Reflecting on English Lingua Franca today: Expanding scenarios and growing dilemmas. An overview with introductory notes

Introduction to the volume

Children\u27s Books as Cultural Products: A Qualitative Study of Cultural Representation in Hmong and Non-Hmong American Books

This study examined the type of cultural practices and values depicted within Hmong American children’s books in comparison to non-Hmong American children’s books from the United States. The purpose was to explore if prior Hmong traditional practices and values reflective of American individualism would extend to Hmong children’s books. Thirty best-seller children’s books were coded using two checklists, one focused on Hmong traditional practices and the other on American values. Results showed that Hmong traditional practices underscored by Hmong adolescents in prior research somewhat extended to Hmong children’s books. Moreover, in some respects Hmong children’s books displayed similar numbers of American values as did American children’s books. This study expanded the ethnic-racial socialization literature to an understudied population, the Hmong. In addition, the study provides parents and public educators insights into the cultural practices and values presented within Hmong children’s books

Qualitative Content Analysis: From Kracauer's Beginnings to Today's Challenges

At the beginning of the 1950s, when communication research was at its peak, KRACAUER coined the term "qualitative content analysis." Today, the method is one of the most frequently used social research methods in Germany. Building on KRACAUER's line of argument, in this article I identify three fields for further development of the method: first, a more qualitative type of analysis following the formation of categories and the data coding process; second, a case orientation complementing category-based analysis, which is characteristic of qualitative research but has so far played a negligible role in qualitative content analysis; third, a stronger reference to the international methodological discussion where qualitative content analysis remains a little known method. In addition, I further reflect on methodological considerations, concluding by focusing on standards and quality criteria and advocating for the continued development of methodological rigor.Zu Beginn der 1950er Jahre, als die Kommunikationsforschung ihre Blütezeit erlebte, führte KRACAUER den Begriff "qualitative content analysis" ein. Heute gehört die qualitative Inhaltsanalyse in Deutschland zu den in der Sozialforschung am häufigsten benutzten Methoden. Anknüpfend an KRACAUERs Argumentation schlage ich drei Felder der Weiterentwicklung vor: erstens eine stärker qualitativ ausgerichtete Analyse nach der Bildung der Kategorien und der Codierung der Daten; zweitens eine die kategorienbasierte Analyse ergänzende Fallorientierung, die charakteristisch für qualitative Forschung ist, aber bisher in der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse kaum eine Rolle spielt; drittens eine stärkere Bezugnahme auf die internationale Methodendiskussion, in der die qualitative Inhaltsanalyse noch wenig bekannt ist. Ferner reflektiere ich methodologische Aspekte, fokussiere in einem abschließenden Ausblick das Thema Standards und Gütekriterien und plädiere für die Entwicklung methodischer Strenge

Extending the Modern Synthesis: The evolution of ecosystems

The Modern Evolutionary Synthesis formalizes the role of variation, heredity, differential reproduction and mutation in population genetics. Here we explore a mathematical structure, based on the asymptotic limit theorems of information theory, that instantiates the punctuated dynamic relations of organisms and their embedding environments. The mathematical overhead is considerable, and we conclude that the model must itself be extended even further to allow the possibility of the transfer of heritage information between different classes of organisms. In essence, we provide something of a formal roadmap for the modernization of the Modern Synthesis

Forgotten Feminine Foundations: Content Analysis of Secondary World History Textbooks\u27 Inclusion of Female Agency in the Rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

This study investigated women’s agency in the emergence accounts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in nine twenty-first century United States’ world history textbooks through a feminist lens. The collected data were analyzed via critical discourse analysis and content analysis to determine if traditional patterns of female marginalization in content and imagery existed. The quantitative and qualitative findings in both text and imagery indicated that all textbooks in this sample supported a traditional content structure on both an individual and collective whole basis. This study then concluded that these gender-imbalanced accounts of world religions may serve as an avenue in which distorted and/or incorrect information may be communicated to students regarding the interconnectedness of culture and religion, potentially misshaping students’ knowledge cultivation processes. Additionally, traditional content formatting may also reinforce existing negative stereotypes concerning women in religion and women overall. To rectify these transgressions, this study offers educators and textbook publishers succinct, provocative information on seven prominent religious women within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam whose contributions assisted in the rise of their religions

'Surely the most natural scenario in the world’: Representations of ‘Family’ in BBC Pre-school Television

Historically, the majority of work on British children’s television has adopted either an institutional or an audience focus, with the texts themselves often overlooked. This neglect has meant that questions of representation in British children’s television – including issues such as family, gender, class or ethnicity - have been infrequently analysed in the UK context. In this article, we adopt a primarily qualitative methodology and analyse the various textual manifestations of ‘family’, group, or community as represented in a selected number of BBC pre-school programmes. In doing so, we question the (limited amount of) international work that has examined representations of the family in children’s television, and argue that nuclear family structures do not predominate in this sphere

Beyond “Through the Looking Glass” Borders: a Content Analysis of North Africa/Southwest Asia in College-level World Regional Geography Textbooks

Many college teachers have a required textbook(s) for their courses, yet textbooks often misrepresent facts both directly and indirectly — through both the perspective and possible bias of the author(s) and/or the omission of information and events. As textbooks are primary sources of knowledge, and students believe the information to be true, it is important to examine their content. Thus, seven editions of Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts were analyzed to address the sense of place and portrayal of North Africa/Southwest Asia. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative Content Analysis based on seven selected editions of World Regional Geography textbooks, this study examined individual editions, as well as the patterns and differences between editions. The findings indicated that there was an incomplete narrative of the realm of North Africa/Southwest Asia, and an inconsistent narrative between world realms. The conclusions support a need for a more balanced representation of the realm of North Africa/Southwest Asia

Listening comprehension of academic and everyday language in first language and second language students

Listening comprehension in academic contexts is an important prerequisite for the acquisition of school-related skills. However, the concept of academic language is generally the subject of much debate, and there is no consensus yet on what constitutes academic listening comprehension. To date, it remains unclear whether listening comprehension of academic language may be regarded as a distinct construct. The present study investigates the distinction of academic and everyday listening comprehension in 459 ninth-grade students speaking German as a first language or as a second language. Empirical results provide preliminary evidence that academic listening forms a separate facet of listening comprehension. Contrary to theoretical assumptions, second language students were not particularly disadvantaged in terms of academic listening comprehension.Peer Reviewe

Towards an Economy of Higher Education

This paper draws a distinction between ways thinking and acting, and hence of policy and practice in higher education, in terms of different kinds of economy: economies of exchange and economies of excess. Crucial features of economies of exchange are outlined and their presence in prevailing conceptions of teaching and learning is illustrated. These are contrasted with other possible forms of practice, which in turn bring to light the nature of an economy of excess. In more philosophical terms, and to expand on the picture, economies of excess are elaborated with reference, first, to the understanding of alterity in the work of Emmanuel Levinas and, second, to the idea of Dionysian intensity that is to be found in Nietzsche. In the light of critical comment on some current directions in policy and practice, the implications of these ways of thinking for the administrator, the teacher and the student in higher education are explored