Looking at redefining sex(uality)

Babel ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Iglesias Urquízar
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Appraisal Theory ◽  
Discursive Construction ◽  
Audiovisual Translation ◽  
Castilian Spanish ◽  
Up Scaling

Abstract This article examines the dubbing of the 2014 American gay-themed series Looking and its treatment of sexual references into Castilian Spanish with a view to exploring the role of audiovisual translation in the discursive construction of homosexuality. While some scholars have decried a historical tendency in translation to attenuate or even suppress references in connection with non-normative sex, the dubbing of Looking, I claim, amplifies these references by way of two strategies: up-scaling and increased explicitness. Drawing upon Jeremy Munday’s (2012) concept of “evaluation” and on appraisal theory as expounded by Martin and White (2005), I aim at revealing the significance of the translator’s lexicogrammatical selections and how these may alter the semiotic import of the characters and, thus, of a certain portrayal of homosexuality. Additionally, such choices may be indicative of the translator’s own stance towards issues of sexuality. Though the strategies analyzed may appear to perpetuate commonplaces regarding gay sexual experience, they ultimately serve, I argue, as a device to generate a language that goes beyond diluted expressions of homosexuality.

Reasoning and Appraisal in Multimodal Argumentation

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-438
Author(s):  
Ting Wu
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Appraisal Theory ◽  
Visual Modality ◽  
Argumentative Discourse ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Sound System ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Semantic Resources ◽  
Argumentative Reasoning

AbstractThe development of new media enlarges the repertoire of semantic resources in creating a discourse. Apart from language, visual and sound symbols can all become semantic sources, and a synergy of different modality and symbols can be used to complete argumentative reasoning and evaluation. In the framework of multimodal argumentation and appraisal theory, this study conducted quantitative and multimodal discourse analysis on a new media discourse Building a community of shared future for humankind and found that visual symbols can independently fulfill both reasoning and evaluation in the argumentative discourse. An interplay of multiple modalities constructs a multi-layered semantic source, with verbal subtitles as a frame and a sound system designed to reinforce the theme and mood. In addition, visual modality is implicit in constructing the stance and evaluation of the discourse, with the verbal mode playing the role of “anchoring,” i.e. providing explicit explanation. A synergy of visual, acoustic, and verbal modalities could effectively transmit conceptual, interpersonal, and discursive meanings, but the persuasive result with the audience from different cultural backgrounds might be mixed.

The Sexual Experience of Married Middle-Aged Women as a Source of Mental Wellbeing: Perceptions, Challenges and Coping Mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-203
Author(s):  
Tal Braverman-Uriel ◽  
Tal Litvak-Hirsch
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Significant Development ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact

The impact of sexuality on mental wellbeing in women in long-term relationships has only been partially investigated. Emphasis has been on quantitative research studies that do not capture the breadth of the field. The present study looked at how and to what extent women maintain sexual desire in long-term relationships, and how sexuality affects their mental wellbeing. The study used a qualitative narrative approach and included semi-structured interviews with approximately 20 Israeli women aged 40–55 from similar socioeconomic backgrounds and in longstanding, permanent relationships. The findings indicate significant development over the years in the perception of the role of sexuality and its impact on mental wellbeing. The path to good sexuality can and should follow women’s leadership and initiative. Such women have the desire to make an impact, willingness to make an effort, and even an actual ability to exert influence. The interviewees’ tools, strategies, insights and ways of coping can serve as models for other women seeking better sexuality in a long-term relationship.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Everyday ICT Use: The Discursive Construction of Old Age in German Media

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Köttl ◽  
Verena C Tatzer ◽  
Liat Ayalon
Keyword(s):  
Discursive Construction ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Active Lifestyles ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Discourses ◽  
Design And Methods ◽  
German Newspapers

Abstract Background and Objectives Media discourses have the power to construct and perpetuate positive and negative aging images and influence public and individuals’ attitudes. This study aims to critically examine the media portrayal of older persons’ everyday information and communication technology (EICT) usage during the first and second waves of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Research Design and Methods A total of 51 articles published in 3 leading German newspapers between March 2020 and November 2020 were identified from the LexisNexis Academic database. Data were analyzed employing critical discourse and thematic analysis. Results EICT use was associated with youthful, consumption-orientated, and active lifestyles, while nonuse was constructed as failures on the policy or individual level. The pandemic seemed to have acted as an amplifier, further exacerbating and perpetuating stereotypical, dichotomous, but also empowering aging images. Discussion and Implications Neoliberal rational and binary distinctions of active users and nonusers opened and encouraged critical discussions on positive aging trends, the concept of the third and fourth ages, and aging-and-innovation discourses. Moreover, the crucial educative role of the media in raising awareness about power imbalances and reducing EICT-related ageism is stressed.

scholarly journals The Role of Subtitling and Dubbing in Arabic Vocabulary Acquisition: A Contrastive Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asil Qasim ◽  
Rashid Yahiaoui
Keyword(s):  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Memory Retention ◽  
Intermediate Students ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Audiovisual Translation

The critical comparison of subtitling and dubbing has long been a subject of discussion by many researchers in the field of Audiovisual Translation. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study to investigate the role of subtitling and dubbing in vocabulary acquisition has been carried out in the Arab world. The aim of the present study is to measure the effect of Audiovisual Translation modalities, mainly subtitling and dubbing, in the acquisition of Arabic vocabulary in an Arabic as a foreign language class (AFL) carried out at Sultan Qaboos College for Teaching Arabic For Non-Native Speakers. In order to do this a couple of questions needed answers 1) Which modality (subtitling and/or dubbing) is more conducive to vocabulary acquisition in the Arabic language? And 2) Which modality is more efficient in the long-term memory retention of Arabic vocabulary? Thirty upper intermediate students participated in this case study, which involved them watching a four-minute clip of the American TV series Designated Survivor in three versions: (a) subtitled into Arabic, (b) dubbed into Arabic, and (c) dubbed and subtitled in Arabic. The results showed that all groups were able to acquire and retain second language (L2) vocabulary; however, the dubbing group achieved higher results in both the immediate post-test and the delayed post-test.

Forging connections: The role of ‘boundary spanners’ in globalising clusters and shaping cluster evolution

2021 ◽  
pp. 030913252110387
Author(s):  
Di Wu
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Spanning ◽  
Discursive Construction ◽  
Boundary Spanners ◽  
Production Networks ◽  
Global Production Networks ◽  
Boundary Spanner ◽  
Evolutionary Economic ◽  
Cluster Evolution ◽  
Global Connections

Synthesising the endogenous-centred evolutionary economic geography perspective, and the globally oriented ‘global pipelines’ and global production networks frameworks, this article develops the ‘boundary spanner’ concept to propose a theoretical framework to illustrate how resourceful actors, as boundary spanners, globalise clusters and in turn drive cluster evolution. This framework comprises four interrelated cluster boundary-spanning functions, namely, discursive construction, innovation promotion, production coordination and market reach. This article aims to advance the cluster literature by unpacking how clusters’ global connections are constructed and maintained, conceptualising the multidimensional role of the agency of boundary spanners and demonstrating boundary spanners’ contributions to cluster evolution.

Biodiversity–ecosystem function

2021 ◽  
pp. 137-146
Author(s):  
Simon F. Thrush ◽  
Judi E. Hewitt ◽  
Conrad A. Pilditch ◽  
Alf Norkko
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Soft Sediment ◽  
Multiple Functions ◽  
Service Relationships ◽  
Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function ◽  
Up Scaling

This chapter looks at the links between biodiversity and ecosystem function in soft sediments to help understand the implications of biodiversity loss on ecosystem services. The chapter contains a focus on the challenges in developing real-world tests of biodiversity–ecosystem function (BEF) relationships. The various forms of BEF relationships, their implications and the different elements of biodiversity that link to function are described. Given the multiple functions that occur in soft-sediment ecosystems, this has important implications for the assessment and implications of BEF relationships and functional performance in the up-scaling of BEF relationships. The role of BEF in underpinning many ecosystem services and the interconnections in biodiversity and ecosystem service relationships close out the chapter.

scholarly journals Decasticization, Dignity, and ‘Dirty Work’ at the Intersections of Caste, Memory, and Disaster

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramaswami Mahalingam ◽  
Srinath Jagannathan ◽  
Patturaja Selvaraj
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Discursive Construction ◽  
Occupational Hazards ◽  
Dirty Work ◽  
Counter Narrative ◽  
The City

ABSTRACT:In this qualitative study we examine the role of caste, class, and Dalit janitorial labor in the aftermath of floods in Chennai, India, in 2015. Drawing from a variety of sources including interviews, social media, and news coverage, we studied how Dalit (formerly known as ‘untouchable’) janitors were treated during the performance of janitorial labor for cleaning the city. Our study focuses on two theoretical premises: (a) caste-based social relations reproduce inequalities by devaluing Dalit labor as ‘dirty work’; and (b) Dalit subjectivities, labor, and sufferings including occupational hazards become invisible and ungrievable forcing Dalits to provide a counter narrative to preserve the memory of their trauma and dignity injuries. We find that the discursive construction of janitorial labor as dirty work forced Dalit janitors to work in appalling and unsafe working conditions. Janitors suffered several dignity injuries in terms of social exclusion and a lack of recognition for their efforts and accomplishments. Specifically, we examine various ways through which caste, dirty work, and dignity intersected in the narrative accounts of Dalit janitors. We also explore memory and how processes of remembering and forgetting affected the dignity claims of Dalit janitors.

Effects of Experience in Cohabitation on Erotic Arousability

1982 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter W. Hoon ◽  
Emily Franck Hoon
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Arousal Rating ◽  
Sexual Arousability

A sample of 275 men and 370 women were given the Sexual Arousability Inventory which requests an arousal rating of 28 sexually-related activities. Differences were obtained between those subjects defined as having low experience in cohabitation versus high experience. The role of novelty in sexual experience is discussed in relation to the results of the study.

Role of affect in marketplace rumor propagation

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 631-644
Author(s):  
Subin Sudhir ◽  
Anandakuttan B. Unnithan
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Cognitive Appraisal ◽  
Sem Analysis ◽  
Appraisal Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rumor Propagation ◽  
Sharing Behavior ◽  
Significant Factors

Purpose Rumors about products and brands are common occurrence in the marketplace. Often these rumors are shared among consumers using the word of mouth channel. The spread of these rumors is fast and can lead to significant consequences to products and brands. The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics of such rumor sharing behavior among consumers. Specifically, this paper investigates the role of positive affect and negative affect in rumor sharing behavior. Three key rumor characteristics (valence, involvement and credibility) are explored as antecedents to positive affect and negative affect. Design/methodology/approach The paper collects data from 236 respondents using Amazon MTurk, and conducts a PLS–SEM analysis to explore the role of positive affect and negative affect in rumor sharing contexts. Findings Both positive affect and negative affect were found to be significant factors leading to rumor sharing, furthermore positive affect was found to have a stronger influence on rumor sharing as compared to negative affect. The study also delineates the role of valence, involvement and credibility in rumor sharing scenarios, all of which have a strong role in shaping positive affect and negative affect. Originality/value The study is novel in using cognitive appraisal theory to illustrate the formation of positive affect and negative affect in rumor encounters. The study conclusively illustrates the role of cognitive appraisal and emotional experiences in the rumor propagation context, and advances the marketing scholarship’s understanding significantly.

scholarly journals Branding China to the World: A Pilot Study on China in the 2009 UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1,2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangfeng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
News Article ◽  
Appraisal Theory ◽  
Discursive Construction ◽  
Daily News ◽  
Image Construction ◽  
The World ◽  
Appraisal Analysis ◽  
China Daily

This study pilots an appraisal analysis of news articles on environmental reports from China Daily, with its twofold purpose to 1) examine the ideological discursive construction of China’s image in China Daily, and 2) show how attitudes encoded in news articles can be unveiled through the use of linguistic tools provided by the appraisal theory of Martin and White. The results showed that the contrast of a positive China vs. a negative US constituted a dominant pattern in the analyzed article on Copenhagen conference, which coincided with the "otherization" strategy in Western press. It is also showed that the appraisal analysis conducted in this paper was very productive and strong in revealing the image of China constructed in the China Daily news article analyzed, as well as the detailed way of the image construction through lexicogrammatical items of affect, judgment and appreciation. 

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