scholarly journals The Objective and Subjective Ethnolinguistic Vitality of West Frisian: Promotion and Perception of a Minority Language in the Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Helga Kuipers-Zandberg ◽  
Ruth Kircher
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Language Planning ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Minority Language ◽  
Linguistic Landscape ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Subjective Vitality ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Ethnolinguistic Vitality ◽  
The North

SummaryThe study presented here is the first contemporary investigation of the subjective compared to the objective ethnolinguistic vitality of West Frisian. West Frisian is a minority language spoken in the province of Fryslân, in the north of the Netherlands. The objective ethnolinguistic vitality of the language was established on the basis of policy documents and statistical data. To investigate the subjective ethnolinguistic vitality of the language, rich qualitative data were gathered by means of a questionnaire, which – due to low literacy rates – was administered to West Frisian speakers (N=15) in person. The primarily open-ended items in the questionnaire targeted different aspects of the three main socio-structural factors that constitute the ethnolinguistic vitality of a language: that is, status, demography, and institutional support. Content analysis was performed on the questionnaire data, using rounds of deductive and inductive coding and analysis. The results suggest that West Frisian has a certain amount of vitality, which constitutes a good basis for language planning to ensure its continued maintenance. Moreover, the findings indicate that overall, the subjective vitality tallies with the objective vitality in terms of status, demography, and institutional support. However, two aspects raised concern among the participants: firstly, as part of the status of West Frisian, there was concern about the language's presence in the linguistic landscape (where subjective vitality matched objective vitality, but participants explicitly expressed the desire for a more persistent and pervasive presence of the language in public spaces); and secondly, as part of the institutional support for West Frisian, there was concern about the role of the language in the education system (where subjective vitality did not match objective vitality). The article discusses what implications the findings of this exploratory study – should they hold true – would have for language planning in the province of Fryslân.

scholarly journals The role of majority and minority language input in the early development of a bilingual vocabulary

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
JELSKE DIJKSTRA ◽  
FOLKERT KUIKEN ◽  
RENÉ J. JORNA ◽  
EDWIN L. KLINKENBERG
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Early Development ◽  
Minority Language ◽  
Language Minority ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Home Language ◽  
The North ◽  
Language Input

The current longitudinal study investigated the role of home language and outside home exposure in the development of Dutch and Frisian vocabulary by young bilinguals. Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north of the Netherlands. In three successive test rounds, 91 preschoolers were tested in receptive and productive vocabulary in both languages. Results showed a home language effect for Frisian receptive and productive vocabulary, and Dutch productive vocabulary, but not for Dutch receptive vocabulary. As for outside home exposure, an effect was found on the receptive vocabulary tests only. The results can be explained by the amount of L2-input that participants received. The Dutch input is higher for participants with Frisian as home language compared to the Frisian input for participants with Dutch as home language. The conclusions lead to further implications for language professionals working in language minority contexts.

The linguistic landscape of multilingual picturebooks

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-301
Author(s):  
Nicola Daly
Keyword(s):  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Language Attitudes ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Minority Language ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Linguistic Landscape ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Ethnolinguistic Vitality ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
The World

Abstract We often talk about ‘entering another world’ when we read a book. In this article it is argued that the way in which languages are presented in a picturebook can be seen as a linguistic landscape within the wider linguistic landscape of the world we are in. Previous studies of the linguistic landscape of bilingual picturebooks have shown that minority languages are afforded less space. In this article the linguistic landscape of 24 multilingual picturebooks from the Internationale Jugendbibliothek (Munich, Germany) are analysed. Findings show that languages given dominance in terms of order, size, and information mostly reflect the sociolinguistic setting in which these books are published, replicating power structures and potentially having negative implications for the ethnolinguistic vitality of minority language groups and their language maintenance or revitalisation. The potential effect on readers’ developing language attitudes is also explored.

Ethnolinguistic Identity and Television Use in a Minority Language Setting

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 135-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake Harwood ◽  
Laszlo Vincze
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Minority Language ◽  
German Language ◽  
Tv Viewing ◽  
School Students ◽  
Ethnolinguistic Vitality ◽  
Ethnolinguistic Identity ◽  
Television Use

Based on the model of Reid, Giles and Abrams (2004 , Zeitschrift für Medienpsychologie, 16, 17–25), this paper describes and analyzes the relation between television use and ethnolinguistic-coping strategies among German speakers in South Tyrol, Italy. The data were collected among secondary school students (N = 415) in 2011. The results indicated that the television use of the students was dominated by the German language. A mediation analysis revealed that TV viewing contributed to the perception of ethnolinguistic vitality, the permeability of intergroup boundaries, and status stability, which in turn affected ethnolinguistic-coping strategies of mobility (moving toward the outgroup), creativity (maintaining identity without confrontation), and competition (fighting for ingroup rights and respect). Findings and theoretical implications are discussed.

Rhineland on the Way to its Thousandth Anniversary or Water-Administration in the Next 100–200 Years

1991 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 49-55
Author(s):  
E. H. baron van Tuyll van Serooskerken
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Land Utilization ◽  
Water Control ◽  
Coastal Defence ◽  
The North ◽  
Policies And Measures ◽  
Water Provision ◽  
Water Administration

An inventory is made of the effects of sea level rise and expected climatic change on the level of the district water authorities in the Netherlands and especially the “hoogheemraadschap” of Rhineland in the next 100-200 years. Special attention is paid to the effects on land utilization, coastal defence and water control. The first is hard to describe by lack of research, the second can already be determined in terms of cost; the third can be described in its effects on brackishness and water provision with indication of policies and measures to be taken. Preliminary conclusions are that larger efforts on coastal defence - even with present techniques - will be a realistic answer in terms of cost. The foreseen increase of brackishness in area and salt concentration, will give a significant extra need for fresh water. High cost and even higher risks have to be expected with regard to measures to neutralize the effects of a water surplus in winter and a growing water shortage in (late) summer, while the cost will further grow. Because of the effect a larger area must be drained off and water has to be raised higher as the Netherlands will sink in relation to the North Sea.

scholarly journals Palynological indications for Silurian – earliest Devonian age strata in the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander J.P. Houben ◽  
Geert-Jan Vis
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Core Material ◽  
Late Devonian ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
The South ◽  
Early Devonian ◽  
The North ◽  
Depositional Settings ◽  
Palynological Study ◽  
Devonian Age

Abstract Knowledge of the stratigraphic development of pre-Carboniferous strata in the subsurface of the Netherlands is very limited, leaving the lithostratigraphic nomenclature for this time interval informal. In two wells from the southwestern Netherlands, Silurian strata have repeatedly been reported, suggesting that these are the oldest ever recovered in the Netherlands. The hypothesised presence of Silurian-aged strata has not been tested by biostratigraphic analysis. A similar lack of biostratigraphic control applies to the overlying Devonian succession. We present the results of a palynological study of core material from wells KTG-01 and S05-01. Relatively low-diversity and poorly preserved miospore associations were recorded. These, nonetheless, provide new insights into the regional stratigraphic development of the pre-Carboniferous of the SW Netherlands. The lower two cores from well KTG-01 are of a late Silurian (Ludlow–Pridoli Epoch) to earliest Devonian (Lochkovian) age, confirming that these are the oldest sedimentary strata ever recovered in the Netherlands. The results from the upper cored section from the pre-Carboniferous succession in well KTG-01 and the cored sections from the pre-Carboniferous succession in well S05-01 are more ambiguous. This inferred Devonian succession is, in the current informal lithostratigraphy of the Netherlands, assigned to the Banjaard group and its subordinate Bollen Claystone formation, of presumed Frasnian (i.e. early Late Devonian) age. Age-indicative Middle to Late Devonian palynomorphs were, however, not recorded, and the overall character of the poorly preserved palynological associations in wells KTG-01 and S05-01 may also suggest an Early Devonian age. In terms of lithofacies, however, the cores in well S05-01 can be correlated to the upper Frasnian – lower Famennian Falisolle Formation in the Campine Basin in Belgium. Hence, it remains plausible that an unconformity separates Silurian to Lower Devonian strata from Upper Devonian (Frasnian–Famennian) strata in the SW Netherlands. In general, the abundance of miospore associations points to the presence of a vegetated hinterland and a relatively proximal yet relatively deep marine setting during late Silurian and Early Devonian times. This differs markedly from the open marine depositional settings reported from the Brabant Massif area to the south in present-day Belgium, suggesting a sediment source to the north. The episodic presence of reworked (marine) acritarchs of Ordovician age suggests the influx of sedimentary material from uplifted elements on the present-day Brabant Massif to the south, possibly in relation to the activation of a Brabant Arch system.

scholarly journals Does natural selection favour taller stature among the tallest people on earth?

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1806) ◽  
pp. 20150211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gert Stulp ◽  
Louise Barrett ◽  
Felix C. Tropf ◽  
Melinda Mills
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Child Survival ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Tall Stature ◽  
Age At First Birth ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
The North ◽  
Rate Of Increase

The Dutch are the tallest people on earth. Over the last 200 years, they have grown 20 cm in height: a rapid rate of increase that points to environmental causes. This secular trend in height is echoed across all Western populations, but came to an end, or at least levelled off, much earlier than in The Netherlands. One possibility, then, is that natural selection acted congruently with these environmentally induced changes to further promote tall stature among the people of the lowlands. Using data from the LifeLines study, which follows a large sample of the population of the north of The Netherlands ( n = 94 516), we examined how height was related to measures of reproductive success (as a proxy for fitness). Across three decades (1935–1967), height was consistently related to reproductive output (number of children born and number of surviving children), favouring taller men and average height women. This was despite a later age at first birth for taller individuals. Furthermore, even in this low-mortality population, taller women experienced higher child survival, which contributed positively to their increased reproductive success. Thus, natural selection in addition to good environmental conditions may help explain why the Dutch are so tall.

scholarly journals Spatial variation in porosity and permeability of the Rupel Clay Member in the Netherlands

2016 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanneke Verweij ◽  
Geert-Jan Vis ◽  
Elke Imberechts
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Burial Depth ◽  
Southeastern Part ◽  
Boom Clay ◽  
The North ◽  
Sealing Capacity ◽  
Porosity And Permeability ◽  
Permeability Data

AbstractThe spatial distribution of porosity and permeability of the Rupel Clay Member is of key importance to evaluate the spatial variation of its sealing capacity and groundwater flow condition. There are only a limited number of measured porosity and permeability data of the Rupel Clay Member in the onshore Netherlands and these data are restricted to shallow depths in the order of tens of metres below surface. Grain sizes measured by laser diffraction and SediGraph® in samples of the Rupel Clay Member taken from boreholes spread across the country were used to generate new porosity and permeability data for the Rupel Clay Member located at greater burial depth. Effective stress and clay content are important parameters in the applied grain-size based calculations of porosity and permeability.The calculation method was first tested on measured data of the Belgian Boom Clay. The test results showed good agreement between calculated permeability and measured hydraulic conductivity for depths exceeding 200m.The spatial variation in lithology, heterogeneity and also burial depth of the Rupel Clay Member in the Netherlands are apparent in the variation of the calculated permeability. The samples from the north of the country consist almost entirely of muds and as a consequence show little lithology-related variation in permeability. The vertical variation in permeability in the more heterogeneous Rupel Clay Member in the southern and east-southeastern part of the country can reach several orders of magnitude due to increased permeability of the coarser-grained layers.

Assessment of the representation of non-resource export priorities in the conceptual documents of the NWFD region

2021 ◽  
pp. 743-760
Author(s):  
Pavel Leonidovich Glukhikh
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Scientific Concept ◽  
The North ◽  
Export Strategy ◽  
Russian Economy ◽  
Target Indicator ◽  
First Time

The problem of dependence of the Russian economy on raw materials remains. The growth of non-primary non-energy exports was approved as one of the priorities in Russia. Updating the national project increases the importance of its institutional support in legislation. The question arises of the sufficiency of institutional reflection of non-resource exports. The purpose of the article is to generalize approaches to the priorities of non-resource exports, to develop methodological tools and to assess the representation of the topic in conceptual documents on the example of the regions of the North-Western Federal District. The research methodology is based on the content analysis of documents using the Istio service. The basis of the study was the conceptual documents of the NWFD regions with export topics. The categories of non-primary exports are highlighted. The socio-economic Development Strategy is the main document approving the region’s non-resource exports. A research program and methodological support for assessing the representation of non-primary exports in documents have been developed. The differences in the institutional support of non-primary exports are revealed. Of the 11 regions, 8 contain a target indicator of non-primary non-energy exports. Kaliningrad and Murmansk oblasts are recommended to include it in the Strategy in order to form institutional support for overcoming the problem of commodity dependence. A classification of regional documents providing institutional support for the export strategy has been developed. For the first time, the assessment contains scientific novelty and can help to understand the need to form a scientific concept of non-resource exports.

scholarly journals Interprofessional collaboration among care professionals in obstetrical care: are perceptions aligned?

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Romijn ◽  
Pim W Teunissen ◽  
Martine C de Bruijne ◽  
Cordula Wagner ◽  
Christianne J M de Groot
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Interprofessional Collaboration ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Communication Accommodation ◽  
Obstetrical Care ◽  
The North ◽  
Ensure Patient Safety

BackgroundIn an obstetrical team, obstetricians, midwives and nurses work together in a dynamic and complex care setting. Different professional cultures can be a barrier for effective interprofessional collaboration. Although the different professional cultures in obstetrical care are well known, little is understood about discrepancies in mutual perceptions of collaboration. Similar perceptions of collaboration are important to ensure patient safety. We aimed to understand how different care professionals in an obstetrical team assess interprofessional collaboration in order to gain insight into the extent to which their perceptions are aligned.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed in the north-western region of the Netherlands. Care professionals from five hospitals and surrounding primary-care midwifery practices were surveyed. The respondents consisted of four groups of care professionals: obstetricians (n=74), hospital-based midwives known as clinical midwives (n=42), nurses (n=154) and primary-care midwives (n=109). The overall response rate was 80.8%. We used the Interprofessional Collaboration Measurement Scale (IPCMS) to assess perceived interprofessional collaboration. The IPCMS distinguishes three subscales: communication, accommodation and isolation. Data were analysed using non-parametrical tests.ResultsOverall, ratings of interprofessional collaboration were good. Obstetricians rated their collaboration with clinical midwives, nurses and primary-care midwives more positively than these three groups rated the collaboration with obstetricians. Discrepancies in mutual perceptions were most apparent in the isolation subscale, which is about sharing opinions, discussing new practices and respecting each other.ConclusionWe found relevant discrepancies in mutual perceptions of collaboration in obstetrical care in the Netherlands. Obstetrical care is currently being reorganised to enable more integrated care, which will have consequences for interprofessional collaboration. The findings of this study indicate opportunities for improvement especially in terms of perceived isolation.

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