107,220 research outputs found
Huw T. Edwards: British Labour and Welsh Socialism
No full textThis book is the first full-length biography in English of Huw T. Edwards (1929–70), a key figure in the Welsh labour movement who was known in the 1950s as the “unofficial Prime Minister of Wales.” Paul Ward explores Edwards’s working-class origins, his growing involvement with trade unions and other political activities, and his eventual place in the high reaches of the Welsh establishment, which included a role as Welsh representative to the BBC, a seat on the Welsh Tourist Board, and the presidency of the Welsh Language Society
[Letter from James Welsh to T. N. Carswell - January 21, 1953]
No full textA letter written to Mr. T. N. Carswell, Chairman, Taylor County Parole Board, from James Welsh, Secretary, Governor's Office, Sacramento, California, dated January 21, 1953. Welsh advises Carswell that the application for commutation of sentence has not reached the Governor
Likelihood inference for small variance components
No full textIn this paper, we develop likelihood-based methods for making inferences about the components of variance in a general normal mixed linear model. In particular, we use local asymptotic approximations to construct confidence intervals for the components of variance when the components are close to the boundary of the parameter space. In the process, we explore the question of how to profile the restricted likelihood (REML), show that general REML estimates have a lower probability of being on the boundary than maximum likelihood estimates, and show that the likelihood-ratio test based on the local asymptotic approximation has higher power against local alternatives than the likelihood-ratio test based on the usual chi-squared approximation. We explore the finite sample properties of the proposed intervals by means of a small simulation study
[Letter from James Welsh to parolee, copy to T. N. Carswell - November 29, 1951]
No full textA letter written to a parolee in Abilene, Texas from James Welsh, Secretary, Governor's Office, Sacramento 14, California, dated November 29, 1951 (with a copy to T. N. Carswell). Welsh informs Subject 17095 that the completed application for executive clemency is being forwarded to the Adult Authority for consideration and a recommendation to the Governor
[Letter from James Welsh to T. N. Carswell - August 13, 1951]
No full textA letter written to Mr. T. N. Carswell, Chairman, Taylor County Parole Board, from James Welsh, Secretary, Governor's Office, Sacramento, California, dated August 13, 1951. Welsh replies to a request made by Carswell and advises of his enclosing two sets of forms to be used when applying for executive clemency
Word length distributions in modern Welsh prose texts.
No full textThis paper examines the distribution of word lengths in 12 prose texts written in modern Welsh (a P-Celtic language). The texts belong to the genres of new articles and Bible translation. For all texts, the observed frequencies can best be fitted by the 1-displaced Singh-Poisson distribution. This differs from published results on a Q-Celtic language (Scottish Gaelic) and suggests a P-celtic/Q-Celtic difference in word-length distribution. Further work is required to investigate other genres of Welsh as well as the other P- and Q-celtic languages
Audiences' willingness to participate in Welsh-language media
No full textPhDContemporary media audiences expect to be able to interact with content, but in a minority language context, audience participation presents challenges related to audiences’ linguistic confidence. This thesis focuses on Wales, where media producers have suggested that audiences are often reluctant to interact with broadcast and online content in Welsh. To begin to understand this unwillingness, and how it might be overcome, the concept of willingness to participate (WTP) is coined as an extension of willingness to communicate (McCroskey & Baer 1985).
First, interviews with producers are analysed qualitatively to identify potential influences on audiences’ WTP. The analysis aims to assess the relative importance of various factors: audiences’ feelings of apprehension, self-perceived competence, language background and Welsh language ability, as well as the modality of participation (oral/written) and the level of demand placed on the audience.
Second, a questionnaire is designed and administered to 358 Welsh speakers, to examine audiences’ perceptions of different opportunities to participate in media content. A path model of WTP is proposed and tested using quantitative data from the survey. The results support the hypothesis that audiences’ apprehension and self-perceived competence predict WTP and that audience response varies according to the media context. While audiences’ Welsh language skills are important in explaining their WTP, other aspects of language background, such as Welsh language acquisition context, are found to be less important.
Third, the survey sample is grouped according to common patterns of WTP, to test whether the above effects are consistent across the population or whether different ‘types’ of audience exist. Using a combination of cluster analysis and thematic analysis of audience comments, four types of audience are proposed and described in detail. Finally, implications for sociolinguistic theory, language maintenance and media production practice are considered and recommendations made.Arts and Humanities Research Counci
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth : the making of a Welsh prince
No full textLlywelyn ab Iorwerth (1173-1140) has long been considered one of the leading heroes of Wales. The life and rule of Llywelyn, known as Llywelyn the Great, is explored in detail in this thesis. The grandson of Owain Gwynedd, ruler of North Wales from 1137-1170, Llywelyn grew up during the period of turmoil following Owain’s death. After wresting control of Gwynedd from his rival family members in the latter decade of the 12th century, he proceeded to gain recognition as the foremost representative of Wales on the political stage.
Although viewed as a legendary hero in Welsh history, poetry and culture, Llywelyn's route to power is more complex than that. The thesis explores the development of the man from rebel and warlord, to leader and spokesman, to statesman, traces the expansion of his hegemony throughout Wales, and discusses the methods he used to gain and maintain power. Particular attention is paid to his use of family, marriage, allies, rivals and the church to achieve his goals. These insights can be derived from the surviving charters, letters, and other acta of Llywelyn and the Royal Chancery of England, the titles accorded therein, Welsh and English chronicles, as well as, occasionally, Venedotian Poetry. Finally, this thesis seeks to address the limitations on Llywelyn’s successes, in light of succeeding events and concludes with a discussion of Llywelyn’s legendary status in the modern world
A critical evaluation of linguistic minorities from a postmodern perspective: the case of Welsh
No full textMy aim in this thesis is to consider language policy and minority languages from the viewpoint of postmodernism – a theoretical framework that has much to offer beyond mere explanation and support for the concepts of diversity and pluralism. I argue there is a shortage of texts that interrogate language policy from a postmodern perspective – notwithstanding the contributions of a relatively small group of linguists including Pennycook (2000, 2006), Wright (2000, 2004), Cameron (1995) and Edwards (1985-2003). Thus, I combine some arguments from the domain of postmodernism articulated by theorists such as Foucault (1980), Lyotard (1997), and Connor (2004) with other arguments from the fields of language policy, language ideology and minority language rights formulated by theorists such as Phillipson (1993, 2003), Crystal (2000, 2003).In the first chapter I consider how language policy and planning has developed as a subject of academic inquiry since World War II. In the second chapter I focus on a primary objective for language policymakers, namely minority language maintenance. I conclude that characteristics and trends associated with postmodernism are neither wholly supportive nor wholly unsupportive of minority language maintenance. In the third chapter, I concentrate on the minority language Welsh, tentatively concluding that a truly bilingual Wales is not achievable. In this fourth chapter, I analyse findings from my ethnographic research into Welsh language usage in Newport. I tentatively conclude once more that the Welsh Assembly Government’s bilingual objective is unachievable. Finally, I argue that postmodernism is a useful theoretical perspective for academics in the field of language policy and planning
Bacterial nitrification activity directly associated with isolated benthic marine animals
No full textPotential nitrification rates (PNR) directly associated with isolated marine macrobenthic invertebrates were measured for a range of benthic epifaunal and infaunal species (bivalves, gastropods, polychaetes and crustaceans) collected from the Sacca di Goro, Po River delta, Italy. In the case of the filter-feeding bivalves,
Tapes philippinarum and Mytilus galloprovicialis the PNR associated with the shell surfaces and dissected animal tissues (gills, siphons and residual tissue) were determined separately, in order to assess the distribution of the nitrifier populations. Significant PNR was found associated with all the tested macrofaunal species with activities ranging between 12 and 2,250 nmol ind.)1 day)1 and specific activities between 150 and
18,400 nmol g)1 dry weight day)1. However, no simple relationships were observed between PNR and the animals taxonomic or functional group, or with animal comportment (infaunal or epifaunal) or size class, indicating that more complex interactions may regulate the degree of colonisation of the animals by nitrifier populations. Incubations of shells alone and dissected tissues of the bivalves T. philippinarum and M. galloprovicialis demonstrated that approximately 50% of the total PNR activity was associated with the shell surfaces and 50% with the internal animal tissues, with the highest specific activities of 950 and 1,970 nmol g)1 dry weight day)1 determined for the gills of T. philippinarum and M. galloprovicialis, respectively. Thus, specific relationships may exist between the nitrifiers and their animal hosts. Overall, our data indicate that the macrofaunal stimulation of nitrification and/or coupled nitrification–denitrification observed in previous studies may not be solely due to the animals burrow walls serving as sites for nitrification, but also to the fact that the internal and external surfaces of the animals themselves are also colonised by nitrifying bacteria. Tentative calculations based on reported animal densities in the Sacca di Goro and the determined PNRs indicate that animal-associated nitrifier populations could contribute significantly to overall nitrification rates in situ, although further experiments are required to determine to what extent the potential rates measured in this study are realised under in situ conditions
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