Constructing English in New Zealand: A report on a decade of reform

In 1991, the newly elected National Government of New Zealand set in train a major reform of the New Zealand national curriculum and, a little later, a major reform of the New Zealand qualifications system. These reforms have had a major impact on the construction of English as a subject in New Zealand secondary schools, and the work and professional identity of teachers. This article uses as a basis for analysis a framework which posits four paradigms for subject English and proceeds to examine the current national English curriculum in New Zealand for its underlying discourses. In specific terms, it explores questions of partition and progression, and terminology. In respect of progression, it argues that the current curriculum has imposed a flawed model on teachers and students, in part because of its commitment to the assignment of decontextualised outcomes statements (‘achievement objects’) to staged levels of student development (levels). It also argues that much of the terminology used by the document has had a negative impact on metalinguistic classroom practice. Finally, while it views the national English curriculum as a discursively mixed bag, it notes an absence of critical discourses and a tendency, in recent qualifications reforms, to construct English teachers as technicians and the subject as skills-based

Involving Traditional Birth Attendants in Emergency Obstetric Care in Tanzania: Policy Implications of A Study of their Knowledge and Practices in Kigoma Rural District.

Access to quality maternal health services mainly depends on existing policies, regulations, skills, knowledge, perceptions, and economic power and motivation of service givers and target users. Critics question policy recommending involvement of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in emergency obstetric care (EmoC) services in developing countries. This paper reports about knowledge and practices of TBAs on EmoC in Kigoma Rural District, Tanzania and discusses policy implications on involving TBAs in maternal health services. 157 TBAs were identified from several villages in 2005, interviewed and observed on their knowledge and practice in relation to EmoC. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were used for data collection and analysis depending on the nature of the information required. Among all 157 TBAs approached, 57.3% were aged 50+ years while 50% had no formal education. Assisting mothers to deliver without taking their full pregnancy history was confessed by 11% of all respondents. Having been attending pregnant women with complications was experienced by 71.2% of all respondents. Only 58% expressed adequate knowledge on symptoms and signs of pregnancy complications. Lack of knowledge on possible risk of HIV infections while assisting childbirth without taking protective gears was claimed by 5.7% of the respondents. Sharing the same pair of gloves between successful deliveries was reported to be a common practice by 21.1% of the respondents. Use of unsafe delivery materials including local herbs and pieces of cloth for protecting themselves against HIV infections was reported as being commonly practiced among 27.6% of the respondents. Vaginal examination before and during delivery was done by only a few respondents. TBAs in Tanzania are still consulted by people living in underserved areas. Unfortunately, TBAs' inadequate knowledge on EmOC issues seems to have contributed to the rising concerns about their competence to deliver the recommended maternal services. Thus, the authorities seeming to recognize and promote TBAs should provide support to TBAs in relation to necessary training and giving them essential working facilities, routine supportive supervision and rewarding those seeming to comply with the standard guidelines for delivering EmoC services

The Ever-Present Dystopia, the Non-Present Utopia, and the Thirdspace: The Role of Contrasting Coteries in 20th-Century Dystopian Literature and Parable of the Sower

Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower is a standout work of dystopian science fiction that features commentaries on governmental failings, race and gender discrimination, and class divides that are all highlighted by an apocalyptic and oppressive crumbling society. Butler uses a dystopic setting, characteristics, and tropes to embellish her world and social commentaries including the use of the dystopic and thirdspace coteries structure: two personal communities within which the central character interacts that hold very specific roles and characteristics across most works of dystopian literature. This structure allows dystopian literature to establish their distinctive world and tone as well as the specific relationship between these coteries and the central character of the novel, all of which is central to the real-world societal commentary generated by these texts. However, in Parable of the Sower, Butler both establishes and breaks from this traditional dystopian structure to create a work that counters conventional dystopian themes. In this paper, I will first go over the traditional two coterie structure of dystopian works by detailing the reoccurring characteristics of the dystopian coterie and thirdspace coterie as well as how they typically operate within 20th-century dystopian fiction, particularly regarding their relationship to each other and the central character. I will then discuss the operation of this structure within Parable of the Sower by examining how the novel follows the established structure in the first half of the novel, disrupts the coterie form in the central turning point of the novel, and then restructures and redefines the coterie roles in the second half of the novel. Finally, I will discuss how this restructuring generates themes, messages, and societal critiques that are both in conversation with and counter those of traditional dystopian literature

Reading Education: A Twenty Year Perspective

One hundred and seventeen national leaders in the field of reading education were selected at random from those listed in Graduate Programs and Faculty in Reading (1981), to participate in this study, on the basis of their experience and accomplishments (prominent research, major publications, and holding of national office such as I. R. A. President or board of directors). The questionnaire (Figure 1) was designed to collect information related to significant changes in reading education during the last twenty years and the identification of specific people who have been instrumental in these developments. Fifty responses were received, and it is on the basis of these that the following observations are made

“’NUFF SAID”: UNDERSTANDING COMPREHENSION PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS FOR READING TEXT AND NON-LINGUISTIC GRAPHIC NARRATIVES

People encounter and comprehend narratives in a variety of modalities: text, graphic, film, audio, and others. Linguistic modalities (e.g., text, audio) require language comprehension while visual modalities (e.g., graphic, film) require visual comprehension and also language comprehension when text or audio is included. However, it is unknown whether readers engage in similar or different cognitive processes and construct similar or different comprehension products to the same extent for linguistic and non-linguistic narratives (i.e., with no text or audio). Thus, studies have not directly compared the in-the-moment (i.e., online) processes and post-reading (i.e., offline) products of comprehension across linguistic and non-linguistic narratives. A review of the current literature on graphic narrative comprehension is presented. The goal of this study was to explore the extent to which readers generate online cognitive processes and produce offline comprehension products post-reading across text and non-linguistic graphic narratives. A sample of 51 participants completed a think-aloud task with non-linguistc graphic and text versions of narratives to to assess readers’ online cognitive processes. A subsample of 48 participants also completed a recall task to assess their comprehension offline products (i.e., text / image base and situation model) post-reading. In addition, participants’ text print exposure and visual language fluency were measured to control for participants’ experience with both modalities. Overall, narrative modality had an effect on both participants’ comprehension processes and products. Post-hoc analyses revealed that during the think-aloud task, participants generated more backward-oriented inferences (i.e., anaphoric, bridging) and generated more inferences about characters’ emotions for non-linguistic graphic narratives. For text narratives, participants generated more forward-oriented inferences (i.e., predictions) and generated more statements about characters’ goals. During the recall task, participants included more emotion inferences in their situation model representation for non-lingusitic graphic narratives but included more accurate story information for their text base representation for text narratives. These findings suggest that modality (i.e., linguistic or visual information) influences how readers process and comprehend narratives and are discussed in terms of theoretical, research, and practical implications

Octavia E. Butler’s Earthseed and the God of Change

It is my intention in this paper to define Butler’s Change God and illustrate how she created it to end oppression in all forms. It is important to start with a bit of background on Butler herself, sharing how her upbringing and experiences in life influenced her feelings about religion. These feelings are what encouraged writings such as the Parables, helping the reader to understand why Butler felt the need to create a new type of religion instead of making use of one that already existed. Next, I include an introduction to Butler’s journey as a Black science fiction writer. Breaking into a genre in which initially there were very few Black people, Butler used her voice to speak out against injustice, paving the way for Black science fiction writers for generations to come. Then I will outline the most important aspects of Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, focusing specifically on Earthseed (the religious belief system created by the main character in the books) and the God of Change. Many scholars have written on the Parable series; whereas many scholars see Butler as addressing singular forms of oppression, I build on the work of those who see her in more holistic terms. The focus here is to show how the God of Change is a God for everyone with a specific mission of directing humanity to reflect and rebuild. I argue that there are three key differences between the God of Change and the Baptist God: function, access, and relationship. These key differences are highlighted in the way believers and God use and respond to one another and are how Butler illustrates the God of Change as capable of serving humanity in a more direct and useful way. The inspiration for Earthseed is explored next; in explaining more about what Black Theology is, I argue that Butler used its fundamental values as inspiration in creating the God of Change. In conclusion, I explain the importance of recognizing how Butler’s God of Change is her creative way of eradicating oppression by gifting humanity with a God that grows along with it

Widening the Lens from Genesis 19:5 to Genesis 18 and 19: A Remedy for Transmitted Blindness

This article is the product of an exercise in scriptural interpretation. The text of Genesis 18 and 19 were chosen due to an awareness of a common theme propagated by culture and the desire to better understand the content of the text using tools of interpretation that connect ancient text with contemporary human experience in hopes to open access to a diverse population that nurtures and elevates creation rather than divide and harm marginalized populations