Academic and public attitudes to the notion of ‘standard’ Canadian English

English Today ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 3-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Dollinger
Keyword(s):  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Canadian English ◽  
Scholarly Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
Canadian Context ◽  
Public Debates

This paper reflects on ‘standards’ in Canadian English in scholarly research and the public debate about English in Canada from a number of viewpoints. The goals of these reflections are three-fold. First, I aim to characterize the chasm between scholarly and public debates about a language ‘standard’ in Canadian English (CanE). While this debate is not new (e.g. Kretzschmar, 2009: 1–5 for a recent example), its application in the Canadian context is a desideratum. Second, I aim to characterize the standard in CanE from a demographic point of view: what is this standard and, above all, which Canadians (and, more importantly, how many) presently speak it? And third, what can linguists who research Canadian English offer to the public, and how can the perceived gap in knowledge be bridged?

scholarly journals Trusting the Corona-Warn-App? Contemplations on trust and trustworthiness at the intersection of technology, politics and public debate

2021 ◽  
pp. 026732312110283
Author(s):  
Judith Simon ◽  
Gernot Rieder
Keyword(s):  
Technology Development ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Moral Duties ◽  
Moral Demands

Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions of whom or what to trust have become paramount. This article examines the public debates surrounding the initial development of the German Corona-Warn-App in 2020 as a case study to analyse such questions at the intersection of trust and trustworthiness in technology development, design and oversight. Providing some insights into the nature and dynamics of trust and trustworthiness, we argue that (a) trust is only desirable and justified if placed well, that is, if directed at those being trustworthy; that (b) trust and trustworthiness come in degrees and have both epistemic and moral components; and that (c) such a normatively demanding understanding of trust excludes technologies as proper objects of trust and requires that trust is directed at socio-technical assemblages consisting of both humans and artefacts. We conclude with some lessons learned from our case study, highlighting the epistemic and moral demands for trustworthy technology development as well as for public debates about such technologies, which ultimately requires attributing epistemic and moral duties to all actors involved.

scholarly journals “Preparing” and “Repairing” Public Debate: Organizational Learning of Promoters in Environmental and Energy Governance

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Simard
Keyword(s):  
Public Debate ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
The Public ◽  
Learning Capacity ◽  
Energy Governance ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Distribution Of Resources ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Extra High Voltage

The deliberation experience, new imperative for public action (Blondiaux and Sintomer, 2002) produces some forms of learning that set in a new way the distribution of resources in punctual actors system that create infrastructure projects. If deliberative procedures could appear like moments for “metre à plat” values, ideas and solutions in a equilibrated, informed, respectful and transparency exchange, could we expect that it will suspend the power manifestations and the “rapports de force” in the pursuit of interests for stakeholders ? Analyzing the operation of environmental and energetic governance at the individual project level, from the promoter’s point of view, by looking at four extra-high-voltage (EHV) transmission line projects in France and Québec, and the consultation and deliberation procedures applied in each case, we argue that promoters learn better and quicker than the other stakeholders that are concerned by the large infrastructure projects. The radical imbalance of resources, experience and learning capacity among the actors tends to promote negotiation, before and after the public debate, with the actors considered relevant by the promoter, emptying the public debate of much of its content by leaving only the most antagonistic parties.

How does information dependence affect public attitudes towards genetically modified technology in China?

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-136
Author(s):  
Zhenjing Pang
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Public ◽  
Scientific Institutions ◽  
Reasoning Mechanism ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Modelling Approach ◽  
Gm Technology

Abstract This study presents a careful understanding of the impact of information dependence on public attitudes (PAs) towards genetically modified (GM) technology in China by employing a structural equation modelling approach. Results in this study provide further empirical evidence to support the point of view that PAs towards GM technology vary with their information dependence. Information evaluation is the reasoning mechanism between information dependence and the perception of risks and benefits, ultimately determining PAs towards GM technology. Empirical results can serve as the basis for risk communication, suggesting that the public sector, scientific institutions, scientists, and officials must be more active in sharing scientific knowledge about GM technology with the public by developing more open channels for the dissemination of authoritative information, and public education is also needed. On the other hand, the medias’ discourse system on GM technology should return to the scientific field for inspiring a rational attitude towards GM technology.

Popular Representations of Race: The News Coverage of BiDil

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Caulfield ◽  
Simrat Harry
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Popular Press ◽  
Social Categories ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Debates

The popular press plays an important role in science communication, both reflecting and shaping public attitudes about particular issues and technologies. It is a key source of health information and can help to frame public debates about science and health care controversies. Given this powerful role, there has long been a concern that media representations of genetics are overly simplistic and inappropriately deterministic in tone. If true, media representations may hurt collective deliberations about science issues and misinform the public regarding the relevance of genetics in a variety of contexts — including the relevance of genetics and biology to the existing social categories of “race.”

scholarly journals Biotechnology, communication and the public: Keys to delve into the social perception of science

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Brossard
Keyword(s):  
Social Perception ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Public ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
The Social ◽  
Public Keys ◽  
A Priority

The latest biotechnology applications allow for faster and cheaper gene editing than ever before. Many people are calling for a public debate on these issues, including the social, cultural and ethical implications of these applications. On the other hand, the information available to citizens is sometimes contradictory and communication that takes all these aspects into account is important and increasingly necessary. Therefore, understanding public attitudes towards biotechnology should be a priority for the work ahead.

scholarly journals «That’s just my opinion»: The principle of expression and the public debate

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Public Rhetoric ◽  
The Public ◽  
Informal Setting ◽  
Do So

Public debate is commonly understood as deliberation; as the weighing of arguments for and against choices of future action. A principle of deliberation entails that interlocutors approach one another through argumentation in favour and against a given point of view. In this article, I outline a competing debate ideal, the principle of expression, and demonstrate its pervasiveness in contemporary public rhetoric. According to this communicative ideal, public debate is understood not as an exchange of opinion but rather a display of opinions. The beliefs and opinions voiced in the public debate should, moreover, be seen as purely expressive: They arise out of the individual’s inviolable interiority and individuality. As such, argumentation is neither required nor legitimate. In the article, I outline the principle of expression and discuss its implications for the democratic public debate. I do so, by drawing on a case study of public debate in social media, as well as recent utterances spoken by political leaders. In moving between the utterances of ordinary people engaged in public debate in the informal setting of social media and the utterances of political leaders in formal settings, I demonstrate the pervasiveness of the principle of expression in contemporary public rhetoric.

The 1948 Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilan Pappéé
Keyword(s):  
Public Debate ◽  
Ethnic Cleansing ◽  
Scholarly Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
Systematic Compilation

This article, excerpted and adapted from the early chapters of a new book, emphasizes the systematic preparations that laid the ground for the expulsion of more than 750,000 Palestinians from what became Israel in 1948. While sketching the context and diplomatic and political developments of the period, the article highlights in particular a multi-year ““Village Files”” project (1940––47) involving the systematic compilation of maps and intelligence for each Arab village and the elaboration——under the direction of an inner ““caucus”” of fewer than a dozen men led by David Ben-Gurion——of a series of military plans culminating in Plan Dalet, according to which the 1948 war was fought. The article ends with a statement of one of the author's underlying goals in writing the book: to make the case for a paradigm of ethnic cleansing to replace the paradigm of war as the basis for the scholarly research of, and the public debate about, 1948.

scholarly journals Without SLO BECCS, fast net-zero looks unlikely

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caspar Donnison ◽  
Karolina Trdlicova ◽  
Alison Mohr ◽  
Gail Taylor
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Carbon Capture And Storage ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Media Analysis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Social License ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) discussions have been dominated by global scale assessments with very limited exploration of how and where the technology could be deployed. A social license to operate (SLO) may not be achieved if key aspects of deployment and public concerns are not addressed, as has happened with onshore wind energy and fracking. There is a crucial role for the news media in this process because of its influence over the public debate and public attitudes. The fate of the public debate on BECCS has major implications for the delivery of net-zero emissions: time is very short for policymakers to find alternative strategies to meet carbon budgets if BECCS is rejected. Our news media analysis of the UK and California explores the ‘storylines’ which frame the public debate of BECCS. Results highlight: 1) an immature public debate, significantly lagging policy objectives; 2) a distinctive set of storylines specific to California and the UK; and 3) the absence of a location-specific discussion of BECCS, which we argue is critical to community-level support necessary for a SLO.

scholarly journals Culture denatured or nature decultured

1970 ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Peter Ampt ◽  
Linda Raymond
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
American Museum ◽  
Scholarly Research ◽  
Australian Museum

The Australian Museum is a museum of both natural science and cultural heritage. As an institution we find this quite a challenge, both in our communication with our audiences and in our internal debates about who and what we are. In the area of natural science we feel quite confident in our adopted role in the community. With our vast collections of specimens and reputation for scholarly research, the Australian Museum assumes what Ellen Futter, President ofthe American Museum of Natural History, NY, describes as 'a stewardship of the natural world' (Futter, 1997, p40). Our mission explicitly states an intention to engage in and influence public debate. We feel this mission with a certain sense ofurgency based on our knowledge of what is happening to the natural world. We acknowledge our role in bringing about a change of attitude in our visitors, and have generally sought to do this by presenting to our audiences the objective and value-free 'science' of nature while simultaneously using that science to support a point of view. 

The place of culture-based reasons in public debates

Human Affairs ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Cultural Identities ◽  
Social Conflicts ◽  
Cultural Traditions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Debates

AbstractThe question of how society should deal with social conflicts arising from cultural differences persists. Should we adopt an exclusivist approach by excluding reasons based on specific cultural traditions (culture-based reasons) from public debates about social policy, especially because these reasons do not appeal to the public at large? Or should we resort to an inclusivist approach by including reasons based on cultural traditions in public debate to give recognition to the diverse cultural identities of those who practice these traditions? While these two approaches assign different roles to cultural traditions in public debate, both seem to welcome compromise between conflicting parties. This paper reviews contending normative approaches for dealing with conflicts in multicultural societies and explores the place of culture-based reasons in public debates designed to resolve conflicts.

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