scholarly journals Ideologies in College EFL Textbooks–A Content Analysis Based on Critical Pedagogy

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 937
Author(s):  
Hui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Ruling Class ◽  
College English ◽  
The Awakening ◽  
Political Ideologies ◽  
Dominant Ideologies ◽  
Political Economic

The goal of college English teaching is not only to convey language knowledge and improve students’ language skills, but also closely related to the current political, economic, social and cultural realities. Its textbooks are largely a manifestation of the country’s dominant ideology and also the way the ruling class realizes social control. This study, based on Professor Apple’s theory of critical pedagogy, attempts to provide an insight into the most commonly used college EFL textbooks in Mainland China and show what and how ideologies and values are presented on the pages. Literature and content analysis methods are employed. The results reveal that the two sets of textbooks are imbued with the ideological ideas which center on the theme of "harmony", highlighting the peaceful coexistence between the country, society and individuals. Dominant ideologies have been implemented as the core spirit of textbook compilation, and the themes such as multiplicity, equality, tolerance and so on frequently appear in explicit and implicit ways. The implicitness of political ideologies, the prominence of economic development, the dominance of social issues, the awakening of individual consciousness, etc. are expressed and transmitted through EFL textbooks.

Critique virale et genre trafiqué dans Valérie par Valérie par La Rédaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-66
Author(s):  
Gabriel Proulx
Keyword(s):  
Specific Form ◽  
Economic Mechanism ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Literary Forms ◽  
Dominant Ideologies ◽  
Critical Paths ◽  
Political Economic

Valérie par Valérie opens new critical paths which are fertile, though difficult to unpack. Published under the enigmatic and collective name La Rédaction, this book – whose main (or only) author seems to be Christophe Hanna – develops what we could call a viral critique, which seeks to occupy dominant ideologies to undermine them from within rather than oppose them with a new ideology. This article aims firstly to define Hanna's viral critique, based on his own theoretical works and Guy Debord's notion of spectacle as a social and economic mechanism. It then analyzes the specific form taken by that critique in Valérie par Valérie, where the author opposes the separation of literary and non-literary forms, as well as contemporary ultracapitalism and its political-economic ramifications. Finally, the ethical implications of this type of implicit critical exercise are explored through semioethics, in order to determine the efficiency of Hanna's project.

Ijtihad in Contemporary Shi`ism

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-52
Author(s):  
Hamid Mavani
Keyword(s):  
Legal Theory ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Ethical Framework ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Unit Of Analysis ◽  
Personal Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Political Economic

The adoption of the Mu`tazili school of “rationalist” theology and the institution of ijtihad enabled Shi`i legal theory to exhibit vibrancy and made it adaptable to changing contingencies and circumstances. But because Shi`i jurists did not face the challenge of governing a state, their juridical focus and orientation remained fixated on resolving issues confronting the laity or their followers (muqallid) at a personal level and did not provide an ethical framework for the ijtihad process. The establishment of a Shi`i state in Iran in 1979, which forced them to tackle social, political, economic, educational, and cultural issues, demanded a change in orientation – away from the individual and toward society as the unit of analysis vis-à-vis ijtihad. They marshaled various methods, legal devices, and strategies to address contemporary social issues in order to provide pragmatic guidance to the citizens that would be in conformity with the moral and ethical principles laid out in the revelatory sources. This paper examines the writings of Ayatullahs Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, Muhammad Mahdi Shamsuddin, Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadlullah, and Ruhullah Musavi al-Khomeini and studies this phenomenon of change from individual-oriented ijtihad to society-oriented ijtihad.

A Tale of Two Events? Media Analysis of the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup

2011 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Sherry ◽  
Angela Osborne
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Print Media ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Media Analysis ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Sporting Event ◽  
The Media ◽  
Australian City

In 2008, Melbourne became the first Australian city to host the Homeless World Cup (HWC), an annual international sporting event that aims to raise the profile of homelessness and social marginalisation. This article first examines relevant print media articles relating to the HWC by identifying key themes through thematic and content analysis. It then examines the polarised reporting of the HWC by two print media outlets, The Age and the Herald Sun, and argues that each outlet's coverage served to reinforce its own established position on the key political and social issues, in this instance homelessness, asylum seeking and immigration. The divergence in the discourses constructed in each paper provides a demonstrative example of the capacity of the media to use events of all sorts to consolidate their political and commercial positions.

Narrative Identities and the Egalitarian Norm Among Hungarian Elite Couples

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 2107-2130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadett Csurgó ◽  
Luca Kristóf
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Cultural Elite ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Political Economic

Our article aims to study the attitudes of the elite to family life and gender equality. This is a social group who still experiences significant gender imbalances. We focus on attitudes to family life, which has thus far been underresearched in elite literature. With the help of the analysis of 34 individual interviews with members of the Hungarian political, economic, and cultural elite, we identify and present three types of narrative identities: dominant, deferential, and egalitarian. The main finding from our qualitative content analysis is that egalitarian partnership norms which were discussed in every narrative and gender equality appear in most cases as a norm among the elite. However, there is a narrative tension between this norm and the couples’ actual experiences of their family life. We conclude our article with some comments on how the ideology of egalitarian essentialism strengthens gender inequalities reinforcing the underrepresentation of women in elite positions.

scholarly journals The Pragmatics of Political Claims and Social Responses amidst Covid-19 and EndSARS Saga in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 102-118
Author(s):  
Chioma Onwubiko
Keyword(s):  
Social Issues ◽  
The Political ◽  
Theoretic Approach ◽  
Ruling Class ◽  
Undue Influence ◽  
Political Class ◽  
Social Responses ◽  
Online Newspapers ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government

There have been few stand-alone linguistic studies on the Covid-19 virus and the 2020 EndSARS protests in Nigeria. The present study intersects these two critical events with particular focus on the political claims made by the ruling class and the corresponding social responses in line with the contextual affordances shared by the participants. Searle’s speech act theoretic approach is adopted to analyse the pragmatic intentions of the illocutionary acts which political claims perform while Juvenalian satire is used to discuss the satirical elements embedded in the social responses in a bid to ridicule leadership follies and abuses. Three popular Nigerian online Newspapers and few comments from Facebook are selected for this study. Their selection is based on their coverage of these events, coverage of these political claims and popular readership evidenced in the social responses. In all, a total of 6 political claims and 25 social responses relevant to this study are analysed. The study revealed that the pragmatic relevance of these claims is embedded in its political functions of wielding undue influence over the populace, making promises driven by rhetoric and short of initiative and calculated reticence in response to social issues. Consequently, the social responses highlight and criticise leadership vices and the weak efforts of the government in dispensing its leadership interventions. It also fulfils communicative purposes of the contextual space, promote solidarity among the people while prompting change in the political class and the society at large.

scholarly journals A Teoria da Autonomia de Hélio Jaguaribe: um teste à luz da Política Externa Independente de Jânio Quadros (1961-1962)

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fábio Santino Bussmann
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
Theory Test

Esse artigo analisa o poder explicativo da Teoria da Autonomia de Hélio Jaguaribe em relação aos momentos indubitavelmente autônomos da Política Externa Brasileira (PEB). Isso foi feito mediante o estudo de caso, em forma de teste de teoria, da Política Externa Independente (PEI) do governo Jânio Quadros, que é representativa desses momentos. O estudo de caso foi realizado por meio da análise de conteúdo no programa de pesquisa Nvivo. O argumento resultante da análise realizada é o de que a Teoria da Autonomia tem o potencial de explicar de forma mais precisa e estruturada os momentos de autonomia da PEB do que arranjos conceituais usados atualmente no estudo dos referidos momentos da PEB, já que a PEI, de forma representativa, evidencia objetivos referenciados a uma visão estrutural-hierárquica do cenário internacional, no campo político-econômico.Palavras-chave: Teoria da Autonomia, Política Externa Independente, Política Externa Brasileira.ABSTRACT:This article analyzes the explanatory power of Helio Jaguaribe's Theory of Autonomy in relation to the undoubtedly autonomous moments of Brazilian Foreign Policy (BFP). This was done through a case study, in the form of a theory test, of the Independent Foreign Policy (IFP) of the Jânio Quadros government, which is representative of these moments. The case study was conducted through content analysis in the Nvivo research program. The argument resulting from the analysis is that the Autonomy Theory has the potential to explain in a more precise and structured way the moments of autonomy of the BFP than the conceptual arrangements currently used in the study of the referred moments of the BFP, since the IFP, in a representative way, shows objectives referenced to a structural-hierarchical vision of the international scenario, in the political-economic field.Keywords: Autonomy Theory, Independent Foreign Policy, Brazilian Foreign Policy.Recebido em: 29 jan. 2019 | Aceito em: 03 dez. 2019. 

scholarly journals Film Clips as Classroom Input in an Elective Audio-Visual College English Course in Mainland China

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Suiling Liu
Keyword(s):  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Role Play ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Cultural Dimension ◽  
Intercultural Communicative Competence ◽  
College English ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Film Clips

<p>The present study introduces the design of classroom input for an elective Audio-visual College English course in Mainland China with the purpose of developing students’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC). Four groups of nineteen film clips in total, chosen from the Intercultural Film Database on four different cultural dimensions, are used as classroom input in the elective College English course, followed by classroom activities like group discussion, pair discussion and role play. Finally, topics for pair and group discussion for each cultural dimension are proposed.</p>

An analysis of the presentation of Sikhism in social studies textbooks

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-253
Author(s):  
Sean Colbert-Lewis ◽  
Drinda E. Benge
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Studies ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Middle Grades ◽  
National Council ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Religious Literacy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Studies Textbooks

Purpose The increase of Islamophobia-inspired hate crimes toward Sikh Americans led the Sikh Coalition of America and the National Council for the Social Studies to request social studies educators to conduct a content analysis on the presentation of Sikhism in social studies textbooks. The Sikh Coalition hopes to use the findings of such research to encourage more appropriate inclusion about the religion in textbooks by the leading publishing companies and as a legitimate social studies subject of instruction in the state standards for all 50 states. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The incorporation of critical pedagogy, as a tool of critical multiculturalism, serves as the theoretical design of this study. Content analysis serves as the method of research for this study. The authors also employed an online survey to determine the scope of religious literacy of the pre-service teachers with regard to Sikhism before the conducting of content analysis of social studies textbooks for the presentation of Sikhism. Findings The current presentation of Sikhism in social studies textbooks has the potential to help fuel the Islamophobia that Sikh Americans now face. The authors found that the pre-service teachers possess little religious literacy regarding Sikhism. Furthermore, from the content analyses, the authors found that a total of 21 out of the sample of 32 textbooks (5 elementary, 11 middle grades and 16 high school) mention Sikhism. Eight textbooks include a mention of the origins of Sikhism. Nine textbooks misidentify the religion as a blending of Hinduism and Islam. Nine textbooks mention the religion in relation to the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Research limitations/implications The originality of this research led the authors to find that the very limited and inaccurate information we found present in the most-used textbooks for elementary, middle grades and high school social studies made the employing of inferential statistics like correlation difficult. Also, the authors found from the literature that research addressing Islamophobia in the classroom has centered on the role of licensed teachers only. The research gives a model to how pre-service teachers may address Islamophobia in the classroom and also gain religious literacy regarding Sikhism. Practical implications The rise of Islamophobia-inspired violence toward students of South Asian descent has led to the call to address this matter. The research introduces a method to how social studies education professors may help engage their pre-service teachers in proactively addressing Islamophobia. Social studies professors have a responsibility to help promote social justice through critical pedagogy that explores the religious literacy of their pre-service teachers beyond Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Social implications The Sikh Coalition, by telephone, has formally acknowledged to the authors that the textbook research has been the most extensive they have received since making their joint request with the National Council for the Social Studies. They have used the research to successfully convince the state education boards of Texas and recently Tennessee to adopt the inclusion of Sikhism in social studies content. More Americans, at a young age, need to learn about Sikh culture, so they are less likely to develop prejudicial ideas about Sikh Americans and commit violent acts of religious-based discrimination. Originality/value The research is extremely rare. To date, no one else in the country has conducted research on the presentation of Sikhism in textbooks to the extent that the authors have. The authors hope that the research will encourage more dialogue and further research. The authors hope that the research will help prevent further acts of religious-based violence toward followers of the world’s sixth largest religion.

Hindrances to the new teaching goals of College English in China

English Today ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Du ◽  
Hongdi Guan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
College English ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Teaching Goals ◽  
English Textbooks ◽  
Listening And Speaking

College English refers to a type of English course offered to non-English majors at tertiary level in mainland China. In recent years, however, College English has been criticised as ‘deaf and dumb English’ (Wu, 2004; Zhang, 2002) because of Chinese students’ perceived weaknesses in listening and speaking. As Zhang (2002), Director of the Department of Higher Education in the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), explains, ‘Chinese university students can neither speak English nor understand it when they hear the language spoken’ (p. 4). To improve the situation, Zhang urges that ‘[w]hile reading has to be reduced properly, listening and speaking should be increased in College English textbooks’ (ibid.: 5). In other words, it is listening and speaking rather than reading that should be emphasised.

The Shifting Context of Sustainability: Growth and the World Ocean Regime

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 85-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Jacques ◽  
Rafaella Lobo
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
United Nations ◽  
World Ocean ◽  
Economic Order ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Quantitative Content Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Content ◽  
The World ◽  
United Nations Food ◽  
Political Economic

To better understand how regimes select norms and how sustainability concepts are used and change, we conduct a quantitative content analysis of important documents specifically related to a critical Earth system, the “World Ocean.” Using the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization’s State of the World’s Fisheries and Aquaculture reports from 1995 to 2016, we find that economic norms have always been dominant, and the use of sustainability concepts has become increasingly growth oriented. Discourses of restraint, relevant to principles of sustainability, are virtually absent. Growth is the central driving concern for the World Ocean Regime, a noncodified, economistic regime that governs the oceans. We conclude that the norms of sustainability have been selected for fitness with the neoliberal political–economic order and a totalizing ideology of growth, and that sustainability concepts are used as a mask to legitimize extractivist goals that are actually not sustainable.

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