the value of offering hope that seemingly insurmountable obstacles can be overcome.</p>
<h2>What do audiences really want?</h2>
<p>In the wake of the commingled disasters of recent years – the COVID-19 pandemic, George Floyd’s murder, climate change and an insurrection at the nation’s capitol – university dance and theater departments, as well as nonprofit theaters, have changed their mission statements <a href="https://issuu.com/setc.org/docs/2020_convention_program_-_compressed/18">to include social justice as an explicit aim of their programs</a>. They promise productions that confront racism, homophobia and authoritarianism head-on.</p>
<p>Musicologist Jake Johnson has written about today’s dominant impulse toward “<a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=98wxb9ky9780252043925">theater to make the present dystopia even more real</a>.”</p>
<p>But theatergoers have not necessarily responded positively. Since 2020, some audiences and critics have complained that theater is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/05/opinion/saving-american-theater.html">tilting too far toward preachy messages</a>. And when staring out at empty seats, practitioners cannot help but question their faith in theater’s power to effect social change.</p>
<p>Sight & Sound’s success suggests that the problem is less with the message of social justice and more with the approach. </p>
<p>“Queen Esther” is an ancient story of antisemitism, after all. But as Sight & Sound Chief Creative Officer Josh Enck <a href="https://bible2school.podbean.com/e/bringing-the-bible-to-life-through-storytelling-with-josh-enck-episode-34/">explained in a 2022 podcast</a>, the shows seek “not just to inform or educate” but “to inspire” – particularly since “inspiration is at the core of who God is.”</p>
<p>The animatronic elephant lumbering across the stage with a jeweled headdress is not a distraction from the serious business of salvation, but rather a way of unlocking an audience member’s sense of awe and wonder.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1ain6Ehbe9Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘Queen Esther’ doesn’t shy away from spectacle.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>People flock to Branson</h2>
<p>Sight & Sound is also earnest, a feature that fell out of favor with high-art theater at the dawn of the 21st century, when the sense that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/30/arts/living-with-the-fake-and-liking-it.html?searchResultPosition=1">everything was fake</a> led to productions that dripped with <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/221355858?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true">irony and cynicism</a>. </p>
<p>Today’s compounding sociopolitical crises have shaken the theater world out of complacency. But in the fierce urgency to confront the world’s myriad problems, earnestness is still seen as simplistic, naïve or even duplicitous. </p>
<p>Sight & Sound expanded to Branson in 2008 because its earnest approach fit with the town’s long-standing entertainment industry, which began back in 1907 with the publication of Harold Bell Wright’s wildly popular novel “<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4735">The Shepherd of the Hills</a>.” </p>
<p>Tourists flocked to see the real-life inspirations for the characters, and local residents often obliged by performing versions of themselves. In 1959, the Mabe family began performing the <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/275645520703">Baldknobbers Hillbilly Jamboree</a> to provide nighttime entertainment to tourists who had come to boat and fish during the day. The following year, an outdoor drama based on Wright’s novel opened, as did a theme park called <a href="https://www.ksmu.org/local-history/2012-06-05/silver-dollar-city-the-cavernous-past-of-a-modern-theme-park#stream/0">Silver Dollar City</a> that recreated an 1880s Ozark village.</p>
<p>Over time, dozens of theaters were built, featuring variety shows that combined country, gospel, Broadway tunes, comedy, magic tricks, dance numbers, acrobatics and even animal acts. Musicals that fit Branson’s brand of family-friendly, Christian entertainment also popped up along its strip. Many shows featured singers such as <a href="https://andywilliams.com/">Andy Williams</a>, whose greatest hits had been released decades earlier. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man wearing purple shirt holding microphone singles out an elderly woman in the crowd." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551235/original/file-20230929-23-vvw3up.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551235/original/file-20230929-23-vvw3up.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551235/original/file-20230929-23-vvw3up.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551235/original/file-20230929-23-vvw3up.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551235/original/file-20230929-23-vvw3up.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551235/original/file-20230929-23-vvw3up.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551235/original/file-20230929-23-vvw3up.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Singer Tony Orlando serenades a fan in the audience during a 1994 performance in Branson, Mo.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/tony-orlando-singles-out-a-fan-in-the-audience-while-news-photo/612579126?adppopup=true">Shepard Sherbell/Corbis via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some of Branson’s performers didn’t qualify as stars at all. “<a href="https://bransonregister.com/the-journey-of-the-incredible-shoji-tabuchi-in-his-own-words/">The Shoji Tabuchi Show</a>,” arguably the most popular in town during the 1990s, was headlined by a fiddler who had never produced an original hit song or been featured on the radio. </p>
<p>Branson performers – whether acrobats or singers or comedians – shared something in common: earnest messages of appreciation for their audiences, whom they greeted in person during intermissions and after shows.</p>
<h2>Ignoring the sneers</h2>
<p>In 1991, the Ozark Mountain tourist destination burst onto the national scene when it was featured on “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qac5fPGgemY&t=14s">60 Minutes</a>.”</p>
<p>Reporters from the coasts flocked to the Ozarks in disbelief after the segment aired. Wasn’t America supposed to be obsessed with youth and celebrity, not aging or unknown singers? And wasn’t earnestness merely hucksterism in disguise to dupe audiences into parting with their hard-earned money?</p>
<p>The coastal critics scrambled to come up with the wittiest insults. One called Branson a “<a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/oa_monograph/chapter/71692/pdf">cultural penal colony</a>.” Another preferred the term “<a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/232143243/AA935A7F9CBA4905PQ/1?accountid=15159">Town of the Living Dead</a>.” Even “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2El5ttjM9I">The Simpsons</a>” couldn’t resist piling on.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z2El5ttjM9I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘My dad says it’s like Vegas – if it were run by Ned Flanders.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The show went on, undeterred: In 2021, <a href="https://www.bransontrilakesnews.com/news/local/article_0091efaa-ba7b-11ec-a579-4f4da3995178.html">a record-breaking 10 million people</a> came to visit.</p>
<p>While not every show has survived the COVID-19 pandemic, clearly some performers are doing something right. Comedians like Stephen Colbert have continued <a href="https://youtu.be/IM4Qy1dkAVo?feature=shared&t=152">to mock Branson</a>, but live theater is in too much of a crisis to dismiss the town’s approach. </p>
<p>The town demonstrates that theater can return to the mission of imagining new, better worlds onstage and inviting audiences to join in that mission with them. It can be the stuff of spiritual transcendence – even if it grabs your attention by galloping down the aisle on a horse.</p>
<p><em>This article was updated to clarify that Shoji Tabuchi never produced a record featuring songs that he had written.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213534/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joanna Dee Das does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Comedians like Stephen Colbert might mock the entertainment mecca, but live theater is in too much of a crisis to dismiss the town’s formula of spectacle meets story.Joanna Dee Das, Associate Professor of Dance, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. LouisLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2110892023-08-09T19:25:45Z2023-08-09T19:25:45ZDivorce and separation can have significant impacts on business and political leaders<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541810/original/file-20230808-17-d1kkk4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=187%2C98%2C5994%2C3752&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Recent research about business leaders and divorce has important implications for political leaders like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who hold high-level positions of power and responsibility. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/divorce-and-separation-can-have-significant-impacts-on-business-and-political-leaders" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The announcement that <a href="https://theconversation.com/justin-trudeaus-political-foes-should-avoid-capitalizing-on-his-marital-breakdown-210958">Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau</a> are separating has sparked widespread discussions across the nation.</p>
<p>This situation has placed the prime minister in a new role as a separated parent, raising questions about the political implications of separations and divorces among public figures. </p>
<p>This news comes at a time when divorce has become a common occurrence in modern societies. About <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/divorce/divorce-statistics/">half of first marriages end in divorce, and subsequent marriages fail at even higher rates</a>.</p>
<p>Divorce is a highly stressful life event that can lead to lower social participation, economic decline, disrupted family relationships and legal issues. It <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2940">increases the risks of depression, burnout, anxiety, physical illness</a> and even mortality.</p>
<p>Such adverse effects are not limited to the individuals directly involved in the divorce but can also spill over to their work behaviour, including job performance. </p>
<p>The impact of divorce on job performance can be profound, affecting individuals on both personal and professional levels. </p>
<h2>Impact of divorce on job performance</h2>
<p>For regular employees, studies have consistently shown that divorce-specific conflicts <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022170">can lead to problems at work</a>. These include working fewer hours, decreased productivity, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12166">increased absence and sick leave</a> and even long-term work disability.</p>
<p>The demands of personal life can deplete personal resources, leaving insufficient capacity for work-related tasks and leading to conflicts between work and family roles.</p>
<p>When it comes to CEOs, researchers have recently started looking at the impact a CEO’s divorce may have on their firm and its stakeholders. However, we’re still not sure about how a CEO’s divorce affects their job performance. Our study is the first to explore this aspect.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two wedding rings rest beside a dictionary entry for the word divorce" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541812/original/file-20230808-28-ui9ptc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541812/original/file-20230808-28-ui9ptc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541812/original/file-20230808-28-ui9ptc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541812/original/file-20230808-28-ui9ptc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541812/original/file-20230808-28-ui9ptc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541812/original/file-20230808-28-ui9ptc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541812/original/file-20230808-28-ui9ptc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Divorce has become a common occurrence in modern societies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Since CEOs are the chief decision-makers and architects of company strategy, divorce-related distractions and cognitive limitations can have severe consequences on their job performance and, subsequently, on their company’s performance. </p>
<p>However, CEOs may also be more likely to have managerial support to help with decision-making and cope with potential negative consequences, which is especially the case for larger firms with supporting staff.</p>
<h2>CEO divorce and company performance</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2020.0031">research paper based on data from Danish firms and their CEOs</a> shows that CEO divorces can have a negative impact on their company’s performance. However, the extent of the impact depends on certain circumstances. </p>
<p>The impact of a CEO’s divorce is more significant in smaller firms, industries experiencing rapid growth and if the CEO has children in their household. The level of control and decision-making power the CEO has in the company also plays a crucial role in determining the extent of the impact.</p>
<p>Our study emphasizes the importance of providing support — both personal and institutional — to CEOs during challenging life events to help mitigate any negative effects on the company’s performance.</p>
<p>These findings highlight the complex interplay between CEOs’ personal lives and their professional roles, shedding light on how such events can influence a company’s success.</p>
<h2>Implications for political leaders</h2>
<p>Our research has important implications for political leaders, including individuals like Trudeau who hold high-level positions of power and responsibility. </p>
<p>When a leader goes through a separation or divorce, it can have potential ramifications for their performance and decision-making in office.</p>
<p>For politicians, the impact of divorce on their performance may vary depending on several factors, including cultural norms, societal attitudes towards divorce and the expectations placed on public figures. </p>
<p>If a political leader is in a country where people have more liberal perspectives on family issues and divorce, societal pressure might be low. People tend to be more accepting and open-minded about personal choices. This results in reduced societal stigma towards political leaders undergoing divorce. </p>
<p>This can be seen by the divorce announcement of Finland’s outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin, which sparked far <a href="https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/world-int/world-news/finland-in-the-world-press/23551-sanna-marin-s-divorce-nato-drills-and-cha-cha-cha-finland-in-the-world-press.html">less media attention than the controversy surrounding her partying with friends and celebrities</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in a suit jacket and dress shirt looks off-camera" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542005/original/file-20230809-5449-uz7tor.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542005/original/file-20230809-5449-uz7tor.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542005/original/file-20230809-5449-uz7tor.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542005/original/file-20230809-5449-uz7tor.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542005/original/file-20230809-5449-uz7tor.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542005/original/file-20230809-5449-uz7tor.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542005/original/file-20230809-5449-uz7tor.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In May, Finland’s outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced on Instagram that she and her husband had filed for divorce.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Sergei Grits)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, in countries like the United States, attitudes towards divorce can vary significantly across regions and communities. In some parts of the U.S., there is stronger emphasis on traditional family values, <a href="https://theconversation.com/prime-minister-justin-trudeau-assumes-a-new-role-single-dad-just-like-his-own-father-210938">which can result in more scrutiny and negative perceptions when political leaders go through a divorce</a>.</p>
<p>Additionally, the level of public attention and media coverage that political figures receive can differ between countries. </p>
<p>In countries with more liberal views, the media might focus less on personal matters like divorce, and more on the leader’s professional capabilities. In the U.S., however, <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/N/bo22723661.html">the media often covers both personal and professional aspects of politicians’ lives</a>, which can amplify the impact of a divorce on one’s public image.</p>
<h2>Personal and professional lives</h2>
<p>Our research emphasizes the importance of a strong support system. If a political leader has people and systems in place to support them, it can help them navigate the challenges of divorce and maintain their leadership effectiveness. </p>
<p>In situations where a leader lacks an adequate support system, their ability to make crucial decisions and focus on governance might be negatively affected. This can lead to poor decision-making and ultimately result in negative economic consequences. </p>
<p>As our research implies, it’s crucial for political and business leaders to be mindful of how their personal lives may impact their professional roles. </p>
<p>Additionally, research on how politicians balance their family and work lives, and how it affects their decision-making, can provide valuable insights for improving leadership performance and public service.</p>
<p>It’s important to note these are general tendencies and there can be exceptions in every country. Ultimately, the impact of a political leader’s divorce depends on a complex interplay of cultural norms, media dynamics and a leader’s ability to navigate public perception during challenging personal times.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211089/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The impact of divorce on job performance can be profound, affecting individuals on both personal and professional levels.Denis Schweizer, Professor of Finance, Concordia UniversityJuliane Proelss, Associate Professor Finance, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2051492023-05-11T11:36:26Z2023-05-11T11:36:26ZEurovision 2023: why the stage itself is the silent star of the contest<p>This week, Liverpool stages one of the <a href="https://eurovision.tv/mediacentre/release/183-million-viewers">world’s largest live televised events</a>, the Eurovision Song Contest. I grew up watching it as an annual family get-together. </p>
<p>Now, as a lecturer in theatre and scenography – the study and practice of how set, sound, light and costume work together in an event – I have come to appreciate the immense logistical effort this entertainment behemoth requires. </p>
<p>More fascinatingly though, it is an extraordinary example of media and performance history, providing a yearly snapshot of pan-European <a href="https://theconversation.com/eurovision-even-before-the-singing-starts-the-contest-is-a-fascinating-reflection-of-international-rules-and-politics-204934">national identities and politics</a>.</p>
<p>While the contest’s rules state that <a href="https://eurovision.tv/about/rules">it is a non-political event</a>, it undeniably puts international relations on display. But while looking at different countries’ acts and voting patterns offers interesting insights, there is a silent star of the event that often goes unnoticed – the stage.</p>
<h2>Staging a nation</h2>
<p>Since the contest’s inception in 1956, there has been no serious discussion about the way Eurovision is an exercise in staging nation, nationality and nationalism in the literal sense – namely how these ideas inform the scenography.</p>
<p>2023 marks the first time Eurovision will be hosted in the runner-up’s country due to war, with the UK hosting on behalf of Ukraine. </p>
<p>The host’s stage set-up must be everything and nothing at the same time. It needs to provide a flexible, adaptable canvas for the wide-ranging individual acts of up to 44 countries. At the same time, it must offer a memorable and distinct experience to measure up to previous iterations of the competition. </p>
<p>The stage also needs to embody that year’s chosen theme, while meeting the extensive requirements of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the event, in order to allow the competition to run efficiently.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kDPBB09eiXs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Inside Liverpool Arena as the Eurovision 2023 build got underway.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>2023’s theme is “united by music”. After the UK’s difficult departure from the EU, it now faces the challenge of staging itself as part of a united European community. Meanwhile, it also needs to give space to Ukraine to do the same. </p>
<p>The Liverpool stage’s designer, Julio Himede, has repeatedly offered the <a href="https://recessed.space/00097-Julio-Himede-Eurovision">image of a hug</a> – of open arms welcoming Ukraine and the world – as central to the stage’s spatial configuration.</p>
<p>The early days of Eurovision were a much smaller affair than nowadays. When the UK first hosted in 1960 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, it seated just 2,500 people. That’s less than a quarter of this year’s 11,000 at the Liverpool arena.</p>
<p>And if you have been watching the semi-finals, you’ll already have a good sense of the sheer scale of this year’s stage. At 450m², it is almost as big as a basketball court. With an integrated lighting design through video-capable floor and ceiling tiling and huge LED screens, the only apt descriptor is “spectacular”.</p>
<p>For Eurovision, the concepts, symbols and metaphors underpinning the design have to work in tandem with the creative vision of each delegation, as well as the 45 second turnover between acts in the live show.</p>
<p>The design concept also has to be one that acknowledges the particular situation of this year’s contest and simultaneously unites the identities of Ukraine and the UK. </p>
<p>Ultimately, the image of the hug that underpins the sweeping curve of the main stage space aims to offer a more universal theme, rather than one which is culturally specific. Viewers will notice the “open arms” of the stage are echoed in the arrangement of the “green room”, where the national delegations are located during the show.</p>
<p>In this sense, Eurovision is a prime example of a “soft power” approach to international relations, which works by persuasion or influence, rather than the “hard power” of economic sanctions or military intervention. </p>
<h2>The UK after Brexit</h2>
<p>This year, it will be fascinating to see how much space the UK will give to Ukraine, not only last year’s winner but a nation in need of international recognition and support. And to what extent the UK will use this event, post-Brexit, to stage itself as a welcoming part of Europe.</p>
<p>The UK does have a history of highly successful <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2012/jul/31/olympic-opening-ceremony-agitprop-theatre">agit-prop</a> events, which have engaged audiences emotionally to shape public opinion. Think back to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2012/jul/31/olympic-opening-ceremony-agitprop-theatre">2012 London Olympics opening ceremony</a>, which strove to inspire <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13642529.2014.909674">a sense of national identity</a>. </p>
<p>In 2023, the UK sees itself in the middle of global instability and national tension over <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/16/hostile-authoritarian-uk-downgraded-in-civic-freedoms-index">mounting authoritarianism</a> and <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/topics/society/articles-reports/2023/02/07/yougov-cost-living-segmentation">widening social divisions</a>. Once again, it has the chance to use an international stage to put forward an idealised narrative.</p>
<p>In any such example, the stage underpins the entire event. It is essential to the atmosphere for the live audience and fundamental to its appearance on television. </p>
<p>There is no doubt that Eurovision 2023 is a staging extravaganza and will test the UK’s capability to shake off its <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/britain-is-the-sick-man-of-europe-again/">“sick man of Europe”</a> image. It is a stage which offers the UK the opportunity to adjust its global image in line with the contest’s welcoming theme. </p>
<p>It will be interesting to see whether the image of open arms for the world is sincere or cynical.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205149/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lara Maleen Kipp does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>2023 sees the UK host the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. But what role does the stage itself have to play in the musical spectacle?Lara Maleen Kipp, Lecturer in Theatre and Scenography, Aberystwyth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1959392023-04-02T20:03:15Z2023-04-02T20:03:15ZEver feel like your life is a performance? Everyone does – and this 1959 book explains roles, scripts and hiding backstage<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516550/original/file-20230321-14-d8qd03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3000%2C1994&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Our cultural touchstones series looks at books that have made an impact.</em></p>
<p>Shakespeare’s adage — “All the world’s a stage” — suggests human beings are conditioned to perform, and to possess an acute social awareness of how they appear in front of others. </p>
<p>It resonates in the age of social media, where we’re all performing ourselves on our screens and watching each other’s performances play out. Increasingly, those screen performances are how we meet people, and how we form relationships: from online dating, to remote work, to staying in touch with family.</p>
<p>While the idea of performance as central to social life has been around for centuries, <a href="https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199756384/obo-9780199756384-0228.xml">Erving Goffman</a> was the first to attempt a comprehensive account of society and everyday life using theatre as an analogy. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518637/original/file-20230331-24-w3md7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518637/original/file-20230331-24-w3md7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518637/original/file-20230331-24-w3md7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518637/original/file-20230331-24-w3md7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518637/original/file-20230331-24-w3md7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518637/original/file-20230331-24-w3md7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518637/original/file-20230331-24-w3md7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518637/original/file-20230331-24-w3md7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In the social media age, we’re all performing ourselves on our screens and watching each other’s performances play out.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">George Milton/Pexels</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>His influential 1959 book <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-presentation-of-self-in-everyday-life-9780241547991">The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life</a> is something of a “bible” for scholars interested in questions of how we operate in everyday life. It became a surprise US bestseller on publication, crossing over to a general readership.</p>
<p>Goffman wrote about how we perform different versions of ourselves in different social environments, while keeping our “backstage” essential selves private. He called his idea <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003160861-3/dramaturgy-charles-edgley?context=ubx&refId=6e9b71d0-973c-4ebe-b90b-41a372d12623">dramaturgy</a>.</p>
<p>Playwright Alan Bennett <a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v03/n19/alan-bennett/cold-sweat">wrote admiringly</a> of him, “Individuals knew they behaved in this way, but Goffman knew <em>everybody</em> behaved like this and so did I.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-shifting-identities-performing-sexual-selves-on-social-media-145322">Friday essay: shifting identities - performing sexual selves on social media</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Goffman as influencer (and suspected spy)</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.isa-sociology.org/en/about-isa/history-of-isa/books-of-the-xx-century">poll of professional sociologists</a>, Goffman’s book ranked in the top ten publications of the 20th century. </p>
<p>It influenced playwrights such as <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/019027250907200402">Tom Stoppard</a> and, of course, Bennett, who <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Alan-Bennett-A-Critical-Introduction/OMealy/p/book/9780815335405">was interested in</a> depicting and analysing the role-playing of everyday life that Goffman identified. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518632/original/file-20230331-22-d1kllv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518632/original/file-20230331-22-d1kllv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518632/original/file-20230331-22-d1kllv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=920&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518632/original/file-20230331-22-d1kllv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=920&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518632/original/file-20230331-22-d1kllv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=920&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518632/original/file-20230331-22-d1kllv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1157&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518632/original/file-20230331-22-d1kllv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1157&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518632/original/file-20230331-22-d1kllv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1157&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Goffman was <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781444396621.ch24">born in Mannville</a>, Alberta in 1922 to Ukrainian Jewish parents who migrated to Canada. The sister of the man who would become famous for his theatre analogies was an actor, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0062844/">Frances Bay</a>: late in life, she would play quirky, recognisable roles such as the “marble rye” lady on <a href="https://theconversation.com/science-of-seinfeld-131606">Seinfeld</a> and a recurring part on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ill-see-you-again-in-25-years-the-return-to-twin-peaks-32624">Twin Peaks</a> (as Mrs Tremond/Chalfant).</p>
<p>The path to Goffman’s book was an unusual one. It didn’t come from directly studying the theatre, or even from asking questions about theatregoers.</p>
<p>While completing postgraduate studies at the the University of Chicago, Goffman was given the opportunity to conduct fieldwork in the Shetland Islands, an isolated part of northern Scotland, for his <a href="https://www.mediastudies.press/pub/ns-ccic/release/4">PhD dissertation</a>.</p>
<p>Goffman pretended to be there to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470999912.ch3">study agricultural techniques</a>. But his actual reason was to examine the everyday life of the Shetland Islanders. As he observed the everyday practices and rituals of the remote island community, he had to negotiate suspicions he may <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Goffman-Social-Organization-Sociological-Routledge/dp/0415112044?">have been a spy</a>. </p>
<p>In Goffman’s published book, the ethnography of the Shetland Islands takes a back seat to his dramaturgical theory.</p>
<h2>More than a popular how-to manual</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-presentation-of-self-in-everyday-life-9780241547991">The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life</a> quickly became <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Sociological-Bent-InsideMetro-Culture/dp/0170120015">a national bestseller</a>. It was picked up by general readers “as a guide to social manners and on how to be clever and calculating in social intercourse without being obvious”.</p>
<p>This fascinating and complex academic work could indeed be read as a “how-to” manual on how to impress others and mitigate negative impressions. But Goffman <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Erving-Goffman/Smith/p/book/9780415355919">didn’t mean</a> “performance” literally. Reading the book as a guide to middle-class etiquette misses some of its nuances.</p>
<p>One is the sophisticated understanding of how reality and contrivance relate to each other. A good performance is one that appears “unselfconscious”; a “contrived” performance is one where the fact the social actor is performing a role is “painstakingly evident”. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bVilBKyMLYk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A ‘contrived’ performance is when the actor playing a social role is ‘painstakingly evident’, or trying too hard.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In everyday language, we tend to describe the latter as trying too hard. But Goffman is making a more general point, about the way we all perform ourselves, all the time – whether the effort is visible or not.</p>
<p>If “All the world is not, of course, a stage”, then “the crucial ways in which it isn’t are not easy to specify”. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-emotional-labour-and-how-do-we-get-it-wrong-185773">What is emotional labour - and how do we get it wrong?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Playing roles and being in character</h2>
<p>Today, we regularly use theatrical terms like “role”, “script”, “props”, “audience” and being “in and out of character” to describe how people behave in their everyday social life. But Goffman is the one who introduced these concepts, which have become part of our shared language.</p>
<p>Together, they highlight how social life depends on what Goffman terms a shared definition of particular situations. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518638/original/file-20230331-28-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518638/original/file-20230331-28-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518638/original/file-20230331-28-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518638/original/file-20230331-28-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518638/original/file-20230331-28-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518638/original/file-20230331-28-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518638/original/file-20230331-28-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518638/original/file-20230331-28-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Goffman introduced theatrical terms like ‘role’, ‘script’ and being ‘in and out of character’ as ways of talking about social performance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Monica Silvestre/Pexels</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Whether we are performing our work roles, having dinner with someone for whom we have romantic affections, or dealing with strangers in a public setting, we need to produce and maintain the appropriate definition of that reality. </p>
<p>These activities are “performances”, according to Goffman, because they involve mutual awareness or attentiveness to the information others emit. This mutual awareness, or attention to others, means humans are constantly performing for audiences in their everyday lives.</p>
<h2>Being in and out of character</h2>
<p>It matters who the audience is – and what type of audience we have for our performances. When thinking about how people adapt their behaviour for others, Goffman differentiates between “front regions” and “back regions”. </p>
<p>Front regions are where we must present what is often referred to as the “best version of ourselves”. In an open-plan office, a worker needs to look busy if their supervisor is about. So, in the front region, they need to look engaged, industrious and generally perform the role of being a worker. In an open-plan office, a worker needs to be constantly “in character”, as Goffman puts it.</p>
<p>Back regions are where a social actor can “let their guard down”. In the context of a workplace, the back regions might refer to the bathroom, the lunchroom or anywhere else where the worker can relax their performance and potentially resort to “out of character” behaviour. </p>
<p>If the worker takes a diversionary break to gossip with a colleague when their supervisor is no longer in earshot, they could be said to be engaging in back region conduct.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518636/original/file-20230331-18-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518636/original/file-20230331-18-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518636/original/file-20230331-18-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518636/original/file-20230331-18-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518636/original/file-20230331-18-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518636/original/file-20230331-18-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518636/original/file-20230331-18-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518636/original/file-20230331-18-zj6jqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In an open-plan office, a worker needs to be constantly ‘in character’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Israel Andrade/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Front and back regions are not defined by physical locations. A back region is any situation in which the individual can relax and drop their performance. (Of course, this means regions overlap with physical locations to some extent – people are more likely to be able to relax when they’re in more private settings.)</p>
<p>Thus, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/opinion/open-plan-office-awful.html">open-plan offices</a> are often unpopular because workers feel they are constantly under surveillance. Conversely, the work-from-home arrangements that have become more common since the era of COVID lockdowns are popular because they allow people to relax their work personae.</p>
<p>Renowned writer Jenny Diski <a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v26/n05/jenny-diski/think-of-mrs-darling">reflected</a> in 2004:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Reading Goffman now is alarmingly claustrophobic. He presents a world where there is nowhere to run; a perpetual dinner party of status seeking, jockeying for position and saving face. Any idea of an authentic self becomes a nonsense. You may or may not believe in what you are performing; either type of performance is believed in or it is not. </p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-the-moscow-stage-to-monroe-and-de-niro-how-the-method-defined-20th-century-acting-179088">From the Moscow stage to Monroe and De Niro: how the Method defined 20th-century acting</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>21st-century Goffman</h2>
<p>Dramaturgy has survived the onset of our new media environment, where the presentation of the self has migrated to platforms as diverse as <a href="https://theconversation.com/instagram-and-facebook-are-stalking-you-on-websites-accessed-through-their-apps-what-can-you-do-about-it-188645">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-corn-how-the-online-viral-corn-kid-is-on-a-well-worn-path-to-fame-in-the-child-influencer-industry-189974">TikTok</a>. In some ways, it’s more relevant than ever. </p>
<p>Goffman’s approach has been applied to <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/no-sense-of-place-9780195042313?cc=au&lang=en&">electronic media</a>, radio and <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_Media_and_Modernity/asB7QgAACAAJ?hl=en">television</a> <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003160861-19/reception-goffman-work-media-studies-peter-lunt">studies</a>, <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262515047/new-tech-new-ties/">mobile phones</a> – and, more recently, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13548565211036797">social media</a> and even <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0263276419829541">AI studies</a>.</p>
<p>The “successful staging” (as Goffman terms it) of our social roles has only become more complex. This is perfectly illustrated by “BBC Dad” Robert Kelly, whose 2017 <a href="https://junkee.com/bbc-dad-pictures-kids-now-marion-james/324165">live television interview</a> from his home study was interrupted when his children wandered into the room. This was before COVID lockdowns, when our home and work lives (and personae) increasingly merged. </p>
<p>“Everyone understands that now,” <a href="https://junkee.com/bbc-dad-pictures-kids-now-marion-james/324165">wrote Reena Gupta</a> in 2022. “You or someone in your family or circle of friends has been BBC Dad.”</p>
<p>Maintaining and maximising performances still matters. And so does Goffman.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195939/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life is a ‘bible’ for scholars, voted a top 10 book of the 20th century. It also fascinated general readers, as a guide to social manners.Michael James Walsh, Associate Professor in Social Sciences, University of CanberraEduardo de la Fuente, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Justice and Society, UniSA, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1874702022-08-14T13:14:50Z2022-08-14T13:14:50ZStreet performers in Montréal are being displaced and excluded<p>Like many cities around the world, Montréal has embraced <a href="https://doi.org/10.3384/cu.2000.1525.20200609a%22%22">busking to generate a sense of friendliness and cultural vibrancy in the city</a>. </p>
<p>Once a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241616657873%22%22">marginal practice that thrived on the urban fringes</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2016.06.002">busking now lends identity to places</a> like public squares, street corners and subways. It is often argued <a href="https://busk.co/blog/busking-beat/positive-impact-busking-cities/">that it creates safe, fun and inclusive spaces</a> in the city.</p>
<p>But how do buskers see themselves in this new political economy where <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7185(00)00004-X">culture is expected to drive economic growth</a>?</p>
<p>In oral history interviews done for my doctoral research, longtime street performers in Old Montréal — a popular site for busking — reflected on their sense of displacement and exclusion from urban spaces at a time when Montréal is branding itself as a <a href="https://journals.openedition.org/teoros/1451">cultural metropolis</a>.</p>
<h2>‘We have always been here’</h2>
<p>The first time I met Eric Girard, he was standing atop an ornamental watering trough for horses in the middle of Place Jacques-Cartier in Old Montréal. He said he was getting a feel for the crowd to decide whether it was time to start the show.</p>
<p>But now the city determines where, when and how often Girard can perform in the square. In Montréal, where busking season lasts roughly 10 to 12 weeks, these measures are hurting buskers’ ability to earn a decent income.</p>
<p>Girard, a sword juggler and fire breather, told me Place Jacques-Cartier has long been a place for busking. “We have always been here,” he said.</p>
<p>Musicians, circle performers, street artists and artisans regularly jostle for space in summer at the square. Lined with restaurants, ice cream parlours, historical monuments, 19th-century buildings, cobbled streets and open spaces for sauntering, it’s an ideal place to be. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cPgM_AxHCHk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Eric Girard performs in Place Jacques-Cartier.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://montreal.ca/en/how-to/get-musician-public-entertainer-or-balloon-sculptor-permit?arrondissement=VM">borough of Ville Marie issues permits for buskers</a> to perform at specific spots. With the latest regulations and the emergence of spaces such as <a href="https://www.quartierdesspectacles.com/en/?gclid=CjwKCAjwlqOXBhBqEiwA-hhitFHbvATv_vCSuwGxZ1AWTUkXoGOQvEqA9dL17OWYD2_gnETdMwer7hoCmNcQAvD_BwE">Quartier des spectacles</a> and open-air event venues, Girard feels the city is “getting rid of the proper busker.” </p>
<p>“There’s always a festival, or something. And when there’s nothing, they’ll put like a wall or something,” he said, while talking about the city’s new cultural district. He also pointed out that events such as the Jazz Festival organize and hire their own street performers.</p>
<p>On a fairly good day, Girard’s circle show would see a couple hundred people in attendance. Once a regular performer in Old Montréal, Girard now spends very little time at the square.</p>
<h2>‘I make small money’</h2>
<p>“Real street performing is ‘go stand in the corner right there, now,’ and I do a little something and I get a little bit of money,” says Peter Snow, a magician and escape artist. </p>
<p>After over 30 years of street performing, a disappointing 2019 season and <a href="https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/with-no-gigs-on-the-horizon-montreal-street-musicians-ponder-a-career-change-1.5252252?cache=zviomxnayn%3FclipId%3D89830">the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, Snow decided not to return to busking in Old Montréal.</p>
<p>The larger festivals where buskers were hired and made “five times more” than him, wouldn’t accept him, he asserted. “Me, I make small money,” he said, also noting that they didn’t get invited to festivals “because we are considered a bit wild, OK, and they want safe people.”</p>
<p>While Snow did not appear to be too upset about being excluded from festivals, he was annoyed by the online platform and lottery system at Place Jacques-Cartier. It took away his autonomy in determining time of performance, which he thought was central to the practice.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k03Pf3XKXz4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Peter Snow performs his magic show.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>‘Ma vie va être dure’</h2>
<p>As much a spatial practice as creative, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/6/3/67/htm">busking depends on improvisation in place</a>, and <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/5511338/old-montreal-busking-rules-street-performers/">regulating it too much can prove to be discouraging</a>. Susana Martinez, a flamenco dancer at the square, explained that if a weekend was particularly unlucky due to weather, she could lose her only spot because of the new regulations. </p>
<p>Martinez expected that the crackdown and the rules were going to make her life difficult. <em>“Avec la répression, avec ces règlements, ma vie va être dure,”</em> she said. </p>
<p>In the early 2000s, Martinez worked in the Old Port until the port authority decided to ban entertainers and musicians. She said some of the noise complaints made against buskers were actually the fault of festivals with large stage speakers pointed towards the city. Martinez also spoke at length about how she and other local buskers were mistreated while the city welcomed new and outside talent.</p>
<p>Beyond a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-street-performers-feel-forced-out-of-old-montreal-1.5200666">sense of exclusion and displacement</a> and shrinking spaces for busking in the city, the imposition of city regulatory practices disrupt community at the square. </p>
<p>Montréal’s logic is to draw new and outside talent to the city in hopes of encouraging economic revitalization. But these <a href="https://theconversation.com/all-the-worlds-a-stage-buskers-can-make-it-big-in-a-connected-world-131914">“digital solutions” and flexibility</a> can negatively impact those who find themselves relatively less mobile, without professional training and who have been performing in the same space for years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187470/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Piyusha Chatterjee received a doctoral scholarship between 2018-2020 from Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture for this research. </span></em></p>Longtime street performers in Old Montréal, a popular site for busking, feel as though the city is getting rid of them.Piyusha Chatterjee, PhD candidate, Individualized program, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1790882022-05-11T19:55:04Z2022-05-11T19:55:04ZFrom the Moscow stage to Monroe and De Niro: how the Method defined 20th-century acting<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462355/original/file-20220511-22-sn6soo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP/Courtesy Running Press</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When an actor is criticised for peculiarly excessive preparation for a role, or an inability to break character off-camera, an ill-defined notion of “Method” acting (note the capital “M”) is rarely far away.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Review: The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act by Isaac Butler (Bloomsbury).</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Living rough on the streets to prepare for a role. Abusing fellow performers to provoke an “authentic” response. Or never breaking from character throughout an entire shoot – like Daniel Day-Lewis, who <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-21572983">supposedly insisted</a> on being addressed as “Mr President” throughout the three-month filming of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1qjtugr2618?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>But while it’s easy to ridicule or parody, the Method – which casts a long shadow over European and (in particular) American acting – is complex and varied. </p>
<h2>What is Method acting?</h2>
<p>As detailed in Isaac Butler’s <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/method-9781635574777/">The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act</a>, the Method was developed in Russia in the latter part of the 19th century.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460497/original/file-20220429-17-a1p5av.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460497/original/file-20220429-17-a1p5av.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460497/original/file-20220429-17-a1p5av.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=912&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460497/original/file-20220429-17-a1p5av.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=912&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460497/original/file-20220429-17-a1p5av.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=912&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460497/original/file-20220429-17-a1p5av.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1146&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460497/original/file-20220429-17-a1p5av.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1146&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460497/original/file-20220429-17-a1p5av.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1146&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Its creators, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and Konstantin Stanislawski, transformed Russian theatre with their new approach to acting, writing and theatre production. Their system encouraged more subjective, interior approaches to performance, and more realistic, naturalistic approaches to staging.</p>
<p>Acting had been largely externalised and action-centred, often understood in terms of preconceived gestures. The Method helped transform it into a dynamic process that unlocked deep recesses of personal experience and “emotion memory”, which could then be funnelled into a performance.</p>
<p>It is hard to imagine modern acting without this development.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hollywood-has-got-method-acting-all-wrong-heres-what-the-process-is-really-about-172568">Hollywood has got method acting all wrong, here's what the process is really about</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Collateral damage to shooting stars</h2>
<p>The Method is strongly linked to the new realism that emerges in New York theatre in the 1930s and 1940s, and Hollywood cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. </p>
<p>It’s also connected to the performance styles of many of the key actors and stars of mid-century American theatre and cinema: Marlon Brando, Kim Stanley, Montgomery Clift, Anne Bancroft, Rod Steiger, Paul Newman, and many others.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uBiewQrpBBA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<p>Its excesses and dangers are deployed as damning evidence to help explain the tragic fate of figures like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. Shooting stars caught within the orbit of abusive Method teachers, they seemed to suffer the collateral damage of drawing on their traumatic past too deeply.</p>
<p>The Method is often brought into debates about the distinction between performing and being, acting and reacting. But such dichotomies are unhelpful in understanding the complex interior, exterior and collaborative processes at play in any great performance.</p>
<p>This is particularly true for film acting, a mode of performance that requires actors to register minute changes of expression, small actions and gestures – all of which are then blown up in microscopic detail. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man and woman stare at each other, balloons in background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460503/original/file-20220429-19-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460503/original/file-20220429-19-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460503/original/file-20220429-19-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460503/original/file-20220429-19-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460503/original/file-20220429-19-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460503/original/file-20220429-19-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460503/original/file-20220429-19-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Anne Bancroft is a key mid-century actor whose performance style is linked to the Method. She’s pictured (right) with Dustin Hoffman, another famous Method actor, in The Graduate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">IMDB</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As James Harvey <a href="https://thedissolve.com/features/interview/689-film-scholar-james-harvey-talks-about-watching-the/">has claimed</a>, the art of acting for the camera in the 20th century is largely a matter, for the spectator, of “watching them be”. </p>
<p>In some ways, the Method, which at its base foregrounds individual agency and psychology, is brilliantly suited to self-centred notions of both society and art. And to the curious alchemy that fuses actor, celebrity and character in star-centred theatre and cinema. </p>
<p>It is unsurprising that this often mannered style reached its peak of fame in the 1950s, an era of rising individualism. It rocketed to ascendancy alongside Abstract Expressionism in American painting, stream of consciousness in various forms of writing (such as the work of the Beats), and in the improvisational modes of jazz favoured by artists like <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-miles-davis-electrified-jazz-168785">Miles Davis</a>, Charlie Parker and Ornette Coleman.</p>
<h2>Revolution, individualism and Freud</h2>
<p>Isaac Butler’s book is a fascinatingly detailed, brilliantly readable and often compelling account of the hundred-year journey of the Method from pre-revolutionary Russia to the stages of New York – and the rise of New Hollywood and actors like <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-godfather-at-50-set-among-the-american-mafia-of-the-40s-coppolas-film-is-unmistakably-a-film-of-the-disillusioned-70s-178030">Al Pacino</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/goodfellas-at-30-scorseses-massively-influential-virtuoso-gangster-film-144738">Robert De Niro</a> and Ellen Burstyn. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460498/original/file-20220429-15-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A young man in a suit and tie talks to an older, white-haired man." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460498/original/file-20220429-15-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460498/original/file-20220429-15-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460498/original/file-20220429-15-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460498/original/file-20220429-15-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460498/original/file-20220429-15-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460498/original/file-20220429-15-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460498/original/file-20220429-15-a1p5av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Method actor Al Pacino and Lee Strasberg, famous Method acting teacher (and actor), in The Godfather II, as Michael Coreleone and Hyman Roth.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">IMDB</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is not shy in exploring the complexities of this journey and the many offshoots and variations produced along the way. Butler examines the social, cultural and political implications of the evolving and splintering Method system, and how it responded to various forces. </p>
<p>These include: proletarian demands, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-putin-memory-wars-and-the-100th-anniversary-of-the-russian-revolution-72477">Russian revolution</a>, the rise of leftist politics in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s, <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-dangerous-method-in-defence-of-freuds-psychoanalysis-5989">Freudian psychology</a>, the increased individualism of post-war America, and the anti-communist blacklist. And, of course, there was the Method’s ultimate canonisation and popular recognition in plays and films like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044081/">A Streetcar Named Desire</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047296/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">On the Waterfront</a>, and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048356/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Marty</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V6TrgQxf3lk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Butler also meticulously introduces and describes the first-tier actors and directors of the New Hollywood of the late 1960s and 1970s who proclaimed (and in some cases denied) the Method’s direct influence and legacy. </p>
<p>For a significant period in the 1960s and 1970s, with the increasing celebrity of prominent acting teachers of the Method like <a href="https://strasberg.edu/about/what-is-method-acting/">Lee Strasberg</a> (of the Actors Studio) and <a href="https://tophollywoodactingcoach.com/2016/06/what-is-the-stella-adler-acting-method/">Stella Adler</a>, the Method’s various offshoots could claim true cultural dominance. The influence and fiery disagreements of these teachers are a focus of Butler’s book.</p>
<p>Butler details Marilyn Monroe’s increasingly close and personal relationship with Strasberg (and his relationship with second wife <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Strasberg">Paula</a>, Monroe’s acting coach) and the influential patronage of actors like James Dean, Montgomery Clift and Rod Steiger. He also describes truly terrifying classes and feedback sessions conducted by Strasberg at the Actors Studio. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460508/original/file-20220429-15-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C16%2C1516%2C982&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Older man and daughter laughing over a piece of paper while glamorous blonde sits to their side." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460508/original/file-20220429-15-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C16%2C1516%2C982&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460508/original/file-20220429-15-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460508/original/file-20220429-15-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460508/original/file-20220429-15-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460508/original/file-20220429-15-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460508/original/file-20220429-15-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460508/original/file-20220429-15-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Method acting coach Lee Strasberg (centre) with actor daughter Susan Strasberg (left) and famous student Marilyn Monroe (right).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Laura Loveday/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In contrast, Adler insisted on an approach to acting that stuck more closely to Stanislawski’s original concept of “emotion memory”, and recommended extensive processes of research and preparation in the creation of any performance. Among her most significant students were Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Elaine Stritch and Warren Beatty.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/would-marilyn-monroes-career-and-life-have-been-different-if-she-had-acted-on-stage-70117">Would Marilyn Monroe's career (and life) have been different if she had acted on stage?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A particular strength of Butler’s cultural history is how he carefully plots this rise, while granting equal space to each stage of the journey. His book is, nevertheless, a little too focused on the impact of the ideas of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vladimir-Nemirovich-Danchenko">Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Konstantin-Stanislavsky">Konstantin Stanislavski</a> on the stages and screens of Russia and then the United States. </p>
<p>There is little sense of the impact of these ideas elsewhere in Europe, and British acting is mainly used as a counterweight, put forward as a haven for a more exterior form of acting, epitomised by the work of Laurence Olivier (who <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/why-hollywood-finally-over-method-acting-1700143">famously scorned</a> Method acting). </p>
<p>Butler also provides accounts of writers important to the Method. Anton Chekhov, central to the initial work of the seminal Moscow Open Art Theatre, is a key source throughout.</p>
<p>And he charts the contributions of Clifford Odets, Tennessee Williams, James Baldwin and Paddy Chayefsky, who were equally integral to various stages of the Method’s development, dissemination and devolution.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460500/original/file-20220429-26-h0umhf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="four men at a party in the 70s" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460500/original/file-20220429-26-h0umhf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460500/original/file-20220429-26-h0umhf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460500/original/file-20220429-26-h0umhf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460500/original/file-20220429-26-h0umhf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460500/original/file-20220429-26-h0umhf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460500/original/file-20220429-26-h0umhf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460500/original/file-20220429-26-h0umhf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tennessee Williams was one of the writers integral to various stages of the Method’s development. He’d pictured here (third from left), with Truman Capote (second from left). From the Key West Art and Historical Society.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/keyslibraries/">Florida Keys Public Library/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The book gives space to the competing approaches of writers and directors like <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bertolt-Brecht">Bertolt Brecht</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vsevolod-Yemilyevich-Meyerhold">Vsevolod Meyerhold</a>, along with the more varied approaches of actors like Meryl Streep. Its compelling chronological narrative ends up focusing, however, on a judicious selection of key figures within the US and Russia. </p>
<p>As Butler documents, the outcomes of this change – though he is also careful to note the seeds of this style even earlier and elsewhere – could be truly astounding or monumentally disastrous.</p>
<h2>Triumphs, failures and major players</h2>
<p>Among the pleasures of Butler’s book is how it documents these triumphs and failures – sometimes within the performance of the same play by a single company, as in the case of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/23/archives/theater-a-tender-three-sisters-actors-studio-excels-in-chekhov.html">the Actors Studio’s staging of Chekhov’s Three Sisters</a>. He also provides evocative portraits of many key figures like Elia Kazan, Maria Ouspenskaya, Howard Clurman, Richard Boleslavsky and John Garfield. </p>
<p>He focuses on people who were particularly important in managing entities such as the American Laboratory Theatre, the Actors Studio, the Group Theatre and the Moscow Art Theatre, directing breakthrough films and plays (the duplicitous Kazan emerges as a titan in this regard), writing accounts of how the “system” worked, or introducing new styles of acting.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460504/original/file-20220429-25-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460504/original/file-20220429-25-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460504/original/file-20220429-25-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=765&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460504/original/file-20220429-25-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=765&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460504/original/file-20220429-25-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=765&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460504/original/file-20220429-25-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=961&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460504/original/file-20220429-25-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=961&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460504/original/file-20220429-25-9ol1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=961&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Konstantin Stanislawski.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As in many books of this kind, such a focus and approach is also a limitation. This is a cultural history less concerned with the nuts and bolts of theatre and film production – though it is often incisive in this department and is plainly written by someone with a deep knowledge of these processes – than the collaborations and conflicts between figures adapting and transforming Stanislavski’s initial “system”. </p>
<p>This, of course, also makes this very well-written and carefully organised book a true pleasure to read.</p>
<p>Butler provides a convincing account of the Method’s importance in the history of ideas. He doesn’t shy away from arguing for the decreased currency of many of its techniques and lessons, but make claims for its ongoing influence alongside a range of other approaches and methods. </p>
<p>He provides a complex account of The Method’s various forms and variations across almost 150 years. He also provides important cultural and social context for helping understand why a shift to a more “realist” or personal, self-centred form of acting was both hard fought for and inevitable. </p>
<p>Even a simple thing like the improved lighting in theatres from the late 19th century had a profound impact on what was possible in terms of more interior and subtle forms of staging and performance. </p>
<p>This was, of course, amplified in the rise of sound cinema in the late 1920s and its more tempered forms of screen acting that led to the minimalist styles of stars like Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood and Juliette Binoche.</p>
<p>Popular accounts of the Method’s legacy tend to steer towards trivial excesses, like Jared Leto <a href="https://ew.com/movies/jared-leto-clarifies-suicide-squad-gifts/">allegedly</a> sending his co-stars various “gifts” like used condoms in preparation for his role as the Joker in Suicide Squad. (Which, for the record, Leto now denies.) But Butler’s book makes convincing claims for why we should continue to take this approach and its legacy seriously.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q0IHL6WGFY0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>In so doing, it answers its pointed epigraph from Tom Stoppard’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosencrantz_and_Guildenstern_Are_Dead">Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead</a>: “We’re actors. We’re the opposite of people.” </p>
<p>If this magisterial book does little else, it certainly convinces the reader that nothing could be further from the truth.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179088/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adrian Danks does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Living rough to prepare for a role. Abusing fellow actors to provoke an ‘authentic’ response … It’s easy to ridicule the Method but the truth of this approach to acting is far more complex.Adrian Danks, Associate professor in Cinema and Media Studies, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1805072022-05-02T16:27:19Z2022-05-02T16:27:19ZHow to boost your attention and ability to function with meditation, exercise and sleep<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456691/original/file-20220406-17347-en9ej.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C137%2C1280%2C708&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Executive functioning is a component of attention that helps us prioritize what we want to engage with and filter out unwanted interference.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-to-boost-your-attention-and-ability-to-function-with-meditation--exercise-and-sleep" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Whether you’re driving a car with children yelling in the backseat or trying to read a book in a coffee shop while someone talks loudly on their phone, attention is essential for navigating and interacting with the world. </p>
<p>However, attention has a limited capacity, meaning we can only process so many things at once. This is why it’s essential to be able to filter out distractions that can divert focus from the task at hand. </p>
<p>New research highlights the importance of daily meditation, exercise and sleep for improving executive functioning, a component of attention that helps us prioritize what we want to engage with and filter out unwanted interference.</p>
<p>I am currently conducting my PhD research in the <a href="https://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/psychology_neuroscience/faculty-staff/our-faculty/raymond-klein.html">Klein Lab at Dalhousie University</a>, which studies all things attention-related. This involves both fundamental research looking at how different areas of the brain contribute to how people interact with the world, and applied research developing game-like tools that measure attention in children. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3904">I recently published a review of over 70 studies</a> looking at how different aspects of lifestyle impact attention. </p>
<h2>Executive function</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man seen from behind with circuitous arrows in different colour pointing in different directions" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460586/original/file-20220429-23-r8k7cz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460586/original/file-20220429-23-r8k7cz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460586/original/file-20220429-23-r8k7cz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460586/original/file-20220429-23-r8k7cz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460586/original/file-20220429-23-r8k7cz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460586/original/file-20220429-23-r8k7cz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460586/original/file-20220429-23-r8k7cz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Executive functioning kicks in when you are trying to focus in a distracting setting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay/Gerd Altmann)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When we study attention in the lab, we break it down into a number of unique components which serve different purposes. Executive functioning is the component that kicks in when you are trying to focus in a distracting setting, like holding a conversation when your favourite TV show is on in the background, or when you are dealing with an impulse, like resisting the urge to have another potato chip. </p>
<p>Executive functioning is also involved in monitoring for distracting thoughts, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018298">like getting caught up in a daydream</a>. It is affected by a number of different disorders, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/chi.0b013e31814cf953">attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder</a> (ADHD) and <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.72.3.400">depression</a>. </p>
<p>My review found that by implementing daily meditation, getting consistent exercise and maintaining healthy sleeping habits, you can boost the efficiency of your executive functioning. So if you want to improve your productivity and reduce your impulsivity, you may want to consider making these changes in your routine.</p>
<h2>Meditation</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman with her eyes closed" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460587/original/file-20220429-21-ledyov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460587/original/file-20220429-21-ledyov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460587/original/file-20220429-21-ledyov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460587/original/file-20220429-21-ledyov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460587/original/file-20220429-21-ledyov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460587/original/file-20220429-21-ledyov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460587/original/file-20220429-21-ledyov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Meditation is one of the best ways to improve executive functioning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Piqsels)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Meditation is one of the best ways to improve executive functioning. Even after <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0707678104">just five days doing 20 minutes of meditation daily</a>, there were boosts to how well individuals could filter out distractions. There didn’t appear to be a superior technique for meditation, as long as the main objective was <a href="https://dictionary.apa.org/attentional-focus">attentional control</a> (focusing on something specific). A common technique used to elicit attentional control in meditation is to focus on breathing while trying to let go of unwanted thoughts.</p>
<p>Some studies also looked at yoga, which involves components that resemble meditation. However, yoga didn’t improve executive functioning like other techniques where the main goal was attentional control, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2016.0185">although the yogis did improve their overall response speed</a>. </p>
<p>It’s not clear how long these improvements to attention last after meditating, but it is clear that for anyone looking to improve their executive functioning, attention should be part of their daily routine. </p>
<h2>Exercise</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man on a running track positioned to start a sprint" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460589/original/file-20220429-27-1mvq35.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460589/original/file-20220429-27-1mvq35.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460589/original/file-20220429-27-1mvq35.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460589/original/file-20220429-27-1mvq35.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460589/original/file-20220429-27-1mvq35.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460589/original/file-20220429-27-1mvq35.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460589/original/file-20220429-27-1mvq35.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People who reported getting six hours of physical activity per week showed improved executive functioning over sedentary individuals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Piqsels)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The government of Canada recommends that people over 18 get <a href="https://csepguidelines.ca/">150 minutes of exercise a week</a> to maintain health. This also plays a significant role in executive functioning. I explored how different factors impacted executive functioning, including how often individuals were exercising, how hard were they exercising and what exercise activities were they performing. </p>
<p>People who reported getting <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0101478">six hours of physical activity per week showed improved executive functioning over sedentary individuals</a>. Additionally, those in a high-intensity sprint program for a two-week period <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00241">not only outperformed a control group in their measures of executive functioning, they also made fewer mistakes</a>.</p>
<p>While standing and treadmill desks did generate improvements to other aspects of physical health after just four days, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00353">they did not get the same boost to cognition that was seen with other moderate to high-intensity exercises</a>. This means that if you want those boosts to cognition, you need to really get your heart rate up.</p>
<h2>Sleep</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man sleeping in bed with a blue and white striped duvet" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460592/original/file-20220429-17-fzvmvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460592/original/file-20220429-17-fzvmvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460592/original/file-20220429-17-fzvmvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460592/original/file-20220429-17-fzvmvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460592/original/file-20220429-17-fzvmvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460592/original/file-20220429-17-fzvmvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460592/original/file-20220429-17-fzvmvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Reduced sleep made people slower to react and more prone to making mistakes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s also important to consider how much sleep you are getting, as people often reduce their rest for work and social obligations. Although a few studies in the review did find that reduced sleep generated poorer executive functioning, the more common outcome was worse performance across the board. Reduced sleep didn’t impact specific components of attention in the same way that meditation and exercise did. Instead, it made people slower to react and more prone to making mistakes.</p>
<p>However, most of the sleep research included in the review involved keeping people up for 24 hours. This isn’t very representative of how most people experience a reduction in sleep. Future research should consider how people’s sleep quality is impacting their executive functioning. This information is especially important for those who work in scenarios where lapses in attention pose a potential risk, like air traffic controllers or those who operate heavy machinery. </p>
<p>There are many aspects of our cognition that are out of our control. Executive functioning abilities <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0963721411429458">are largely influenced by genetics</a>. However, this review provides promising evidence that there are changes you can make to your daily routine that can provide a nice boost to your focus. </p>
<p>So, if you want that extra edge, start meditating, get your heart rate up and get to bed early!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180507/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Colin McCormick receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>Research highlights the importance of daily meditation, exercise and sleep for improving executive functioning, a component of attention that helps people focus.Colin McCormick, PhD Student in Cognitive Science, Dalhousie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1817032022-04-29T12:21:31Z2022-04-29T12:21:31ZGilbert Gottfried and the mechanics of crafting one of the most memorable voices of all time<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460333/original/file-20220428-12-yk51sc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=13%2C8%2C2982%2C1985&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Marlee Matlin covers her ears as Gottfried performs during the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in 2011.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/ComedyCentralRoastofDonaldTrump/9f6393d4b209436788f830ae5dfd82cf/photo?Query=gilbert%20gottfried&mediaType=photo&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=154&currentItemNo=131">AP Photo/Charles Sykes</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Though Gilbert Gottfried’s voice has alternatively been described as “<a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/gilbert-gottfried-dead-dies-comedian-aladdin-1235231387">shrill</a>,” “<a href="https://www.looper.com/132868/whatever-happened-to-gilbert-gottfried/">annoying</a>” and “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/12/entertainment/gilbert-gottfried-death/index.html">grating</a>,” you can’t say it isn’t memorable.</p>
<p>Gottfried, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/12/arts/gilbert-gottfried-dead.html">who died on April 12, 2022</a>, didn’t naturally sound this way. Watch him perform as a cast member during on the sixth season of “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idtrUge0wAQ">Saturday Night Live</a>,” and you’ll hear a voice that sounds downright angelic by comparison. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/idtrUge0wAQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Gilbert Gottfried’s brief run as a cast member on ‘Saturday Night Live’ occurred before the development of his signature voice.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But as he developed his comic persona, that distinctive sound made its way into his performances in stand-up comedy, advertising, television and film – perhaps most famously as Iago in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103639/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Aladdin</a>,” Mr. Peabody in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100419/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2">Problem Child</a>” and as a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8PGzYwTsqM">squawking duck</a> in advertisements for the insurance giant Aflac. </p>
<p>Clearly, Gottfried figured out how to create a character that perfectly synced a personality with a voice that matched – a particularly valuable skill for actors that requires a combination of technique and instinct.</p>
<h2>The smooth operators</h2>
<p>In 2001, the Center for Voice Disorders at Wake Forest University <a href="https://newsroom.wakehealth.edu/News-Releases/2002/01/Americans-Speak-Out-Select-the-Best-and-Worst-Voices-in-America-In-Online-Polling">surveyed Americans</a> asking them who possessed the best and worst voices. The actors with the three best voices were James Earl Jones, Sean Connery and Julia Roberts. </p>
<p>The worst? Leading the pack was Fran Drescher of “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106080/">The Nanny</a>” fame, followed by Roseanne Barr and – you guessed it – Gilbert Gottfried.</p>
<p><a href="https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/theatre_and_dance/our_people/directory/tobolski_erica.php">As a voice specialist</a> who teaches acting, voice and speech, I work with students and clients who often want to sound more like Connery and Roberts, and less like Gottfried.</p>
<p>Three distinct subsystems are involved in vocal production: the larynx, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19708.htm">or voice box</a>, which houses the vocal folds; the lungs and diaphragm in breathing; and areas where sounds resonate, or the vocal tract.</p>
<p>Speaking well involves a mix of understanding this vocal anatomy, utilizing proper breathing techniques and learning how to speak without excess tension. Collectively, these elements are known as <a href="https://voicefoundation.org/health-science/voice-disorders/anatomy-physiology-of-voice-production/the-voice-mechanism/">the voice mechanism</a>. </p>
<p>If a student or client comes into a session seeking a more effective voice, it’s these fundamentals that will be addressed. When these elements work together, they create a balanced vocal quality, one that’s generally perceived as confident and professional – think <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIiNuLgUInk">Morgan Freeman</a>. </p>
<h2>Developing a character</h2>
<p>But there’s a special niche for voices that are unusual.</p>
<p>The very skills that an actor learns to create a melodious voice can also be manipulated for a character voice – which is exactly what Gottfried was able to do, along with other actors who developed memorable characters, such as Jim Carrey in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110475/?ref_=vp_close">The Mask</a>” and Eartha Kitt as Yzma in “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHA2rNGUusU">The Emperor’s New Groove</a>.” Meryl Streep has been especially adept at creating unique voices for a number of roles, but one that stands out to me is her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnwG9lTd4-M">The Iron Lady</a>.”</p>
<p>Understanding what you can change – and how to change it – is the key. </p>
<p>In my voice-over class, for example, I introduce a range of vocal qualities that can be mined to develop new voices. Five of the most common are a hoarse voice, a breathy one, a creaky one – also known as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L7-9N1xQZA">vocal fry</a> – a voice that incorporates hypernasality and one that accentuates hyponasality, which refers to how most people sound when they have a cold.</p>
<p>One of the best and most immediate ways to change your voice is by placing it in a specific resonating area of the body – such as the sinuses or throat – or by changing how the vocal folds vibrate. </p>
<p>In a class on character voice, I coach students to direct the sound of their voice into their nasal cavity for a hypernasal sound, and into the back of their throat, the pharyngeal cavity, for a hyponasal sound. </p>
<p>To trigger a hypernasal sound, you could quack like a duck – “Aflac!” – or mimic <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002121/">Margaret Hamilton’s</a> Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz” with the phrase “I’ll get you, my pretty!”</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OQ_g6NOo7yo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The Wicked Witch of the West in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ possesses the hallmarks of the hypernasal sound.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For a hyponasal sound, pinch your nostrils together so no sound comes through the nasal passage, and you’ll sound like you have a stuffy nose. Widening the back of your throat while you speak will create a sound similar to that of Lenny from “Loony Tunes.” </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bs-Q0JmWjj0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Sounding droopy and dopey like Lenny can involve accentuating a hyponasal sound.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Want to sound like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001413/">Julie Kavner’s</a> rendition of Marge Simpson, who speaks with a creaky voice? Relax your throat and say “uhhh” in a very low pitch. The vocal folds are short and thick and create a slow vibration. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RUPi9e_LWM4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Marge Simpson pushes back against suggestions that she sounds like Vice President Kamala Harris.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To achieve a breathy quality, sigh out an easy “hahhh” with half voice and half breath. Marilyn Monroe singing “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH3oOVKt0WI">Happy Birthday</a>” to President John F. Kennedy captures this vocal quality perfectly. </p>
<p>If Gilbert Gottfried were to walk into my classroom and ask me to analyze his character voice, I would describe it as a combination of hypernasality and raspy, with a bit of stridency thrown in. He speaks in a relatively high pitch with little modulation and stays at a consistently high volume. </p>
<p>Of course, Gottfried perfected this sound, and it worked in tandem with his brand of humor. If you were to develop something similar, just make sure you could figure out when to hit the “off” switch.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R-SxktKa7Fc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Gilbert Gottfried as Mr. Peabody in ‘Problem Child.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>[<em>Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-150ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181703/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erica Tobolski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Though it was exceedingly grating, the late comedian was able to perfect a sound that worked in tandem with his brand of humor.Erica Tobolski, Professor of Theatre and Dance, University of South CarolinaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1777392022-03-30T19:08:58Z2022-03-30T19:08:58ZWe’re two physios who ran away with the circus. Here’s what we learned<p>Circus fuses extreme athletic performance, diverse artists and stunning spectacles with a truly global appeal. </p>
<p>Circus is exciting, although sometimes unpredictable. At any moment during rehearsal, performance or travel, injuries can occur.</p>
<p>The task of looking after the health of circus performers is unique. And we’ve been privileged to do that, as physiotherapists treating and helping coordinate artists’ medical care. </p>
<p>We’ve done this in well over 100 cities through 30 countries across North and South America, Europe, Australasia, Asia and the Middle East. While we’ve mainly toured with professional circuses, we’ve also advised junior artists and circus training facilities.</p>
<p>This is what it’s like to work behind the scenes of some of the greatest shows on Earth.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/circus-oz-is-to-close-after-44-years-they-irrevocably-changed-australian-circus-and-brought-it-to-the-world-173586">Circus Oz is to close after 44 years. They irrevocably changed Australian circus, and brought it to the world</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A diverse crew</h2>
<p>Circuses and their performers are diverse. Disciplines include ground acrobatics (for instance, tumbling, hand balancing, contortion); aerial acrobatics (trapeze, silks, straps); manipulation (juggling); character (clowning); and music. Rehearsals and performances may feature fire, ice, water, heights or a range of props and equipment.</p>
<p>You could compare the cast of a large show to an Olympic squad, with a variety of ages, body shapes, sizes and injury risk.</p>
<p>At the elite level, performers may come from a range of different countries, languages and cultural backgrounds. This can add potential challenges such as differing belief systems and attitudes about injury cause and management, training and performance.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452734/original/file-20220317-19-8716b3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Circus performers, including clown, juggler" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452734/original/file-20220317-19-8716b3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452734/original/file-20220317-19-8716b3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452734/original/file-20220317-19-8716b3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452734/original/file-20220317-19-8716b3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452734/original/file-20220317-19-8716b3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452734/original/file-20220317-19-8716b3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452734/original/file-20220317-19-8716b3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Circuses and their performers are diverse, as are their injuries.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/circus-226087540">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A diverse set of injuries</h2>
<p>While headline-grabbing falls and catastrophic injuries do occur, they are fortunately rare. Most injuries are chronic (long-term) injuries and less-serious acute ones. </p>
<p>The most commonly reported circus injuries are to the <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/scimed/mppa/2017/00000032/00000001/art00008">spine and ankle</a>. We also see sprains, strains, and sore lower backs and shoulders.</p>
<p>You might be familiar with many of these injuries. However, circus performers have unique skills, and sometimes require extreme ranges of movement, coordination and strength. They need their bodies to function in ways you or I don’t. This influences how we work with performers to get them back on their feet (or hands).</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hot-pack-or-cold-pack-which-one-to-reach-for-when-youre-injured-or-in-pain-161086">Hot pack or cold pack: which one to reach for when you're injured or in pain</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Circus injury rates are <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/scimed/mppa/2017/00000032/00000001/art00008">7.37-9.27</a> per 1,000 artist exposures (the number of training/performance hours, or number of training sessions/shows). Acrobatic injuries are the <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/scimed/mppa/2014/00000029/00000004/art00010">most</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445642/">common</a>. </p>
<p>However, the limited research we have on circus injuries suggests
circus is safer then many other sports. That includes having lower injury rates than contact football (rugby, American football and Australian rules), and gymnastics. </p>
<p>In professional circus, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0363546508331138">injuries tend to be minor</a>, requiring seven or fewer treatment sessions and resulting in one or no missed shows. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453796/original/file-20220323-21-11ghbqp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Fit woman in exercise wear clutching sore lower back" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453796/original/file-20220323-21-11ghbqp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453796/original/file-20220323-21-11ghbqp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453796/original/file-20220323-21-11ghbqp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453796/original/file-20220323-21-11ghbqp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453796/original/file-20220323-21-11ghbqp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453796/original/file-20220323-21-11ghbqp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453796/original/file-20220323-21-11ghbqp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Injuries, such as sore backs, are common, and not always reported.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/back-view-sportswoman-sitting-on-mat-1745717915">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, injuries are likely under-reported. Common definitions of injury rely on artists missing training or shows, or seeking formal medical care. Some injuries don’t meet these criteria.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/scimed/mppa/2021/00000036/00000001/art00008">Our research</a> looked at performers’ self-reported lower-limb problems, regardless of whether they missed work or saw a health-care practitioner. We asked them about injuries and/or symptoms such as pain, ache, stiffness, clicking/catching, swelling and instability.</p>
<p>In any given week, we found more than 50% of performers reported problems. In an 18-week period, 86% of performers reported having had at least one week with work-related lower limb problems.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-from-delicate-teens-to-fierce-women-simone-biles-athleticism-and-advocacy-have-changed-gymnastics-forever-124485">Friday essay: from delicate teens to fierce women, Simone Biles' athleticism and advocacy have changed gymnastics forever</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A diverse range of issues</h2>
<p>Some performers also face barriers to recovering from their injuries. <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/scimed/mppa/2019/00000034/00000001/art00003">One study</a> found financial constraints and a lack of health-care support were issues.</p>
<p>For instance, full-time artists may have access to travelling medical staff with experience working with circus performers. These artists may also have paid injury leave and comprehensive health insurance. </p>
<p>However, artists performing on short-term contracts or doing gig-based work may need to source their own medical care and are more likely to suffer financial loss if they miss performances. </p>
<p>Other researchers have also reported how aspects of circus culture influence how we manage circus injuries. In <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/scimed/mppa/2019/00000034/00000001/art00003">one study</a>, performers said they didn’t always trust health-care practitioners’ knowledge of work demands. This includes circus skill requirements, and training or show schedules. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453795/original/file-20220323-21-1ow1371.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Athlete's taped wrist and ankle" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453795/original/file-20220323-21-1ow1371.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453795/original/file-20220323-21-1ow1371.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453795/original/file-20220323-21-1ow1371.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453795/original/file-20220323-21-1ow1371.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453795/original/file-20220323-21-1ow1371.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453795/original/file-20220323-21-1ow1371.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453795/original/file-20220323-21-1ow1371.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">To tape or not? Some performers may prefer colleagues’ and coaches’ advice.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/injured-athlete-thumb-ankle-injuries-tape-1481951810">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some performers may prioritise advice from colleagues and coaches over medical recommendations. This may be partly because circus is a historic art form where, in many disciplines, training methods have been passed down through generations of performers. </p>
<p>For health-care practitioners, this knowledge can be valuable. So clinicians need to work with artists to come to a shared understanding of how to manage injuries. </p>
<p>Acknowledging the unique nature of circus training and performance, as well as the lack of evidence base to guide medical decision-making in the field, can also help build rapport and ensure a collaborative approach to managing injuries.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-clowns-scary-ha-ha-aaaargh-32492">Are clowns scary? Ha ha aaaargh</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Preventing injuries is the goal</h2>
<p>Circus performers are generally adept at managing their bodies, using strength, flexibility and conditioning training to try to prevent injuries and improve their acts.</p>
<p>We have worked with performers to promote self-management, using techniques from more established fields such as sports and dance medicine.</p>
<p>For instance, we looked at adding self-directed <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/scimed/mppa/2021/00000036/00000001/art00008">endurance exercises</a> to a performing, touring show. This was welcomed by many performers.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-do-ice-baths-after-sport-help-recovery-or-improve-results-44829">Health Check: do ice baths after sport help recovery or improve results?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A lot goes on behind the scenes</h2>
<p>For the shows to go on, much behind-the-scenes work is needed from the artists and dedicated support staff. </p>
<p>For those involved in the care of circus artists, this provides not only a uniquely challenging and fascinating workspace, but an amazing view of some of the greatest shows on Earth.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177739/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charlotte Ganderton is a research consultant for the National Institute of Circus Arts. Charlotte was previously employed for Cirque du Soleil in its performance medicine team.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Henry receives funding from the Australian Government in the form of RTPd fee offset and stipend scholarships. He was previously employed by Cirque du Soleil in its performance medicine team. </span></em></p>Circus is exciting, though sometimes unpredictable. At any moment during rehearsal, performance or travel, injuries can occur.Charlotte Ganderton, Physiotherapy lecturer, Swinburne University of TechnologyMichael Henry, PhD candidate, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1712732021-11-15T16:03:29Z2021-11-15T16:03:29ZCompeting with confidence: Why we need to bring women’s sport uniforms into the 21st century<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431366/original/file-20211110-15-jhw2iz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=36%2C0%2C3458%2C2321&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Beach Handball Euro 2017 Hungary vs. Norway in Zagreb, Croatia.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/competing-with-confidence--why-we-need-to-bring-women-s-sport-uniforms-into-the-21st-century" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Imagine watching your child fall in love with a sport. Picture them revelling in the thrill of a good shot, beaming with the rush of competitive success. Now imagine their face after someone tells them that to compete, they must wear a bikini bottom with a side width of only 9.9 centimetres.</p>
<p>Welcome to women’s sport. </p>
<p>While sexism is a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/how-pandemic-fueled-sexism-against-women-doctors/620380/">pervasive issue</a> when it comes to women’s clothing, the chauvinism in sport is abundantly evident. </p>
<p>This display was highlighted recently when the International Handball Federation was called on to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/sports/norway-beach-handball-team.html">amend athlete uniform guidelines</a>. <a href="https://www.ihf.info/sites/default/files/2019-05/0_09%20-%20Rules%20of%20the%20Game%20%28Beach%20Handball%29_GB.pdf">Their rules</a> stipulated that women beach handball players wear “bikini bottoms with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” explicitly noting that “the side width” be a maximum of 10 centimetres. </p>
<p>Following a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/bikini-rule-change-handball-player-protest-1.6232786">protest from Norway’s national team</a>, months of pressure and an online petition, the governing federation finally agreed to modify their uniform protocols. </p>
<p>The revised regulations will require women athletes to wear “short tight pants with a close fit.”</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1419246549763244040"}"></div></p>
<h2>Challenges in women’s sport participation</h2>
<p>Progress is progress, but it’s noteworthy to point out that the Handball Federation’s uniform policy for men simply suggests that shorts not be “too baggy.” If optimal athletic performance can be achieved by men in a uniform that’s not “too baggy,” why are women not afforded similar flexibility? </p>
<p>Women and girls face a <a href="https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/do-you-know-the-factors-influencing-girls-participation-in-sports/">wide variety of challenges</a> when it comes to sport participation. One of these challenges is that as girls enter adolescence, they <a href="https://womenandsport.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Canadian-Women-Sport_Rally-Report-Infographic_Participation_June-2020.pdf">drop out of sport at rates significantly higher than boys</a>. </p>
<p>Research has established a startling 27-point disparity between each gender’s respective <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/09/puberty-girls-confidence/563804/">confidence levels</a> during adolescence as characteristics of overthinking, people pleasing and perfectionism kick in. </p>
<p>Ever connect the dots and wonder how many girls quit sport because they don’t feel comfortable dressing the part? <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46843-9_10">The number is not zero</a>. It’s time we re-think uniform standards in sport, and design options that allow women and girls the courtesy to compete with confidence.</p>
<h2>Gen Z DisruptHERS</h2>
<p><a href="https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/">Gen Z is disrupting</a> the way we do sport. As we’ve seen with the Norwegian team, the next generation of athletes is not afraid to call out perceived injustices when they see them. They know how to leverage social media as a megaphone and <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/consumer-business/welcome-to-gen-z.pdf">value diversity and inclusion</a>. </p>
<p>This recipe doesn’t necessarily mix well with conventional sport attire which has traditionally been tailored to <a href="https://www.varsity.co.uk/sport/19410">idealized western femininity</a>. </p>
<p>In a rapidly changing world, sports that fail to take into account our society’s growing diversity, evolving social psychologies and broader cultural reassessments will not only lose credibility, they’ll lose participants. </p>
<p>Sport organizations need to embrace diversity and work with brands to make sport apparel that keeps all shapes, sizes and backgrounds in mind, offering athletes the options they deserve. </p>
<p>Diversifying organizational leadership will help. It’s hard to know who you might be marginalizing if your decision making doesn’t reflect diversity.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Men wearing orange uniforms play beach volleyball" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431367/original/file-20211110-21-6yn5xf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431367/original/file-20211110-21-6yn5xf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431367/original/file-20211110-21-6yn5xf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431367/original/file-20211110-21-6yn5xf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431367/original/file-20211110-21-6yn5xf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431367/original/file-20211110-21-6yn5xf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431367/original/file-20211110-21-6yn5xf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Men’s beach handball uniforms allow for much greater coverage.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>When you feel good, you play well</h2>
<p>It turns out there’s science to support the idea that when you feel good, you play well. And it could be a game changer when it comes to our approach to women’s athletic apparel. </p>
<p>The term “enclothed cognition” was coined by organizational psychologist Hajo Adam and social psychologist Adam Galinsky and it describes <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2012.02.008">how clothing affects perceptions of self</a>. Adam and Galinsky’s work captured this phenomenon in a three-part experiment where a white lab coat was presented to participants with different explanations. </p>
<p>In one stage of the experiment, participants wearing and believing they were in a doctor’s lab coat performed mental agility tests with fewer mistakes than those wearing and believing they wore painter’s coats. They also outperformed participants in regular clothing. The researchers concluded that, “there seems to be something special about the physical experience of wearing a piece of clothing.” </p>
<p>With this in mind, reimagining sports apparel for women and girls could be revolutionary to their psychological and behavioural experiences. It has the potential to impact their sense of belonging, attitude, mood and performance.</p>
<h2>Sex doesn’t sell</h2>
<p>Research has confirmed many times over that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2017.1334996">sex does not in fact</a> “sell.” Talent sells. And if we’re not properly outfitting women in sport, have we even realized the full scope of talent that might be out there? </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/norwegian-beach-handball-bikini-debacle-absurdly-archaic-n1274544">Norwegian handball athletes</a> noted that their skimpy bikini bottoms made them feel uncomfortable and objectified. They also explicitly expressed their fear that uniform mandates were turning young athletes off of their sport. </p>
<p>In highlighting the sexist norms baked into women’s sport uniforms, researchers <a href="https://theconversation.com/sexism-and-sport-why-body-baring-team-uniforms-are-bad-for-girls-and-women-165546">Sarah Zipp and Sasha Sutherland</a> noted that uniform designs are less likely to be centred around performance, and more likely to cater to the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-the-male-gaze-mean-and-what-about-a-female-gaze-52486">male gaze</a>.” </p>
<p>This has the unfortunate effect of unjustly prioritizing the esthetic appeal of women over their athletic talent. This superficial approach completely neglects the multiplicity of body types and cultural nuances. It’s also completely arbitrary.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Women in bikini beach volleyball uniforms dive to try to block a goal." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431372/original/file-20211110-6892-136ryw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431372/original/file-20211110-6892-136ryw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431372/original/file-20211110-6892-136ryw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431372/original/file-20211110-6892-136ryw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431372/original/file-20211110-6892-136ryw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431372/original/file-20211110-6892-136ryw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431372/original/file-20211110-6892-136ryw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Women’s uniforms often prioritize the esthetic appeal of women over their athletic talent.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://womenandsport.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/COVID-Alert-final-English-July-2021.pdf">Sports are important</a>. They can help girls to grow up healthy and confident and they teach a broad array of soft skills like determination and work ethic. </p>
<p>Ernst & Young found that <a href="https://www.ey.com/en_ca/athlete-programs/why-female-athletes-should-be-your-next-leader">94 per cent of women executives reported playing sports</a> — which means girls who play sport are more likely to become women who lead. </p>
<p>While the style and fit of sport apparel may seem like a minor detail in the broader scheme of things, what if it’s not? Let’s let women and girls dress for the role they want to play in women’s sport. And when stale uniform policies get in the way, don’t be afraid to take a page out of Team Norway’s book: speak up and say enough is enough.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171273/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katie Lebel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While the style and fit of sport apparel may seem like a minor detail in the broader scheme of things, what if it’s not? Let’s let women and girls dress for the role they want to play in women’s sport.Katie Lebel, Assistant Professor, Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1647132021-08-09T04:52:10Z2021-08-09T04:52:10ZArt, drama and music lower stress. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking of taking arts in years 11 and 12<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415136/original/file-20210809-17-wg6eas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/school-art-college-arts-education-group-1486701911">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/senior-subjects-series-107516">series</a> providing school students with evidence-based advice for choosing subjects in their senior years.</em></p>
<p>If you’re thinking of taking a performing or visual arts subject in years 11 and 12, you are probably weighing up a few considerations. These may include your passion and interest in the subject, how doing one or two arts subjects might affect your entry into university and what you could do with the skills you learn.</p>
<p>Nearly 30% of all <a href="https://www.acara.edu.au/reporting/national-report-on-schooling-in-australia/national-report-on-schooling-in-australia-data-portal/year-12-subject-enrolments#datase">year 12 students across Australia</a> (53,311 year 12 students in total) chose to study visual or performing arts in year 12 in 2019. But twice as many girls took an arts subject (40%) as boys (18%).</p>
<hr>
<p><iframe id="Pk3kw" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Pk3kw/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<hr>
<p>The arts subject selection you have will depend on what state you live in. But these are the types of subjects you can broadly choose from in visual and performing arts.</p>
<h2>Visual arts</h2>
<p><a href="https://vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/art/ArtSD-2017.pdf">Visual arts</a> is a theory-based subject. You will learn about different artworks and the role of artists in society. You will engage in discussions and writing tasks about what artworks mean. This includes ideas from historical and contemporary arts and culture. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-looking-at-blue-poles-by-jackson-pollock-51655">Here's looking at: Blue poles by Jackson Pollock</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In <a href="https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/vce/vce-study-designs/studioarts/Pages/Index.aspx">studio arts</a>, you will learn about artists’ practices and the art industry while also developing your own art. </p>
<p>You will experiment with techniques and art processes in the mediums of your choice. These include photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, film, digital arts, ceramics or textiles. You will develop your own artworks, document this process and exhibit your work.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415139/original/file-20210809-16-mez1ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Young man holding camera." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415139/original/file-20210809-16-mez1ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415139/original/file-20210809-16-mez1ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415139/original/file-20210809-16-mez1ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415139/original/file-20210809-16-mez1ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415139/original/file-20210809-16-mez1ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415139/original/file-20210809-16-mez1ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415139/original/file-20210809-16-mez1ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In studio arts, you can work in a media form of your choice, including photography.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/school-art-college-arts-education-group-1486701911">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/media/MediaSD_2018.pdf">Media arts</a> involves researching and learning about narrative across different media forms. You will demonstrate your understanding of production processes by designing a media product (such as a film or photographic exhibition) and presenting it.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/vce/vce-study-designs/productdesign-and-technology/Pages/Index.aspx">Product design and technology</a> involves learning about, and experimenting with, materials and processes. The materials will vary from school to school, but you may be able to choose from wood or timber, metal, fabrics, polymers, glass or ceramics. You will learn how to design and put these designs into production. </p>
<h2>Performing arts</h2>
<p><a href="https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/dance">Dance</a> will teach you about dance traditions, styles and works from different cultures. You will learn about music theatre, the work of tap or jazz or street performers, ballet and modern dance, and choreography. As you learn this content through theory and practice, you will engage in analysis of dance that will help you develop your own choreographed performance with others. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sace.sa.edu.au/web/drama">Drama</a> involves studying practice and theory to understand the ways theatre and performance can communicate stories and ideas. You will explore different traditions of drama including costume, set design and lighting, make-up, masks, props and puppetry and sound design. You will ultimately create, develop and present a solo performance.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415147/original/file-20210809-20-jh2w7t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Girl playing guitar." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415147/original/file-20210809-20-jh2w7t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415147/original/file-20210809-20-jh2w7t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415147/original/file-20210809-20-jh2w7t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415147/original/file-20210809-20-jh2w7t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415147/original/file-20210809-20-jh2w7t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415147/original/file-20210809-20-jh2w7t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415147/original/file-20210809-20-jh2w7t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In music, you will learn through listening, performing and composing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-girls-hands-playing-guitar-against-140070883">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/music/2017MusicSD.pdf">Music</a> has different pathways depending on what state you live in. In the Victorian curriculum, there are three pathways culminating in units 3 and 4 of music investigation and music performance. These pathways require at least four years’ experience in learning an instrument. Another pathway, <a href="https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/vet/vce-vet-programs/Pages/musicindustry.aspx">VET music industry</a>, focuses on performing in public.</p>
<p>While each pathway and qualification is different, you will learn through listening, performing and composing. You will apply creative thinking skills to analyse and critique contemporary and historical music and musicians. </p>
<h2>What benefits will I get through studying arts?</h2>
<p>From my research and practice as an artist and university educator of 15 years, I know any of the year 11 and 12 art subjects will enable you to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871187117301694">learn from extensive creative processes</a>. Developing a set of paintings will require experimenting with techniques, learning from other artists, developing a theme or message to convey, and ensuring the subject matter in your paintings is suitable for conveying the message and appropriate for the style you are working in.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thrash-not-trash-why-heavy-metal-is-a-valid-and-vital-phd-subject-120096">Thrash not trash 🤘: why heavy metal is a valid and vital PhD subject</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Your technique must be proficient to achieve good marks. You also need to document the development of your research and ideas with visual images you created and written statements in journals. This is somewhat risky as you are putting yourself out there. It must also come together in a certain time frame, which can be challenging and stressful. </p>
<p>But it will pay off as research shows <a href="https://www.artsedsearch.org/study/arts-education-in-secondary-schools-effects-and-effectiveness/">arts education has</a> many benefits. </p>
<p>Beyond technical knowledge and skills, benefits include actual enjoyment and stress relief. The senior years can be stressful years, so adding an arts subject to the mix can actually be a way to take care of yourself. It is well documented the arts offer <a href="http://www.artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk/appg-inquiry/">mental health benefits</a> as the focus on creating art is a form of mindfulness. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415149/original/file-20210809-28-1tim6q4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Students doing improvisation in drama class, wearing all black." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415149/original/file-20210809-28-1tim6q4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415149/original/file-20210809-28-1tim6q4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415149/original/file-20210809-28-1tim6q4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415149/original/file-20210809-28-1tim6q4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415149/original/file-20210809-28-1tim6q4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415149/original/file-20210809-28-1tim6q4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415149/original/file-20210809-28-1tim6q4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Theatre and other arts can be a great form of stress relief.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/male-female-drama-students-performing-arts-1336613192">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Creating art is a process of focusing on bringing together subject matter, technique and creative experience to communicate a story or an idea. The ability to express your feelings through the arts is a <a href="https://cv.vic.gov.au/media/2807/making-sense-art-and-mental-health-educationkit.pdf">form of release</a>. And reflecting on its meaning can provide insights into your self, which is therapeutic.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/choosing-your-senior-school-subjects-doesnt-have-to-be-scary-here-are-6-things-to-keep-in-mind-160257">Choosing your senior school subjects doesn't have to be scary. Here are 6 things to keep in mind</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In addition, you will develop a range of skills that will help you in any area of life. Beyond creativity and thinking skills, <a href="https://www.artsedsearch.org/study/arts-education-in-secondary-schools-effects-and-effectiveness/">research shows</a> arts education will help you enhance your communication and expressive skills, as well as boosting your confidence and self-esteem. Teamwork, too, is a big part of the arts, and learning this skill will be helpful at university and in your future employment.</p>
<p>The presentation, communication and performance skills you learn are adaptable for public speaking, community and public art careers, as well as teaching. </p>
<h2>Will doing the arts bring down my ATAR?</h2>
<p>The ATAR is a university-based system that determines how many students will get into particular courses. Like a queue, it ranks you against everyone in the year 12 age group. </p>
<p>But university entry, particularly when it comes to the arts, doesn’t rely on ATAR. It often requires an <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/levels-of-study/undergraduate-study/bachelor-degrees/bachelor-of-arts-fine-art-bp201#admissions">interview process with presentation of a portfolio</a>. </p>
<p>If you’re not looking to do arts at university, it’s still important to choose senior subjects you are interested in and good at. Plus, skills you learn in the arts can enhance your entry prospects. For instance, entry into a medical degree requires a high ATAR. But most <a href="https://www.monash.edu/medicine/som/direct-entry/domestic">universities also conduct an interview</a> to test your empathy, collaboration and ethical reasoning skills – all of which are enhanced by the arts.</p>
<h2>What will I do with these skills after school?</h2>
<p>Many students who study senior art go on to study the visual and/or performing arts at university. Some become self-employed artists. Others practise art on the side and that helps them maintain a good balance in life.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415153/original/file-20210809-25-lc3rde.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Woman's hands making pottery." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415153/original/file-20210809-25-lc3rde.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415153/original/file-20210809-25-lc3rde.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415153/original/file-20210809-25-lc3rde.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415153/original/file-20210809-25-lc3rde.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415153/original/file-20210809-25-lc3rde.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415153/original/file-20210809-25-lc3rde.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415153/original/file-20210809-25-lc3rde.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many people continue to practise art on the side of their full-time job, to help create a healthy life balance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-hands-working-on-pottery-wheel-1377692564">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One ex-student, now in her late 20s, studied visual art and music in school but is now a psychiatric nurse who is also in a band. She said being a musician helps her cope with the stresses of her job. </p>
<p>Another ex-student, a 20-year-old male, studied the VCE VET in music industry as well as media arts, studio arts, visual arts, psychology and literature. He is a full-time intern in a technology company. He said the networking he does now is very close to what he had to do for the documentary he made in media arts. He also said his creative skills were helpful in the marketing material he designs.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You have to be a creative strategist to get people to give you time of day in sales and marketing.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1417399025930698752"}"></div></p>
<p><em>Read the other articles in our series on choosing senior subjects, <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/senior-subjects-series-107516">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164713/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shelley Hannigan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Beyond creativity and thinking skills, arts education will help you enhance your communication and expressive skills, as well as boosting your confidence and self-esteem.Shelley Hannigan, Senior Lecturer in Art Education, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1541852021-02-05T03:09:56Z2021-02-05T03:09:56ZWho is (probably) today’s best male tennis player?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381619/original/file-20210201-23-1wk2nnq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=63%2C0%2C3797%2C2822&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/G Stock Studio</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When you ask that question, three names come to mind: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.</p>
<p>A simple way to compare tennis players is to look at how many grand slam tournaments they have won. That includes victories at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon in the UK and the US Open. </p>
<p>But this doesn’t take into account how many tournaments they’ve played, which tournaments they’ve played, how far they progressed in each tournament, and who they played against.</p>
<h2>Probably the best player</h2>
<p>My method estimates the <em>probability</em> of a player winning a match in a grand slam tournament. The player with the highest estimated probability of winning a match is then deemed the best player.</p>
<p>Using probability naturally accommodates how many matches and tournaments the player has played, and acknowledges the strong performance of a player who makes a final but doesn’t win the tournament.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/self-entitled-prima-donnas-or-do-they-have-a-point-why-australian-open-tennis-players-find-hard-lockdown-so-tough-153631">Self-entitled prima donnas or do they have a point? Why Australian Open tennis players find hard lockdown so tough</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The method builds a statistical model to estimate winning probabilities for each player from <a href="https://www.ultimatetennisstatistics.com/">grand slam data</a>. </p>
<p>By using a technique called regression modelling, it accounts for the fact the winning probability may depend on the quality of the opposition and the grand slam played. For example, some players have preference for hard courts (used at the Australian and US Opens) over clay (used at Roland Garros, home of the French Open).</p>
<p>The opposition quality is inferred from their ranking, and we consider five groups: the top 10, top 20, top 50, top 100 and outside the top 100. These group choices are consistent with terminology used by commentators and pundits.</p>
<p>Another advantage of using a statistical model is that we can make the most of the available data, which is quite small given there are only four grand slam tournaments per year.</p>
<p>For example, if the data support it, the model can enforce a similar pattern of performance against the quality of opposition across tournaments. This is a form of “borrowing of strength” to increase the accuracy of probability estimates from small datasets.</p>
<h2>Oh, the uncertainty</h2>
<p>Using a statistical approach allows us to quantify the uncertainty in probability estimates. Here we communicate uncertainty as an interval (lower and upper limit), that contains the true winning probability with a 95% chance.</p>
<p>So, for example, if the estimated winning probability for a player is 0.77 with an interval of 0.63 to 0.86, it means that our best guess of the winning probability is 0.77. But there is a 95% chance the actual winning probability is between 0.63 and 0.86. This tells us how much uncertainty there is about our best guess.</p>
<p>The amount of uncertainty depends on the number of matches played and the winning probability. There will naturally be more uncertainty if the actual winning probability is around 0.5, that means an even chance of winning or losing.</p>
<p>The results are shown in the figures (below). Each square represents the best probability estimate for Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, and the vertical line represents the uncertainty interval.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph for the Australian Open" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Drovandi</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph for the French Open" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Drovandi</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph for Wimbledon" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Drovandi</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph for US Open" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Drovandi</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The winner is …</h2>
<p>For the Australian Open, there is evidence to suggest that Djokovic is the top-performing male player.</p>
<p>But given the overlapping uncertainty intervals in the probability estimates with the other players, it is difficult to definitively state this.</p>
<p>It is difficult to separate the three players at the US Open. Wimbledon appears to be the tournament that Federer shines the most relative to the other players, but again there is significant overlap in the intervals.</p>
<p>Although there is some evidence that Nadal is the worst-performing player at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon (which is played on grass courts), he is the undisputed champion at the French Open.</p>
<p>Incredibly, Nadal has an estimated probability around 0.93 to win a game against a top 10 player at this tournament. This clearly shows Nadal’s dominance on clay courts. The French Open is a relative Achilles’ heel for Federer.</p>
<p>The analysis reveals some other interesting results. For example, the results suggest Nadal performs similarly against top 20 and top 50 players, as does Djokovic.</p>
<p>But there is generally a big drop in winning probability against top 10 players.</p>
<p>Apart from some cases (Nadal at the French Open, Djokovic at the Australian Open and Federer at Wimbledon), the chance that one of these champion players beats a top 10 player in a grand slam isn’t much better than a coin toss.</p>
<h2>And the best player is …</h2>
<p>On the women’s side, it’s widely accepted that Serena Williams is the top player in the modern era, and possibly of all time. Williams has won the most grand slams of any current player, male or female.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/all-that-slipping-and-sliding-on-tennis-courts-prevents-injuries-a-biomechanics-expert-explains-how-106938">All that slipping and sliding on tennis courts prevents injuries: a biomechanics expert explains how</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>For the men it’s less so clear. So in response to the question of who is the best male tennis player of the modern era, the answer is “it depends”.</p>
<p>If pressed for an answer, it’s hard to go past Rafael Nadal. He has dominated a grand slam (French Open) unlike the other players, while remaining competitive in the other three slams.</p>
<p>A more comprehensive analysis would consider data from all tournaments, not just grand slams, and this would help to reduce uncertainty in the winning probability estimates.</p>
<p>It should also be noted that these are retrospective winning probability estimates, and cannot be used to predict outcomes for future tournaments. Predictive statistical models would focus on more recent tennis data.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154185/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Drovandi is a Professor of Statistics at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and is a Program Director in the QUT Centre for Data Science. He is an Associate Investigator of the Australian Research Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS). He receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>With the Australian Open about to start this year’s grand slam series, a crunch of the data from past performances gives a hint at who is the current best male player, possibly.Christopher Drovandi, Professor of Statistics, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1441702020-09-28T12:22:11Z2020-09-28T12:22:11ZWomen equal men in computing skill, but are less confident<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357243/original/file-20200909-22-njtus5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C22%2C7360%2C4869&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Studies show women are perfectly capable of getting the job done.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/she-has-data-management-all-taken-care-of-royalty-free-image/1055056898">Dean Mitchell/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>In the workplace, women are now as good as men when it comes to computing performance, but there is still a gender gap when it comes to confidence, according to our new research.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gRlnlTIAAAAJ&hl=en">professors</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=GL7KSNkAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&gmla=AJsN-F4zOLZSu0odQi5t-MQgRvBc4bh-e_HJMfczDVCjw5FT31o9zRttWRIB-TV1XfU1nW7Ap2XqGQ_4SCeYnAcS9DrdKIsRnXlKNF0jbykCgtS3bThJS1Mwe">of business</a>, we <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2020.1717397">studied how well men and women</a> in midlevel business jobs performed on computing tasks. We also asked them to rate how they thought they did. </p>
<p>Study participants were randomly assigned basic, intermediate or advanced problems on laptops, tablets or mobile devices, while seated, standing or walking slowly. </p>
<p>We found no difference in the performance between men and women in the total number of questions answered correctly or the time taken to answer the questions. In only one scenario did men perform slightly better – while completing a basic task, on a tablet, while seated (76.3% correct for men versus 64% correct for women). Otherwise, women and men performed equally.</p>
<p>There was a statistically significant difference, however, in how men and women rated their own performance. Women were less confident of their answers in all scenarios – 3.5 for women versus 3.88 for men on a scale of 1 to 5 – despite having performed equally to men in all but one.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357313/original/file-20200909-22-tx6j27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two professional women discussing code on a computer screen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357313/original/file-20200909-22-tx6j27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357313/original/file-20200909-22-tx6j27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357313/original/file-20200909-22-tx6j27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357313/original/file-20200909-22-tx6j27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357313/original/file-20200909-22-tx6j27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357313/original/file-20200909-22-tx6j27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357313/original/file-20200909-22-tx6j27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The percentage of women in tech is still pitifully low.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/coworkers-discussing-computer-program-in-office-royalty-free-image/1180183363">Luis Alvarez/Digital Vision via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>With a rapid expansion of employment in STEM areas, the shortage of qualified labor has risen to the level of <a href="https://www.aip.org/fyi/2019/panel-warns-us-faces-stem-workforce-supply-challenges">national importance</a>. Yet the proportion of <a href="https://ngcproject.org/ngcp-publications-0">women in STEM careers remains around 24%</a> even though women make up almost 50% of the overall workforce. The causes of this <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2016.1257306">gender gap</a> are often attributed to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-tech-field-failed-a-25-year-challenge-to-achieve-gender-equality-by-2020-culture-change-is-key-to-getting-on-track-144779">cultural and institutional biases against women in technology fields</a>, and <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED523766.pdf">governments and other institutions</a> have made significant efforts to reduce this gap. </p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>No one knows for sure why women with demonstrably the same computing skills as men are less confident. This lack of confidence has been found in other STEM-related areas. For example, one study of university students found that among men and women who performed equally well in mathematics courses, <a href="http://genderandset.open.ac.uk/index.php/genderandset/article/view/452">women perceived themselves to be significantly worse at math</a> than their male counterparts. Another study that focused on the adoption of mobile learning technology shows, while the gender gap has all but disappeared, there is still a significant gap when it comes to <a href="http://genderandset.open.ac.uk/index.php/genderandset/article/viewFile/446/811">how women perceive their confidence with this technology</a> versus how men perceive it. Some research found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/2980783.2980785">technical skills were more consistently stereotyped by both men and women</a> than were nontechnical skills. Further research is needed to explore the reasons for lack of female confidence so that effective mitigation approaches can be put in place.</p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>Many have <a href="https://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/NCWIT_TheFacts_rev2010.pdf">made the case that</a> companies need better participation of women in the STEM workforce <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.2013.97">for greater innovation and productivity</a>. These efforts have had some success, but other avenues are needed to promote STEM careers to women and help them to believe in their abilities.</p>
<p>To address this issue, secondary schools and universities are promoting <a href="https://www.iwitts.org/">computing careers to young women</a>, while tech companies have made concerted efforts to promote and hire more women for high-profile jobs involving technology.</p>
<p>We will continue to work on understanding how to narrow the gender gap and explore ways to increase female participation in computer fields.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144170/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The gender gap in computing performance has dramatically narrowed, but a confidence gap remains.Matthew J. Liberatore, John F. Connelly Chair in Management at the Villanova School of Business, Villanova UniversityWilliam Wagner, Associate Professor of Accountancy & Information Systems, Villanova UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1443892020-09-17T11:24:18Z2020-09-17T11:24:18ZHow to keep teen boys happily singing – instead of giving up when their voices start to change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357043/original/file-20200908-24-1bx9n9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C13%2C4583%2C3394&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Helping boys through their voice change can keep the joy of singing alive.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/MacysAnnualGreatTreeLighting/86b33d3b5cf244e186ea0733bc15fedc">Tomas Ovalle/AP Images for Macy's</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Boys like to sing. Adolescent boys around the world report the same thing: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S026505171400031X">They enjoy singing</a> and want to get better at it. </p>
<p>Yet <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/13/cincinnati-boychoir-plans-to-examine-science-behind-boys-changing-voices/">many boys stop singing</a> during the transition from childhood to adolescence. There is a misconception that boys stop because their voices start to change. Boys don’t actually say that. What they say is, as their voices develop through puberty, they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X09344382">become convinced they are no longer good singers</a>. </p>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=FLXq7m4AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&gmla=AJsN-F4QskfmkV0fEfSlc3Bn_KtUYPIVRdyw0R8LUKD4dwM8SLMu2ccvDqWpimDXU-MB7oxh6YxA-TMcqC9Yn7yEhFqPMNsXfE2PBIIFL9SKzgly_ShaAiI">music professor and researcher</a>, I’ve interviewed hundreds of boys about why they sing and, more importantly, why they don’t. My goal is to learn what boys want from singing – and how parents and teachers can provide the necessary skills, guidance and support to help them grow into their adult voices.</p>
<h2>Friends and role models</h2>
<p>Adolescent boys are powerfully influenced by peers, family and teachers. These individuals can provide direction and motivation during a boy’s transition from childhood to adolescence, especially if they are supportive and share his goals. It used to be thought that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432108321076">boys stopped singing because of peer pressure</a>. While this may remain true for some, many boys report the opposite: The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X09344382">support of their peers</a> is what attracts them to singing and keeps them involved, especially in school choirs.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357033/original/file-20200908-16-1fyyzv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C3444%2C2536&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Ten boys ranging in age from roughly eight to 16, stand facing the same direction singing." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357033/original/file-20200908-16-1fyyzv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C3444%2C2536&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357033/original/file-20200908-16-1fyyzv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357033/original/file-20200908-16-1fyyzv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357033/original/file-20200908-16-1fyyzv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357033/original/file-20200908-16-1fyyzv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357033/original/file-20200908-16-1fyyzv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357033/original/file-20200908-16-1fyyzv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">From boys to men.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/SpoletoFestivalUSA/1b2b37dd54854fc4abe59c727429a69a">AP Photo/Bruce Smith</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Older role models are important, because they provide images of what the boy could become in the future. A boy who has a positive role model can make decisions about what he needs to do in order to become like that role model. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S39776">adolescent brain makes this kind of forward-oriented thinking possible</a>, marking a change from childhood, when the focus is on the here and now.</p>
<p>If a boy has an older role model who sings, he can envision a future in which he sings, too – possibly even with friends. That idea might lead him to join a singing group or choir in school. <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/patrick_freer_from_bowling_alone_to_singing_together">Better yet, he might decide to do it with a group of buddies</a>. </p>
<h2>Supporting singing through voice change</h2>
<p>Adolescent boys who sing have unique concerns that must be addressed by teachers or supportive adults. </p>
<p>Boys want to know why their voices crack, when they will be able to sing lower pitches and what to expect during the development process. They also want to know they will be protected from embarrassment. </p>
<p>Providing information about vocal anatomy helps boys understand why and how their voices are changing. A <a href="https://acda-publications.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/choral_journals/Thurman.pdf">boy’s voice change occurs in stages</a>, each clearly defined in terms of the range of high to low notes that can be sung in each stage. The <a href="https://acda-publications.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/choral_journals/Thurman.pdf">six stages of voice change</a> correspond with the six stages of male pubertal development.</p>
<p>Instruction should be adapted to the changing needs (and voices) of adolescent boys. For instance, pitches that were easily sung a month ago might not be accessible today, requiring teachers to adjust the repertoire and voice parts they assign. </p>
<p>Boys can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/8755123318779880">enlisted to discover and chronicle</a> the changes in their own voices. This strategy embraces the autonomy that is so important for adolescent boys. </p>
<p>Adult role models can describe their own voice change, compare notes with the boy and reinforce that older boys and adult men sing. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357047/original/file-20200908-16-1l9z8c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Four Black teen singing together." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357047/original/file-20200908-16-1l9z8c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357047/original/file-20200908-16-1l9z8c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357047/original/file-20200908-16-1l9z8c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357047/original/file-20200908-16-1l9z8c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357047/original/file-20200908-16-1l9z8c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357047/original/file-20200908-16-1l9z8c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357047/original/file-20200908-16-1l9z8c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Singing need not be in a choir.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenagers-rehearsing-on-stage-royalty-free-image/105657687">Hill Street Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Building musical skill during adolescence</h2>
<p>Many boys will thrive in a school choir, but others will prefer to sing individually or in self-formed groups with friends. The same dynamic occurs in sports, where some athletes join teams while others focus on individual sports or pickup games. What matters is that the boy is presented with ever-increasing challenges appropriate to his growing level of musical skill. </p>
<p>Developing singers have much to learn, such as mastering breath control; understanding how the larynx will grow and change to enlarge their vocal range; coordinating the muscles that will eventually allow for lower (and often louder) pitches; and reading music written in the bass clef. Instead, boys report they are not taught these fundamental components of musical growth, leading them to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2015.1014330">give up hope of ever being “good singers” again</a>. </p>
<h2>Performing</h2>
<p>Music teachers are often evaluated by school administrators the way athletic coaches are judged – by the outcome of a choral performance or game. This is problematic, because adolescent boys say they value the <a href="https://www.questia.com/magazine/1P3-3957114091/reclaiming-group-vocal-instruction">process of learning more than the act of performing</a>.</p>
<p>A public celebration of musical achievement, in front of friends and family, at the precise moment a boy feels most vulnerable about his changing voice, is exactly what many boys say they don’t want at the crux of pubertal development. Instead, many boys I’ve spoken with say they would continue singing were it not for the public performance. The obvious question becomes, “Do all choirs need to sing in public?” These boys suggest the answer is, “No – not until I’m more confident.”</p>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the spaces where boys sing. <a href="https://theconversation.com/young-musicians-can-perform-on-virtual-stages-when-schools-are-closed-140820">Virtual choirs, like Zoom choirs, have proliferated</a>. Technology has enhanced the ability for boys to connect socially while making music together. Software featuring amazing production tools is free and easily accessible. But even in this environment, boys will benefit greatly from virtual musical guidance and the support of teachers and other adults.</p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>A recent nationwide survey found that <a href="https://www.chorusamerica.org/resource/chorus-impact-study-singing-lifetime">54 million Americans (one in six) sing in choirs</a>, and many more enjoy singing in other settings. Research shows <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-004-0006-9">singing improves mood, lowers stress</a> and <a href="https://www.chorusamerica.org/resource/chorus-impact-study-singing-lifetime">builds community</a>. It is my hope that, with a little understanding, the singing boys of today can become the singing fathers, teachers and buddies of tomorrow – who together can join in song.</p>
<p><em>(Note: In this article, “boys” refers to biological sex, not gender identification. Families may wish to discuss the intersections of biology, gender and singing as related to puberty and adolescent development.)</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144389/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patrick K. Freer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many boys stop singing at adolescence – but with the right support, they can continue to sing through their voice change and emerge as lifetime singers.Patrick K. Freer, Professor of Music Education, Georgia State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1458852020-09-10T11:54:01Z2020-09-10T11:54:01ZPerforming in winter: creating COVID-safe super venues and sharing the stage<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357439/original/file-20200910-24-1r0nprb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C0%2C5447%2C3645&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/audience-auditorium-bleachers-chairs-391535/">Tuur Tisseghem/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You pass through a wide doorway to a large space with good air circulation. Inside, an usher behind a screen scans your ticket and sends you onward. Signs on the carpet direct you to the large auditorium, which is arranged in clusters of seats, one per household. In the middle of the room, the stage is set for a full orchestra. Tomorrow the same stage will be used for a theatrical production. The lights go dim; the music starts.</p>
<p>If we think creatively, such a situation could become reality. The arts sector is in a dire state, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/sep/08/andrew-lloyd-webber-we-have-to-get-arts-sector-back-open-covid">Andrew Lloyd Webber</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/paul-whitehouse">Paul Whitehouse</a>, among others, continue to plead for venues to reopen on behalf of the embattled theatre sector and its many jobs. But winter is coming and with it the unappetising prospect of a <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/roslin/news-events/latest-news/experts-warn-of-second-covid-19-peak-in-winter">second spike of coronavirus cases</a>. Things are likely to get worse before they get better. </p>
<p>With many audience members over 65, it is not just a question of R values and daily cases but how safe people feel. It is extremely unlikely that traditional venues will cater to large audiences for at least six months and possibly until a vaccine is created and widely administered.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/performing-for-no-one-the-important-work-of-in-studio-audiences-134349">Performing for no one – the important work of in-studio audiences</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Notions of “<a href="https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/12274336">hygiene</a>” have been observed as a major narrative in the reinvention of urban space for centuries and being hygienic in COVID times presents real difficulties. </p>
<h2>The search for space</h2>
<p>Observing even a 1-metre rule takes most venues to below 50% capacity and feels, frankly, almost pointless, except in larger halls. This puts the performing arts in a dire position, seemingly with a choice between loss-making performances to the few, or contributions to the vast pool of <a href="https://www.culturalpolicies.net/covid-19/online-initiatives/">online content</a>. Increasingly, it feels like the latter’s proximity to the live experience only dilutes its satisfaction – like giving plastic food to the hungry.</p>
<p>It is time for governments and local authorities to take action and create performance conditions that can function in all but the most stringent of lockdown situations. It will be no small effort, but if a large-scale live performance is to see us through another winter, it must be done.</p>
<p>What is needed is space. Space to circulate, space to sit apart, space between venue staff and audience. Outdoor events will be difficult to sustain in a British winter. Churches have limited toilet capacity (if you think that’s unimportant, you have not read many venue feedback forms). Conference centres are in fact the most likely solution. The decimation of large-scale events means they have availability and should be able to accommodate large numbers of people and flexible seating arrangements.</p>
<p>Just one viable stage could to bring comedy, music, small-scale opera and theatre back to a city, though the specific stage requirements of dance may prove more difficult. The seating must be flexible rather than in strict rows, probably with the stage in the centre of a large room. It may not be the perfect aesthetic experience, but it beats another half-watched livestream or playing to a handful of people.</p>
<p>To take Scotland as an example, one super venue in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen could resuscitate the country’s three major orchestras and much more besides. The <a href="https://www.eicc.co.uk/organising/the-venue/lennox-suite/#filter=lennox-suite">Lennox Suite</a> in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, for example, has a maximum capacity in normal times of 2,000 and has a movable floor. If 40% of that total were achieved it would start to offer something akin to regular income for organisations.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P19w_zZA4mk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Technical and stage management teams from theatre and music are used to making things happen in a short space of time. Together, they would be unstoppable. The acoustics of these spaces could be delicately enhanced by amplification in the case of theatre and electronically assisted resonance for classical music. The latter can provide startlingly natural reverb, as was <a href="https://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/1.2019483">used</a> for decades in London’s Festival Hall.</p>
<h2>Sharing the benefits</h2>
<p>Though the initial costs will be significant, this scheme is beneficial because it allows organisations to bring in revenue and give their box office and temporary workers some much-needed employment. </p>
<p>Currently, we are paying institutions to limp on and will count it a success if they come through this period with half their staff intact. Government support to a widespread commandeering of spaces would be a far shrewder investment and will give large institutions the means to better support themselves, though this emphasis should be coupled with similar efforts on behalf of smaller organisations and freelancers. Indeed, this could be an opportunity for smaller companies to share the stage and draw a bigger and more diverse crowd to their programming, while also sharing the income generated.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/arts-rescue-package-by-all-means-protect-britains-jewels-but-dont-forget-the-rest-of-the-crown-142100">Arts rescue package: by all means protect Britain's 'jewels' – but don't forget the rest of the crown</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There is also the issue of the venues that are left behind in this search for space. Taking away the orchestras and theatre companies that are their main draw hardly seems to aid their cause. I would argue, however, that there is little financial security in housing concerts for 200 people, not to mention the risks of being closed down again if the virus returns. Limited but more secure employment for staff and the ability to repurpose smaller venues – whether as a university lecture theatre, space for smaller performances or community hub – is more likely to see them through this time. </p>
<p>One of the lessons of lockdown is that a life without the arts is a very grey existence indeed and that if there is a replacement to the live experience, it is yet to be discovered. If performances can go ahead as safely as entering shops or eating in restaurants, then the arts world and society should be given every chance to take advantage of their life-enhancing effects. All it requires is the government to lead on this issue with decisive and positive action.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145885/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Neil Thomas Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Opening traditional theatres and smaller venues may not be physically or financially viable. But with winter coming and the arts industry floundering, something needs to be done.Neil Thomas Smith, Composer and Postdoctoral Researcher, Maastricht Centre for the Innovation of Classical Music, Maastricht UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1401292020-07-29T12:20:18Z2020-07-29T12:20:18ZAs the NBA and MLB resume, how might empty seats influence player performances?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/349670/original/file-20200727-35-141iuq2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C0%2C5441%2C3633&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager warms up as cutouts of fans 'look on.'</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Giants-Dodgers-Baseball/82fc086de8444f97b90abdf7e72261cd/10/0">AP Photo/Jae C. Hong</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Baseball and basketball might be returning, but the <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boo%20birds">boo birds</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0O88TQQ--o">thunder sticks</a> will have to wait ‘til next year.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29530941/source-blue-jays-play-home-games-buffalo">Save for the Toronto Blue Jays</a>, baseball teams have begun playing in their regular stadiums without fans. Meanwhile, all NBA games will be played inside the <a href="https://africa.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29520530/the-very-best-nba-bubble-activities">Orlando bubble</a> before empty crowds.</p>
<p><a href="https://csunsportpsychlab.wordpress.com">For sport psychology researchers like me</a>, this is an extremely rare opportunity: We can see what happens when fans disappear for an extended period of time. Almost like a controlled experiment, it will be possible to compare the outcomes of games with and without fans, with all other things being approximately equal. We’ll even be able to compare fan-less home stadium games, like those starting up in baseball, to fan-less neutral site games, like in the NBA.</p>
<p>For these reasons, it might be possible to see the extent to which fans and stadiums play a role in an oft-debated aspect of sport psychology: home field advantage.</p>
<h2>Home sweet home</h2>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-really-causes-home-field-advantage-and-why-its-on-the-decline-126086">Despite evidence that it’s diminished a bit over time</a>, the advantage of playing at home – whether on a field, court or ice – is definitely real.</p>
<p>In 2019, <a href="https://www.nfl.com/standings/">52% of NFL games</a> were won by home teams. In the NBA, prior to the pandemic pause, <a href="https://www.nba.com/standings">55% of games were won</a> by the team playing at home.</p>
<p>In college sports, the advantage for the home team can be even more stark. SEC conference football games were won by home teams <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/sec/2019-schedule.html">61% of the time</a> in 2019. For the ACC conference in men’s basketball in 2020, <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/acc/2020-schedule.html">it was 63%</a>.</p>
<p>And yet the source of that advantage has never really been identified. Analysts have attributed it to a variety of factors. Some say <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/01/24/study-finds-jet-lag-for-mlb-players-enough-to-erase-the-home-field-advantage/">the away team struggles because of travel fatigue</a>. Others think it’s because <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/football-insider/wp/2012/10/18/home-field-advantage-is-real-but-its-not-because-of-the-12th-man/">the home team has a certain familiarity with the field</a> – the playing surface in football or the park dimensions in baseball. Some claim <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-really-causes-home-field-advantage-and-why-its-on-the-decline-126086">it’s because the referees and umpires are influenced by the crowd</a> and are thus biased in favor of the home team, or that <a href="http://ftp.iza.org/dp8105.pdf">stadium sounds and a jeering crowd can get in the heads of opposing players</a>.</p>
<p>Psychology researchers have also puzzled over the cause of home field advantage. </p>
<p>Psychologist Robert Zajonc <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1715944?seq=1">proposed a theory called social facilitation</a>, whereby a performer’s “arousal” increases in the presence of others. In this context, arousal means that you care more about what you’re doing when you’re being watched. For athletes, it implies that they’ll be more motivated when there’s a crowd. And if the crowd is supportive, this might “facilitate” a better performance from the athlete. </p>
<p>But since then, others have <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Routledge_Companion_to_Sport_and_Exercis/1zUsAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0">reported</a> that the effects of social facilitation in studies of sports have tended to be weak. And there are some who <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-really-causes-home-field-advantage-and-why-its-on-the-decline-126086">believe that the crowd has nothing at all to do with performance</a>.</p>
<h2>Home field advantage on pause?</h2>
<p>We’ll have to see what happens over the course of the baseball and basketball seasons. But <a href="https://www.soccerstats.com/homeaway.asp?league=germany">the Bundesliga</a>, Germany’s top soccer league, began playing without fans back in the middle of May, and players have noted that something seems to be missing during these games.</p>
<p>“The stadium is always full at Bayern, and it’s really amazing,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/bayerns-kimmich-less-emotional-but-calmer-in-fan-free-games/2020/06/04/bc43e862-a65e-11ea-898e-b21b9a83f792_story.html">Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich said</a>. “You feel more when you score a goal. It’s more emotional when there are fans.”</p>
<p>I know from <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsep/31/5/article-p583.xml">my own research</a> that heightened emotions aren’t necessarily helpful. They can cause you to overthink a situation or become nervous. But they can also improve performance if you’re feeling particularly in control and confident. The latter feelings can, in fact, lead to better-than-usual, clutch performance.</p>
<p>So what happens if we remove the fans in the stands, but everything else stays about the same? </p>
<p>Before the pandemic, Bundesliga home teams had won 107 games, lost 100 and tied 63 times. Excluding the ties, this win-loss percentage for home teams – 52% – was comparable to those in other leagues, translating to a modest home-field advantage.</p>
<p>When play resumed without fans, Bundesliga home teams fell apart for the first six weeks: Their win-loss percentage was an embarrassing 29%. Outlets like <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/sports/soccer/soccer-without-fans-germany-data.html">The New York Times</a> and <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/german-bundesliga/story/4107639/bundesliga-suggests-home-advantage-a-thing-of-the-past-in-empty-stadiums">ESPN</a> noticed, and ran articles wondering if, without fans, home-field advantage had vanished.</p>
<p>But then the results started to shift in mid-June. Over the final three weeks of the season, Bundesliga home teams’ winning percentage surged to 63%. </p>
<p>Right around then, the other European leagues began play. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.soccerstats.com/latest.asp?league=england">England’s Premier League</a> home team winning percentage before the pandemic was 60%; since restarting, their success rate has been nearly identical: 59%. Before the break and with fans, <a href="https://www.soccerstats.com/latest.asp?league=spain">Spain’s La Liga</a> home teams’ win-loss rate was 66%; afterward, it’s been a respectable 56%. Home teams in Italy’s <a href="https://www.soccerstats.com/latest.asp?league=italy">Serie A</a> have actually been more successful so far without fans – 57% – as compared with before, when they won 52% of home games before packed stadiums.</p>
<p>It seems the early struggles of home teams in the Bundesliga were more of an outlier.</p>
<h2>It’s all a matter of perception</h2>
<p>So maybe outlets were too quick to attribute home-field advantage solely to the presence of the fans. Based on this preliminary data out of Europe, the advantage seems to be preserved, even in empty stadiums. </p>
<p>Could it be that even without fans, players still believe they have an edge at home?</p>
<p>Sport psychologists have studied how athletes’ perceptions of their environment can influence performance. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="German soccer players fight for the ball in an empty stadium." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/349681/original/file-20200727-23-3x46f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/349681/original/file-20200727-23-3x46f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/349681/original/file-20200727-23-3x46f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/349681/original/file-20200727-23-3x46f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/349681/original/file-20200727-23-3x46f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/349681/original/file-20200727-23-3x46f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/349681/original/file-20200727-23-3x46f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A June soccer match between FC Cologne and Eintracht Frankfurt during the German Bundesliga.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Germany-Soccer-Bundesliga/612a315acd614363b308826d2db46308/2/0">Rolf Vennenbernd/Pool via AP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://web.b.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=01627341&AN=3016204&h=MKjmtwkiDlbNqPQ6y4BUGwu%2f31V4VG83uLuVe%2bZqxcfPq05e7P2t7Li38FyeUtv%2bL0ygG5olevmSLn2CdPG%2bog%3d%3d&crl=c&resultNs=AdminWebAuth&resultLocal=ErrCrlNotAuth&crlhashurl=login.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26profile%3dehost%26scope%3dsite%26authtype%3dcrawler%26jrnl%3d01627341%26AN%3d3016204">A survey by psychologists of female college basketball players</a> suggests that athletes perceive their team’s collective efficacy – or confidence as a group – to be greater at home.</p>
<p>[<em>You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=coronavirus-help">Read The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>So it’s entirely possible that players interpret their home stadium environment as more comfortable, regardless of whether or not there’s a crowd. This perception leads to more confidence among the players at home, which may be the root cause of the home advantage.</p>
<p>In other words, the advantage might not necessarily come from the cheers or the refs. It’s simply the belief that playing at home makes you play better that gives you an edge.</p>
<p>Back when the Premier League was considering a plan to restart the league at neutral sites instead of home stadiums, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/soccer-watford-chief-opposed-premier-095918729.html">Watford CEO Scott Duxbury objected</a> to the proposal. “We are now told we cannot play our remaining home games at Vicarage Road and the familiarity and advantage that brings,” he complained.</p>
<p>Maybe Duxbury was right about the advantage of familiarity, after all – even when there are no fans in the seats.</p>
<p><em>This article was updated on August 10, 2020 to reflect new results from the European soccer leagues mentioned.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140129/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Otten does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It will be possible to compare the outcomes of games with and without fans, giving new insights into the relationship between fans, home-field advantage and clutch performances.Mark Otten, Professor of Psychology, California State University, NorthridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1404952020-06-23T14:14:15Z2020-06-23T14:14:15ZBetter access to stories can improve adolescent lives in Africa<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342470/original/file-20200617-94086-1nij44m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Members of South Africa's Zip Zap Circus.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Washington Post/Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Across cultures, the self-making powers of storytelling are widely recognised. <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/steve-biko-the-black-consciousness-movement-steve-biko-foundation/AQp2i2l5?hl=en">Steve Biko</a>, the South African <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-bikos-black-consciousness-philosophy-resonates-with-youth-today-46909">Black Consciousness</a> thinker, once <a href="https://books.google.co.za/books?id=Aq5PJWaSTzUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false">said</a> that we need to speak from where we stand. Seeing the impact of our environment on our thinking about ourselves can change our thinking, he suggested. Telling our stories is an important way of doing so.</p>
<p>Though stories are universal, access to them is not. We are involved in a project that’s trying to address this. The <a href="https://www.ukri.org/about-us/">United Kingdom Research and Innovation</a> fund’s <a href="https://www.acceleratehub.org">Accelerate project</a> is working with adolescent groups in Africa to understand how young people see their lives in terms of story. And how inequality configures their relations to storytelling. </p>
<p>We’ve found that the stories young people on the continent encounter – in films, web content and even young adult literature – tend to be about others, from elsewhere. There are barriers to having their own stories heard, and those stories tend to be undervalued. </p>
<p>Our aim is to design appropriate interventions geared to improving adolescent lives through the activity of storytelling.</p>
<h2>What we found out</h2>
<p>To get closer to the issues we ran a workshop in Cape Town, called <a href="https://www.acceleratehub.org/files/narrativeandadolescencehubworkshopreport27042020pdf">Narrative and Adolescence</a>. </p>
<p>Professional storytellers, performers and young people’s groups explored how storytelling approaches might allow adolescents to feel more positively centred in their contexts. We also wanted to discover more about the access young people had to stories.</p>
<p>Using performance, drawing, and role-play, our workshop explored how storytelling provides a platform for thinking about our environments in new, self-aware ways. We immediately found that there are many different ways of thinking about story. There are “negative” stories – tales of gangsters and pregnant teenagers – and “positive” stories – tales of breakthrough and survival featuring sparky trend-setters and valiant underdogs.</p>
<p>We noticed many of the young people felt that the stories imposed on them by the media or chiding parents tended to be negative. We also noticed that they often saw positive stories as coming from elsewhere. Breakthrough stories in many cases involved an escape from their communities to affluent places abroad.</p>
<p>Clearly, the young people felt motivated by different kinds of story, not only a particular set of stories, such as about national heroes, but an accessible spectrum of stories ranging from Cinderella tales through to self-help narratives. They also enjoyed the creativity of storytelling. Their enjoyment supported our sense that such activities might help improve their lives.</p>
<h2>The power of stories</h2>
<p>Our thinking about having your story heard correlates with research on narrative approaches in various fields, including <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/narrative-medicine-9780195340228?cc=us&lang=en&">medicine</a> and <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691182292/narrative-economics#preview">economics</a>. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1114786/">Many</a> <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/viral-modernism/9780231185752">studies</a> show how art can help structure experiences like illness, even when that experience seems to lack structure. Experiential psychology provides ample <a href="https://books.google.co.za/books?id=R3QcCgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false">evidence</a> that “how we see the world” is as important as “how the world is”. So, the activity of storytelling can itself make an impact on how we see the world.</p>
<p>A newspaper <a href="https://www.fin24.com/Opinion/opinion-sa-youth-were-asked-what-they-needed-during-the-pandemic-heres-what-they-said-20200510">report</a> in which young South Africans were asked what they needed during lockdown underlines the importance of story as a platform to articulate their needs. They enjoyed hopeful stories of recovery involving people “like them”.</p>
<p>Our workshops bore out these ideas. They pointed to our need to feel that wherever we are in the world, our storytelling is worth supporting.</p>
<h2>Uneven geographies of storytelling</h2>
<p>However, economic, social and other factors condition the way people access storytelling platforms such as theatre, spoken word events and reading groups. The geographies of storytelling are uneven. Which in no way means that African countries suffer a dearth of stories. </p>
<p>Quite the contrary. It’s the platforms for such creativity that are circumscribed. This means that where you come from affects the narratives you have available to feed your imagination. Though creativity is clearly not correlated to wealth, there are people whose material conditions limit their access to a range of possible narratives. Particularly to those narratives involving people like them speaking from where they stand.</p>
<p>The interactions we have with young people in our ongoing research project suggest that reasons for narrative inequality include a lack of representation in global popular culture. They are not seeing enough of themselves in the stories they can access. Moreover, dominant value-systems tend to associate individual freedom with consumption.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342488/original/file-20200617-94049-1phpu48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342488/original/file-20200617-94049-1phpu48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342488/original/file-20200617-94049-1phpu48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342488/original/file-20200617-94049-1phpu48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342488/original/file-20200617-94049-1phpu48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342488/original/file-20200617-94049-1phpu48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342488/original/file-20200617-94049-1phpu48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342488/original/file-20200617-94049-1phpu48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Audience members watch a screening of the film Black Panther in Nairobi, Kenya.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In South Africa, education and, increasingly, entrepreneurship, form the primary narratives of social aspiration. Other stories are not as strongly validated. Resources for storytelling are also lacking. These inequalities are exacerbated by factors like <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/family/talk-white-and-well-be-friends-1529977">language</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.2008.00538.x">accent-marking</a>.</p>
<p>A 2016-18 <a href="http://www.myrainbowbooks.com/index.php/en/">Nigerian creative writing competition</a>, organised by Accelerate researcher Isang Awah, interestingly <a href="https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/294520">demonstrated</a> the reluctance of some young Nigerians to view themselves as central protagonists in their own stories. Awah suggests that a lack of stories featuring ordinary young Nigerians conditions the stories they consider valuable.</p>
<p>As the writers <a href="https://granta.com/how-to-write-about-africa/">Binyavanga Wainaina</a> and <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story">Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie</a> argue, if we only have access to certain stories, we imagine in less exploratory ways. These two African authors insist on the need to throw off colonial models and to free imaginations. Biko, similarly, argued for the vital need for people to shape their own forms of consciousness.</p>
<h2>Expanding storytelling</h2>
<p>If we think stories matter, then two other things matter – not just what stories we tell, but also how stories are accessed. If individuals are empowered by hearing stories that speak to their own conditions, then there is an excellent case for policy-makers and researchers on Africa to intervene to make more stories and more storytelling facilities available to more young African people.</p>
<p>Alongside designing development interventions, we can expand the infrastructures of storytelling, for example by funding community radio stations and storytelling slams.</p>
<p>We need to support adolescents on the continent with infrastructures that will enable them to tell their stories. The infrastructures of storytelling can be a powerful force for change.</p>
<p><em>Zimpande Kawanu and Archie Davies are co-authors of this article. Zimpande, a Mandela Rhodes Scholar, is currently enrolled in the MFA programme at the University of Cape Town. Davies is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of Geography at the University of Sheffield.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140495/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elleke Boehmer receives funding from the United Kingdom Research and Innovation research fund through the UKRI GCRF Accelerating Achievement for Africa’s Adolescents Hub.</span></em></p>An ongoing study shows that storytelling can positively increase self-awareness in young people, especially if they can relate to the stories. But in Africa access to story platforms is limited.Elleke Boehmer, Professor of World Literature in English, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1386582020-05-19T12:18:06Z2020-05-19T12:18:06ZThe 1950s queer black performers who inspired Little Richard<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335863/original/file-20200518-83375-10o7e3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C92%2C3802%2C4004&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Little Richard’s rock 'n' roll brought the margins to the center.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/musician-little-richard-poses-for-a-portrait-in-circa-1956-news-photo/73909017?adppopup=true">Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since Little Richard <a href="https://apnews.com/9ea48d685b8fd81ea735a6ea9c8dc2ac">died on May 9</a>, he’s been rightly celebrated as one of the most exciting and influential performers in the canon of American popular music. But in most tributes, the full story of his artistic development has been slighted.</p>
<p>This is a pity, because Little Richard’s music is deeply rooted in an underground tradition of queer black performance that’s also worthy of celebration. Indeed, when I have lectured on Little Richard’s work to my students, they’re often surprised and delighted to learn about the subculture that contributed so much to his artistic persona.</p>
<p>His hairstyle, makeup and lyrics were inspired by fellow performers such as <a href="https://apnews.com/0df25857fbd3f40fb2e3e2f53248a2c3">Billy Wright</a> and <a href="https://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/1857-esquerita-and-the-voola">Eskew Reeder</a>. The better their influence is understood, the more the gleefully subversive energy that suffuses Richard’s own work can be appreciated.</p>
<h2>The Wright stuff</h2>
<p>Little Richard – born Richard Penniman – honed his craft as a teenage drag queen in touring minstrel tent-shows and vaudeville revues, as well as in an extended network of clubs and bars in the southern and eastern United States known as the “<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Chitlin_Circuit/xpPgygAACAAJ?hl=en">chitlin’ circuit</a>.” In a <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/02/16/275313723/the-origin-and-hot-stank-of-the-chitlin-circuit">1967 interview</a>, singer Lou Rawls offered his own memories of playing the circuit:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“These clubs were very small, very tight, very crowded and very loud. Everything was loud but the entertainment. The only way to establish communication was by telling a story that would lead into the song, that would catch people’s attention.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>African American studies scholars <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mutha_Is_Half_a_Word/GsjnjwEACAAJ?hl=en">L. H. Stallings</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Looking_for_Leroy/sKRFmvIVcEIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Looking+for+Leroy:+Illegible+Black+Masculinities&printsec=frontcover">Mark Anthony Neal</a> have both observed that, while it wasn’t explicitly identified with sexual outlaws, the chitlin’ circuit nevertheless provided a space for queer black artists to flourish. </p>
<p>It was within one of these spaces in the city of Atlanta – either the <a href="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2014/02/14/royalpeacock_wide-c9ea94cb66e8cc3d4a7eec4563c46538e67ed403-s1700-c85.jpg">Royal Peacock</a> or <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/xPZSHho8Z8bi0jdtIAX3UCtGjyf1j2IbYhX-HXlkPeqGYtFByB_GzyjpT22ebky2oC7FCS_iaPSPDhe-t90vEcJ13NccvWik6reWhkJ6rQYiRlgcvCW11npPoVSCN38FY_Hifqo_eXP8WRAt5_n5-KE">Bailey’s 81 Theatre</a> – that Little Richard first met <a href="https://www.queermusicheritage.com/oct2007bw.html">Billy Wright</a>. </p>
<p>Wright had also started out as a female impersonator but had more recently established himself as a singer. He would score <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Wright_(musician)">four top 10 hits</a> on the R&B charts from 1949 to 1951.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335853/original/file-20200518-83371-lf1rkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335853/original/file-20200518-83371-lf1rkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335853/original/file-20200518-83371-lf1rkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=846&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335853/original/file-20200518-83371-lf1rkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=846&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335853/original/file-20200518-83371-lf1rkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=846&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335853/original/file-20200518-83371-lf1rkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1064&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335853/original/file-20200518-83371-lf1rkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1064&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335853/original/file-20200518-83371-lf1rkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1064&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A 1952 portrait of Little Richard in Atlanta, where he met Billy Wright.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/little-richard-poses-for-an-early-portrait-circa-1952-in-news-photo/74178743?adppopup=true">Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Little Richard admired Wright enormously. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=dTr_AgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q=billy%20wright&f=false">In Little Richard’s words</a>, Wright wore “very loud-colored clothin’ and shoethin’ to match his clothin’,” which Little Richard began to imitate. He also copied Wright’s pompadour hairstyle and even began using the same brand of <a href="https://image.glamourdaze.com/2012/08/1940s-makeup-secrets-max-factor-pan-cake1.jpg">pancake</a> makeup.</p>
<p>Billy was equally fond of Little Richard, helping to secure his first recording session with RCA in 1951 – using the very same musicians that had backed up Wright on his own records. </p>
<p>Both men were creditable R&B artists, but their recordings from this period offer no hint of the spectacular flamboyance that they apparently projected in person. The queer style that had brought them together was too outré to even consider trying to capture on tape.</p>
<h2>Hurricane Esquerita</h2>
<p>A year or so later, Little Richard met another young black queer performer named Eskew Reeder at a bus station in Macon, Georgia. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMAJUJ_lEKc">As Little Richard told the story</a>, he picked Reeder up and took him home, where Reeder played him a version of “One Mint Julep” by The Clovers on the piano. Little Richard was bowled over, immediately asking for lessons, and thereafter adopting aspects of Reeder’s style – playing blues licks in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZUwDnUDFOM&list=PLQp5unhf_1_hp1iEQ6Xh9xNkINCwvoFX4&index=3&t=0s">uppermost register of the keyboard</a> with the right hand, while supplying a pounding, rhythmic accompaniment with the left. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335826/original/file-20200518-83371-15z468o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335826/original/file-20200518-83371-15z468o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335826/original/file-20200518-83371-15z468o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=757&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335826/original/file-20200518-83371-15z468o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=757&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335826/original/file-20200518-83371-15z468o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=757&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335826/original/file-20200518-83371-15z468o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=951&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335826/original/file-20200518-83371-15z468o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=951&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335826/original/file-20200518-83371-15z468o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=951&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Esquerita could make Little Richard look tame by comparison.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/photo-of-esquerita-photo-by-michael-ochs-archives-getty-news-photo/74270366?adppopup=true">Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Reeder <a href="https://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/1857-esquerita-and-the-voola">later suggested</a> that Little Richard’s trademark falsetto whoop was also inspired by his own approach to vocalization.</p>
<p>Eskew Reeder would eventually adopt the stage name of “Esquerita.” It was a phonetic pun on his own name in which we can also hear a winking homoerotic suggestion: “Esquire Eater”; a scatological joke: “Excreter”; and perhaps even a prescient tribute to queer theory: “Askew Reader.” </p>
<p>Esquerita didn’t release any recordings until 1958, more than three years after Little Richard achieved national stardom with “Tutti Frutti”; but Little Richard always acknowledged the original direction of influence.</p>
<p>Esquerita’s 1958 sessions convey a flamboyant wildness that exceeds even Richard’s most exuberant recordings. The almost indescribable B-side, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G5tqli-t7M">Esquerita and the Voola</a>,” is a case in point – a strange mixture of pseudo-classical piano riffing set to a booming floor-tom rhythm, over which Esquerita warbles like a pop-opera Valkyrie. </p>
<p>Today, “Esquerita and the Voola” stands as the missing link between barrelhouse boogie-woogie and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” – a vinyl slice of queer black cabaret that must have left most record company executives and radio DJs utterly baffled.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1G5tqli-t7M?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘Esquerita and the Voola.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Bald-headed Sally</h2>
<p>In my view, it’s inconceivable that Little Richard would have recorded “Tutti Frutti” if not for these prior encounters. The song draws its manic energy from the queerest stops on the chitlin’ circuit. In fact, the original lyrics were a paean to the pleasures of anal sex:</p>
<pre class="highlight plaintext"><code> Tutti Frutti, good booty,
If it don’t fit, don’t force it,
You can grease it, make it easy ...
</code></pre>
<p>Although Little Richard loved incorporating the song into his live shows – <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=dTr_AgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q=tutti%20frutti%20good%20booty&f=false">according to him</a>, it used to “crack the crowds up” – he never imagined it could be a hit. </p>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=dTr_AgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q=dew%20drop%20inn&f=false">But one day in 1955</a>, he found himself in New Orleans at a recording session for Specialty Records with producer Bumps Blackwell. Blackwell hadn’t yet heard anything that excited him when they called it a day and headed across the street for dinner and drinks at The Dew Drop Inn. Liberated from the confines of the studio, Little Richard began to play the barroom piano in the uninhibited style of the clubs. Blackwell’s ears pricked up: This obscene, irresistibly driving number was just what he was looking for. </p>
<p>Pat Boone’s success with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auAK-PEEiW4">a bland cover</a> of “Tutti Frutti” is emblematic of <a href="https://innerself.com/content/social/culture-wars/14776-how-the-1950s-racism-helped-make-pat-boone-a-rock-star.html">the racial inequities of the 1950s music industry</a>. But once you know the origins of the song, the Christian crooner’s clinical and clueless take on Little Richard’s swingingly queer hymn becomes ironically piquant.</p>
<p>A similar frisson energizes the sublimely joyous “Long Tall Sally.” This time, Little Richard and Blackwell didn’t even feel the need to change the words. When Richard hollers in the second verse –</p>
<pre class="highlight plaintext"><code> Saw Uncle John
With bald-headed Sally,
He saw Aunt Mary comin’
And he jumped back in the alley ...
</code></pre>
<p>– even the most naïve listener must know that Uncle John is up to the best kind of no good. But as the scholar W. T. Lhamon Jr. observes in his underappreciated cultural history of the 1950s, “<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Deliberate_Speed/LUkI_BRNOP0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=deliberate+speed&printsec=frontcover">Deliberate Speed</a>,” in the drag shows of Little Richard’s apprenticeship, “baldheadedness was preparation for one’s wigs.” So Long Tall Sally – one of the original rock ‘n’ roll bad girls – may also be a bit of a bad boy, while Uncle John may be working both sides of that alley. Today, we might even describe Sally as a seductively nonbinary object of queer desire.</p>
<p>Little Richard’s rock ‘n’ roll brought the margins to the center, and that was one reason why it mattered so much. It’s also another reason to mourn his loss – and to play his music loud.</p>
<p>[<em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=youresmart">You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138658/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ben Saunders does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Little Richard honed his craft as a teenage drag queen. In everything from his hairstyle to his lyrics, we see the influence of gay contemporaries like Esquerita and Billy Wright.Ben Saunders, Professor of English, University of OregonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1334262020-04-22T12:04:51Z2020-04-22T12:04:51ZCan an intelligence test forecast which quarterback draft prospects will have NFL success?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329537/original/file-20200421-82699-1vj7ooj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=264%2C11%2C3500%2C2144&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Former University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Tennessee-Alabama-Football/3c60b7ca34c74ac2add00a8fe63b3fd0/91/0">AP Photo/Vasha Hunt</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Miami Dolphins selected Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2020/story/_/id/29011670/2020-nfl-draft-live-updates-pros-cons-every-first-round-pick">with the fifth overall pick</a> in the 2020 NFL Draft.</p>
<p>Like all top prospects, Tagovailoa had been subjected to months of evaluation, with teams’ scouting departments measuring his athletic abilities, interviewing his college coaches and researching his personal life.</p>
<p>He also took the Wonderlic Personnel Test, which, for about 50 years, teams have administered to prospects. This 12-minute intelligence test consists of 50 multiple choice questions measuring cognitive ability, with the score reflecting the number of correct answers. While all prospects take the test, the scores of quarterbacks – due to the belief that the position requires more brainpower – tend to generate the most media interest. The scores are nominally private, but every year they’re leaked and publicly reported on <a href="https://nflcombineresults.com">online databases</a>.</p>
<p>Tagovailoa <a href="https://247sports.com/Article/Richard-Sherman-says-Tua-Tagovailoa-Wonderlic-test-score-doesnt-matter-Alabama-football-San-Francisco-49ers-146238476/">scored a 19</a> out of 50. Should that have been a cause for concern? Clearly, the Dolphins didn’t think so, and <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/bg4zpg/does_the_wonderlic_test_actually_matter/">fans</a>, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/5/8/5694518/why-the-nfls-wonderlic-aptitude-test-is-totally-worthless">analysts</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/Article/Richard-Sherman-says-Tua-Tagovailoa-Wonderlic-test-score-doesnt-matter-Alabama-football-San-Francisco-49ers-146238476/">players</a> and <a href="https://ramblinfan.com/2013/02/20/the-wonderlic-test-why-it-is-useless-in-the-nfl/">pundits</a> have long debated the test’s usefulness as an evaluation tool.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1251294985632182272"}"></div></p>
<p>But there’s very little actual research on its effectiveness. So my colleague, Brent Evans, and I recently conducted <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2017.1412081">a study</a> examining the relationship between a quarterback’s Wonderlic score and his NFL success.</p>
<h2>The great debate</h2>
<p>During World War II, the United States Navy famously used the Wonderlic test, which was developed in 1936 by psychologist <a href="https://wonderlic.com/about/history/">Eldon F. Wonderlic</a>, to select fighter pilots. Scores were seen as a good indicator of how pilots would perform under pressure. </p>
<p>Like pilots, NFL quarterbacks must routinely make quick decisions under pressure. They also need to relay complex play calls, read opponents’ defenses and, in response, adjust offensive formations. That’s why quarterbacks are often referred to as “<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Field_Generals_50_Greatest_Quarterbacks/m2L5vQAACAAJ?hl=en">field generals</a>.”</p>
<p>For these reasons, Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry was drawn to the Wonderlic. <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/02/15/nfl-combine-wonderlic-test-explained">Widely credited</a> with introducing the test as an evaluation tool for NFL prospects, Landry <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/index.htm">won two Super Bowls and appeared in three others</a> in the 1970s. During that same period, the league, following Landry’s lead, began administering the test at the NFL Combine, which is a <a href="http://www.nflcombine.net/players/schedule/">nine-day annual event</a> in Indianapolis that gives teams the chance to scout over 300 potential draftees.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329486/original/file-20200421-82654-plh0un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329486/original/file-20200421-82654-plh0un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329486/original/file-20200421-82654-plh0un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329486/original/file-20200421-82654-plh0un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329486/original/file-20200421-82654-plh0un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329486/original/file-20200421-82654-plh0un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329486/original/file-20200421-82654-plh0un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry pioneered the use of the Wonderlic Test on NFL prospects.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Watchf-AP-S-TX-USA-APHS273574-Dallas-Cowboys-co-/275564bbd6cf42ccb12e5a2f3068b705/102/0">AP Photo</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yet even though the test continues to be given today, many argue that a quarterback’s score doesn’t reveal much about his likelihood of NFL success. Even Eldon F. Wonderlic’s daughter <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/why-daughter-of-wonderlic-test-creator-isnt-happy-with-the-nfl/">holds this view</a>. </p>
<p>Those who believe the Wonderlic test is a poor assessment tool for NFL quarterbacks often point to players like <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MariDa00.htm">Dan Marino</a>, who only scored a 15 on the test but went on to become a Hall of Famer. Then there’s <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FitzRy00.htm">Ryan Fitzpatrick</a>, who scored a 48 on the test but has spent his career bouncing from team to team as a journeyman quarterback.</p>
<p>“We’re here to tell you what a growing number of NFL executives already know – the Wonderlic is totally worthless,” Joseph Stromberg <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/5/8/5694518/why-the-nfls-wonderlic-aptitude-test-is-totally-worthless">wrote in Vox</a>. In 2015 commentator NFL analyst Mike Florio <a href="https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/14/prospects-should-refuse-to-take-the-wonderlic/">described the Wonderlic test</a> as “an outdated, irrelevant intelligence exam to which the league clings.”</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the test has its evangelists. Clay Travis, founder and lead writer of Outkick the Coverage, <a href="https://www.outkickthecoverage.com/nfl-quarterback-wonderlic-scores-matter-a-great-deal-042417/">has maintained</a> that Wonderlic scores matter a great deal. He points out that <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nwe/index.htm">the New England Patriots</a> – the NFL’s most successful team of the 21st century – consistently draft players that score highly on the Wonderlic test. Travis also notes that many star quarterbacks, from Tom Brady to Aaron Rodgers, received excellent scores.</p>
<h2>Digging into the data</h2>
<p>So which camp is correct?</p>
<p>Using a statistical tool known as regression analysis, we were able to control for a large number of variables that might influence a quarterback’s performance in the NFL, from his college football statistics, to whether his college coach had experience as an NFL coach, to whether he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, the annual award given to the most outstanding player in college football. We also controlled for a player’s Wonderlic score.</p>
<p>To quantify NFL success, we considered several measures, including – but not limited to – career passing yards, wins and games started in the NFL. Of all the variables included in our regression models, only two were significantly and consistently associated with a quarterback’s NFL success: whether he was a Heisman Trophy finalist and his Wonderlic score. This is overwhelming evidence that, all else equal, quarterbacks with better Wonderlic scores enjoy more successful careers in the NFL. </p>
<p>Interestingly, we found that a quarterback’s Wonderlic score doesn’t have a significant impact on his draft position. This indicates that – despite the fact that test scores are a good predictor of NFL success and receive a fair amount of media attention – teams, by and large, don’t give them a lot of weight when deciding whether to draft a quarterback. Rather, our research indicates that teams mostly focus on variables such as a quarterback’s completion percentage in college, and physical attributes such as his body mass index, height and speed.</p>
<p>This doesn’t mean that teams should automatically draft quarterbacks with higher Wonderlic scores ahead of quarterbacks with lower ones. The “all else equal” element of the analysis is key. In other words, if two quarterbacks are extremely similar in most aspects, but one has a higher Wonderlic score, our research does suggest that the quarterback with the higher score will enjoy more success in the NFL. </p>
<p>This might sound obvious. But with everything else being equal, other measures you would think might forecast NFL success, such as the quarterback’s college statistics and his university’s reputation for producing successful NFL quarterbacks, don’t have the same predictive abilities about his future NFL success. To further cement the importance of the Wonderlic, after holding other factors constant, a quarterback’s actual draft position is not significantly related to his NFL success. But his Wonderlic score is.</p>
<p>So teams looking for a slight edge on draft day should take their cues from Tom Landry, the Patriots and Clay Travis. A quarterback’s Wonderlic score is revealing something important, and the stakes are high: Over half of all Super Bowl MVPs <a href="https://athlonsports.com/nfl/super-bowl-mvps-complete-list">have been quarterbacks</a>, and choosing correctly can set a team up for years of success. On the other hand, <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/positional/quarterback/">given quarterbacks’ astronomical salaries</a>, drafting a dud in the first round is a mistake most teams can’t afford to make.</p>
<p><em>This is an updated version of an article originally published on April 22, 2020.</em></p>
<p>[<em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133426/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joshua D. Pitts does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For nearly 50 years, teams have administered the controversial Wonderlic test to measure cognitive ability. Two researchers decided to study its effectiveness as an evaluation tool.Joshua D. Pitts, Associate Professor of Sport Management and Economics, Kennesaw State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.