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The People Who Are Never Lost - Family Trees in a Political Context in Present Day Bashkortostan

The People Who Are Never Lost - Family Trees in a Political Context in Present Day Bashkortostan

Author(s): Boglárka Mácsai / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2016

Keywords: Bashkortostan; Bashkir; Tatar; Bashkirisation; family tree; local history; ethnicity; nationalism; political anthropology;

The study seeks to find an answer to the issue of how a revived tradition can serve political interests that are simultaneously attempting to satisfy the demands of ethnicity-based Bashkir nation-building and the demands of affiliation with the larger multi-ethnic nation of the Russian Federation. The core of the analysis is centered around the political contextualizing of the program called ‘Holiday of Family-Tree’ as well as the instrumentalist interpretation of local special literature and methodology related to the program. The paper, on the one hand, scrutinizes the family-tree research as a Bashkir tradition, which supports the power and autonomy of the Bashkir nation through the Bashkirisation of Tatars living in the north-western areas. On the other hand, it highlights how this ethnic tradition is adjusted to the traditions of the Russian local history research (kraevedenie) and thus, how it legitimates symbolically the role of the Bashkir nation in the multi-ethnic nation of the Russian Federation.

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The Inclusion Solution? The Use of Blackface in Jordan Peele’s "Get Out"

The Inclusion Solution? The Use of Blackface in Jordan Peele’s "Get Out"

Author(s): Karolina Toka / Language(s): English / Issue: 28/2020

Keywords: blackface; Jordan Peele; Get Out; film studies; race in American film; race relations in the United States

Jordan Peele’s 2017 social thriller "Get Out" depicts a peculiar form of body swap resulting from the uncanny desires of the Armitage family to seize captured black bodies and use them as carriers of their white minds. This paper offers reading of the movie’s disturbing plot through the lens of the origins and cultural significance of blackface. For the sake of argument, in this article blackface is to be understood as a cultural phenomenon encompassing the symbolic role of black people basic to the US society, which articulates the ambiguity of celebration and exploitation of blackness in American popular culture. This article draws on the theoretical framework of blackface developed by Lott, Rogin, Ellison and Gubar, in order to explore the Get Out’s complex commentary on the twenty-first century race relations in the United States. In result, this paper turns the spotlight on the mechanisms of racist thinking in the United States, by showing the movie’s use of the apparatus underpinning blackface.

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An Econometric Analysis of Evaluation and Improvement of Budget Performance in Local Government

An Econometric Analysis of Evaluation and Improvement of Budget Performance in Local Government

Author(s): Enkeleda Lulaj,S. Muthmainnah / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2021

Keywords: Local governments; financial-budget indicators; budget performance; factor analysis; multiple regression analysis;

This paper provides a summary of studies focusing on the use of budget information in performance evaluation and improvement during budget governance. The survey shows that studies have accepted that this information is used in different ways. In this case, various factors have been identified for evaluating and improving budget performance in local governments. Despite this breadth of analysis, a critical review of the literature shows that in recent years local governments need to improve budget indicators to increase performance. Furthermore, this empirical study tends to guide local governments in choosing the right methodology for improving and evaluating budget performance. The research was conducted in local governments through a questionnaire that gave very important recommendations for budget performance

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Do CEO Characteristics affect Financial Reporting Quality? An Empirical Analysis

Do CEO Characteristics affect Financial Reporting Quality? An Empirical Analysis

Author(s): Tina Ashafoke,Eyesan Dabor,James Ofuan Ilaboya / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2021

Keywords: Upper Echelon theory; CEO characteristics; CEO gender; CEO financial expertise; CEO tenure

This research explores the effect of CEO characteristics on financial reporting quality of listed financial firms. This research, with a sample of 15 firms operating in Nigeria’s financial institutions from 2008 - 2019, drew insights from the upper echelon theory to investigate the effect of CEO characteristics on the financial reporting quality. CEO characteristics was measured using variables such as CEO gender, CEO financial expertise and CEO tenure. We analysed the data using the panel regression analysis. Empirically, the results showed that there is a positive and insignificant relationship between the CEO gender and financial reporting quality. CEO financial expertise revealed a negative and significant relationship with financial reporting quality. While, CEO tenure revealed a positive and significant relationship with financial reporting quality. The study recommend that internal and external regulatory board should ensure that a maximum CEO tenure is fixed for all listed firms.

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Concept “humour” in the linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine

Concept “humour” in the linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine

Author(s): Iuliia Kobzieva,Iia Gordiienko-Mytrofanova,Maryna Udovenko,Serhii Sauta / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2020

Keywords: ludic competence; playfulness; ludic position; humour; psycholinguistic experiment; free association test; linguistic consciousness;

The purpose of this study was to define and to describe the semantic components of the stimulus word humour in the linguistic consciousness of young Russian-speaking people from Eastern Ukraine. The main method of the research was a psycholinguistic experiment. The sample comprised 400 young people (aged 20-31), males and females being equally represented. The experiment proved that the concept humour in the linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine is represented by four core semantic clusters: “laughter,” “joke,” “merry-making/joy” and “show.” Analysis of female and male associative fields shows that the semantic core of the word humour does not depend on the respondents’ gender identification. The results of frequency and cluster analysis have implied a number of the following conclusions. Firstly, humour and laughter form an inseparable unity of stimulus and reaction in the linguistic consciousness of respondents, although the psychological paradigm considers humour and laughter as two independent phenomena. Secondly, the cognitive component of humour was only reflected in the peripheral cluster “mind” of respondents’ associations. Thirdly, young Russian-speaking people from Ukraine do not have an ideal image of humour represented by a certain comedy show or relevant to any specific comedians. The generalised visualisation of humour is represented by reactions of the extreme periphery. Finally, comparative analysis of the verbalised concept humour in the linguistic consciousness of Russian-speaking population of Ukraine and people who live in Russia did not reveal any national-specific features in the perception of stimulus humour.

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Intrusiveness and Data Protection in Iot Solutions for Smart Homes

Intrusiveness and Data Protection in Iot Solutions for Smart Homes

Author(s): Irina Maiorescu,Larisa Gabudeanu,Alexandru - Lucian Vîlcea,Gabriel Cristian Sabou,Marian Dârdală / Language(s): English / Issue: 57/2021

Keywords: Internet of Things (IoT); GDPR; smart homes; smart devices; intrusiveness; data protection; data security;

The use of Internet of Things devices (IoT) by individuals in their homes has led to new opportunities for companies, to adapt their products, services and offers, based on the user profile. At the same time, these new services involve the reinterpretation of existing requirements regarding data protection, especially in terms of the ethics of using data and the security of personal data. The paper analyses in the scientific literature the intrusiveness generated by aggregations of personal data, the responsibility for data protection and user's perception of these issues. It presents further the results of a quantitative research on 183 respondents of all genders and working in different sectors of activity, with the aim of assessing the perception of intrusiveness and data protection in the use of their smart devices, with potential for IoT home interconnection. The results provide a new perspective on how smart device users relate to key issues from European data protection legislation. The study shows that there are differences explained by gender, age and parental status in the perception of intrusiveness and responsibilities for ensuring the security of aggregated data through IoT solutions. The results also show that accessing certain types of data is perceived as being more intrusive than others, and that respondents rely on other users' reviews to learn how data protection is provided through the IoT device.

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Beyond the Wounded Storyteller: Rethinking Narrativity, Illness and Embodied Self-Experience

Więcej niż rany. Nowe spojrzenie na narracyjność, chorobę i ucieleśnione doświadczenie siebie

Author(s): Angela Woods / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2021

Keywords: medical humanities; narrativity; narrative in medicine; narrative identity

During the twentieth century, biomedicine lost its way: the art and humanity of medical practice were lost to rapid scientific advances and new technologies. The medical humanities arose to demonstrate the value and relevance of the arts and humanitiesin making medicine and health care more humane. Wood challenges two dogmas of narrative in the medical humanities and in the field of medicine more broadly. The firstis the claim that we are narrative selves. The second, related dogma is that the best or most healthy way to respond to illness is through narrative.

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A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE OF TEACHING SKILL ACQUISITION IN PRE-SERVICE PHYSICS TEACHER (PsPT) TRAINING PROGRAM IN CHINA AND NIGERIA

A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE OF TEACHING SKILL ACQUISITION IN PRE-SERVICE PHYSICS TEACHER (PsPT) TRAINING PROGRAM IN CHINA AND NIGERIA

Author(s): Blessing F. Komolafe,Moses O. Ogunniran,Fen Y. Zhang,Xu S. Qian / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2020

Keywords: micro-teaching practices; pre-service physics teacher; teaching skill acquisition; training program;

Microteaching practice is an important part of Pre-Service Physics Teacher (PsPT) Training Program adopting different approaches to inspire the acquisition of teaching skills by prospective teachers. Using psychomotor domain aspect of revised Bloom’s taxonomy to explore microteaching practice as it relates to physics teaching, this research examined the significant influences of the two approaches (Nigeria and China) identified on the teaching skill of PsPT and suggests the best ways of improving the teaching skill of PsPT through micro-teaching practices. Data were collected using the mixed-method research design of administering descriptive survey questionnaire on final year PsPT while a structured interview question was used to interview the teachers. It was found that the two approaches had significant influences on the teaching skill acquisition of PsPT through microteaching practices with respect to physics as a subject that requires motor skill, and that this can be improved through micro-teaching by a combination of theory with practice. Also, physics teacher educators need to focus on developing PsPTs’ psychomotor domain in line with time reform in microteaching practices to accommodate more time for PsPTs’ to master the subject concept of physics as a psycho motive subject.

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HIGHER AND LOWER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS: THE CASE OF CHEMISTRY REVISITED

HIGHER AND LOWER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS: THE CASE OF CHEMISTRY REVISITED

Author(s): Georgios Tsaparlis / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2020

Keywords: chemistry examinations; higher-order cognitive skills; higher-order thinking skills; student assessment; twelfth-grade chemistry;

This work analyses students’ failure in the 2019 Nationwide Chemistry Examination in Greece, which concerns secondary education graduates, competing for admission to higher education Greek institutions. The distinction of thinking skills into higher and lower order (HOTS and LOTS) is used as a theoretical tool for this analysis. The examination included several questions that contained HOTS elements that had been unusual in previous examinations. This led to a decrease in overall student performance but better discrimination between outstanding and good students. Based on two samples of examination papers, corresponding to very similar subsets of the student population, the 2018 and 2019 examinations are compared, and the individual 2019 questions are evaluated. It was found that section B of the 2019 examination paper (which included contexts unfamiliar to the students, and for which, a large effect size between 2018 and 2019 was calculated) may have caused the large drop. An important link is established between the 2019 low performance and the HOTS and LOTS features of the questions, and the role or non-role of algorithmic calculations is examined. In addition, the critical opinions of chemistry teachers are provided, with a consensus emerging in favour of connecting chemistry with everyday life.

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METACOGNITIVE MODEL FOR DEVELOPING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING FUNCTIONAL LITERACY

METACOGNITIVE MODEL FOR DEVELOPING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING FUNCTIONAL LITERACY

Author(s): Zvonka Cencelj,Boris Aberšek,Andrej Flogie,Metka Kordigel Aberšek / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2020

Keywords: functional literacy; metacognitive didactic model; science functional literacy; technology; engineering functional literacy;

Science, technology and engineering functional literacy should be developed purposely in the school system – like any other competence, it does not develop spontaneously. For this purpose, a didactic model, the Metacognitive Model for Developing Science, Technology and Engineering Literacy (McM_T&E), was developed. Apart from acquiring knowledge and skills from the field of technology and engineering, the McM_T&E is equally focused on developing functional literacy in the field of technology and engineering, as well as in the field of science, through the development of students’ metacognitive knowledge about reading strategies for reading STE explicatory texts and for reading manufacturing instructions. The McM_T&E was implemented in a Technology and Technique’ (T&T) class, grade six, in Slovenia. Results show that focusing on science, technology and engineering literacy in Technology and Engineering classes by using the McM_T&E model increases the students’ science, technology, and engineering functional literacy, which is a fundamental competence in the 21st century.

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Western Medicine in a Community in Ghana: A Social Change Review

Western Medicine in a Community in Ghana: A Social Change Review

Author(s): Samuel Adu-Gyamfi,Razak Mohammed Gyasi,Dennis Baffour Awuah,Richard Oware,Samuel Kwame Ampadu / Language(s): English / Issue: Winter/2019

Keywords: Diseases; Social Change; Western Medicine; Public Health; Hospitals; Health Centres; Atiwa District; Ghana;

This study focuses on Western medical practices in the Atiwa District of Ghana. The people of Atiwa District accessed Western medicinal practice to prevent and cure diseases. Before the advent of Western medical practice in the Atiwa District, people were unable to access Western medicine due to the challenges with travelling or trekking from rural communities to the towns where they would find limited Western oriented health centres/hospitals. Although there were challenges, the local population continued to highly embrace practitioners and also accessed the basic Western oriented medical facilities. Western medical strategies were used to combat skin diseases, stomach aches, and malaria that was prevalent in the Atiwa District. The other diseases which afflicted the people and which required urgent attention included cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM), tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS among others. Findings from the study revealed that the introduction and success of western medical practice in the Atiwa District could not have been possible without a positive reception from the indigenous people. Importantly, this study has projected the relevance of public health in the history of the people of Atiwa and the significant roles played by governments to ensure the promotion of good health at the District.

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The Role and Impact of Social Media on Online Social Movements: An Analysis of ‘ALS Ice Bucket Challenge’ in India

The Role and Impact of Social Media on Online Social Movements: An Analysis of ‘ALS Ice Bucket Challenge’ in India

Author(s): Dr. Parthasarathi,Grishma Kumari / Language(s): English / Issue: 39/2021

Keywords: Online campaigns; Diffusion theory; Mixed-method approach; Survey method; Social media;

Online social movements have taken root and flourished in the last decade due to online communication networks attributed to Social media. In this paper, the mixed-method approach is utilized for qualitative and quantitative analysis to investigate the efficacy of social media in propounding the outcome of online social movements in India. Further, several factors which have a definite impact on the outcomes of such online social movements are highlighted. This study concludes that online social media campaigns can be viewed as an extension of ‘social norms media campaigns. Further, it establishes that the internet penetration in India coupled with ‘online peer pressure’ accompanying such movements has effectively aroused the consciousness of users towards such campaigns. It also highlights the alteration in the process of diffusion of ideas in society due to the advent of social media platforms.

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Decoupling in lean management accounting practices

Rozwarstwienie praktyk szczupłej rachunkowości zarządczej

Author(s): Monika Łada / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 111/2021

Keywords: lean management accounting; lean management; decoupling; organizational neo-institutionalism; qualitative studies

Purpose: The research presented in the article focused on analyzing how experts perceive lean management accounting practices in companies that operate in Poland. The construct of decoupling derived from the neo-institutional theory was adopted as the main theoretical lens.Methodology/approach: The empirical material collected in the form of interviews with experts was studied using qualitative content analysis.Findings: The practices of lean management accounting discussed by the experts were characterized by numerous inconsistencies linked to competing logics of the enterprise management and the accounting role. We show that the contradictions in the assumptions of particular logics were reflected in the decoupling of the internal information system. The decoupling was multidimensional and related to the complex influence of social factors.Research limitations/implications: The research, although conducted on a relatively narrow group of experts, gives an insight into the impact of institutional factors as determinants of management accounting practices.Originality/value: The results confirmed that the lean accounting practices implemented in the heterogeneous institutional field are hybrid in character.

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Relationship between Individual Characteristics and Social Entrepreneurial Intention: Evidence from Bangladesh

Relationship between Individual Characteristics and Social Entrepreneurial Intention: Evidence from Bangladesh

Author(s): Md. Uzzal Hossain / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2021

Keywords: Social Entrepreneurial Intention; Locus of Control; Self-Efficacy; Empathy; Risk Taking;

Taking the theory of planned behavior as a basis, this study investigates the role of individual characteristics on social entrepreneurial intention (SEI). More specifically, this study has examined the impact of risk-taking tendency, locus of control, self-efficacy, empathy, and prior experience on the inclination process to become a social entrepreneur. Using systematic random sampling, data were collected from 336 Bangladeshi university students with an average age of 23. The survey was conducted based on a structured questionnaire consisting of 20 items. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted to test the relationship among variables and check the hypotheses. The results showed significant positive relationships among variables, and self-efficacy, locus of control, risk-taking propensity, prior experience, and empathy significantly influenced students' intention to be future social entrepreneurs. The current study contributes to the social entrepreneurship literature by incorporating risk-taking tendency and locus of control to SEI research and validating previous findings in the Bangladeshi context. The research outcome may facilitate academicians to create a psychological support system for students that can promote social entrepreneurship in Bangladesh.

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The role of Teacher and Mentor in fostering creativity

Uloga učitelja i mentora u poticanju kreativnosti

Author(s): Amir Pušina / Language(s): Bosnian / Issue: 01+02/2019

Keywords: creativity; mentor; teacher;

The aim was analysis of consensualy evaluated creative person’s products – work of Adila Pašalić-Kreso, full-time member of the Academy of Science and Arts in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Based in Investment Theory of Creativity (Sterneberg and Lubart 1991) and “four C – concept” on creativity influence levels (Kaufman and Beghetto 2009), the main issue discussed here was human creativity resources recognized in Adila Pašalić-Kreso intellectual capabilities, personality, intellectual stiles, knowledge, motivation and surrounding. Tematic and conceptual analysis of titles and contents of published papers/books, titles of students’ works that she had been mentoring as well as titles categorization due to language and place of pubishing showed that surrounding-resource has been classified as the most frequent one with special treatment of school, family, society and culture. One-fifth of all written material/ products consist an eminent author’s creativity. Results confirmed that the most productive creative years hereby followed Erickson’s psychosocial theory of human development. The paper sends message about imaportance of teacher as role-model where tutoring and writing could be important resource and path in direct and indirect modeling and supporting of creativity.

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Between déjà vu and déjà ditPlayfulness and ad hominem arguments in the internet memes

Entre le déjà vu et le déjà ditLe ludique et les arguments ad hominem dans les mèmes Internet

Author(s): Elżbieta Biardzka / Language(s): French / Issue: 8/2019

Keywords: internet memes; argumentation ad hominem; quote

Our study deals with relatively short statements embedded in semiotically complex digital messages, both pictorial and verbal, which are created and exchanged by Internet users thanks to on-line generators. These messages are called internet memes (IM). We treat them as a new kind of on-line speech (determined by the so-called participatory web 2.0 digital medium), semiotically heterogeneous (both graphic and verbal in nature), putting into circulation comments on events and especially on the political word (slogans, catchphrases, slip of the tongue). These IM are subject to various verbo-graphic mutations. IM are thus endowed with a content that takes the form of a micro-political commentary, lapidary, playful and carnivalesque (Bakhtine 1970), characterised by a form of argumentation that can be said peripheral, because it refers more to the political person than to the political issues themselves (Gauthier 1992 et 1995, Amossy 1999, Perelman and Olbrecht-Tyteca 1970). IM are peripheral micro-argumentation acts of descriptive character, the impact of which is cumulative. In our study, we show that the funny side of the memes is a complex verbo-pictorial strategy centred on big political actors and based on the ad hominem arguments.

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MACROECONOMIC IMPACT OF PENSION SYSTEM UPON PRIVATE PENSION FUNDS SCHEME. EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

MACROECONOMIC IMPACT OF PENSION SYSTEM UPON PRIVATE PENSION FUNDS SCHEME. EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Author(s): Florin Cornel Dumiter,Ștefania Amalia Jimon,Nicolae Balteş / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2021

Keywords: Pension systems; Investment funds scheme; Equities; Macroeconomic effects;

The significance of retirement savings and private pension funds increased in the latest decades and gathered important amounts of capitals. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the macroeconomic effects of pension systems from an investment perspective in five Central and Eastern European countries. The analyzing process regarding several underlying macroeconomic effects of pension systems started from the premises that there is a strong connection between the structure of pension systems, the national economy and the development of the financial sector. The econometric tests were processed and applied by using pool data regression models and the method Pooled Instrumental Variables (IV) - Two-stage Least Squares (2SLS). The main conclusion highlights that the interest rate at deposits is correlated with the amount of incomes earned by population, inflation rate, severe material deprivation rate and the investment strategy of private pension funds.

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Sentiment Analysis of the Syrian Conflict on Twitter

Sentiment Analysis of the Syrian Conflict on Twitter

Author(s): Danijela Lucić,Josip Katalinić,Tomislav Dokman / Language(s): English / Issue: 22/2020

Keywords: Syria conflict; Arab Spring; Syria missile strikes; Twitter; sentiment analysis;

Social media have become an important means of imposing ideas and interests in social‏ conflicts. The Syrian conflict is analysed using sentiment analysis of tweets in order to establish how the‏ sentiment shapes the modern political landscape and influences recipient knowledge. The importance of‏ social networks and their potential in overthrowing regimes as well as in radicalization are highlighted.‏ The authors suggest several stages that can be used for analysing tweets and how they impact the reader‏ with selected narration. Sentiment analysis is used on a trained data set as a way to gain insight into‏ tweets of different factions in the Syria conflict. Selected tweets on missile strikes were published on 14‏ April 2018 and the day after. The Twitter profiles of three different sides – pro-Assad, pro-West and anti-‏ Assad – were also analysed. The results show that there is a real battle on social media with the purpose‏ of influencing human emotions.

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Investigative study regarding the prevention activities related with speech and language disorders in kindergartens

Studiu privind activitățile de prevenire a tulburărilor de limbaj în grădinițe

Author(s): Bianca Roșca / Language(s): Romanian / Issue: 1/2021

Keywords: early intervention; prevention; pre-K programs;

The present research starts from the idea of preventing language disorders from an early age, given the resultsof previous research on the effectiveness of early interventions.Following a preliminary documentation that consisted in the study of Romanian legislation, specializedliterature, speech therapy aids, speech therapy software, sites with medical profile and special pedagogy, it wasfound an insufficient approach to prevention and we wanted to investigate what activities speech therapyteachers consider to be included in the concept of prevention. We also sought to find out to what extent speechtherapists take into account the prevention part and what activities they carry out for this purpose. The resultswere limited and we see them from at least two perspectives: the small group of participants that led to limiteddata and the absence or quasi-absence of prevention in speech therapy, this being too little described in theliterature and outlined as a methodology in school documents. The most common options chosen by languagetherapists for prevention were to carry out speech therapy activities in prevention groups under the age of 5and to carry out information activities for educators and parents and only then screening activities

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CREDIT SCORING WITH AN ENSEMBLE DEEP LEARNING CLASSIFICATION METHODS – COMPARISON WITH TRADITIONAL METHODS

CREDIT SCORING WITH AN ENSEMBLE DEEP LEARNING CLASSIFICATION METHODS – COMPARISON WITH TRADITIONAL METHODS

Author(s): Ognjen Radović,Srđan Marinković,Jelena Radojičić / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2021

Keywords: credit scoring; classifier ensemble; deep learning; support vector machine

Credit scoring attracts special attention of financial institutions. In recent years, deep learning methods have been particularly interesting. In this paper, we compare the performance of ensemble deep learning methods based on decision trees with the best traditional method, logistic regression, and the machine learning method benchmark, support vector machines. Each method tests several different algorithms. We use different performance indicators. The research focuses on standard datasets relevant for this type of classification, the Australian and German datasets. The best method, according to the MCC indicator, proves to be the ensemble method with boosted decision trees. Also, on average, ensemble methods prove to be more successful than SVM.

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