A Differential Construct Methodology for Modelling Predictive Cultural Values

This paper presents an explanatory model of cultural behaviours, which resulted from a four-year ethnographic study of the different academic attainments in English of indigenous Fijians and the Indo-Fijians in the Fiji Islands. Fiji is a natural laboratory for investigating differential cultural behaviours because of these two culturally distinct main ethnic groups. Their different cultural behaviours were found to serve different values within each culture. A three-construct grounded model of these different values emerged from observations and analyses of these behaviours. These constructs were then de-constructed to define and explain a fourth target construct of their Differential Teaching Behaviours, which were contributing to the different academic attainments of the two cultures. The validity of the resulting four-construct model was both empirically and quantitatively ascertained and it is argued that the model can be used to predict culturally determined behaviours and educational outcomes in similar multicultural contexts

Culturometrics: A Constructionist Philosophy for Humanistic Inquiry in Qualitative Identity Research

Culturometrics is a new person-centred research philosophy that has shaped new tools for measuring and revealing the subjectivities of cultural identities. By focusing on tractable processes of identity communication rather than attempting to categorise the infinitely variable forms of identity outcomes it has developed intuitively acceptable computationally simple bridges across the qualitative /quantitative research divide. By reframing social constructs as cultural identities and categorising cultural groups by the fluidity of their membership it has extended the remit of traditional qualitative research. This paper gives a brief overview of the humanistic intentions of Culturometrics that underpin its objective methods for measuring and revealing the rich subjectivities of cultural identity. The paper demonstrates one of the selfnorming processes that regulate personal expectations allowing subjective self-evaluations of identity to be compared. It demonstrates efficient two-phase etic/emic social network sampling of cultural groups and effective contrast interviewing for revealing the unique values, attitudes, beliefs and intentions that define cultural Identity in specific research contexts

The “Celebrity Questionnaire” - Revealing Cultural Identity

This presentation introduces an innovative piece of qualitative research methodology called ‘The Celebrity Questionnaire’. It artistically blends empathy and empowerment with new research technology for mediating subjective responses - using only two questions. Its purpose is to populate two extreme groups – those with the strongest and weakest cultural identities

Using A Polar Grounded Composite To Describe The Socio-Cultural Determinants Of ESL Teaching In Rural Fijian Schools

This paper utilizes a grounded narrative to report on the most culturally-Fijian characteristics of teaching. The grounded narrative is a qualitative reporting methodology used to convey the Fijian educational setting vividly and authentically. It highlights the salient cultural characteristics that typify Fijian teaching by depicting a most culturally-extreme Fijian rural school, the \u27ideal type\u27. This description effectively highlights the sociocultural determinants of Fijian school ethos by reporting on extreme aspects of English teaching and daily school management

LINGUISTIC DILEMMA IN DIGLOSSIC POST-COLONIAL STATES: designing language-sensitive primary curricula

This paper examines language policy options as they relate to post-colonial primary education in Creole-speaking multi-ethnic Caribbean states. It first discusses the different roles of English and vernacular languages, the former as the language of instruction in formal education and the latter as interactional languages within local communities. It concludes with theoretically based practical notes on language teaching appropriate to each policy option. This paper uses as an illustrative example the language policies in bi-ethnic Guyana and addresses the critical issue whether the Ministry of Education, through social aspects of its policies, should take responsibility for community languages or ignore community languages in order to focus on early proficiency in the English language. The controversial decision is to what extent primary education should emphasise high English inputs for early academic attainment or prioritise community language inputs for promotion of social equity. This paper considers three language policy options, one policy option matching each of these extremes and one addressing the middle ground. Each policy option is contingent on three decision criteria: density of entry languages, available resources and the extent to which communities value their languages. These policy options are: (i) English language immersion, (ii) Transitional language policy and (iii) Bilingual policy. The three policies options are illustrated with comparative examples from several pluri-ethnic states.KEY WORDS: language policy; ESL; language curriculum; language immersion; plurilingualism; post-colonial educationDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/ rh.v0i16.100

Empreinte ou emprise néolibérale sur les politiques éducatives européennes : regard et éclairage culturometrique sur le cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (CECRL)

Ces trois dernières décennies témoignent de l’affermissement des politiques néolibérales menées avec succès par les gouvernements de nombreux états. Partant du constat que les politiques néolibérales eurent pour effet de creuser l’écart entre les riches et les pauvres par la réduction des prestations sociales, de décimer les services publics par le transfert de gestion à des agents privés et de fracturer les infrastructures sociales comme la Santé et l’Education, leurs effets délétères sont restés peu controversés comme le manifeste l’acceptation tacite de ceux qui en sont les plus affectés. De fait, dans les démocraties représentatives, enseignants, étudiants et leurs familles, les communautés et les institutions, soutiennent indûment les politiques éducatives prônées par le Conseil de l’Europe sous le couvert de promouvoir la diversité culturelle et faciliter la mobilité professionnelle. Cet article discute des effets de la politique éducative néolibérale sur l’apprentissage des langues vivantes, et ce au travers de la définition culturométrique de l’identité culturelle, un concept originellement inextricablement lié à l’apprentissage linguistique. En retraçant les changements téléologiques en didactique des langues liés aux vicissitudes conjoncturelles sociopolitiques et économiques, il examine comment la promotion de la diversité invoquée dans le CECRL se voit révoquée à celle de formation à l’emploi sous l’impulsion de la gouvernance néolibérale ; autrement dit, cet article fait état de la dérive éducative comminatoire vers la simple option professionnelle de construction identitaire de ‘l’employé idéal

Roman grec et poésie. Dialogue des genres et nouveaux enjeux du poétique (Actes du colloque international, Nice, 21-22 mars 2013), M. Biraud, M. Briand (éd.)

Ces actes du colloque international « Roman grec et poésie » qui s’est tenu à Nice les 21 et 22 mars 2013 s’inscrivent assez largement dans la filiation de ceux des colloques de Tours publiés dans la même collection. Leur originalité réside dans la confrontation du roman grec avec la poésie, deux genres littéraires dont la définition complexe et mouvante, dans le contexte de la Seconde Sophistique, laisse une importante marge de rencontre entre pratique d’é..