scholarly journals Coming to Grips With Variation in Sociocultural Interpretations: Methodological Considerations

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 1198-1215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Terkourafi

Empirically capturing sociocultural interpretations—situated interpretations of linguistic expressions shared among members of a group—can be difficult for two reasons: First, the interpretations themselves cannot be directly observed and, second, the contexts that enable these interpretations cannot be defined independently of them. Yet, the reality of such interpretations attested in piece after piece of empirical research calls for an explanation. This article outlines a bottom-up methodology that seeks to extract context-sensitive definitions of, on one hand, sociocultural interpretations and, on the other hand, the context variables that covary with them, from the data itself. Uptake-based definitions of sociocultural interpretations are empirically verifiable and include speaker, context, and addressee contributions to the bringing about of a certain sociocultural interpretation. Dynamic definitions of macro-social variables (gender, age, class, ethnicity, region, etc.) can emerge by gradually abstracting over the minimal contexts that are found to enable particular sociocultural interpretations. The article outlines with examples how this methodology can be applied to spoken conversational data, as well as some of its limitations.

Neofilolog ◽  
1970 ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
Marek Derenowski

This article focuses on the use of teacher journals as an empirical tool. Journals are often perceived as subjective and self-indulgent, resulting from lack of criticism or lack of experience in journal writing. On the other hand, journals can help in investigating such aspects as learner behavior, classroom dynamics or teacher behaviors. Undoubtedly journals help teachers to become more reflective. However, the obvious advantages, the journals are not the most favored empirical research tool.


Author(s):  
Hiroki Fukushima

In this chapter, the author attempts to define the verbs in the description of Japanese sake taste by employing 1) a usage-based approach, 2) “encyclopedic semantics” rather than a “dictionary view,” and 3) sense-making theory, drawing on data from a “sake tasting description corpus” (approximately 120,000 words). The chapter selects eight verbs of high frequency (e.g., hirogaru ‘spread') and defines their sense(s) in a bottom-up and abductive fashion, based on a score indicating the strength of co-occurrence between terms. In this study, the authors deal with the verbs for “Understanding” or “Interpretation ”; it means, verbs that contribute to narrating the personal, individual story (contents) of the tasters. This study suggests the verbs for understanding have senses related to [Timeline] and [Space]. On the other hand, verbs do not tend to collocate with [Movement] and interestingly, the [Structure], as same as the tendency of adjectival-nouns.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
František Ochrana ◽  
Michal Plaček ◽  
Milan Křápek

AbstractThe article examines the section of officials in the central administration who belong to the ministerial staff of the Czech Republic. It examines those persons engaged in the creation of analyses, strategies, and management activities. The study is based on original research conducted by the ministries of the Czech Republic in 2013 (N = 1351). The article seeks to discover what the make-up of this group is in terms of gender, age, and education levels at the chosen ministries, as well as to report on the types of experiences the group has had. The analysis shows that ministerial officials are in fact a gender-balanced group of employees, predominately university-educated. The overall median age of employees in all ministries is 42 years. On the other hand, there are certain inter-ministerial differences, as explained in detail in this paper. Based on results of the empirical research, conclusions have been drawn that may also serve as an inspiration for similar investigations in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe that address similar issues as found in the Czech Republic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 160-171
Author(s):  
Montaser Motia Ujvari

This study looks at the linguistic landscape in Huwwara, a Palestinian town in the north of the West Bank located in Area C, which is, in line with the Oslo II accord, under Israeli control. Two areas on the main street of Huwwara were investigated: Huwwara center and Huwwara outskirts. Bottom-up signs in both areas were classified according to the languages they were written in. The signs were further classified according to language choice on the signs of businesses in each area. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of different languages in the linguistic landscape of a Palestinian town where Arabic, English and Hebrew are in contact. A total of 297 signs were analysed. It was found that Arabic is the most prevalent language in the linguistic landscape in the two investigated areas. In addition, it was found that there is a strong presence of Hebrew on the outskirts of Huwwara, mainly on signs of automotive and household businesses. English, on the other hand, was found to have a moderate presence in Huwwara with no difference between the two areas investigated. These results suggest that the use of Arabic has both an informational and a symbolic function, whilst the use of Hebrew has an informational function, and the use of English has a symbolic function.


Ergo ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
Ludmila Kováříková ◽  
Ondřej Valenta

Abstract Corporate foresight in the Czech Republic has been still a rather undiscovered and unmapped subject. This drawback is at least partly reduced by this article presenting results of a pioneer empirical research among Czech companies. Results of the research indicate that the level of utilization of foresight among Czech companies is low; on the other hand, the results suggest existence of a latent demand for foresight as a tool for increasing the capacities and capabilities to innovate. Innovation activities in companies are at the same time one of the most significant way to deal with contemporary economic and social development, characterized by a rapid technological progress and accelerating pace of change.


Author(s):  
Zohar Eitan ◽  
Hila Tamir-Ostrover

Zohar Eitan and Hila Tamir-Ostrover start their chapter with a survey of existing empirical studies of sound-space mappings—in particular, pitch/spatial height associations. Using Ligeti’s Endless Column as a case, they exemplify how music might challenge these mappings by pointing out contradictions in the associative link between the auditory dimension and spatial and motion features. These contradictions, the authors argue, on the one hand can illustrate novel opportunities for composers to use music-space correspondences to create paradoxical spaces while, on the other hand, could demonstrate how the music-space correspondence revealed by empirical research could be used in the analysis of music.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 1029-1046
Author(s):  
Michail Vagias

AbstractThe article explores the extent to which the resilience of hybrid courts is impacted by their selection of cases. It proceeds from the observation that the cases pursued by hybrid institutions are the result of choice under constraints. The article examines the identity of the case-choosers and the relevance of such choices for the internal and external resilience of hybrid courts. The research reveals the need to distinguish between case selection by the drafters and case selection by court authorities in the context of each institution and the tensions between these two sets of practices. These tensions are examined in the context of four hybrid institutions. The Office of the Prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone enjoyed a relatively broad measure of discretion in terms of case selection. However, the Extraordinary African Chambers, the Cambodia Chambers and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers seem to have been established with specific accused in mind. The article argues that resilience considerations are probably relevant in instances of case selection by the court officers, albeit they are context sensitive and may vary over time. Case selection prior to the establishment of a court and/or by political stakeholders, on the other hand, is ill-suited for analysis using internal resilience and arguably fall outside its scope of application. For these cases, the research argues that the discussion requires re-orientation with emphasis shifted to concepts such as contribution to national reconciliation as opposed to resistance to external pressure.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-190
Author(s):  
Peter J. Rosan

This article offers original phenomenological descriptions of empathy, sympathy, and compassion. These descriptions are based on empirical research, and they sample the variety of ways the subject may respond to the suffering of another person. The structure of these different, but similar ways of being are then taken up as clues hinting at a sensibility bearing on the formation of an ethical life. This sensibility is essentially twofold in character. On the one hand, a pairing of the perceived similarities between subject and other opens the subject to a resonance with the humanity of the other. On the other hand, the other’s expressive life awakens the subject’s interest in wanting to know the meaning of these expressions for the other or calls forth a caring regard for the well-being of the other. The ways of being represented by empathy, sympathy, and compassion may be viewed as different ways of organizing or rendering a precise form to the constitutive strands of the aforementioned sensibility. The relevant literature in phenomenology and ethics is commented on as it informs the discussion, but is kept to a minimum.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-36
Author(s):  
Anna Krajewska ◽  
Stefan Krajewski

Many opinions have been expressed for years concerning labour costs in Poland. Unsurprisingly, those opinions have been far from consensus. Basically, low wages are treated as a factor increasing the competitiveness of our economy and it is argued that they constitute major proof that Poland is attractive for foreign investors. On the other hand, however, entrepreneurs and various organisations representing them have repeatedly pointed out that high labour costs in Poland are the principal cause of unemployment, growth of grey economy, and low competitiveness of the country's economy. The above problems assumed particular significance after Poland's accession to the European Union. Basing on statistical data and empirical research we try to verify some myths concerning the labour costs in Poland.


Author(s):  
Christie Davies

AbstractSystematic empirical research into the extent to which individuals in different societies fear being laughed at is new and has implications for humor theory. Humor theorists such as Hobbes and Bergson implicitly assume that such fears were generally at a high level and both Hobbes' superiority theory of laughter and Bergson's view of it as a social corrective depend on this assumption. They purport to be general theories but are in fact the product of the particular societies in which those philosophers' lived and whose mores they took for granted. However, we can use their work to generate hypotheses that can in the future be tested against the comparative empirical data now being produced. In particular we should pay attention is the social variables of shame, face, etiquette and embarrassment on the one hand, and hierarchy, status divisions and power on the other, as probably having explanatory power.


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