Search results for: covert language policy

Authors: Huanhuan Qiang, Sijia Jin

Abstract:

Population aging has become a global trend, and China has entered an aging society, implementing an active aging system focused on home and community-based care. However, most urban communities where elderly people live face issues such as monotonous planning, unappealing landscapes, and inadequate aging infrastructure, which do not meet the requirements for active aging. Intergenerational friendliness and mutual assistance are key components in China's active aging policy framework. Therefore, residential development should prioritize enhancing intergenerational friendliness. Residential and public spaces are central to community life and well-being, offering new and challenging venues to improve relationships among residents of different ages. They are crucial for developing intergenerational communities with diverse generations and non-blood relationships. This paper takes the Maigaoqiao community in Nanjing, China, as a case study, examining intergenerational interactions in public spaces. Based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs and using time geography analysis, it identifies the spatiotemporal behavior characteristics of intergenerational groups in outdoor activities. Then construct an intergenerational-friendly evaluation system and an IPA quadrant model for public spaces in residential areas. Lastly, it explores optimization strategies for public spaces to promote intergenerational friendly interactions, focusing on five aspects: accessibility, safety, functionality, a sense of belonging, and interactivity.

Keywords: intergenerational friendliness, demand theory, spatiotemporal behavior, IPA analysis, existing residential public space

Procedia PDF Downloads 2

Authors: Lama Ajinah

Abstract:

Luxury brands witnessed continuous growth which followed women’s desire towards individual distinctiveness and social glare. Bags are a woman’s best friend either for aesthetic or functional purposes when she leaves her home for leisure or work. One way of women constant aspiration for being distinguished while reflecting their wealth is through handbags. Subsequently, the demand and attraction by consumers towards the dazzle of luxurious brands for personal pleasure and social status have flourished. According to the literature review, a visual analysis on luxury brands has been explored yet a focus on bags was not discussed in details. Hence, a deep analysis will be dedicated on the two segments by showcasing examples of high-end bag advertising. The research is conducted to understand advertising strategies used in promoting for luxurious products. Furthermore, the paper explores the definition of the term luxury, the condition in which it is used in, and the visual language used along with the term. As luxury is an indicator of superior satisfaction, it is obtained on two levels: a personal and a social level. The examples of luxury brand ads are selected from the last five years to uncover the latest, most common strategies used to promote for luxurious brands. The methods employed in this paper consist of literature review, semiotic analysis, and content analysis. The researcher concludes with revealing the methods used in advertising while categorizing them into various themes.

Keywords: advertising, brands, fashion, graphic design, luxury, semiotic analysis, semiology, visual analysis, visual communication

Procedia PDF Downloads 244

Authors: Parul Suraia, Harshit Sosan Lakra

Abstract:

Indigenous communities represent some of the most marginalized populations globally, with India labeled as tribals, experiencing particularly pronounced marginalization and a concerning decline in their numbers. These communities often inhabit geographically challenging regions characterized by low population densities, posing significant challenges to providing essential infrastructure services. Jharkhand, a Schedule 5 state, is infamous for its low-level health status due to disparities in access to health care. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the spatial inequalities in healthcare accessibility among tribal populations within the state and pinpoint critical areas requiring immediate attention. Health indicators were selected based on the tribal perspective and association of Sustainable Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) with other SDGs. Focused group discussions in which tribal people and tribal experts were done in order to finalize the indicators. Employing Principal Component Analysis, two essential indices were constructed: the Tribal Health Index (THI) and the Tribal Health Intervention Index (THII). Index values were calculated based on the district-wise secondary data for Jharkhand. The bivariate spatial association technique, Moran’s I was used to assess the spatial pattern of the variables to determine if there is any clustering (positive spatial autocorrelation) or dispersion (negative spatial autocorrelation) of values across Jharkhand. The results helped in facilitating targeting policy interventions in deprived areas of Jharkhand.

Keywords: tribal health, health spatial disparities, health status, Jharkhand

Procedia PDF Downloads 95

Authors: Jaroslav Kušnír

Abstract:

Hawaiian literature in English has been researched more intensively in the past decades, mostly in the context of Asian American literature. In his collection of stories Language of the Gecko's and Other Stories, Hawaiian author Gary Pak explores complex relationships between Asian, Native Hawaiian, and American characters living mostly in Hawaii. Through a depiction of these complex relationships, Pak also explores the interaction between different cultures in Hawaii as well as the formation of Asian/Hawaiian identity in the modern world. Based on a comparative approach and close analysis method, this paper will explore the role of place and its historical and cultural background in the formation of modern Asian/Hawaiian cultural identity as manifested in Pak's stories My Friend Kammy and Ishmael Reed or Me. At the same time, through the use of Bill Ashcroft´s concept of transnation, the author of this paper will analyze Pak's depiction of the formation of the cultural identity of characters from Gary Pak's stories My Friend Kammy and Ishmael Reed or Me, which are, in the author of this paper´s view, the characters close to the concept of Ashcroft's transnation which makes them different from traditional cosmopolitan or diasporic characters.

Keywords: culture, cultural identity, Hawaiian identity, Hawaiian literature, place, transnation

Procedia PDF Downloads 71

Authors: Ho-Dae Chong, Jong-Kil Kim

Abstract:

Collaborative research has become more prevalent and important across disciplines because it stimulates innovation and interaction between scholars. Seeing as existing studies relatively disregarded the institutional conditions triggering collaborative research, this work aims to analyze the changing trend in collaborative work patterns among Korean social scientists. The focus of this research is the performance of social scientists who received research grants through the government’s Social Science Korea (SSK) program. Using quantitative statistical methods, collaborative research patterns in a total of 2,354 papers published under the umbrella of the SSK program in peer-reviewed scholarly journals from 2013 to 2016 were examined to identify changing trends and triggering factors in collaborative research. A notable finding is that the share of collaborative research is overwhelmingly higher than that of individual research. In particular, levels of collaborative research surpassed 70%, increasing much quicker compared to other research done in the social sciences. Additionally, the most common composition of collaborative research was for two or three researchers to conduct joint research as coauthors, and this proportion has also increased steadily. Finally, a strong association between international journals and co-authorship patterns was found for the papers published by SSK program researchers from 2013 to 2016. The SSK program can be seen as the driving force behind collaboration between social scientists. Its emphasis on competition through a merit-based financial support system along with a rigorous evaluation process seems to have influenced researchers to cooperate with those who have similar research interests.

Keywords: coauthorship, collaboration, competition, cooperation, Social Science Korea, policy

Procedia PDF Downloads 228

Authors: Anu Jose, Sapna Nair

Abstract:

By using the baseline data of a randomized cluster trial aiming to understand the effects of social, technological and business innovation on child development in two districts of Tamil Nadu, India, we examine the determinants of father involvement in childcare. While there is a growing literature on the role of fathers in child development and family systems, we particularly look at the effect of the attitude of mother and father towards father's involvement in childcare in rural South India. We find that father's own attitude and the mother's gatekeeping attitude significantly affect the father's behavior when other socio-economic characteristics of the parents are controlled. Further, the results are corroborated using different empirical models in which father involvement is conceptualized into three categories broadly; play, caretaking, and affection. We also examine the other socio-economic characteristics affecting paternal involvement using both quantitative and qualitative methods. For instance, child characteristics such as the age and birth order have a significant influence on the level of paternal involvement. That is, older the child, the more involved the father is and the father gets more involved in childcare of the second child as compared to the first child. The participants of the study included 1516 children of age 0 to 22 months from 1476 households. Results indicate that fathers of households where the mother and the father have less traditional attitude exhibit a higher level of involvement in childcare as opposed to parents having a more traditional attitude towards gender role in parenting. The results of this paper provide a major policy lesson aiming to improve paternal involvement in childcare.

Keywords: child development, father involvement, gender, parent’s attitude towards paternal involvement

Procedia PDF Downloads 148

Authors: Rurui Liu

Abstract:

Universities have been one of the most important institutions in society. They shoulder the responsibility to do research and teach further generations. Therefore, the governance of universities has been a heated topic and has been learned for years. Recently, it witnessed great changes, for example, the massification of Higher Education, marketization, and privatization. As a result, more stakeholders are involved in the governance of Higher Education, among which students’ participation in HE becomes more important. However, the research about students’ participation in HE governance in China is not sufficient, and the situation requires improvement. The paper aims to not only fill in the research gap but also put forward practical suggestions to follow the world’s trend of HE governance. The methodology of this paper is literature analysis with comparative studies between China and western countries. The research points out that the current situation of students’ participation in HE governance is unideal due to problems in three fields, values and concepts, mechanisms and systems, as well as student unions. Then, the policy implications are based on these reasons: universities should highlight students’ status, respect their subjectivity and adhere to the service awareness; the government requires to build a sound legal system while universities should establish complete mechanisms and systems; student unions should be encouraged by universities to take part in HE governance affairs with sufficient funds, and autonomy. On the one hand, this paper is a further application of four rationales (consumerism, political-realism, communitarian, democracy, and consequentialism) created by Luescher‐Mamashela for the inevitable trend of students’ participation in HE governance. On the other hand, the suggestions it made benefit the students, universities, and society in practical ways.

Keywords: students’ participation, higher education governance, Chinese higher education, university power

Procedia PDF Downloads 81

Authors: Gokul G. Kshirsagar

Abstract:

Native folk theatre and folk songs have a significant influence on the origin and development of Indian cinema. Therefore, the presence of songs and music has been an integral part and special characteristics of Indian cinema which is popularly known as Bollywood. An Indian cinema without songs, either in Hindi or other regional languages, is simply unimaginable. The present paper, in the first part, attempts to explain the use and need of musical songs and also the psychology of Indian audience in this respect with reference to some of the films which give primary importance to songs. In the second part, the paper tries to situate the present study in the context by referring to the Hindi language drama film Teesari Kasam directed by Basu Bhattacharys. The film is based on the Hindi novelist Phanishwarnath Renu’s short story Teesari Kasam (Mare Gaye Gulfam) in this adapted film, the director has made use of eight songs, but these songs are the extensive versions of the songs as used in the original story. Thus, the main aim of the paper is to underscore the fact that through artistic use of the musical, the director has succeeded in transforming the central feelings conveyed in the original story. Eventually, through the present study of the film adaptation, the relevance of songs in films will be illustrated and understood.

Keywords: Bollywood, folk theatre, folk songs, film adaptation

Procedia PDF Downloads 217

Authors: Olha Yarova

Abstract:

This study is a collaborative project between the American University of Central Asia and parent association of children with Down syndrome ‘Sunterra’ that took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The purpose of the study was to explore whether principles and techniques of applied behavior analysis (ABA) could be used to teach children with Down syndrome socially significant behaviors. ABA is considered to be one of the most effective treatment for children with autism, but little research is done on the particularity of using ABA to children with Down syndrome. The data for the study was received during clinical observations; work with children with Down syndrome and interviews with their mothers. The results show that many ABA principles make the work with children with Down syndrome more effective. Although such children very rarely demonstrate aggressive behavior, they show a lot of escape-driven and attention seeking behaviors that are reinforced by their parents and educators. Thus functional assessment can be done to assess the function of problem behavior and to determine appropriate treatment. Prompting and prompting fading should be used to develop receptive and expressive language skills, and enhance motor development. Even though many children with Down syndrome work for praise, it is still relevant to use tangible reinforcement and to know how to remove them. Based on the results of the study, the training for parents of children with Down syndrome will be developed in Kyrgyzstan, country, where children with Down syndrome are not accepted to regular kindergartens and where doctors in maternity hospitals tell parents that their child will never talk, walk and recognize them

Keywords: down syndrome, applied behavior analysis, functional assessment, problem behavior, reinforcement

Procedia PDF Downloads 273

Authors: Nel Jayson Santos

Abstract:

The growing number of international students in post-secondary institutions in Canada has positively contributed to the country’s economy and educational systems while also enriching cultural diversity in the classrooms. However, international students face social and relational challenges as they try to adapt to their host nation’s culture. One specific area of cultural adaptation among international students that has yet to be studied extensively is dating experiences and romantic relationships. Although numerous studies have been done regarding the relational challenges and dating experiences of American international students, only a few studies have focused on international students based in Canada. Hence, this study examines the dating preferences, dating challenges, and dating adaptations of international students based in Vancouver, Canada. Using a social constructivist approach, a semi-structured interview was conducted among fifteen heterosexual international college students. Inductive thematic analysis was then used to analyze the gathered data and identify common themes. Findings suggest that students’ (1) preferences were influenced by racial background and parental approval of dating partners; (2) students experienced language barriers and cultural differences; (3) students adapted through constant communication and being open-minded. Finally, the analysis intends to help counselors and psychologists in various colleges to help understand the issues of international students in terms of intimate and romantic relationships.

Keywords: higher education, international students, dating experiences, cultural adaptation

Procedia PDF Downloads 208

Authors: Mariella Pinna

Abstract:

Sustainable entrepreneurship is an innovative corporate approach to create value combining economic, social and environmental goals over time. In the last two decades, the interest in sustainable entrepreneurship has flourished thanks to its potential to answer the current challenges of sustainable development. As a result, scholars are increasingly interested in understanding the determinants of the intentions to become a sustainable entrepreneur and consistent behavior. To date, prior studies provided empirical evidence for the influence of attitudes, perceived feasibility and desirability, values, and personality traits on the decision-making process of becoming a sustainable entrepreneur. Conversely, scant effort has been provided to understand which factors inhibit sustainable entrepreneurial intentions and behaviors. Therefore a global understanding of the sustainable entrepreneurship decision-making process is missing. This paper contributes to the debate on sustainable entrepreneurship by proposing a conceptual model that combines the factors which are predicted to facilitate and hinder the proclivity of individuals to become sustainable entrepreneurs. More in particular, the proposed framework theorizes about the role of the characteristics of the prospective sustainable entrepreneur (e.g., socio-demographic, psychological, cultural), the positive antecedents (e.g., attitude, social feasibility and desirability, among others) and the negative precursors (e.g., neutralization) in influencing sustainable entrepreneurship intentions and subsequent behavior. The proposed framework is expected to shed further light on the decision-making process of becoming a sustainable entrepreneur, which in turn, is of practical relevance for public policy institutions and the society as a whole to enhance the favorable conditions to create new sustainable ventures.

Keywords: sustainable entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial intentions, entrepreneurial decision-making, antecedents of entrepreneurial intention and behavior

Procedia PDF Downloads 211

Authors: Savaş Durduran, Ceren Yağci

Abstract:

The nature of the events going on in the world, when people’s lives are considered significantly affects natural disasters. Considering thousands of years of earth history, it is seen that many natural disasters, particularly earthquakes located in our country. Behaving cautious, without occurring hazards, after being disaster is much easier and cost effective than returning to the normal life. The four phases of disaster management in the whole world has been described as; pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation, post-disaster response and rehabilitation studies. Pre-disaster and post-disaster phases has half the weight of disaster management. How much would be prepared for disaster, no matter how disaster damage reducing work gives important, we will be less harm from material and spiritual sense. To do this in a systematic way we use the Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The execution of the emergency services to be on time and emergency control mechanism against the development the most appropriate decision Geographic Information System GIS) can be useful. The execution of the emergency services to be on time and emergency control mechanism towards for developing to be the most appropriate decision Geographic Information System (GIS) can be useful. The results obtained by using products with GIS analysis of seismic data to the city, manager of the city required information and data that can be more healthy and satisfies the appropriate policy decisions can be produced. In this study, using ArcGIS software and benefiting reports of the earthquake that occurred in the Konya city, spatial and non-spatial data consisting databases created, by the help of this database a potential disaster management aimed in the city of Konya regard to urban earthquake, GIS-aided analyzes were performed.

Keywords: geographic information systems (GIS), disaster management, emergency control mechanism, Konya

Procedia PDF Downloads 471

Authors: Aster Misganaw

Abstract:

This study investigates the reach, influence, and credibility of international broadcasters—specifically Voice of America (VOA), Deutsche Welle (DW), and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)—among Ethiopian audiences, comparing these perceptions to local media sources. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach that included quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, the research reveals that the majority of respondents engage regularly with international broadcasters, with younger audiences showing a marked preference. Findings indicate that most of the participants perceive these international sources as more credible than local media, largely due to concerns over government influence on local reporting. Furthermore, the study finds that the majority of respondents believe international broadcasters significantly shape their understanding of both domestic and international issues, highlighting their critical role in public discourse. To enhance their relevance, it is recommended that international broadcasters incorporate more localized content while local media must work to improve their credibility and independence to better serve the Ethiopian public. This research contributes to the understanding of media consumption dynamics in Ethiopia, emphasizing the interplay between local and international narratives in shaping public opinion.

Keywords: international media, BBC, Deutsche Welle, Ethiopian media, Voice of America, audience

Procedia PDF Downloads 12

Authors: Temitope Adefunsho Olatoye, Julius Olabode Elega

Abstract:

Raising agricultural productivity is an important policy goal for governments and development agencies, and this is central to growth, income distribution, improved food security, and poverty alleviation among practitioners. This study analyzed the productivity and poverty status among users of improved sorghum varieties in Kano State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was adopted in the selection of 131 sorghum farmers who were users of improved sorghum varieties. Data collected were analyzed using both descriptive (frequency distribution and percentage) and inferential (productivity index and FGT model) statistics. The result of the socioeconomic characteristics of the sorghum farmers showed a mean age of 40 years, with about 93.13% of the sorghum farmers being male. Also, as indicated by the result, the majority (82.44%) of the farmers were married, with most of them having qur’anic education with a mean farm size of 3.6 ha, as reported in the study area. Furthermore, the result showed that the mean farming experience of the sorghum farmers in the study area was 19 years, with an average monthly income of about ₦48,794, as reported in the study area. The result of the productivity index showed a ratio of 192,977kg/ha, while the result of poverty status shows that 62.88% were in the non-poor category, 21.21% were poor, and 15.91% were very poor, respectively. The result also showed that the incidence of poverty for sorghum farmers was 16%, indicating that the incidence of poverty was prevalent in the study area. Based on the findings of this study, it was therefore recommended that seed companies should facilitate the spread of improved sorghum varieties as it has an impact on the productivity and poverty status of sorghum farmers in the study area.

Keywords: Foster Greer Thorbecke model, improved sorghum varieties, productivity, poverty status

Procedia PDF Downloads 71

Authors: Lyton Chithambo

Abstract:

This paper reports the results of an investigation into the extent to which various stakeholder pressures influence voluntary disclosure of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in the United Kingdom (UK). The study, which is grounded on institutional theory, also borrows from the insights of upper echelons theory and examines whether specific managerial (chief executive officer) characteristics explain and moderates various stakeholder pressures in explaining GHG voluntary disclosure. Data were obtained from the 2011 annual and sustainability reports of a sample of 216 UK companies on the FTSE350 index listed on the London Stock Exchange. Generally the results suggest that there is no substantial shareholder and employee pressure on a firm to disclose GHG information but there is significant positive pressure from the market status of a firm with those firms with more market share disclosing more GHG information. Consistent with the predictions of institutional theory, we found evidence that coercive pressure i.e. regulatory pressure and mimetic pressures emanating in some industries notably industrials and consumer services have a significant positive influence on firms’ GHG disclosure decisions. Besides, creditor pressure also had a significant negative relationship with GHG disclosure. While CEO age had a direct negative effect on GHG voluntary disclosure, its moderation effect on stakeholder pressure influence on GHG disclosure was only significant on regulatory pressure. The results have important implications for both policy makers and company boards strategizing to reign in their GHG emissions.

Keywords: greenhouse gases, voluntary disclosure, upper echelons theory, institution theory

Procedia PDF Downloads 233

Authors: Steffy Maria Joseph, Abdu Rahiman V, Abdul Hameed K. M.

Abstract:

Online handwritten character recognition is a challenging field in Artificial Intelligence. The classification success rate of current techniques decreases when the dataset involves similarity and complexity in stroke styles, number of strokes and stroke characteristics variations. Malayalam is a complex south indian language spoken by about 35 million people especially in Kerala and Lakshadweep islands. In this paper, we consider the significant feature extraction for the similar stroke styles of Malayalam. This extracted feature set are suitable for the recognition of other handwritten south indian languages like Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. A classification scheme based on support vector machines (SVM) is proposed to improve the accuracy in classification and recognition of online malayalam handwritten characters. SVM Classifiers are the best for real world applications. The contribution of various features towards the accuracy in recognition is analysed. Performance for different kernels of SVM are also studied. A graphical user interface has developed for reading and displaying the character. Different writing styles are taken for each of the 44 alphabets. Various features are extracted and used for classification after the preprocessing of input data samples. Highest recognition accuracy of 97% is obtained experimentally at the best feature combination with polynomial kernel in SVM.

Keywords: SVM, matlab, malayalam, South Indian scripts, onlinehandwritten character recognition

Procedia PDF Downloads 574

Authors: Benyapa Thitimapong

Abstract:

Teenage pregnancy and adolescent mothers have become a matter of increasing concern in Thailand. Since adolescent mothers have been a big problem for two main consequences; health outcomes and socio-economic impacts. Adolescent mothers often endure poor living conditions; limited financial resources while also experience high stress, family instability, and limited educational opportunities. These disadvantages are negative and have long-term effects on adolescent mothers, their families, and the community. The majority of pregnant students and adolescent mothers dropped out of school after becoming pregnant, and some of them return to study again after they gave birth. This research aimed to explain the meaning of adolescent mothers who had undergone with childrearing and studying simultaneously after childbirth. A phenomenological qualitative approach was undertaken to investigate this study. The participants were 20 adolescent mothers each of whom became a mother and a student concurrently within less than 2 years after giving birth to a healthy baby and had also undergone the experience of childrearing and studying in non-formal education. In-depth interview was carried out for data collection, and the data were analyzed using content analysis method. ‘Learning to move forward’ was the meaning of adolescent mothers who experienced with childrearing and studying simultaneously. Their expressions were classified into two categories 1) having more responsibility, and 2) conceding and going on. The result of this study can be used as evidence for health care providers, especially nurses to facilitate and support pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers to continue their education. Also, it can be used to guide policy to promote in all educational system to enable these groups to remain in school for their life-long success in the future.

Keywords: adolescent mothers, childrearing, studying, teenage pregnancy

Procedia PDF Downloads 128

Authors: Boon Yih Mah

Abstract:

Web-based Cognitive Writing Instruction (WeCWI) is a hybrid e-framework that consolidates instructional design and language development towards the development of a web-based instruction (WBI). WeCWI divides instructional design into macro and micro perspectives. In macro perspective, a 21st century educator is encouraged to disseminate knowledge and share ideas with in-class and global learners. By leveraging the virtue of technology, WeCWI aims to transform the educator into an aggregator, curator, publisher, social networker and finally, a web-based instructor. Since the most notable contribution of integrating technology is being a tool of teaching as well as a stimulus for learning, WeCWI focuses on the use of contemporary web tools based on the multiple roles played by the 21st century educator. The micro perspective draws attention to the pedagogical approaches focussing on three main aspects: reading, discussion, and writing. With the effective use of pedagogical approaches, technology adds new dimensions and expands the bounds of learning capacity. Lastly, WeCWI also imparts the fundamental theoretical concepts for web-based instructors’ awareness such as interactionism, e-learning interactional-based model, computer-mediated communication (CMC), cognitive theories, and learning style model.

Keywords: web-based cognitive writing instruction, WeCWI, instructional design, e-framework, web-based instructor

Procedia PDF Downloads 437

Authors: Neva Leposa

Abstract:

While environmental policy makers are trying to increase pro-environmental behavior among tourists or outdoor recreation users through changing users’ attitudes, the focus of this paper is turned to the importance of so far marginalized – materiality in the users’ practices. The case study of leisure boating in Sweden used in this paper demonstrates how through the change of materiality (i.e. equipment and physical size of the leisure boats) emergent affordances in materially bound practices are transformed, and the boater-boat-sea nexus is redefined. Participatory observation and in-depth interviewing of Swedish West Coast visitors reveal two stories, first one points to the fact that sail boating practice is becoming increasingly motorized and second one describes how leisure boats are becoming increasingly perceived and used as mobile summer houses. Hence, such practice increases energy and matter consumption. This paper describes how that change happens through practice theory and affordance theory, thus points to visibility and the importance of materiality in shaping human nature nexus. Boating practice changes through the change of the materiality of the boats. In particular, energy consumption increases through the change of engagement with the matter. This study puts focus environmental attitudes focused strivings in question, for the fact that it is too individual-centered and lacks contextual understanding of the materially bound practices and may fail in the very thing it is aiming to do - reduce the environmental impacts.

Keywords: practice theory, affordance theory, leisure boating, materiality

Procedia PDF Downloads 267

Authors: Bipasha Sen, Aditya Agarwal

Abstract:

Multilingual automatic speech recognition (ASR) system is a single entity capable of transcribing multiple languages sharing a common phone space. Performance of such a system is highly dependent on the compatibility of the languages. State of the art speech recognition systems are built using sequential architectures based on recurrent neural networks (RNN) limiting the computational parallelization in training. This poses a significant challenge in terms of time taken to bootstrap and validate the compatibility of multiple languages for building a robust multilingual system. Complex architectural choices based on self-attention networks are made to improve the parallelization thereby reducing the training time. In this work, we propose Reed, a simple system based on 1D convolutions which uses very short context to improve the training time. To improve the performance of our system, we use raw time-domain speech signals directly as input. This enables the convolutional layers to learn feature representations rather than relying on handcrafted features such as MFCC. We report improvement on training and inference times by atleast a factor of 4x and 7.4x respectively with comparable WERs against standard RNN based baseline systems on SpeechOcean's multilingual low resource dataset.

Keywords: convolutional neural networks, language compatibility, low resource languages, multilingual automatic speech recognition

Procedia PDF Downloads 122

Authors: Victor Milanes, Martha Hubertz

Abstract:

In the wake of COVID-19, all aspects of life have been estranged, and humanity has been forced to shift toward a more technologically integrated mode of operation. Essential work such as Healthcare, business, and public policy are a few notable industries that were initially dependent upon face-to-face modality but have completely reimagined their operation style. Unique to these fields, education was particularly strained because academics, teachers, and professors alike were obligated to shift their curriculums online over the course of a few weeks while also maintaining the expectation that they were educating their students to a similar level accomplished pre-pandemic. This was notable as research indicates two key concepts: Students prefer face-to-face modality, and due to the disruption in academic continuity/style, there was a negative impact on student's overall education and performance. With these two principles in mind, this study aims to inquire what online strategies could be best employed by teachers to educate their students, as well as what strategies could be adopted in a multimodal setting if deemed necessary by the instructor or outside convoluting factors (Such as the case of COVID-19, or a personal matter that demands the teacher's attention away from the classroom). Strategies and methods will be cross-analyzed via a ranking system derived from various recognized teaching assessments, in which engagement, retention, flexibility, interest, and performance are specifically accounted for. We expect to see an emphasis on positive social pressure as a dominant factor in the improved propensity for education, as well as a preference for visual aids across platforms, as research indicates most individuals are visual learners.

Keywords: technological integration, multimodal teaching, education, student engagement

Procedia PDF Downloads 61

Authors: Sameen Masood, Muhammad Ali Jibran

Abstract:

The frequent flood history in Pakistan has pronounced the need for disaster risk management. Various policies are formulated and steps are being taken by the government in order to cope with the flood effects. However, a much promising pro-active approach that is globally acknowledged is educating the masses regarding living with risk and uncertainty. Unfortunately, majority of the flood victims in Pakistan are poor and illiterate which also transpires as a significant cause of their distress. An illiterate population is not risk averse or equipped intellectually regarding how to prepare and protect against natural disasters. The current research utilizes a cross-disciplinary approach where the role of education (both formal and informal) and indigenous knowledge is explored with reference to disaster preparedness. The data was collected from the flood prone rural areas of Punjab. In the absence of disaster curriculum taught in formal schools, informal education disseminated by NGOs and relief and rehabilitation agencies was the only education given to the flood victims. However the educational attainment of flood victims highly correlated with their awareness regarding flood management and disaster preparedness. Moreover, lessons learned from past flood experience generated indigenous knowledge on the basis of which flood victims prepared themselves for any uncertainty. If the future policy regarding disaster preparation integrates indigenous knowledge and then delivers education on the basis of that, it is anticipated that the flood devastations can be much reduced. Education can play a vital role in amplifying perception of risk and taking precautionary measures for disaster. The findings of the current research will provide practical strategies where disaster preparedness through education has not yet been applied.

Keywords: education, disaster preparedness, illiterate population, risk management

Procedia PDF Downloads 484

Authors: Francisca Margarita Ocran

Abstract:

Underwear, and more particularly bras and panties, are defined as intimate clothing. Strictly speaking, they enhance the place of women in the public or private satchel. Therefore, women's lingerie is a complex garment with a high involvement profile, motivating consumers to buy it not only by its functional utility but also by the multisensory experience it provides them. Customer behavior models are generally based on customer data mining, and each model is designed to answer questions at a specific time. Predicting the customer experience is uncertain and difficult. Thus, knowledge of consumers' tastes in lingerie deserves to be treated as an experiential product, where the dimensions of the experience motivating consumers to buy a lingerie product and to remain faithful to it must be analyzed in detail by the manufacturers and retailers to engage and retain consumers, which is why this research aims to identify the variables that push consumers to choose their lingerie product, based on an in-depth analysis of the types of fabrics used to make lingerie. The data used in this study comes from online purchases. Machine learning approach with the use of Python programming language and Pycaret gives us a precision of 86.34%, 85.98%, and 84.55% for the three algorithms to use concerning the preference of a buyer in front of a range of lingerie. Gradient Boosting, random forest, and K Neighbors were used in this study; they are very promising and rich in the classification of preference in the textile industry.

Keywords: consumer behavior, data mining, lingerie, machine learning, preference

Procedia PDF Downloads 88

Authors: Desta Brhanu Gebrehiwot

Abstract:

The purpose of this review was to analyze the overall or combined effect of scholarly studies conducted on the impacts of Food for work (FFW) and Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) on farm households’ livelihood (agricultural investment on the adoption of fertilizer, food security, livestock holding, nutrition and its’ disincentive effect) in Ethiopia. In addition, to make a critical assessment of the internal and external validity of the existing studies, the review also indicates the possibility to redesign the program. The method of selecting eligible studies for review was PICOS (Participants, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Settings) framework. The method of analysis was the fixed effects model under Meta-Analysis. The findings of this systematic review confirm the overall or combined positive significant impact of PSNP on fertilizer adoption (combined point estimate=0.015, standard error=0.005, variance=0.000, lower limit 0.004 up to the upper limit=0.026, z-value=2.726, and p-value=0.006). And the program had a significant positive impact on the child nutrition of rural households and had no significant disincentive effect. However, the program had no significant impact on livestock holdings. Thus, PSNP is important for households whose livelihood depends on rain-fed agriculture and are exposed to rainfall shocks. Thus, better to integrate the program into the national agricultural policy. In addition, most of the studies suggested that PSNP needs more attention to the design and targeting issued in order to be effective and efficient in social protection.

Keywords: meta-analysis, fixed effect model, PSNP, rural-livelihood, Ethiopia

Procedia PDF Downloads 68

Authors: Oluwayemisi Onyenankeya

Abstract:

The popularity and viewership of Nollywood films have expanded across African countries as well as European and American cities especially those with considerable Diaspora population. This appears to underscore the assumption that Nollywood films not only project or transmit the embedded Nigerian cultural values to audience members but also actually make appreciable impression on those audience members. This study sought to ascertain the role of Nollywood film in the transference of Nigerian cultural heritage across other cultures using students at the University of Fort Hare as a case study. This study sought to determine if audience members learn, imbibe or manifest any behavioural tendencies that can be ascribed to the influence of watching Nollywood films. Specifically, the study sought to establish the aspect of Nigerian culture that Nollywood films transmit to audience members. The survey research method was used while data was analysed using descriptive statistics. In all, 400 questionnaires were distributed while 370 were returned. Results show that students who were exposed to Nollywood film could mimic some common Nigerian expressions and exclamations. A small percentage of viewers could actually speak a smattering of some Nigerian language while a few have bought or made dresses in the pattern of what they saw in the films. It could be concluded that Nollywood films do exert significant influence on the viewers in the University of Fort Hare.

Keywords: culture, film, Nollywood, transmission

Procedia PDF Downloads 239

Authors: Sadeq Al Yaari, Fayza Al Hammadi, Nassr Almaflehi, Ayman Al Yaari, Adham Al Yaari, Montaha Al Yaari, Aayah Al Yaari, Sajedah Al Yaari

Abstract:

Background: The language of EFL learners is of special interests to linguists. Little research has been tackled on issues concerning English Discourse Markers (EDMs) among Saudi EFL learners. Aims: Employing a corpus-based descriptive analysis, the current study attempts at detecting EDMs in the talk of Saudi EFL learners, their frequency, use, usage, etc., in comparison to other EFL learners as well as native speakers. Methods: Two hundreds Saudi EFL learners were randomly selected from 20 public and private schools (ten students from each school) across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Subjects were individually recorded while they were studying English in class. Recordings were then linguistically and statistically analyzed by the researchers. Conclusion: Results illustrate that EDMs “and”, “but” and “also” are the most frequent EDMs in the talk of Saudi EFL learners. These devices are randomly used by Saudi EFL learners who mix their use (appropriateness) with usage (correctedness) due to the influence of their L1 (Arabic). In compare to other EFL learners (native and non-native), Saudi EFL learners use less EDMs. These results confirmed the claims that EFL learners use EDMs less than native speakers. This paper, although preliminary in nature, can help arrive a better understanding of using EDMs by Saudi EFL learners. Further, it can also assist in getting appropriate insights into the way how these EDMs are used in Arab Gulf countries. The researchers decided to conduct an in-depth study into the use of EDMs in the oral work of Saudi EFL learners.

Keywords: English discourse markers, Saudi EFL learners, use, usage, frequency, native speakers

Procedia PDF Downloads 45

Authors: Birhanu Betela Warssamo

Abstract:

Background: There is limited evidence on the prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among waste handlers in the Sidama region, Ethiopia; however, this knowledge is necessary for the effective prevention of HCV infection in the region. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected waste collectors from October 2021 to 30 July 2022 in different public hospitals in the Sidama region of Ethiopia. Serum samples were collected from participants and screened for anti-HCV using a rapid immunochromatography assay. Socio-demographic and risk factor information of waste handlers was gathered by pretested and well-structured questionnaires. The generalized linear model (GLM) was conducted using R software, and P-value < 0.05 was declared statistically significant. Results: From a total of 282 participating waste handlers, 16 (5.7%) (95% CI, 4.2 – 8.7) were infected with the hepatitis C virus. The educational status of waste handlers was the significant demographic variable that was associated with the hepatitis C virus (AOR = 0.055; 95% CI = 0.012 – 0.248; P = 0.000). More married waste handlers, 12 (75%), were HCV positive than unmarried, 4 (25%) and married waste handlers were 2.051 times (OR = 2.051, 95%CI = 0.644 –6.527, P = 0.295) more prone to HCV infection, compared to unmarried, which was statistically insignificant. The GLM showed that exposure to blood (OR = 8.26; 95% CI = 1.878–10.925; P = 0.037), multiple sexual partners (AOR = 3.63; 95% CI = 2.751–5.808; P = 0.001), sharp injury (AOR = 2.77; 95% CI = 2.327–3.173; P = 0.036), not using PPE (AOR = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.032–0.937; P = 0.001), contact with jaundiced patient (AOR = 3.65; 95% CI = 1.093–4.368; P = 0 .0048) and unprotected sex (AOR = 11.91; 95% CI = 5.847–16.854; P = 0.001) remained statistically significantly associated with HCV positivity. Conclusions: The study revealed that there was a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among waste handlers in the Sidama region, Ethiopia. This demonstrated that there is an urgent need to increase preventative efforts and strategic policy orientations to control the spread of the hepatitis C virus.

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus, risk factors, waste handlers, prevalence, Sidama Ethiopia

Procedia PDF Downloads 13

Authors: María de los Ángeles Zárate López, Juan Antonio Pitones Rubio

Abstract:

Quality of life and sustainability in cities are among the most important challenges faced by designers, city planners and urban managers. The Mexican city of Tijuana has a particular dynamic in its demographics which has been accelerated by its border city condition, putting to the test the ability from authorities to provide the population with the necessary services to aspire for a deserving quality of life. In the recent story of Tijuana, we found that the housing policy and the solutions presented by private housing developers have not met the best living conditions for end users by far, thereby adding issues to current social problems which impact the whole metropolitan area, including damage to the natural environment. Therefore this research presents the case study about the situation of a suburban housing development near Tijuana named “Villa del Campo” and exposes the problems of this specific project (originally labelled as a “sustainable” proposal) demonstrating that, once built, the place does not reflect the quality of life that it promised as a project. Currently, this housing development has a number of problematic issues such as the faulty operating conditions of public utilities and serious cases of crime inside the neighborhood. There is no intention to only expose the negative side of this case study, but to explore some alternatives which could help solving the most serious problems at the place, considering possible architectural and landscape interventions within the housing complex to help achieve the optimal conditions of livability and sustainability required by their inhabitants.

Keywords: suburban, housing, quality of life, sustainability, Tijuana, demographics

Procedia PDF Downloads 383

Authors: Qiong Hu

Abstract:

From old English to modern English, the gender category has changed from grammatical gender system to natural gender system. The word classes that reflected gender has changed from pronouns, adjectives, and numerals in old English to only pronouns in modern English. In present-day English, the third person singular pronouns are the only paradigm that keeps an intact gender. 'He' and 'they' used as epicene pronouns are one of the two commonest phenomena of gender disagreement (the other being those against the natural gender). Considering the convenience of corpus concordance, epicene pronoun usage is selected in this study in which the anaphors are restricted to possessives (eg. his, their), and the antecedents are restricted to compound indefinite pronouns (eg. someone, somebody). Factors like writing form (eg. someone vs. some one), the semantics of the prefixes (eg. some- vs. any-), and suffixes (eg. -one vs. -body), as well as frequency, are taken into consideration. Statistics indicate that 'their' is increasingly used as the epicene pronoun compared with the decline of 'his' (when both writing forms are considered). This is influenced by social factors such as feminist movement, as well as the semantics and frequency of antecedents. Their (plural) used in anaphoric reference to various indefinite pronouns (singular in form) can also be treated as number variation in third person pronouns, and the trend that 'their' in place of his can also be treated as a change in number category. Among different candidates for the gender-neutral function, 'their' is proven to be the most promising one based on the diachronic data. This does not reject any new competitors in the future which still remains to be seen.

Keywords: language variation and change, epicene pronouns, gender, number

Procedia PDF Downloads 185

Authors: Surichai Butcha, Dararat Khampusaen

Abstract:

As the Internet is recognized as a high potential and powerful educational tool to access sources of knowledge, plagiarism is an increasing unethical issue found in students’ writing. This paper is deriving from the 1st phase of an on-going study investigating the effects of the supplementary on citing sources on undergraduate students’ writing. The 40 participants were divided into 1 experimental group and 1 control group. Both groups were administered with a questionnaire on knowledge and an interview on attitude related to using sources in writing. Only the experimental group undertook the 4 lessons focusing on using outside sources and citing the original work (quoting, synthesizing, summarizing and paraphrasing) were delivered to them via e-learning tools throughout a semester. Participants were required to produce 4 writing tasks after each lesson. The results were concerned with types and factors on using outside sources in writing of Thai undergraduate EFL students from the survey. The interview results supported and clarified the survey result. In addition, the writing rubrics confirmed the types of plagiarism frequently occurred in students’ writing. The results revealed the types and factors on plagiarism including their perceptions on using the outside sources in their writing from the interview. The discussion shed the lights on cultural dimensions of plagiarism in student writing, roles of teachers, library, and university policy on the rate of plagiarism. Also, the findings promoted the awareness on ethics in writing and prevented the rate of potential unintentional plagiarism. Additionally, the results of this phase of study could lead to the appropriate contents to be considered for inclusion in the supplementary on using sources for writing for future research.

Keywords: citing source, EFL writing, e-learning, Internet, plagiarism

Procedia PDF Downloads 148