23 research outputs found

    The New Kid on the Block: A Case Study of Young Poles, Language and Identity

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    Ireland has experienced momentous change over the last 15 years, with a sharp reversal in its traditionally outward-migration patterns to a very rapid increase in inward-migration. Mac Éinrí and White have characterised Ireland’s experiences of migration as ‘unique, at least in European terms’ (2008: 153). This came to the fore towards the mid 1990s onwards when increased economic prosperity led to a skills shortage on the labour market and the concomitant inward migration led to rapid population diversification. This was particularly noticeable after the accession of ten new EU Member States, including Poland, on May 1st 2004.Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Science

    The significance of age and place of residence in the positional distribution of discourse like in L2 speech

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    This chapter investigates the use of discourse markers in L2 Irish English, specifically like by Polish people, assuming that the use of discourse markers is an indicator of integration. Quantitative and qualitative approaches are used to analyse the corpus of speech, focusing in particular on the positional distribution of like and the impact of age and place of residence. Results show that the L2 speakers use discourse like in patterns which correspond to those attested for L1 Irish English. Place of residence was a significant factor, with rural and urban speakers following rural and urban L1 patterns respectively. However, the younger speakers tended to favour urban (and global) clause-medial like over clause-marginal like, the more traditional pattern for Irish English. The young L2 speakers appear to be participating in the global change in like patterns

    Discourse ‘like’ and social identity – a case study of Poles in Ireland

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    Ireland experienced momentous change in the last decade and a half. Migrants now make up a significant percentage of the population and the question of integration continues to be pertinent. One indicator of integration is language, and the fluency with which an L2 speaker uses L1 discourse markers indicates how integrated he/she is in the local community (Sankoff et al. 1997). This paper analyses discourse like and its use by Polish speakers of L2 Irish English. Our research shows that speakers follow Irish English patterns, but there is a high degree of interspeaker variation. By drawing on qualitative data, we attempt to illustrate some possible reasons for this, including the potential of this feature as a tool in identity construction.Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Science

    Author Correction: Native diversity buffers against severity of non-native tree invasions.

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    Native diversity buffers against severity of non-native tree invasions

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    Determining the drivers of non-native plant invasions is critical for managing native ecosystems and limiting the spread of invasive species1,2^{1,2}. Tree invasions in particular have been relatively overlooked, even though they have the potential to transform ecosystems and economies3,4^{3,4}. Here, leveraging global tree databases5,6,7^{5,6,7}, we explore how the phylogenetic and functional diversity of native tree communities, human pressure and the environment influence the establishment of non-native tree species and the subsequent invasion severity. We find that anthropogenic factors are key to predicting whether a location is invaded, but that invasion severity is underpinned by native diversity, with higher diversity predicting lower invasion severity. Temperature and precipitation emerge as strong predictors of invasion strategy, with non-native species invading successfully when they are similar to the native community in cold or dry extremes. Yet, despite the influence of these ecological forces in determining invasion strategy, we find evidence that these patterns can be obscured by human activity, with lower ecological signal in areas with higher proximity to shipping ports. Our global perspective of non-native tree invasion highlights that human drivers influence non-native tree presence, and that native phylogenetic and functional diversity have a critical role in the establishment and spread of subsequent invasions

    Native diversity buffers against severity of non-native tree invasions.

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    Determining the drivers of non-native plant invasions is critical for managing native ecosystems and limiting the spread of invasive species1,2. Tree invasions in particular have been relatively overlooked, even though they have the potential to transform ecosystems and economies3,4. Here, leveraging global tree databases5-7, we explore how the phylogenetic and functional diversity of native tree communities, human pressure and the environment influence the establishment of non-native tree species and the subsequent invasion severity. We find that anthropogenic factors are key to predicting whether a location is invaded, but that invasion severity is underpinned by native diversity, with higher diversity predicting lower invasion severity. Temperature and precipitation emerge as strong predictors of invasion strategy, with non-native species invading successfully when they are similar to the native community in cold or dry extremes. Yet, despite the influence of these ecological forces in determining invasion strategy, we find evidence that these patterns can be obscured by human activity, with lower ecological signal in areas with higher proximity to shipping ports. Our global perspective of non-native tree invasion highlights that human drivers influence non-native tree presence, and that native phylogenetic and functional diversity have a critical role in the establishment and spread of subsequent invasions

    Native diversity buffers against severity of non-native tree invasions

    Get PDF
    Determining the drivers of non-native plant invasions is critical for managing native ecosystems and limiting the spread of invasive species1,2. Tree invasions in particular have been relatively overlooked, even though they have the potential to transform ecosystems and economies3,4. Here, leveraging global tree databases5-7, we explore how the phylogenetic and functional diversity of native tree communities, human pressure and the environment influence the establishment of non-native tree species and the subsequent invasion severity. We find that anthropogenic factors are key to predicting whether a location is invaded, but that invasion severity is underpinned by native diversity, with higher diversity predicting lower invasion severity. Temperature and precipitation emerge as strong predictors of invasion strategy, with non-native species invading successfully when they are similar to the native community in cold or dry extremes. Yet, despite the influence of these ecological forces in determining invasion strategy, we find evidence that these patterns can be obscured by human activity, with lower ecological signal in areas with higher proximity to shipping ports. Our global perspective of non-native tree invasion highlights that human drivers influence non-native tree presence, and that native phylogenetic and functional diversity have a critical role in the establishment and spread of subsequent invasions

    The InBetweeners: Queer and Allied Insider/Outsider Experiences and Perspectives from Higher Education in an Evolving Ireland

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    The Marriage Equality Act and Gender Recognition Acts of 2015, along with other legal frameworks, have irrevocably changed the landscape for LGBTQI+ people in Ireland. Since 2000, social acceptance of LGBTQI+ people in Ireland has risen dramatically. This chapter explores the experiences of four authors working in student-centered roles in Irish higher education, their identities as LGBTQI+, and their allyship. They contemplate how their identities as LGBTQI+ enhance and influence their ability to work openly in the Irish higher education system. The four authors considered how their innate “outsiderness” has evolved into a form of “insiderness” through their time working in Irish higher education and how they and their actions are perceived within their scholarly communities. The authors also consider how their own communities have viewed them through the activities they undertake to make more inclusive, diverse, and accepting campuses for all students. The chapter was developed using auto-ethnography and a compassionate critical friends process so that all four authors could share their journeys, address commonalities and differences, and challenge their own preconceptions. Though this chapter focuses on Irish higher education, the experiences, perceptions, and realizations can be applied to a wider range of educational settings globally

    Out of the communist frying pan and into the EU fire? Exploring the case of Kashubian

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    A language currently at the nexus of change is Kashubian (in Polish: kaszubski), a West Slavic language spoken in northern Poland in the province of Pomerania. Termed a 'regional language' by the Polish government in preparation for the ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (signed in 2003 and ratified in 2008), it presents interesting parallels with other minority languages at different phases, in terms of its weak economic status and a history of repression. The impact of Poland's accession to the EU in 2004 and the Polish government's recent revitalisation initiatives will be explored. The views of three prominent Kashubian activists are considered as they reflect on the past, present and future of Kashubian. Issues considered include the changing status of Kashubian and the impact of such change on identity, the role of Catholicism in supporting Kashubian and the need for development in the spheres of literature and education. Of particular interest is a consideration of the effect on the language's visibility and status as a result of having a Kashub, Donald Tusk, become Prime Minister in October 2007, following decades of neglect and denial of Kashubian's status as a language under Communism, and he is one of those interviewed here.                     AD 28/01/201
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