Inferior Social Status Research Articles

Analysis of Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl from the Perspective of Feminist Stylistics

Girl is contemporary Antiguan-American writer Jamaica Kincaid’s autobiographical writing, which describes a girl dictated by the instructions of her demanding mother about how to behave properly like a lady. Through the narration of daily life between mother and daughter, the influence of colonial history and colonial culture on the family life of African Caribbean women is reflected in the work. With the analysis at three different levels of words, sentence and discourse from the perspective of feminist stylistics, the weak feminine role and the inferior social status of women in Antigua are explored. A traditional and typical Caribbean mother and daughter relationship of the controlling mother with the obedient daughter is revealed.

Celebrity Culture and Transgenders; A Study of Autobiography by Laxmi Narayan Thripati

Binary opposition is seen as a fundamental organizer of human philosophy, culture and language. Derrida rejects this binary opposition on grounds that such oppositions always privilege one term over the other. Our society has binary opposition system of central and peripheral social groups. But there are other different social elements in between belonging to different social groups. In case of transgenders, they belong to the peripheral or the subaltern group having inferior social status. The dominant upper-class celebrity culture occupies the central place enjoying the higher status. In between these central and peripheral elements there exist many other elements consisting people from other social groups or status. Laxmi Narayan Thripati is a trangender rights activist. She moves into celebrity circle. On one hand she is a subaltern, on the other hand she is a celebrity. This paper tries to explore how some elements of higher celebrity social culture accommodate and support the marginalized transgenders provided the subaltern also is in higher social group. The paper also tries to find out the reactions of the celebrity circle to other transgenders and the reactions of different social groups towards the transgenders.

초기 영국 여성 작가들의 작품에 나타난 여성의 사랑, 우정 그리고 공동체

In Britain, long before Wollstonecraft’s The Vindication of Women’s Rights, many female writers questioned the contemporary society that took it for granted the inferior social status of women. One interesting way of making critique of the male-dominant contemporary society was to emphasize female friendship and love. Katherine Philips, Mary Lee Chudleigh and Aphra Behn assert that love and marriage in the contemporary male-dominant society simply become a means to fulfill men’s desire to rule over women, thereby emphasizing the consolation of female friendship and love. Mary Astell and Sarah Scott go further than this, and they propose a separative community of women based on mutual female friendship. These writers make a significant and poignant feminist critique of men’s oppression of women by locating women outside the very social order and relations of power in which men can exercise their oppressive power over women.

Does Social Mobility Matter? The Kafala System and Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

Existing studies argue that anti-immigrant sentiment stems from threat perception. Yet, conventional theoretical approaches cannot fully explain hostility toward immigrants in the Middle East and North Africa, where low-skilled foreign workers occupy an inferior social and legal status vis-a-vis natives under the kafala system. Building on existing studies of immigration politics, we theorize how immigration policies can either facilitate or prevent the social mobility of foreign workers. Exploring immigration attitudes in 14 Middle East and North Africa countries using an original dataset that matches survey responses with host country-specific factors, we find that extreme rights-restricting immigration policies (such as the kafala system) encourage wealthier natives to be more hostile than their lower-class counterparts. Our study suggests that anti-immigrant sentiment is context-specific and influenced by local institutions.

Cognitive Disability and Social Inequality

Individuals with ‘severe’ cognitive disabilities are primarily discussed in philosophy and bioethics to determine their moral status. In this paper it is argued that theories of moral status have limited relevance to the unjust ways in which people with cognitive disabilities are routinely treated in the actual world, which largely concerns their relegation to an inferior social status. I discuss three possible relationships between moral and social status, demonstrating that determinate answers about the moral status of individuals with ‘severe’ cognitive disabilities are neither necessary nor sufficient for defending the imperative that they be treated as our social equals.

The Kakabe dialectal continuum: A lexicostatistical study

Kakabe, an understudied language in Guinea (Mokole < Western Mande < < Mande < Niger-Congo), is spoken by several ethnic groups, mainly of inferior social status, most of which are bilingual in Pular. There are four dialects of Kakabe: Northern (the Kankalabe area), Central (villages to the north-west, east and southeast of Timbo), Kuru-Maninka and Wure-Kaba Maninka. The Northern and Central dialects are close to each other linguistically, their speakers refer to themselves as “Kakabe”, and these dialects can be regarded as comprising “nuclear Kakabe”; meanwhile, the speakers of Kuru-Maninka and Wure-Kaba Maninka reject being identified as “Kakabe”, and their varieties have far fewer loans from Pular. A lexicostatistical study based on the Swadesh 100-item wordlist has been carried out. It confirmed the preliminary hypothesis of a particular affinity between the “core dialects” and showed that the other two dialects are further removed from them, but not as distant as the Mogofin (Mixifore) language spoken to the south of Boke (extreme NW part of the Republic of Guinea). Therefore, from a linguistic viewpoint, the Wure-Kaba Maninka and Kuru-Maninka varieties can be regarded Kakabe dialects despite the fact that their speakers do not consider themselves Kakabe.

‘There is no race here’: on blackness, slavery, and disavowal in North Africa and North African studies

ABSTRACT This article brings comparative race and ethnic studies, migration studies, and North/African studies together to investigate how local-historical conceptions of blackness intersect with contemporary border policing of ‘sub-Saharan’ migrants. Defining race as a historically-contingent formation, I argue that blackness emerged at various periods in North African history (from the Islamic expansion to the present-day) to signify inferior social status and non-belonging, meanings that are shaped by the practices, discourses, and memories of slavery. This intervention connects critical studies on racialized border enforcement to other processes of social exclusions already at work within North African social space. It fills a critical gap in North African studies by providing a theoretically- and historically-grounded analysis of racial formation (and especially blackness) in the region that will have broad utility to scholars studying marginalisation and marginalised people’s political mobilisation at various historical moments. Finally, it challenges contemporary scholarship on race as (only) a modern category forged through European colonialism and trans-Atlantic slavery.

Cultural Dynamics of Women Population as Inheritable Property in Anambra Traditional Society in South-Eastern Nigeria: Implications for Women’s Health

The study examined the practice of women as inheritable property among the Anambra Igbo. This was with a view to analysing how this practice has impacted on women’s population health and ascertain whether there have been changes in this practice. Feminism theory was employed to explain the inferior social status, subordination and exclusion of women population from partaking in the societal resources such as family property. This paper argued that women’s lack of access to inheritable property is the cause of women’s poverty and their poor health in Igboland. The study indicated that women are seen and treated as property and that women are inherited by their husbands’ kinsmen at the death of their husbands. The study also revealed neglect in the welfare of the widow and her children for her refusal to observe certain cultural but inhumane practice. The study also revealed that some communities practice widow cleansing in which the village deity priest must have sex with the widow after the burial of her husband so that she should be allowed to stay in that community. The study recommended that women as inheritable property have economic and health implications for all women in Igboland whether they are widowed, married or single. The study concluded that the concept of women as inheritable property impoverishes women and constitutes a barrier to women’s attainment of their full potentials in Igboland, and it has serious implications for their health.

V. Gordon Childe and Arnold Hauser on the social origins of the artist

Vere Gordon Childe’s theory of craft specialisation was an important influence on Arnold Hauser’s book The Social History of Art, published in 1951. Childe’s Marxist interpretation of prehistory enabled Hauser to establish a material foundation for the occupation of the artist in Western art history. However, Hauser’s effort to construct a progressive basis for artistic labour was complicated by art’s ancient connections to religion and superstition. While the artist’s social position and class loyalties were ambiguous in Childe’s accounts of early civilisations, Hauser consigned artists to the lower echelons of society. This relegation did not imply that Hauser had a low regard for artistic skills. Quite the opposite, the artist’s inferior social status enabled Hauser to distance artists from the ruling class, and consequently, to separate artistic handiwork from the dominant ideology that works of art manifested.

Women and Economic Power in Premodern Royal Courts ed. by Cathleen Sarti

Reviewed by: Women and Economic Power in Premodern Royal Courts ed. by Cathleen Sarti Frank Swannack Sarti, Cathleen, ed, Women and Economic Power in Premodern Royal Courts, Leeds, Arc Humanities Press, 2020; hardback; pp. 108; R.R.P. €69.00; ISBN 9781641892728. Conceived from discussions amongst scholars at numerous academic conferences, Women and Economic Power in Premodern Royal Courts merges two novel approaches. The notion of analysing premodern royal courts as businesses; and the businesswomen behind them. What is remarkable about the volume is that despite being absent from historical records and subjected to patriarchal prejudice, the women studied here made themselves known through economic power. As editor Cathleen Sarti asserts in the introduction, the volume contests 'dominant narratives of women's dependence on their spouses' (p. 2). The essays collected as four chapters restore the imbalance of previously disregarded or understudied premodern records in order for the women of the royal courts to reassert their vital importance. Chapter 1, by Michele Seah and Katia Wright, focuses on fourteenth- and fifteenth-century queenship. In particular, they tackle the ambiguity of noblewomen's inferior social status to men despite being allowed to be autonomous landowners through royal marriage. The major problem to researching economic medieval queenship is that the evidence found in the chancery and exchequer mainly focus on the crown's administration records. Seah and Wright discover the best sources detailing a queen's economic activity are found in their dowers. They also probe the importance of landownership through two illuminating case studies. The first case study is a legal dispute between Margaret of France (Edward I's widow) and the four heiresses of one of her tenants. The intriguing picture emerging from the legal records is how the queen was active in managing the administration of the king's and her own estates. In the second case study, Patent and Parliamentary Rolls provide the evidence for Margaret of Anjou's lands and estates. A careful examination of the records reveals how Margaret's considerable revenue supported the king's finances and enabled her habit of giving expensive gifts to her staff. In Chapter 2, Charlotte Backerra and Cathérine Ludwig-Ockenfels examine the often-overlooked economic power of empresses and princess consorts of the Holy Roman Empire. An obstacle to their research is how records of empresses' financial activity were disregarded and even destroyed. Backerra and Ludwig-Ockenfels focus on Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, the last of the grand ducal dynasty, specifically, her role in managing her personal finances as electress in the Holy Roman Empire, and as a widow committed to investing in the memoria of her late husband. [End Page 257] Laura Tompkins questions Alice Perrers's infamous reputation as Edward III of England's gold-digging mistress. Perrers's image as a 'greedy harlot' has endured historic infamy until the last fifty years has seen her character reappraised by critics (p. 63). Tompkins goes further by exploring the deeply rooted prejudices towards women with considerable economic power. What emerges from Tompkins's study is that Perrers used her political influence and power as the king's mistress to augment her personal wealth beyond Edward III's provision. Perrers comes across as a mafia-style businesswoman in a ruthless patriarchal world that ultimately condemned her. Cathleen Sarti examines the anomalous Sigbrit Villoms, a 'foreign, non-noble woman', and the mother of the Danish king Christian II's mistress, who handled Danish monetary affairs and influenced political change (p 73). Through letters and legal documents, Sarti pieces together an incredible woman who managed the king's finances, helped her daughter the queen through five pregnancies (1517–23), and even taught new medical knowledge to Paracelsus. The fascinating and well-researched articles in Women and Economic Power in Premodern Royal Courts present a clear picture of women's considerable economic skills in premodern royal courts. Kings, it would seem, were often more reliant on their queens and mistresses for financial advice than has been previously considered. Another undervalued aspect of economic life that transpires from the contributions is the women's generosity. With the considerable financial resources available, the women of royal households placed high value on gift...

Police Reform Through a Power Lens

Scholars and reformers have in recent years begun to imagine new and different configurations for how the state can design policing institutions. These conversations have increased in volume and urgency in response to the 2020 national uprising against police violence, when radical demands born within social movements have gained steam—demands to defund the police, to institute “people’s budgets,” and to give communities control over the state provision of security. In recent years, within this time of foment and possibility, social movements have been proposing, creating, and sometimes establishing new governance arrangements that shift power over policing to those who have been most harmed by mass criminalization and mass incarceration. These recent pushes by social movements for power-shifting surface a fundamental set of questions about the very purpose of police reform, adding a new way for scholars and reformers to think about the contours and objectives of the state’s provision of safety and security—what this Article terms the power lens. This Article examines the movement focus on power-shifting in the governance of the police at both the local and national levels. It fleshes out a three-part theoretical account of why the power lens is an important and necessary addition to how scholars and reformers view the regulation of policing. First, shifting power to policed populations is reparative, in the sense that it shifts power downward toward populations who have been denied political power directly as a result of the history of policing policies and practices in their neighborhoods. Second, power-shifting is a means of promoting anti-subordination, based on the idea that it is wrong for the state to engage in practices that enforce the inferior social status of historically oppressed groups. Third, a power lens on police reform promotes a particular view of contestatory democracy, one in which democratic policing has as one of its objectives the facilitation of countervailing power for those subject to the domination of the state. Taken together, the power lens brings a critical eye to the ways in which the construction of the notion of “expertise” often denies agency to the people who most often interact with police in the streets and on the roads. More broadly, the power lens opens up discussions of reform to first-order questions about how the state should go about providing safety and security in our time, with or without the police as we know it.

Urdu, Punjabi & Pothwari: Striking Similarities & Uniqueness of the Three Indo-Aryan Languages

Urdu, Punjabi and Pothwari are the three most widely spoken languages in Pakistan and India. Historical invasions and colonization resulted in the dispersal of the local population, causing numerous dialects of each language. There are different theories and myths about the historical connection of these languages. One such theory says that Pothwari is a variant of the Punjabi language. This might be due to the perception that Pothwari has so far been unable to claim the status of an independent language and thus, has a subordinated, relegated or inferior social status. The main reason behind this might be the folk linguistic perceptions that connect this great Oriental language with the uneducated and the unrefined. Though Urdu, Punjabi and Pothwari have sprung from the same ancestral source, they have developed uniquely over centuries. This article explores how the shared features between these three languages have diverged over time, causing great linguistic diversification

As a Dalit Women

It is awfully significant to enquire how the lower casts Dalit women have read about socio-economic and cultural aspects of Dalit colony life, that have changed our life and society. I argue that the colonies serve as an index of their inferior social status. It serves more of their ghettoisation than for their empowerment. It further distances them from society and helps to appropriate their labour. This is the continuation of the age-old practice of caste discrimination and deprivation that kept them away from the mainstream while appropriating their labour for the general development of society. This paper focuses on the rereading of social norms which evolved through my probing of the social history of ‘caste colony’ as part of my research, especially in Dalit women.

Connotation of the lexemes “dame” and “lady” from feminist perspective

The Russian lexemes « dame » and « lady » which were borrowed from European languages to designate wealthy, educated and high society women became assimilated in the Russian language and culture. The words gave rise to culture-oriented colocations (кaвaлерственaя дaмa/ chivalry dame), and developed new connotations, which the lexeme «женщинa»/ woman does not have. In addition to neutral and positive connotations (“истиннaя леди”/ true lady), the lexemes acquired negative connotations like “дaмa полусветa”/ demimondaine dame, which indicate to the woman’s inferior social status (полковaя дaмa/ regimental dame), highlight women’s weaknesses not inherent to men (aвтоледи/ auto lady), and stereotypical ideas of women’s low intellect (дaмский ромaн/ love story). The inherent and adherent connotations of the lexemes «дaмa»/ dame and «леди»/ lady revealed through analysis are based on traditional stereotypical ideas about women’s social roles and imply evaluation of the woman’s performance in traditionally male spheres. Thereby, acquisition of negative and ironic connotations by the lexemes is conditioned in society denying women’s new functions and roles from feminist perspective.

The Johannine Footwashing as the Sign for Perfect Love: An Exegetical Study of John 13:1–20

Originally presented as a doctoral dissertation to the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Mathew’s study is an analysis of John 13:1–20. Following a brief introduction, she reviews the previous literature. The discussion of John 13:1–20 falls into two categories. Scholars such as Culpepper and Thompson conclude that the footwashing scene is non-sacramental, for the pericope develops theological themes found elsewhere in John. Others, such as Moloney and Thomas, interpret the passage sacramentally, perhaps reflecting the practice of the Johannine community itself.In ch. 2, Mathew provides a text-critical analysis of John 13:1–20. She gives particular attention to the long and short readings of 13:10. Mathew concludes that the longer reading, where Jesus announces that the one who has bathed (λελουμένος) need only wash (νίψασθαι) their feet, is most likely the authentic reading. The former term refers to receiving Jesus’s words, whereas the latter refers to physical washing; in 13:10, to washing one’s feet before a meal. Thus, νίψασθαι contains no reference to purification. A sacramental interpretation of John 13:1–20 is excluded.Chapter 3 contextualizes John 13:1–20 in light of biblical, ancient Near Eastern, and Greco-Roman literature. Footwashing was often performed before meals. Providing water for guests to wash their own feet was considered an important act of hospitality (Luke 7:44). In Exod 30:10–21, footwashing also featured as an element of ritual purity. In these instances, however, water was provided so individuals could wash their own feet. On certain occasions, servants washed the feet of guests, or a person of inferior social status washed the feet of an individual of higher status. There are no parallels to a teacher washing disciples’ feet during a meal.John 13:1–20 also has a specific literary purpose. This function is explored on macro and micro levels in chs. 4–5. The role of the footwashing scene as the introduction to John 13–17 is discussed in ch. 4. Mathew rejects source theories that separate all or part of 13:1–20 from 13:1–38. John 13:1–38 serves as an introduction to the final discourse in John 14–17. While possessing superficial similarities to departure narratives in Greco-Roman accounts of symposia, there are also significant differences between John 14–17 and accounts of symposia. The explanation is that John “bends” the symposium genre in service of his Christology.In ch. 5, Mathew proposes that John 13:1–20 is structured chiastically. Part A (13:1) is understood as describing Jesus’s identity and mission. The corresponding Part A1 (13:20) indicates the identity and mission of Jesus’s “own,” the disciples. Part B (13:2) is described as love denied, where Satan has placed into Judas’s heart the plan to betray Jesus. In conjunction, Part B1 (13:18–19) is understood as affirming love, where the Johannine Jesus expresses his love for all the disciples, despite Judas’s transgression of sacred table fellowship (Ps 41:10 as quoted in John 13:18). Part C (13:3) notes Jesus’s authority. Part C1 (13:16–17) describes the authority of those sent as Jesus’s agents in language reminiscent of Jesus’s own authority. Part D (13:4–11) describes Jesus’s act of life-giving love. In Part D1 (13:12–15) those at the meal are commanded to demonstrate the same love toward one another. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the impact of the language of the Synoptic Gospels on John’s presentation of Jesus’s words (pp. 218–29).Chapters 6–9 provide detailed exegesis of the chiasm. Particularly interesting is Mathew’s translation of the phrase “he loved them to the end” in 13:1 as “he loved them perfectly.” Jesus, who has knowledge of all things (3:3) provides an example of perfect love in the act of footwashing. In the same authority and humility, the disciples of the Johannine Jesus are sent on their mission (13:16–17). However, the recipients of Jesus’s love were all deeply flawed. They included the betrayer, Judas, the denier, Peter, and the remaining disciples who would desert Jesus in his hour of need. In light of these observations Mathew concludes that the Johannine love ideal is not restricted to the community but also extends to outside opponents. John 13:1–20 is, in short, an acted parable of the Synoptic command to love one’s enemies.Mathew advances our understanding of the footwashing scene of John 13. Whether her conclusions that 13:1 refers to Jesus’s perfect love, and that this love is inclusive, will need further investigation. Her observations do challenge those who conclude that the Johannine love ethic is exclusive of those outside the community. Perhaps John 13:1–20 provides a commentary on the tradition reflected in Matt 5:44–48. If so, scholars will need to continue their consideration of the relationship between John and the Synoptic or pre-Synoptic tradition.

Bangladesh Fistula Mission Partnership: Leveraging Assets from the United States Agency for International Development and the Department of Defense to Address a Health Care Crisis in a Developing Nation.

Obstetric fistulae are a leading scourge for women in developing countries resulting, in severe individual suffering and devastating socio-economic repercussions for her family and community. The underlying causes of obstetric fistula stem from multiple factors to include poor nutrition, early marriage, insufficient education and inferior social status of women as well as substandard medical care. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested more than $100 million globally since 2004 to address these factors as well as support women suffering with fistulae. The ultimate goal is to eradicate obstetric fistula in Bangladesh in the next 20 years. Despite these efforts, nearly 20,000 women in Bangladesh, still suffer with this malady. To close this gap, USAID and the Department of Defense (DOD) developed a novel Interagency Agreement (IAA) leveraging the surgical skills of military health professionals to scale-up the ongoing fistula care program. The agreement outlined three lines of effort: (1) treat existing fistulae by bolstering surgical capacity of the existing USAID fistula care program; (2) promote fistula mitigation with lectures and hands-on teaching of obstetric care as well as safe gynecologic surgery; and (3) assist with advocacy at higher levels of the Bangladesh government. A Bangladesh Fistula Mission Partnership working group was formed to design and implement this IAA. Critical partners from the US Embassy in Dhaka included USAID (Health, Legal, Contracting), the DOD (Office of Defense Cooperation), and Department of State (Regional Security Officer). Partners from the US Army included United States Army-Pacific Command (Surgeon, Legal, Finance, Security Cooperation, Contracting), Regional Health Command-Pacific (Operations, Legal, Public Affairs), and Tripler Army Medical Center (Department of OBGYN, Operations, Public Affairs). Institutional Review Board approval was not required as the treatments offered were standard of care. The Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) health professionals executed the IAA with one pre-deployment site survey and two surgical missions in 2016-2017. The military team supported the surgical repair of 40 pelvic fistulae and perineal tears and provided operative management for an additional 25 patients with pelvic organ prolapse. Furthermore, the team conducted 19 professional lectures and multiple educational forums at hospitals in Kumudini, Khulna and the premier medical university in Dhaka for over 800 attendees including physicians, nurses and students to help prevent obstetric and surgical fistulae. Importantly, the team assisted USAID as subject matter experts in its advocacy to the Bangladesh Ministry of Health for improved maternity care and regulatory oversight. During the missions, the team enhanced their readiness by exercising individual and collective tasks while exposing personnel to the cultural context of the region. This IAA was the first USAID funded and DoD-executed health mission in the US Indo-Pacific Command Area of Responsibility. Direct participation in the IAA enabled TAMC to support the US Indo-Pacific Command Theater Campaign Plan, the Department of Defense Instruction 2000.30 on Global Health Engagements, the USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategy, and the US Ambassadors Integrated Country Strategy Objectives in Bangladesh. This effort can serve as a model for future cooperation between USAID and the DoD.

Does the use of honorific appellations in audit reports connote higher financial misstatement risk? Evidence from China

PurposeFrom the sociolinguistic perspective, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether the honorific and actual-name appellations that Chinese auditors use to address clients in audit reports connote differential financial misstatement risk. Specifically, the authors hypothesize that auditors’ use of honorifics signals their inferior social status relative to their clients, thereby leading to compromised auditor independence, lower audit quality, and higher financial misstatement risk.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a sample of manually coded appellation data from audit reports of Chinese public firms between 2003 and 2012 to conduct the research.FindingsThe authors find significantly greater financial misstatements, both in terms of likelihoods and magnitudes, for companies addressed by honorifics than for those addressed by actual names. Moreover, compared to auditors’ consistent honorific usage, discretionary honorific usage has a stronger positive association with misstatements. The authors further show that the positive association between honorific usage and client misstatement risk weakens when the audit firm is a Top 10 accounting firms in China, is an industry specialist, is formed as a partnership, or resides in a more concentrated audit market.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the sociolinguistics literature in accounting and provides evidence supporting the reform proposed by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board to enhance the usefulness of audit reporting.

Migrant and ethnic minority status as risk indicators for schizophrenia: new findings.

Arguably, the strongest evidence of an environmental contribution to the cause of psychosis is the increased risk for certain groups of migrants and ethnic minorities. This article summarizes findings published since 2016. Two studies suggested that migration or minority status are proxies for exposure to an inferior social status. A study from Bologna, Italy, showed that the psychosis risk for internal migrants from Southern Italy was as much increased as that for international migrants. A report from New Zealand reported a higher risk for Maoris than for the remainder of the population.Furthermore, a Danish investigation showed that own-group ethnic density of the neighbourhood at age 15 strongly modified the psychosis risk at adult age. This rules out differential mobility during the prodromal phase as an explanation for the ethnic density effect. Preliminary evidence suggests that the psychotogenic effect of migration may be mediated by elevated dopamine in the striatum. An increasing body of evidence suggests that the higher psychosis risk for certain migrant or ethnic minority groups is due to an inferior social status. Neuroimaging of the dopamine system appears to be a promising avenue for research into pathogenesis.

Does the Use of Honorific Appellations in Audit Reports Connote Higher Financial Misstatement Risk? Evidence from China

From the sociolinguistic perspective, this study examines whether the honorific and actual-name appellations that Chinese auditors use to address clients in audit reports connote differential financial misstatement risk. Specifically, we hypothesize that auditors’ use of honorifics signals their inferior social status relative to their clients, thereby leading to compromised auditor independence, lower audit quality, and higher financial misstatement risk. We find significantly greater financial misstatements, both in terms of likelihoods and magnitudes, for companies addressed by honorifics than for those addressed by actual names. Moreover, compared to auditors’ consistent honorific usage, discretionary honorific usage has a stronger positive association with misstatements. We further show that the positive association between honorific usage and client misstatement risk weakens when the audit firm is a Top 10 accounting firm in China, is an industry specialist, is formed as a partnership, or resides in a more concentrated audit market. This study contributes to the sociolinguistics literature in accounting and provides evidence supporting the reform proposed by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) to enhance the usefulness of audit reporting.

Measuring racial microaggression in medical practice

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to validate the already existing Racial Microaggression in Counseling Scale (RMCS) when the term ‘therapist’ was replaced with ‘physician’, thus constituting the modification as the Racial Microaggression in Medical Practice Scale (RMMPS). Racial microaggressions work at reinforcing inferior social status on a cognitive level. Unlike overt racism, messages behind microaggression are subtler and more every day. A lack of acceptance, respect, and regard emerges from interactions in medical contexts as there are layers of in-group and out-group statuses at play (e.g. physician-patient, Black–White, expert-lay, and Westernized-alternative). The layer focused on in this study was that of race or skin color. A sample of racial minorities in the Northeast (n = 91) was investigated both quantitatively and qualitatively to validate the modification and future use of a RMMPS. The scale was related to the racial incongruence between patient and provider. Qualitative findings support the original concepts and themes used when developing the 10-item measure in a counseling setting. Psychometric findings for the scale also supported its factorial structure using generalizability theory estimates. Future implications of this research relate to health behavior, trustworthiness, and health outcomes of minority patients. Its potential for use among various practitioners, educators, and researchers is also discussed.