Informal Conversations Research Articles

A Contrastive Analysis of Diglossia in Japanese and Javanese

This study aims to describe the linguistic situation of the use of Japanese and Javanese varieties in a diglossic situation. This research uses descriptive qualitative method by using data analysis method of pairing method. The method used in data collection is the listening method embodied in the tapping technique and when necessary the researcher uses the listening technique with the recording technique. The results showed that the findings in Japanese in jougei kankei (seniority relationship) determine the type of language used in communication. Language levels include the variety of ordinary forms (Futsu) in informal conversations and polite forms (Teinei) respectful forms (Keigo) in formal conversations. The finding of Javanese language that the situation of diglossia between speakers of Javanese speech community in Asahan dominantly occurs in familiar symmetrical and familiar asymmetrical situations. In the familiar symmetrical situation, all language varieties used are ngoko lugu variant forms. The relationship of social factors that are parallel and the relationship of familiar closeness between speakers causes the use of ngoko varieties with the variant form of ngoko lugu between speakers, while in familiar asymmetrical situations it is dominated by using the form of ngoko lugu, the rest are variant forms of ngoko alus and ngoko alus-ngoko lugu and lugu krama varieties.

The Battle for Urban Space: Dynamics of Spatial Change In Siak, Riau, Indonesia

This study aims to examine the implications of changes in urban space as a result of the implementation of government policies in the development and expansion of the city of Siak on the existence of community space and how the community seizes and utilizes spaces of the industry and government to maintain their subsistence economic life. This study uses a rapid ethnography approach. Researchers conduct a desk study before fieldwork to obtain an initial research report. Researchers stayed in Siak District for 40 days to conduct observations, in-depth interviews, informal conversations, and stakeholder discussions. We conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGD) in the four research villages. The event was attended by 28 participants from four villages, comprising village heads, homemakers, peasants, small traders/street vendors, freelance workers, and NGOs at the district level. The study shows that the four research villages have changed from subsistence community spaces to industrial and government spaces. In this research, the community space is becoming increasingly limited, so people carry out two strategies in seizing industrial and government spaces, namely using government spaces to become places for work and business and controlling industrial spaces, Even though this can give rise to latent and manifest tenure conflicts, corporate and society's urban space becomes an arena for struggling for the means of production represented through control and ownership of space. Society must adapt to these conditions to obtain space for them. Government policies in developing and expanding the city of Siak have not taken the community's interests as the primary goal.

Left-behind women: perspectives on seasonal labor migration in Guagusa Shekudad community, North West Ethiopia

ABSTRACT In 2021, about 281 million people worldwide reside outside of their country of birth. By taking the Guagusa Shekudad district in Ethiopia as an example, the current study aims at to assess perspectives of the community on men’s seasonal labor migration and women who were left-behind in the process of seasonal labor migration. Moreover, the study aims to identify constraints that hinder women’s participation in seasonal labor migration. For this study, a qualitative research approach, ethnographic research design, and thematic data analysis technique were employed. Different data collection techniques such as in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), participant observation, and informal conversation were used to collect first-hand ethnographic data. Accordingly, the findings of the study reveal that the local community has positive perspectives toward seasonal labor migration, migrants, and women left-behind in the process of their husband’s migration. Furthermore, men seasonal labor migrants have positive perspectives toward their left-behind wives. Likewise, left-behind women conceived their husband’s migration positively. In general, men’s seasonal labor migration is an integral part of life in the community. As a result the majority of the population has positive perceptions towards seasonal labor migration and women left-behind in the process of seasonal labor migration.

“You’ll find most people who got involved with the Café couldn’t do without it now” – Socialising in an online versus in-person Aphasia Café

BACKGROUND: People with Aphasia (PwA) experience detrimental consequences post-stroke which can result in limited opportunities for social engagement and poor psychosocial ramifications. Peer support can improve psychosocial outcomes. Unfortunately, Covid-19 related social restrictions resulted in the closure of social outlets for PwA, further exacerbating social isolation. Some social networks transitioned online during this period. One such network was the Aphasia Café, a social group for PwA, supported by Speech and Language Therapy students (SLTS). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about the Aphasia Café (in-person and online), within the context of pandemic-related social restrictions, from the perspectives of PwA and the SLTS who support them. METHODS: 16 SLTS participated in one of five focus groups. Six PwA were individually interviewed. Semi-structured questionnaires facilitated inductive and deductive data collection which were analysed using Framework Analysis. RESULTS: Observed themes related to the in-person and online Aphasia Café will be reported in this paper. Overarching themes observed from both SLTS and PwA include: ‘Socialising changes during Covid-19 pandemic’, ‘Awareness and Purpose of the Aphasia Café’, ‘Perceptions of an Online and In-Person Aphasia Café” (subthemes –accessibility, technology, time/timing, non-verbal communication, and social environment), and ‘Optimal Aphasia Café’ (PwA only). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a unique perspective on the delivery of a supported informal conversation group from both PwA and the SLTS who facilitate it. Both online and in-person social spaces were considered to enhance the quality of life for PwA and give valuable experience for SLTS.

Collective fishing with representatives of indigenous peoples of the North as a legalization of fishing for non-indigenous rural residents in the Primorsky Krai

Rural population who lives in the same natural and cultural landscape, and sometimes within the same vil-lage, are differentiated in their rights to access natural resources. People classified as indigenous population of the North, Siberia and the Far East (KMNS), unlike officially non-indigenous population, receive legal access to various biological resources. Positive discrimination of particular groups, for various reasons attributed to ‘more’ indigenous, has been causing controversy among anthropologists and sociologists for several decades, espe-cially regarding the situation of non-indigenous residents of multi-ethnic rural areas who do not have the right of access to natural resources, while living in the same environment. In Russia, this problem is specifically relevant for the coastal regions of the Far East, where fish and salmon roe have been historically the most important re-source of self-sustainment for both indigenous residents and resettlers. Using the example of one of the coastal areas of Primorsky Krai, where representatives of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples live alongside each other, we show how unequal distribution of rights to extract natural resources affects communication between them. Based on semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and observations collected during the field research, we have found that individual salmon fishing quotas are becoming a way to partially legalize informal fishing. Villagers go out fishing with their fellow villagers, and in case of the appearance of law enforcement agen-cies, fishermen from among KMNS take full responsibility for the catch and fishing gear on themselves. Regard-less of nationality, rural residents consider it unfair that non-indigenous peoples, who live in the same natural and climatic conditions, and have similar to KMNS economy, have no rights to catch salmonids. Thus, against the background of allocation of quotas for salmonid catching only to indigenous fishermen, new practices of reproduc-tion of solidarity and reciprocity are emerging in multiethnic rural communities.

Latin American female migrants’ negotiation of sex work, international borders and internal barriers in Istanbul

Based on participant observation, numerous informal conversations and ten semi-structured interviews, this paper explores the complexities of Latin American female migrants’ mobility towards Europe via Turkey. By analyzing ethnographic data accounting for their life stories, interactions with ‘traffickers’, experiences in Istanbul, and the difficulties to reach their destinations, it deconstructs dominant perspectives about human trafficking and sex work. Their narratives dislocate mainstream discourses that homogenize international migration under institutional categories, predetermined experiences and subjectivized ontologies. Upon arrival, unforeseen circumstances truncated previous plans, encapsulating them within Turkish borders where finding means to survive and continue moving turned challenging. Meanwhile, they must deal with internal barriers, including gender relations, gender-based violence and sociocultural, linguistic, economic, political and legislative hindrances that exacerbate precarity and risks. These journeys can become entangled with sex work, either induced or independently exercised with the intention of opposing immobilizing border regimes. Despite exposure to violence and abuse, these women continuously negotiate their own subjectivities, while dealing with unfamiliar and hostile settings, demonstrating tenacious expressions of subjective and collective agency that assist them in surviving and pursuing their life projects.

Post-Camp Condition: Sub-Saharan Male Migrants Maintaining a Constellation of Refuge-Zones

ABSTRACT Within migration studies, camp conditions have been extensively investigated, yet scholars have relatively overlooked the vital role that post-camp conditions play in migrants’ journeys. Drawing from extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Europe, 20 biographical interviews and informal conversations with Sub-Saharan male migrants, this article explores the immobility of a population made hyper-mobile within Europe and investigates how migrants navigate their housing precarity and maintain spaces of autonomy. I demonstrate that refuge-zones are a direct consequence of restrictive migration policies, serving as physical locations for claiming the right to sedentariness and a practical solution to live with dignity. Marooned migrants, while fending for themselves, maintain (self)caring projects sustained by moral communities which create an audible sociability and a form of permanence, albeit fragile. I argue that refuge-zones, beyond providing shelter, enable migrants to endure their frustration while fostering hope for a better future.

Development-Induced Displacements and Livelihood Options — A Case of the Chingwizi Community in Mwenezi Rural District

Using primary data of 100 households and literature review, this study examined the socio-economic opportunities or lack of them as well as vulnerabilities encountered by the Chingwizi Community in Mwenezi Rural District in Masvingo Province. The study argues that the Chingwizi people are rational, resourceful and strategic actors. It further contents that the relocated households were plunged into deeper socio-economic problems as the climatic and infrastructural conditions in the new area are harsher than where they were coming from. Primary data was collected from key informants through interviews, informal conversations and observation. Key informants included government officials from the ministries of local government, agriculture and land resettlement, community leadership (both traditional and elected), development workers from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the resettled farmers of Chingwizi in general. Literature review involved discussing empirical findings by other scholars on development-induced displacements (DIDs) in other parts of the world and Zimbabwe in particular. Findings from the study indicate that the state failed to fulfill its promises to the relocated households and that the principles of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), fair and comprehensive compensation (FCC) as well as inclusive socio-economic development and profit-sharing (ISDP) were ignored by the state in the process of relocating households from Chivi and Masvingo rural areas. In light of the foregoing the study recommends the need to engage those communities affected by development projects so that sustainable options are arrived at.

Exploring funds of knowledge at a community-based Chinese heritage language school in a Southwestern U.S. City

ABSTRACT While previous studies have shown that drawing upon funds of knowledge benefits teaching and learning in many educational settings, there is little inquiry into funds of knowledge in Chinese heritage language education. Employing ethnographic methods, I explored the evidence of funds of knowledge in early childhood settings in a community-based Chinese heritage language school. The data sources included weekly observations, video recordings of class conversations, artifacts provided by the participants, and informal conversations. The findings present examples illustrating three kinds of funds of knowledge: families’ daily life experiences, poetry reading practices, and cultural knowledge of folktales. The findings also show that the teachers drew upon the funds of knowledge to engage young heritage learners in joyful pedagogical activities and language learning. The implications include the need to value and use funds of knowledge in Chinese heritage language education and include Chinese language teachers’ experiences and funds of knowledge in teacher preparation programmes.

Unemployment, hustling, and waithood: exploring Zimbabwean urban male youth’s utilisation of ICT in soccer betting

This article explores how urban male youth in Zimbabwe have created economies of hustle and waithood through soccer betting to ensure alternative means of survival in a country facing rapid urban growth and endless economic challenges. Data were collected using a combination of ethnographic methods, including participant and non-participant observations, betting experimentation, and informal conversations. The findings show that urban male youth in Zimbabwean cities use a variety of skills in soccer betting to increase their chances of winning and earning a living through informal economic activities while waiting for employment opportunities. The findings also demonstrate the intellectual genius and streetwise resourcefulness of young people, as they incorporate research, digital, and networking competencies to decide and place their bets. The article concludes that soccer betting is not only part of Zimbabwe’s economies of hustle, leisure, and waithood but also central in influencing the adoption of ICT products and digital skills among male youths in Zimbabwe.

Enterprise social networks and the work context: a case study of mandated use

PurposeEnterprise social networks (ESN) that enable faster communications and knowledge sharing at work are an integral part of many workplaces. Although the affordances potency and actualization constructs identify work context as important, few studies to date have teased out how the interactions between ESN’s affordances, users’ goals and the work context drive affordances actualization.Design/methodology/approachThis research is a case study of a technology multinational that made the ESN Chatter mandatory for all internal communications. We conducted a thematic analysis of 40 h of non-participatory observation, 15 in-depth interviews and eight informal conversations with employees.FindingsThere was considerable variation in how employees across different functional roles perceived affordances’ potencies, leading to differences in the nature and intensity of actualization: while sales and project managers embraced Chatter, technical support participants mostly resisted it; visibility was the central affordance for sales and human resources, but persistence was more important for project managers and association for technical support and billing. An organizational culture of accountability, urgency and efficiency interacted with Chatter’s affordances in a mutually reinforcing way, strengthening accountability and accelerating processes. Collaboration was enhanced but in a mostly coercive way. While sales participants' motivation was boosted, the mandated use of Chatter rendered tasks not inputted in Chatter invisible and created antagonism between departments.Practical implicationsPractitioners should not underestimate the influence of different work contexts and employees' goals when implementing an ESN. Since employees are concerned with managing their workload and how others perceive them, they may resist ESNs that they perceive as creating additional work and they may attempt to manage impressions at the expense of the work climate. Organizations looking to implement an ESN as their main communication tool would greatly benefit from establishing training programs and clear guidelines on positive communication practices across functional roles such as sales and technical support, and between peers.Originality/valueOur study is one of the first to shed light on the role of the work context, i.e. functional role and organizational culture, in explaining the intensity and specificity of affordance actualization across an organization.

Perspectives and discourses on teaching evaluations in a South African university

ABSTRACT The paper reports on a study that explored selected lecturers’ perspectives and discourses on a university's Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) policy in South Africa; particularly what the policy prioritised in terms of purpose and evaluation processes. It also reports on the lecturers’ reflections on the additional questions they included in the self-designed evaluation tools. A questionnaire, informal group conversations, and extended observations were used to collect data, and Latour (2005). Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network Theory. Oxford University Press and Latour (2013). An Inquiry Into Modes of Existence. Translated by C. Porter. London: Harvard University Press works helped make sense of the lecturers’ perspectives and discourses. Findings indicate a partial grasp of what the SET policy promotes. Lecturers’ understanding seemed to emphasise teaching evaluations’ professional development and accountability functions. Little attention was paid to the context in which teaching and learning occurred. The conclusion suggests ways in which the guidance given to lecturers could be improved to help them understand and work more effectively with their university’s SET policy.

The feasibility of health professional student delivered social visits for stroke survivors with loneliness

ObjectivesTo examine the feasibility of a social phone call program to address social isolation and loneliness in stroke survivors.Materials and methodsWe paired 14 lonely community-living stroke survivors with 14 health professional students for 6-weekly unstructured social phone calls. Feasibility data and measures of social isolation, loneliness and other psychosocial metrics were collected pre- and post-intervention. Students journaled following each unstructured call to capture the informal conversation and their sentiments.ResultsSixty-two percent of the targeted sample was interested. Fourteen eligible and interested participants were enrolled. The 13 (93%) participants completing all calls and surveys were an average of 57 years old, 85% female, and 77% non-Hispanic white. At baseline, participants were highly lonely and moderately depressed. Participants disclosed physical and emotional challenges, previous valued employment, and enjoyment from the calls. Students reported enjoying the connections, learning about the struggles of aging-in-place after stroke, and valuing compassionate care for the stroke population.ConclusionsKnowledge gaps remain regarding effective social support interventions to provide continuity of care directed at managing social disconnection after stroke. A health professional student-delivered social phone call intervention with stroke survivors appears to be a feasible, in part, and encouraging approach for addressing social isolation and loneliness. Future trials require re-evaluation of eligibility criteria and strategies to boost enrollment before efficacy testing is conducted in a larger trial.

Summary of the DISPLACE challenge 2023-DIarization of SPeaker and LAnguage in Conversational Environments

In multi-lingual societies, where multiple languages are spoken in a small geographic vicinity, informal conversations often involve mix of languages. Existing speech technologies may be inefficient in extracting information from such conversations, where the speech data is rich in diversity with multiple languages and speakers. The DISPLACE (DIarization of SPeaker and LAnguage in Conversational Environments) challenge constitutes an open-call for evaluating and bench-marking the speaker and language diarization technologies on this challenging condition. To facilitate this challenge, a real-world dataset featuring multilingual, multi-speaker conversational far-field speech was recorded and distributed. The challenge entailed two tracks: Track-1 focused on speaker diarization (SD) in multilingual situations while, Track-2 addressed the language diarization (LD) in a multi-speaker scenario. Both the tracks were evaluated using the same underlying audio data. Furthermore, a baseline system was made available for both SD and LD task which mimicked the state-of-art in these tasks. The challenge garnered a total of 42 world-wide registrations and received a total of 19 combined submissions for Track-1 and Track-2. This paper describes the challenge, details of the datasets, tasks, and the baseline system. Additionally, the paper provides a concise overview of the submitted systems in both tracks, with an emphasis given to the top performing systems. The paper also presents insights and future perspectives for SD and LD tasks, focusing on the key challenges that the systems need to overcome before wide-spread commercial deployment on such conversations.

Searching for settlement information on Reddit

AbstractNewcomers are using informal means to find settlement information that is also freely available through formal settlement service providers. Newcomers may seek settlement information on Reddit when the same information might be found through a settlement service provider. This study finds that several Reddit submissions can be categorized in at least one or more of the formal settlement service categories. There is some overlap between informal conversations on Reddit and formalized settlement services. However, informal spaces go beyond providing settlement information in formalized categories. These results suggest that there is scope for policymakers to take a closer look at online conversations to better understand the needs of newcomers when they are looking for information about settling in Canada before and after they arrive. There is the potential to use this information to identify service gaps and create new funded settlement service categories. There is also the potential to accurately train a machine learning model to classify new Reddit submissions and produce real‐time advice to policymakers on newcomer information needs.

Pentecostalism and the (de)construction of ‘Otherness’: Experiences of black African students at a South African University

AbstractDrawing on fieldwork conducted at a South African University, this qualitative study examines the lived experiences of black foreign students studying and living in South Africa. The study sought to understand the role that Pentecostalism plays in mediating the everyday experiences of black foreign students within and beyond the university campus spaces. A total of 30 student patrons from two Pentecostal churches were purposively sampled for the study. Data were collected using qualitative methods, including in‐depth interviews, participant observation, and informal conversations. Data were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed. The study findings revealed that for many African foreign students in South Africa, Pentecostalism mediated their sense of being on campus and allowed them to deal with the real and perceived social disarticulation fashioned by xenophobic terrains and attendant socio‐material anxieties. I assert that Pentecostal communities helped African foreign students to embed themselves and adjust to life on campus. These communities allowed them to forge convivial relationships and mutuality with fellow students and other Church members. Building on extant scholarly arguments and debates on Pentecostalism and student mobilities, I argue that Pentecostalism play(ed) a central role in the (de)construction of a sense of ‘Otherness’ through socio‐spiritual rituals including, sermons (the word), proselytisation and other social practices, albeit with varying degrees of success. Although Pentecostal networks strongly mediated black African foreign students' everyday navigation in precarious social spaces, the anxiety and the feeling of otherness are not completely removed.

ResearchConnect.info: An Interactive Web-Based Platform for Building Academic Collaborations

Radiology is a rapidly evolving field that benefits from continuous innovation and research participation among trainees. Traditional methods for involving residents in research are often inefficient and limited, usually due to the absence of a standardized approach to identifying available research projects. A centralized online platform can enhance networking and offer equal opportunities for all residents. Research Connect is an online platform built with PHP, SQL, and JavaScript. Features include project and collaboration listing as well as advertisement of project openings to medical/undergraduate students, residents, and fellows. The automated system maintains project data and sends notifications for new research opportunities when they meet user preference criteria. Both pre- and post-launch surveys were used to assess the platform's efficacy. Before the introduction of Research Connect, 69% of respondents used informal conversations as their primary method of discovering research opportunities. One year after its launch, Research Connect had 141 active users, comprising 63 residents and 41 faculty members, along with 85 projects encompassing various radiology subspecialties. The platform received a median satisfaction rating of 4 on a 1-5 scale, with 54% of users successfully locating projects of interest through the platform. Research Connect addresses the need for a standardized method and centralized platform with active research projects and is designed for scalability. Feedback suggests it has increased the visibility and accessibility of radiology research, promoting greater trainee involvement and academic collaboration.

Bishops in the House of Lords: fit for the future?

AbstractThis article seeks to provide a constitutional law perspective on the contribution of the Lords Spiritual to the scrutiny of legislation in the House of Lords. It examines the legal basis of the bishops’ role in the Upper House and how this has evolved. It considers how far the bishops currently meet expectations about their role against the background of calls for reform of the House of Lords and changes in religious affiliation in the United Kingdom. The paper draws, amongst other things, on the experience of a group of current and former Lords Spiritual who shared their views with the author in the course of some informal semi-structured conversations. It also examines the relationship between the Lords Spiritual and the Church of England's national institutions. It concludes that the Lords Spiritual make a distinctive contribution to the legislature which should be maintained, with some modifications to meet the needs of the time.

Exploring active ageing in a community-based living environment: an ethnographic study in the Western Norway context.

Age-friendly environments intend to promote active ageing by facilitating social, mental, and physical participation. This could potentially delay the onset of chronic complex conditions, enabling people to live longer independently at home, and prevent loneliness. This study investigates a community-based living environment in Norway called Helgetun and aims to explore how it can facilitate active ageing. We chose an ethnographic approach consisting of observation, informal conversations, and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 residents (11 female, 4 male, ages 62-84). We analysed the data using reflexive thematic analysis. We developed three themes on facilitating active ageing in this living environment: maintaining self-identity, experiencing growth and development, and feeling a sense of belonging. These themes were related to physical activity levels, social engagement, and overall satisfaction with the living environment. Maintaining self-identity concerned getting a new role in life as well as access to meaningful activities. Experiencing growth and development involved being exposed to new activities, learning new skills, and experiencing mastery. Lastly, feeling a sense of belonging meant feeling safe and part of a group, as well as receiving social support and help. This feeling of social connectedness and safety was reflected in their experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, in which most felt relatively unaffected, suggesting that this way of living could increase reliance among this age group. Having a flexible structure, adapting to the core needs and individual resources of the residents, can facilitate active ageing in community-based living environments. Our findings contribute to the growing evidence that these environments increase social and physical engagement, whilst reducing social isolation and loneliness. These findings may be particularly relevant in a Norwegian context-where older adults are less dependent on family for care-and are meant as grounding points for policymakers to reflect upon designing future senior living.

Reducing Prejudice toward Refugees: Evidence That Social Networks Influence Attitude Change in Uganda

Interventions aimed at reducing prejudice toward refugees have shown promise in industrialized countries. However, the vast majority of refugees are in developing countries. Moreover, while these interventions focus on individual attitude change, attitudes often do not shift in isolation; people are embedded in rich social networks. We conducted a field experiment in northwestern Uganda (host to over a million refugees) and find that perspective-taking warmed individual attitudes there in the short term. We also find that the treatment effect spills over from treated households to control ones along social ties, that spillovers can be positive or negative depending on the source, and that peoples’ attitudes change based on informal conversations with others in the network after the treatment. The findings show the importance of understanding the social process that can reinforce or unravel individual-level attitude change toward refugees; it appears essential to designing interventions with a lasting effect on attitudes.