Using systemic functional linguistics as method in identifying semogenic strategies in intercultural communication: A study of the collocation of “time” and “different” by Swedish managers with international management experiences

Theoretical foundations to intercultural communication (ICC) are integrative and interdisciplinary but few have studied ICC from a systemic linguistics perspective. Viewing communication as a dialogic process, this study takes a systemic functional linguistics (SFL) view of language as a social semiotic where semogenesis (meaning making) is both construed and construed by context of situation which in turn is construed by culture. Using interview data collected from Swedish managers who have extensive international management experiences, this study aims to illustrate how SFL can be used as an adaptive theory and framework of discourse analysis in uncovering semogenic strategies in ICC processes.     

An extension of the effects of the performance feedback system with secondary school students

The effects of the performance feedback system on the story writing behavior of grade-10 academic and grade-11 honors students was investigated with a reversal design. After establishing baseline composition rates in each classroom, an experimental condition consisting of explicit timing of the students' 5-min. composition period, self-scoring, and public posting of highest scores was introduced, removed, and reintroduced. In both classes, the introduction of the experimental condition led to marked increase in the number of words written by all students. Writing rates declined during the second baseline condition and increased again when the experimental package was reintroduced. In addition, teachers unaware of the purpose of the experiment rated randomly selected pairs of stories from each condition. The teachers found the stories written during the experimental condition to be superior to those written during the baseline condition.     

Academic achievement among a sample of youth in foster care: The role of school connectedness

Research shows that youth in foster care experience poor academic performance and disciplinary actions in school more frequently than do non-foster care youth. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to further examine youth in foster care and the relationship between individual/intrapersonal factors (future orientation and school connectedness) and exosystem factors (number of placement and school moves) and academic performance (grades) and disciplinary referrals among 363 youth (9–11 years of age; males = 52.9%). Controlling for key variables, hierarchical linear regression analysis was utilized to understand how well students' school connectedness, future outlook, number of placement changes, and number of school moves predicted academic and disciplinary outcomes. Beyond the variance explained by control variables, school connectedness made a significant contribution to this model. Results are discussed in the context of implementing interventions that foster school connectedness among this vulnerable population.     

Latent inhibition of conditioned disgust reactions in rats

The present experiments, using the latent inhibition (LI) paradigm, evaluated the effect of nonreinforced exposure to saccharin on the acquisition of an LiCl-induced saccharin aversion as measured by conditioned disgust reactions in the taste reactivity test and conditioned taste avoidance in a consumption test. When rats were preexposed to saccharin by bottle exposure (Experiments 1 and 3), LI was evidenced only by conditioned taste avoidance (bottle testing), but not by conditioned disgust reactions (intraoral [IO] testing). On the other hand, when rats were preexposed to saccharin by IO infusion (Experiments 2 and 3), LI was evidenced only by conditioned disgust reactions, but not by conditioned taste avoidance. Experiment 4 showed that LI of conditioned disgust reactions does not appear to be affected by a context shift from preexposure to testing phases. These results show that the expression of LI of both conditioned taste avoidance and conditioned disgust reactions depends critically on a common method of flavor exposure during preexposure and testing.     

Examining the linkages between automobile use and carbon impacts of community-based ice hockey

Fossil fuels used in automobiles have generated over 15% of the carbon emissions worldwide (Nascimento et al., 2009) and driving represents the human activity contributing the most to air pollution (Barkenbus, 2009, Wiederkehr, 1995). As such, the purpose of this study was to generate understandings concerning the environmental impacts of ice hockey at the community level. Specifically, interviews with parents (n = 32) of minor “rep” ice hockey players on two teams (16 parents from “A” level and 16 parents from “AAA” level) in Ontario, Canada were conducted to elicit information on automobile usage for “away” game travel. Using this information, two carbon footprint calculators were employed (CarbonZero and PlanetAir) to ascertain the carbon footprint of these hockey players. The results of the investigation show that the teams journeyed 44,036 (“A” team) and 33,477 (“AAA” team) kilometres, respectively, for “away” games and the total environmental impact of this travel was approximately 20 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Organizational and individual behavioural initiatives, to mitigate impacts, are discussed as are future research initiatives about this important issue.     

Social and Environmental Factors Associated With Preschoolers' Nonsedentary Physical Activity

The twofold purposes of the investigation were (a) to describe with direct observation data the physical activity behaviors and the accompanying social and environmental events of those behaviors for children in preschools and (b) to determine which contextual conditions were predictors of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and nonsedentary physical activity (i.e., light activity + MVPA) for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children during their outdoor play. The results indicate that preschoolers' physical activity is characterized as sedentary in nature throughout their preschool day (i.e., 89% sedentary, 8% light activity, and 3% MVPA). During outdoor play periods, when children are most likely to be physically active, some contextual and social circumstances better predict their physical activity. Implications for policy makers, practitioners, and researchers are discussed.     

Traveling stories: Converging milieus and educative conundrums

Schwab (Schwab, J. J. (1970). The practical: A language for curriculum. Washington, DC: National Education Association, Center for the Study of Instruction) named the teacher, learner, subject matter, and milieu as the desiderata essential for curriculum making. In our research, the teacher commonplace has formed the entry point of inquiry. Increasingly, the milieu commonplace has perplexed us. In this article, we examine what we have termed “traveling stories” through different field texts focusing on what happens when individuals from different milieus are brought together in one school context. We explore how learning may be shut down in a miseducative way or opened up to educative possibilities through understanding the influence of diverse milieus—those we vicariously carry with us and those we currently share with others—and how they converge to shape the meanings individuals create in seemingly shared situations.     

Postpartum Depression: How Childbirth Educators Can Help Break the Silence

The voices of women suffering from postpartum depression are often silent. Women are reluctant to reveal to others that they are unhappy after the birth of their babies. Much has been written on possible causes, risk factors, and treatments for postpartum depression, but little has been done to investigate why women take so long to seek help. Early detection and treatment are key to a full recovery. Childbirth educators are in the position to offer anticipatory guidance on possible complications of the postpartum period, including postpartum depression. This article explores why women with postpartum depression choose to suffer in silence and suggests how childbirth educators can help new mothers find their voices.     

The Ecology of Hope: Natural Guides to Building a Children and Nature Movement

Cheryl Charles, Ph.D gave the 2009 Paul F-Brandwein Lecture. The lecture addresses the impact of children’s disconnect from the natural world in their everyday lives. Co-founder of the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) with Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (2005/2008), the author describes C&NN’s approach to building a movement to reconnect children and nature for their health and well-being. She puts the growth of the movement in recent historical perspective, chronicling relevant contributing factors. Drawing on research as well as common sense, she summarizes evidence that indicates some of the negative impacts on children’s health from their lack of contact with nature and other characteristics of contemporary lifestyles, as well as positive benefits to children’s cognitive, emotional, social and physical development from direct learning and play in nature-based settings. She describes what she calls “natural guides” to building the children and nature movement as a part of the process of achieving sufficient critical mass to facilitate positive social change. Finally, she offers recommendations for actions.