Multiculturality and Multimodal Languages

The way by which people communicate each other changes in the different cultures due to the different communicative expectations and depending on their cultural backgrounds. The development of the Internet has caused an increasing use of computer systems by people from different cultures, highlighting the need for interaction systems that adapt the interaction according to the cultural background of the user. This is one of the reasons of the growing research activity that explores how to consider cultural issues during the design of multimodal interaction systems. This chapter is focused on such a challenging topic, proposing a grammatical approach representing multicultural issues in multimodal languages. The approach is based on a grammar, that is able to produce a set of structured sentences, composed of gestural, vocal, audio, graphical symbols, and so on, along with the meaning that these symbols have in the different cultures. This work provides a contribution to the area of mulsemedia research, as it deals with the integration of input produced by multiple human senses and acquired through multiple sensorial media.

Download Full-text

The Directness Levels of Criticism: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Korean and American Youtuber

Script Journal Journal of Linguistic and English Teaching ◽

10.24903/sj.v5i2.496 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 109-119

Author(s):

Aan Anisah Agustini Safari

Keyword(s):

Speech Acts ◽

Speech Act ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Cultural Norms ◽

Cross Culture ◽

Cultural Backgrounds ◽

Cross Cultural Study ◽

Different Cultures ◽

The Way

Background: Different countries may have different cultures that are influenced by their religion, traditions, or norms. These differences affect the way they speak, such as when they are commenting or giving opinions. Due to the way people express speech acts can be varied and lead to misinterpretation because of their differences, the researcher was intrigued to conduct this study. Methodology: This cross-cultural study was carried out to observe and compare the speech act of criticism between Korean and American YouTubers and to investigate the role of their cultural background in influencing the directness level they conveyed. First, the researcher selected three Korean Youtubers and Americans as well with food review content. Second, the researcher watched one video from each channel and took notes on every expression of criticism they used. Findings: The result of this study demonstrates that in American YouTubers speech, direct strategy emerges more frequently than the indirect one. Conversely, Korean YouTubers tend to use the indirect one. The finding also indicates that their speech behavior is related to their cultural norms, in which American culture encourages clear personal opinions, while Korean culture is a restraint to express their opinion or feeling clearly. Conclusion: Due to the considerable difference between Korean and American YouTuber speech, it can be concluded that culture takes a significant part in shaping one’s speech behavior. That is why people with different cultural backgrounds may have different ways of speaking. Keywords: Criticism; cross-culture pragmatic; directness-indirectness.

Download Full-text

Attracting prosocial lenders from different cultures to help others in microlending

Journal of Consumer Marketing ◽

10.1108/jcm-09-2018-2868 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 205-214

Author(s):

JungHwa (Jenny) Hong ◽

Kyung-Ah (Kay) Byun

Keyword(s):

Cultural Differences ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Future Orientation ◽

Cultural Background ◽

Cultural Backgrounds ◽

Content Type ◽

Individualistic Culture ◽

Different Cultures ◽

Moderating Role

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of culture and future orientation in lenders’ prosocial microlending behaviors. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments examine how different cultural backgrounds, either individualistic or collectivistic, influenced microlenders’ prosocial behaviors, including the amount of microlending, the willingness to help and the length of commitment. Further, the moderating role of future orientation among individualists is investigated. Findings Results indicate that cultural differences influence prosocial microlending differently such that individualists give less to people in need compared to collectivists. Further, the author found that future orientation helps lenders in individualistic culture to improve prosocial microlending behaviors. Originality/value This paper emphasizes the role of cultural background and future orientation in promoting lenders’ prosocial giving in the context of microlending. The results assist social marketers to understand how to motivate giving behaviors via microlending among lenders in different cultures depending on future orientation.

Download Full-text

Metonymic Words and Expressions Characteristic of American English

International Journal of English Language Studies ◽

10.32996/ijels.2020.2.4.7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 73-80

Author(s):

Elnara Putayeva

Keyword(s):

American English ◽

Cultural Background ◽

Point Of View ◽

Historical Knowledge ◽

Cultural Backgrounds ◽

Everyday Language ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Characteristic Features ◽

Different Cultures ◽

Precise Expression

When a particular metonymic word or expression is used, it is necessary to have certain cultural and historical knowledge in order to understand what is concealed within these metonymic expressions. Sometimes these metonymic expressions reveal the variety and characteristic features of a culture and give an idea of its being different from others. In the following paper the main intention is to analyze metonymic expressions in American English and to indicate variety that they bring to the speech of language carriers. Metonymy is also used in everyday language in order to give a more colorful and precise expression to ideas. Metonymies are approached as conceptual processes of extension, i.e. they are not so much relationships between words as relationships between concepts. It is interesting to note from a methodological point of view that while research on metaphor, cognitive or otherwise, has been able to focus on its object of matter without necessarily considering metonymy, things are quite different when metonymy comes under analysis. People with resembling cultural backgrounds and many similarities in common may share similar metonymic expressions, but for those who do not have the same cultural background it could sound like a challenge. Metonymy is accordingly a relevant linguistic device that plays a key role in the study of language and culture, and in understanding the speech of people from different cultures. The variety that these expressions cover may range from proper names to names of food and meals.

Download Full-text

Self-Promoting and Modest Job Applicants in Different Cultures

Journal of Personnel Psychology ◽

10.1027/1866-5888/a000034 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 70-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Marianne Schmid Mast ◽

Denise Frauendorfer ◽

Laurence Popovic

Keyword(s):

Cultural Background ◽

Job Applicants ◽

Presentation Style ◽

Interview Situation ◽

French Speaking ◽

Different Cultures

The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of the recruiter’s cultural background on the evaluation of a job applicant’s presentation style (self-promoting or modest) in an interview situation. We expected that recruiters from cultures that value self-promotion (e.g., Canada) will be more inclined to hire self-promoting as compared to modest applicants and that recruiters from cultures that value modesty (e.g., Switzerland) will be less inclined to hire self-promoting applicants than recruiters from cultures that value self-promotion. We therefore investigated 44 native French speaking recruiters from Switzerland and 40 native French speaking recruiters from Canada who judged either a self-promoting or a modest videotaped applicant in terms of hireability. Results confirmed that Canadian recruiters were more inclined to hire self-promoting compared to modest applicants and that Canadian recruiters were more inclined than Swiss recruiters to hire self-promoting applicants. Also, we showed that self-promotion was related to a higher intention to hire because self-promoting applicants are perceived as being competent.

Download Full-text

Watching Birds and People

Fieldwork in Religion ◽

10.1558/fiel2008v2i2.160 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 160-176

Author(s):

Mikael Rothstein

Keyword(s):

Common Ground ◽

Field Work ◽

Personal Knowledge ◽

Mutual Understanding ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

Good Working ◽

Anthropological Field Work ◽

Different Cultures ◽

The Way

This article explores ornithology as a hidden resource in anthropological field work. Relating experiences among the Penan forest nomads of Sarawak, Borneo, the author describes how his personal knowledge of bird life paved the way for good working relations, and even friendship, with the Penan. Representing two very different cultures simple communication between the scholar on duty and the Penan community was difficult indeed, but the birds provided a common ground that enabled the two parties to exchange experiences, knowledge and skills. In certain ways the author's fieldwork-based project relates to the Penan’s religious interpretation of birds, but the article is primarily concerned with the fact that a mutual understanding was created from this common ground, and that our thoughts on fieldwork preparations may be taken further by such experiences.

Download Full-text

“The Fabric of our Lives”

Fieldwork in Religion ◽

10.1558/firn.v4i2.150 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 150-167

Author(s):

Jim McDonnell

Keyword(s):

Information Society ◽

Information Ethics ◽

Media Ecology ◽

The Internet ◽

Active Engagement ◽

Policy Debates ◽

Problematic Area ◽

The Way

This paper is a first attempt to explore how a theology of communication might best integrate and develop reflection on the Internet and the problematic area of the so-called “information society.” It examines the way in which official Church documents on communications have attempted to deal with these issues and proposes elements for a broader framework including “media ecology,” information ethics and more active engagement with the broader social and policy debates.

Download Full-text

A Literature Review On Anti Virus And Its Analysis

Think India ◽

10.26643/think-india.v22i2.8732 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 315-328

Author(s):

Vishal Patel ◽

Pravin H. Bhathawala

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Computer Systems ◽

The Internet ◽

Its Analysis ◽

Internet Users ◽

Online Consumers ◽

Virus Attack

Anti Virus are nasty software’s. It is designed to damage computer systems without the knowledge of the owner using the system and technique advancements are posing big challenges for researchers in both academia and the industry. The purpose of this study is to examine the available literatures on Anti Virus analysis and to determine how research has evolved and advanced in terms of quantity, content and publication outlets. Most Anti Virus programs are large and complex and one can’t possibly understand every detail. Educating the internet users about Anti Virus attack, as well as the implementation and proper application of anti-Anti Virus tools, are critical steps in protecting the identities of online consumers against Anti Virus attacks.

Download Full-text