U3AC Research Projects
Ongoing or proposed projects led by people who are seeking active collaborators
Some research projects are being planned, or are ongoing, for which the active collaboration of willing U3A members is sought. The role of these collaborators would involve active participation in the project, rather than serving as “passive” volunteer subjects. In some cases, particular skills (e.g. statistics, database management, archives experience etc.) might prove useful. Follow the links below for such projects:
Care of the elderly
Fiction and Hidden History
Housing needs in the Cambridge area
Understanding the status of the Italian Sparrow in Crete
History of Histon and Impington
RES 01: Care of the elderly
Coordinator: Dick Wilson
Day and Time: Wednesday 4.00 - 5.15
Venue:Room 1, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms:Autumn, Spring, Summer
Number of Places: 20
A short series of seminars on the subject of care of the elderly. They will give members an outline of current public and private policy, provision and support in the UK and elsewhere. It is hoped that these seminars will identify issues on which members could usefully carry out research, possibly on comparative standards of service between authorities or in other countries, or the local effect of current government policies. A first seminar will look at some preliminary work on the literature and plan some searching, to report to a later meeting.
Open to members who want to inform themselves as well as those who might be interested in carrying out research.
Note: Three meetings each term, starts 13th October, second session 24th November, further dates TBC.
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RES 02: Fiction and Hidden History
Lead Researcher: Dick Wilson
Day and Time: Wednesday 4.00-5.15
Venue: Room 1, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms:Autumn, Spring ( one meeting per term)
Number of Places: 20
Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code is a best seller. Why do books like this, based on the idea of hidden scriptures or traditions, attract such interest? What is behind the books that claim to have unearthed such history- Templars, apocryphal gospels, sacred mushrooms? Two seminars on 1st December 2010 and 2nd February 2011 will survey examples of this phenomenon and the material or speculations behind them, and it is hoped that from it a research project doing the activity (searching for hidden traditions or scriptures) or examining and analysing some prominent examples of it may result.
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RES 03: Housing needs in the Cambridge area
Lead investigator: Jill
Tuffnell
Status: Ongoing
The plan is to create a research project looking into housing needs in the Cambridge area, asking participants to be pro-active and carry out some of this research themselves. We will be visiting new estates/development. We are particularly interested in sustainability and energy conservation.
Questions we want to consider include: What is the unmet need? What does the 'carbon-neutral' home look like? What role is envisaged for eco-towns or settlements? What housing is required to support future growth? What housing is planned and what impact has the recession had on these proposals? What is the role of social rented housing? Of shared ownership housing? Of the private rented sector? Of owner occupation? What provision is being made for student housing? What impact has the 'buy to let' housing market had in Cambridge and what is its future? What are the implications of a change in government on housing policies locally?
Participants will be encouraged to share the results of 'their' research with others via email. Contact me jill.tuffnell@ntlworld.com if you’re interested.
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RES 04: Understanding the status of the Italian Sparrow in Crete
Lead Investigator: Jeremy Clare
Status: Ongoing, seeking for field observers
The Italian Sparrow is regarded by most authorities as a hybrid between the House Sparrow Passer domesticus and the Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis, and is usually listed as a race of Passer domesticus. Topfer (2005) argues that it should be regarded as a race of Passer hispaniolensis. The basic assumption is that changes in agricultural practices 3600 years ago brought the commensal House Sparrow into contact with the Spanish Sparrow in Northern Italy leading to the hybridization, which stabilised as the Italian Sparrow. What is less clear is whether the sparrow found in Crete is also a hybrid Italian Sparrow or has a different origination and is a race of Passer domesticus with a rufous cap. The latter seems possible in that the “Cretan” Sparrow is much closer to the House Sparrow than the Italian Sparrow.
The first step will be a through review of the literature. This will be followed by a programme of collecting observations and photographs of all species and races of sparrows around the Mediterranean. This will be achieved by asking U3A members visiting various countries to make observations and take photographs. This will be followed up by specific field trips by the research team to collect more detailed observations and photographs.
If you think you know your sparrows try this test. If you are planning to visit to anywhere around the Mediterranean here is the briefing for taking photographs. Contact jn.clare@ntlworld.com
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RES 05: History of Histon and Impington
Lead Investigator: Dick Wilson
Status: Ongoing
A research group has been set up, jointly with the history group of the Histon and Impington Village Society, with a view to producing a full length history of the villages, building on previous work by the Village Society. The work will be carried out by members of the Village Society and of U3AC, working mostly in small groups. This is a cooperative activity and members will present findings and drafts to regular seminars. We would like to hear now from U3AC members who might be interested in taking part in the research, and also those who would like to be notified of seminars as and when they take place. Contact: Dick Wilson, at dwilson101@ntlworld.com or 01223 526435.
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