bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Constructivism-Based Reading Comprehension Teaching Design at Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya
Authors: Journal Arab World English , Ardiansyah Welly , Ujihanti Murwani
Published: July 2018

This study aimed at investigating students’ reading comprehension achievement, vocabulary mastery, and social values among the third semester students at Computer Engineering, English, and Business Administration department of Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya Indonesia. In this research, the writers used Research & Development (R & D) methodology. The purposive sampling included 3 high classes and 3 low classes consisting of 148 students. To collect the data, tests of reading comprehension and vocabulary were given and then statistically calculated with the paired-sample t-tests. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to the normality of data distribution. The findings indicated that the students in the high and low classes could significantly improve their reading comprehension achievement and vocabulary mastery. The students have also shown very positive moral values towards their friends such cooperative, respectful, responsible, and helpful and report that it has made their reading process more tangible and interesting. These results verify the efficacy of the social constructivism-based reading comprehension teaching design and the researchers recommends its application in Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya.
A Socio-cognitive Approach to Factive Presupposition and Epistemic Modality in Hillary Clinton's Political Discourse: Tunisia's Democratic Transition as a Case Study
Authors: Journal Arab World English , Zheni Thouraya
Published: July 2018

Since political discourse portrays politicians’ knowledge state and their ideological assumptions, a critical analysis of Clinton’s speeches may unveil her perceptual and conceptual worlds. More specifically, critical discourse analysis may uncover her mental representations about the Tunisian Revolution and the US attitude towards such an important political event in North Africa and the Middle East. Studying factive presupposition and epistemic modality seems to be an effective pragmatic tool to reveal what is presented as factual and ideological knowledge in political discourse. The research instrument used to work out the frequency distribution of these lexical features is the latest version of ‘AntConc’ software. To uncover the epistemic state of Hillary Clinton, van Dijk’s (1995b) socio-cognitive approach, mainly discourse-cognition-society paradigm, is applied to analyze her speeches between January 2011 and December 2012. At the discourse level, research findings reveal that factive presupposition, epistemic modality and evidential verbs unveil the speaker’s strong personal commitment to the truth value of her propositions. At the cognitive level, results show that the speaker’s personal and social values, attitudes, ideologies and knowledge unmask her mental mapping of Tunisia, democracy and human rights. It also uncovers the cognitive mechanisms that govern discourse production and understanding via ICMs, cognitive frames, mental models and context models. At the social level, research demonstrates that Clinton's perceptual and conceptual worlds are based on a dichotomy that involves 'WE', or democracies Vs. 'THEY' or the enemies of democracy, hence a dual vision of the world or polarization. This research bridges the lack of research combining epistemic presupposition, epistemic modality and evidentiality within a socio-cognitive framework
Subverting Surveillance or Accessing the Dark Web? Interest in the Tor Anonymity Network in U.S. States, 2006-2015
Authors: Lindner Andrew Micah , Xiao Tongtian
Published: July 2018

The U.S. government engaged in unprecedented forms of mass surveillance in the 21st century. Users of the The Onion Router (Tor), an anonymity-granting technology, mask themselves from state surveillance and can gain access to illicit content on the Dark Web. Drawing on theory regarding “exposure” to surveillance, this study examines how two issue-attention cycles (related to the Edward Snowden state surveillance revelations and the Dark Web respectively) are associated with public interest in the Tor browser in the U.S. Using data at the state-year level from 2006-2015, this study estimates fixed effects models, controlling for socio-demographics, the presence of journalism, tech, and political jobs, as well as multiple measures of state political ideology. The results indicate that state-years with greater popularity of Google searches related to the Snowden story had significantly higher popularity of searches for Tor. By contrast, there was no association between Dark Web search popularity and Tor search popularity. These findings are consistent with the notion that the Snowden incident increased Americans’ sense of exposure, leading to interest in anonymity-granting technology.
There was no golden age: social mobility into cultural and creative occupations
Authors: Brook Orian , O'Brien Dave , Taylor Mark
Published: July 2018

Cultural and creative industries are currently narrated as one of the greatest forces for openness and social mobility that Britain has (Hancock 2016). However, there is little, if any, evidence to support this position. Recent research has suggested the creative and cultural occupations are dominated by those from professional or managerial backgrounds (O’Brien et al 2016, Oakley et al 2017), with cultural theorists arguing this reflects declining rates of social mobility over time (Banks 2017). This paper provides the first empirical assessment of claims made by policy and cultural theory concerning changing patterns of social mobility into cultural and creative occupations. We use the England and Wales Longitudinal Study, along with three birth cohort studies, to offer the first analysis of social mobility into cultural and creative occupations over time. We demonstrate that: cultural and creative occupations have always been characterised by overrepresentations of those from privileged social origins, with little evidence of a classless meritocracy; rates of absolute social mobility are declining in these occupations, contradicting policymakers’ faith in a ‘meritocracy’ for talented individuals aiming to work in artistic and cultural jobs; this decline in absolute levels of social mobility is in contrast to the stability in relative social mobility, indicating there was no ‘golden age’ for social mobility into cultural occupations. These three points illustrate the importance of occupational perspectives on cultural and creative industries and the value of sociological analysis for public policy questions in this area. In particular, the lack of social fluidity in the occupations producing culture is a key issue for future public policy intervention. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research on longevity of cultural careers and the importance of gender using the Longitudinal Study dataset.
Issues and Challenges of E-Portfolio in Micro Teaching Class: Students’ Perspectives
Authors: Journal Arab World English , Matra Sarlita Dewi , Rukmini Dwi
Published: July 2018

Technology and innovation are forging ahead the demand of tomorrow’s teachers to use technology critically and reflectively. In the era of modern technology self-access learning can be done through online. This means internet has become a popular medium for online educational information retrieval (Hambali, 2016). The use of E-portfolio, specifically in micro teaching class therefore might be one of the solutions to prepare better English student teachers before they face the real world of teaching. This study examines the issues and challenges that have been revealed after the E-portfolio implementation. The E-portfolio was designed to ensure an assessment focus on student learning through intentional teaching practices and the systematic collection of teaching artifacts. The participants involved in this study were the English student teachers enrolling in microteaching class. The A and B classes are chosen purposively as only that class applies microteaching in the morning regular sessions. The number of English student teachers as the participants of this study is fifty-two. However, not all participants were included due to the research feasibility. Some Issues due to the quality of E-portfolio gave clear insights of what the English student teachers expect from the product and how it can be developed more to meet their needs as prospective teachers. The challenges found in its implementation are from the overload informations that can make the English student teachers easily overwhelmed with the excessive, disorganized information in the electronic form, moreover how to use the technology effectively is away challenging
An evaluation of the impact of the educational conditions of Brazil's Bolsa Família Program (2005 and 2009)
Authors: Amaral Ernesto F. L. , Monteiro Vinícius do Prado
Published: July 2018

Title in Portuguese: Avaliação de Impacto das condicionalidades de educação do Programa Bolsa Família (2005 e 2009)Abstract: This paper analyzes the impact of the educational conditions of Brazil's Bolsa Família Program on the dropout rates of children benefiting from the program. The main hypothesis is that children living in a household that receives the benefit have a lower chance of dropping out of school. Data are from the 2005 and 2009 Impact Evaluation of the Bolsa Família Program (AIBF), collected by the Ministry of Social Development and Combating Famine (MDS), Brazil. Logistic models estimated the chance that children would drop out of school in 2005 and 2009, for three different household income thresholds, taking into account characteristics related to the household, mother, and child. Children who lived in households benefiting from Bolsa Família had a significantly lower chance of dropping out in 2005. Data for 2009 were not statistically significant, although results pointed to a decrease in dropout rates, due to the impact of Bolsa Família.Resumo: Este artigo analisa o impacto das condicionalidades de educação do Programa Bolsa Família na evasão escolar de crianças beneficiárias deste programa. A principal hipótese é de que a criança residente em domicílio que recebe o benefício possui menores chances de abandonar a escola. São utilizados dados da Avaliação de Impacto do Programa Bolsa Família (AIBF) de 2005 e 2009 do Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social e Combate à Fome (MDS). Modelos logísticos estimaram as chances de crianças evadirem da escola em 2005 e 2009, em três limites de renda domiciliar per capita, levando em consideração características do domicílio, da mãe e da criança. Crianças que residiam em domicílios beneficiários do Programa Bolsa Família apresentaram redução significativa nas chances de evasão escolar em 2005. Os dados de 2009 não foram estatisticamente significativos, apesar de terem apontado para diminuição da evasão escolar, em decorrência do recebimento do Bolsa Família.
Violence Against Women: A Feminist Study of Women’s Situation during the Civil War of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Lynn Nottage's Ruined.
Authors: Journal Arab World English , Al-Humoud Fatimah Saleh Ali
Published: July 2018

The Democratic Republic of Congo is recognized as “the rape capital of the world.” (UN-news center) During the Civil War in Congo, rape and sexual assault had applied as potent weapons to attain military and economical purposes. The sexual violence perpetrated against women had been brutal, and it had resulted in physical and social destruction and psychological trauma. Nottage’s choice to set Ruined in the Democratic Republic of Congo was guided by the severe attitude towards women during the civil war, portraying the female characters as the victims of the war. The study is a brief description of women's situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, it concerns of how the female playwright Lynn Nottage depicts Congolese women’s social struggles, psychological traumas, and physical destruction. The research also discusses the motives and the purposes of writing about a sensitive subject as the violence against women. Consequently, it applies a feminist reading of the text, and it is supported by numerous academic journals, books, articles, and reports from international organizations. It concludes that Lynn Nottage succeeded in presenting the violence against women on stage.
Partisan Governance and Policy Implementation: The Politics of Academy Conversion Amongst English Schools
Authors: Hicks Timothy
Published: July 2018

This article demonstrates that party-political orientations within governance communities can have strong effects on policy implementation. Empirical evidence is drawn from the Academy conversion scheme for secondary schools in England that was recently pursued by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government. The opt-in nature of the reform makes it possible to discern the impact that nominally apolitical school governors have on the implementation of the policy. Academy conversion is disproportionately found in more Conservative-voting constituencies due to varying school-level propensities to apply to convert, rather than varying propensities for the Department for Education to authorize conversions. Further, applications to convert are significantly more likely from schools in Conservative parliamentary seats that are under the control of Labour local authorities. Thus, nominally apolitical policy participants appear to act in rather political ways, which has implications for our understanding of the involvement of civil society in the provision of public services.
How Policies Become Contested: A Spiral of Imagination and Evidence in a Large Infrastructure Project.
Authors: Wolf Eva , Van Dooren Wouter
Published: July 2018

This article investigates how framing processes lead to polarization in the public debate on a large infrastructure project. Drawing on an analysis of newspaper articles about the Oosterweelconnection in Antwerp (Belgium), it concludes that framing through imaginative appeals and framing through evidence mutually reinforce each other in a spiralling pattern. When evidence backs up appeals to the imagination, such as when facts back up metaphors, these appeals are endowed with authority and hence legitimacy. While this strengthens appeals that have been ”proven” to be true, it also makes actors backing these appeals increasingly frustrated with other parties that still refuse to accept them. Because of their frustration, the former are spurred to launch new imaginative appeals conveying their anger and to seek new evidence to substantiate these new appeals. Over time, as parties in a conflict grapple with evidence and imagination, their tolerance for ambiguity decreases and the debate polarizes.
Displacement and Identity in Ahdaf Soueif’s Sandpiper and Melody
Authors: Studies AWEJ-tls for Translation & Literary , Hafsi Mira
Published: July 2018

This paper presents a literary study that is concerned with the experience of crossing cultures and theme of not belonging. It examines the condition of displacement and its effects on the identity of the female protagonists in two short stories written by Ahdaf Soueif: Sandpiper and Melody. The researcher’s investigation relies on recent postcolonial criticism provided by Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak and Homi Bhabha. As such, this paper explores: the representation of the Arab culture in the the Western thought; the way linguistic hegemony is subverted through the use of a hybridized version of English; and the agency of the subaltern through using the English language as a vehicle for the transmission of Diasporic Arab female voices and concerns. This paper concludes that Ahdaf Soueif succeeds in painting an original view of the effect of the state of displacement on the psyche of her female subjects, highlighting the semi-autobiographical aspect which is used as a means to express a quest for identity. The writer also succeeds in writing back to the colonial metropolis against the hegemonic imperialist discourse. Moreover, the writer goes beyond postcolonial writing in her literary endeavor as an appeal towards developing approaches for the modern-day challenges of globalization.
Evaluating the Impact of the Wikipedia Teahouse on Newcomer Retention
Authors: Morgan Jonathan T. , Halfaker Aaron
Published: July 2018

Effective socialization of new contributors is vital for the long- term sustainability of open collaboration projects. Previous research has identified many common barriers to participation. However, few interventions employed to increase newcomer retention over the long term by improving aspects of the on- boarding experience have demonstrated success. This study presents an evaluation of the impact of one such intervention, the Wikipedia Teahouse, on new editor survival. In a con- trolled experiment, we find that new editors invited to the Teahouse are retained at a higher rate than editors who do not receive an invite. The effect is observed for both low- and high-activity newcomers, and for both short- and long-term survival.
Faculty Visions for Teaching Web Accessibility within LIS Curricula in the United States: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Mulliken Adina , Djenno Mireille
Published: July 2018

This qualitative study explores the understanding and perspectives of faculty in US library and information science (LIS) programs about teaching web accessibility. “Web accessibility” can be defined simply as making websites accessible for all, including people with disabilities. Eight LIS professors and two graduate LIS students or recent alumni with interests in accessibility were interviewed for the study. Results showed that, although some faculty were novices, most interviewees thought it would be beneficial to teach web accessibility in a variety of LIS courses. However, despite the seeming consensus, discussion of incorporating web accessibility into curricula was rare. This study explores possible reasons for the marginalization of web accessibility in LIS. The authors contend that greater support for initiatives to integrate web accessibility into LIS curricula is essential for enabling LIS practitioners to comply with legal standards and with LIS values of inclusion.
EFL Learners’ Attitudes towards the Proper Pronunciation of English and Podcasts as a Facilitator of Proper Pronunciation
Authors: Journal Arab World English , Almaqrn Riam K. , Alshabeb Abdulrahman M.
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of Saudi students of English towards proper pronunciation, and podcasts as a facilitator of proper pronunciation. It will discover the importance given to correct pronunciation, as well as gauging learners’ attitudes towards the possibility of introducing podcasts as a new language input tool for facilitating improvements in pronunciation. To achieve this, the previous literature in this area is reviewed, followed by presenting the results and analysing the data from an attitudinal questionnaire distributed amongst 23 Level 3 Saudi EFL learners from the department of English at Imam University. The questionnaire is divided into two parts- one concerning proper pronunciation, and the other podcasts. The data analysis shows that the participants, in spite of the low rate of improvement in their pronunciation, have positive attitudes towards the proper pronunciation of English. This outcome is compatible with previous studies` results, which assert that having a positive attitude towards a particular language and its speakers can improve pronunciation. The students were presented with a total of five podcasts related to their speaking and listening textbook for use over an eight week period, and at the end of this time they were requested to complete the questionnaire. The findings support the usefulness of examining learners` attitudes towards new Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) applications before using them in a practical way. The results show a high rate of acceptance of podcasts and that, overall, the students have positive attitudes towards them.
One Global Map but Different Worlds: Worldwide Survey of Human Access to Basic Utilities
Authors: MIHAI Florin Constantin
Published: July 2018

The paper aims to reveal one integrated global map which points out the major geographical inequalities in providing basic utilities across the countries using multivariate analysis and thematic cartography. Sixteen indicators with global coverage were selected taking into account the waste collection services, sanitation facilities, drinking water sources, energy, electricity, habitat and demographic conditions. Several data are broken down for the total, urban and rural population in order to outline the rural-urban disparities between and within countries. A special focus is given to waste collection coverage, in order to compute a comprehensive global assessment of this key indicator of public health, which is one of the poorest monitored basic utility. The world countries were divided into 10 classes according to the hierarchical cluster analysis. Each class has particular features outlining the gaps between high, middle and low-income countries with direct impact on quality of life, public health, and environment.
Translation and Arabicization Methods of English Scientific and Technical Terms into Arabic
Authors: Studies AWEJ-tls for Translation & Literary , Awang Rokiah , Salman Ghada
Published: July 2018

Due to linguistic differences among languages, rendering new concepts embodied in new terms has always been a challenging issue in translation. English has become the medium of science and technology. Therefore, it has dominance over other languages of the world. Technical terms and concepts are translated mainly from English to other languages such as the Arabic language. Because of the foreignness and unfamiliarity of these terms in Arabic, the Arabic Language Academyمجمع اللغة العربية[majma’ al-lughati al-arabiyah] has always endeavoured to coin native terms in order to domesticate and naturalizeforeign terminology into Arabic. To accomplish this goal, translation strategies, as well as Arabic word-formation techniques such as derivation and composition have been employed by the academy. Among Arabicization methods isoutright phonetic borrowing of the English term via transliteration into Arabic sounds and characters. Another form of borrowing is calque (loan translation). This translation and Arabicization method has also been used by the academy in its terminology work. The aim of this research is to identify strategies of translation and Arabicization used by the academy in its terminology work. Accordingly, a descriptive and comparative analysis of ten English scientific and technical terms with their translational and Arabicized equivalents were analyzed and discussed. These terms were translated and Arabicized by the Arabic Language Academy of Cairo (Cairo ALA), which adopted various translation and Arabicization approaches to introduce and assimilate these terms into Arabic. Translation methods included borrowing (loan word), loan translation (calque) and literal translation (word-for-word). Arabicization methods included outright phonetic borrowing, loan translation, derivation, and composition. Findings suggested that Cairo ALA has appropriately applied methods of translation, as well as techniques of Arabicization in its efforts to delimit the foreignness of English terms. Accordingly, these terms were properly domesticated into Arabic.
Interdependent Career Types and Divergent Standpoints on the Use of Advanced Technology in Medicine
Authors: Menchik Daniel
Published: July 2018

This paper uses the case of the uneven use of a robotic technology to explain how physicians with similar training come to engage in different medical practices. I develop a conceptual framework in which their decisions to use advanced technologies are informed by “interdependent career types,” a concept that incorporates features of the professional social context of physicians’ work and the expertise they use, and reflects how medicine distributes expertise via formal and informal referral structures. I draw on data regarding specialized physicians’ differentiated use of this technology over five years, as well as interviews with those who continue to use the technology and those who have abandoned it. I argue that interdependent career types stratify physicians’ standpoints on multiple dimensions of medical work – including those related to their concerns about reputation, inclinations towards risk, and preferences regarding the use of their bodies.
Introducing Short Stories in EFL Classroom to Explore Culturally Diverse Issues
Authors: Studies AWEJ-tls for Translation & Literary , Berrarbi Amina , Bahous Abbes
Published: July 2018

The present paper attempts to highlight the use of short stories as an initial motivational literary genre in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. It also aims at providing some practical ideas and methods regarding the use of short stories by inquiring about the following questions: What significance can be accorded to the use of short stories in EFL classroom and how can short stories serve as a mediator between the learner’s own culture and other cultures? To address these questions, a questionnaire was collected from 95 third year undergraduate students at Mostaganem University, 24 of the students were selected randomly for an intervention that lasted about 8 weeks. Findings from the questionnaire and experimental study indicate that the study population does not only show positive attitudes towards short stories reading but also manifests a number of signs that reflect their acquisition of cultural issues, they also support the usefulness of examining learners’ cultural knowledge, feelings and experiences before, while and after bringing short stories into the literature class. Therefore, it is recommended to use short stories as a primary motivational reading material to stimulate students’ cultural awareness and their reading envy.
Gifts Among Strangers: The Social Organization of Freecycle Giving
Authors: Aptekar Sofya
Published: July 2018

The Freecycle Network, with its millions of members gifting objects to strangers, is a stalwart fixture of the increasingly popular sharing economy. Unlike the wildly profitable Airbnb and Lyft, the Freecycle Network prohibits profit-making, or even barter, providing an altruism-based alternative to capitalist markets while keeping tons of garbage out of landfills. Why do millions of people give through Freecycle instead of selling, donating, or throwing away items? Utilizing participant observation of two overlapping Freecycle groups and a survey of their members, I investigate motivations for giving and the social norms that guide it. I find that while members of other internet-based groups have been found to exhibit altruism and solidarity, altruism and solidarity in Freecycle appear to be secondary. Instead, green-washed convenience takes precedence as members are motivated to give in order to de-clutter their homes in an environmentally friendly fashion and in a way that can expiate guilt from overconsumption. Embedded in local contexts and governed by powerful cultural expectations based on gift exchange and charitable donation, Freecycle givers create a set of social structures that combine with the organization’s focus on the environment to downplay altruism and elide inequalities.
Data policies of highly-ranked social science journals
Authors: Crosas Mercè , Gautier Julian , Karcher Sebastian , Kirilova Dessi , Otalora Gerard , Schwartz Abigail
Published: July 2018

By encouraging and requiring that authors share their data in order to publish articles, scholarly journals have become an important actor in the movement to improve the openness of data and the reproducibility of research. But how many social science journals encourage or mandate that authors share the data supporting their research findings? How does the share of journal data policies vary by discipline? What influences these journals’ decisions to adopt such policies and instructions? And what do those policies and instructions look like?We discuss the results of our analysis of the instructions and policies of 291 highly-ranked journals publishing social science research, where we studied the contents of journal data policies and instructions across 14 variables, such as when and how authors are asked to share their data, and what role journal ranking and age play in the existence and quality of data policies and instructions. We also compare our results to the results of other studies that have analyzed the policies of social science journals, although differences in the journals chosen and how each study defines what constitutes a data policy limit this comparison.We conclude that a little more than half of the journals in our study have data policies. A greater share of the economics journals have data policies and mandate sharing, followed by political science/international relations and psychology journals.Finally, we use our findings to make several recommendations: Policies should include the terms “data,” “dataset” or more specific terms that make it clear what to make available; policies should include the benefits of data sharing; journals, publishers, and associations need to collaborate more to clarify data policies; and policies should explicitly ask for qualitative data.
Bridging cultural sociology and cognitive psychology in three contemporary research programmes
Authors: Lamont Michèle , Adler Laura , Park Bo Yun , Xiang Xin
Published: July 2018

Three prominent research programmes in cognitive psychology would benefit from a stronger engagement with the cultural context of cognition: studies of poverty focused on scarcity and cognitive bandwidth, studies of dual-processmorality and stud- ies of biases using the implicit association test. We address some limitations of these programmes and suggest research strat- egies for moving beyond an exclusive focus on cognition. Research on poverty using the cognitive bandwidth approach would benefit from considering the cultural schemas that influence how people perceive and prioritize needs. Dual-process morality researchers could explain variation by analysing cultural repertoires that structure moral choices. Research using the implicit association test can better explain implicit attitudes by addressing the variability in cultural schemas that undergird biases. We identify how these research programmes can deepen the causal understanding of human attitudes and behaviours by address- ing the interaction between internal cognition and supra-individual cultural repertoires.
The Hoabinhian of Southeast Asia and its Relationship to Regional Pleistocene Lithic Technologies
Authors: Marwick Ben
Published: July 2018

The Hoabinhian is a distinctive Pleistocene stone artefact technology of mainland and island Southeast Asia. Its relationships to key patterns of technological change both at a global scale and in adjacent regions such as East Asia, South Asia and Australia are currently poorly understood. These key patterns are important indicators of evolutionary and demographic change in human prehistory so our understanding of the Hoabinhian may be substantially enhanced by examining these relationships. In this paper I present new evidence of ancient Hoabinhian technology from Northwest Thailand and examine connections between Hoabinhian technology and the innovation of other important Pleistocene technological processes such as radial core geometry. I present some claims about the evolutionary significance of the Hoabinhian and recommend future research priorities.
Gender, Domestic Violence, and Patterns of Conviction: Analysis of India’s Supreme Court Rulings
Authors: Krishnan Preethi , Subramaniam Mangala
Published: July 2018

Purpose: The practices and arrangements within a family can create grounds for violence. Although we agree that family processes are important, we think that these explanations downplay the structure of families (nuclear, extended) and thereby the ways in which gender relations are organized. In this paper, domestic violence is explored as an intra-family dynamic that extends beyond the intimate partner relationship and which seeps into court rulings of cases of such violence. Methodology/approach: Using archival data from 164 Supreme Court case decisions on domestic violence in India for the period 1995–2011, we examine both the patterns of conviction and the complexities of gender relations within the family by systematically coding the Court’s rulings. Findings :Analysis of court rulings show that mothers-in-law were convicted in 14% cases and the husband was convicted in 41% cases. We call attention to the collective nature of the domestic violence crime in India where mothers-in-law were seldom convicted alone (3% of cases) but were more likely to be convicted along with other members of the family. Two dominant themes we discuss are the gendered nature of familial relations beyond the intimate partner relationship and the pervasiveness of such gendered relationships from the natal home to the marital family making victims of domestic violence isolated and “homeless.” Research limitations/implication:Future research may benefit from using data in addition to the judgments to consider caste and class differences in the rulings. An intersectionality perspective may add to the understanding of the interpretation of the laws by the courts. Social implications: Insights from this paper have important policy implications. As discussed in the paper, the unintended support for violence from the natal family is an indication of their powerlessness and therefore further victimization through the law will not help. It is critical that natal families re-frame their powerlessness which is often derived from their status as families with daughters. Considering that most women in India turn to their natal families first for support when they face violence in their marriages, policy must enable such families to act and utilize the law. Originality/value : By examining court rulings on cases of domestic violence in India we focus on the power exerted by some women particularly within extended families which is central to understanding gender relations within institutions. These relations are legitimized by the courts in the ways they interpret the law and rule on cases.
EFL University Teachers’ Professional Development in the Thai Context
Authors: Journal Arab World English , Phothongsunan Sureepong
Published: July 2018

This study aims to explore the perceptions of 30 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers serving in public universities in Thailand regarding needs, challenges and quality of teacher career development in their universities. A questionnaire and an interview are employed to gather data. According to the teacher development programs offered, all universities served by the participants provide prospects for teachers to have further in-service education. In relation to professional development, nearly all participants point out a strong need for obtaining a higher degree as career advancement in their field and interestingly as a tool for salary increment. Teacher collaboration and student learning also emerge as possible factors motivating teachers to strive for self-improvement. Although undertaking research is referred to as an important and for some a required element for English teaching jobs, time-consuming nature and a sophisticated process discourage its instigation. Regarding views about quality of university teacher development, most report being satisfied with the overall universities’ emphasis on improving English teaching and learning by accentuating teachers as a key. However, teachers’ lacking motivation to progress professionally due to excessive teaching workload and internal politics embedded in some universities can be reasons preventing teachers from securing educational growth. Implications from the study shed light on the significance to support the quality of university teachers through furnishing sufficient opportunities of professional development and what Thai EFL university teachers aspire to accomplish most to develop themselves efficiently.
Seo y comunicación audiovisual: análisis comparativo de portales de vídeo bajo demanda
Authors: garcia carlos Lopezosa , Codina Lluís , Freixa Pere
Published: July 2018

Comparative analysis of the visibility andother SEO indicators of the websites of themain national and international Video onDemand services with activity in Spain. Specifically,the portals of the companies Netflix,HBO, Amazon Prime, Yomvi (Movistar+),Waki tv (Rakuten TV), Filmin, AtresplayerandMitele are analyzed. Analyses havebeen carried out using a set of positioningindicators using the Majestic SEO tool.The study carried out with the selected indicatorsallows us to present a comparativeanalysis of web portals directly linked to audiovisualcommunication. This has allowedus to present a discussion of the results togetherwith some recommendations.
Neutralizing the Uncanny through Culturally Relevant Teaching
Authors: Journal Arab World English , Ollivier-Garza Roberto
Published: July 2018

At the height of the Roman Empire’s power, Marcus Aurelius, emperor and stoic philosopher, identified his positionality as neither Athenian nor Roman but rather as “a citizen of the universe.” For a man of his time, power and privilege to have been able to think beyond himself, in terms of the global rather than the local, suggests that he had benefited immensely from the guidance and wisdom of teachers, who through culturally relevant instruction imparted an awareness and holistic appreciation of the value of all of humankind. As one observes the multitude of current global conflicts, one questions why humanity has not been able to move beyond petty grievances to achieve the equitable global harmony and citizenship that Aurelius aspired to so long ago. Motivated by the purpose of improving academic, economic, and social equity, this exploratory essay examines historic and current North American pedagogical theories of culturally responsive teaching practices with the juxtapositional purpose of examining and evaluating the best method for minimizing Drs. Ernst Jentsch and Sigmund Freud’s theories on the uncanny and the uncanny valley-effect phenomena-the objective being the discovery of improved teaching praxis to minimize educational and social cognitive dissonance in refugee, immigrant, minority, and socioeconomically subordinate students both domestically and internationally.
The cultural capitalists: Notes on the ongoing reconfiguration of trafficking culture in Asia
Authors: Yates Donna
Published: July 2018

Most analysis of the international flows of the illicit art market has described a global situation in which a postcolonial legacy of acquisition and collection exploits cultural heritage by pulling it westwards towards major international trade nodes in the USA and Europe. As the locus of consumptive global economic power shifts, however, these traditional flows are pulled in other directions: notably for the present commentary, towards and within Asia.
The Emotional Life of Cultural Objects
Authors: Dominguez Rubio Fernando , Benzecry Claudio
Published: July 2018

What is it that people do with objects? And what is it that objects do to people? This chapter explores the dialectic between processes of objectification and subjectification, exploring how they intertwine through the manifold ways in which the description, refinement, punctuation and solidification of what a subject is are attached to a parallel process with regard to how things become objects.
Some determinants of the existence of government websites: 853 municipalities in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Authors: Pereira Marcus Abílio Gomes , Amaral Ernesto F. L. , Costa Marcela Menezes
Published: July 2018

This study evaluates whether 853 municipalities of Minas Gerais have developed one specific strategy of electronic government. We searched for municipalities that have websites for the executive branch, relating this information to a number of secondary data. These data include variables on the Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M), municipal budgetary revenues, year of founding of municipalities, the mayor’s party affiliation, and a public policy initiative related to the creation of municipal executive branch websites. This analysis was performed to develop descriptive statistics among the variables collected. In addition to exploring descriptive analysis, we attempted to determine statistical models that explain the existence of websites for municipal executives. This allowed us to determine whether municipalities that were established earlier than others, have the highest HDI-M, and have larger budgets are also more likely to have websites. The results indicate that older municipalities, as well as those with higher HDI-M and elevated budgetary revenues, are more likely to have websites. A mayor’s party affiliation indicates that municipalities administered by the Workers’ Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores, or PT, the center-left-wing party) are more likely to have websites than municipalities governed by the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira, or PSDB, the center-right-wing party). Furthermore, municipalities that use the state government program Integra Minas (Connect Minas) are less likely to have their own websites, which is an indication that these locations are using policy resources to communicate electronically with the population. Thus, newly founded municipalities with low HDI-M, with low budgetary revenue, and administered by center-right-wing parties may benefit from public policies that encourage greater transparency in the communication of municipal executives with their population.
Quality of Life
Authors: Präg Patrick , Mau Steffen , Verwiebe Roland
Published: July 2018

This chapter reviews the quality of life in European societies, drawing on sociological theories of the quality of life, and specifically touching upon the areas of housing, the environment, health, and time use. One major theme is the social stratification of quality of life, both within and between European societies. The chapter was published in Steffen Mau and Roland Verwiebe, European Societies. Mapping Structure and Change, Policy Press 2010. A Stata replication file that recreates all the Figures in the chapter is available.
Diversifying the Donor Pool: Did Seattle's Democracy Vouchers Program Reshape Participation in Municipal Campaign Finance?
Authors: McCabe Brian J , Heerwig Jennifer A.
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we evaluate whether an innovative new campaign finance program in Seattle, Washington shifted the composition of campaign donors in local elections. In 2015, voters in Seattle approved the creation of the Democracy Voucher program with the intent of broadening representation in the campaign finance system and expanding participation from marginalized communities. Every registered voter in Seattle was provided with four, twenty-five-dollar vouchers that they could, in turn, assign to the local candidate(s) of their choice. Through an analysis of the inaugural implementation of the program in 2017, we investigate whether this innovative public financing system increased participation, broadened involvement from underrepresented groups and led to a donor pool that was more representative of the electorate. Compared to cash donors in the municipal election, we report that voucher users are less likely to be high-income and more likely to come from poor neighborhoods. While older residents are over-represented among voucher users, there is little difference in the racial composition of cash donors and voucher users. Our analysis confirms that the Democracy Voucher program successfully moved the donor pool in a more egalitarian direction, although it remains demographically unrepresentative of the electorate. The lessons from Seattle’s inaugural implementation offer key insights for other municipalities considering public financing policies, and these lessons have the potential to reshape the national policy debate about the influence of political money.
Asset portfolio retirement decisions: the role of the tax and transfer system
Authors: Whelan Stephen , Atalay Kadir
Published: July 2018

This study examined how Australia’s tax and transfer system, especially in relation to the Age Pension, impacts on household retirement choices. As the population ages, fiscal challenges created when many individuals retire from working and paying tax to drawing government funded benefits and services present some stark policy choices. Understanding how retirement decisions are shaped by the tax and transfer system is essential to developing a system that allocates resources efficiently across the economy, is consistent with principles of equity and is sustainable. Any such tax system is likely to have important implications for housing choices and housing markets.
Reality and Practicality: Challenges to Effective Cultural Property Policy on the Ground in Latin America
Authors: Yates Donna
Published: July 2018

Although on-the-ground preservation and policing is a majorcomponent of our international efforts to prevent the looting and traffickingof antiquities, the expectation placed on source countries may be beyond theircapacity. This dependence on developing world infrastructure and policing maychallenge our ability to effectively regulate this illicit trade. Using case studiesgenerated from fieldwork in Belize and Bolivia, this paper discusses a numberof these challenges to effective policy and offers some suggestions for futureregulatory development.
A Feature-Based Analysis of the Derivation of Word Order and Subject-Verb Agreement in Arabic Varieties
Authors: Journal Arab World English , Jouini Kamel
Published: July 2018

The derivation of common clause-type constructions like negation, interrogation (involving wh-elements) and declarativity (including sentences that involve topics) is a universal of sentence structure that involves a number of functional elements/items for the expression of negation, interrogation, or declarativity, cross-linguistically. However, as the present study on the derivation of syntactic word order (including subject-verb agreement configurations) in Arabic varieties shows, such functional elements/items can take a particular functional dimension within the functional domain they are part of. This study relies on sample examples from the literature on Arabic (the standard variety in particular, but also other varieties such as Tunisian Arabic and Moroccan Arabic – see Jouini, (2014) for typical sentences from these varieties) to demonstrate how functional elements can project as functional nodes or be merged as head or specifier (Spec) elements in the structure of sentences. In the inflectional domain of sentences – or Inflectional Phrase (IP) –, variation in subject-verb agreement configurations in Arabic rests on the premise that a Subject node variably projects giving rise to differing subject-verb agreement configurations. The same is true of the projection of the complementizer domain of sentences – or Complementizer Phrase (CP) – in Arabic, which splits into dedicated functional nodes in the standard variety of Arabic, but not in the modern spoken dialects. These differences in the projection of the IP-CP continuum establish functional relations upon which agreement and movement operations are derived and such notions as ‘topic’, ‘subject’ and ‘focus’ can be represented at the interface.