Structural consequences of cyclical change for marginal group employment

In Sweden and many other countries, young people and immigrants are facing increasing difficulties in finding employment. We suggest that the decline in employment prospects for marginal groups to a significant extent can be explained by skill upgrading and over-education. In two recent papers focusing on youth and immigrants, respectively, we find support for these hypotheses. The present paper examines how the long-term evolution of youth male employment is linked to cyclical economic change, and in particular to recessions. We base our empirical analyses on data from 31 OECD countries, 1970 to 2018. A basic hypothesis we aim to test is whether the distribution of cyclical points around the line of long-run evolution of general employment has a vertically asymmetrical pattern with respect to marginal employment, such that the relative employment rate of marginal groups declines more in economic downturns (recessions) than it rises in economic upturns. If this asymmetry occurs systematically (repeatedly) over extended periods of time, cyclical change will have structural effects. We find support for this hypothesis based on our analysis of youth male employment. We suggest that two kinds of mechanism are at work in the interaction between cyclical and structural change. The first mechanism is operating from the structure to the cycle: low-skill jobs become increasingly unviable economically, but only slowly and gradually until a marked loss in general demand triggers significant employment decline tilted toward low-skill jobs. Restructuring of work organizations in the wake of the recession makes the return of low-skill jobs in the recovery less than complete. The second kind of mechanism operates in the other direction, i.e., from the cycle to the structure: the rate of educational expansion typically accelerates in recessions. This will in turn speed up the rate of over-education which tends to have a negative impact on marginal employment. We provide descriptive empirical evidence indicating that both these mechanisms are indeed active. In sum, recessions accelerate upward shifts in the skill structure that in turn depress the labor market prospects of male youth, with both links in the chain being of a lasting rather than temporary kind.

Semasiological cyclicity in the evolution of discourse markers

This study addresses the evolution of the Sicilian discourse marker mentri to explore the concept of cyclicity in semantic–pragmatic change. Stemming from Latin dŭm ĭntĕrim (‘while, in the meantime’), the temporal conjunction develops – like its Romance cognates – an adversative function meaning ‘whereas’, which further evolves from an oppositional to a counter-expectational contrast value meaning ‘though’. The latter serves as a bridging context for the emergence of discourse-pragmatic uses and is examined below. Mentri evolves as discourse marker: formally, it gains greater syntactic and positional independence, and it increases in scope; functionally, it displays both textual and interpersonal values. In its overall path, mentri shows a cyclical change in respect to the adversative function: oppositional contrast emerges out of the temporal meaning, it then develops into counter-expectation, and it eventually fades into the discourse-pragmatic values. The rise of mentri as a discourse marker is thus interpreted as a case of cyclicity from a semasiological perspective.

Semantics of the image of an eagle in the traditional culture of Sakha

The article is focuses on the analysis of various meanings of the image of the eagle in the Sakha culture. It addresses of the presence of the “zoomorphic code” in traditional Yakut culture. The significance of the ornithological pantheon, including the Siberian Crane, swan, and other zoomorphic characters of the Yakut world picture, is determines. The main focus in the article is on the spectrum of meanings of the image of the eagle, including the perception of this bird as: one of the supreme deities, the king-bird; the warrior spirit of the Upper World, named Hunchbacked Hotoy (Eagle) Aiyy; principles legitimizing power; like a bird giving a stone of happiness; a fairy bird Bar Jagyl; a solar symbol associated not only with the sun but also with the cyclical change of seasons; as the ancestor and patron of the Yakut shamans; as the two-headed mythical bird Yoksyu; as a messenger of the spirit of war; patrimonial, sexual and individual totem; a heraldic image; as a personification of victory; amulets; the bird that gave people fi re; an oracular bird; as a form of embodiment of the soul of the deceased, going to heaven, etc. Fixed connotations of the eagle’s image are coupled with numerous examples from epic texts, legends, tales and songs. Modern interpretations of the image of the eagle, genetically related to the traditional sphere of the Yakut culture are dealt separately

Cyclical change and problems of projection

In diachronic change, specifiers are reanalysed as heads and heads as higher heads. When the older specifiers and heads are renewed, a linguistic cycle emerges. Explanations provided for these cycles include structural and featural economy (e.g. van Gelderen 2004; 2011). Chomsky’s (2013, 2015) focus on labelling as unconnected to merge makes it possible to see the cycles in another way, namely as resolutions to labelling problems. The Labelling Algorithm (LA) operates after merge is complete, when a syntactic derivation is transferred to the interfaces. When a head and a phrase merge, the LA determines that the head is the label by Minimal Search. Where two phrases merge, the LA cannot find the head and one of the phrases has to either move or share features with the other. This chapter argues that, in addition to Chomsky’s resolutions to labelling paradoxes, reanalysing a phrase as a head also resolves the paradox. It also shows that the third factor principle minimal search is preferable over feature-sharing. The change from phrase to head is frequent, as eight cross-linguistically attested changes show. In addition, in the renewal stage of a cycle, adjuncts are frequently incorporated as arguments showing a preference of set-merge (feature-sharing) over pair-merge.

Cycling through diachrony

The notion of ‘linguistic cycle’ has long been recognized as being relevant to the description of many processes of language change. This introduction deals with different phenomena of cyclical change, making clear that while grammaticalization is one area where cyclical change can be found, it is not the only one. The chapter provides an overview of the theoretical literature about cyclical change, with particular emphasis on a diachronic generative approach. It contextualizes the chapters in this volume against the background of this literature, and groups them into more theoretical and more empirical contributions, addressing cyclical changes in both the nominal and the clausal domains.

Cycles in Language Change

The notion of ‘linguistic cycle’ has long been recognized as being relevant to the descriptions of many processes of language change. In a process known as grammaticalization, a given linguistic form loses its lexical meaning as well as some of its phonological content, and then gradually weakens, until it ultimately vanishes. This process of change becomes cyclic when the grammaticalized form is replaced by an innovative item, which can develop along exactly the same pathway. This volume unites thirteen chapters which address aspects of cyclical change from a wide variety of empirical perspectives. Couched in the generative framework, the contributions to this book bear witness to the rapidly growing interest among Chomskyan syntacticians in the phenomenon of grammaticalization. Topics touched upon include, but are not limited to, the diachrony of negation (in the context of, but also beyond, Jespersen’s Cycle), the syntax of determiners and pronominal clitics, the internal structure of wh-words and logical operators, cyclical changes in argument structure, and the relationship between morphology and syntax. One conclusion that transpires is that the correlation between cyclical change and grammaticalization—though undeniable—is perhaps less strong than sometimes assumed. Given its emphasis on empirical data description and theoretical analysis, Cycles in Language Change will be of interest to historical linguists working in formal and usage-based frameworks, and more broadly to scholars interested in language variation and change.

Reflecties op participatief actieonderzoek binnen RAAK!Ervaringsdeskundigheid

Participatory Action Research on and with experiential expertise Some of the principles of participatory action research raise questions and concerns when conducting PAR. In this article we reflect on three of these principles: cyclical change and learning, co-ownership of the research and generalizability of results. Our own PAR research on the introduction of experiential expertise in mental health practice forms the case for the reflections. We conclude that PAR asks for flexibility, good observation skills for things that arise and courage to use ways other than the usual ways to analyze or present results.