734 research outputs found

    Roteiros de pensamento: Gráficos existenciais e ideografia chinesa

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    Chinese traditional characters share with Peirce’s existential graphs the fact of being endowed with an object-language that they describe through a nonlinear syntax and in an iconic way. Here iconicity is not restricted to images and perceptive similarity since diagrams and graphic metaphors are iconic too. The graphs are shown to be a borderland between Western traditional logic and Chinese traditional writing and culture, so the écart (Jullien’s concept for cultural distance) between characters and graphs is preserved even though graphs break with the Western prejudice in favor of conventionality at the expense of iconicity in logical systems. The take-home lesson for the study of writing systems is to substitute the orality-writing duality with the interplay among orality, writing, and pictures thus shifting from a linguistic typology to a semiotic one.Os caracteres tradicionais chineses compartilham com os gráficos existenciais de Peirce o fato de serem dotados de uma linguagem-objeto que eles descrevem por meio de uma sintaxe não linear e de forma icônica. Aqui, a iconicidade não se restringe às imagens e à semelhança perceptiva, pois os diagramas e as metáforas gráficas também são icônicos. Os gráficos são mostrados como uma fronteira entre a lógica tradicional ocidental e a escrita e cultura tradicionais chinesas, de modo que o écart (conceito de Jullien para distância cultural) entre caracteres e gráficos é preservado, embora os gráficos rompam com o preconceito ocidental em favor da convencionalidade em detrimento da iconicidade nos sistemas lógicos. A lição que fica para o estudo dos sistemas de escrita é substituir a dualidade oralidade-escrita pela interação entre oralidade, escrita e imagens, passando assim de uma tipologia linguística para uma semiótica

    Ditransitives in germanic languages. Synchronic and diachronic aspects

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    This volume brings together twelve empirical studies on ditransitive constructions in Germanic languages and their varieties, past and present. Specifically, the volume includes contributions on a wide variety of Germanic languages, including English, Dutch, and German, but also Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian, as well as lesser-studied ones such as Faroese. While the first part of the volume focuses on diachronic aspects, the second part showcases a variety of synchronic aspects relating to ditransitive patterns. Methodologically, the volume covers both experimental and corpus-based studies. Questions addressed by the papers in the volume are, among others, issues like the cross-linguistic pervasiveness and cognitive reality of factors involved in the choice between different ditransitive constructions, or differences and similarities in the diachronic development of ditransitives. The volume’s broad scope and comparative perspective offers comprehensive insights into well-known phenomena and furthers our understanding of variation across languages of the same family

    Política lingüística en Luxemburgo y en la Comunidad germanófona de Bélgica: Ideologías lingüísticas

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    The language policy discourses of Luxembourg and the German-speaking Community of Belgium (GC) exhibit fundamental differences, yet interesting similarities that so far have not been subject to a discourse analysis from a mixed framework of linguistic anthropology and discourse linguistics (Diskurslinguistik). On the basis of a corpus consisting of current language policy texts and semi-structured interviews with key actors involved in current policy design and implementation, this research aims to answer the question regarding the interplay of ideology and discourse in the design and implementation of the language policy of Luxembourg and the GC. The bulk of the analysis is made up of three layers for each case. Starting point of the analysis is a historical overview that identifies ideologies and language policy discourses that emerged, predominated, and transformed from the 19th century until the 21st century in each case. The second layer is a discourse analysis of current language policy texts with a focus on the ideologies informing current discourses about Luxembourgish in Luxembourg and German in the GC. Finally, the third layer is a discourse analysis of interview extracts with equal focus on ideologies. Through a combined thematic and discourse analysis based on the social semiotics of language, this research provides a description of the discursive patterns of the linguistic structure of passages of each text and interview with the aim of linking these patterns to the identified ideologies that inform the policy discourses. It was found that the connecting node between Luxembourg and the GC lies in the tension between the two themes of standardization and multilingualism. It is shown that standardization and multilingualism are thematic centers from which discourses about language, identity, and nation emanate in these two cases. Through the combination of the historical overview and the meticulous analysis of discursive patterns identified in the linguistic structure of language policy texts and interview extracts, it is not only shown how ideology informs current language policy discourses in Luxembourg and the GC, but also why language policy discourses transform or sediment through time

    Complexity Science in Human Change

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    This reprint encompasses fourteen contributions that offer avenues towards a better understanding of complex systems in human behavior. The phenomena studied here are generally pattern formation processes that originate in social interaction and psychotherapy. Several accounts are also given of the coordination in body movements and in physiological, neuronal and linguistic processes. A common denominator of such pattern formation is that complexity and entropy of the respective systems become reduced spontaneously, which is the hallmark of self-organization. The various methodological approaches of how to model such processes are presented in some detail. Results from the various methods are systematically compared and discussed. Among these approaches are algorithms for the quantification of synchrony by cross-correlational statistics, surrogate control procedures, recurrence mapping and network models.This volume offers an informative and sophisticated resource for scholars of human change, and as well for students at advanced levels, from graduate to post-doctoral. The reprint is multidisciplinary in nature, binding together the fields of medicine, psychology, physics, and neuroscience

    The semantics of English -ment nominalizations

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    Synopsis: It is well-known that derivational affixes can be highly polysemous, producing a range of different, often related, meanings. For example, English deverbal nouns with the suffix -er can denote instruments (opener), agents (writer), locations (diner), or patients (loaner). It is commonly assumed that this polysemy arises through a compositional process in which the affix interacts with the semantics of the base. Yet, despite intensive research in recent years, a workable model for this interaction is still under debate. In order to study and model the semantic contributions of the base and of the affix, a framework is needed in which meanings can be composed and decomposed. In this book, I formalize the semantic input and output of derivation by means of frames, that is, recursive attribute-value structures that serve to model mental representations of concepts. In my approach, the input frame offers an array of semantic elements from which an affix may select to construct the derivative's meaning. The relationship between base and derivative is made explicit by integrating their respective frame-semantic representations into lexical rules and inheritance hierarchies. I apply this approach to a qualitative corpus study of the productive relationship between the English nominalizing suffix -ment and a semantically delimited set of verbal bases. My data set consists of 40 neologisms with base verbs from two semantic classes, namely change-of-state verbs and verbs of psychological state. I analyze 369 attestations which were elicited from various corpora with a purposeful sampling approach, and which were hand-coded using common semantic categories such as event, state, patient and stimulus. My results show that -ment can target a systematically restricted set of elements in the frame of a given base verb. It thereby produces a range of possible readings in each derivative, which becomes ultimately interpretable only within a specific context. The derivational process is governed by an interaction of the semantic elements provided by the base on the one hand, with properties of the affix (e.g. -ment's aversion to [+animate] readings) on the other. For instance, a shift from the verb annoy to a result-state reading in annoyment is possible because the input frame of verbs of psychological state offers a RESULT-STATE attribute, which, as is fixed in the inheritance hierarchy, is compatible with -ment. Meanwhile, a shift from annoy to an experiencer reading in annoyment fails because the value range of the attribute EXPERIENER is fixed to [+animate] entities, so that -ment's animacy constraint blocks the inheritance mechanism. Furthermore, a quantitative exploration of my data set reveals a likely blocking effect for some -ment readings. Thus, while I have found most expected combinations of nominalization and reading attested, there are pronounced gaps for readings like instrument or stimulus. Such readings are likely to be produced by standardly subject-denoting suffixes such as -er or -ant, which may reduce the probability for -ment derivation. The quantitative analysis furthermore shows that, within the subset of attested combinations, ambiguity is widespread, with 43% of all combinations of nominalization and reading being only attested ambiguously. This book shows how a derivational process acts on the semantics of a given verbal base by reporting on an in-depth qualitative study of the semantic contributions of both the base and the affix. Furthermore, it demonstrates that an explicit semantic decomposition of the base is essential for the analysis of the resulting derivative's semantics

    Translanguaging for Equal Opportunities : Speaking Romani at School

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    This multi-authored monograph, located in the intersection of translanguaging research and Romani studies, offers a state-of-the-art analysis of the ways in which translanguaging supports bilingual Roma students’ learning in monolingual school systems. Complete with a video repository of translanguaging classroom moments, this comprehensive study is based on long-term participatory ethnographic research and a pedagogical implementation project undertaken in Hungary and Slovakia by a group of primary teachers, bilingual Roma participants, and researchers. Co-written by academic and non-academic participants, the book is an essential reading for researchers, pre- and in-service teachers of Romani-speaking students, and experts working with collaborators (learners, informants, activists) whose home languages are excluded from mainstream education and school curricula

    What does it mean to be asemiotic?

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    Sebbene alcuni ricercatori considerino la semiotica un approccio epistemologico universale (Gaines, 2015), definire qualcosa “asemiotico” può essere difficile. Tuttavia, è possibile trovare una tale caratterizzazione nelle opere dei semiologi. Ad esempio, i cofondatori della scuola semiotica di Tartu, Yuri M. Lotman e Boris A. Uspensky, sostengono che l'asemiotico è il modo in cui il nome proprio funziona nella coscienza mitologica (Lotman; Uspensky, 1973). Questa caratterizzazione si ritrova anche nei lavori di altri studiosi, ma lo studio dell'“asemiotico” continua a essere un'area marginale negli studi semiotici. Poiché la “semiotica” (legata alla semiotica) è definita in modo diverso nei quadri teorici, anche l'“asemiotica” non mantiene lo stesso significato. In altre parole, l'asemiotico postula l'assenza del semiotico nel senso in cui lo studioso intende la semiotica. Altrimenti, una coerenza teorica incompatibile può portare a un'imprecisione metodologica. Questo può accadere se la semiotica viene percepita come una teoria unificata. Pertanto, sebbene non sia un termine comunemente accettato, “asemiotico” può avere significati diversi a seconda della prospettiva. In questo articolo esamineremo l'uso di “asemiotico” nelle opere di Guattari e Deleuze (1987), Nöth (1995, 2000), Lotman e Uspensky e cercheremo di individuare dove gli studiosi ricorrono all'uso di "asemiotico" nel loro lavoro. Si possono trovare diversi approcci di utilizzo, da strumento ausiliario a metodo di interpretazione, fino a concetto centrale.Although some researchers consider semiotics as a universal epistemological approach (Gaines, 2015), calling something ‘asemiotic’ may be challenging. However, one can find such characteristics in semioticians' work. For example, Tartu semiotic school cofounders Juri M. Lotman and Boris A. Uspensky argue that asemiotic is a way how proper name functions within mythological consciousness (Lotman; Uspensky, 1973). Despite the fact that this characteristics may be found in other scholars‘ works, research of ‘asemiotic’ continues to be a marginal field in semiotic studies.Since the ‘semiotic’ (related to semiotics) is determined in theoretical frameworks in different ways, the ‘asemiotic’ similarly does not stick to one meaning . In other words, asemiotic postulates the absence of the semiotic in the sense in which the scholar understands the semiotics. Otherwise, incompatibility of the theoretical sequence may lead to methodological inaccuracy. This may happen when one perceives semiotics as a unified theory. Thus, while it is not an accepted term, ‘asemiotic’ may have different meanings depending on the perspective. This research will delve into, the use of ‘asemiotic’ in the works of Guattari and Deleuze (1987), Nöth (1995, 2000) and Lotman and Uspensky as well as try to identify the case when scholars resort to using ‘asemiotic’ in their works. One may find different approaches of use, from the auxiliary instrument through the method of interpretation to the core concept

    With respect to consent: The language of sex education

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    Comprehensive sex education contributes to positive health and social outcomes, including decreasing rates of sexually transmitted infections and increasing acceptance of gender and sexuality diversity (UNESCO 2018a). While there is extensive evidence that sex education accomplishes these outcomes, little is known about how they are achieved. This thesis seeks to describe what actually goes on inside sex education classrooms. The data for this study are 30 hours of video recordings of Year 9 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) lessons on sex education delivered at an all-girls school in Sydney. In particular, this thesis describes the pedagogy of consent and respect. It shows that consent is taught through a process called technicalisation. Evaluative meanings such as wanting sex or feeling afraid are discharged, instead foregrounding the legal definition of consent. In the assessment task, students must demonstrate their understanding of both the legal definition of consent and the evaluative meanings that underpin it. By contrast, respect is taught through a process called iconisation. Respect hypercharges evaluative meanings, functioning as something you do (you respect the other person), something you are (we are respectful to each other) and an abstract concept (respect is really important). The process of iconisation discharges ideational meaning and neutralises the field, making respect something that applies to all people and situations. This thesis draws on a range of Systemic Functional Linguistic tools including APPRAISAL (Martin & White 2005), field (Doran & Martin 2021) and genre (Martin & Rose 2008). It builds on existing work on technicality (Wignell et al. 1993; Martin 2017a) and bonding icons (Stenglin 2004), describing the complementary processes of technicalising and iconising attitudinal meanings through what will be called distilling and instilling. It consolidates this into a typology of highly condensed meanings that ‘do the heavy lifting’ of building fields and communities

    The expected AI as a sociocultural construct and its impact on the discourse on technology

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    The thesis introduces and criticizes the discourse on technology, with a specific reference to the concept of AI. The discourse on AI is particularly saturated with reified metaphors which drive connotations and delimit understandings of technology in society. To better analyse the discourse on AI, the thesis proposes the concept of “Expected AI”, a composite signifier filled with historical and sociocultural connotations, and numerous referent objects. Relying on cultural semiotics, science and technology studies, and a diverse selection of heuristic concepts, the thesis delves beneath the surface of AI discourse and demonstrates the hidden political, social, cultural, and ecological dangers of AI. The entanglement of the discourse(s) with (science) fiction, folklore, myth, and religion impacts how AI is perceived and received, as well as the expectations to AI-enabled technologies now and in the future. The thesis also proposes a more ethical and comprehensive ontological model for AI systems. The model describes AI systems as complex figurations, considering their socio-material organisation, global economic-material becoming, and impact on the environment, social institutions, and the semiosphere. The dissertation argues that AI should be understood not just as an object or sociotechnical system, but as its entire product chain encompassing people and cultures, as well as the used resources and impact (both material-ecological and semiotic) on a planetary scale

    Weak reasoning argumentative theory. A dialogical approach for the discovery of philosophy in high schools

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    In the literature on philosophical practices, despite the crucial role that argumentation plays in these activities, no specific argumentative theories have ever been proposed to assist the figure of the facilitator in conducting philosophical dialogue and to enhance student’s critical thinking skills. The dissertation starts from a cognitive perspective that challenges the classic Cartesian notion of rationality by focusing on limits and biases of human reasoning. An argumentative model (WRAT – Weak Reasoning Argumentative Theory) is then outlined in order to respond to the needs of philosophical dialogue. After justifying the claim that this learning activity, among other inductive methodologies, is the most suitable for critical thinking education, I inquired into the specific goal of ‘arguing’ within this context by means of the tools provided by Speech Act Theory: the speaker’s intention is to construct new knowledge by questioning her own and other’s beliefs. The model proposed has been theorized on this assumption, starting from which the goals, and, in turn, the related norms, have been pinpointed. In order to include all the epistemic attitudes required to accomplish the complex task of arguing in philosophical dialogue, I needed to integrate two opposed cognitive accounts, Dual Process Theory and Evolutionary Approach, that, although they provide incompatible descriptions of reasoning, can be integrated to provide a normative account of argumentation. The model, apart from offering a theoretical contribution to argumentation studies, is designed to be applied to the Italian educational system, in particular to classes in technical and professional high schools belonging to the newly created network Inventio. This initiative is one of the outcomes of the research project by the same name, which also includes an original Syllabus, research seminars, a monitoring action and publications focused on introducing philosophy, in the form of workshop activities, into technical and professional schools
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