Exploring the Strategies of Translating Cultural References in Kurdish Subtitling

The current study investigates the strategies of translating cultural references applied in the Kurdish subtitles of the American movie entitled ‘Scent of a Woman’. This research also determines the parameters that affect the application of translation strategies in the Kurdish subtitles on the movie. In doing so, the English audio scripts (i.e., source text) and their Kurdish subtitles (i.e., target text), were compared and interpreted in accordance with Pedersen’s taxonomy of subtitling strategies and parameters (2011). The results revealed that all the translation strategies proposed by Pedersen (2011) were used in the Kurdish subtitles. However, due to the consideration of the ‘monocultural parameter’, the subtitler most frequently used the strategy of retention in the Kurdish subtitles. On the other hand, he used the strategies of omission and official equivalence least frequently. It is also shown that the parameters affecting the application of subtitling strategies were monocultural, transcultural, infracultural, and polyesemiotics. In sum, the cultural differences between SL and TL made the subtitler adopt justifiable strategies depending on availability of specific parameters

Design of the usability measurement tool for multimodal mobile applications

Nowadays, mobile phones provide not just voice call and messaging services, but plethora of other services.Those computational capabilities allow mobile phones to serve people in various areas including education, banking, commerce, travelling, and other daily life aspects. Meanwhile, the number of mobile phone users has increased dramatically in the last decade.On the other hand, the usability of an application can usually be verified through the user interface. Therefore, this paper aims to design a measurement tool to evaluate the usability of mobile applications based on the usability attributes and dimensions that must be considered in the interface.To obtain the appropriate attributes, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) has been conducted and the Goal Question Metric (GQM) has been used to design the tool. From 261 related works only 18 most relevant ones were selected, through four SLR. 25 dimensions were found through the SLR, but some of these dimensions are synonymous or a part of other dimensions. Consequently, three dimensions must be included in any usability evaluation instrument, which is broken down into ten sub dimensions

Come, let's wrestle : language and the struggle for authority in online Persian social networking sites

This dissertation builds on prior scholarship in linguistic anthropological studies of performance to examine transnational spaces in online social networks where members of the Iranian diaspora use emerging technologies to interact with one another in ways that highlight the tensions between them. The focal point of this project will be the Facebook page Iranian Vines, which features short (5-15 second long) comedic videos that address issues unique to the experiences of Iranians living in diaspora. While many second-generation Iranians use online spaces to linguistically construct a hybridized identity, first-generation Iranians use these same spaces to evaluate the authenticity of these constructed identities by policing the language used by performers and deciding on the linguistic legitimacy of their performances. I argue that the performative nature of the Iranian Vines page creates a space for first-generation Iranians to respond to global sociolinguistic hierarchies that value English over Persian by acting as gatekeepers of Iranian authenticity through linguistic prescriptivism. Second-generation Iranians, on the other hand, use performance to decontextualize (and thus make visible) the moments of difference that define their particular vantage point and to acquire sociolinguistic capital through humor. These performers use “identity-switching,” a practice in which they juxtapose performances of non-Iranian and Iranian identity for comedic effect to challenge sociolinguistic hierarchies within the Iranian community that value monolingualism or parallel bilingualism. A core focus of this dissertation will be the ways that emerging technologies shape power relations between members of this community by making visible the processes by which members of ethnolinguistic communities negotiate the relationship between identity and language.Middle Eastern Studie

Conceptual model for usable multi-modal mobile assistance during Umrah

Performing Umrah is very demanding and to be performed in very crowded environments. In response to that, many efforts have been initiated to overcome the difficulties faced by pilgrims. However, those efforts focus on acquiring initial perspective and background knowledge before going to Mecca. Findings of preliminary study show that those efforts do not support multi-modality for user interaction. Nowadays the computational capabilities in mobile phones enable it to serve people in various aspects of daily life. Consequently, the mobile phone penetration has increased dramatically in the last decade. Hence, this study aims to propose a comprehensive conceptual model for usable multimodal mobile assistance during Umrah called Multi-model Mobile Assistance during Umrah (MMA-U). Thus, four (4) supporting objectives are formulated, and the Design Science Research Methodology has been adopted. For the usability of MMA-U, Systematic Literature Review (SLR) indicates ten (10) attributes: usefulness, errors rate, simplicity, reliability, ease of use, safety, flexibility, accessibility, attitude, and acceptability. Meanwhile, the content and comparative analysis result in five (5) components that construct the conceptual model of MMA-U: structural, content composition, design principles, development approach, technology, and the design and usability theories. Then, the MMA-U has been reviewed and well-accepted by 15 experts. Later, the MMA-U was incorporated into a prototype called Personal Digital Mutawwif (PDM). The PDM was developed for the purpose of user test in the field. The findings indicate that PDM facilitates the execution of Umrah and successfully meet pilgrims’ needs and expectations. Also, the pilgrims were satisfied and felt that they need to have PDM. In fact, they would recommend PDM to their friends, which mean that use of PDM is safe and suitable while performing Umrah. As a conclusion, the theoretical contribution; the conceptual model of MMA-U; provides guidelines for developing multimodal content mobile applications during Umrah

The Inclination of Library Professionals to Modern Tools in the Knowledge Era

The edited volume of the book consists of ten articles covering the innovative practices of libraries in the digital environment. It includes the areas such as library network, e-resources, scholarly publishing, digital libraries, knowledge management, Web 2.0, and blockchain technology etc., that can influence the work-life of the library professionals and the academic community

Outrage: The Rise of Religious Offence in Contemporary South Asia

Whether spurred by religious images or academic history books, hardly a day goes by in South Asia without an incident or court case occurring as a result of hurt religious feelings. The sharp rise in blasphemy accusations over the past few decades calls for an investigation into why offence politics has become so pronounced, and why it is observable across religious and political differences. Outrage offers an interdisciplinary study of this growing trend. Bringing together researchers in Anthropology, Religious Studies, Languages, South Asia Studies and History, all with rich experience in the variegated ways in which religion and politics intersect in this region, the volume presents a fine-grained analysis that navigates and unpacks the religious sensitivities and political concerns under discussion. Each chapter focuses on a recent case or context of alleged blasphemy or desecration in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, collectively exploring common denominators across national and religious differences. Among the common features are the rapid introduction of social media and smartphones, the possible political gains of initiating blasphemy accusations, and the growing self-assertion of marginal communities. These features are turning South Asia into a veritable flash point for offence controversies in the world today, and will be of interest to researchers exploring the intersection of religion and politics in South Asia and beyond

Δοκιμασία και Παρουσίαση Δωρεάν Εφαρμογών για Άτομα με Απώλεια Όρασης σε λειτουργικό Android

Η παρούσα εργασία είχε σκοπό να συλλέξει, να δοκιμάσει, να φιλτράρει, να κατηγοριοποιήσει και να εκθέσει πληροφορίες για λογισμικές εφαρμογές στον τομέα της υποστηρικτικής τεχνολογίας για άτομα με αναπηρία. Συγκεκριμένα, επίκεντρο της εργασίας ήταν η ανάπτυξη δωρεάν εφαρμογών για κινητές συσκευές και tablets, που έχουν εγκατεστημένο λειτουργικό android και μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν τόσο από άτομα με απώλεια όρασης όσο και από χρήστες που έχουν στο περιβάλλον τους άτομα με απώλεια όρασης. Οι πληροφορίες που συλλέχθηκαν από τα αποτελέσματα της εργασίας τοποθετήθηκαν στην ιστοθέση mΑΘΗΝΑ (http://access.uoa.gr/mATHENA/ ) στην Ελληνική και Αγγλική γλώσσα και διατίθενται δωρεάν στους χρήστες σαν αποθετήριο στο όποιο μπορεί να ανατρέξει ο χρήστης και να ενημερωθεί για τις εφαρμογές αυτές αλλά και για πληροφορίες όπως κριτικές, αξιοπιστία, συμβατότητα, ρυθμίσεις εγκατάστασης, κατασκευαστές, λειτουργικότητα και έκδοση λειτουργικού. Οι εφαρμογές πoυ εξετάσθηκαν ήταν συνολικά 171, ενώ τελικά απορρίφθηκαν 68 και επιλέχθηκαν και ανέβηκαν στο mATHENA 103. Οι κύριοι άξονες στους οποίους κινείται η διπλωματική εργασία είναι τέσσερις: α) Παθήσεις όρασης: ορισμός, κατηγοριοποίηση, χαρακτηριστικά, αιτίες, β) Λογισμικό Android: βασικές έννοιες, χαρακτηριστικά, εξελικτική πορεία, γ) Ιστοσελίδα mΑΘΗΝΑ: ορισμός, επεξήγηση πεδίων, περιήγηση, σκοπός και δ) Εφαρμογές Android για χρήστες με απώλεια όρασης: κατηγορίες και τρόπος εξαγωγής αυτών, μεθοδολογία επιλογής και απόρριψης εφαρμογών, παρουσίαση και ανάλυση εφαρμογών σε Ελληνικά και ΑγγλικάThe purpose of this work was to collect, test, filter, categorize and publish information about assistive technology software applications for persons with disabilities. In particular, the focus of this work was on the analysis of free applications for mobile devices and tablets with Android operating system and can be used by both blind and those with low vision. The information gathered from the results of the survey was placed on the mΑΘΗΝΑ website (http://access.uoa.gr/mATHENA/ ) in the Greek and English language and is available to users free of charge as a reository where the user can browse and be informed about these applications as well as get relative information, such as reviews, reliability, compatibility, installation settings, manufacturers, functionality and operating version. 171 applications were investigated, while 68 were finally rejected and 103 selected and uploaded to mATHENA. The main axes in which the diploma thesis is conducted are four: a) Visual impairment: definition, categorization, characteristics, causes, b) Android operating system: definition and building blocks, characteristics, progress, c) mATHENA website: definition, fields explanation, site navigation, purpose and d) Android Apps for Visually Impaired Users: methods of classifying, methodology for approvement and rejection of selected apps, application analysis and presentation in Greek and English language

Urban Candy: Screens, Selfies and Imaginings

"The essays in this book chart how women’s profound and turbulent experiences of migration have been articulated in writing, photography, art and film. As a whole, the volume gives an impression of a wide range of migratory events from women’s perspectives, covering the Caribbean Diaspora, refugees and slavery through the various lenses of politics and war, love and family. The contributors, which include academics and artists, offer both personal and critical points of view on the artistic and historical repositories of these experiences. Selfies, motherhood, violence and Hollywood all feature in this substantial treasure-trove of women’s joy and suffering, disaster and delight, place, memory and identity. This collection appeals to artists and scholars of the humanities, particularly within the social sciences; though there is much to recommend it to creatives seeking inspiration or counsel on the issue of migratory experiences.

Handling Religious Things. The Material and the Social in Museums

Museums are receiving currently a lot of public attention with regard to the material objects they host, and the historical and contemporary handling of these objects. There are global public debates about the origins, paths, and futures of museum things. Since at least 2018, with the report on the restitution of African cultural heritage, which Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy presented to the French president, the legitimacy of objects from colonial contexts in museums and collections in the global north has been widely debated. Furthermore, disciplines within cultural studies, including the study of religions, have taken a material turn, and now focus on the material, and thus also on museum things. This has brought the material dimension of religion into the focus of research in various disciplines. Studying materiality can thus open a pathway for potential critique of established patterns in research, historiography, and society, widening our perspective. It was against this multifaceted background that the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Religion (ZIR) and the Museum of Religions (Religionskundliche Sammlung) of the Philipps-University Marburg, the Museum of the Frankfurt Cathedral, and the GRASSI Museum of Ethnology in Leipzig formed a research network on the topic of Dynamics of Religious Things in Museums (Dynamiken religiöser Dinge im Museum, REDIM in short). This cooperative alliance, under the leadership of the ZIR, is based on the common interest in the relevance of religious materials in museums for social transformation, and in how social processes are reflected by material things