title: Peirce, meaning and the semantic web

authors: Legg, Catherine

subjects: pragmatism

abstract: The so-called ‘Semantic Web’ is phase II of Tim Berners-Lee’s original vision for the WWW, whereby resources would no longer be indexed merely ‘syntactically’, via opaque character-strings, but via their meanings. We argue that one roadblock to Semantic Web development has been researchers’ adherence to a Cartesian, ‘private’ account of meaning, which has been dominant for the last 400 years, and which understands the meanings of signs as what their producers intend them to mean. It thus strives to build ‘silos of meaning’ which explicitly and antecedently determine what signs on the Web will mean in all possible situations. By contrast, the field is moving forward insofar as it embraces Peirce’s ‘public’, evolutionary account of meaning, according to which the meaning of signs just is the way they are interpreted and used to produce further signs. Given the extreme interconnectivity of the Web, it is argued that silos of meaning are unnecessary as plentiful machine-understandable data about the meaning of Web resources exists already in the form of those resources themselves, for applications that are able to leverage it, and it is Peirce’s account of meaning which can best make sense of the recent explosion in ‘user-defined content’ on the Web, and its relevance to achieving Semantic Web goals.

text: Peirce, meaning and the semantic web The so-called ‘Semantic Web’ is phase II of Tim Berners-Lee’s original vision for the WWW, whereby resources would no longer be indexed merely ‘syntactically’, via opaque character-strings, but via their meanings. We argue that one roadblock to Semantic Web development has been researchers’ adherence to a Cartesian, ‘private’ account of meaning, which has been dominant for the last 400 years, and which understands the meanings of signs as what their producers intend them to mean. It thus strives to build ‘silos of meaning’ which explicitly and antecedently determine what signs on the Web will mean in all possible situations. By contrast, the field is moving forward insofar as it embraces Peirce’s ‘public’, evolutionary account of meaning, according to which the meaning of signs just is the way they are interpreted and used to produce further signs. Given the extreme interconnectivity of the Web, it is argued that silos of meaning are unnecessary as plentiful machine-understandable data about the meaning of Web resources exists already in the form of those resources themselves, for applications that are able to leverage it, and it is Peirce’s account of meaning which can best make sense of the recent explosion in ‘user-defined content’ on the Web, and its relevance to achieving Semantic Web goals.

year: 2007-06

title: China's media diplomacy in the South China Sea disputes. Case studies of the Scarborough Shoal stand-off and the oil rig crisis

authors: Le, Thi My Danh

abstract: The Scarborough Shoal stand-off and the oil rig crisis hold symbolic value to the Chinese. During the crises, China’s sovereignty claims over the South China Sea have been recounted several times. As the way that the Chinese government has mobilized media tools to cover the crises and to shape its national image of their rival(s) via its narratives turned the territorial controversies into nationalist demonstrations, and deteriorated the bilateral relations, the demand to understand how the crises and media diplomacy could impact on the bilateral relations and the peace in the region has increased. Media diplomacy occurs when a government sends its diplomatic messages to its target audiences through speeches, press conferences, visits, or even leaks. To succeed, a government needs to have the ability to predict how different stakeholders will consume its message and how its target audiences are likely to respond. The paper uses the theoretical framework of media diplomacy to analyze media reports in China to understand how China deployed media tactics to fulfill its political goals in the crises and whether media diplomacy can be used as one of the ways to resolve the tensions.

text: China's media diplomacy in the South China Sea disputes. Case studies of the Scarborough Shoal stand-off and the oil rig crisis The Scarborough Shoal stand-off and the oil rig crisis hold symbolic value to the Chinese. During the crises, China’s sovereignty claims over the South China Sea have been recounted several times. As the way that the Chinese government has mobilized media tools to cover the crises and to shape its national image of their rival(s) via its narratives turned the territorial controversies into nationalist demonstrations, and deteriorated the bilateral relations, the demand to understand how the crises and media diplomacy could impact on the bilateral relations and the peace in the region has increased. Media diplomacy occurs when a government sends its diplomatic messages to its target audiences through speeches, press conferences, visits, or even leaks. To succeed, a government needs to have the ability to predict how different stakeholders will consume its message and how its target audiences are likely to respond. The paper uses the theoretical framework of media diplomacy to analyze media reports in China to understand how China deployed media tactics to fulfill its political goals in the crises and whether media diplomacy can be used as one of the ways to resolve the tensions.

year: 2022

title: Racial inequalities in engineering employment in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Roy, Rituparna

abstract: This report presents findings from research on racism and inequality in engineering employment in New Zealand. Conducted as part of the Working to End Racial Oppression (WERO) research programme (see: https://wero.ac.nz/), this study examines how racial discrimination operates in recruitment and career progression within the engineering sector. The research was carried out with the support of Engineering New Zealand | Te Ao Rangahau and the Association of Consulting and Engineering New Zealand. 

This research involves two phases of in-depth interviews. The first phase entails interviews with industry key informants such as human resources staff, managers, or people from diversity and culture teams for different engineering firms that ranged from very small to large in size. In the second phase, currently employed engineers from different ethnic groups were undertaken, including Māori, Pacific, Pākehā, Asian and Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA). The findings from these two sets of interviews are presented respectively in Section 3 and 4. 

The research also included an analysis of the workforce composition and wage gaps in Engineering based on analysis of Census and New Zealand Income Survey data. This analysis, which is presented in Section 1, revealed the disproportionately low number of female engineers, and of Māori and Pacific people employed as engineers. Analysis of average median hourly wages revealed notable differences, with Māori and Pacific engineers having median wages that are around 80% of the overall median. 

There has been a significant emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in recruitment and human resource management in Engineering in recent years. This emphasis reflects industry efforts to address known ethnic and gender imbalances in the workforce. Industry informants, however, highlighted several challenges, tensions, and contradictions they faced in integrating and practicing DEI in recruitment. Employers often struggle to balance competing frameworks such as equity, meritocracy, and people-focused approaches, making recruitment decisions complex. Despite initiatives like blind CV screening, targeted graduate programmes and preferential shortlisting of Māori and Pacific applicants, the industry remains heavily merit-driven. Additionally, DEI efforts are largely gender-focused, lacking an intersectional approach that considers overlapping social inequities. 

The interviews with engineers revealed that individuals from different ethnic groups face distinct barriers and challenges in securing employment and advancing their careers. For Māori and Pacific engineers, the pathway into engineering is severely limited, with only a small number entering the profession each year. Those currently employed often experience what has been described V as a ‘cultural tax’—being expected to take on cultural responsibilities in addition to their technical roles, without monetary compensation or clear career advancement opportunities. Racialised immigrant engineers, on the contrary, reported devaluation and deskilling of their qualifications and experience based on their ethnic and national origins. Despite extensive work experience in their home countries, they were often required to restart their careers in graduate or entry-level positions. Several participants shared experiences of unfair promotions, where White, European, and Anglophone employees were favoured for leadership roles. When discussing their own career trajectories, most non-Pākehā and nonEuropean participants expressed scepticism about ever being promoted to senior positions with decision-making authority. 

The accounts of discriminations and racial inequalities shared by engineers have profound implications for their employment, career progression, well-being, and society at large. Navigating a predominantly monocultural work environment—marked by challenges like cultural taxation, glass ceilings, and the ‘white boys’ club’—places additional burdens on racialised groups. The pressure to constantly prove their worth further exacerbates these issues, leading to serious retention problems. If not addressed, the sector risks losing engineers from diverse ethnic backgrounds, exacerbating gender and ethnic pay gaps, worsening representation and diversity issues, and reinforcing systemic racial inequities. 

Addressing monoculturalism and the ‘white boys’ club’ culture and fostering a genuinely inclusive profession will require systemic changes within engineering firms and in accepted norms in the profession and industry. Without a shift in workplace culture, efforts to recruit more engineers from underrepresented backgrounds will remain ineffective, as many will continue to leave due to unwelcoming environments. To create lasting change, DEI initiatives must go beyond recruitment and actively reshape the structures, policies, and day-today practices that define the industry. This requires the mindful integration of diverse cultural values and practices into every layer of organisational functions, including recruitment, career advancement frameworks, and job descriptions.

text: Racial inequalities in engineering employment in Aotearoa New Zealand This report presents findings from research on racism and inequality in engineering employment in New Zealand. Conducted as part of the Working to End Racial Oppression (WERO) research programme (see: https://wero.ac.nz/), this study examines how racial discrimination operates in recruitment and career progression within the engineering sector. The research was carried out with the support of Engineering New Zealand | Te Ao Rangahau and the Association of Consulting and Engineering New Zealand. 

This research involves two phases of in-depth interviews. The first phase entails interviews with industry key informants such as human resources staff, managers, or people from diversity and culture teams for different engineering firms that ranged from very small to large in size. In the second phase, currently employed engineers from different ethnic groups were undertaken, including Māori, Pacific, Pākehā, Asian and Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA). The findings from these two sets of interviews are presented respectively in Section 3 and 4. 

The research also included an analysis of the workforce composition and wage gaps in Engineering based on analysis of Census and New Zealand Income Survey data. This analysis, which is presented in Section 1, revealed the disproportionately low number of female engineers, and of Māori and Pacific people employed as engineers. Analysis of average median hourly wages revealed notable differences, with Māori and Pacific engineers having median wages that are around 80% of the overall median. 

There has been a significant emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in recruitment and human resource management in Engineering in recent years. This emphasis reflects industry efforts to address known ethnic and gender imbalances in the workforce. Industry informants, however, highlighted several challenges, tensions, and contradictions they faced in integrating and practicing DEI in recruitment. Employers often struggle to balance competing frameworks such as equity, meritocracy, and people-focused approaches, making recruitment decisions complex. Despite initiatives like blind CV screening, targeted graduate programmes and preferential shortlisting of Māori and Pacific applicants, the industry remains heavily merit-driven. Additionally, DEI efforts are largely gender-focused, lacking an intersectional approach that considers overlapping social inequities. 

The interviews with engineers revealed that individuals from different ethnic groups face distinct barriers and challenges in securing employment and advancing their careers. For Māori and Pacific engineers, the pathway into engineering is severely limited, with only a small number entering the profession each year. Those currently employed often experience what has been described V as a ‘cultural tax’—being expected to take on cultural responsibilities in addition to their technical roles, without monetary compensation or clear career advancement opportunities. Racialised immigrant engineers, on the contrary, reported devaluation and deskilling of their qualifications and experience based on their ethnic and national origins. Despite extensive work experience in their home countries, they were often required to restart their careers in graduate or entry-level positions. Several participants shared experiences of unfair promotions, where White, European, and Anglophone employees were favoured for leadership roles. When discussing their own career trajectories, most non-Pākehā and nonEuropean participants expressed scepticism about ever being promoted to senior positions with decision-making authority. 

The accounts of discriminations and racial inequalities shared by engineers have profound implications for their employment, career progression, well-being, and society at large. Navigating a predominantly monocultural work environment—marked by challenges like cultural taxation, glass ceilings, and the ‘white boys’ club’—places additional burdens on racialised groups. The pressure to constantly prove their worth further exacerbates these issues, leading to serious retention problems. If not addressed, the sector risks losing engineers from diverse ethnic backgrounds, exacerbating gender and ethnic pay gaps, worsening representation and diversity issues, and reinforcing systemic racial inequities. 

Addressing monoculturalism and the ‘white boys’ club’ culture and fostering a genuinely inclusive profession will require systemic changes within engineering firms and in accepted norms in the profession and industry. Without a shift in workplace culture, efforts to recruit more engineers from underrepresented backgrounds will remain ineffective, as many will continue to leave due to unwelcoming environments. To create lasting change, DEI initiatives must go beyond recruitment and actively reshape the structures, policies, and day-today practices that define the industry. This requires the mindful integration of diverse cultural values and practices into every layer of organisational functions, including recruitment, career advancement frameworks, and job descriptions.

year: 2025