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This study examines the relationship between multilingualism and criminality through the lens of symbolic interactionism theory. A qualitative approach was adopted, utilizing an ethnographic research design to explore the intricate connections between communication symbolism and deviant behavior within the Ghanaian cultural context. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with three (3) categories of participants: ten (10) deviant individuals, including criminals from Ankaful Prison and community members, eight (8) community members, and four (4) law enforcement officers. A purposive sampling method was employed to ensure participants possessed relevant expertise and firsthand knowledge of communication symbolism in deviant subcultures. The findings indicate that communication through multilingualism serves as an effective symbol of group identity and connection. Furthermore, the complex dynamics surrounding the stigmatization and labeling of language symbolism significantly impact the self-esteem of deviant individuals and their interactions with law enforcement. To effectively identify and understand such communication symbolism within deviant and criminal subcultures, this study suggests that policymakers establish a collaborative task force comprising law enforcement officers, community leaders, and cultural experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dialogical and sociocultural perspectives propose the dialogical self and agency, respectively, as privileged constructs to account for the processes of personal change in education. However, the integrated study between both phenomena has rarely been addressed systematically in education to understand in greater depth how students and teachers construct their identity as learners and teachers. This special issue seeks to contribute to this research gap through the theoretical advances and empirical evidence presented by eight original articles. This introduction identifies the main contributions to education of the developments on the dialogical self and agency and, furthermore, defines the conceptual scopes and implications of their integration. Then, the structure of the special issue is described and a brief summary is presented of the content of the eight articles. Altogether, this issue is an invitation to capture and explain in more detail the originality, innovation and relative autonomy in the activity of students and teachers as they situate and position themselves and participate in educational practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well documented that motherhood influences gendered outcomes in work institutions. However, how paid work influences women's private sphere and sense of self remains unclear and could vary across societies. This article focuses on identity construction among 28 college‐educated stay‐at‐home mothers in Shanghai. The findings from semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews reveal tension negotiation and reconciliation within these mothers' multiple self‐identities. Despite choosing to voluntarily leave their paid jobs and become stay‐at‐home mothers, participants differentiated between their maternal identity and their stay‐at‐home mother identity; in particular, they perceived motherhood as more valuable and socially acceptable than the choice to be a stay‐at‐home mother (i.e., participants readily identified as mothers but hesitated to describe themselves as stay‐at‐home mothers). To avoid this tension and protect their self‐image, participants incorporated aspects of their previous working identity into their stay‐at‐home mother identity, such as taking part‐time jobs and framing their childrearing experience as a future career asset. The results help explain how the notion of work shapes women's self‐image, even when they leave the labor market. Overall, the findings reinforce mothering imperatives and identities and the need to understand them from a cross‐cultural perspective in relation to societal prevailing gender norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the use of esprit de corps as an intragroup identity construction device that indexes contextual conceptualisations among the (para)military discourse community in Nigeria. Data were generated through participant observation and audio tape recordings of randomly selected personnel of the target agencies at designated checkpoints along the Calabar-Uyo highway in South-South Nigeria. Findings show strands of its perlocutionary meanings in (para)military discourse orientation. Esprit de corps, used by the Nigerian (para)military personnel, demonstrates discipline and regimentation, social inclusion and identity, elicitation of hierarchical compliments, appeals and concessions, freedom and right of passage, ingroup favouritism and outgroup bias, and is an interruptive device, among other things. It performs pragmatic functions, and negotiates and co-constructs members' identity within the ideological orientations of the group. In Nigeria, it is narrowed to the exclusive dialectal norm of the regimented forces, and is believed to be a cohesive force that strengthens them for the effective discharge of their essential duties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study examines Chinese returnee scholars' language practices in teaching and research and their identity construction during their early career years. Using interviews and drawing upon poststructuralist identity theory, it examines the adaptations of twelve Chinese bilingual returnee scholars to new academic communities in English language departments, their teaching and publishing language choices, and their identity construction throughout this process. The findings showed these scholars constructed their professional identities through negotiating English as a teaching language in ways interwoven with students' needs, institutional policies, and their past experiences. The Chinese returnee scholars were found to be "rootless" in terms of possessing inadequate social and cultural capital locally, resulting in limited collaboration and difficulties developing sufficiently robust language competency to publish bilingually. Some scholars, however, employed accumulated capital to exercise agency in bringing about changes in their new academic environments. Implications for bilingual returnee scholars and university policymakers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to reveal different stakeholders’ beliefs and opinions on heritage language maintenance and complementary schools in the Netherlands, namely those of parents, educators, and students. A case study was conducted at a Chinese school in the south of the Netherlands. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 respondents (N = 21) consisting of nine parents, eight educators, and four students. The results reveal that (1) Chinese parents value their children learning both Dutch and Mandarin due to economic, socio-cultural, and identity factors; (2) Heritage language maintenance is perceived by parents and educators as vital in ethnic grouping (sense of belonging), connection with the heritage culture, and for instrumental purposes. They also recognise Mandarin as a new diasporic linguistic standard replacing Cantonese; (3) Chinese parents view complementary schools as a platform to strengthen their ethnic bonding and community formation. Despite students’ perceptions of heritage language maintenance do not align with adults’ (parents and educators) views, their identity construction in complementary schools is in line with adults’ expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tribes have a distinct ethnic identity, which has been threatened by various social, economic, technological, and political forces after 1970s and 1980s. In such scenarios, the legislature has the obligation to provide tribes with certain safeguards to ensure their ability to endure the transformation. However, research suggests that even in situations where the nomadic tribes do not get much support from other groups or institutions, they explore and continue to maintain their identities to a great extent with strategically. Based on this premise, this study explored a similar situation in which the Nat, a peripatetic nomadic tribe in India, has been negotiating its distinctiveness in order to cope with societal pressures. To understand this process, the narratives of 26 Nat, both men and women, were analyzed using the social constructionism model and narrative thematic analysis. The findings of the study establish that Nat is a motivated community for livelihood generation that has adopted strategies across various social domains and diverse socio-economic contexts. These include shifting identities that are ‘dynamic’ in nature. It is through these strategies that the Nat continues to exist as a community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on young Polish viewers living in Vienna, the capital city of Austria, and their reception of Turkish television series. This is an under-researched audience group. The analysis gives voice to viewers' comments through the use of semi-structured interviews to gain deep insight into their viewer experiences. The study introduces another, less-studied component of analysis by scrutinising the ways in which audiences deploy the media text of Turkish series in defining markers of their own self-identities. The analysis of this reveals ways in which viewers were able to negotiate their placement in diasporic lands and in cultural imaginaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accusations of sexual perversion, of defying both the statutes of man and the laws of the almighty, have since Antiquity been a staple of heresiographic discourse. They had pride of place in Muslim heresiology as well, which charged many a heretical sect with engaging in group sex, incest, wine-drinking, as well as the shunning of the obligatory rituals such as prayer and pilgrimage. One group has fared particularly badly at the hands of Muslim heresiographers – the so-called Shiʿi 'extremists' (Ghulāt), who lived in Iraq in the eighth and ninth centuries. Scholarship has mostly taken a simplistic approach to accounts about their alleged antinomianism, by either rejecting them as hostile propaganda or, more frequently, by accepting them wholesale as accurate. Meanwhile the historical, polemical contexts in which such accusations were made have been ignored. This article evaluates within a broad historical context two bodies of evidence: the heresiographical accusations on the one hand, and the Ghulāt's own writings on the other. My contention is that while the most hair-raising accusations are nothing by hostile polemics, others do reflect the Ghulāt's actual beliefs and practices. I conclude by examining the cultural meanings which antinomianism had among the Ghulāt – namely, as boundary markers and tools for identity construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thailand is a country where ethnic diversity and multilingualism are deeply embedded in the cultural landscape, and understanding the construction of ethnic identity provides crucial insights into its social dynamics. This study investigates how ethnic identities are constructed and negotiated through multimodal resources within the linguistic landscape of Ban Arunotai, a multiethnic village in Chiang Mai. Utilizing a comprehensive multimodal framework, the research analyzes how public signage combines linguistic, visual, auditory, and spatial elements to articulate and reshape identity. The findings reveal a hierarchical structure of languages and modes, where dominant languages are visually prioritized, while minority languages serve more localized, symbolic functions. Moreover, a shift from static, monolingual systems to fluid, multilingual repertoires among speakers reflects broader sociocultural changes shaped by translanguaging practices. By framing public signs as dynamic resources in the active formation and reinforcement of ethnic identities, this study offers significant implications for understanding identity politics and social integration in multilingual settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Educational Studies (1673-1298) is the property of Journal of Educational Studies Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

One of the pending challenges facing Education for Sustainable Development is to change students' behavior in favor of sustainability so that these are lasting and even transferable to other people. This study analyzes how various psychological factors, including motivation, attitudes, beliefs and emotions, can be channeled to enhance social and ecological awareness through education. This paper presents an innovative approach to Sustainable Development (SD) in education, focusing on Physical Education. It highlights the intersection of Psychology, education and sustainability, showing how the first two can contribute significantly to lasting changes in students' behavior. Based on this, the Intervention Model for Sustainable Development in Physical Education (PESDIM), which combines psychological theories with specific educational strategies, is presented. In this model, which can be replicated in other educational disciplines, psychological theories are based on social interaction and norms, identity construction, motivation, beliefs and individual efficacy to improve awareness of sustainable development. The paper highlights the need for a holistic and practical approach to sustainability education in general and Physical Education in particular, stresses the importance of psychology and advocates for an educational transformation that holistically integrates sustainability into teaching methods and objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the linguistic landscape (LL) of Wuzhen, an ancient town with a history of more than 2,000 years and became the permanent venue for the World Internet Conference in 2014. The LL of Wuzhen is influenced by various factors, including globalization, urbanization, the tourism industry, heritage conservation, and government planning. In light of this, the study has made several field investigations into Wuzhen, examining the LL of four different areas and capturing 1602 photos of signs. Simultaneously, semi-structured interviews are conducted with residents to discuss their perceptions of the local LL and identity. The findings indicate that Wuzhen reshapes its local public space through various semiotic practices, constructing multiple identities that integrate traditionality, modernity, and internationality. It has also been found that LL should be regarded as a crucial semiotic resource anchored in sociocultural and historical space, whose mobility in the context of globalization and urbanization provides more possibilities for identity construction and reconstruction in peripheral regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses how teacher identity is shaped by professional standardisation and regulatory apparatuses in the context of English Further Education from a specifically spatial perspective. We focus on how these apparatuses erode teachers' sense of identity and, paradoxically, quality by establishing what anthropologist Marc Augé (1935–2023) calls 'non-places'. Drawing on interview data and Augé's spatial anthropology, we discuss how places can define, foster and erode identity and, thus, practice. Our data shows how teachers' accounts of their changing spatial experiences reflects the transient nature of their own interpretations of how identities are shaped in these shifting contexts of 'dis/placement' wherein the process of identity construction frequently places individuals in contact with another side of themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language teacher identity (LTI) plays a significant role at various stages of a professional career. Yet, teacher preparation programs address LTI differently. The Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) is the most widely recognized initial qualification. Examining how LTI is constructed during and after the acquisition of the CELTA is needed to expand understanding of the LTI knowledge base associated with these programs and the complex nature of LTI in general. Framed within situated learning perspective, this longitudinal study conceptualizes LTI as an interplay between language teacher cognition and teacher learning. It aims to advance LTI research by utilizing the reflective conversation heuristic to examine the LTI construction of a novice teacher during and after the CELTA. Findings reveal changes at the three levels of the reflective conversation heuristic and point to the utility of the heuristic as a novel approach to supporting identity construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' engagement in writing mediates their academic literacy development as they become initiated and socialized into disciplinary communities. With a focus on the mediating role of writing, the present study investigates the ways in which two L2 students forge an early understanding of academic discourse when they carry out writing tasks across the curriculum as nonmajors. Using qualitative analysis, the research examined student writing in general education courses, course materials, and student interviews. The researcher analyzed data in search of developmental signs, that is, the points at which students acquired or reshaped their literacy practices according to disciplinary expectations. Study findings show that the features of writing tasks frame the ways in which students conceptualize disciplinary expectations, which manifested in three ways: Knowledge-telling, inferential search, and identity construction as a member. The relationship between academic literacy and writing tasks points to the importance of course materials and design, a variable to consider for improving instruction. Based on the findings, the present study discusses implications for teaching and research in L2 writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many professions experience unique events that highlight their relevance and value. These positive profession‐spotlighting events may significantly influence employees' professional identification, especially for novices in the highlighted professions. In this paper, we aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon. Drawing on the identity construction process model, we investigate how and why positive profession‐spotlighting events influence novices' professional identification. In Study 1, using 10‐wave longitudinal data (five waves before and five after the outbreak of COVID‐19) collected from 322 new graduate nurses, we use discontinuous growth modeling to investigate the impact of the pandemic as a positive profession‐spotlighting event on their increase in professional identification. We found that new graduate nurses' professional identification gradually fell during their initial months in professional practice but rose dramatically after the onset of COVID‐19. We also found that sensegiving and moral elevation during the event led to an increase in professional identification. We further theorize an increase in work meaningfulness as the core mechanism for the hypothesized relationships and obtain supporting evidence from one experiment (Study 2) and two quasi‐experiments (Studies 3a and 3b). Our research reveals the significant influence of positive profession‐spotlighting events on both the identity construction and socialization processes and offers practical implications for how to manage such events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature is the property of Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract This study examines the relationship between multilingualism and criminality through the lens of symbolic interactionism theory. A qualitative approach was adopted, utilizing an ethnographic research design to explore the intricate connections between communication symbolism and deviant behavior within the Ghanaian cultural context. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with three (3) categories of participants: ten (10) deviant individuals, including criminals from Ankaful Prison and community members, eight (8) community members, and four (4) law enforcement officers. A purposive sampling method was employed to ensure participants possessed relevant expertise and firsthand knowledge of communication symbolism in deviant subcultures. The findings indicate that communication through multilingualism serves as an effective symbol of group identity and connection. Furthermore, the complex dynamics surrounding the stigmatization and labeling of language symbolism significantly impact the self-esteem of deviant individuals and their interactions with law enforcement. To effectively identify and understand such communication symbolism within deviant and criminal subcultures, this study suggests that policymakers establish a collaborative task force comprising law enforcement officers, community leaders, and cultural experts.

The formation of youth identity in communication is on the agenda of many areas of humanitarian knowledge. We analyzed communication within the framework of an educational media project, which resulted in the construction of the expected identity. In the course of the analysis, we used a conceptual model of communication that combines the stages of identity construction in interaction with the environment and the actions of actors from the standpoint of the methodology of actor-network theory. A three-dimensional model of communication is presented for the first time, where actors and actants change the communicative process by their affordances and resistance. The obtained results allow to delineate the necessary actions of human and non-human actors at each stage of communication and identity integration, giving the opportunity to justify a new theoretical direction in the study of the problems of identity construction through media communication. The methodology requires further testing, but there are already positive results. The tendency of actualization of urban identity of young people depending on the focus on interaction with the heritage of the city and according to the stages of communication, according to the conceptual model, has been established. The article is intended for specialists in mass communication and journalism, and will also be useful for those interested in the ontological turn in humanitarian knowledge, actor-network theory, discourse and media text analysis.

The article examines how issues of identity construction in Russian urban agglomerations are reflected in the Russian regional politicians’ discourse in mass media. The study concerns theoretical problems of identity construction and the role of regional government bodies in shaping the territorial identity of the population. The specificity of the Russian situation is the absence of governing bodies related to the agglomeration level in most urban agglomerations. The empirical basis of the study is the texts of subnational politicians posted on the official websites of regional government bodies: websites of governors and regional governments, official pages in the mass media. The empirical information on identity policy were collected from the Internet sources (official portals of regional executive authorities, media reports). Discourse analysis was carried out after monitoring social media materials (VKontakte web-pages of regional leaders). The article reflects five cases out of sixteen Russian ones related to the Ural and Siberian agglomerations with a megalopolis core. The empirical data cover the period from December 2022 to the end of 2023. The choice of the time period for analysis is determined by the fact that by this period the most significant factors influencing the policy of our state at present (the pandemic and the Special military operation) have already manifested themselves in full. It has been confirmed that the problems of agglomeration development in the public official subfederal discourse in most cases are reduced to economic problems; first of all, it concerns the development of industry, science (high technology), transport, and waste disposal. In all analyzed cases, insufficient attention was found out, paid to the role of the implemented socio-cultural projects of subfederal identity policy, and also distancing from the discussion of the problems of integration of labor migrants in the public space. Insignificant number of messages from representatives of the regional political and administrative elite about the socio-cultural meanings of the formed agglomerations can become a significant limitation of information support for the agglomeration development of modern contemporary Russia.

The article is devoted to studying the development and specifics of using instruments of state identity policy in modern conditions of geopolitical challenges. The study contributes to clarifying scientific knowledge about the means by which state authorities strive to achieve their goals in identity construction. The differentiation of approaches among particular states in the conditions of modern geopolitical confrontation has been established. The study is based on the application of a comprehensive approach to determining the content of state identity policy. The empirical source of the study is the results of an expert survey of leading domestic researchers in the field of identity politics conducted in the fall of 2023 with the participation of the authors. Discourse analysis was used as a method for processing primary data. The main trends in the development of instruments of state identity policy in the conditions of the 2020s have been identified. The study allows for the clarification of knowledge about the limitations and limits of the effectiveness of the state in the field of identity construction.

Online gaming communities are crucial for social interaction and communication among diverse groups worldwide. Language variation plays a crucial role in shaping individuals’ identities and social relationships within these communities. Based on those initial thoughts, this research is conducted with aims at examining the involvement of regional variations and digital dialects in the formation of identity within PUBG player groups. The approach used in this research is a qualitative anthropological approach. This approach was chosen because it focuses on human behavior and cultural phenomena which needs in-depth explorationof reallanguage analysis used in everyday communication in communities. Data collection techniques include observation, in-depth interview, and field notes and data analysis conducted using theme development, pattern recognition, and theme naming aided by Nvivo software in the coding process analysis. The finding of this research identified the formulation of digital dialects, influenced by repeated linguistic habits such as found in the way they use and form slang lnguage and the adaptation of newcomers to community-specific language norms. Moreover, the research highlighted the role of language variation in fostering community bonding, enhancing in-group communication, and reflecting shared experiences among players. Overall, this research offers valuable understanding of the complex interplay among language, identity and community dynamic within online gaming realms which have never been explored by previous related research.

Introduction: In families of children with a neurodisability, siblings have unique experiences that can shape their identity. There is limited information about the developmental process of how siblings form their identity. This study aims to understand the identity construction of young siblings who have a sibling with a neurodisability. Methods: As part of a patient‐oriented research program, we engaged with our Sibling Youth Advisory Council in Canada. In this qualitative case study, data from semi‐structured interviews augmented by photo elicitation and graphic elicitation of relational maps were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Nineteen sibling participants (median age = 19 years, range = 14–33 years) reflected on the uniqueness of their role during childhood. During adolescence and emerging adulthood, they became closer with their sibling with a neurodisability and increased communication with their parents about how to care for their sibling with a neurodisability. These experiences influenced how they explored and began to reconcile their sibling identity with their professional and social identities. Conclusion: Siblings of youth with a neurodisability discover their unique identity and require support in this developmental process. Future interventions could evaluate how supports for siblings can have an impact on the positive development of their identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores pre-modern Chinese intellectuals' identity construction through the choice of self-referring forms in their letters home. Based on a case study of Hu Shih's letters home, it categorizes the self-referring forms he used and self-identities he constructed, and further investigates the underlying sociocultural factors. It shows that Hu Shih employed four categories of self-referring forms, namely first-person pronouns, kinship terms, names, nicknames, and pen names, and appositive expressions. With these forms of self-reference, he constructed himself as a kin member, an independent person, and a scholar. Hu's construction of the first self-identity might have been influenced by the traditional family ethics and ideology prevalent within Chinese social structure, whereas that of the other two could be ascribed to the emerging social changes at the historical turning point, and scholarly principles. The study provides a new perspective for understanding traditional Chinese intellectuals' letters home in the pre-modern society of China. • Traditional Chinese intellectuals constructed varied self-identities in their letters home. • They employed various self-referring forms for self identity construction. • Their identity construction had communicative and sociocultural underpinnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Beijing International Studies University is the property of Beijing International Studies University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents an empirical corpus-based study on the identity of left-behind children in China, employing the discourse-historical approach (DHA) framework. It is the first study to combine Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and reported speech analysis to examine how China Daily constructs the identity of left-behind children and explore the cultural and rhetorical factors influencing this identity construction. By integrating computational techniques and qualitative analysis methods, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the intricate nature of identity construction for left-behind children. This interdisciplinary approach strengthens the theoretical foundations of media analysis and offers fresh insights into the dynamics of media discourse. The findings reveal that China Daily portrays left-behind children in a multifaceted and diverse manner, encompassing both positive and negative aspects, while placing emphasis on their vulnerability and passivity. Furthermore, the media employs communication techniques such as identification by sympathy, antithesis, and inaccuracy to establish emotional resonance and foster audience identification, ultimately influencing the audience's perspectives on these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small, two-verse interpolation of Ezekiel 47:22-23 is widely considered one of the most inclusive texts in the Hebrew Bible. Its instruction regarding the גרים allowed for full inclusion into the community that Ezekiel believed to be the true Israel. However, interpretations that view these verses as hyper-inclusive often view the גרים as foreigners. Such a view is largely based on understanding the term גר along linguistic rather than anthropological lines. This paper will explore the use of the term גר in both Ezekiel and the Holiness School to better understand the group envisioned by the author of Ezekiel 47:22-23. In so doing, I will demonstrate that these verses should not be understood simply along a binary of inclusive versus exclusive, but rather as part of a larger project of identity reformulation that occurred as part of a trauma process around the Babylonian exile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pragmatic marker ha 哈 in Mandarin, has little meaning in itself; while some studies have looked into its usage in spoken discourse, we seek to address its usage and unpack its specific interpersonal pragmatic function in online, private, dyadic discourse, itself an underexplored area, and a setting in which participants are free from public scrutiny, unlike on mass social media. The results demonstrate that it can be attached to clauses and sentences to show the affect of the writer, from indicating a jocular and playful tone to softening a request. Therefore, ha is used as a way to express different types of rapport orientations and positive self-presentation. By drawing on personal WeChat messages, this paper bridges the gap by focusing on ha in technologically-mediated conversation. The expanding usage of ha also suggests a wish to create linguistic forms which can act as substitutes for non-verbal communication features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the identity construction of female-to-male (FtM) transgender individuals, utilizing membership categorization analysis and multimodal conversation analysis. 'Identity' in this study indicates a person's display of category membership or ascription to category membership, which emerges in social actions. The study illustrates how participants make categories and associated features visible in their social actions through the use of multimodal resources. In particular, the study focuses on the participants' orientation to Pn-adequate devices, particularly gender as a binary. The analysis shows that the participants' orientation to gender ideologies, such as gender's Pn-adequacy, plays a significant role in how they construct their FtM transgender identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explores the impact of media representation on female athlete identity and self-perception. Methods and Materials: A qualitative research design was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews to collect data. Twenty-four female athletes, aged 18 to 35, from various sports disciplines in Istanbul participated. The interviews, conducted in Turkish, lasted between 60 to 90 minutes and were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed using NVivo software, allowing for the identification of key themes and subthemes related to media representation, identity construction, self-perception, and coping mechanisms. The study continued data collection until theoretical saturation was achieved. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed four main themes: media representation, identity construction, self-perception, and coping mechanisms. Participants reported stereotypical portrayals emphasizing physical appearance and emotional attributes over athletic skills. Media visibility was significantly lower for female athletes compared to their male counterparts, impacting their professional identity and opportunities. The internalization of stereotypes and media-driven body ideals affected their self-esteem and body image, contributing to performance anxiety and mental health challenges. Participants employed various coping mechanisms, including resilience building, support networks, media literacy, advocacy, and personal strategies, to manage the negative impacts of media representation. Conclusion: Media representation profoundly influences female athletes' identity and self-perception, often reinforcing stereotypes and cultural biases. Equitable media coverage focusing on athletic achievements and personal stories is crucial for fostering positive self-identity among female athletes. Practical steps, including media training, advocacy, and promoting media literacy, are essential to create a more inclusive and supportive media environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on how authors of academic writing in Chinese (AWC) refer to themselves as single authors in the area of language studies. We find that AWC writers rely on the 1st-person plural 我们 women "we," 3rd-person NPs such as 作者/笔者 zuozhe/bizhe "this author," and inanimate NPs such as 本文 benwen "this article/paper" for self-reference. Based on these findings and subsequent surveys of journal style guides and interviews of authors, we propose that (1) these self-referring expressions are a set of conventions; (2) the motivation for these conventions is modesty, a deep-routed value of Chinese society; and (3) these expressions serve as indexicals to the writers' identity of a modest scholar in the particular discursive context: the genre of academic writing. By so doing, our work links language use to social values, to identity studies, as well as to genre analysis, thus contributing to the literature in all these fields of investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Sciences: Education - Research - Innovation / Neveléstudomány: Oktatás - Kutatás - Innováció is the property of Education Sciences: Education - Research - Innovation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Education Sciences: Education - Research - Innovation / Neveléstudomány: Oktatás - Kutatás - Innováció is the property of Education Sciences: Education - Research - Innovation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigated the role of translanguaging pedagogy in reading comprehension of first-year students studying in an English medium classroom of a Bangladeshi private university. Data were collected through classroom observations, pedagogical intervention, focus group discussion with students and a semi-structured interview with the class teacher. The notions of "translanguaging space" and "critical instances" were used to analyse the data. The results show that the translanguaging space provided scope in each step of the intervention to maximise the use of the linguistic and semiotic resources of students, putting them at ease, and enhancing epistemic access to and comprehension of complicated English texts. The purposeful design of the lecture, including scaffolding with multilingual words and expressions, and guided reading with Bangla text and topics pertaining to students' lives, engaged them deeply with the content, while also transforming knowledge and subjectivities about the given topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Campus Virtuales is the property of Campus Virtuales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this paper is to explore polarization in the discourse of social media commentators over crimes of Revenge Porn. Revenge porn refers to "the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images" (Bond and Tyrrell 2021, 2166), videos, or other intimate material, which are weaponized against its victims. As with other crimes, revenge porn cases are highly discussed on social media, where users might (a) reproduce prejudice and stigma against victims or, contrarily, (b) resist victimblaming and shaming ideologies as a form of activism and call for empathy (Garcés-Conejos Blitvich and Bou-Franch 2019; Palomino-Manjón 2022). In light of this, this paper examines the discursive construction of the phenomenon of revenge porn and the evaluations proposed of victims and perpetrators on the social network YouTube with the aim of unveiling conflicting ideologies online. To this end, the present study analyzes a corpus of 14,000 comments (ca. 411,000 words) from four different YouTube videos tackling revenge porn cases. The paper adopts a Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies (CADS) approach (Partington et al. 2013) and uses Sketch Engine to analyze the corpus. Additionally, a more detailed analysis of evaluative resources and linguistic patterns is carried out. Results show that polarized understandings of revenge porn abound in the corpus. Specifically, victim-blaming ideologies are discursively concealed, whereas traditional ideologies regarding sex are overtly encoded. Moreover, male users affiliate with newer constructions of masculinity and dissociate from the illegal actions attributed to perpetrators. Women/victims are generally derogated for not conforming to societal views of common-sensical sexual behavior or praised for their strength in standing social judgment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has adopted preferential policies, such as the Ethnic Preparatory Education Program, to promote the opportunities of ethnic minority students from underdeveloped regions to receive high-quality education, which has caused great tension in the identity construction of these students. This study adopted a qualitative narrative inquiry approach to investigate the investments and identity construction of three ethnic minority preparatory undergraduates (EMPUs) throughout their language learning process in the preparatory stage. The findings indicate that these participants have shown varying types and degrees of investment in language learning and constructed dynamic identity as a trajectory influenced by their language learning experiences in various contexts. Their language investment and identity construction have an impact on one another and are shaped by their aspiration to participate in an imagined community and realise an imagined identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the life-stories and identity narratives of Turks of Western Thrace (Greece) focusing on the role of the Turkish–Greek border and its changing permeability. It suggests that people who have strong attachments to both sides of a national border experience spatial liminality and the border is a place of passage between not only territories, but also lived identities. For young Turks of Western Thrace, travelling to Turkey to work or study is an established strategy that is intertwined with major life events. Drawing on ride-along interviews and focusing on five participants, who travelled to Turkey during the Cyprus crisis, the article identifies the disciplinary power of bordering on identities and life-stories. By examining how different individuals dealt with this power, and how their circumstances affected the outcomes, it explores the tensions between agency and structure, state power and resistance, and categorisation and liminality during life-planning and identity construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article re-evaluates Simon Frith's hypothesis that music serves as a badge for youth identity, based on 15 qualitative interviews with young people aged 17–19 conducted in the fall of 2021. Our findings point to changes in the representation of self through music, as musical preferences are too closely tied to unique identity pathways to provide quick and reliable information about the self to others. Behind this shift, we identify an interplay between the increased accessibility and mobility of music, facilitated by new technological means and a context of increased concern among young people for the construction of their identity. This article highlights the changing nature of musical preferences and their role in self-presentation through music and aims to open up further research on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Modern social and political changes emphasize the particular relevance of the problem of forming national identity in the context of often contradictory sociocultural processes. Leveling out negative social phenomena that exploit the category of national identity and developing its potential for the formation of civic values and harmonization of interethnic relations in Russian society necessitates a deep understanding of this phenomenon, which is considered primarily as a result of its construction by social institutions. However, this process also takes the form of assimilation of elements of nation-building, passed through the filters of personal attitudes, representation of individual national identity in various social situations, which constitutes the problem of this research. Based on the study of theoretical data, the author proposed a category of performative national identity based on the application of the approaches of social constructivism and symbolic interactionism. The methods of theoretical research were theoretical analysis and synthesis, induction and modeling. As a result, the category of performative national identity has been developed, which includes technologies, features, resources for construction and conscious and unconscious representation of national identity in everyday practices. The results of the research develop the theory and methodology of constructing national identity, expand the understanding of the process of formation of national identity as a result of the assimilation of collective memory through the prism of personal attitudes, and also allow us to study the features of the representation of national identity in various situations from the point of view of the dramaturgical approach.

The present study examines how the language of political symbolism operates within the framework of identity construction. It focusses on the themes of sovereignty during the 2022 French presidency of the European Union and the national presidential election campaign. On the basis of Conceptual Metaphor Theory, it suggests that, apart from purely linguistic features, extra-linguistic factors are also essential in order to convey a global view of symbolic rhetoric. The analysis is conducted according to an overall 6-tier model of figurative origins involving the parameters of personal background, political context, cultural history, reference, conceptual metaphor and linguistic metaphor. By applying the parameters of the model, it is proposed that the core of political argumentation in the corpus analysis is based on national symbols and the conceptual mapping they embody. The basic hypothesis of the model assumes that a politician attempts to portray the symbolisation of unity in accordance with his or her political background and personal biography. A political narrative is thereby created within the current political context using predominant symbols in cultural history. An over-riding factor is the role of referential points which may determine divergence in conceptual mapping. These features then lead to the construction of conceptual metaphors which can take on a particularly hyperbolic structure in the ensuing linguistic metaphors. The implications of the study highlight the important role of symbolism in political debate, its interaction with conceptual metaphor, the relevance of extra-linguistic factors portrayed by the 6-tier model, the link between cultural history and hyperbolic linguistic structures and political divergence in similar symbols.