Despite a lack of supporting empirical evidence, the belief that sport participation can be used to address a wide range of social problems remains popular. In this study we explored ways in which the social-integration value of sport participation was constructed by participants in an Amsterdam soccer tournament created to enhance integration. We used a critical discourse analytical perspective to analyze survey, interview, and ethnographic data. We found that the construction of the socially integrative values of this event created a space in which participants could construct its effects to reflect their own interests. The resulting practices seemed to do little to challenge problematic dominant discourses and social relations.

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Purpose: To assess personal time-weighted average (TWA) static magnetic field and time-varying magnetic field exposure for several system testing tasks routinely conducted by engineers at an MRI manufacturing plant. Materials and Methods:Personal exposure was measured using a personal dosimeter that measured B and dB/dt in all three orthogonal directions with a 1 Hz frequency. TWA exposure was calculated and random effects and linear mixed effects models were used to assess exposure levels and variability.Results: Whereas full-body peak (2T) and TWA (200 mT/ 8 h) exposure limits for the static magnetic field originally proposed by ICNIRP were not exceeded, time-varying magnetic field peaks (dB/dt) did exceed the proposed threshold value (767.9 mT/s) suggested by IEEE on several occasions at the 3.0 Tesla (T) whole-body cylindrical system. Conclusion:TWA exposure levels are well below the proposed limit values, but peak exposure limits are exceeded during certain procedures performed on 1.0T to 3.0T systems.

Television content that contains non-stereotypical representations of ethnic minorities and models positive intercultural interactions may potentially aid in reducing the prejudices of its viewers (Brown Graves, Journal of Social Issues 55: 707–727, 1999, Persson, Early Childhood Research Quarterly 18: 530–546, 1999, Shochat, Conflict Resolution Quarterly 21: 2003). However, the exact effect has yet to be demonstrated. Furthermore, the cognitive mechanisms behind such an effect remain unclear. This article tests hypotheses derived from social identity theory and social learning theory that attribute this effect to the identification patterns with ingroup and outgroup characters in television drama. In an experiment (N = 152), participants either watched episodes of a multicultural drama or a regular soap series. Results showed that viewers of multicultural drama had lower perceptions of ethnic threat. Moreover, this effect was mediated by identification with characters, namely, increased identification with outgroup and lowered identification with ingroup characters resulting in lower ethnic threat. The results suggest that short term viewing effects are best explained with social identity theory. The implications for long term effects and the possible role of social learning are analyzed in the discussion.

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