Attending To Movement

This edited collection draws on the conference, Attending to Movement: Somatic Perspectives on Living in this World, run at C-DaRE, the Centre for Dance Research, Coventry University.

Somatics, Movement and Embodiment * What does it actually mean to embody an idea or an action? * What has somatic practice to offer the teaching and development of modern dance? * How can an investigation of our embodied movement open up the possibility of making new choices - on an individual, social, cultural or political level? * How can somatic practice be used to open up intercultural dialogue? * How can embodied art exist alongside social and religious practice?

Dance/Movement Therapists in Action fosters awareness of the living body, honors diverse ways of working, and leads toward creative expression and integration. This edited text, written by authors with exemplary credentials, spans and illuminates a breadth of investigative inquiry approaches and models to all students, clinicians, and researchers interested in dance/movement therapy (DMT) research. The text highlights two basic research frameworks-quantitative (objective) and qualitative (interpretative)-including their underlying philo­sophic and theoretical tenets. The authors' goal has been to create a comprehensible, accessible book that is readable and engaging: one that contains accepted research protocols in conjunction with practical infor­mation written in "nontechnical" terms. Many examples are incorporated throughout the text to clarify and amplify each of the various research options. A spectrum of research alternatives are presented that can inform clinical practice, inspire clinicians and students, and guide further research inquiry. These chapters hold a wealth of information and examples that will be of particular use and interest to clinicians and were conceived and written with practitioners in mind-for example, one featuring the use of movement observation scales for DMT research and clinical practice, and one on using research results to inform clinical practice. A completely new chapter on embodied descriptive and interpretive methods in DMT research also has been added. This volume will afford dance/movement therapists the tools to conduct research related to both clinical practice and academic inquiry.

Relative to the extensive neuroscientific work on seated meditation practices, far less studies have investigated the neural mechanisms underlying movement-based contemplative practices such as yoga or tai chi. Movement-based practices have, however, been found to be effective for relieving the symptoms of several clinical conditions, and to elicit measurable changes in physiological, neural, and behavioral parameters in healthy individuals. An important challenge for neuroscience is therefore to advance our understanding of the neurophysiological and neurocognitive mechanisms underlying these observed effects, and this Research Topic aims to make a contribution in this regard. It showcases the current state of the art of investigations on movement-based practices including yoga, tai chi, the Feldenkrais Method, as well as dance. Featured contributions include empirical research, proposals of theoretical frameworks, as well as novel perspectives on a variety of issues relevant to the field. This Research Topic is the first of its kind to specifically attempt a neurophysiological and neurocognitive characterization that spans multiple mindful movement approaches, and we trust it will be of interest to basic scientists, clinical researchers, and contemplative practitioners alike.

Hailing themselves as heirs to the American Revolution, the Tea Party movement staged tax day protests in over 750 US cities in April 2009, quickly establishing a large and volatile social movement. Tea Partiers protested at town hall meetings about health care across the country in August, leading to a large national demonstration in Washington on September 12, 2009. The movement spurred the formation (or redefinition) of several national organizations and many more local groups, and emerged as a strong force within the Republican Party. Self-described Tea Party candidates won victories in the November 2010 elections. Even as activists demonstrated their strength and entered government, the future of the movement's influence, and even its ultimate goals, are very much in doubt. In 2012, Barack Obama, the movement’s prime target, decisively won re-election, Congressional Republicans were unable to govern, and the Republican Party publicly wrestled with how to manage the insurgency within. Although there is a long history of conservative movements in America, the library of social movement studies leans heavily to the left. The Tea Party movement, its sudden emergence and its uncertain fate, provides a challenge to mainstream American politics. It also challenges scholars of social movements to reconcile this new movement with existing knowledge about social movements in America. Understanding the Tea Party Movement addresses these challenges by explaining why and how the movement emerged when it did, how it relates to earlier eruptions of conservative populism, and by raising critical questions about the movement's ultimate fate.

New Religious Movements (NRMs) can involve vast numbers of followers and in many cases are radically changing the way people understand and practice religion and spirituality. Moreover, many are having a profound impact on the form and content of mainstream religion. The Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements provides uniquely global coverage of the phenomenon, with entries on over three-hundred movement from almost every country in the world. Coverage includes movements that derive from the major religions of the world and to neo-traditional movements, movements often overlooked in the study of NRMs. In addition to the coverage of particular movements there are also entries on topics, themes, key thinkers and key ideas, for example the New Age Movement, Neo-Paganism, New Religion and gender, NRMs and cyberspace, NRMs and the law, the Anti-Cult Movement, Swedenborg, Jung, Teilhard de Chardin, Lovelock, Gurdjieff, al-Banna, Qutb. The marked global approach and comprehensiveness of the encyclopedia enable an appreciation of the innovative energy of NRMs, of their extraordinary diversity, and the often surprising ways in which they can propagate geographically. The most ambitions publication of its sort, the Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements is a major addition to the reference literature for students and researchers of the field in religious studies and the social sciences. Entries are cross-referenced with short bibliographies for further reading. There is a full index.

Movement-play, put simply, is encouraging physical activity in a child-led manner for the benefit of children's health, learning and wellbeing. This book looks at the theory behind the importance of movement and: how movement play links with all the areas of early childhood development physical activity guidelines for young children practical advice and photos to support implementation in settings how to assess your own setting how to best work with parents on this topic comprehensive guidance on writing a physical development policy The early years is one of the critical periods in the establishment of physical behaviours and physical development is also one of the prime areas of the EYFS as well as other, global, curricula. A must-read for students on Early Childhood and Early Years courses and Early Years practitioners to improve their practice and understanding of psychical development for the benefit of young children.

This book presents findings from research into one of the world's most influential Islamic movements, the Gülen Movement, from the perspective of social transformation through adult education. At the core of research questions lies how the movement enrolls volunteers from all walks of life and transforms them to adopt its aims at the expense of their individual ideals. The book reveals the socio-psychological mechanisms that make such transformation possible by looking at how followers integrate weekly lectures and discussions on the theory and practice of Islam into their personal and social lives. The Gülen Movement offers a moderate interpretation of Islam and stresses the vitality of establishing communication with the members of all faiths. This book provides a window into how and why religion may roll into extremism by presenting findings from an opposite perspective: the participants in the research all define themselves as truly pious but do not even imply an act of violence in tens of hours of interviews. In short, the book weaves the strands of "Islamic," "movement," and "adult education" into a unified whole and limns the snapshot of a social movement, offering a comprehensive discussion of the role of adult education within the movement, as well as its transformative potential and its wider social and political implications.