bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RESPECT AND SUPPORT
Authors: Sherbourne John , Hancocks Graeme , Swift Chris
Published: March 2015

This article examines the results of a unique research project carried out by CREDO (the Chaplaincy Research Education and Development Office) in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust into the factors and that lead female Church of England clergy into employment in health care chaplaincy. It complements a paper previously published in the journal Practical Theology (Vol 1, no. 2, 2008) which reported on the opinions and experiences of Anglican male health care chaplains. Although its findings are based on a relatively small sample (the experiences of just 39 female health care chaplains) when set against their recollections of time spent in parochial ministry the research does nevertheless identify several areas of very real concern. This paper examines a whole raft of topics including: personal circumstances; positive or negative experiences towards parish and sector ministry and attitudes towards ministry and the church/health care provider. The survey concludes that while many female clergy may feel they had a good experience of parochial ministry, with hindsight a number of key issues now make their perception of the institutionalised church markedly negative.
Learning about Spiritual Care
Authors: McTaggart Irene , Munro Gillian , Rogerson Elizabeth , Martingdale Linda
Published: March 2015

Spiritual Care is everybody’s business (SEHD, 2002, SGHD, 2008), presenting many challenges as we go about our daily work; therefore education is important in helping us prepare to meet such challenges. A small e-learning unit (GLIDER™) aimed at all healthcare workers who have contact with patients and their families was developed in partnership with the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside, supported by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, funded by NHS Education Scotland. Common themes of change were noted in participants including them becoming more focussed in their thinking, more aware of the needs of their colleagues and considerate to the place of faith as appropriate to the individual.The GLIDER™ is now a compulsory part of the undergraduate nursing programme at the University of Dundee whilst currently being considered for inclusion in both the medical and dental school undergraduate programmes as part of the university’s commitment to interprofessional learning.
Sustained from the Inside
Authors: Paterson Michael
Published: March 2015

Excerpted from a Keynote Address at the Annual Conference of the Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains, The Hayes Centre, Swanwick, 16 May 2011
Finding a New Shape for Bereavement Care
Authors: Birrell John
Published: March 2015

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Theology at the Coal-Face of Hospitalisation
Authors: Mitchell David , Sneddon Margaret , O'Neill Anna , Kennedy Susan
Published: March 2015

Healthcare chaplaincy is working towards recognition as a registered health profession. An accredited programme of professional education is part of that process. The University of Glasgow supported by NHS Education for Scotland have developed a programme of professional education for healthcare chaplains that is integrated into an MSc. (MedSci) in healthcare. This article outlines the commissioning, development and evaluation of a postgraduate certificate in healthcare chaplaincy by students, clinical mentors and experienced healthcare chaplains. It also highlights an innovative approach to practice development in spiritual and religious care in healthcare.
Reflections on the Role of a Mentor in the Chaplaincy Certificate Course, 2009/2010
Authors: Gordon Tom
Published: March 2015

A retired hospice chaplain reflects on his past role as a mentor in a chaplaincy certificate course.
Discourses and Narratives Surrounding Disabled People in Hospital
Authors: Monteith W. Graham
Published: March 2015

Disabled people constitute a minority of patients in the normal hospital ward. They may belong to groups which often have their own ideologies or languages. Discourse is chosen here as a way of understanding the conflicts which may arise between disabled patients and the medical profession who emanate from two distinct `epistemic communities.' The unsettling discourse of disabled people in hospital may centre on current medical practices, the shortcomings of the DDA or confused diagnosis. The work of Hauerwas on narrative theology is recommended as tool for the chaplain endeavouring to understand the situation.
Finishing the Business
Authors: Gordon Tom
Published: March 2015

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Shaken Babies
Authors: Grossoehme David
Published: March 2015

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Advance Directives
Authors: Macritchie Iain
Published: March 2015

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Use of Rituals, Primarily Related to Grief, in a Hospital Setting
Authors: Gray Bronwen
Published: March 2015

This paper examines the use of rituals, both one-off and repeated events, based on a hospital chaplain’s experience in a mental health setting. It considers why they are used, how they can be meaningful, effective and safe. It also considers risks associated with the use of rituals and how to plan carefully to maximise the benefits to those involved.
New Wine? New Wineskins?
Authors: Paterson Michael
Published: March 2015

In the first of this series of three articles in Health & Social Care Chaplaincy, the author employed Ricoeur’s typology – orientation, disorientation, reorientation – to explore Scottish healthcare chaplains’ responses to the refocusing of spiritual care from a series of crisis-based hospital interventions to the promotion of wellbeing and resilience in local communities. In this second article the author treats this paradigm shift with a hermeneutic of suspicion and explores inherent issues of need, ability, value and power.
REFLECTION ON MENTAL HEALTH CHAPLAINCY
Authors: Rattray Lorna
Published: March 2015

This article reflects briefly on 6 years of mental health chaplaincy work. It stresses the common humanity, with its needs and vulnerabilities, of chaplain and patients, and the need for openness in relationships. Worship in the hospital, and its relationship with the realities of life is considered. The article ends with a reminder of the dependence of us all on the incarnate God.
“MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
Authors: Chalmers Stuart
Published: March 2015

A traditional approach to pain and the Christian is a theology of the cross. In this article I aim to re-examine this approach and to look at the dangers of short-circuiting its theology. The experience of pain will be considered in the light of the cross with the help of Psalm 22 and other scriptural texts. There are a number of stages or reactions on a Christian’s journey of suffering or way of the cross. I will adopt Adolphe Gesché’s framework as a starting point in analysing the process of attribution of religious meaning to suffering, revising it in the light of more recent writings and personal reflections. Thus the following framework will be offered as an interpretative key to the pain-filled “why?”: pro Deo (a plea on behalf of God), contra Deum (against God), ad Deum (an appeal to God) and cum Deo (with God).
VISIT TO GHANA
Authors: Rattray Lorna
Published: March 2015

6th International Congress of Pastoral Care
ETHICS IN INFERTILITY TREATMENT
Authors: Hamilton Mark
Published: March 2015

The author acknowledges the considerable advancements in the management of the infertile that have taken place in recent years and seeks to explore the fundamental ethical issues that inevitably arise. The rationing of services for financial or organisational reasons is explored, and other questions are raised: Does the donor of sperm or eggs have the right to anonymity or is that an infringement of the child’s right to information on their genetic make up? Should there be an upper age limit for women and men for donation and treatment? With genetic diagnosis sex can be determined, and abnormalities detected, what are the links with that information to abortion? A very thought provoking article that concludes with a personal comment on the polarised stances these ethical issues raise, and the place of the Christian healthcare professional somewhere in the middle, alongside the patients.
MIND YOUR LANGUAGE
Authors: Banks John
Published: March 2015

This is an extract from a dissertation submitted for the MA in Healthcare Chaplaincy, University of Leeds. The dissertation is a reflection on the current literary interest in spirituality within healthcare. While eager to listen and learn from those several disciplines that contribute to the debate, there is a concern that chaplains do not acquiesce in a ‘spurious mutuality’. If chaplains simply accept the current ‘post modern vacuousness’ about spirituality it could serve to rob the other disciplines of the contribution which chaplaincy is uniquely placed to offer. If our colleagues in healthcare are to reach their desired destination of holistic care, then they deserve the best that chaplaincy can offer in the present debate on Spirituality.
SUPPORTING FAMILIES WHEN TREATMENT IS WITHDRAWN FROM NEONATES
Authors: McHaffie Hazel
Published: March 2015

Recent in-depth interviews with 108 parents for whose babies there was discussion about treatment withholding/withdrawal, have revealed that whilst the decision itself is seen to be in the medical domain, chaplains can provide valuable support and confirmation. Their reassurance about the morality of what is being done and about the trustworthiness of the medical team is appreciated. They can help parents to gain a sense of control, and offer comfort and ongoing recognition of their loss and grief. Where he has known the child and shared the distress of the parents, the chaplain has a strong advantage when it comes to tailoring the christening/blessing and burial/cremation services to suit the family’s beliefs and preferences. A powerful source of solace which influences parents’ thinking about treatment withdrawal derives from a belief in an afterlife and/or a divine plan. However, many parents are grateful when chaplains avoid references to God.
PALLIATIVE CARE
Authors: Beuken George
Published: March 2015

This article argues that a Roman Catholic theology of palliative care must be rooted in the sacramental ministry of the Church. If Jesus Christ is the Sacrament of God, then the Church is rightly understood as the Sacrament of Jesus Christ. The Church’s nature is realised most fully in and through the individual sacraments, since in this way she makes Christ present, and is his continuation. The Christ whom the Church makes present embodies an intensity of suffering and compassion which must lie at the heart of the palliative care offered by God’s people to the sick.
LOOKING TO EUROPE
Authors: Coutts Fred
Published: March 2015

The author suggests that it is to Europe and not North America that Scottish Chaplains should now be looking for ideas about future development in chaplaincy. The growth of significance of the European Union in the everyday life of Scotland dictates that chaplains must be willing to take their concerns for standards in spiritual care to the European institutions. An important focus for this is to be found in the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy, founded at Chania in Crete in November 2000.
CHAPLAINCY VOLUNTEER VISITORS SERVICE
Authors: Gilmore Jim
Published: March 2015

In the ever changing world of healthcare, hospitals are experiencing shorter stays, and increased patient throughput. Spiritual care has also seen a marked rise in profile and chaplains are increasingly seeing fewer patients for more in depth work, often in a crisis, and find themselves increasingly responding to referrals from other members of staff. Add to that increasing opportunities to teach and its not surprising new approaches need to be developed Gillian Munro explains the development of a chaplaincy volunteer visitor service as one approach to change, and three visitors tell us of their experiences.
Spirituality - A Scottish Healthcare Issue
Authors: Ryan Desmond
Published: March 2015

Extract of a paper presented to the Spirituality in Health and Community Care conference at Stirling Management Centre, Scotland, on 15-16 November 2001
Speech Delivered by Malcolm Chisholm, MSP, 'Spiritual Care in the NHS' Conference on 16 November 2001
Authors: Chisholm Malcolm
Published: March 2015

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SPEAKING IN SIGNS
Authors: Walton Heather
Published: March 2015

Narrative is often seen as the locus of a healing encounter between those who suffer and those who offer pastoral/spiritual care. Both canonical narrative theology, in which the story of Jesus gives meaning to all human stories, and constructive narrative theology, in which redemptive power rests in the human capacity for storytelling itself, can offer chaplains important theological and pastoral insights. But not all who suffer can find or create a narrative to fit them; not all who have experienced trauma can find words to tell their story. To respond to such a crisis in human narrative, we need to enable communication by means of image, symbol and metaphor, or even through learning to preserve a sacred and eloquent silence.
Spiritual Care in NHSScotland
Authors: Birrell John
Published: March 2015

On behalf of CHCC Scotland, the author welcomes ‘Spiritual Care in NHSScotland,’ while recognising that much depends on its local implementation. Its clarification of the nature of spiritual care, the role of the care giver and the sharing of patient information is timely. Reservation is however expressed about the role of the proposed Spiritual Care Committee.
Spiritual Care in NHSScotland
Authors: Wagstaff Alison
Published: March 2015

‘Spiritual Care in NHSScotland’ emphasises spiritual care as broader than religious care, and makes clear the importance of well resourced spiritual and religious care within healthcare. In response, chaplaincy must become more accountable and professional. There are implications for ongoing training and registration of chaplains, and this may well create difficulties for part time and volunteer chaplains, as well as for church authorities. However, the Guidelines are to be welcomed as a means to improving practice in healthcare settings.
Spiritual Care in NHSScotland
Authors: Coulter Ken
Published: March 2015

While welcoming some of the provisions of ‘Spiritual Care in NHSScotland’ he author regards part time chaplains as being ‘conspicuously absent’ from the guidelines, despite the implication that their numbers might increase if more faith communities decide to appoint. Concern is expressed that the lack of attention to the development of part time chaplaincy might seriously undermine what has hitherto been considered to be an important aspect of the chaplaincy service.
Spiritual Care in NHSScotland
Authors: McMenamin Mairi
Published: March 2015

‘Spiritual Care in NHSScotland’ carries forward key emphases of earlier policy documents, regarding patient centred services, patient involvement, and culturally appropriate services. It reflects the values of openness, respect, accountability and inclusion. The challenge is to reflect upon the values which underpin change, and to apply them to create a positive spiritual environment within healthcare. The guidelines are welcomed as moving in the direction of a truly person centred NHS.
Spiritual Care in NHS Scotland
Authors: McKenzie Roderick
Published: March 2015

‘Spiritual Care in NHSScotland’ seeks to differentiate between religious and spiritual care. Yet the latter is not adequately addressed as a separate concept, and the definition which is given of it is unduly dependent upon established psychological theories. The author poses the question as to whether the education of staff in spiritual care, as opposed to religious care, ought necessarily to be the province of the chaplaincy at all.
Spiritual Care in NHS Scotland
Authors: Hill Andrew
Published: March 2015

The author identifies the best practice of spiritual and religious care as encompassing the ‘non-religious, alternatively religious and differently religious’, an approach which accords well with the Unitarian tradition. He therefore welcomes the recognition in ’Spiritual Care in NHS Scotland’ of the breadth of spiritual care which the NHS chaplain is called upon to provide, but expresses concern lest ‘the spiritual element’ should become simply another NHS specialism,, when it is the concern and province of all.
Guidelines
Authors: Editors The
Published: March 2015

This guidance is drawn from a report prepared by a Working Group of representatives of NHS staff and faith communities. The Report was issued for consultation in Summer 2001 and discussed at the NHSScotland Spirituality in Health and Community Care Conference of November 2001. This guidance incorporates comments received on the report during the consultation and at the conference.
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)
Authors: Duff Valerie
Published: March 2015

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is a widely used educational programme in many parts of the world. This article is a reflection on the author’s personal experience of CPE, together with some very brief historical data, and approved quotes from the reflections of a small group of participants in a CPE module held in Scotland in the Autumn of 2002. It is offered to stir interest in CPE, rather than to give a deeply informative description of the process.
DAY TO REMEMBER
Authors: Brown Derek
Published: March 2015

There is a great deal of interest in the development of bereavement services for children. This article looks at the establishment of one such service in the Highlands of Scotland offering information, peer support, emotional expression and an opportunity to remember.
CLARITY AND COST EFFECTIVENESS IN CHAPLAINCY
Authors: Fraser Derek
Published: March 2015

The need for chaplains to articulate their speciality and distinctiveness is vital. Such self-definition aids our working with others, as they more fully understand our role and function. This will increase the confidence and skills of the pastoral practitioner and thereby enable the chaplain to demonstrate more effectively the worth and benefit of chaplaincy involvement in healthcare.
'IT'S CHAPLAINCY JIM, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT'
Authors: Young Sandy
Published: March 2015

The author describes the developments initiated by the chaplaincy team at the Lothian university Hospitals Division of NHS Lothian, both in preparation for and in response to NHS HDL 76(2002) 'Spiritual Care in NHS Scotland'. These developments have included changes in teamworking, closer relationships with faith communities, and a new sanctuary without any dominant religious symbolism.
COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF HOSPICE CHAPLAINCY SERVICES
Authors: Mitchell David , Hibberd Carol
Published: March 2015

Marie Curie Cancer Care undertook a comparative assessment of its ten Marie Curie Hospices using the Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains' Standards for Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplaincy (AHPCC 2003). This article discusses the findings of the assessment process and considers the value of the assessment for Marie Curie Cancer Care as a charity committed to multidisciplinary team working. The article demonstrates the practicality of the standards and the accompanying self assessment tool in assessing the service providing expertise in spiritual and religious care in hospices. It features examples of good practice and identifies areas that need further research and development.
LOCATION AND IDENTITY OF CHAPLAINS
Authors: Cobb Mark
Published: March 2015

The place of chaplaincy in healthcare is endorsed by current guidance in the NHS, but chaplains are also recognised as belonging to other communities. This can be both advantageous and problematic for chaplains. The identity of chaplains is intrinsically social and the communities they are associated with are important sources of determining identity and location. A contextual model pro-vides a way of understanding this identity through three principal communities: the healthcare community, the disciplinary community and the faith community. The model explains why chaplains provide a valuable contribution to healthcare.
WHO SHOULD EMPLOY THE CHAPLAIN?
Authors: Nelson Georgina
Published: March 2015

The Church of Scotland is currently exploring the possibility that all Healthcare Chaplains should be directly employed by the NHS. This is in response to developments both within the NHS and within the Church itself. This article contains reflections upon this issue, from four different perspectives. We hear from the convenor of the relevant church sub-committee, from a whole time chaplain and head of department, from a part time chaplain, and from a parish priest who reflects some of the concerns of the Roman Catholic Church.
RECOVERING OUR LOST SAINTS
Authors: Gordon Tom
Published: March 2015

While faith and a spiritual perspective offer hope and reassurance in bereavement, not all Christians find that their faith gives them the framework they need in their loss and for some it may serve to slow down or disrupt the grief process. However, taking current grief theories, and applying them to a realistic theology, and in particular the concept of the communion of saints, has the potential to allow the Christian to grieve in a healthy way while continuing to hold to principles and beliefs informed by their faith.
Janki Foundation
Authors: Bendomir Astrid , Morrison Stephanie
Published: March 2015

The Janki foundation is a UK based charity focusing on spirituality and health. Its modular training programme ‘Values in Healthcare – a spiritual approach' explores healthcare professionals' understanding of spirituality and personal values, and how these relate to their professional lives. Such an approach promotes self awareness and examination of core values, and helps combat the stress and low self worth which can affect HCPs. The Janki foundation holds that spiritual values are at the centre of healthcare, and affirms that the development of a values based culture within healthcare has transformative potential
Spiritual Health Care and the European Union (EU)
Authors: Kofinas Stavros
Published: March 2015

Maintaining an awareness of the developments within spiritual care and chaplaincy in Scotland, the UK and in Europe is a challenge. In previous issues we have endeavoured to keep readers informed and have featured articles on registration of chaplains, standards and competencies for spiritual and religious care, agenda for change, and other key topics. With the permission of the European Network of Healthcare Chaplaincy and Fr. Stavros Kofinas (consulting editor) we are pleased to bring you details of recent developments with the European Union.
MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHAPLAINCY
Authors: Duffy Jim , Munro Gillian
Published: March 2015

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Dementia Palliative Care Needs Assessment
Authors: Smith Stephen
Published: March 2015

Palliative and dementia care have a focus on holism and follow a person centred approach. Although these values could be described as core, they have arisen from differing perspectives of health and social care and as a result have different foci and approaches. This article describes a palliative care focus to assessing the needs of people with dementia and their carers, in particular their spiritual needs. People with dementia, carers and service providers participated in this assessment. The needs to know the individual, respect their beliefs, views and practices and adopt simple, practical approaches to spiritual care are highlighted.
Researching ‘Spirituality'
Authors: Stanworth Rachel
Published: March 2015

Following the publication of her book ‘Recognising Spiritual Needs in People Who Are Dying' the author reflects on the experience of researching spirituality. The article gives an open and honest insight into the unpredictable challenges, difficulties and humbling experiences that clearly have a profound personal impact that las to a journey of personal discovery and change.
Perspectives on ‘Agenda for Change'
Authors: English Carol , Robertson Blair , Gordon Tom
Published: March 2015

Agenda for Change is in the process of being implemented throughout the NHS. Those chaplains who are directly employed are already involved in this process, and anticipate that for both full and part time chaplains it will have a profound effect on pay, terms and conditions of employment, and professional development. This article offers three perspectives on Agenda for change; they explore some of the benefits that it is expected to bring, but also touch on some of the difficulties along the way to implementation.
BIOETHICAL ISSUES AND HEALTH CARE CHAPLAINCY IN AUSTRALIA
Authors: Carey Lindsay , Rumbold Bruce , Newell Christopher , Aroni Rosalie
Published: March 2015

Using personal insight and interpretation the authors summarise the results and discussion of the largest cross sectional empirical study of Australian Health Care Chaplains concerning their involvement in multiple bioethical issues encountered by patients, families and clinical staff within the health care context. The implications of this study concerning, health care chaplaincy, ecclesiastical institutions, health care institutions and government responsibilities are discussed and interpreted.
Religion and Suicide
Authors: Mowat Harriet , Swinton John , Mowat Donald , Stark Cameron
Published: March 2015

This article reports aspects of a study conducted in 2005 which explored the role of the church as a voluntary organisation, in deaths by Suicide in Highland. The study was explorative and consisted of interviewing ministers from the Christian Churches of different denominations in Highland about their own experiences as ministers of the Church, of death by suicide and what they understood to be the key aspects of their experiences that might contribute to thinking about how the Church could offer protection and solace. Two findings are highlighted here: the importance of multidisciplinary education involving ministers and the potential of parish nursing as a mechanism for connectedness.
Massaging the evidence: the ‘over-working’ of witness statements in civil cases
Authors: Tyrwhitt-Drake Hugh
Published: March 2015

This paper considers the process by which witness statements are produced in civil cases. A case study approach is adopted, focussing on an action for defamation that came to trial in Hong Kong. Drawing on a recent judicial report that highlighted the problem of ‘over-working’ in witness statements, the study sets out to ascertain to what extent the phenomenon is the work of lawyers and to what extent it is the work of the witnesses themselves. Fifteen witness statements were analysed to identify areas of textual commonality between the accounts. Striking similarities were found in terms of both formal properties, for example, the layout of the witness statements, and functional properties, for example, verbatim strings across witness statements. Regarding functional properties, it was found that properties that led to apparent divergence, for example, contradictory accounts, were present alongside properties that led to convergence, such as verbatim strings.
Textual kidnapping revisited: the case of plagarism in literary translation
Authors: Turell M. Teresa
Published: March 2015

Linguistic analysis of plagiarized literary translation for forensic purposes has not been addressed before. What makes this type of plagiarism different from others, and thus more difficult to detect, has to do with the nature of translation itself:|on the one hand, all translations will tend to reflect the author’s original form and content, and in so doing resemble the original work, and on the other, the more faithful|they are to the original piece of work, the more difficult it is to detect their originality. The case of plagiarism under consideration had already been decided (Judgment 1268 of the Supreme Court, Madrid, 29 December 1993) when this study was undertaken. The data for analysis include four translations into Spanish of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: those of Astrana MarÃ­n 1961, Valverde 1968, Pujante 1987 (the plagiarized|translation), and VÃ¡zquez MontalbÃ¡n 1988 (the disputed translation). By presenting evidence deriving from the application of CopyCatch to the four translation|texts, it is argued that such evidence can better assist the analyst and, in this case, the prosecution, in cases of plagiarism between translations.
The 'Mobile Phone Effect' on vowel formants
Authors: Byrne Catherine , Foulkes Paul
Published: March 2015

This study analyses the effect of mobile phone transmission on vowel formant frequencies, based on the study presented by Kuenzel (2001). Six male and six female speakers read a short passage into a mobile phone. Two simultaneous recordings were made, one at the far end of the phone line and the other via a microphone directly in front of the speaker. Measurements of F1, F2 and F3 were taken from between 15 and 25 stressed vowels per speaker in both sets of recordings. Due to the filtering effect of the phone transmission, F1 frequencies for most vowels were found to be higher than their counterparts in the direct recordings. The overall effect of the mobile phone on F1 frequencies was considerably greater than the landline telephone effect found by Kuenzel (2001): on average the F1 values in the mobile condition were 29 per cent higher than in the direct condition. On the whole F2 measures were not significantly affected, in line with Kuenzel’s findings. F3 frequencies were also generally unaffected by the mobile phone transmission. Exceptions were found, however, particularly for individual speakers with relatively high F3s. In these cases the mobile recordings tended to yield significantly lower values. The consequences of measurement errors arising from the different recording conditions are discussed with reference to forensic speaker identification.|
Using language in the determination of national origin of asylum seekers: an introduction
Authors: Eades Diana , Arends Jacques
Published: March 2015

One of the newest areas of forensic linguistics concerns the use of 'language analysis' in the determination of the nationality of refugee claimants or asylum seekers (i.e. in testing their nationality claims). We first explain briefly in general terms how and why this language analysis is carried out; second, we review existing linguistic literature concerning such analysis; and third, we examine in more detail the steps involved in the language analysis of refugees to the Netherlands (claiming to be) from Sierra Leone. This article sets the stage for the more detailed studies found in each of the three subsequent article, as well as the general guidelines on this issue recently developed by an international group of linguists.
Identifying the asylum speaker: reflection on the pitfalls of language analysis in the determination of national origin
Authors: Maryns Katrijn
Published: March 2015

The objective of this article is to come closer to an empirically grounded perception of the functions linguistic method can serve in the Belgian asylum procedure.

It investigates the extent to which linguistic expert vision can anticipate practical problems related to language and identity in the procedure. Given the enormous demand for linguistic expertise in the Belgian asylum procedure, this article will call into question the reliability of linguistic methods in determining nationality. I will do this on the basis of (a) an analysis of a translation test conducted during one of the application interviews and (b) a reconsideration of a case of linguistic identification conducted at the language analysis desk of the Belgian migration agencies. I will argue that, on the basis of the current research methods and the limited resources available, the validity of linguistic identification practices in the Belgian asylum procedure needs to be qualified.
One word or two? Psycholinguistics and sociolinguistic interpretations of meaning in a civil court case
Authors: Wray Alison , Staczek John J.
Published: March 2015

What relative weighting should be given to court case, to psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic explanations of an alleged offence? We review the case of an African-American plaintiff, who claimed that her receipt of work of a framed document with the title "Temporary Coon Ass Certificate" from a white mailer supervisory-level employee in the same agency constituted racial discrimination in the workplace. Dialect research conducted by JJS, as expert witness for the prosecution, demonstrated that the dialectical use of coon ass to refer to Cajuns (white settlers of French descent) was restricted to the states of Louisiana and south-eastern Texas. It was argued by the prosecution to be unreasonable to expect someone from another part of the USA to know the meaning of the word. The jury found in favour of the plaintiff. The prosecution case rested upon the premise that when a word is unknown, it will be interpreted by breaking it down into smaller units, in this case coon and ass, both derogatory terms, the former strongly racist. We explore the psycholinguistic rationale for this assumption and its converse, that when a word is well known to an individual (s)he may fail to see how it is constructed.
Dynamic features of speech and the characterization of speakers: Toward a new approach using formant frequencies
Authors: McDougall Kirsty
Published: March 2015

Previous research in speaker characteristics has tended to focus on static properties of the speech signal. Static features of speech generally display differences between individuals, but are insufficient to characterize a speaker. The present study considers reasons why dynamic features of speech should provide an important source of speaker-distinguishing information. It discusses this idea for formant frequencies in particular, and outlines a new direction for the development of a technique for characterizing individual speakers which uses regression to parameterize formant frequency contours. The technique is trialled and results reported for two data sets.
‘Tough questioning’ as enactment of ideology in judicial conduct: marriage law appeals in seven US courts
Authors: Tracy Karen , Parks Russell M.
Published: March 2015

This study analyses the question-asking practices during oral argument of 50 judges in seven US state Supreme Courts as each court decided if its state marriage law was legal or if it violated its gay citizens’ rights to marry a partner of their choice. Background on appellate court, oral argument and the seven cases is provided. The analysis provides a discursive portrait of questioning during oral argument and identifies two stance-cuing but rare discourse moves that enacted a judge's ideology. Then, ‘tough questioning’ and its connection to judges’ political ideologies, as well as the six features of questioning that comprise it are described. The analysis evidences that judges who voted against extending the right of marriage to gay litigants questioned the attorneys representing those litigants in a ‘tougher’, less sympathetic manner. Similarly, judges who voted for extending marriage rights to gay litigants questioned attorneys representing the defending state agencies in a tougher manner. In the conclusion we discuss the relationship among questioning features, stance and ideology and reflect on our usage of the native term ‘tough questioning’.
The influence of NATURE and NURTURE on speaker-specific parameters in twins’ speech: acoustics, articulation and perception
Authors: Weirich Melanie
Published: March 2015

The work presented in this dissertation set out to evaluate articulatory, acoustic and perceptual similarities and differences among monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. In this respect, this dissertation contributes to the discussion of the impact of NATURE versus NURTURE on the production and perception of speech in general and on inter-speaker variability in particular.
The tell-tale accent: Identification of regionally marked speech in German telephone conversations by forensic phoneticians
Authors: Köster Olaf , Kehrein Roland , Masthoff Karen , Boubaker Yasmin Hadj
Published: March 2015

One of the most significant features in forensic phonetics used to identify a speaker is his or her so-called regional accent. In a speaker profiling task, German experts for voice comparison were evaluated concerning their performance and their methodological approach in accent identification. As a result, the experts as a group performed well; only very few severe confusions of regional accents occurred. Results also showed that the experts applied different strategies in identifying a speaker´s regional accent; the different methods were (a) aural-perceptual analysis, (b) acoustic analysis, (c) consultation of audio databases, and (d) consultation of literature on dialects. Participants also differed considerably in the amount of time they needed to complete the task.

The most important finding is that no correlations existed between the performance (i.e. error rate) of the participants and (a) the time spent, (b) the number of methods applied, (c) the kind of method applied or (d) the perceived degree of difficulty. This leads to the conclusion that the performance in dialect identification may predominantly depend on the individual (innate or trained) skills of the expert in speaker identification.
On the use of corpora in the analysis of forensic texts
Authors: Coulthard Malcolm
Published: March 2015

Twenty-five years ago Jan Svartvik published The Evans Statements: A Case For Forensic Linguistics in which he demonstrated that disputed parrs of a series of four statements, which had been dictated to police officers by Timothy Evans and incriminated him in the murder of his wife, had a measurably different grammatical style from the uncontested parrs and a new discipline was born. Initially its growth was slow; in unexpected places there appeared isolated articles in which the author, often a distinguished linguist, analysed disputed confessions, commented on purported records of interaction, evaluated the ability of ordinary people to understand legal language or challenged the authenticity of non-native-like language attributed to immigrants or aboriginals (see Levi, 1994 for references). There was, however, in those early days no attempt to establish a discipline or even a methodology for forensic linguistics - the work was usually undertaken as an intellectual challenge and almost always required the creation, rather than simply the application, of a method of analysis. By contrast, in the past five years, there has been a rapid growth in the frequency with which courts in a series of countries have called on linguists as expert witnesses, and, in consequence, there is now a developing methodology and a growing number of linguists who act as expert witnesses, a few even on a full-time basis (see Levi, this volume).
On the problem of speaker identification by victims and witnesses
Authors: Künzel Hermann
Published: March 2015

In the major industrialized nations the use of the human voice as an instrument in committing crimes has been steadily increasing. In Germany, this tendency has been observed for several years in a variety of offences such as extortion, kidnapping, terrorist attack, rape, hoax bomb threats and, perhaps surprisingly, in a significant number of homicide cases (59 out of a total of 538 handled in 18 months). Thus, the identification of a criminal on the basis of his/her verbal behaviour has become a challenge to our judicial systems.
However, there is considerable uncertainty on the part of the judiciary as to the degree of reliability of speaker identification (SID) by laypersons, and sometimes as to whether or not such evidence should be considered at all. Since research findings on the subject are sparse and to some degree controversial, reservations are certainly justified
Spectrographic analysis of a cockpit voice recorder tape
Authors: Hirson Allen , Howard David M.
Published: March 2015

Hirson and Howard present a case study and analysis of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from a South African Airways passenger aircraft off Mauritius on 28 November 1987.
A critical examination of assumptions underlying the cusum technique of forensic linguistics
Authors: Sandford Anthony J. , Aked Joy P. , Moxey Linda M. , Mullin James
Published: March 2015

Morton (1991) has suggested that simple language habits may be used to discriminate against cases where writing and transcribed speech has multiple rather than single authorship. Using a variety of materials, the article shows that these claims receive no support, and that his claim that habits within an individual may be the same for writing and for speech is wrong; rather the data conform to well-documented linguistic observations concerning lexical density in speaking and writing. Five of Morton's habit measures are used, and it is found that within-subject variation is as great as between subject variation. Furthermore, ratios indicating habits which underlie the logic of the cusum predict goodness of fit of habit cusums to sentence cusums, and nor whether the author is the same or different. The authors claim Morton's method is nor well-founded, and until proven otherwise should not be entertained any longer as a forensic technique.
An overview of forensic phonetics with particular reference to speaker identification
Authors: French Peter
Published: March 2015

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the work currently being carried out by forensic phoneticians, particularly in relation to speaker identification. Given the essentially catholic readership of Forensic Linguistics - general linguists, phoneticians and lawyers - it is intended to provide a basic introduction to the development of the field and to some of the working methods and principles that forensic phoneticians currently employ.
The structure of forensic handwriting and signature comparisons
Authors: Found Bryan , Dick David , Rogers Doug
Published: March 2015

The method of comparing questioned to known handwriting and signature formations is complex in that there are many steps where subjective judgements need to be made. With the introduction of computer aided examinations, more information should become available to the examiner on which to base subjective decisions. It is unlikely however that the majority of these subjective steps will be excluded. Decisions as to the consistency of a given questioned image to a body of standard images are based almost entirely on an individual's ability to make reasoned choices in view of the limitations of the technique that they are performing. This article summarizes a method used to compare handwriting in the forensic environment and is primarily aimed at forensic practitioners who are new to document examination or related disciplines and to individuals with a legal background who require a basic understanding of the structure of forensic handwriting examination.
The Yorkshire Ripper enquiry: Part I
Authors: Ellis Stanley
Published: March 2015

Between 1975 and 1979 eleven women fell prey to a serial killer in towns in northern England. The police received an audio rape in the post which contained a message from a man they believed to be the murderer. The recording was submitted for speaker-profiling; in particular, the police sought to establish the regional background of the speaker. The major accent influences were pinpointed within a narrow geographical area. Subsequent developments in the case led the phoneticians concerned to the view that the recording had probably been made by a hoaxer. This advice was insufficiently taken into account by the instructing police officers. It transpired that the phoneticians had been correct. The murderer was eventually identified and convicted bur the hoaxer remains unidentified. The hoaxer also led the police astray through letters. In Part I of this enquiry report, Stanley Ellis outlines his role in the operation in relation to the rape recording. In Part II, Jack Windsor Lewis develops a number of points from his analyses of the letters.
The Yorkshire Ripper enquiry: Part II
Authors: Windsor Lewis Jack
Published: March 2015

Between 1975 and 1979 eleven women fell prey to a serial killer in towns in northern England. The police received an audio rape in the post which contained a message from a man they believed to be the murderer. The recording was submitted for speaker-profiling; in particular, the police sought to establish the regional background of the speaker. The major accent influences were pinpointed within a narrow geographical area. Subsequent developments in the case led the phoneticians concerned to the view that the recording had probably been made by a hoaxer. This advice was insufficiently taken into account by the instructing police officers. It transpired that the phoneticians had been correct. The murderer was eventually identified and convicted bur
the hoaxer remains unidentified. The hoaxer also led the police astray through letters. In Part I of this enquiry report, Stanley Ellis outlines his role in the operation in relation to the rape recording. In Part II, Jack Windsor Lewis develops a number of points from his analyses of the letters.
The audio going with the video - some observations on the Rodney King case
Authors: Braun Angelika
Published: March 2015

While the so-called Rodney King video of a black man being beaten by a number of white policemen taken by a man named George Holliday on 3 March 1991 has been broadcast world-wide via CNN, the sound-track of that recording has attracted a much lesser degree of attention. This may in part be due to the fact that the quality of the sound-track is adversely affected by noise generated by a police helicopter. This case report focuses on different aspects of forensic phonetic work: enhancement of audio records of disputed utterances, and the examination of specific types of background noise.
Spectrography of disputed speech samples by peripheral human hearing modelling
Authors: Howard David M. , Hirson Allen , Brookes Tim , Tyrrell Andrew M.
Published: March 2015

Visual images have considerable value in freezing rapidly changing speech signals, both for the analysis of disputed speech samples and in the presentation of such material in court. Speech spectrograms are routinely used in speech analysis to examine the speech signal as a whole, prior to a more systematic and directed examination of particular speech characteristics, the forensic significance of which requires forensic phonetic expertise. This paper presents spectrograms based on peripheral human hearing modelling to illustrate their potential usefulness for speech analysis and discusses current developments towards a real-time version of such a system. The main differences between these and spectrograms derived by traditional means are discussed.
The language of the suffrage debates in the South Australian Parliament, 1885-94
Authors: Penny Lynda , Fitzhardinge Sanchia , Materne Helge
Published: March 2015

The passing of the Constitution Amendment Bill on 18 December 1894 by the South Australian Parliament gave women in that province both the right to vote for, and the right to stand for, parliament, and in this latter respect South Australia was first in the world. It may plausibly be argued that those members of parliament who voted for such reforming legislation would differ from those who opposed it on a number of grounds including their construction of women as likely to be as autonomous and as effective as agents in managing their affairs as men. A close relationship between cognitive beliefs and chosen language forms is held by a number of theorists, and it was felt that the language of the debates might provide a test for this relationship, especially as the parliamentarians of the time could not be aware of such theorizing. It was hypothesized therefore that proponents would differ from opponents in their greater use of subject agent constructions involving women, and in their lesser use of women in other grammatical and semantic roles. The results are highly significant. Hypotheses relating to the use of the subjunctive mood and passive voice are not, however, supported.