Negative Representations Research Articles

The stereotypical racial discursive representation of blacks: a critical discourse analysis of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

This research attempts to analyse discursive and ideological strategies used by the narrator to highlight the representation of black in the novel The Hate U Give. The narrator describes, how have blacks been suppressed and prey of white autocracy. The subsequent stereotyped racial discrimination resulted in a great imbalance in the social order because only blacks were the recipient of most of the consequences and disparities. It caused chaos in shape of protests and brutal killing of blacks at the hands of white cops. The whites constructed ideology propagate blacks as savages and radicals. The data has been scrutinized for white’s ideological unconscious fabricated attitudes towards blacks through Norman Faircloug’s Critical Discourse Analysis. The researcher has adopted Critical Race Theory of Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic (2001) and also Martinez (2014) as a theoretical and analytical framework which strengthen the analysis of negative representation of blacks in different discourses. The research has pointed discursive represented tools and whites’ idea about the differences among black and white race. It gives us how law, media reporters, police and other institutes work against black race and how they are exploited and discriminated in every walk of life just because of their black colour.

Social Representation of Women in Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood and Flora Nwapa’s Efuru

An analysis of the African fiction in the South of the Sahara shows a bias in the depiction of male and female characters. The purpose of this article is to explore the social representation of African women in post-colonial Africa as hardworking and intrepid characters, man’s companion, support and shield, and eventually as educators. Contrary to the distorted social perception society has of women in Africa, female novelists like Buchi Emecheta in The Joys of Motherhood and Flora Nwapa through Efuru, have deconstructed the social established norms giving masculine roles to their female characters. Nnu Ego, Adaku and Efuru – characters in these novels – have reversed the roles by working hard, protecting their families and by educating children and societies. Through the use of post-colonial criticism as backdrop, this paper deconstructs the negative representations that patriarchal societies have of women highlighting the predominant roles that female characters play. A qualitative data analysis and feminism approaches have been used to better explore the social representation of women in African patriarchal settings in this work.

PB2234: HEALTH LITERACY LEVEL ASSOCIATED WITH THALASSEMIA AMONG TUNISIAN’S YOUTH AND PROSPECTS FOR PRIMARY PREVENTION

Background: Thalassemia remains a public health problem in Tunisia. The difficulties in setting up a prevention program can be explained in part by negative social representations and the general public’s ignorance of this disease. Aims: This study examined the health literacy (HL) of Tunisian secondary school students regarding thalassemia as well as their emotional and behavioral attitudes towards this disease and preventive measures. Methods: This is a quantitative study; a cross-sectional survey was conducted among Tunisian youths (n = 182; male 23,3 %, female 76,7 %). Data collection took place in two public secondary schools. Students aged 17 to 19 completed a paper and pencil questionnaire and described their knowledge level about Thalassemia, their affective and behavioral attitudes as well as their estimates of hereditary transmission risks and usefulness of prevention measures. Statistical software (SPSS, v.25.0) was used to analyze the data. Results: The results indicate low HL scores concerning Thalassemia. Lack of knowledge and confusion about the cause, symptoms, and diagnosis of Thalassemia is a common finding at all school levels surveyed. 48,9 % has not identified the hereditary nature of diseases and confuse it with dietary iron anemia 30,7%. Although 70,5% of respondents recognized severe anemia as a symptom however, 57,4% did not link jaundice to thalassemia, almost 30% said this disease causes rash, fever, dry cough and sore throat. The results show low levels in relation with assessment of the hereditary transmission risks on the one hand and the prenuptial screening usefulness on the other hand. 24,4% do not consider it necessary to inform their partner of their carrier status. 45% do not see the benefit of genetic counseling before marriage and prenatal diagnosis even if the family of one of the two partners has a history with disease. Summary/Conclusion: Primary prevention of thalassemia depends on a comprehensive strategy of promotion and health education for Tunisian’s youth. This survey reveals the difficulties of youths to consider the risks of hereditary transmission of thalassemia and to understand the importance of screening and genetic counseling. These results can be explained by the deficit of communication about disease severity and the lack of adequate educational content in Life Sciences programs.

Cultural Simulations, Authenticity, Focus, and Outcomes: A Systematic Review of the Healthcare Literature

BackgroundSimulation-based cultural competence training is core pedagogy in nursing education. With reference to the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best PracticeTM, we sought toidentify strategies used to support culturally authentic experiences and the focus, theoretical framings, and outcomes of cultural simulations. MethodsWe searched 11 electronic databases and included empirical papers from any healthcare discipline reporting any type of simulation-based training and outcome measures of cultural competence. ResultsWe identified thirty papers and some evidence to support the efficacy of cultural simulations. However, we identified a low level of quality, inconsistent consideration of relevant standards, limited evidence of meaningful co-construction, some potentially negative cultural representations and a primary focus on cultural knowledge and skill. ConclusionMore robust designs that extend beyond a competency paradigm to examine the relative benefits of different simulation modalities and their impact on actual patient care are required. We recommend that researchers examine their own cultural lens, take cognizance of threats posed by oversimplifying the cultural experience, engage in inclusive partnerships and explicitly consider simulation best practice and reporting standards.

An ideological square analysis of the podcast discourse in “Chinese Dreams” of the BBC World Service

ABSTRACT Employing the ideological square model (Van Dijk, 1998, 2000), this article examines polarization strategies of positive and negative representations of ‘us’ and ‘them’ in ideological discourse on the rise of China by Western media. We analyzed discourse properties in the narratives of five podcast episodes of the BBC World Service about the Chinese Dream, one episode each on Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, and Kenya. The results revealed prevalent negative representations of ‘them’ – emphasizing negative characteristics and de-emphasizing positive ones of China. However, discourse strategies of emphasizing positive characteristics about ‘us’ and de-emphasizing negative things about ‘us’ were only found in Australia and Canada. The podcasts hardly avoided discussing negative aspects of India, Indonesia, and Kenya. In doing so, the BBC’s ideological discourse excluded these countries from ‘us.’ Our study indicates that the ideological square approach is not only useful to elucidate discourses behind positive and negative representations of ‘us’ and ‘them’ but also can identify nuances in discursive construction of ‘us.’

Is Splitting Related to Resistance to Proactive Interference? A Process-Oriented Study of Kernberg’s Conceptualization of Splitting

Introduction: Splitting, as a defense mechanism in Kernberg’s theory, plays a significant role in the development and maintenance of polarized and oscillating representations of self/other characteristics of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Although the notion of splitting can be considered from a structural and a functional point of view, almost all empirical studies to date have focused on the former elements to the detriment of related cognitive processes. Methods: To further investigate the cognitive processes related to splitting, 60 participants were administered the Splitting Index and indexes of resistance to proactive interference (PI) using the interpersonal recent negative task with words that reflect negative or positive interactions compared to neutral words. Results: The use of splitting was uniquely and significantly predicted by a higher capacity to resist PI and a lower capacity to consistently maintain this resistance when presented with negative words, above and beyond BPD traits, primitive defenses, and the presentation of neutral words. Results showed no evidence of a relationship between splitting and resistance to PI with positive words. Conclusion: Results appear compatible with Kernberg’s conceptualization of splitting as an active defense process that relates to an unstable capacity to inhibit negative representations of the object from entering working memory.

Revealing Representation of China and America by the Media of CNBC Indonesia Relating to South China Sea Conflict

In reporting conflict between countries, media was never possible to present completely neutral, accurate and full picture of the issues, instead it offered representations through language. This study aimed to reveal the representation of China and USA in coverage of SCSC by CNBC Indonesia. The research data were text excerpts of the reports (words, phrases, and sentences) which interpretatively constructed the media's representation. Data analysis was carried out descriptive-critically using Fairclough critical discourse analysis (CDA) model to describe the utilization of linguistic features (word choice, transitivity, modality, and rhetoric trope) in constructing representation of the story. The results showed that there was polarity representation of participants, actions, and events. The negative representation was labeled for China; conversely, positive representation was embedded for USA. In addition, it could also be interpreted that the media representation was influenced by the situational context of media institutions in selecting and organizing their news and the socio-political context, which gave rise to the choice of representation in reporting the SCS conflict.

“Giros de Rua” - Revitalize physical and mental health in people with HIV through a psychosocial intervention program: a study protocol

IntroductionGiven the negative social representation attributed to mental illness, it is urgent to reconfigure its representation, not as an individual problem, but also as a collective. Several solutions have been indicated to improve the skills and quality of life (QoL) of these individuals. Among these, psychosocial rehabilitation programs stand out to keep individuals inserted in society reaching a level of independent functioning.ObjectivesThis study aims to: - assess the level of QoL, social support, treatment adherence, mental health status and mental health literacy of Portuguese people with HIV integrated into a community intervention program “InPulsar - Giros na Rua” program [which aims to contribute to the improvement of the socio-sanitary conditions of people who use psychoactive substances and to their social and therapeutic referral, as well as promoting risk reduction by intervening in a public space]; - improve mental health literacy levels, adherence to therapeutic regimen and QoL in individuals with HIV, after 12 months of implementation of a psychosocial rehabilitation program [biweekly sessions].MethodsWe will perform a single-group pre-experimental study with pre- and post-intervention evaluation, supported by the participatory methodology in health.ResultsThis study has received ethical approval from the local IRB. Data collection will start in November 2021 and will be completed in November 2022.ConclusionsThrough a multidisciplinary approach, this study will allow the development of health interventions articulated with psychosocial interventions based on various educational and behavioural strategies, promoting literacy and adherence to the therapeutic regimen.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

First cohomologies of affine, Virasoro, and lattice vertex operator algebras

In this paper we study the first cohomologies for the following three examples of vertex operator algebras: (i) the simple affine VOA associated to a simple Lie algebra with positive integral level; (ii) the Virasoro VOA corresponding to minimal models; (iii) the lattice VOA associated to a positive definite even lattice. We prove that in all these cases, the first cohomology $H^1(V, W)$ are given by the zero-mode derivations when $W$ is any $V$-module with an $\N$-grading (not necessarily by the operator $L(0)$). This agrees with the conjecture made by Yi-Zhi Huang and the author in 2018. For negative energy representations of Virasoro VOA, the same conclusion holds when $W$ is $L(0)$-graded with lowest weight greater or equal to $-3$. Relationship between the first cohomology of the VOA and that of the associated Zhu's algebra is also discussed.

Speech Impact in Political Discourse in Context of COVID-19 Pandemic (Speeches of B. Johnson and D. Biden)

The article is devoted to the study of pragmalinguistic means of political discourse. The material was transcriptions of speeches by British Prime Minister B. Johnson and US President D. Biden, published on the official websites of the governments of Great Britain and the United States. The authors set themselves the task of studying communication tactics that update the main directions of policy regarding COVID-19. The relevance of the work is due to the constructivist approach to the language. Political discourse is one of the ways to actualize power and control in society. The analysis revealed two groups of tactics that affect social consciousness and behavior: tactics of negative representation and tactics of positive representation. The tactics of negative representation of the pandemic include the following: emphasizing the threat, modeling a negative scenario, attracting negative experience. Positive representations are created through the use of tactics such as highlighting achievements, modeling a positive scenario, solidarity, appeals to duty, persuasion and appeal. It is shown that the linguistic means of updating the identified tactics have a targeted impact on the emotional sphere and on the consciousness of citizens, being a strong argument in favor of vaccination. The analysis carried out contributes to the understanding of the discursive mechanisms of influence on the mass consciousness.

Internal representations of attachment in Story Stems: changes in the narratives of foster care children

Children in care, whose early experiences have often involved significant discontinuity and adversity, are at risk of developing insecure attachments with negative internal representations. This study aimed to explore changes in their internal representations over a one-year period, as well as potential factors that could influence them. The Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP) was administered at two time points twelve months apart, to 19 children between five and ten years old (M= 7.55, SD= 1.84). Using the SSAP over two time points showed that security representations significantly increased, defensive-avoidance ones decreased, whilst children with fewer previous placements had lower increases in security. The SSAP demonstrates how secure representations can be developed in new situations with more reliable caregivers, but insecure and disorganised ones might be harder and slower to modify, pointing ultimately to the importance of placement stability.

Common Sense Models of Obesity: a Qualitative Investigation of Illness Representations.

The Common Sense Model provides a framework to understand health beliefs and behaviors. It includes illness representations comprised of five domains (identity, cause, consequences, timeline, and control/cure). While widely used, it is rarely applied to obesity, yet could explain self-management decisions and inform treatments. This study answered the question, what are patients' illness representations of obesity?; and examined the Common Sense Model's utility in the context of obesity. Twenty-four participants with obesity completed semi-structured phone interviews (12 women, 12 men). Directed content analysis of transcripts/notes was used to understand obesity illness representations across the five illness domains. Potential differences by gender and race/ethnicity were assessed. Participants did not use clinical terms to discuss weight. Participants' experiences across domains were interconnected. Most described interacting life systems as causing weight problems and used negative consequences of obesity to identify it as a health threat. The control/cure of obesity was discussed within every domain. Participants focused on health and appearance consequences (the former most salient to older, the latter most salient to younger adults). Weight-related timelines were generally chronic. Women more often described negative illness representations and episodic causes (e.g., pregnancy). No patterns were identified by race/ethnicity. The Common Sense Model is useful in the context of obesity. Obesity illness representations highlighted complex causes and consequences of obesity and its management. To improve weight-related care, researchers and clinicians should focus on these beliefs in relation to preferred labels for obesity, obesity's most salient consequences, and ways of monitoring change.

Perceptions and Representations of Senior Nursing Students about the Transition to Professional Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in education systems worldwide. The suspension of face-to-face lectures and clinical placements directly impacted nursing students’ learning. This study aimed to identify the perceptions and representations of senior nursing students about the transition to professional life during the COVID-19 pandemic. This descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study used a web-based survey from a convenience sample of 162 senior nursing students, from nine different nursing schools. Data collection was carried out in the second quarter of 2020. Male students have more negative representations related to training (p = 0.048); working students have a better perspective of professional integration (p = 0.038); students who are in a relationship have a more positive perception of interaction with patients (p = 0.047); those who have already defined a service of choice have less insecurity and less fear of making mistakes (p = 0.043). Those who report anxiety about their first place of work have more negative representations about the future in other professional dimensions. The COVID-19 pandemic represents a frequent concern among students. However, it is a dimension that does not negatively contaminate other representations about the professional future. Overall, students showed concerns regarding their performance in providing direct care to the patient and lived up to their fellow nurses’ expectations.

Decolonising Christian based ‘Prophetship’. A Pragma-Dialectic Analysis of Re/presentations of Faith Healing and Faith Healers in Zimbabwean Newspapers

Contemporary Christianity in Zimbabwe and Africa at large, is characterized by a surge ‘prophetness’ and prophetic faith healing. These faith based, miracle performing and faith based healing agents and actors and their theologies have received immense media attention in Zimbabwean media. This study examines representations of faith healers in Zimbabwean newspapers, the English language reporting national dailies, The Herald and Daily News as well as the Shona language reporting tabloid, Kwayedza couched within the extended Pragma-Dialectic Theory (Van Eemeren, Grootendorst & Henkemans, 1996). The theory provides explications that enable the current enquiry to examine issues related to faith healing in line with the political, economic and the social contexts that shape the system in which faith based healers find themselves. Recognising and arguing that Christian faith healing is a colonial phenomenon which culminates from the colonisation of Africa, the study examines media representations of the phenomenon within these frames. In examining the manners in which ideological positions as enunciated in news reports (which ideally are supposed to be free from such ideological biases), the study will adopt the four stages which a critical discussion contains, which are: “…[firstly], the confrontation stage (where the difference of opinion manifest itself); [secondly]…the opening stage (where the procedural and material points of departure for a critical discussion about a standpoint at an issue are established);… [third] is the argumentation stage (where the standpoints are challenged and defended; last, the fourth stage is the concluding stage (where the results of the discussion are determined)” (Van Eemeren & Houtlosser, 2003). The research adopts a qualitative research paradigm and data is discussed through the use of textual analysis. The study observes that Christian faith healers receive both positive and negative media representation. In the observed instances, positive representation of the Christian agents and their trade is dictated by the social alignment they have to Christianity in a predominantly Christian nation and negative representations emanate from the observations that their healing systems embrace the African conceptualisation of disease and illness – which to some seem unChristian.

A evolução dos sistemas locais de ensino de nível médio no Brasil entre 1991 e 2010.

Abstract In spite of the negative overall representation of Brazilian secondary schools, the educational system at this level has shown remarkable quantitative developments. This paper proposes evolutionary paths of development of local secondary educational systems and addresses their determinants. It uses four schooling indicators - age specific enrollment ratio, gross enrollment ratio, net enrollment ratio, and age-grade distortion - conjointly with the use of cluster analysis to determine development trajectories. Furthermore, it analyses the main determinants of the evolutionary paths with the use of logistic and multinomial logistic models. Regional aspects related to socioeconomic level, labor market returns to human capital, demographics, social stability, location and microenvironment were associated with educational evolution.

Critical Discourse Analysis of Dawn News Reporting "Forced Conversion and Marriage Case in Pakistan"

This study is purely designed to investigate linguistically different ways in which systems of meaning are constructed in DAWN news to represent forced conversion and marriage cases in Pakistan. This study selected the qualitative method and Van Dijk's concept of text structure. The corpus involved online DAWN news reporting; published on June 15, 2021. The results indicate that discourse is the main instrument through which ideology is constructed in a Pakistani newspaper. The lexical choices refer to the dichotomy of US and THEM where Christians are considered out-group and associated with negative representation (religion & country). The macrostructure analysis refers to the theme of religious conflict between Muslims and Christians. The findings of the superstructure are that the order of news is systematically ordered in order to convey the message. Furthermore, linguistics structure shows that news texts used rhetoric strategies to influence the interpretation of the story among the readers.

US Police Department’s Representation in The New York Times Article “George Floyd’s Brother Pleads with Congress: ‘Make it Stop’”: A Critical Discourse Analysis

The study aims to examine the representation of the US Police Department in a foreign media news article, The New York Times, entitled “George Floyd’s Brother Pleads with Congress: ‘Make it Stop’”. The text itself discusses an incident of brutality and systemic racism involving the US Minneapolis police officers towards George Floyd, an African-American, which leads to his death. This incident can be considered to be one of the biggest news that attracts the most attention, reaction, and action all over the world in 2020. This research uses Critical Discourse Analysis proposed by Teun A. van Dijk, focusing only on the micro-level analysis: macrostructure, microstructure, superstructure. There are four linguistics tools applied in the microstructure, which are rhetorical question, lexicalization, metaphor, and implication. The qualitative descriptive method is the research method used. Since the data are collected by searching for information in the Internet and other printed references, this research is also categorized into a library research for the fact that it has a wide scope of sources, including the academic journal, newspapers, magazine, e-books, relevant web resources, and various multimedia. The result shows that through these three aspects of the microstructure analysis, the author portrays a negative representation of the US Police Department.

Representations of the Yemeni Reality in The Conditions of War Through The Interaction of Participants with The Image in Virtual Societies

The aim of the research is to identify the representations of the Yemeni reality in virtual societies in the conditions of war, through interactions with viewers, icons, and positive and negative comments with static images, which were displayed through the “Create a Story” window on the researcher’s page on the social networking platform (Facebook) to be the research community and its sample. The analytical descriptive approach was used in analyzing the interactions, and the number of images reached (60) static images during the extended period (1/1 - 21/3/ 2021), each four images were distributed in each of the topics of the Yemeni reality, and the most prominent findings of the research : The images of the topics of prominent Yemeni feminist elites, Yemeni women in traditional costumes and actors are given priority by representations of the Yemeni reality, through iconic interactions, with a high rate of (32.21%), and through interaction by viewing, at a high rate of (30.20%), as these topics came In the forefront of positive representations through interaction with positive comments, and with them pictures of common folk dance topics (men, women), scholars and contemporary thinkers, poets and writers, with a percentage of (73.21%) of the high representations. It did not show any positive high representations in the images of political, economic, scientific, intellectual, literary, artistic and civilized subjects. While the results showed the predominance of medium representations, through the interaction by watching the images of the warring Yemeni political parties, the Yemeni Congregation for Reform Party topped the negative representations, through the iconic interactions, then the topics of merchants, businessmen, the legitimate authority and the followers of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and issues of public opinion and the destruction that He was succeeded by the war and the Houthis (Ansar Allah), with a percentage of (78.70%) of the average representation.

#ActuallyAutistic: Using Twitter to Construct Individual and Collective Identity Narratives

Employing Critical Autism Studies and Narrative Analysis, this project examines how autistic Twitter users engage in narrative meaning-making through social media. By analyzing the hashtags #ActuallyAutistic and #AskingAutistics this project broadly explores how individuals construct identity when lacking access to positive representations and identity communities. Answering the research question, “How do autistic people construct individual and collective identity narratives through Twitter?,” findings indicate that autistic Twitter users use their social media presence to build virtual learning communities. Common knowledge about autism is often oversimplified and highly medicalized. Therefore, autistics use Twitter to make meaning of their experiences that are not represented within cultural notions of what it means to be autistic. Autistic Twitter users reject medicalized narratives by contesting stereotypes, flipping negative narratives into positive stories, re-inscribing “deficiencies” as beneficial, and resisting rehabilitation and “cure.” Users do important social activist work by building strong autistic communities in ways that counter current negative representation, constructing positive self-affirming individual and community identities and resisting eugenic notions that autistic people are “less valuable.”

Deep autoencoder-based fuzzy c-means for topic detection

Topic detection is a process for determining topics from a collection of textual data. One of the topic detection methods is a clustering-based method, which assumes that the centroids are topics. The clustering method has the advantage that it can process data with negative representations. Therefore, the clustering method allows a combination with a broader representation learning method. In this paper, we adopt deep learning for topic detection by using a deep autoencoder and fuzzy c-means called deep autoencoder-based fuzzy c-means (DFCM). The encoder of the autoencoder performs a lower-dimensional representation learning. Fuzzy c-means groups the lower-dimensional representation to identify the centroids. The autoencoder's decoder transforms back the centroids into the original representation to be interpreted as the topics. Our simulation shows that DFCM improves the coherence score of eigenspace-based fuzzy c-means (EFCM) and is comparable to the leading standard methods, i.e., nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) or latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA).