scholarly journals Nonsense on the Margins

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balázs Sánta
Keyword(s):  
Speech Acts ◽  
Literary Canon ◽  
Minor Characters ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Critical Insight ◽  
Nicholas Nickleby ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Structural Parallel ◽  
Insight Into

The paper charts certain nuances of the diction of two minor characters in Dickens’s early fiction, Sam Weller from The Pickwick Papers and Mrs Nickleby from Nicholas Nickleby. The paper focuses on what David Ellis calls Sam’s “extended comic comparisons” and Mrs Nickleby’s typical speech acts, called here, by analogy, extended comic recollections. After examining the role both characters’ verbal comedy plays in the novels, the paper invites Jean-Jacques Lecercle’s critical insight into a Victorian genre contemporary to Dickens: nonsense literature. I approach the underlying structural parallel between Sam’s and MrsNickleby’s comic verbal instances with the aid of the definitive trait of nonsense as established by Lecercle, the paradox of excess and lack on different levels of language. Though not arguing for the novels’ inclusion in a nonsense literary canon, I show that Lecercle’s conceptualisation of nonsense linguistics proves useful in making sense of the two characters’ monologues. Their role in each novel may thus be grasped as functional nonsense.

scholarly journals The formation of macroregions as an instrument for reducing intraterritorial disparities: experience of the Ural Federal District

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Arina Valeryevna Suvorova
Keyword(s):  
Regional Policy ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Territorial Development ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
Parameter Variations ◽  
Critical Insight ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Territorial Systems

Economic zoning is an important instrument of regional policy; however, its impact upon solution of the territorial issues of macroregions that are built on other (noneconomic) grounds remains quite ambiguous. This research is dedicated to verification of the hypothesis on possibility of reducing the discrepancy between the parameters of territorial development as a result of their unification into a macroregion, which is formed primarily on the administrative principles. Research methodology leans on assessment of the parameter variations of interterritorial disparities in retrospect; methodological toolset includes the calculation of coefficients that characterize the degree of heterogeneity of cumulative data (coefficients of variation, asymmetry, and excess). The article uses the example of the Ural Federal District. The conducted analysis reveals that the scale of intraterritorial disparities typical for the district at the stage of its formation has not decreased over time; moreover, the difference between the parameters of the development of individual regions has increased. It is proven that the unification of territorial systems solely through administrative transformations does not mitigate the problems of excessive asymmetry of their development; and connectedness of the regions that proceeds from such transformations is often nominal. The acquired conclusions offer a critical insight into the instruments for managing socioeconomic processes in the territories of different levels, and can be taken into account in implementation of the regional policy.

Importance of the Intersection of Library and Information Sciences with Systems Theory

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Lee
Keyword(s):  
System Theory ◽  
General System ◽  
General System Theory ◽  
Von Bertalanffy ◽  
Meta Level ◽  
Professional Field ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Critical Insight ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Information Sciences

This paper is the attempt to show how system theory could provide critical insight into the transdisciplinary field of library and information sciences (LIS). It begins with a discussion on the categorization of library and information sciences as an academic and professional field (or rather, the lack of evidence on the subject) and what is exactly meant by system theory, drawing upon the general system theory established by Ludwig von Bertalanffy. The main conversation of this paper focuses on the inadequacies of current meta-level discussions of LIS and the benefits of general system theory (particularly when considering the exponential rapidity in which information travels) with LIS.

Intimacy as Transgression and the Problem of Freedom

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Kym Maclaren
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Mutual Recognition ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Social Forces ◽  
Critical Insight ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
What Matters

“To consent to love or be loved,” said Merleau-Ponty, “is to consent also to influence someone else, to decide to a certain extent on behalf of the other.” This essay explicates that idea through a meditation on intimacy. I propose, first, that, on Merleau-Ponty’s account, we are always transgressing into each other’s experience, whether we are strangers or familiars; I call this “ontological intimacy.” Concrete experiences of intimacy are based upon this ontological intimacy, and can take place at two levels: (1) at-this-moment (such that we can experience intimacy even with strangers, by sharing a momentary but extra-ordinary mutual recognition) and (2) in shared interpersonal institutions, or habitual, enduring, and co-enacted visions of who we are, how to live, and what matters. Through particular examples of dynamics within these layers of intimacy (drawing upon work by Berne and by Russon), I claim that we are always, inevitably, imposing an “unfreedom” upon our intimate others. Freedom, then, can only develop from within and by virtue of this “unfreedom.” Thus, what distinguishes empowering or emancipating relationships from oppressive ones is not the removal of transgressive normative social forces; it is rather the particular character of those transgressive forces. Some transgressions upon others’ experience—some forms of “unfreedom”—will tend to promote freedom; others will tend to hinder it. This amounts to a call for promoting agency and freedom not only through critical analysis of public institutions, practices and discourses, but also through critical insight into and transformation of our most private and intimate relationships.

Critical Insight into the Attributes of Emerging Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in India and Across the World

Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
Gaurav M. Doshi ◽  
Hemen S. Ved ◽  
Ami P. Thakkar
Keyword(s):  
Review Article ◽  
World Health ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
The World ◽  
Critical Insight ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Old Drugs

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently announced the spread of novel coronavirus (nCoV) globally and has declared it a pandemic. The probable source of transmission of the virus, which is from animal to human and human to human contact, has been established. As per the statistics reported by the WHO on 11th April 2020, data has shown that more than sixteen lakh confirmed cases have been identified globally. The reported cases related to nCoV in India have been rising substantially. The review article discusses the characteristics of nCoV in detail with the probability of potentially effective old drugs that may inhibit the virus. The research may further emphasize and draw the attention of the world towards the development of an effective vaccine as well as alternative therapies. Moreover, the article will help to bridge the gap between the new researchers since it’s the current thrust area of research.

An analysis of pragmatic content in EFL textbooks for young learners in Croatia

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882098693
Author(s):  
Eva Jakupčević ◽  
Mihajla Ćavar Portolan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Insight Into

Pragmatic competence is an essential element of communicative competence, which makes it relevant for speakers of all ages, including young language learners (YLLs). Despite the recognized importance of pragmatics, research of textbooks for adult second language (L2) learners to date has found them lacking in their approach to this key aspect of language. However, there is very little research of pragmatics in textbooks for YLLs, which would provide insight into the extent to which these materials can support teachers in including elements of pragmatic competence into their language classes. The present study aims to fill this gap by determining how much pragmatic content is included in 18 textbooks used in Croatian primary schools with learners aged 9–12 years. The textbooks are compared in regard to the percentage of pages with pragmatic content as well as the different speech acts that receive explicit attention in them. The main finding of the study is the great amount of inconsistency when it comes to the scope and treatment of pragmatic content, with some textbooks proving extremely lacking. The results present a concerning picture as all of the students using these diverse textbooks should be following the same curriculum which emphasizes the development of communicative competence.

scholarly journals Lessons from the study of plant mating systems for exploring the causes and consequences of inbreeding in marine invertebrates

2021 ◽  
Vol 168 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin C. Olsen ◽  
Will H. Ryan ◽  
Ellen T. Kosman ◽  
Jose A. Moscoso ◽  
Don R. Levitan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mating Systems ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Invertebrate Animals ◽  
Plant Mating Systems ◽  
Critical Insight ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractMany benthic marine invertebrates resemble plants in being modular and either sessile or sedentary, and by relying on an external vector to disperse their gametes. These shared features, along with recent evidence of inbreeding in these taxa, suggest that theory and practice bearing on the evolutionary costs and benefits of inbreeding for plants could advance our understanding of the ecology and evolution of invertebrate animals. We describe how the theory for the evolution of inbreeding and outbreeding could apply to benthic invertebrates, identify and compare techniques used to quantify inbreeding in plants and animals, translate relevant botanical concepts and empirical patterns to their zoological equivalents, and articulate predictions for how inbreeding might be associated with major axes of variation in sessile and sedentary marine invertebrates. The theory of inbreeding and outbreeding provides critical insight into major patterns of life-history variation in plants and holds similar promise as a complementary perspective on the evolution of reproductive traits, lifespan, ecological strategies, and dispersal in marine invertebrates. Extending what we have learned from plants to marine invertebrates promises to broaden the general study of mating systems.

scholarly journals Human immunity against EBV—lessons from the clinic

2017 ◽  
Vol 214 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart G. Tangye ◽  
Umaimainthan Palendira ◽  
Emily S.J. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Immune Cell ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Lymphoproliferative Disease ◽  
Barr Virus ◽  
Ebv Infection ◽  
Human Immunity ◽  
Critical Insight ◽  
Epstein Barr ◽  
Mammalian Immune System ◽  
Insight Into

The mammalian immune system has evolved over many millennia to be best equipped to protect the host from pathogen infection. In many cases, host and pathogen have coevolved, each acquiring sophisticated ways of inducing or protecting from disease. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpes virus that infects >90% of individuals. Despite its ubiquity, infection by EBV is often subclinical; this invariably reflects the necessity of the virus to preserve its host, balanced with sophisticated host immune mechanisms that maintain viral latency. However, EBV infection can result in various, and often fatal, clinical sequelae, including fulminant infectious mononucleosis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, lymphoproliferative disease, organomegaly, and/or malignancy. Such clinical outcomes are typically observed in immunosuppressed individuals, with the most extreme cases being Mendelian primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs). Although these conditions are rare, they have provided critical insight into the cellular, biochemical, and molecular requirements for robust and long-lasting immunity against EBV infection. Here, we review the virology of EBV, mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis in PIDs, and developments in immune cell–mediated therapy to treat disorders associated with or induced by EBV infection.

Drawing Light(ning) from the Clouds of Social Aggression

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin K. Willer
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Social Aggression ◽  
Visual Narrative ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Middle School Girls ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
School Girls ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Insight Into

The master narrative about social aggression is that it is devastating for girls. Absent from the narrative, however, are girls' voices and a consideration of the positive benefits that targets might incur. Girls' stories of social aggression can be hard to communicate, as adolescents experience challenges making sense of emotionally difficult events. Using Burke's dramaturgical perspective and visual narrative metaphor method, the present study provided girls with a means of purification or a way of identifying both the devastating and redeeming nature of social aggression, including a sequential move from pollution to redemption. Forty-two middle school girls drew and orally described metaphors representing their negative feelings and positive outcomes associated with an experience of social aggression. The analysis revealed four categories of pollution metaphors and four categories of redemption metaphors, as well as five discourse structures that provided insight into how participants constructed their pollution and redemption narratives.

scholarly journals Cross-Cultural Pragmatic Failure From the Perspective of Politeness

2018 ◽  
pp. 102-114
Author(s):  
Ibtisam Mami ◽  
Radia Attaweel ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Acts ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
English Department ◽  
Direct Relation ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Pragmatic Failure ◽  
Pragmatic Aspects ◽  
Different Levels

The present paper attempts to outline the importance of familiarity of the politeness phenomenon amongst the fifth and seventh semester students of English Department, Misurata University and elaborate its influence on the socio-cultural attitudes and values in different contexts. It focuses on the teachability of pragmatic aspects of English in regard to the speech acts of requests and apologies from the perspective of politeness in the classroom in order to foster the students’ awareness of the phenomenon of politeness and the appropriate strategies according to the context. It also intends to explore the types of strategies of requests and apologies which they use in their English productions and to discover whether there are any significant differences between students’ requests and apologies strategies with respect to their academic levels. The participants are a total of (48) students from two different levels in the English Department. It was found out that students were not aware of the direct relation between language and the phenomenon of politeness. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between students’ requests and apology strategies and their academic levels. The results also revealed the teachability of English pragmatic aspects of both requests and apologies which has led to raising the students’ pragmatic ability in producing polite requests and apologies.

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