An error recognition test as a measure of linguistic competence: An example from Welsh

The use of sentence imitation tasks to measure the development of linguistic competence in children is discussed, and the drawbacks of such techniques noted, particularly in the case of adult subjects. A measurement based on results from an error recognition test is proposed. A set of variables from Welsh is described, together with an error recognition test designed around them. The results of the test seem to indicate that linguistic features that may superficially seem equally variable may have different statuses in the competence of speakers. This sort of test is felt to have a part to play in the measurement of linguistic competence.     

Disrupting the trans-versus-Catholic dichotomy: An example from a Canadian elementary school policy

ABSTRACT

Background: Mainstream media is increasingly reporting on the relationships between Catholic and trans identities in parochial schools, particularly with regard to gendered washroom use. With greater numbers of trans youth coming out at younger ages, significant educational policy changes are being considered around how Catholic schools can or should include trans youth.

Method: This study applies trans and queer theologies to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in investigating the Wilson case, which was the first known instance of a Catholic school including some affirming policy provisions for trans youth. The authors additionally collected and coded 12 news articles from a variety of platforms to discern and discuss the theological arguments in the public square against more fulsome trans student inclusion in Catholic schools.

Results: The authors found two related theological arguments against full inclusion, namely the notion that (1) Gender is God-given and therefore cannot be chosen or changed, and (2) That transgressive bodies are not sacred parts of the divine gender plan.

Conclusion: Trans theology allowed the authors to disrupt both of the theological claims advanced by the Catholic educators quoted in the Wilson case. This created rich, imaginative space in which to reconsider the relationships between Catholic and trans identities, namely by not arranging them in a binary. Significance for policy-making in parochial schools is discussed.     

从《周易》看鲁迅精神与民族魂

易学是中国文化的源头活水,是中华民族五千年生生不息的精神象征。鲁迅先生是中国现代文学的奠基人,被誉为“民族魂”。尽管鲁迅精神的构成有多方面的因素,但源于《周易》的中华民族优秀文化传统无疑对鲁迅的精神世界和文学创作翻译活动产生了最为直接和重要的影响。本文就鲁迅思想源于“易遭”的民族精神、鲁迅与《周易》精神的一脉相承进行分析论述。     

On being victimized by peers in the advent of adolescence: prospective relationships to objectified body consciousness

Previous research indicates that peer victimization is tied to children's negative appearance evaluations. The current study examines whether early peer victimization is also prospectively related to objectified body consciousness. Six-hundred-and-two Swedish boys and girls answered questionnaires at age 10, and again at age 18. Main findings showed that being the target of peer victimization at age 10 was related to more habitual appearance monitoring and body shame at age 18. Gender moderated the relations between victimization and body shame, with victimized girls experiencing stronger body shame than victimized boys. Additionally, whereas boys experienced less body shame than girls, they were equally likely to monitor their appearance. In sum, this study provides preliminary support to the notion that peer victimization is involved in the processes by which young adolescents’ self-objectify. Future studies are warranted to further validate these findings.     

Gender and the structure and salience of values: An example from israeli youth

The current report is designed to study the structure of the value system of adolescents and the inter-relationships among the facets of that structure as they relate to gender differences. Unitary values are described as of faceted design; and the system of values of the individual as consisting of structure. As defined by the Mapping Sentence, the structure of values may be seen as composed of five facets, four of which are sampled in this report on gender differences. For the purposes of this research, Facet A samples two directional orientations: Individual and Societal. Facet B samples four content areas of values: Personal Pleasures, Skills and Studies, Society and Nation, and Interpersonal Relations. Facet C assesses three behavioral modalities: Guiding Principles, Choice Under Conditions of Dilemma, and Level of Activity. A level of Judgment in Values is assessed by Facet D on a three level scale: Egotistical, Conventional-Social and Principled-Autonomous. 910 eleventh grade youths of both sexes were tested according to a stratified sampling of Tel Aviv high schools. The structure of the system of values is confirmed and is found to be similar for both males and females, with differences expressed primarily in the salience of different elements of the structure. Sex was found to contribute to the multiple regression analysis in each of the values sampled—even after having discounted the effect of family background—but to a small degree in each case, never contributing more than 4% to the understanding of the variance generated. As far as content is concerned, girls, in general, stress Interpersonal Relations, Style of Clothing, and Study for Study Sake. Boys stress Achievement and National Security. As regards behavioral modalities, girls were found to stress Guiding Principles much more frequently than boys. There was general consistency between Guiding Principles and Level of Activity, while there was frequent inconsistency between Choice Under Conditions of Dilemma and one or both of the other behavioral modalities. A high level of Value Judgment was evident for all of the subjects, i.e., more of the judgments at Level III were favored as the rationale for the values chosen under dilemma, than any other level. Girls, however, responded more frequently at Level III than did boys. There is some evidence that there is a relationship between the content of values and the level of judgment used as a rationale for that judgment.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the International Conference, Private Woman—Public Work, convened at the University of Haifa in June, 1988. It is based, in part, on a Ph.D. thesis presented to Bar Ilan University (Maslovaty, 1987) under the supervision of the second author. The study was partially supported by the Eliezer Stern Institute for Research and Advancement in Religious Education of Bar Ilan University.     

On the possibility and desirability of constructing a neutral conception of disability

Disagreement about the properattitude toward disability proliferates. Yetlittle attention has been paid to an importantmeta-question, namely, whether ``disability' isan essentially contested concept. If so, recentdebates between bioethicists and the disabilitymovement leadership cannot be resolved. Inthis essay I identify some of the presumptionsthat make their encounters so contentious. Much more must happen, I argue, for anydiscussions about disability policy andpolitics to be productive. Progress depends onconstructing a neutral conception ofdisability, one that neither devaluesdisability nor implies that persons withdisabilities are inadequate. So, first, I clearaway the conceptual underbrush that makes usthink our idea of disability must bevalue-laden. Second, I sketch someconstituents of, and constraints upon, aneutral notion of disability. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The experience of being a victim of prejudice: An experimental approach1

Most research on prejudice has followed the unidirectional orientation of investigating why majority-group members become prejudiced toward minorities without considering the effects of prejudice and discrimination upon its victims, the members of minority and subordinate groups. Taking a bidirectional perspective, it is argued that comprehending prejudice will also require knowing how minority members respond to prejudice and defend themselves against it. Various methods for exploring the phenomenon of prejudice from the perspective of the minority member are surveyed. In particular, a recently devised technique for experimentally manipulating perceived prejudice and assessing its psychological consequences is presented along with the findings from several studies using members of different minority groups as subjects. After considering the impact of perceived prejudice upon stereotypic self-evaluations, self-esteem, and affect, some directions for further research into the “victimology” of prejudice are discussed.     

Characteristics of useful evaluation data: An example from community mental health centers

The results of an empirical study of the use of evaluation data in community mental health centers are reported. A mailed survey on evaluation use was conducted among the directors of 164 community mental health centers in 19 states; 140 completed questionnaires were returned. Results indicate that certain types of data have important impacts in a majority of centers. Systems resources management data were most highly used, followed by need assessment data, and client utilization data. Least used were data on outcomes of intervention and community impact. Data use appears closely tied to the utility of the data in carrying out priority management tasks in a center. Findings have important implications for community psychologists who plan, administer, or evaluate mental health services. The broader role of evaluation in community psychology is also discussed.     

The meaning of being a Muslim: An aftermath of the twin towers episode

The bombing of the twin towers on September 11th, 2001, invoked public outcry. As the Americans have tried slowly to come to terms with the annihilation of one of the utmost symbols of their dominance, at the same time Muslims all over the world have had to face their own twin disaster. The destruction of their current understanding of what it means to be a Muslim and the need to grieve as human beings for the tragic loss of human life, for which they are by implication responsible. This research depicts the journey of five individuals who sought counselling in an effort to come to terms with these phenomena. Discourse analysis of their conversations highlights their struggle. A number of common themes emerge: loss (both of life and of the current meaning of Islam), confusion, a need to be different from the perpetuators and, for some, a need to reflect on other injustices committed in the name of Islam. These themes are considered in the light of the theory of psychosocial transitions and bereavement theory.     

On being a living contradiction: the struggle of an elite intercollegiate Christian coach

While some research has been conducted on the manner in which Christian athletes utilize their faith to cope with the dominant culture of winning, there appears to be a relative paucity of investigation on the manner in which elite coaches function in this environment. The purpose of this study was to describe an elite intercollegiate coach’s response to the dominant culture of sport as it related to his spiritual life. We attempted to examine the thought processes and behaviors of an individual held in high esteem by his peers, and report his solutions to some of the dilemmas reported in the previous work by S. J. Hoffman and C. L. Stevenson. This elite intercollegiate coach was extremely committed to his relationship with Christ, but he was likewise heavily involved with the dominant culture of sport.     

On being more than just a part of the whole: Regional identity and social distinctiveness

This article reports the results of a questionnaire study that examined the relationship between regional identification and perceptual accentuation of ingroup distinctiveness in a natural field setting. Respondents were male inhabitants of the Saarland which is a small German state. Half the respondents were members of the leading political party of the Saarland, while the other respondents were members of the major opposition party. As expected, the former showed more pronounced regional identification than the latter. Our main prediction was that a higher level of regional identification would be accompanied by stronger accentuation of positive distinctiveness of the regional ingroup relative to the national ingroup. The prediction was confirmed, both in terms of intergroup differentiation and perceived group homogeneity. Additional results suggest that, depending on the level of social identification, perceived group homogeneity may be either positively or negatively related to familiarity with the ingroup. Finally, we discuss the applicability of social identity theory to social contexts comprising differentially inclusive ingroups instead of mutually exclusive ingroups and outgroups.