Identity Construction Research Articles

The Hygienics of Translation and Interpreting: Metaphors of Purity and Contamination, and the Construction of Translator and Interpreter Identity

The Hygienics of Translation and Interpreting: Metaphors of Purity and Contamination, and the Construction of Translator and Interpreter Identity. Rooted in Critical Discourse Analysis and Pragmatics, and using metaphors as a heuristic tool, this essay will look at public and academic discourses on the practices of translation and interpreting associated with notions of cleanliness/purity vs uncleanliness/contamination. Such discourses may appear abstract and speculative in nature, but have a practical impact on normative (self) perceptions of translators’ and interpreters’ professional behaviour and habitus. They also seem to run through the academic and theoretical understandings of translation and interpreting along the axes of fidelity/infidelity and translator’s invisibility/visibility, but also, by extension, in terms of respecting/trespassing boundaries (notions of norms of translation, or the interpreter as a conduit or gatekeeper). Real-life examples will be discussed to illustrate and deconstruct such metaphorical devices and highlight their connection with underlying value judgements attached to purity vs contamination. Existing metaphorical alternatives, which allow for the construction of more nuanced translators’/interpreters’ identities, will also be discussed. Keywords: metaphors of interpreting and translation, conduit metaphor, vessel metaphor, translator’s/interpreter’s invisibility, ‘pristine’ translation

Consistency of Youth Identity Construction in Media Texts: Development and Adaptation of Actor-Network Theory for Empirical Media Research (Сase Study)

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

Justice “to Come”? Decolonial Deconstruction, from Postmodern Policymaking to the Black Horizon

Abstract This article explores the importance of what we call “decolonial deconstruction” for contemporary global politics and policy discourses and develops a critique of this approach. “Decolonial deconstruction” seeks to keep open policy processes, deconstructing liberal policy goals of peace, democracy, or justice as always “to come”. It emerged through a nexus of postmodern and decolonial framings, well represented in the critical Black studies tradition, where theorists have focused upon identity construction, rejecting static conceptions. These approaches have increasingly been taken up in international policymaking approaches and International relations theory, particularly in the field of peacebuilding and the broad policy approach of resilience. After highlighting the ways that processual understandings of deconstruction have transformed these policy areas, we suggest an alternative deconstructive approach. In doing so, we draw upon the critical Black studies tradition but emphasize the need to critique underlying ontological assumptions about the world. We heuristically set out this approach as the “Black Horizon.”

Phenomenological Study of Wali's Tomb Pilgrimage

Even though it is still a long-standing debate within Muslims, visiting the wali’s tomb is still a routine ritual. Pilgrimages to the graves of saints in Indonesia and Malaysia present an interesting phenomenon, because both have different principles in applying the law, Malaysia applies sharia law while Indonesia does not. This research seeks to explore the construction of religious piety identity in the tradition of grave pilgrimages, pilgrim behavior and forms of government intervention in the management of saints' graves in Indonesia and Malaysia. This research is a qualitative-phenomenological research, which will reveal the awareness of experiences, social interactions, motives, actions and meanings of the phenomenon of visiting wali’s tomb in Indonesia and Malaysia. The results of this research are; First, the identity of religious piety in the practice of visiting saints emerged as a result of resistance from the religious purification movement which often condemned the practice of visiting wali’s tomb. Second, religious pragmatism can be seen from the motives of pilgrims who use the wali’s tomb as a means of speeding up the fulfillment of their wishes, as well as syncretic behavior by using the burial ground as a means of carrying out all their affairs. In contrast to Malaysia, in Indonesia, the government tends to be responsive to the management of guardian graves by designing them as part of business and tourism. Third, Malaysia uses a sharia law approach to stem deviant behavior from pilgrimage (khurafat), whereas in Indonesia it does not.

THE VIRTUE OF DIVERSITY: PERCEPTIONS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA OF YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN CIVIL SOCIETY REGARDING SELF-IDENTIFICATION AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ACTORS IN THE CONTEXT OF EU ACCESSION

The military aggression of Russia against Ukraine has provoked collective anxiety within the population of the Republic of Moldova around a potential targeting of the country, while increasing collective efficacy and nationhood. The article explores the construction of identity among young Moldovans in civil society, particularly in the context of EU accession. Moldova, as a multiethnic state, has been grappling with identity disputes since its first multiparty elections in 1994. The authors investigate ethnic identification and positioning towards international actors, aiming to understand how internal and external loyalties overlap and can emerge in building a new civic identity beyond the post-Soviet legacy. The study shows a revaluation of ethnic components and the connection with geopolitics. Before the Ukrainian war, the prolonged economic and political crises in the country, as well as the great power politics, had prompted the younger generations to be disconnected from the political, economic, and social aspects of public life. As such, they maintain a sense of social integration within their familial and friendship networks, which contributes to their sense of belonging within Moldovan society. The article examines the connection between self-identification and the geopolitical structures within the Republic of Moldova. The empirical part of the research involves 18 semi-structured interviews with Moldovan youth involved in civil society organizations, focusing on patterns of self-identification, including Pan-Romanianism, Moldovianism, Transnistrian ideology, and Gagauzian regional identity. The study also highlights the importance of pluralistic identification in which economic development is crucial in building up a consistent identification narrative.

Путь к инновационному дизайну педагогического образования: Профессиональная идентичность учителей как центральное понятие

Teacher education program as a focal platform of teacher identity construction has extensively been explored recently. This study examines the Engage, Study, Activate (ESA) teacher education model's effectiveness in fostering teacher professional identity. Utilizing Freeman’s (2020) evaluation model, the ESA model's content and design were analyzed. A qualitative case study followed one participant over a year, using written narratives, interviews, and demos. Applying document and thematic analysis, findings showed 93% alignment with Freeman’s knowledge base and identified three key themes: forming personal beliefs, overcoming self-doubt, and developing global citizenship. The study underscores the importance of incorporating intercultural topics, AI, and digital tools into the ESA program, highlighting its value for pre-service teachers, educators, curriculum developers, and researchers in understanding teacher identity.

Issues of Agglomeration Identity Policy in Statements of Russian Regional Politicians: Discourse Analysis of the Social Network “Vkontakte” Materials

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

Discourse analysis of Chinese vocational universities based on multimodal framework of social semiotics

Due to the development of higher-education marketization, colleges and universities in China's provinces, cities, and regions are facing fierce competition and significant challenges, and vocational universities are no exception. In order to further enhance their visibility and social recognition, vocational universities have adopted various publicity strategies, especially utilizing social media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, TikTok, and XiaoHongShu. Using the framework of visual grammar analysis, this paper investigates the identity construction in the discourse of vocational universities on social media by analyzing images posted on social media platforms by 33 vocational universities in China. The research findings show that vocational universities use visual content on social media to construct their identities as being skilled, service-oriented, regional, international, employment practice-oriented higher-education institutions that are equal to those in general higher education. This reflects the value of vocational education in today's Chinese society and the realistic difficulties and development challenges faced by higher-vocational colleges and universities.

Literature Review on Language and Identity Construction

Literature Review on Language and Identity Construction

Speaking and Individual Identity Reflection

Identity is a complex and multifaceted concept that encompasses an individual's sense of self, their unique characteristics, beliefs, values, and affiliations. It is a dynamic construct that evolves over time and is shaped by various internal and external factors, including personal experiences, social interactions, cultural background, and societal norms. This paper explores the various dimensions of identity and examines the role that identity plays in shaping human behavior, beliefs, and attitudes. It also discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with identity construction, as well as the potential implications of identity-related issues for teaching and learning.

The transformational possibilities of liberal vocationalism: a case study of post-year 10 Outdoor Education in Western Australia

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the transformative potential that liberal vocationalism, aligned with contemporary visions of lifelong and lifewide learning, presents for outdoor learning across institutional and industry settings. Utilising Bernstein’s sociological theory, the paper explores this transformation through an illustrative case study of the relations, knowledges and identities of post-Year10 Outdoor Education in Western Australia (WA). The case study highlights how Outdoor Education in WA has been organised through distinct classificatory relations that exist between government, regulatory bodies and individual industry providers that serve to distinguish Outdoor Education from outdoor learning that is ongoing and able to be pursued by people of any age in many and varied learning contexts. These classificatory relations are shown to be reflected in established qualification and training structures, privileged knowledges and particular subject and learner identities. It is argued that consequently, current post-Year10 Outdoor Education provision has a generated a vision of outdoor learning and vocationalism that constrains learners’ access to and engagement with lifelong and lifewide experiences that can enhance their own and others’ lives. In response, three foci are presented that constitute a heuristic framework via which transformative possibilities can be progressed. The first focus calls for progressive relations between institutional education, industry and community stakeholders in the creative re-design of qualification structures and educational experiences. The second underlies the need for qualification and training structures to enable all learners equitable access to knowledges for lifelong and lifewide learning. The third argues for the construction of new therapeutic identities in Outdoor Education that enables learners to orientate towards an experience of outdoor learning that is autonomous and flexible in both theory and practice. The paper concludes by considering research and teaching directions that can facilitate the realisation of these possibilities.

Multilingual learners’ literacy identities: ideology and local enactment of a language-restrictive alternative instructional program

This article reports a case study of the local enactment of a supportive mainstream language program in two elementary classrooms in a school district with an increasing number of linguistically and culturally diverse students. The study explores how teachers and multilingual learners (MLs) in this context navigate the school’s supportive mainstream language program, a type of alternative instructional program, that pulls MLs out of their mainstream classrooms for English language development instruction. Most US language education policies currently outline alternative instructional language programs, such as supportive mainstream and sheltered instruction programs, as options for districts and schools. To understand MLs’ literacy development opportunities in such programs, the study examines literacy identity construction through the interaction of participants’ language ideologies and literacy practices as they enact the language program. Drawing on the theory of heteroglossia and works on literacy communities, the article unpacks the nuances of language-restrictive programs that position MLs in deficit light. The findings highlight the dissonance between participants’ ideologies and literacy practices used negotiate their subjectivities, and constructed deficit identities within the school’s dominant hegemonic literacy community. The findings are discussed considering their implications for building authentic literacy communities and incorporating an equity perspective into language policies.

Framing the shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in English and Arabic news headlines: a critical discourse study

The study aims to investigate the ideological manipulation of language within news media headlines regarding the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. This study employs Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model of Critical Discourse Analysis to conduct a comparative qualitative analysis of 100 Arabic and 100 English news headlines, exploring linguistic features at both microstructure and macrostructure levels. The analysis delves into identity construction for the victim and perpetrator, revealing the discursive linguistic manifestations of underlying ideologies in two distinct linguistic and cultural contexts. The microstructure analysis reveals the preference of Arabic headlines for active voice structure, rhetorical devices of numeration, emphatic language, and metaphors. On the other hand, English headlines preferred the passive voice structure and the rhetorical device of litotes. The macrostructure analysis unravels the cognitive interplay between news media outlets and their target audience, demonstrating how selective headlines significantly impact public opinion. It shapes their comprehension and interpretation, particularly within the broader context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ultimately, this research highlights the dynamic interplay between language, ideology, and power in news media, offering key recommendations for understanding their comparative impacts.

Becoming a homeroom teacher: spatial and temporal dimensions of identity formation

ABSTRACT Despite sustained focus in recent years on teachers’ identity construction, alongside researchers’ increasing acknowledgement of the roles of time and space in identity formation, a paucity of work explores the role of spatial – temporal dimensions in the formation of teachers’ identities. In this study we examine how teachers’ professional identities are constructed and practiced in relation to space and time. Our analysis is grounded in theories that conceptualise space and time as entangled with social relations, and it draws on semi-structured interviews with 142 homeroom teachers, who work in primary, middle and high schools in Israel. We argue that teachers’ identity construction is a spatially and temporally embedded process. We show how participants’ identity is constructed through temporal structures of formal, longer-term ‘cycles’ (e.g. the school year) and through mostly informal, shorter-term ‘moments’ (e.g. critical incidents), as well as through significant spatial structures such as the classroom and the staffroom. We also show how school trips – a space-time outside the boundaries of school grounds and timetables – facilitate formative experiences. Our findings show how teachers’ professional identity is part of the production and reproduction of these space-time constructs, which are constructed around interactions and relationships with others.

A Study on Internet Interactive Language Variations from the Perspective of Schema Theory

Language variation is a common phenomenon of language evolution in online interactive communication. Based on schema theory, this paper explores the forms, reasons, features and ritual functions of language variations in the context of Internet interaction. This study finds that the forms of Internet language variations are mainly embodied in: phonetic variation, semantic variation and grammatical variation, characterized by four rituals: cooperation, pluralism, universality and alignment. Internet language variations contribute to the construction of identity, relationship and order in communication. Through a systematic study of Internet language variations, this paper aims to provide some enlightenment for the ritual turn of pragmatics and the study of network linguistics from the perspective of cognitive linguistics.

Strengthening Educational Identity: Linking an Identity-Based Motivation Intervention to Educational Identity Processes

ABSTRACT School learning is not always easy or fun. It can be tough and not always enjoyable, often presenting difficult and challenging situations. However, when students are encouraged to envision a future that depends on their educational pathway, they may understand that what they are doing now in school is meaningful for their future, despite encountering difficulties in approaching school tasks. Using an experimental design with a pre-post intervention assessment, we addressed educational identity construction by implementing the Pathways-to-Success intervention. We aimed to link identity-based motivation (difficulty-as-importance and difficulty-as-impossibility mind-sets) and educational identity processes (commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration). 182 Romanian middle-schoolers participated in the study (Mage = 13.35 years, SDage = 0.55, 54.4% girls, 44% from rural areas). The intervention strengthened the difficulty-as-importance mind-set in the experimental group (n = 100), while in the control group it decreased (n = 82). The difficulty-as-impossibility mind-set increased in both groups, indicating that students doubt themselves when facing difficulties. Educational commitment decreased in both groups, but less for the experimental group, as the intervention alleviated this decline. In-depth exploration significantly increased in the experimental group. Reconsideration of commitment decreased for the control group and increased for the experimental group. Students from urban areas benefited more from the intervention than students from rural areas. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, highlighting the role of educational systems and cultural norms in educational identity construction.

APLICAÇÃO DO MÉTODO DAS DISTÂNCIAS MÉDIAS DOS CANAIS RGB NA CLASSIFICAÇÃO DE AMOSTRAS COM MAIS DE UM TIPO DE GRÃO

O Brasil é o maior produtor e exportador de café do mundo, sendo a espécie arábica a mais produzida. A classificação desses grãos permite comercializar um produto de qualidade, identificando possíveis defeitos como a presença de grãos pretos, verdes ou ardidos, responsáveis por trazer prejuízos sensoriais à bebida e reduzir seu valor comercial. O uso de sistemas de visão computacional são alternativas para melhoria de processos dentro da indústria de alimentos, sendo o processo de classificação de alimentos uma das diversas possibilidades. O objetivo do trabalho foi desenvolver um programa de processamento digital de imagens aplicável ao processo de inspeção visual automática da qualidade de grãos de café arábica, quanto aos defeitos por cor. Para tal, foi realizada a aquisição de imagens adquiridos da Indústria & Comércio Café Ouro Verde LTDA, Garanhuns-PE, utilizando máquina fotográfica Nikon 5200 e aparelho celular iphone 7 e iluminador LED circular de 8 polegadas Ring Light, a fim de manter a constância de luz. O processamento de imagens foi realizado a partir da elaboração de um código a partir da plataforma Matlab®. Os grãos foram classificados de acordo com o valor da menor distância média entre os pixels dos canais RGB das imagens teste com as imagens padrão. O código utilizou o método das distâncias médias dos canais RGB (Red, Green, Blue), onde foram utilizadas quatro imagens padrão, referentes aos grãos sadios, pretos, verdes e ardidos e 60 imagens teste. O código conseguiu classificar os grãos com alto valor de acurácia. No entanto, entre os grãos ardidos a acurácia foi de 73,3%, devido à classificação de quatro imagens que foram identificadas como sendo grão verde. O método das distâncias médias dos canais RGB mostrou-se eficaz na classificação dos grãos de café arábica e pode ser utilizado para determinar se o café analisado se encontra dentro dos padrões preconizados pela legislação, ao fazer a análise grão a grão, necessitando apenas de uma boa iluminação e posição da câmera no momento de aquisição das imagens, de modo a evitar interferência por sombras.

Between (anti-)grammar and identity: a quantitative and qualitative study of hyperdialectisms in Brabantish

Abstract Incomplete mastery of dialect grammar engenders ‘hyperdialectisms’ which may be unconscious errors, but which may also be the result of indexical resourcefulness, viz. the profiling of a regional identity. Fifty younger and older speakers from the Brabantish city of Eindhoven (Netherlands) were first administered an acceptability judgment task containing correct forms and three types of hyperdialectisms featuring gender and number constraints. Following the survey, the same respondents participated in a focus group discussion. Regression analysis on the scaled ratings revealed that all three types of hyperdialectisms were rejected, although it was especially the older respondents (almost all L1 dialect speakers) who were weary of the incorrect forms. Analysis of the focus group data demonstrated that older respondents are consciously aware of the rules of their dialect grammar, and hate it when these rules are violated. Younger respondents showed almost no meta-grammatical awareness, and admitted to ‘allowing’ the incorrect forms in some contexts because they ‘sound Brabantish’. Identity construction, in other words, is at the heart of hyperdialectal usage. Methodologically, this paper makes a plea for the confrontation of quantitative data – which provide the backbone of analysis – with qualitative data that offer access to motives for, and constraints on grammatical variation.

Forging a Lineage: Kinship, Mobility, and the Zildjian Cymbal

Abstract Renowned for its 400-year-old Ottoman/Turkish/Armenian past and produced by “America's oldest family-run business,” the Zildjian cymbal is paradoxically rendered an unremarkable “humble object” in its assumed inclusion in orchestras and bands around the world. Tracing the lineages of the Zildjians and their cymbals through historical documentation, ethnography, and the materiality of the instruments themselves, I first discuss the cymbal's shifting musical contexts and functions in Ottoman Janissary mehter bands, European orchestras, American jazz bands, and many other ensembles over the past four centuries, as well as the role of the Zildjians in this musical expansion. Then, I examine how twentieth-century negotiations of Zildjian kinship emerged in contentions over the authenticity and ownership of cymbal production. Finally, I consider how the assimilatory pressures of nation-states shaped narratives of cymbal production as well as the Zildjians’ mobilities, particularly in the context of the ethnoracialization of minority populations in the late Ottoman Empire and Turkish Republic as well as the struggle of Armenian migrants to the United States to be recognized as valid U.S. American citizens at the turn of the twentieth century. By approaching the cymbal itself as the main interlocutor of this exploration, I aim to foreground the ways in which cymbals have sounded and resounded the mobility and kinships of its human creators. In doing so, I regard musical instruments as essential mediators of histories of cultural and musicological development as well as constructions of human identity and relationship, glimpsing how such objects may both reify and unsettle our epistemologies and the institutions of modern life.

Tokens or Trailblazers: Identity Construction of Occupants of New Inclusion-Driven Roles

Tokens or Trailblazers: Identity Construction of Occupants of New Inclusion-Driven Roles