1,720,956 research outputs found
Intercultural discourse between Igbo and South African Sesotho people residing in Bloemfontein
No full textEnglish: This study investigates the intercultural discourse between the Igbo and the Sesotho people residing in Bloemfontein. The study is motivated by the way in which the Igbo in Bloemfontein switch from one language into another, which is based on who their addressee is. The study assesses the backgrounds of the two countries (Nigeria and South Africa) where these ethnic groups emerged, including their languages. The backgrounds help in the assessment of the attitudes, feelings and opinions of the two groups under study in the way they relate with one another when they are in intercultural communication. Related literature was reviewed on different aspects of intercultural discourse and intercultural communication (Chapter 3), with focus on: different views on discourse/discourse analysis; discourse, racism and discrimination; differences in male’s and female’s speeches. The review also covers language, migration and loyalty; language contact; intercultural discourse/communication; conversation analysis, as well as conversational features: turn-taking, interruption/overlapping, and code-switching/code-mixing. The review describes the field of discourse analysis and situates the current study within this field of research. The study further explored language stereotypes and xenophobic sentiments which help in identifying the power of dominant group over minority groups and foreigners, as well as the power of press in dissemination of information in the society. Given the complexity of the research, the study employed different research instruments: questionnaire, interviews and audio-recordings of natural interactions in different contexts (shop, hospital, church, home and among friends) in collecting data. The data were analysed using qualitative and quantitative (tables and bar graphs) research methods. Intercultural interaction/communication/discourse between the Igbo and the Sesotho shows that the attitudes and feelings of the two groups are positive, as they are comfortable, not afraid, confident, not nervous and relaxed when interacting with each other. The study reveals that the two groups often (81% Igbo and 92% Sesotho) switch from one language to another during intercultural communication. However, the kind of switch the study records is word/phrase switches, mostly the words/phrases of the dominant language (Sesotho). The reasons for their switches vary: to emphasis a word or an expression, to be more polite in greeting and appreciation, to show respect, as well as to identity with the addressee. The study records four sentences switching which only occurred among the children at home context. However, the results from the study show that during the intercultural communication between the Igbo and the Sesotho, turn-taking, interruptions and discourse dominance are determined by some factors, such as; age, educational background, gender, the relationships between the interactants, and the context of the interaction. The freedom with which women speak during interaction is also assessed. The study reveals that although women speak freely, they do not speak more freely than their male counterparts, in mixed-gender interactions. In addition, the results reveal that there are no restrictions on the speech of Igbo women. However, Sesotho shows some restrictions on the language of their married women, “hlompha” (a language of respect), where a married women are bound by tradition not to pronounce any word relating to the name of her in-laws. The study establishes that there are derogatory words to refer to both women and men in both groups. For example, in Igbo “nwoke/nwaay -aga” and in Sesotho “nyopa” are used to refer to barren woman with no counterparts for men. The study in addition investigates the words used to refer to foreigners and whether such words provide evidence for xenophobic sentiments in South Africa. The study identifies both positive and negative words used by the Igbo and the Sesotho to refer to foreigners. According to the majority of the respondents (79.5%), such words do not contribute to xenophobic sentiments in South Africa generally or Bloemfontein specifically.Afrikaans: Hierdie studie ondersoek die interkulturele diskoers tussen Igbo’s en Sesotho’s wat
in Bloemfontein woon. Die studie is gemotiveer deur die manier waarop Igbo’s in
Bloemfontein van een taal na ʼn ander oorskakel, gegrond op wie hulle aanspreek.
Hierdie studie bestudeer die agtergrond tot die twee lande (Nigerië en Suid-Afrika)
waar hierdie etniese groepe, asook hul tale, voorkom. Hierdie agtergrondinligting is
van toepassing in die assessering van die houdings, gevoelens en opinies van die
twee groepe wat ondersoek word en hoe hulle met mekaar verband hou wanneer
lede van die groepe interkultureel kommunikeer.
Verwante literatuur oor verskillende aspekte van interkulturele diskoers en
interkulturele kommunikasie (Hoofstuk 3) is ondersoek, met ʼn fokus op: verskillende
sienings van diskoers/diskoersanalise; diskoers, rassisme en diskriminasie; en
verskille in mans en vroue se spraak. Die oorsig sluit ook in taal, migrasie en
lojaliteit; taalkontak; interkulturele diskoers/kommunikasie; gespreksanalise, asook
gesprekskenmerke soos beurtneming, onderbreking/oorvleueling en kodewisseling/kode-vermenging. Die oorsig beskryf die veld van diskoersanalise en plaas die huidige studie binne hierdie navorsingsveld. Die studie het verder taalstereotipes en xenofobiese sentimente ondersoek. Dit help om die mag van ʼn dominante groep oor minderheidsgroepe en buitelanders te identifiseer, asook die mag van die media
in die verspreiding van inligting aan die samelewing. Gegewe die komplekse aard van die navorsing het die studie verskillende navorsingsinstrumente gebruik: vraelyste, onderhoude en opnames van natuurlike interaksies in verskillende kontekste (winkel, hospitaal, kerk, huis en tussen vriende) om data te versamel. Die data is geanaliseer met behulp van kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe (tabelle en grafieke) navorsingsmetodes. Interkulturele interaksie/kommunikasie/diskoers tussen die Igbo en die Sesotho toon dat die houdings en gevoelens van die twee groepe positief is, aangesien hul gemaklik, nie
bang nie, vol selfvertroue, nie senuweeagtig nie en ontspanne is wanneer hulle met
mekaar in interaksie is. Die studie toon dat die twee groepe dikwels (81% Igbo en 92% Sesotho) van een taal na ʼn ander tydens interkulturele kommunikasie wissel. Die soort wisseling wat die studie aantoon is woord-/frase-wisselings en meestal die woorde/frases van die dominante taal (Sesotho). Die redes vir hul wisselings verskil: om ʼn woord of ʼn
uitdrukking te beklemtoon, om meer beleefd te wees wanneer iemand gegroet word
of waardering te toon, om respek te toon, asook om met die aangesprokene te
identifiseer. Die studie toon die wisseling van sinne in vier gevalle wat slegs tussen
die kinders binne die konteks van die huis voorgekom het. Die resultate van die
studie toon egter dat tydens interkulturele kommunikasie tussen die Igbo en die
Sesotho, beurtneming, onderbrekings en diskoersdominansie deur sekere faktore
soos ouderdom, opvoedkundige agtergrond, geslag, die verhoudings tussen die
deelnemers en die konteks van die interaksie, bepaal word. Die vryheid waarmee vroue tydens interaksie praat is ook geassesseer. Die studie toon dat hoewel vroue vryelik praat, praat hulle nie so vryelik soos hul manlike eweknieë in interaksies waar beide geslagte betrokke is nie. Bykomend toon die resultate geen beperkinge op die spraak van Igbo-vroue nie. Sesotho toon egter
sommige beperkinge op die taal van getroude vrouens. Hlompha (ʼn taal van respek)
is wanneer ʼn getroude vrou deur tradisie gebind is om nie enige woorde te mag
gebruik wat met haar skoonfamilie verband hou nie. Die studie het vasgestel dat
daar in beide groepe neerhalende woorde is om na beide vrouens en mans te
verwys. Byvoorbeeld, in Igbo word nwoke/nwaayị-aga en in Sesotho nyopa gebruik
om na onvrugbare vrouens te verwys, met geen ekwivalent vir mans nie. Die studie
ondersoek verder ook die woorde wat gebruik word om na buitelanders te verwys en
of sulke woorde enige bewyse vir xenofobiese sentimente in Suid-Afrika bied. Die
studie identifiseer beide positiewe en negatiewe woorde wat deur die Igbo en die
Sesotho gebruik word om na buitelanders te verwys. Volgens die meerderheid van
die respondente (79.5%) dra hierdie woorde nie by tot xenofobiese sentimente in
Suid-Afrika in die algemeen, of Bloemfontein spesifiek nie
Language and Xenophobic Sentiments in South Africa
Get PDFCities are often subjected to external influences due to mass migration of people in search of better life. The migrants are sometimes faced with rejection by the host community, as they (the migrants) are often seen as competing for limited resources with their hosts. The xenophobic sentiments have motivated research on the problems encountered by immigrants in South Africa, which may include the impact of language of the media. This is because language is an embodiment of culture and an easy resource to access the community, as well as disseminate information. This study is set to explore the impact of language on xenophobic sentiment in South Africa with focus on Sesotho people in Bloemfontein. The exploration of the impact of language on anti-foreigner sentiments would help to identify the hidden power of the press in the dissemination of information in the society and how this information steers one’s mind and directly or indirectly controls it. The data for the study were collected through face to face interview, and the analysis of some selected news extracts that relates to xenophobic sentiment in South Africa. A total of 54 people were interviewed. The study reveals words used to refer to foreigners and that these words do no contribute to xenophobic sentiments in South Africa. Rather, xenophobic sentiments are caused by competition of limited available resources, theft, poverty, drugs related crimes, prostitution and human trafficking attributed to foreigners, as well as competition in the area of businesses.
Keywords: Xenophobia, sentiments, attacks, discourse analysis, Sesotho, foreigner, negative attitud
Chicken Imagery in Igbo Proverbs: An Ethno-Pragmatics Analysis
Get PDFProverbs are important aspects of verbal discourse within the socio-cultural contexts in which knowledge, ideas and emotions are communicated. They reflect people’s perspectives and system of the society, as well as people’s social and cultural orientations, philosophy, and worldviews. They also reflect the psychological and literary make-ups that generally depict the experience of life. In other words, proverbs are used as vehicle to unravel the culture, morals, philosophy, education and religion of the people in an aesthetic manner through contextual setting. This study investigates the imagery exhibited in some selected Igbo proverbs with focus on chicken. Chicken imagery in proverbs has been widely used among the Igbo to portray certain behavioural traits related to human beings. The paper looks at the way chicken is used in Igbo proverbs to depict various human experiences, behaviours and attributions; based on the socio-traditional values, beliefs system and general worldview of the Igbo people. Chicken proverbs are assessed to understand the underlying societal meaning since it is used symbolically to represent humans in all contexts. The study adopts the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), which demonstrates the metaphorical ‘mapping’ across conceptual domains; where the animals represent the source domain through which other human experiences are conceptualised as target domain. The data for the study were collected from both primary (interviews, non-participant observations and focus group discussions) and secondary (published materials) sources. The paper finds out that, chicken is used to express figuratively the parent-child relationship among the Igbo. The proverbs are used symbolically to direct people towards positive behaviours; such as tolerance, love, care, forgiveness, unity, patience, cooperation, obedience, kindness, faithfulness and hard-work. 
Attitude of Learners towards English and Kiswahili in Tanzania
Get PDFTanzania is a multilingual country like most other African countries with over 120 languages. It is one of the few African countries where indigenous language (Kiswahili) is sole medium of instruction (MoI) throughout primary schools, while English takes over secondary and tertiary education. The importance of these two languages can never be over-emphasised and attitude of learners towards the languages are ambivalent. The study assesses the use of English and Kiswahili in all imaginable communication contexts in the school environment, and extends the assessment to the frequency with which the respondents use English and Kiswahili. This work is part of larger study conducted in Mwanza region, Tanzania. The data for the study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data for the study were collected by means of questionnaire, interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. The secondary source includes previously published materials related to English and Kiswahili usage in Tanzania schools. The result of this study reveals that more than 85% of the respondents use English either always or often in the classrooms. However, the figure changes when it comes to the language use outside the classroom; Kiswahili dominates virtually in all contexts because it is the only dominant language in and outside the school environments. The study also reveals that the socio-linguistic factor of Tanzania justifies the fact that Kiswahili is the preferred language for majority in different contexts and the only language by which many people interact with a wide range of people from different ethnic groups. The study proposes the use of the two languages in education on the ground that the two languages are important to Tanzanian and the use should be simultaneously.
Keywords: Medium of instruction, attitude, Kiswahili, language preference, Tanzania, education
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
- …
