Gender and language in sub-Saharan African contexts: Issues and challenges

In this paper, we examine a range of issues associated with the study of gender and language in sub-Saharan African contexts. These include whether (and in what sense) such contexts may constitute a ‘special case’, the relevance of feminism, and what might be encompassed by ‘context’, ‘African contexts’ and ‘African topics’ – and a substantial amount of what we write is relevant to Applied Linguistics in Africa more broadly (see Makoni and Meinhof 2004 for a discussion). We argue that while all the gender issues are of interest and importance to language and gender study in general, it is possible to see some of these issues as ‘characteristic’ of African contexts (albeit with ‘echoes’ elsewhere). It will be evident from this first paper (and those which follow) that along with taking on board commonalities in terms of the theoretical notions used in our field in African and non-African contexts, there is also a need to recognise a range of situated understandings of gender identities, gender relations, understandings of gender more broadly, and feminism

Promoting good academic practice through the curriculum and project work

This paper outlines a University wide initiative introduced at City University London, the underlying aim of which is to develop good academic practice skills amongst students and discourage them from undertaking plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct. The initiative is organised under three projects, which are being undertaken by a set of eight Educational Development Associates (EDAs) - existing academics acting as ‘change agents’ within their Schools. The paper focuses on the first project that EDAs undertook, that being the Learning Activity Project. This involved EDAs working with staff within their Schools to develop new, formative, programme-specific learning activities, to be undertaken by all students in the first term of their studies, and with the aim of providing students with practice in the study skills that they need to demonstrate in subsequent assessments of that programme. After reviewing relevant literature on academic conduct issues, the main body of the paper provides three case studies, each of which details the development of a learning activity in one of the Schools of the University. These learning activities share a common element, in that they are all delivered using a piece of software called OLIVIA. However, for purposes of this paper, each case study details specific aspects of the relevant learning activity, such that readers are provided with a broad perspective of the experiences of implementation of the project through the lenses of different Schools. The last section of the paper details the evaluative mechanism that is being used for the initiative as a whole

Postfeminism as a critical tool for gender and language study

This article introduces the concept of postfeminism and highlights its value for research in language and gender studies. After discussing theoretical, historical and backlash perspectives, we advance an understanding of postfeminism as a sensibility – a patterned-yet-contradictory phenomenon intimately connected to neoliberalism. We consider elements widely theorised as constituting the postfeminist sensibility, alongside concerns shared by those who take postfeminism as their object of critical inquiry, in addition to an analytic category for cultural critique. The article then illustrates how the postfeminist sensibility may operate empirically, in the context of the doing and undoing of gender equality policies in workplaces. The article responds to calls for the field of language and gender to reinvigorate its political impetus, and to engage with feminist scholarship on postfeminism, particularly as recently developed in media and cultural studies

Information needs after stroke: What to include and how to structure it on a website. A qualitative study using focus groups and card sorting

Background: Use of the Internet to obtain health and other information is increasing. Previous studies have identified the specific information needs of people with stroke but not in relation to the Internet. People with aphasia (PwA) may face barriers in accessing the Internet: Navigating websites requires an ability to categorise information and this ability is often impaired in PwA. The website categorisation preferences of people with stroke and with aphasia have not yet been reported. Aims: This study aimed: (a) to determine what information people who have had a stroke would like to see on a website about living with stroke; (b) to determine the most effective means of structuring information on the website so that it is accessible to people with stroke; and c) to identify any differences between people with and without aphasia in terms of preferences for structuring information on the website. Methods & Procedures: Participants were recruited from a hospital's Stroke Database. Focus groups were used to elicit what information participants wanted on a website about living with stroke. The themes raised were depicted on 133 cards. To determine the most effective way of structuring information on the website, and whether there were any differences in preferences between PwA and PwoA, participants used a modified closed card-sorting technique to sort the cards under website categories. Outcomes & Results: A total of 48 people were invited, and 12 (25%) agreed to take part. We ran three focus groups: one with PwA (n = 5) and two with people without aphasia (PwoA) (n = 3, n = 4). Participants wanted more information about stroke causes and effects (particularly emotional issues), roles of local agencies, and returning to previous activities (driving, going out). All participants completed the card-sorting exercise. Few cards (6%) were categorised identically by everyone. Cards relating to local agencies and groups were not consistently categorised together. Cards relating to emotions were segregated. The categorisation preferences for PwA were more fragmented than those for PwoA: 60% of PwA agreed on the categorisation of 51% of the cards, whereas 60% of PwoA agreed on the categorisation of 76% of the cards. Conclusions: Information needs covered all stages of the stroke journey. The card sorting was accessible to everyone, and provided evidence of structuring preferences and of some of the categorisation difficulties faced by PwA. More research is needed on what an accessible website looks like for PwA

Negotiating stance within discourses of class: reactions to Benefits Street

In this article, we examine the way that audiences respond to particular representations of poverty. Using clips from the Channel 4 television programme Benefits Street we conducted focus groups in four locations across the UK, working with people from different socioeconomic backgrounds who had different experiences with the benefits system. Benefits Street (2014) is an example of reality television where members of the public are followed by film crews as they perform everyday tasks and routines. Our choice to focus on this particular programme was prompted by the huge media response that it received when it was broadcast; Benefits Street generated 950 complaints to regulatory watchdog Ofcom (2014) and was referred to as ‘poverty porn’ (Clark, 2014). We focus on the way that viewers of this programme produce assessments of those on benefits, analysing the discursive strategies used by our participants when evaluating representations of those on benefits. Specifically, we consider how the participants in our study construct their own stance and attribute stance to others through naming and agency practices, the negotiation of opinion, and stake inoculation. We invited our participants to judge the people they saw on screen, but they went beyond this. They used clips of the programme as stimuli to collaboratively construct an overarchingly-negative stereotype of those on benefits. We conclude that Benefits Street is not just an entertainment programme, but is rather a site for ideological construction and the perpetuation of existing stereotypes about benefit claimants. The programme (and others like it) invites negative evaluations of those on benefits and is thus a worthy site for critical linguistic analysis

A wider Europe? The view from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine

On the evidence of national surveys conducted between 2000 and 2006, there is a declining sense of European self-identity in the three Slavic post-Soviet republics of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Attitudes towards the European Union and the possibility of membership are broadly supportive, but with a substantial proportion who find it difficult to express a view, and substantial proportions are poorly informed in comparison with the general public in EU member or prospective member countries. Those who are better informed are more likely to favour EU membership and vice versa. Generally, socioeconomic characteristics (except for age and region) are relatively poor predictors of support for EU membership as compared with attitudinal variables. But ‘Europeanness’ should not be seen as a given, and much will depend on whether EU member countries emphasize what is common to east and west or establish ‘new dividing lines’ in place of those of the cold war

Plan de negocio para la creación de la empresa Smart aura especializada en la comercialización e instalación de equipo domótico en la ciudad de Bogotá

EmprendimientoEl presente trabajo tuvo como finalidad la elaboración de un plan de negocio para la creación y formalización de la empresa Smart Aura S.A.S. Con el fin de garantizar la viabilidad técnica y económica-financiera para dicha empresa, el correspondiente trabajo conto con la realización del estudio de mercado propio. Apoyados en dicho estudio se elaboró el plan de negocio, finalizando con el proceso de formalización de la empresa ante las autoridades colombianas certificando el cumplimiento de los requisitos legales exigidos para el adecuado funcionamiento de las empresas en territorio nacional.INTRODUCCIÓN 1. GENERALIDADES 2. ESTUDIO DE MERCADO 3. PLAN DE NEGOCIO 4. FORMALIZACIÓN DEL PLAN DE NEGOCIO 5. CONCLUSIONES 6. RECOMENDACIONES BIBLIOGRAFÍA ANEXOSPregradoIngeniero Industria

AI implementation in the UK landscape: Knowledge of AI governance, perceived challenges and opportunities, and ways forward for radiographers

Introduction Despite the rapid increase of AI-enabled applications deployed in clinical practice, many challenges exist around AI implementation, including the clarity of governance frameworks, usability of validation of AI models, and customisation of training for radiographers. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers, with existing theoretical and/or practical knowledge of AI, on issues of relevance to the field, such as AI implementation, including knowledge of AI governance and procurement, perceptions about enablers and challenges and future priorities for AI adoption. Methods An online survey was designed and distributed to UK-based qualified radiographers who work in medical imaging and/or radiotherapy and have some previous theoretical and/or practical knowledge of working with AI. Participants were recruited through the researchers’ professional networks on social media with support from the AI advisory group of the Society and College of Radiographers. Survey questions related to AI training/education, knowledge of AI governance frameworks, data privacy procedures, AI implementation considerations, and priorities for AI adoption. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the data, and chi-square tests were used to explore significant relationships between variables. Results In total, 88 valid responses were received. Most radiographers (56.6 %) had not received any AI-related training. Also, although approximately 63 % of them used an evaluation framework to assess AI models’ performance before implementation, many (36.9 %) were still unsure about suitable evaluation methods. Radiographers requested clearer guidance on AI governance, ample time to implement AI in their practice safely, adequate funding, effective leadership, and targeted support from AI champions. AI training, robust governance frameworks, and patient and public involvement were seen as priorities for the successful implementation of AI by radiographers. Conclusion AI implementation is progressing within radiography, but without customised training, clearer governance, key stakeholder engagement and suitable new roles created, it will be hard to harness its benefits and minimise related risks. Implications for practice The results of this study highlight some of the priorities and challenges for radiographers in relation to AI adoption, namely the need for developing robust AI governance frameworks and providing optimal AI training

Black box no more: A cross-sectional multi-disciplinary survey for exploring governance and guiding adoption of AI in medical imaging and radiotherapy in the UK

Background Medical Imaging and radiotherapy (MIRT) are at the forefront of artificial intelligence applications. The exponential increase of these applications has made governance frameworks necessary to uphold safe and effective clinical adoption. There is little information about how healthcare practitioners in MIRT in the UK use AI tools, their governance and associated challenges, opportunities and priorities for the future. Methods This cross-sectional survey was open from November to December 2022 to MIRT professionals who had knowledge or made use of AI tools, as an attempt to map out current policy and practice and to identify future needs. The survey was electronically distributed to the participants. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and inferential statistics on the SPSS statistical software. Content analysis was employed for the open-ended questions. Results Among the 245 responses, the following were emphasised as central to AI adoption: governance frameworks, practitioner training, leadership, and teamwork within the AI ecosystem. Prior training was strongly correlated with increased knowledge about AI tools and frameworks. However, knowledge of related frameworks remained low, with different professionals showing different affinity to certain frameworks related to their respective roles. Common challenges and opportunities of AI adoption were also highlighted, with recommendations for future practice

The influence of ethnic group composition on focus group discussions.

BACKGROUND: Focus groups are commonly used to explore participants' experiences in health and social care research. Although it is suggested that having demographically homogenous groups may help put participants at ease, the evidence is sparse.The aims of the paper are to: explore the impact of relative ethnic homogeneity and heterogeneity of focus group participants on the group discussions; improve understanding of homogeneity and heterogeneity in focus groups; suggest ways to operationalise concepts such as being 'more comfortable' with other focus group participants. METHOD: Digitally recorded focus groups were undertaken with family carers of stroke survivors and were later transcribed and analysed using framework analysis. Groups were designated as more or less ethnically homogenous. More homogenous groups included, for example, only White British or Asian Indian participants whilst more heterogeneous groups comprised a mixture of, for example, Asian, White British and Black Caribbean participants. RESULTS: Forty-one carers participated in seven focus groups. Analysis revealed differences in discussions around ethnicity between the more or less ethnically homogenous groups. For example, participants in more ethnically homogenous focus groups were more likely to say ethnicity might influence perceptions of social care services. On the other hand, more heterogeneous groups emphasised similarity in carers' experiences, irrespective of ethnicity. Participants in the more homogenous groups were also more likely to make potentially controversial comments relating to ethnic differences. Additionally they appeared to be more at ease with each other discussing the topic. For example, they spontaneously mentioned ethnic differences earlier in these groups.In contrast, analysis of topics not specifically related to ethnicity, such as the difficult experiences of being a carer, produced no discernible patterns when comparing more and less homogenous focus groups. CONCLUSION: Considerations around focus group participant demographic homogeneity and heterogeneity are complex and these terms may be most usefully applied only in relative terms. Data derived from more homogenous groups complement data from more heterogeneous groups providing different perspectives. Depending on the focus of the discussion, having characteristics in common, such as being a carer can override other differences