bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bringing linguistics into judicial decisionmaking: semantic analysis submitted to the US Supreme Court
Authors: Kaplan Jeffrey P. , Green Georgia M. , Cunningham Clark D. , Levi Judith N.
Published: March 2015

A substantial research endeavour carried out by a team of three theoretical linguists and a law professor on three cases pending before the US Supreme Court in its 1993-4 term resulted in a major law review article which was sent to the Court while the cases were being considered. Unlike the usual amicus curiae brief, this research was not undertaken in support of any party in any of the cases. In one of the cases there is reason to believe that the team's analysis may have contributed to the Court's decision and opinion; in another, the concurring opinion seems to have rested directly on the team's analysis; and in the third, although the opinion showed no evidence of reliance on the team's research, the decision was nonetheless in line with the team's findings. The receptiveness of at least some of the current justices of the US Supreme Court to the applicability and relevance of language analysis as carried out by linguists in cases that depend on the resolution of linguistic issues is a hopeful sign to those interested in seeing growth in the recognition of the relevance of linguistics to the law.
Gerald R., McMenamin (1993) Forensic Stylistics, Amsterdam: Elsevier. 268 pp. [Previously published as part of the 1993 subscription to the journal Forensic Science International, Volume 58], ISBN 0 444 815449.
Authors: Goutsos Dionysis
Published: March 2015

Review article
Criteria for earwitness lineups
Authors: Hollien Harry , Huntley Ruth , Kunzel Hermann , Hollien Patricia A.
Published: March 2015

The problems associated with earwitness lineups, or voice parades, are of growing concern. First, they are becoming more common; second, they are being conducted by individuals who are not competent to carry them out; third, no adequate criteria for their proper use have been published. In response, the membership of the International Association of Forensic Phonetics have undertaken to review the specific elements associated with this problem, identify their nature/extent and establish criteria for their proper construction and use. The first stage has been to present a series of formal papers on the subject (see text) and the second to provide this summary review of the problem and its background. The third stage has been to constitute an IAFP working committee charged with the development of a set of criteria for consideration by the full membership at the 1995 conference (Orlando, Florida). If the IAFP membership adopts these criteria, they will be published. Finally, the members of this new committee are A. P. A. Broeders (Netherlands), P. French (UK), H. Hollien (USA), R. Huntley (USA) and H. Kunzel (Germany).
Conducting research on the effects of intoxication on speech
Authors: Hollien Harry , Martin Camilo A.
Published: March 2015

Most types of behavioural research are difficult to carry out, at least with acceptable rigour; investigation of the effects of ethanol upon speech is a good example of such a challenge. To date bur little research on the issue has been reported; the problem here appears to be the difficulty in developing and carrying our appropriate experiments. In response, the thrust of the present project was two-fold: (1) to address the robustness/accuracy of traditional investigational procedures and (2) to generate controlled pilot data on speech-intoxication relationships. First, both established and new methodologies were assessed and attempts were made to correlate the physiological approaches with the behavioural. Second, initial data was gathered on the suprasegmentals of speech. To accomplish these goals, carefully selected subjects were studied at a number of highly controlled levels of intoxication. It was found that traditional approaches resulted in difficulties with experimental precision whereas modified procedures could be used to overcome these problems. Second, while the aural-perceptual data did not correlate very well with the physiological, some information was gained as to how to assess motor speech deficits under controlled procedures. Finally, measures of FO shift exhibited an upward trend for most speakers, and duration was increased, as a function of increments in intoxication.
Formant trajectories as indices of phonetic variation for speaker identification
Authors: Ingram J.C.L. , Prandolini R. , Ong S.
Published: March 2015

Formant trajectories are known to acoustically encode static and dynamic aspects of speech, which have potential to identify the speaker, such as differences in vocal tract morphology, articulatory setting, dialect, and speaking style. Although widely used in studies of socio-phonetic variation, formant trajectories have not been extensively investigated for purposes of voice identification. An exploratory investigation was conducted to assess the speaker discriminating potential of formant trajectory marching, in a group of fifteen male speakers tested one month apart, using phonologically matched sonorant segments of speech tagged for the presence of connected speech processes (CSPs) and level of linguistic stress. Identification rates of 85 to 93 per cent were achieved on the basis of the nine best discriminating segments (2 to 3 seconds of speech). Speaker differences in the application of CSPs did nor appear to contribute significantly to the speaker discrimination power of the formant trajectories. Stress was relevant, in terms of how well segments were processed by the formant tracker; a finding which was supported by regression analysis of segment durations and amplitudes on speaker discrimination scores. Implications for forensic speaker identification are discussed.
Identifying Dr Schneider's voice: an adventure in forensic speaker identification
Authors: Kunzel Hermann
Published: March 2015

A number of problems associated with speaker identification by lay persons are discussed in this case report. It is argued that the specific circumstances of the identification procedure(s) and factors such as subjects’ emotional states, personal attitudes (toward the speaker in question) as well as semantic content and type of speech material used may heavily bias their judgements. On the other hand, ‘conventional’ forensic voice comparisons carried our by professionals should provide clear-cur results even under severe constraints. It is argued that speaker identification by lay persons, if indispensable to a case, should be carried out only by means of a fully-fledged, classical voice lineup procedure. A practical illustration is provided.
A report on a voice disguise experiment
Authors: Masthoff Herbert
Published: March 2015

Voice disguise is potentially present in any speech-specific criminal case. Appropriate methods of analysing and evaluating voice disguise therefore are necessary. An experiment was conducted in which 20 subjects provided samples of their modal as well as disguised voices. T he goals were to determine the preferred forms of disguise and possible relations between the modal voice properties and the chosen alterations. It was found that the majority of the disguises were made by an alteration of phonation. Also, the disguises were based on an alteration of a maximum of two phonetic parameters, leaving broad aspects of the vocal behaviour undisguised and thus available for forensic examination.
Integrated approach to speaker recognition in forensic applications
Authors: Majewski Wojciech , Basztura Czeslaw
Published: March 2015

Speaker recognition for forensic use should exhibit a high level of reliability. Considering the large differences in transmission and recording conditions for rest and reference speech samples, no single method of speaker recognition can provide the required level of decision confidence. To solve this problem, the authors propose a multistage approach consisting of a parallel application of aural-perceptual, visual and automatic recognition procedures in open sets of speakers. The first method is based on perceptual comparison of speech segments of an unknown speaker (i.e., the criminal) with the same or similar segments of known speakers (i.e., the suspects). The second method is based on visual comparison of sets of patterns corresponding to the same speech segments produced by the same speakers. These patterns are based on sonagrams and other specially extracted parameters, such as spectra in stationary segments of speech, distributions of time intervals between zero crossings, etc. The automatic methods are based on a probabilistic model of speakers’ voices in open sets and nonparametric models with an application of dynamic time warping. This integrated approach was rested in practical forensic applications, e.g. in the identification of extortionists. In the case of very different technical conditions, only the integrated approach permitted positive identification decisions to be reached. Illustrations of the results for a real life case also are included.
Age estimation by different listener groups
Authors: Braun Angelika
Published: March 2015

This contribution is focused on the perception of speaker age. With forensic applications in mind, the following questions are. asked : (1) are trained listeners better at estimating a speaker s chronological age than untrained listeners, (2) are listeners more confident about correct estimates than incorrect ones and (3) do a speaker's smoking habits influence perceived age? The results of an experiment involving direct age estimations by experts and non-experts reveal that professionals cannot be expected to do significantly better than the untrained listeners as long as correlations between perceived age and calendar age are considered. However, phonetic training did manifest itself in greater intersubject consistency. Furthermore, smoking can be demonstrated to influence age estimation in the sense that the smokers were judged to be older than non-smokers of the same calendar age. An examination of the confidence ratings shows that expert listeners tend to be more cautious than non-experts, but confidence does not imply correctness for either group.
Allusions and other ‘innuendo’ meanings in libel actions: the value of semantic and pragmatic evidence
Authors: Durant Alan
Published: March 2015

Allusions and other cultural references are problematic in defamation actions. This paper presents an account of linguistic evidence concerning a contested expression, ‘economical with the truth’, whose origins as a quotation, coupled with more recent general currency, present an important interpretative challenge. Distinction between idiomatic use and more specialized allusion can be crucial in that qualification is allowed to the ‘ordinary reader’ test of defamation only in cases of so-called ‘innuendo’ meanings (or meanings available only to a sub-set readership with relevant, specialized knowledge). Discussion of semantic and pragmatic evidence suggests that the linguist can valuably narrow the scope of plausible interpretation. Such evidence also contributes to the understanding of both ‘ordinary reader’ and ‘innuendo’ tests of meaning. In a generalization from the case outlined, comment is offered on established methods for attributing meanings (and responsibility for meaning) in English libel law, and emergent tendencies in the related fields of forensic linguistics and critical legal studies are delineated.
Readers’ comprehension of temporary restraining orders in domestic violence cases: a missing link in abuse prevention?
Authors: Stratman James F. , Dahl Patricia
Published: March 2015

The purpose of this investigation is to explore whether and how remaining order forms used to deter domestic violence are understood by ordinary readers. Specifically, the investigation includes a linguistic analysis and empirical study of readers’ undemanding of prohibitions on ‘contact’ between parties as expressed in recent and current Colorado temporary restraining order forms. Evidence from a scenario comprehension rest and from think-aloud protocols suggests that readers have difficulties in making correct inferences about the scope of the term ‘contact.’ The evidence suggests that greater explicitness in the standard language of the forms may improve the chances of correct interpretation and thus may help to reduce unwanted contact between disputing parties. While courts have decided that a certain measure of generality in form language must be tolerated, they often draw such a conclusion based solely upon judicial intuition about ordinary readers’ comprehension. However, we are concerned that such unaided intuition may poorly anticipate the difficulties of ordinary readers left to wrestle with the generality of legal terms on their own.
Can linguists help judges know what they mean? Linguistic semantics in the court-room.
Authors: Goddard Cliff
Published: March 2015

This paper considers how linguistic semantics can assist judges in determining the ‘plain meaning’ of words for the purpose of statutory interpretation. It describes the main schools of contemporary semantics, showing that leading experts in the field differ enormously in their basic assumptions and methods. It gives a detailed critique of surveys as a research method in semantics, concentrating on a recent American study (Cunningham et al., 1994) which has been proposed as a model of how linguists can help judges. Although the author advocates Anna Wierzbicka's reductive paraphrase approach and seeks to demonstrate its value for conceptual analysis in legal contexts, he argues that in view of the fragmented and under-developed state of lexical semantics it would be ill-advised for courts to recognise linguists as experts on word meanings.
Distortions of the police interview process revealed by video-tape
Authors: Gibbons John
Published: March 2015

This article uses transcript of a police interview with an Aboriginal suspect to show, firstly, the dangers of interviewing non-native speakers without the help of an interpreter and secondly that non-native responses cannot be taken to have their face value meaning.
Inferring health claims: a case study
Authors: Green David W.
Published: March 2015

Advertisements and packaging material are frequently designed to elicit consumer inferences, some of which may be legally proscribed. This paper discusses the analysis of such inferences and the empirical resting of analytic results. By way of a case study, it reports the analysis and empirical testing of the inferences elicited by two different packages on the same breakfast cereal. Analysis on the first package indicated that consumers might draw a legally proscribed inference (the prevention claim) that eating the product would reduce the risk of heart disease. In contrast, analysis of the second package indicated that such an inference might nor be drawn. Two empirical studies supported the analytic findings. Individuals having read and looked at a black and white copy of either the first or the second package were asked a number of questions. In particular, they were asked to write down what they perceived as the benefit or benefits of eating the product. More subjects reading the first package responded the prevention claim. The second study also required subjects to draw causal diagrams of the factors influencing the risk of heart disease. These diagrams confirmed that the failure to infer the prevention claim was nor attributable to a lack of knowledge of the connection between cholesterol and heart disease, bur to the absence of any mention of this connection in the next. In addition, the empirical data point up the role of visual imagery in guiding the inferences drawn.
The imitated voice - a problem for voice line-ups?
Authors: Schlichting Frank , Sullivan Kirk P.H.
Published: March 2015

This paper investigates whether imitation can pose a problem for speaker discrimination within the line-up. The voice chosen for the experiment was that of a well-known Swedish politician. A professional imitator provided an imitation of the voice samples presented. Eight other voices were used in the experiments. Four groups heard a series of different open-test line-ups. Two of the groups were asked to identify the Swedish politician: one solely from memory, one after hearing his voice. The remaining two groups heard a sample of the voice they were to identify: one group heard the professional imitation and the other the natural voice of the imitator. Results indicate that the listeners are able to discriminate between the real voice and the imitation when both are present. However, the imitation leads to 100 per cent speaker misidentification in the worse case.
Phonological variation in speaker identification
Authors: Moosmüller Sylvia
Published: March 2015

Phonological analysis is divided into regional and social dialect/standard variation and into the remaining phonological variation susceptible to individual variation. After a short description of the social and regional standard/dialect variation it will be argued that from the specific standard/dialect variation it is possible to determine geographical origins of the speaker in question, his or her social status, and regional and social mobility. The specific articulation of diphthongs and the process of monophthongization of these diphthongs serve to demonstrate this phenomenon. Phonological analysis is placed within the framework of Natural Phonology; it will be argued that phonological backgrounding processes are most prone to individual variation because they are less salient to both perception and production, and furthermore, they are rather resistant to both the formality of the speech situation and to voice disguise. This argument will be illustrated by two case studies.
Some general phonetic and forensic aspects of speaking tempo
Authors: Künzel Hermann J.
Published: March 2015

The comparability and compatibility of speech samples is of paramount importance to modern techniques of forensic speaker identification. This principle applies also to factors commonly referred to as speaking tempo, speech rate, speed of utterance, and the like, which may differ considerably as a function of various characteristics of the speaking situation. Consider, for example, a blackmailer's telephone call to a victim, i.e. a spontaneous text, often produced in a dialogic situation, and, on the other hand, a text (even the same text) read aloud from a transcript by a suspect and recorded directly over a microphone in a police station. With respect to speaking tempo the compatibility problem is enhanced by the fact that, other than, for instance, F0 and pitch, it cannot be attributed to a single phonetic parameter on the level of either production or perception. In this study the influence of a number of temporal variables which have been associated with speaking tempo in the literature have been investigated in three speaking conditions considered typical of the forensic setting. Furthermore, the potential influence of the telephone recording situation was investigated, a characteristic feature in the vast majority of speaker identification cases. Results from ten speakers and fifteen listeners indicate that speaking condition but not recording condition does in fact have an influence on speaking tempo in terms of both production and perception, with syllable rate, or rather the amount of pausing contained in this parameter, being the best temporal correlate. On the other hand, articulation rate remains almost entirely unaffected and is also remarkably constant within speakers. Therefore it may be regarded as a promising speaker-specific parameter for forensic speaker identification.
Ten unanswered language questions about Miranda
Authors: Shuy Roger W.
Published: March 2015

The purpose of this paper is to suggest areas of needed forensic linguistic research into the use of the warnings that the police are required to give suspects about their rights as they are being arrested. In this case, the American Miranda warnings are used as an example. Familiar linguistic issues arise in such warnings, including discourse sequencing, coerciveness of questions, volition, comprehension, functional equivalence, the co-operative principle, agreement, topic recycling and intentionality.
Clash of world perspectives: the discursive practices of the law, the witness and the interpreter
Authors: Hale Sandra
Published: March 2015

A number of studies have demonstrated the clash of discourse worlds that occurs when the law and the lay client meet, due to the specific expectations and assumptions of relevance of the law which conflict with the everyday discourse practices of the lay client. Such a clash often causes frustration on both sides, and more seriously, can have a negative impact on the outcome of legal cases. This paper has applied the principle of lawyer client discourse differences to the situation where the client is a non-English speaker requiring the intervention of an interpreter. This paper bases its hypothesis on authentic data of Spanish-English interpreted proceedings and reports the main results of discourse alterations by the interpreter.
Problems of voice line-ups
Authors: Laubstein Ann Stuart
Published: March 2015

This paper describes an experimental study which investigates the viability of the currently accepted ‘transcript method’ in the preparation of voice (ear witness) line-ups. Two such line-ups were built by the Ottawa Police in a recent investigation and both these line-ups are experimentally examined for bias. Subjects (n=72, n=90) were asked to respond to a number of questions about the voices in the line-ups and in both cases the suspect's voice was judged significantly different from the foil voices. There appear to be a number of problems with this method- indeed it is not clear that it is capable of producing an unbiased line-up. Given our current knowledge about perceptual voice identification there appear to be good reasons for limiting the Canadian legal system's use of ear witness line-ups.
A failed appeal
Authors: Coulthard Malcolm
Published: March 2015

This article reproduces the written evidence given in a case taken to the Court of Appeal in England towards the end of 1996. The author shows that an analysis which most linguists consulted found compelling failed to convince judges in a real-world court context.
The ability of expert witnesses to identify voices: a comparison between trained and untrained listerners
Authors: Schiller Niels O. , Köster Olaf
Published: March 2015

This study reports the results of a speaker identification experiment in which the performance of phonetic expert witnesses and untrained listeners was compared. In a direct identification task participants from both groups were asked to identify the voice of a target speaker among five foils. Results showed that expert witnesses, who were experienced in speaker identification, performed significantly better than untrained listeners, who had no experience in phonetic speaker identification.
Is forensic speaker identification unethical -- or can it be unethical not to do it?
Authors: Braun Angelika , Künzel Hermann J.
Published: March 2015

This paper makes a case for forensic speaker-identification, but only if the practitioner is properly trained and carries out the task conscientiously. It could be argued (and has been argued) that it is unethical to engage in forensic speaker-identification until there is a well-established and fully automatic (i.e. machine-based) approach available: in other words phoneticians should not practise in this field at all until the subjective element of their task has been removed. The present contribution will focus on forensic speaker-profiling and identification. First, the specifics of the forensic task as opposed to the commercial speaker-identification (SI) task will be summarized, followed by a brief outline of the methods currently employed by forensic phoneticians. The applicability of automatic SI procedures will then be examined. It transpires that only in a small proportion of forensic cases does the material which is available from either the plaintiff or the investigating agency lend itself to the application of automatic methods. Therefore, it might seem unethical to apply these methods uncritically. However, in the vast majority of cases, other non-automatic methods have to be pursued. It is contended that the forensic phonetician has a moral obligation to aid the course of justice within the limitations which are imposed by the quantity and quality of the speech samples in question.
Mr. Akbar's nearest ear versus the Lombard reflex: a case study in forensic phonetics
Authors: French Peter
Published: March 2015

This report describes a case where the author used a method known as the 'Lombard reflex' by which a speaker's performance on a semmingly inaccessible phonetic parameter (loudness) was assessed obliquely via his performance on another, directly assessible, parameter, (pitch).
Redressing the inbalance: Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system
Authors: Mildren Dean
Published: March 2015

Aboriginal people involved in the criminal justice system in the Northern Territory of Australia are disadvantaged because of the lack of court-trained interpreters, and because of cultural differences which affect their ability to understand and be understood. Aboriginal people speak a variety of languages as well as a form of English which differs from standard English. The article examines efforts made to establish an Aboriginal Languages Interpreter Service, and to establish methods which can be employed by the courts to reduce the effect of these difficulties in the investigative and trial processes. It is recommended that translations in the main Aboriginal languages of the caution and other relevant information be tape-recorded and played by the police to Aboriginal suspects before commencing a formal record of interview, and that judges should insist on the presence of trained interpreters during the recording of interview, in addition to a prisoner's friend, unless good reasons are shown. The different roles of prisoners’ friends and interpreters is discussed. It is recommended that trained interpreters be used wherever possible even if the witnesses are largely able to be understood by English-speaking jurors. The article also discusses ways in which police, counsel and judges can more fairly elicit relevant information from Aboriginal people or from people of mixed descent in the English language. It is recommended that trial judges should give suitable direction to juries before the witnesses are called, drawing attention to the main areas where misunderstandings may occur, that judges need to be more pro-active to prevent forms of advocacy likely to operate unfairly to Aboriginal people, and that prosecutors need to ensure juries are informed of the relationships between the victim, witnesses and accused, as well as other relevant cultural information. The article discusses ways in which this can be achieved, and reflects upon changes which have emerged in the criminal justice system since the employment of these techniques began to be used in the mid 1990s.
The interpretation of conventional and ‘Bayesian’ verbal scales for expressing expert opinion: a small experiment among jurists
Authors: Sjerps Marjan , Biesheuvel Dirk B.
Published: March 2015

The Bayesian framework is a useful logical concept which potentially applies to a large number of areas in forensic science, including speaker identification. According to this line of reasoning, the forensic expert is not in a position to draw conclusions about the probability of a hypothesis, e.g. the probability that the unknown speaker on a tape recording is the suspect, unless the expert is absolutely sure. If there is any doubt, the expert can only say how likely it is for the similarities and differences between the voice on the tape and the suspect's voice to occur if the suspect is indeed the speaker on the tape and if he/she is not. The Bayesian approach also implies that conventional verbal scales for expressing probability conclusions are logically incorrect. The Netherlands Forensic Institute is therefore considering introducing an alternative scale. We will report on a small-scale experiment among jurists on the interpretation of such scales.
Commentary on A. P. A. Broeders (1999) ‘Some observations on the use of probability scales in forensic identification’, Forensic Linguistics 6(2): 228–41
Authors: Champod Christophe , Evett Ian W.
Published: March 2015

We thank Ton Broeders for inviting us to comment on the question of whether or not forensic experts should draw conclusions about the probability (or certainty) of a hypothesis. We cannot over-emphasize the importance of carefully considering this issue because the terminology used to describe the strength of evidence is intimately connected with the logical structure of forensic inference.
Arranging a voice lineup in a foreign language
Authors: Broeders A. P.A. , Cambier-Langeveld Tina , Vermeulen Jos
Published: March 2015

Speaker identification by lay witnesses is an area that is still relatively unexplored. The volume of empirical research in this field contrasts sharply and unfavourably with the wealth of work reported in the literature on human identification in the visual domain. Nor is it clear that the findings of eyewitness research are sufficiently well known in forensic phonetic circles, in spite of their patent relevance to earwitness identification. Many of the issues over which consensus has been reached among those working in the field of eyewitness identification (Wells et al. 1998) continue to be unresolved in the forensic speaker identification community.

Attempts to take matters further by taking on board the
unquestioned insights gained in the visual field have so far met with a lukewarm reaction at best. After a promising start (Hollien et al. 1995, Broeders 1996, Hollien 1996), little progress has been made in recent years within either IAFP (the International Association for Forensic Phonetics)
or the ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes) Expert Working Group for Forensic Speech and Audio Analysis in formulating generally accepted procedures for the conduct of voice line-ups. At the same time, debate seems to have come to a virtual standstill, as witness
the lack of response to the most recently proposed set of guidelines (Broeders and Van Amelsvoort 1999). Yet, ever since McGehee's (1937) work following the Lindbergh trial, the need to develop proper procedures in the conduct of earwitness identification has been abundantly clear.
Rejoinder to Francis Nolan's ‘The “telephone effect” on formants: a response’
Authors: Künzel Hermann J.
Published: March 2015

n his response to my article ‘Beware of the “telephone effect”: the influence of telephone transmission on the measurement of formant frequencies’, which appeared in Volume 8 Number 1 of this journal, Francis Nolan's main concern seems to be that ‘forensic phoneticians who dispute the value of acoustic analysis’ might use the conclusions as an endorsement
of ‘a complete exclusion of formants from the FSI process’ (p. 72). It is quite evident that in any science an author's arguments can be understood, misunderstood or just interpreted differently, by different individuals. They can also be used for the pursuit of particular interests. The latter fact
s of special relevance to FSI-related court cases where phoneticians as experts aim at convincing non-experts of their opinions. Although after reading Nolan's response carefully I do not think my text may provide a basis for the misunderstanding that he is afraid of, even less that it may be
mistaken as ‘a blanket interdiction on the use of spectral information in FSI’ (pp. 74–75), I welcome the opportunity to reiterate the essence of my conclusions.
(Re)contextualizing compaintants’ accounts of sexual assault
Authors: Ehrlich Susan
Published: March 2015

By comparing data from a sexual assault criminal trial and a sexual assault civil trial, this article shows how counter-hegemonic frameworks can be incorporated into institutional discourse. More specifically, I explore the ways in which feminist discourses or ideological ‘frames’ regarding women and sexual violence can be introduced into the discursive space of a trial, resulting in the contextualizing of complainants’ experiences of sexual assault. The article also illustrates how direct examination can serve to (re)structure and (re)contextualize the testimony given by witnesses in ways which are not typically associated with direct examination questioning strategies. While not an adversarial context, the direct examination of the civil trial analysed here displayed properties of trial discourse more often associated with crossexamination.
Fit for the Devil
Authors: Lewis James Roger
Published: March 2015

With the exception of a certain subgenre of professional literature that focuses on the ‘problem’ of adolescent Satanism, there have been no systematic analyses of how people become Satanists. The present article brings data from questionnaire research to bear on this issue, and draws on discussions of conversion to other alternative religions – particularly to contemporary Paganism – as lenses through which to interpret conversion to Satanism. The paper’s conclusion also raises the question of whether declaring oneself to be a member of an anarchistic Internet religion should properly be considered ‘conversion’ or whether it would be more appropriate to regard the adoption of the label ‘Satanist’ as being a form of identity construction.
How Prophecy Succeeds
Authors: Chryssides George
Published: March 2015

Leon Festinger’s notion of prophecy as prediction that is liable to failure has been widely accepted in religious studies. The author argues that this understanding of prophecy is not shared by biblical scholars or by the Watch Tower Society. The article explores in detail the various calculations that the Society has used in devising its views on the last days, and how these have changed over time. Four periods of development are identified: (1) the era of founder-leader Charles Taze Russell; (2) the early Rutherford period; (3) a changed chronological system in 1935; and (4) the Society’s present-day understanding. Discussion is given to the key dates of 1914, 1918, 1925 and 1975, and to the Society’s changed understanding of the ‘generation that would not pass’ until the fulfilment of prophecy. It is argued that, although there have been failures in prophetic speculation, the changing views and dates of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are more largely attributable to changed understandings of biblical chronology than to failed predictions. For the Jehovah’s Witnesses prophecy serves more as a way of discerning a divine plan in human history than a means to predicting the future.
Islam
Authors: Onnudottir Helena , Possamai Adam , Turner Bryan
Published: March 2015

The assumption that Islam is a new religious identity among Aboriginal Australians is questioned. The historical evidence demonstrates a well-established connection between Islam and Aboriginal communities through the early migration of Muslims to colonial Australia. This historical framework allows us to criticise the negative construction of the Aboriginal Muslim in the media through the use of statistical information gathered in three Australian censuses (1996, 2001 and 2006). Our conclusion is that the Aboriginal Muslim needs to be understood both in terms of the historical context of colonial Australia and the Aboriginal experience of social and political marginalisation. Their conversion to Islam represents some degree of cultural continuity rather than rupture. Finally the article demonstrates that the sociological and psychological understanding of conversion is underdeveloped and inadequate.
Moving Forward in Catholicism
Authors: Palmisano Stefania
Published: March 2015

The aim of this article is to analyse the organizational innovations which monastic communities established after Vatican Council II (“new monastic communities”) introduced with the aim of renewing monastic life. The article will also consider the problems in the relationship between these communities and the Catholic Church, which arise as the result of such innovations. The first section reports the main results of empirical research carried out on new monastic communities in Italy, looking in particular at how such innovations were introduced. The second section begins with the question of canonical recognition of these new communities by the Catholic Church, and discusses the relationships between innovation, recognition and legitimation
Rebooting The Family
Authors: Nilsson Sanja
Published: March 2015

The Family International (TFI) is a religious movement that emerged in the late 1960s. It was founded by David Berg (1919?1994), who later came to be perceived by adherents as the End-Time Prophet. The movement is based on Christian theology but has never had more than 10 000 followers. It has, however, made itself internationally famous through a radical interpretation of the Bible and critique of mainstream society. The Family has received media attention partly due to its liberal views on sexuality. The group is well-known within the research field of sociology of religion and new religious movements, and has been extensively studied as a “high-tension” group that has limited and regulated contact with mainstream society. Although there are some excellent in-depth case studies on the Family, the group is constantly changing due to its theology being based on continuous prophecy. This means that the group’s doctrines and praxis have changed considerably over the course of its 40-year history. This article examines the latest change in The Family International, called the Reboot, which was implemented in September 2010, in order to get a clearer picture of what constitutes this shift. This article also aims to show how changes in social boundaries due to the implementation of the Reboot are perceived by some members of The Family International.
Editor’s Introduction
Authors: Gregg Stephen
Published: March 2015

Guest editor Stephen E. Gregg introduces this special edition of the International Journal for the Study of New Religions on “New Religions and Dialogue.”
Poking fun at the Pope
Authors: Gregg Stephen
Published: March 2015

The International Raelian Movement is the world’s largest UFO-centred religion, claiming over 60,000 followers worldwide. Founded in 1974 by Claude Vorilhon, now known as the prophet Rael, the movement centres its cosmology on a reinterpretation of the Genesis creation myth. The figure of Jesus is also central to Raelian understanding of Prophethood and the ‘scientific’ non-supernatural world view of the movement. Proudly atheistic and supportive of diverse adult sexualities, the movement has in recent years increased protests against the Catholic Church in the form of website literature, online videos, and physical marches. Using Cohen’s understanding of relational aspects of community identity and the notion of ‘Reversal’ in identity construction (Cohen, 2007), the Raelian Movement’s anti-Catholic discourse and dialogue is interpreted as a ‘symbolic construction’ of identity which requires a ‘religious other’ – namely the Catholic Church. Further, Raelian claims to ‘correct’ Catholic teaching on the person of Jesus, cosmology, theism and sexual ethics are explored, as examples of the relational construction of Raelian worldviews. Lastly, Raelian protests against the Catholic Church are understood using Bell’s category of ‘Political Ritual’ (Bell, 1997), wherein it is argued that Raelian protests are a form of a ritual performance of protest to construct, reinforce and project symbolic constructions of Raelian identity.
Editor's Introduction
Authors: Dyrendal Asbjørn , Norman Alex
Published: March 2015

Editor's Introduction
The Religious Question in Modern China, by Vincent Goossaert and David A. Palmer. The University of Chicago Press, 2011, 464 pages. $40.00 cloth, ISBN-13: 9780226304168.
Authors: Lowe Scott
Published: March 2015

Book review
Intercultural communication in a development project in Samoa
Authors: Byrnes Fran
Published: March 2015

Through the study of selected project events and their associated discourses this research explores how participants in a development project used cultural and professional resources, including communication resources; and the consequences resulting (for them and for others) from this use. The project is explored as a ‘soft’ system of social interactions and processes; and as a ‘Third Space’ (Bhabha 1990) where traditional boundaries of socio-cultural organisation, or of professions, are destabilised and where newly-constructed practices, orders of discourse, identities and representations are required. The research takes a critical and ideological stance, underpinned by a belief in the value and possibility of social action. While not primarily a call to action, the study presents its interpretations in the context of larger ethical and political challenges, with a view to informing change, specifically what deliberate action might be taken to improve processes and practices in future projects. Recommendations for change, based on the research findings, are concerned with determining principles and codes of practice for: (i) identifying and developing intercultural competence in project situations (ii) training for intercultural project work, including ongoing participant research (iii) improving project systems and (iv) using relevant approaches/techniques in organisational change management.
Developmental issues in second language conversation
Authors: Brouwer Catherine E. , Wagner Johhannes
Published: March 2015

This article contributes to the discussion of how second language learning can be studied in a conversation analytic framework. Conversation analysis (CA) as a field has demonstrated how meticulous analysis can shed light on how talk-in-interaction works. In recent years CA has been applied to a number of areas of inquiry, including interactions in second languages. So far, CA researchers have mainly studied second language use, while a systematic approach of how to study the process of second language learning still needs to be developed. To this end, we propose methodological procedures for the study of second language learning by bringing together two frameworks: CA and the theory of situated learning. As an empirical basis, this entails a systematic gathering of longitudinal data consisting of naturally occurring interactions, and analytic procedures managing the longitudinal character of the data,in particular the issue of interactantsâ€™ change in conduct over time.
Applying corpus linguistics in a health care context
Authors: Adolphs Svenja , Brown Brian , Carter Ronald , Crawford Paul , Sahota Opinder
Published: March 2015

This paper draws on two strands of research and practice in language studies, namely i) studies of communication in health care encounters, and ii) studies of language corpora. It aims to delineate an area of â€˜applied clinical linguisticsâ€™ which draws on these existing sub-disciplines so as to enhance our knowledge of communicative events in clinical settings. To illustrate the potential we draw upon a corpus-informed study of communication in staged telephone conversations between callers and advisers in the UKâ€™s â€˜NHS Directâ€™ health advisory service. Here, the combined application of corpus linguistics and conversation analytic techniques has revealed several hitherto undisclosed features concerning strategies used by health advisors to position the caller as the subject of the interaction, give credentials to the advice and terminate the encounter with a â€˜convergence codaâ€™. The integrated approach which combines corpus linguistic methods with existing frameworks in text analysis of health care contexts seems to offer new possibilities of data and theory building, as well as becoming a resource for practitioners themselves in clinical field settings.
Making methodology matter
Authors: Sarangi Srikant , Candlin Christopher N.
Published: March 2015

Editorial introduction to issue.
Using information technology to support empirical SLA research
Authors: Myles Florence , Mitchell Rosamond
Published: March 2015

This article argues the case for more widespread adoption of information technology in second language acquisition research. The extent to which electronic datasets and analysis tools such as concordancers and parsers are being adopted across applied linguistics research more widely is briefly reviewed. Reasons for relative lack of adoption of such tools within SLA to date are discussed, and a case is made for use of the CHILDES suite of tools to support SLA research. The background to the CHILDES project in L1 acquisition research is explained, and a detailed account is provided of how CHILDES has been adapted to support a corpus-based programme of research into French L2. The article concludes with a brief assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of CHILDES, and an outline of issues to be addressed if the full benefits of information technology are to be realised in SLA.
Making inter-relationality matter in applied linguistics
Authors: Candlin Christopher N. , Sarangi Srikant
Published: March 2015

Managing the first year of life of a new journal is a struggle in many ways: recruiting of authors, filtering stronger papers from weaker ones, chasing reviewers for timely, constructive reports â€“ the list can go on. It will be for readers to determine, but on reflection, we feel we have accomplished what we had set out to achieve in bringing this new journal to life (Candlin & Sarangi, 2004). The inaugural volume (comprising the three issues), with its breadth of themes and methodologies, we hope will have put some markers for future authors and readers of the journal in the ever-widening field of applied linguistics.
The translation of style
Authors: Hatim Basil
Published: March 2015

The aim of this article is to report on a number of recent developments in the study of translation and to focus on the issue of â€˜markednessâ€™, singled out here as a central element in the process of translation. Linguistic markedness and the twin notion of â€˜textual evaluativenessâ€™ are examined as part of the wider issue of dealing with â€˜styleâ€™ in translation or the need to translate not only â€˜whatâ€™ is said, but also â€˜howâ€™ it is said. The perspective adopted is essentially applied text-linguistic: the linguistic focus is on the â€˜textâ€™ as a unit of both communication and translation, while the scope of application is specifically informed by a practitioner research paradigm. The markedness, evaluativeness and style theme is pursued against a backdrop of how the theory and practice of translation has evolved in the last 50 years or so from an emphasis on formal notions of translation â€˜equivalenceâ€™ within the â€˜linguistics phaseâ€™, to more dynamic notions of equivalence within the â€˜cultural modelâ€™, and ultimately to models of translation which see equivalence in the light of text in context and beyond.
An 'important contribution' or 'tiresome reading'? A study of evaluation in peer reviews of journal article submissions
Authors: Hewings Martin
Published: March 2015

While the process of peer reviewing journal articles submitted for publication has been extensively investigated, particularly in the biomedical field, the language of peer reviews is relatively unexplored. This paper studies evaluation in an electronic corpus of 228 reviews submitted to the journal English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The research focuses on the things (or entities) evaluated and the adjectives associated with these. Entities and adjectives are categorised and quantified in order to ascertain what things are valued by reviewers and the qualities by which they are judged. The findings suggest that reviewers take on multiple roles, at the same time discouraging the publication of work that fails to meet the required standards and offering encouragement to authors and guiding them towards publication. These findings have implications for authors submitting research papers, those who support authors in this process, and journal editors.