Polysemic Nature Research Articles

“(Un)Being a Mother” Media Representation of Motherhood and Female Identity

This research examines the portrayal of (non)motherhood in television series from 2016 to 2022. The title, “(Un)being a Mother”, was deliberately chosen for its polysemic nature, facilitating an exploration of the complexities of motherhood, its absence, and the implications for womanhood. The study thematically analyzes 15 television series from Hispanic, Italian, and Anglo-American cultures to reveal the diverse perspectives on motherhood. Utilizing the frameworks of Intensive Mothering, Good Mothering, Good Enough Mothering, and Non-Mothering (including both childless and childfree women), the research aims to illuminate representations of motherhood, variations in mothering paradigms, and the influence of cultural and geographical contexts. This study introduces an innovative methodological approach by investigating recurring themes of (non)motherhood across different cultural productions, incorporating insights from media sociology, gender media studies, anthropology, and ethnographic media research for a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

On the polysemic nature of traces and co-occurring patterns in anthropized material — contribution of a “Retoucher” with a flaked bone aspect from Roc-en-Pail (France)

This article presents a new archaeological material to discuss methodological issues encountered by scientists working both on minimally-modified bones from Mousterian assemblages, to those dealing with the identification of “retouchers” having a flaked bone aspect. The technological approach integrates complementary analytical study-frames in order to assess archaeological information. On the one hand, analogies with similar experimentally produced patterns reduce the functional identification of the archaeological specimen. They do not deal with a single artefact-type in the category of “retouchers”, which thus remains generic. On the other hand, the recording of the patterns in their chronological order, combined together with that of modifications relative to the diagenesis of the bone as an artefact, suggests the “retoucher” was reduced in a relatively fresh state by a carnivorous predator also. The evidence of this co-occurrence, if characterizing the successive anthropic-originated bone beds ultimately degraded by predators in situ, would suggest a relatively short period of human occupation generated by the use of the site in a singular cyclical conception “prey-hunter-predator” at regional scale.

Representation of Prepositions in ESL Textbooks of Lower Primary Classes: A Study of NCERT Textbooks in India

Prepositions are among the most difficult parts of speech for ESL learners owing to their polysemous nature and how they behave in different languages. The present study aims to determine how English prepositions are represented in English Language textbooks designed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for Classes I and II in India. For a comparison of the frequency of prepositions in English, we have selected the British National Corpus. The study revealed that though the choice of prepositions in the textbooks is as par with their occurrences in the standard English corpus, their senses are not always primary, i.e., spatial. We found instances of temporal and metaphorical senses as well. One significant finding of this study is the relatively very low frequency of temporal use of prepositions as compared to the proto-typical spatial sense in these textbooks. The metaphorical uses of some common prepositions, which are more abstract and complex, are higher in frequency, especially in the exercises for giving instructions.

Theory in Comparative Law Scholarship

Abstract The main focus of this paper is the meaning of the term “theory” in comparative law. It examines the comparative law theory literature and conducts an in-depth analysis of a sample of articles from two journals (ajcl and ejclg). Theory is considered very important in legal scholarship. ajcl articles are usually more “theory-thick” than their European counterparts. Nevertheless, the majority of European literature also places a strong emphasis on theory-related language. Yet, it is often unclear why authors used these words or what they contributed to the paragraph, section, or research objective. None of the articles reviewed discussed or acknowledged the polysemous nature of theory. This lack of clarity and transparency may hinder the progress of comparative law scholarship.

The “negative income tax” as a steering mechanism: the semantic field of the NIT around Milton Friedman in his pre-monetarist period (1939–1948)

This paper explores the intellectual history of Universal Basic Income (UBI), specifically focusing on Milton Friedman’s Negative Income Tax (NIT) as a precursor. Examining Friedman’s work in the 1940s, the study reveals the polysemic nature of early NIT proposals and underscores the significance of Friedman and Stigler’s engagement with concepts like Abba P. Lerner’s Social Dividend and Kenneth Boulding’s adjustable tax plan, the latter often overlooked in the literature. Contrary to the prevailing view of NIT as solely a poverty alleviation policy, this research also positions it, at this moment, as a macroeconomic steering mechanism. Drawing on Reinhart Koselleck’s categories, theoretical analysis emphasises the importance of exploring diverse “layers of meaning” in early NIT debates, shedding light on nuances that echo contemporary discussions on UBI.

Is an urban waste-to-energy plant a “green” megaproject? The power of narratives in shaping the city: a Danish case study

ABSTRACT The role of communication in shaping cities has increased mainly in the last decades due to its relevance to the policymaking process. Even if the scientific debate regarding the Narrative Policy Framework reveals the importance of policy narratives influencing policy outcomes, the relationship between policy and political narratives has often been overlooked. In this paper, we explore this relationship by analysing the policy process of a megaproject case study involving a waste-to-energy plant in Denmark and the intricate process leading to its realisation. The polysemic concept of Smart Cities initially divides the policy arena between proponents of a pro-growth rhetoric focused on market strategy (advocating for a larger plant to expand market scope) and proponents of a pro-green rhetoric embracing sustainability, questioning the adequacy of the plant’s size (and highlighting potential negative trade-offs of a big plant). We illustrate how implementing policy ideas relies heavily on constructing narratives that political decision-makers use to advocate for specific policies (policy narratives) presented within a broader institutional discourse in the political arena (political narratives). This study assesses how the polysemic nature of policy ideas influences contemporary social institutions’ governance, structure, and operation, posing a challenge for environmental public management in today’s cities.

Educational Training: A Genuinely Historical Concept and a Disciplinary Field Under Construction

Concepts have a polysemic nature, meaning that they are interpreted in different ways, depending on disciplinary fields and diverse elements such as intentions, historical periods, rationalities, life stories, cosmogonies, prejudices, ideologies, among other aspects. In this case, the concept of educational training is not the exception. Therefore, it becomes necessary to build its history and identify the meanings embedded in it by the authors who study it. This will allow to avoid the reduction and restriction of its meaning. The purpose of the present work is to reflect on the concept of educational training with the intention of showing both its polysemic nature and the implications it has with the people who interpret it. It has been prepared considering the results obtained from the research "Educational Training, a concept vitalized by Gadamer" and "The notions of training in researchers", which are based on the statements and privileged axes of analysis of the states of knowledge of the Mexican educational research and recent findings. The work is theoretical, and descriptive analysis is privileged, the approach is interpretive, and it is aimed at identifying the similarities and differences of a set of training notions. It is also based on assessing the degree of involvement between the person as its being trained and the person as it elaborates notions about it own training. Among the results obtained are the following: the concept of educational training is historical because it has been interpreted within different historical periods, disciplinary fields, research perspectives and life history of the people who study it. Also, the notions of educational training developed are characterized by the involvement that the person has when living it and conceptualizing it. The work concludes by stating that the construction of the history of the concept of training is under construction by people interested in the subject. The contributions made through the notions are the references to identify the evolution of the concept and the efforts to enable its original meaning and avoid the reduction and restriction of its meaning by evoking the instrumental meaning.

THE ROLE OF BLENDING THEORY IN POLYSEMY AND METAPHOR

Blending Theory offers a revolutionary perspective in cognitive linguistics, highlighting how innovation in language and thought stems from the integration of multiple conceptual spaces. This theory elucidates the cognitive mechanisms behind human creativity, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding the emergence of complex concepts, innovative metaphors, and the polysemous nature of language. Its application extends our insights into the dynamic nature of meaning-making and metaphorical thinking in human cognition.

Visual-related conflicts in close relationships

This study explores visual-related conflicts, that is, interpersonal conflicts arising from the problematic use of visual communication and visual practices in close relationships. A total of 90 semi-structured pair and individual in-depth interviews with romantic partners and friends were conducted by applying a repertoire-oriented approach. The article explores how the polysemic nature of visuals and different visual practices (e.g. sharing, archiving and deleting visuals), especially related to mundane everyday visual content, contribute to conflictual situations among partners and friends. Specifically, the results highlight that visual-related conflicts occur around miscommunication through interpersonal communication, non-negotiation around visual sharing, not including partners in online relational presentations, online monitoring activities on social network sites and intrusive requests to delete visuals. This study extends the understanding of potential risks to close relationships from problematic uses of visual communication.

The quality of education, a concern beyond the classroom space

This paper presents the theoretical considerations that serve as points of reference for reflecting on the concept of quality in education. These reflections emerged as part of a research conducted in a new type of educational institution, the Specialized Center for Educational Services, a project that responds to the transformations within the framework of the Third Improvement of the National Education System in Cuba. The polysemic nature of the concept of quality of education and the challenges it poses to the school today in its daily routine are highlighted. This is approached from a perspective that links quality with the demands of real educational contexts and expectations in the different teaching spaces at all educational levels.

Navigating health communication: The effects of mediatization on responsibility in complex decision-making

This article investigates the mediatization of responsibility in the context of health care decision-making and biological citizenship. The analyzes how Danish parents navigate the pervasiveness, polysemy, and media logic of health communication, and how the authority and legitimacy of certain types of health communication play into their sense of responsibility. The study consists of interviews with 18 Danish parents who were in the process of deciding or had recently decided on whether to give their child the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. This study draws on mediatization theory, sociological theory of responsibility, and research on health communication to illustrate the media-centered conditions that shape parents’ decision-making processes. We find that the pervasiveness and polysemic nature of the information available about the vaccine creates an imperative to understand the information while parents also have to navigate the media logic regarding media’s motivation for presenting information about HPV vaccines in certain ways. As a consequence, parents’ decision-making responsibility as biological citizens is undergoing significant changes that place increasing responsibility on the parents in this study.

Private Property and the Commons: The Case Study of Water Distribution in Persian Qanats

Abstract Despite the polysemic nature a unique and dominant model of “property” has spread globally. It finds in the natural law thought its political and moral justification and in the article 544 of the Napoleonic Code its technical translation. The simple rhetoric of proprietary individualism elaborated within the economic analysis of law become the institutional reference in the governance of global economy. But private property is only one model of resources distribution and has not always been the main one for a long time. Comparative legal method shows us that the term property does not have a unique meaning, but it reveals the existence of alternative resource management models such as collective actions that are careful for the protection of fundamental rights and can preserve natural resources for the benefit of future generation.

Terracentric Visions and the Domestication of Aquatic Spaces: A case study of fishers’ huts in the Venetian and Caorle lagoons

This article aims to reconstruct the origins and evolution of the different types of fishing huts, commonly called casoni, which are widespread in Italy in the lagoon areas of the Upper Adriatic. The focus is on the role played by the casoni in the domestication of these lagoon spaces and on their evolution towards patrimonialisation. The first part of the article analyses the polysemic nature of the concept of aquatic space and proposes insights into different viewpoints and perceptions: from the terracentric vision to the recognition of indigenous knowledge; from the sphere of emotion, to the legislative arena. The second part argues how, in recent years, this emblematic example of human adaptation to a potentially hazradous space is evolving towards a new phase. In a period characterised by a crisis in the fishing sector, the simple fishers’ huts are gradually being transformed into tourist facilities. Paradoxically, this element of the local cultural landscape owes its survival to the 'marketing of tradition' often carried out personally by the fishers who have transformed themselves into tourism operators.

Arabic Polysemous Words used in the Qur’ān; A Study of the Word nafaqa

The Qur’ān is a marvellous book which contains various miraculous signs. Amongst its miracle is the use of polysemous words in the Book. An interpreter of the Qur’ān who does not acquaint himself with the proper use of Arabic words will mislead not only himself but others following such interpretation. The exegesis of the Book requires advanced knowledge of the Arabic Language and its branches to grasp the deep meanings of the Qur’ān. This article focuses on nafaqa mentioned in one hundred and seven (107) places in the Qur’ān as a case study of the polysemous nature of the Qur’ān and how it is being used in different ways as nouns, verbs or adjectives. As such, only expert exegetes can understand how these words are being used without misinterpreting the Qur’ān.

Debating friendship in seventeenth-century Lima, 1678–1681

ABSTRACT Given its performative functions and polysemic nature, friendship was constantly debated within the multiple political and legal sites of the Spanish Empire. This article focuses on the case of the Conde de Castellar, the viceroy of Peru (1674–1678), who was removed from office after being accused of excessive distribution of offices to his favors. The conde’s case demonstrates that friendship was both a widely accepted aspect of political life and a useful category in delegitimizing opponents. This essay focuses especially on the conflict over the conde’s social relationships and their amical character (1678–1681) as he was accused of manipulating witnesses and judges to help him escape his end-of-tenure judicial review with little punishment. Exploring manuscript records held at the Archivo General de Indias, this study reconstructs the practices and meanings of friendship with the goal of depicting the processes by which personal friendships were transformed into social and legal facts.

#BoomerRemover: COVID-19 and the intertextual politics of internet memes

This article analyzes ‘Boomer Remover’ the controversial term for COVID-19 popularized on social media in early 2020. It mobilizes digital media theory and discourse analysis to ask what makes Boomer Remover acceptable for its users. It conceptualizes Boomer Remover as an internet meme and argues that memes use intertextuality (the way new texts build upon older texts) as a core mechanism of meaning making. This allows the meme form to communicate a high-level of complexity and depth in an easily consumed format, however, it also bifurcates audiences as a meme is understood differently depending on the audience member’s familiarity with reference points. This article analyzes these divergent understandings through a framework of ‘discourse communities’. It unpacks how for a discourse community familiar with internet memes the term has come to be connected with progressive politics, and contrasts this with readings of Boomer Remover as ageist attack for those unfamiliar with the memetic contexts. Rather than privilege one reading of the Boomer Remover meme as correct, this article shows that in order to understand the social impact of memes, we must recognize their inherent polysemic nature.

(In)adequacies of Heritage Conservation and Management: Socio-Spatial Contestations of the Piedmont-Scrublands, Ramanadi Basin, Tamirabarani Productive Landscape

ABSTRACT Prima facie, our field-site, the piedmont-scrublands of Ramanadi Basin, Tamirabarani productive landscape, in the South Indian peninsula, is a Historical Irrigated Landscape (HIL). However, here, we neither reiterate our field-site as a HIL in need of site-specific solution, nor do we argue for evermore (sub)categories to manage such diverse heritage. We draw on our interdisciplinary fieldwork and argue that the polysemic nature of landscapes and their components are part of their complex contextual lived realities. Continuing to see the multiple meanings and contestations exclusively as ‘wicked problems’ that impinge on practice and policy would be a disservice to the discipline’s well-documented histories of learning through praxis. An ethnographic approach enriched by archival and cartographic studies, which we developed over successive field engagements, enabled us to foreground the (in)adequacies of current heritage conservation-management models, as analytic and heuristic, and present a more progressive model for heritage conservation-management pedagogy.

Holism at the heart of nursing knowledge: a proposed model for teaching it in nursing

Theconcept of holism remains difficult to grasp and to teach because of its polysemous nature. In the current reflections on the construction of nursing curricula, it seems necessary to propose some reference points in the meaning given to this widely used but little conceptualized notion. Nursing shares a unique and holistic view of patients, yet nursing education, rooted in the substance of nursing, remains undefined. Drawing on the work of English-language theorist Hesook Suzie Kim, this article explains part of her model of nursing practice analysis. This model is composed of four distinct domains that address the need to identify the holistic dimension of nursing knowledge to be taught.

Interpreting digital governance at the municipal level: Evidence from smart city projects in Belgium

This article adopts an interpretive approach to investigate how local policy-makers portray and justify their own visions of digital governance initiatives at the municipal level. Our investigation focuses on smart city projects submitted by various Belgian municipalities in the framework of the ‘Intelligent Territory’ call for proposals initiated in 2019 by the Walloon Region. We use Boltanski and Thévenot’s theory of orders of worth and combine quantitative and qualitative content analysis to categorize the different justifications elaborated by municipal governments. The empirical results point to the polysemic nature of the smart city concept and highlight the diversity of opportunities offered by smart city policies according to municipal policy-makers. Overall, our study contributes to the understanding of the varieties of interpretations underpinning the construction of digital governance initiatives. It therefore supports the argument according to which there is no one-size-fits-all approach to smart city policies as local policy-makers may attribute different meanings to them and may formulate place-based ICTs solutions to what they perceive as the most pressing problems of their territories. Points for practitioners Smart city projects can be used by governing authorities as instruments to achieve a variety of policy goals Examples of policy goals are to boost local economic development, to improve the effectiveness of municipal service provision, to strengthen social bonds across local community members, to promote the ecological preservation of urban environments and to improve the collaboration between citizens and public administrations Local governments can adaptively use smart technologies as instruments to overcome multiple place-based environmental, social and economic problems Local governments should frame smart urban technologies as means to solve different societal problems and achieve different policy goals – rather than an end per se

The interplay between ovarian cancer and social relationships: an analysis of patients’ metaphors

Objective Research showed that ovarian cancer poses unique challenges to patients’ care experiences and that patients’ social networks could affect their care path significantly. The present study aimed to analyse the metaphors that patients used to signify the impact of the illness on their social relationships and the role of relationships in dealing with cancer. Design Following a qualitative description approach we conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with Australian (14) and Italian (24) women diagnosed at different stages of ovarian cancer. Results The analysis identified four themes bringing together the meanings expressed by participants’ metaphors: Lack of comprehension and communication; Isolation, marginalisation, and self-isolation; Discrepancy between the private and public self; and Social relationships as empowerment resources. Conclusion The polysemic nature of patients’ metaphors captures both the empowering and especially disempowering role of social relationships in dealing with ovarian cancer. Results also show that metaphors are used to make sense of the impact of ovarian cancer on social relationships and to express different strategies for managing patients’ networks.