Setting the Groundwork for a Critical Sociohistorical Approach to Intercultural Communication

This paper explores the theoretical and applied groundwork for a new sociohistorical paradigm for interculturalcommunication. It argues that no academic discipline—intercultural communication included—grows out of a vacuum. Alldisciplines develop and evolve within the context of concrete social, political, economic and historical conditions and needs.What is more, these needs are not universal to all groups of people, either worldwide or throughout history. Instead, theyreflect the interests of certain power groups over others in the society where the discipline develops. Often, although wemay not realize it without careful critical analysis and reflection, our own interests as students, teachers, workers, familymembers, etc., and the interests of the power groups that the discipline serves are in conflict. This paper, therefore, beginswith an overview of the world into which mainstream intercultural communication was born and whose interests it hasserved. Following from this, it critically examines certain key theoretical constructs that underlie the field and notes howthey may also reflect interests other than our own. It then introduces the concept of liberation as a tool wherebyeducation and academia (including all forms of social research) can become empowering rather than marginalizing—that is,how they can serve the interests of the exploited and oppressed masses of the world rather than their oppressors. Finally,it asks readers to reflect on how a new and more liberating approach to intercultural communication might be possible. The theoretical underpinnings for this approach come from the sociohistorical psychology of Lev Vygotsky and A. Luria,the historical and dialectical materialism of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, and the liberatory/critical pedagogy of PauloFreire and Ira Shor.This paper explores the theoretical and applied groundwork for a new sociohistorical paradigm for interculturalcommunication. It argues that no academic discipline—intercultural communication included—grows out of a vacuum. Alldisciplines develop and evolve within the context of concrete social, political, economic and historical conditions and needs.What is more, these needs are not universal to all groups of people, either worldwide or throughout history. Instead, theyreflect the interests of certain power groups over others in the society where the discipline develops. Often, although wemay not realize it without careful critical analysis and reflection, our own interests as students, teachers, workers, familymembers, etc., and the interests of the power groups that the discipline serves are in conflict. This paper, therefore, beginswith an overview of the world into which mainstream intercultural communication was born and whose interests it hasserved. Following from this, it critically examines certain key theoretical constructs that underlie the field and notes howthey may also reflect interests other than our own. It then introduces the concept of liberation as a tool wherebyeducation and academia (including all forms of social research) can become empowering rather than marginalizing—that is,how they can serve the interests of the exploited and oppressed masses of the world rather than their oppressors. Finally,it asks readers to reflect on how a new and more liberating approach to intercultural communication might be possible. The theoretical underpinnings for this approach come from the sociohistorical psychology of Lev Vygotsky and A. Luria,the historical and dialectical materialism of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, and the liberatory/critical pedagogy of PauloFreire and Ira Shor

Primary sedimentary structures in bedded halite- indicators of depositional conditions from the mid-Triassic of the UK

Solution-mined salt caverns in bedded halite successions of the UK host several operational and planned underground gas storage schemes. The sedimentology and associated engineering behaviour of halite is increasingly recognised as an influence in the planning, design and construction of storage caverns, as the crystal fabric and distribution of non-halite units can affect their morphology, which impacts operational processes (e.g., the operating pressure ranges) and the placement of facilities in the subsurface. Thick successions of bedded halite, with thin interbedded mudstones are developed in the Mid-Triassic (Anisian – Ladinian), in the Cheshire (Northwich Halite Member) and west Lancashire (Preesall Halite Member) basins of north-west England. Analysis of borehole core from these lateral correlatives allows comparisons to be made between accumulations from different sedimentary basins, and the sedimentary structures to be understood in a modern context. Depositional fabrics within the halite beds include primary laminated halite (with cuboid, chevron and cornet fabrics, dissolution seams and erosional surfaces) and banded halite. The non-halite lithologies include some anhydrite but predominantly haselgebirge through to laminated and structureless mudstone, with evidence of load structures and desiccation. These indicate accumulation in a predominantly shallow setting, with karst structures (pipes and fissures) indicating rare periods of emergence, and the accumulation of cumulate facies in intervals of deeper, stratified of brine. Indicators of flow are rare, restricted to ripple-lamination in mudstones, and re-worked oriented clasts of anhydrite. Diagenetic features influenced by post-depositional halite mobilisation include the development of chickenwire textures and recrystallized zones of halite. Brecciation of the succession is linked to four distinct processes: penecontemporaneous haloturbation, emergence and desiccation, post-depositional structural processes and the dissolution of halite in the modern freshwater groundwater zone (so-called ‘wet rockhead’). Wet rockhead processes are poorly understood, although relationships between brecciated and laminated zones indicates new models for the development may be required

Book Reviews

Reviews of the following books: Time-Line of Selected Highlights of Maine Labor History: 1636-2015 by Charles A. Scontras; Historical Atlas of Maine edited by Stephen J. Hornsby and Richard W. Judd, cartographic designer Michael J. Hermann; Voting Down the Rose: Florence Brooks Whitehouse and Maine\u27s Fight for Woman Suffrage by Anne B. Gass; Rally the Scattered Believers: Northern New England\u27s Religious Geography by Shelby M. Bali

Measurements of the Young’s modulus of hydroxide catalysis bonds, and the effect on thermal noise in ground-based gravitational wave detectors

With the outstanding results from the detection and observation of gravitational waves from coalescing black holes and neutron star inspirals, it is essential that pathways to further improve the sensitivities of the LIGO and VIRGO detectors are explored. There are a number of factors that potentially limit the sensitivities of the detectors. One such factor is thermal noise, a component of which results from the mechanical loss in the bond material between the silica fibre suspensions and the test mass mirrors. To calculate its magnitude, the Young’s modulus of the bond material has to be known with reasonable accuracy. In this paper we present a new combination of ultrasonic technology and Bayesian analysis to measure the Young’s modulus of hydroxide catalysis bonds between fused silica substrates. Using this novel technique, we measure the bond Young’s modulus to be 18.5 ± 2.0 2.3     GPa . We show that by applying this value to thermal noise models of bonded test masses with suitable attachment geometries, a reduction in suspension thermal noise consistent with an overall design sensitivity improvement allows a factor of 5 increase in event rate to be achieved

Incremental Semantics for Dialogue Processing: Requirements, and a Comparison of Two Approaches

International audienceTruly interactive dialogue systems need to construct meaning on at least a word-byword basis. We propose desiderata for incremental semantics for dialogue models and systems, a task not heretofore attempted thoroughly. After laying out the desirable properties we illustrate how they are met by current approaches, comparing two incremental semantic processing frameworks: Dynamic Syntax enriched with Type Theory with Records (DS-TTR) and Robust Minimal Recursion Semantics with incremental processing (RMRS-IP). We conclude these approaches are not significantly different with regards to their semantic representation construction, however their purported role within semantic models and dialogue models is where they diverge

Construction of rugged, ultrastable optical assemblies with optical component alignment at the few microradian level

A method for constructing quasimonolithic, precision-aligned optical assemblies is presented. Hydroxide-catalysis bonding is used, adapted to allow optimization of component fine alignment prior to the bond setting. We demonstrate the technique by bonding a fused silica mirror substrate to a fused silica baseplate. In-plane component placement at the submicrometer level is achieved, resulting in angular control of a reflected laser beam at the sub-10-μrad level. Within the context of the LISA Pathfinder mission, the technique has been demonstrated as suitable for use in space-flight applications. It is expected that there will also be applications in a wide range of areas where accuracy, stability, and strength of optical assemblies are important

Radiographic Visualization of Arterial Lesions in Cholesterol-Fed Rabbits

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67327/2/10.1177_000331977102200703.pd