Cultural Schema Theory Research Articles

Status foe: a psychobiographical investigation of Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) led an extraordinary life as a journalist, educator, and activist while navigating the intersecting social realities of race, gender, and class. She embodied courage, advocating for the civil rights of Black Americans in an uncompromising fashion. Building on decades of research in social psychology, sociologist Cecilia L. Ridgeway presents (2019) a cultural schema theory of status. She contends that issues of status in interpersonal contexts are an unavoidable aspect of the human condition. Despite the ubiquity of status as a sociocultural force, Ridgeway believes that status hierarchies may be undermined. The present study is a psychobiographical exploration of Wells through the lens of Ridgeway’s status theory. It explores: the development of Wells’ cultural schemas; how Wells navigated her own status; the inter-relationship between Wells and her sociocultural context; and how Wells undermined and overcame status hierarchies.

Cultural Schemas: A Study on the Practice of Funeral and Marriage Rites of the Vietnamese Catholic Community

As a model for processing information about people's perceptions to understand the complex world and society in which they live, the cultural schema serves as a key concept in Cultural Linguistics when directing to the perception and processing of information about people, and social groups, and events. Cultural schema theory is valuable in deciphering culturally structured concepts, covering the entire range of human experience expressed in many fields such as education, belief, religion, etc. Through the practice of sacred rituals, each religious believer can form his system of ideas about entities in his or her belief world. Those experiences and experiences are conceptualized through the language picture. In the process of cultural development and integration, the cultural awareness of the Catholic community also reflects certain changes in Catholicism in the West in harmony with the customs and beliefs of Eastern countries. like Vietnam, expressed through the practice of funeral rites and traditional marriage of the Vietnamese. In this article, by using quantitative and qualitative methods, we have conducted a character analysis of the above cultural schemas based on the corpus of 120 discourses drawn during the implementation perform funeral and marriage rites for Vietnamese Catholics. Research results show that cultural schemas (event diagrams, role schemas, image schemas, propositional schemas, and emotional schemas) reflect the cultural knowledge (beliefs, standards, principles, and expectations) of each Vietnamese Catholic about DEATH and MARRIAGE as a journey or a new transformation in one's life... That is the basis for them to transmit achieve and explain the basic values of these two concepts, helping us to understand more deeply the mind of the Vietnamese Catholic community in Vietnam when performing two important rituals in human life in reality.

The triarchy of L2 learners' emotion, cognition, and language performance: Anxiety, self-efficacy, and speaking skill in lights of the emerging theories in SLA.

Given the bond between emotion and cognition underlying the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, positive and negative emotions have critical roles in cognitive skills. The aim of this review was to probe into the triarchic relationship between L2 learners’ cognition, emotion, and language performance, reflected in the bond between self-efficacy, foreign language anxiety, and speaking skill, in light of the main emerging theories in the field of SLA underpinning this relationship. Moreover, the theoretical foundations, such as learners’ cognitive performances, Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, control-value theory, and positive psychology theory, were explicated in order to justify the relationship between self-efficacy and oral communication skill. Furthermore, the underlying theories such as attentional control theory, complex dynamic system theory, affective filter theory, and cultural schema theory, which relate foreign language anxiety to speaking skill were scrutinized in this review. The review also expounded on the implications and future directions for EFL teachers, material designers, teacher educators, educational policy-makers, and advisors. The ideas can improve their awareness of learner self-efficacy, foreign language anxiety, and oral communication skill in educational contexts.

Conceptualizastion of shtetl in American English: A Cultural Linguistic Study

This paper examines the conceptualizations of shtetl, ‘a small Jewish town or village formerly found in Eastern Europe’, in American English from the perspective of cultural linguistics. It can be observed that the concept of shtetl reflects cultural metaphors, where shtetl is viewed as a mythic Jewish idyll and, contemporarily, a metaphor for Jewish communality, for example, referring to an apartment building in an urban Jewish American neighborhood of the East Coast cities. It may be suggested that shtetl is also used to describe and categorize things such as tradition, a place of Jewish Diaspora and Yiddishkeit for, mainly, American Jewry. Therefore, this research paper presents cultural categorizations of a place that often emerges at the cultural level of cognition. Overall, the observations made in this paper reveal the potential of cultural schema theory for the studies of cultural linguistics. To recognize this role, the fundamentals of cultural linguistics and its schemes have been used to highlight the need for further research. Several cross-sectional studies have accentuated the cultural concept of a shtetl, e.g. Palmer (1996), Sharifian (2011, 2017). This study has tried to identify the key elements of a shtetl. I have applied Sharifian’s (2017) cultural conceptualization models as well as his distributed model of cultural schemas that can contribute to the knowledge of understating the concept of shtetl in Yiddish and American English, and among Holocaust survivors, first generation, second generation, and third generation American Jews.

Teachers’ personal experiences of sexual initiation motivating their sexuality education messages in secondary schools in Kampala, Uganda

ABSTRACT Little is known about how teachers’ personal sexual experiences influence their motivations and practices when teaching sexuality education. Cultural schema theory was used to explore teachers’ personal experience of the onset of sexual activity and explain how sexuality education teaching is influenced by such experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 secondary school teachers in Kampala, Uganda. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using principles of grounded theory. Findings show that while teachers’ personal experience of sexual initiation did not directly align with the content of their messages, due to the centrality and evocative function of these schemas these experiences strengthened teachers’ motivation to teach sexuality education because they enabled them to empathise with students. The study concludes that teachers’ personal experiences of sexual initiation provide intrinsic motivation for teaching sexuality education. The inclusion of dialogues and activities which encourage self-reflexivity in teacher education and training may improve the delivery of sex, sexuality and relationships education.

The Application of Cultural Schema Theory in the Translation of English and Chinese Idioms

世界科学出版社（World Science Publishing-WSP）立足国际，积极配合中国“走出去”出版战略，大力推进版权输出与引进，并不断拓展国际间的交流与合作，取得显著成绩。WSP国际图书出版项目力倡中国科研人员出版英文图书，出版社具有丰富的国际传播资源与雄厚的编辑、翻译、出版力量，拥有一批著名的中外翻译专家、出版专家，及一支精通国际出版的编辑、翻译和国际营销队伍。探索“科学进步”与“社会进步”是人类永恒主题，WSP推崇以科学信仰引领学术方向，遵循各国法律和地方法规，能够协助您优质、快捷、低

Teachers' professional identities in the context of school-based sexuality education in Uganda-a qualitative study.

School-based sexuality education makes teachers important gatekeepers of students’ access to information about sexual and reproductive health and rights. The school setting has the potential to reach large numbers of students. However, teachers’ professional identities may go beyond, differ from or even conflict with the qualities required of sexuality educators. To gain a better understanding of the role of professional identity in the delivery of school-based sexuality education, this study used cultural schema theory to study teachers’ professional identities, and how these motivate them to provide sexuality education. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 sexuality education teachers at secondary schools in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Sexuality education lessons were observed to validate the findings from the interviews. Results identified five cultural schemas of professional identity: (i) upholder of ethics and regulations; (ii) authority figure; (iii) counsellor and guide; (iv) role model; and (v) guardian. The study concludes that teachers’ cultural schemas of professional identity motivate them to adhere to moral discourses of abstinence and sexual innocence. To support teachers in taking more comprehensive approaches to sexuality education, it is important that they receive adequate teacher training and support from the Ugandan government, the school administration and the wider community.

OLDER ADULTS’ PERSPECTIVES OF COGNITIVE HEALTH PROMOTION AND ACTIVITIES TO AMELIORATE COGNITIVE DECLINE

There is a paucity of research on cognitive health promotion from the perspective of older adults, especially within a rural context. However, dementia and cognitive impairment are more prevalent among rural older adults than urban older adults. This presentation has two objectives: to examine cognitive health promotion from the perspective of rural older adults; and 2) to identify key activities associated with ameliorating cognitive decline in rural communities. Drawing on a community-based participatory research approach, data was collected through two waves of semi-structured interviews with the same group of 42 older adults in rural Saskatchewan, Canada. Guided by lay theory and cultural schema theory, data was coded using thematic analysis. In describing cognitive health promotion, four key areas emerged including emotional health, intellectual health, social health, and functional health. In discussing activities to support cognitive health promotion, participants emphasized the importance of thinking positively, keeping your brain active, mingling with others, and managing your daily affairs. Focusing on older adults’ perceptions of cognitive health promotion provides valuable information to advance knowledge of key strategies and activities to support cognitive health. In developing effective strategies to promote cognitive health, it is essential to engage in collaborative research and partnerships with older adults.

Supporting older adults’ engagement in health-care programs and policies: Findings from a rural cognitive health study

ABSTRACTAlthough rural seniors are important users of health-care services, their perspectives and input remain largely absent from health programs and policies. This article explores rural seniors’ perspectives to support their engagement in patient-oriented research. Guided by lay theory and cultural schema theory, participant observation, concept maps, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 rural seniors in Saskatchewan, Canada. Three themes were identified: community outreach through trust and partnership-building; using flexible data collection methods such as moving to open-ended interviews rather than closed-ended surveys; and developing community-relevant dissemination strategies such as local newspaper articles, posters, and community workshops. In moving forward, collaborative research with seniors is essential to improving health programs and policies for older adults in rural communities and beyond.

Teachers’ conflicting cultural schemas of teaching comprehensive school-based sexuality education in Kampala, Uganda

Teachers can feel uncomfortable teaching sexuality education when the content conflicts with their cultural values and beliefs. However, more research is required to understand how to resolve conflicts between teachers’ values and beliefs and those implicit in comprehensive approaches to sexuality education. This study uses cultural schema theory to identify teachers’ cultural schemas of teaching sexuality education and the internal conflicts arising between them. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 secondary school teachers in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Embedded in a context of morality, conflicting cultural schemas of sexuality education and young people’s sexual citizenship in traditional and present-day Ugandan society were found: young people are both innocent and sexually active; sexuality education both encourages and prevents sexual activity; and teachers need to teach sexuality education, but it is considered immoral for them to do so. In countries such as Uganda, supportive school regulations and a mandate from society could help teachers feel more comfortable adopting comprehensive approaches to sexuality education.

The Impact of Cross-Cultural Background Knowledge upon Iranian EFL Students’ Productive Skills

Teaching culture has been considered important in foreign language instruction for almost a century. In this study theliterature behind Cultural Schema Theory was reviewed and the practicality of applying this theory into the EFLclassroom and its effect on the EFL students’ productive skills (writing and speaking) were observed. This studyincludes two phases. First, a learning phase in which the treatment group was exposed to a variety of materials ofdifferent cultural issues. Second, a test phase in which a pre and post-test of speaking and writing were given to bothcontrol and experimental groups to determine any differences in their writing and speaking performance. And at theend of the treatment a semi-structured interview was used to know the experimental group’s opinion about differentcultural issues that were discussed during the term in their EFL class. The data was subjected to the statisticalprocedure of t-test and the results of this study indicated that not only all the students of experimental groupoutperformed the students of control group in their speaking and writing performance but also according to thesemi-structure interview the students of experimental group had a positive reaction towards the integration of cultureinto the classroom context. The results showed that L2 learners may need to understand different aspects of the targetculture better in order not only to speak and write accurately but also to interpret appropriately what they hear and tointeract effectively with members of the target culture.

On Cultural Default and Compensation in Big Breasts and Wide Hips From the Perspective of Cultural Schema Theory

On Cultural Default and Compensation in Big Breasts and Wide Hips From the Perspective of Cultural Schema Theory

"In a situation of rescuing life": meanings given to diabetes symptoms and care-seeking practices among adults in Southeastern Tanzania: a qualitative inquiry.

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus is an emerging public health problem in Tanzania. For the community and the health system to respond adequately to this problem, it is important that we understand the meanings given to its symptoms, and the care-seeking practices of individuals.MethodsTo explore collective views on the meanings given to diabetes symptoms, we conducted nine focus group discussions with adult diabetes patients and members of the general community. To gain a better understanding of how the meanings in the community inform the care-seeking practices of individuals, 19 in-depth interviews were conducted with diabetes patients. The data were analyzed using principles of grounded theory and applying cultural schema theory as a deductive framework.ResultsIn the communities and among the patients, knowledge and awareness of diabetes are limited. Both people with diabetes and community members referred to their prevailing cultural meaning systems and schemas for infectious diseases to interpret and assign meaning to the emerging symptoms. Diabetes patients reported that they had initially used anti-malarial medicines because they believed their symptoms—like headache, fever, and tiredness—were suggestive of malaria. Schemas for body image informed the meaning given to diabetes symptoms similar to those of HIV, like severe weight loss. Confusion among members of the community about the diabetes symptoms instigated tension, causing patients to be mistrusted and stigmatized. The process of meaning-giving and the diagnosis of the diabetes symptoms was challenging for both patients and health care professionals. Diabetes patients reported being initially misdiagnosed and treated for other conditions by medical professionals. The inability to assign meaning to the symptoms and determine their etiologies informed the decision made by some patients to consult traditional healers, and to associate their symptoms with witchcraft causes.ConclusionThe meanings given to diabetes symptoms and the care-seeking practices described in the study are shaped by the prevailing cultural schemas for infectious diseases and their treatments. Efforts to educate people about the symptoms of diabetes and to encourage them to seek out appropriate care should build on the prevailing cultural meaning system and schemas for diseases, health and illness.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1504-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Intercultural (Mis)Communication: Why Would You “Out” Me in Class?

This paper conceptualizes Hopson’s notion of crash moments by exploring an intercultural interaction (between an individual who identifies as heterosexual and another who identifies as homosexual) within a graduate classroom by drawing on cultural schema theory and critical incident analysis. Ultimately, this paper deconstructs a communication breakdown through a self-reflexive process in which the researcher was “outed” (someone else disclosed the sexual orientation of a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered individual in a public setting) by a classmate—which the researcher deems as a problematic occurrence, making the incident critical and fitting for analysis within an intercultural communication context. This paper also considers the complexities of sexual identity negotiation as an African American female lesbian at a Historically Black College/University.

Cultural schemas in intercultural communication: A study of the Persian cultural schema of sharmandegi ‘being ashamed’

This paper explores the Persian cultural pragmatic schema of sharmandegi ‘being ashamed,’ which underlies the enactment of several speech acts in Persian. These include expressing gratitude, offering goods and services, requesting goods and services, apology, refusal, and accepting offers. For instance, the schema encourages Persian speakers to use the expression sharmandam ‘I am ashamed’ when inviting guests to the dinner table, suggesting that their food is not worthy of the guests. In this instance, this is a linguistic strategy to achieve positive politeness for the speaker. The paper presents some naturally occurring data from intercultural contexts where a Persian speaker has enacted the same schema communicating with Australian English speaking interlocutors. Elicited interpretations of the use of the expression of sharmandegi (such as ‘I am ashamed I didn't call you’ or ‘I'm sorry the food is not good’) from a number of Australian English speakers reveal the potential for misunderstanding on the part of non-Persian speakers in intercultural communication with Persian speakers who use this schema when speaking English. In general, this study further reveals the potential of cultural schema theory for studies of intercultural pragmatics and contributes to the body of research on intercultural communication involving speakers of Persian.

Aspects of Aboriginal English oral discourse: an application of cultural schema theory

This article examines how cultural schema theory has been employed to explore some aspects of Aboriginal English oral discourse. The merit of this approach lies in the explanatory tools provided by cultural schema theory in accounting for those features of oral discourse in Aboriginal English which are distinctive and which often impair its lucidity to non-Aboriginal speakers. In particular, we have focused on the exploration of (a) recurrent semantic and formal patterning across a large body of narratives, (b) evidence of speakers' use of indigenous schemas in associative responses as well as in processing oral narrative, and (c) schema maintenance in discourse in non-traditional settings and in the context of non-traditional subjects.

Remembering What One Knows and the Construction of the Past: A Comparison of Cultural Consensus Theory and Cultural Schema Theory

Cultural consensus theory and cultural models theory present distinct perspectives about the nature of individual and cultural knowledge. Anthropologists have not really explored the implications of these differences, nor have they examined these differing perspectives in situations where both are plausible alternatives. Through an analysis of patterns in how individuals diagnosed with diabetes and living in an Anishinaabe (Ojibway) community talked about diabetes and the judgments they made about the relevancy of culturally plausible illness causes, I find, for this data set at least, that cultural models theory provides a better fit. Nevertheless, cultural consensus analysis played a critical role in this determination. Some ideas about the nature of collective memory are examined in light of my findings.

Toward an integrative model for cross-cultural counseling and psychotherapy

The purpose of this article is to present an integrative model of cross-cultural counseling and psychotherapy. Illustrated by a series of critical incidents, it is argued that unidimensional models of cross-cultural counseling and psychotherapy are inherently limited. Using Kluckhohn and Murray's tripartite model of personality, an integrative, sequential, and dynamic model of cross-cultural counseling is advanced. Support for the validity of the Kluckhohn and Murray model is first reviewed. This is followed by a delineation of the components of the current integrative model: (a) Outgroup homogeneity effect, (b) Cultural schema theory, (c) Complimentarity theory, (d) Science of complexity, and (e) Mindfulness. The operation of this model is described in a series of figures and the implications for counseling practice and future research is discussed.