Sociocultural Discourse Research Articles

A socio-cultural discourse study of cultural-political elites’ stances on LGBTI+ identities and practices in Ghana

Recently, cultural-political elites made competing and conflictual statements regarding LGBTI+ identities and practices in Ghana which attracted national and international attention. How do cultural-political elites discursively construct LGBTI+ discourse in postcolonial Ghana and what are the implications? This study employed qualitative methodology and engaged discourse theory and method to analyse cultural-political elites’ discursive practices and stances on LGBTI+ discourse in Ghana. The analytical method is dialectical and focuses on the relationship between the data (text) and sociocultural and political context for meaning making. Social relations of knowledge and statements articulated to power-knowledge provide the analytical framework. The study demonstrates that essentialising the cultures and traditions of Ghana short of a detailed concrete contextual definition of the complex multicultural and multiethnic post-colonial nation limits the socio-cultural interpretation, understanding and stances on LGBTI+ discourse in Ghana and can lead to ambiguities and contradictions. Different social actors take divergent positions in their interpretations and understanding of LGBTI+ discourse in Ghana. Also, the study notes that attempts at understanding sexuality, especially, LGBTI+ discourse and same-sex intimacies in non-western societies requires dialogue and intercultural engagements capable of promoting human existence in a socially cohesive and harmonious manner.

UPDATING SOCIOCULTURAL ASPECT OF CONTENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Introduction. The article analyzes sociocultural conditionality of education content, considers the necessity of its enrichment with humanistic sociocultural values demanded in professional activity of a graduate in multicultural changing world.
 The purpose of the article is to conceptualize the world-view essence of the sociocultural discourse and its defining role in updating content of education as the necessary condition for bringing up a competent specialist.
 Objectives of the article are to analyse the problem of updating education content in the context of modern concepts of humanization; determine the essence and structure of the sociocultural aspect of professional training at a modern university; presentation of the conditions for updating the sociocultural aspect of the content of education in the activities of a university teacher.
 Methodology. In order to achieve the goal, we studied the concept of humanization of education with methodological instruments of social philosophy, anthropology, cultural studies, considering the increasing role of the value aspect in the content of education.
 Results. The scientific novelty of the article is in determining vector for updating the content of education and showing relevance of its sociocultural aspect for the first time in the context of interrelationship of global humanism, universal evolutionism and post-nonclassical rationality. The article reveals the worldview essence of the sociocultural aspect of the content of education and proves the importance to update it for both humanities and natural sciences. We also propose the structure of the sociocultural aspect and possible ways to renew it in the context of cultural science. Of practical importance are the conditions outlined in the study for updating the content of education, a special place among which belongs to the teacher’s ability to reflect on its hidden component as a significant channel for transmitting sociocultural humanistic values. Conclusion. Education that meets sociocultural challenges of changing world by updating its content serves as an indicator of the quality of professional training at universities, ensures bringing up socioculturally competent specialists capable of resolving contradictions in the modern world and ready to maintain its sustainable development.

Rethinking advanced motherhood: a new ethical narrative

The aim of the study is to rethink the ethics of advanced motherhood. In the literature, delayed childbearing is usually discussed in the context of reproductive justice, and in relationship to ethical issues associated with the use and risk of assisted reproductive technologies. We aim to go beyond these more “traditional” ways in which reproductive ethics is framed by revisiting ethics itself through the lens of the figure of the so-called “older” mother. For this purpose, we start by exploring some of the deep seated socio-cultural discourses in the context of procreation: ageism, ableism and the widespread bias towards geneticism and pronatalism. Afterwards, we provide a critical overview of the key arguments against or in support of advanced motherhood. We then briefly discuss how entrenchment by both sides has produced an impasse in the debate on the ethics of advanced motherhood and proceed by arguing that it is fundamental to bring about a change in this narrative. For this purpose, we will revisit the feminist usage of the concept of vulnerability which will allow us both to criticize culturally prescribed norms about motherhood and to address the painful reality of age-related fertility decline. In the last section, we argue that instead of defining “older” motherhood as an ethical problem, we should problematize the fact that female reproductive ageing is an understudied and ill-sourced topic. We believe that allocating resources to research to better understand female reproductive ageing is not only ethically permissible, but might even be ethically desirable.

Women’s Narratives of Domestic Violence and Help Seeking Behaviour in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh: A Feminist Sociological Exploration

In Bangladesh, various forms of violence are much higher in the remote areas of the southern coastal districts than in any other part of the country. Though there are a number of legal support-related organisations available in the country, they have limited presence in the coastal areas. Hence, based on ten in-depth interviews, this paper focuses on women’s personal reflections on their experience of domestic violence and their attitude towards seeking help to protest against violence. The research findings reveal that although domestic violence takes place inside the family, however, is strengthened by the broader patriarchal structure and legitimised through the practice of negative socio-cultural discourses, religious beliefs, norms, and gender bias legal systems. The findings further establish that patriarchal mentality, traditional norms and discourses, women’s insecurity, lack of education and economic dependency of women create hindrance from receiving legal assistance, which in turn create further scope for domestic violence. Social Science Review, Vol. 39(3), Dec 2022 Page 37-54

Listening to and Sharing Concerns with One’s Spouse: Co-constructed Narra-tives and Sociocultural Discourses in Japanese Marital Communication

The persistence of a status gap between men and women in Japan, on the other hand there is growing skepticism about gender inequality. This discrepancy between the reality and beliefs about gender roles and disparities sug-gests that Japan is undergoing a transitional phase in terms of the division of labor according to gender. Moreover, Japanese couples are less likely to listen to or confide in their spouses regarding their problems than those of couples from other East Asian countries. The present study examined Japanese marital communication, division of labor in the context of traditional gender roles, and the need for their support. The study involved sequential analysis of a single couple therapy session. Co-constructed narratives and sociocultural discourses were examined in the structured session, in which attachment needs were discussed between spouses, particularly those arising during crises. The results revealed that feelings of “Amae” and refraining from expressing one’s own needs ac-counted for the challenges in communication. It is important to engage in dialogue that focuses on the needs and efforts of the couple, as well as to create an environment conducive to the discussion of work-related issues, household chores, and childcare. Meeting the couple’s proximity needs and improving family management may promote equitable division of labor based on new gender roles.

Агресія як детермінуючий чинник протиправної поведінки людини

The article examines the essence of the nature of the phenomenon of aggression and characterizes it as a determining factor of illegal human behavior. Various definitions of the concept of aggression as one of the internal deep-psychological determinants of behavior are considered. It is substantiated that aggression, as a predetermined and socially determined behavior, is inextricably linked with the satisfaction of the basic life needs of an individual. It was established that social, personal and psychological factors play a decisive role in the aggressive behavior of an individual, but not each of them separately or their complex - they act in the context of a complete personality and are in direct connection with a specific life situation. Based on the analysis of scientific theories of aggressive behavior, it can be argued that aggression is the basis of behavioral disorders, including its illegal manifestations. Theoretical and legal aspects of the analysis of aggression point to the need to study the legal and socio-cultural discourse regarding the understanding of this phenomenon. Carrying out such an analysis definitely requires adherence to the principles of methodological pluralism, which reveals the contradictory nature of human aggression. This diversity made it possible to analyze that legal, social, cultural factors, as well as biological ones, are responsible for anthropological aggression. Such consideration reveals the essence of aggression as a phenomenon determined by various factors of human existence in the world. It was found that these factors impose responsibility both on the individual and on the legal and socio-cultural discourse of the society, which through civil processes and positive law «suppresses» and «cultivates» aggressive behavior and aggressive expression of will.

“Not that it makes you less of a mother, but…”: Navigating discourses of responsible motherhood in the context of VBAC

In the United States, pregnant people considering a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) face this decision in a highly contested environment where VBAC is simultaneously encouraged—situated within discourses promoting vaginal birth—and discouraged through discourses emphasizing reproductive risk. Woven through these competing discourses is a shared emphasis on maternal responsibility, reflective of a socially constructed belief that birth method is bound implicitly to one's “goodness” as a mother. This paper employs a discursive analytic lens to examine the experiences of 16 pregnant people in New York City seeking VBACs for their upcoming births. We examine how sociocultural discourses of “responsible” mothering shape participants’ experiences of considering VBAC and examine participants’ anxieties over VBAC and its attainability in light of their past birth experiences. Our analysis demonstrates that participants reproduce discourses privileging vaginal birth, and simultaneously challenge these discourses by invoking an “embodied knowledge” that enables them to assert themselves as responsible mothers in the context of past cesarean deliveries and uncertainty surrounding their upcoming births. Implications are discussed in the context of existing literature on birth and discourses of maternal responsibility.

Cultural reflexivity and the referral problem: A discourse analysis of three initial sessions of intercultural couple therapy

AbstractUsing a combination of macro‐ and micro‐analytic approaches in discourse analysis, this article examines transcripts from three initial sessions of DVD‐recorded conjoint couple therapy with an intercultural couple. We analyse the strategies of power employed by therapy participants to promote their preferred construction of the referral problem. Focusing on the intersections of gender, psychopathology and culture, we explore how wider sociocultural discourses play out in the micro‐context of participants' discursive exchanges. We also consider how the therapist's interventions privilege and marginalise client discourses in both strategic and unintended ways. This article offers some clinical techniques to address the dilemmas and difficulties identified in our analysis. We conclude by underscoring the value of reviewing recordings and transcripts of therapy dialogues to enhance cultural reflexivity.

‘It's always that idea that everyone's trying to look like something’: Revisioning sociocultural factors in eating disorders through Photovoice

Eating disorders (EDs) are now often approached as biopsychosocial problems. But the ‘social’ aspects of the equation are often marginalised or relegated to contributory factors, whether in mainstream ED research or clinical practice. When such factors are considered, an emphasis on media images and ‘thinness expectancies’ tends to predominate – offering a familiar narrative which may be limiting in understanding the aetiology and experience of EDs. This study draws upon feminist approaches to EDs and the methodology of Photovoice (Wang and Burris, 2004) to understand how 10 people with lived experience frame and articulate the role(s) of sociocultural influences in the development of their eating problem. The responses help to consolidate the argument that a focus on media and body image may be misleading, pathologizing and contribute to the stigmatisation of EDs. Whilst some have argued for better ‘mental health literacy’ in understanding EDs and combatting stigma, it is suggested here that improved ‘sociocultural literacy’ – understanding the interaction between sociocultural discourses and mental health – is just as pressing.

Challenges and strategies for intercultural communication: A case study on national and gender stereotypes in postmodern women literature

The paper was aimed to investigate the problem of national and gender stereotypes’ influence on the choice of strategies for intercultural communication between ethnically or culturally diverse people. The case study took place in the course of trainings, for students, who left for abroad in the wake of the state of emergency, but continued their studies in the university online. The authors applied comparative literature analysis and sociocultural interpretation of the texts of the novels “Fear and Trembling” by Amelie Nothomb and “Good News from the Aral Sea” by Irena Karpa to explore what national and gender stereotypes had been reflected in postmodern women literature, as one of the forms of mass consciousness and sociocultural discourse embodiment. It was revealed that various societies possessed prejudices against foreigners no matter their educational or economic level, while the stereotypes concerning women were completely different in discovered environments; conflicts and failures in intercultural communication caused by stereotypical perception cannot be solved when people apply assimilation, opposition or subversion as communication strategies. Nevertheless, empathy, integration and transformation of stereotypical patterns of one culture to the foreign one could result in fruitful interaction and enable people’s adaptation to life in a foreign society.

Who is sensitising whom? A participatory interview guide development as an awareness tool within a health care research project

Who is sensitising whom? A participatory interview guide development as an awareness tool within a health care research project

The Constraints of Monolingual Language Policy and Heteroglossic Practices as a Vehicle for Linguistic Justice

This paper draws on conceptualisations of language as heteroglossic practices to examine how the experienced bilingual science teacher navigates between the monoglossic ideology that is embodied in the official Namibian Language in Education Policy (LiEP) within a linguistically constrained Namibian bilingual context. This paper aims to support recent research that challenges monolingual and monoglossic language practices, which tend to ignore the linguistic resources that children bring to the classroom. Data were collected from a classroom including video and audio recordings of lessons, field notes and photographs. The data were analysed through socio-cultural discourse and fine-grained multimodal analytical methods. The data findings illustrate the moment where the science teacher was constrained by English monolingual policy to mediate learners’ access to science learning, and harnessed all linguistic resources that the learners bring to the classroom. Subsidiary to that, there were moments where the teacher worked flexibly across languages, discourses and modes to interrupt the monoglossic ideology that is embodied in the official Namibian Language in Education Policy (LiEP). The use of rich heteroglossic practices is a clear testimony to enhanced science meaning-making regardless of learners’ ‘limited proficiency in English. The findings highlight the need to support learners from linguistically diverse backgrounds through a deliberate inclusive language policy that harnesses the heteroglossic nature of communicative practices and prepares teachers for a multilingual reality.

Individual’s experiences of adjusting to changes in body image after spinal cord injury: a literature review and thematic synthesis

Purpose To understand how individuals experience and adjust to changes in body image after spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods A systematic search using four databases identified eleven articles that met the inclusion criteria. The studies were critically appraised to determine quality. Interpretative thematic synthesis was used to explore adults’ experiences of adjusting to changes in body image after SCI. Results Three themes described the influence of sociocultural factors on body image: ‘Sociocultural influences’, ‘Responses of others’ and ‘Experience of rehabilitation’. Six themes described individuals’ experiences of body image. ‘Loss and threat of difference’, ‘Discomfort and disconnection’ and ‘Resistance’ negatively influenced body image. ‘Reconnecting with the body and re-negotiating identity’, ‘Support network’ and ‘Challenging beliefs about disability’ promoted positive body image. Adjustment was a dynamic process, influenced by interactions between individual, relational and sociocultural factors. Conclusions The physical impacts of SCI, individual’s perceptions, relationships and sociocultural discourses influenced body image. Rehabilitation professionals could support adjustment to changes in body image by considering individual, relational and systemic influences. Furthermore, it is important to include an individual’s support network within their care as social factors influenced body image experiences. Peer support could promote hope and challenge negative sociocultural beliefs about disability.

Task-Supported EFL Instruction: Integrating Students, Teacher, and Textbook Roles in a Japanese Mainstream High School Class

Today in Japan, the impetus to effect positive change on students’ use of English as a communication tool is reflected in the thrust of the Ministry of Education to promote meaningful in-class practice as highlighted in the revised high school foreign language curriculum. However, teachers face a dilemma of implementing meaningful classroom practice of English entirely without any focus on grammar or form. Fortunately, an approach which may offer a balanced opportunity to create meaningful practice while highlighting the target expression in use is Task-supported language teaching (TSLT). To better understand TSLT’s usefulness in an EFL setting, this classroom-based research explores the potential roles that students, the teacher, and the textbook play in a sociocultural approach-oriented EFL class employing TLST and how it complements a Japanese mainstream high school class. Utilizing mixed methods of sociocultural discourse analysis and self-reporting of Grade 11 (n=117) mainstream EFL learners, results indicate that: the students, talking in pairs using their L1, (1) understood difficult vocabulary, (2) managed assigned tasks, and (3) engaged in off-task dialogue; the teacher performed the roles of (1) classroom manager, (2) communicator of content, and (3) assessor and provider of feedback; and the textbook played (1) informative, (2) instructional, and (3) experiential roles in the classroom. It was also found that TLST complements a Japanese high school mainstream EFL class by (1) optimizing the limited time offered in class for students to tackle the TL; (2) aiding students in their standardized institutional exams; and (3) appealing to Japanese cultural sensibilities.

Abkhaz language Ethnocultural Features in the Conservation and Development Vector

The article deals with the problem of preserving and developing the language as an object of small nations cultural heritage on the example of Abkhazia. The relevance of the work is due to the understanding of transculturalism and translinguism phenomenon as a resource for the possible salvation and development of an endangered language. The purpose of the article is to determine the vector of preservation and development of the Abkhaz language. The subject of the study is the ethno-cultural features of the Abkhaz language, as well as understanding the role and place of the phenomena of translinguism and transculturalism in its preservation and development. The methodological basis of the work is a cultural approach that requires the analysis of social phenomena through the prism of such categories as language, traditions, values. As a result, authors determined linguo- and ethno-cultural features of the Abkhaz language; indicated the vector of its preservation and development, which will determine the worthy place of the national language in the “mixed” socio-cultural discourse. In the conclusions, the authors conclude that the processes of translinguism and transculturalism play a significant role in the preservation of the Abkhaz language and ethnocultural heritage in the era of a clear contradiction between globalism and the desire to express local identity.

A System-Level Mechanism for the Conservation and Prospective Development of the Cultural Heritage of a Small Nation (on the Example of Abkhazia)

The article is dedicated to the research into the problem of historical and cultural heritage, the preservation of which is especially important for the survival and development of small nations. The relevance of the chosen topic is justified by the search for a comprehensive mechanism for the preservation of cultural heritage, which is underrepresented in cultural theory and practice. The research subject is the development of this mechanism. The article aims to determine the strategic directions for the preservation and prospective development of the small nations’ cultural heritage on the example of the Republic of Abkhazia. The methodological basis of the study is the cultural and system-level approaches. A set of methods, including comparative and SWOT analysis are used to achieve the goal. The novelty lies in defining for the first time a system-level mechanism for the preservation of historical heritage as non-material cultural legacy. The authors have identified the basic levels in the system of measures for the preservation and prospective development of the cultural heritage of Abkhazia, which consist of international, multi-country, state, individual (humanitarian). The individual level allows us to consider the studied problem taking into account a wide sociocultural and socio-political field. To sum up, in this article the authors substantiate the role and place of the system-level mechanism in the development of promising directions for a unified Strategy for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, which is still missing in the socio-cultural discourse.

Stories Matter: A Novel Approach to Exploring Perceptions, Discourses, and the Symbolic Social Order in Pastoral Psychology

This article locates story completion (SC), a novel and underutilised qualitative data collection tool, as a valuable adjunct to traditional qualitative methods for pastoral psychology. In contrast to traditional self-reporting qualitative interviews or surveys, SC necessitates a researcher writing a story “stem” or “cue” – or, more specifically, an opening sentence – which participants are asked to continue in their own words. Uniquely, for SC, it is the stories themselves (which may be either first- or third-person perceptions, or constructions, of a phenomenon) which are subject to data analysis. Story completion has the benefit of being able to target implicit perceptions, or social constructions, depending on the epistemological framework chosen. However, this method has seldom been used in pastoral psychology, despite its potential significance. In this article, I demarcate SC as a prospective qualitative research tool for use in pastoral psychology, distinguishing it from other qualitative methodologies. I trace its emergence from psychoanalytic thought to its current usage in qualitative psychology research. I argue that SC has profound potential, especially for those looking to examine stigmatised topics or populations with sensitivity. Nevertheless, studies which utilise SC need to be theoretically cognizant and align fully with the ontological or epistemological assumptions of the researcher. I introduce and expound on varied epistemological frameworks that can be used in conjunction with story completion, further discussing their relative merits and potential drawbacks for pastoral psychology. I propose that, methodologically, SC is beneficial for accessing sociocultural discourses and broader representations surrounding religiously and culturally complex topics. I offer a case study of one recent research study, which used SC within the context of mental health and religion, to demonstrate its merit and applicability to the field. In doing so, I provide three contrasting epistemological readings of the data to show how these might be applied in practice.

Трансформация образовательного процесса в иноязычной цифровой среде

The article describes the practical implementation of an experimental model for shaping professional and universal competences of non-linguistic students of humanities in a digital environment of a regional university. It analyzes the ongoing transformation of the educational process, roles and functions of students and teachers. The urgency of the research is determined by the need to find new effective pedagogical technologies for forming competences, which are in demand in knowledge economy. Theoretical and methodological analysis, empirical observations prove that there is a need for a paradigm shift of the educational process in Russian universities, including the development of student collaborations potential in the digital educational environment. The described five-year study involved 46 students of Petrozavodsk State University. Formalized open- and closed-ended questionnaires, as well as observation, expert assessment and statistics methods were used. A model of teaching foreign languages in a digital environment based on teamwork and self-organization is presented. It includes three modules. The first module involves the creation of a competitive foreign-language environment that encourages the development of leadership qualities and self-presentation skills through participation in digital competitions, festivals and language olympiads. The second module is aimed at forming teamwork skills, developing dialogic communicative skills, expanding the communication space for a more natural language socialization of students in professional and socio-cultural discourse. The third module allows organizing group work between students, as well as between students and teachers. The technology of creating a professionally oriented website in English by master's and bachelor's students is described. The results confirm that learning in such a model contributes to the transformation of the roles and functions of teachers and students, leading to a change in their interaction. This, in turn, not only stimulates the development of students' soft skills (such as communicative and digital skills, teamwork, leadership, systemic and critical thinking), but also creates conditions for the implementation of their initiative, creativity and new ideas. The authors conclude that the proposed model contributes to the development of a new method of teaching a foreign language in the digital environment and helps students to socialize in their future profession.

Mass Housing Neighbourhoods and Urban Commons

The neglect of significance, deterioration and consequent devaluation of the post-war mass housing neighbourhoods are major challenges, both in the field of heritage conservation and management and in urban planning and design. The reasons for their deterioration are different, and interlinked with the socio-cultural discourse, as well as the spatial characteristics of these neighbourhoods. This doctoral research addresses the challenges of those neighbourhoods, focusing on New Belgrade Blocks, as one of the largest modernist post-war mass housing areas in Europe. The case is particularly important for the discourse on mass housing and ‘ordinary’ heritage management, as it encapsulates concepts, policies and practices developed in Yugoslavia, which are relevant to the contemporary discussions on community-driven approaches for urban planning and governance and participation in heritage studies. The doctoral thesis presents this legacy and reveals causalities and relations of spatial and socio-political aspects, policies, but also planning and design principles. Furthermore, it empirically studies and evaluates the blocks in the contemporary context, with the society (involving citizens), and within the current legal and organisational conditions. Eventually, it develops a framework for enhancement of the blocks, addressing the current and future societal and users’ needs, while preserving the identity and values of the blocks. The doctoral thesis provides different findings and perspectives, contributing to the current knowledge on integrated conservation, urban planning and governance of urban heritage, and in particular mass housing neighbourhoods. It shows co- dependence of those fields and offers an integrative and cross-disciplinary approach.

«Новые корни травы»: кросс-культурное восприятие метафоры

The article attempts to critically comprehend the widespread idea of the difficulty of achieving mutual understanding between the bearers of European and Chinese cultures due to historical differences in the vision and description of the world, including the means of language. Using the example of the cross-cultural transition of the “grass roots” metaphor that arose in the Englishspeaking environment, the author reflects on the prerequisites that allowed this concept to overcome the border of the semiosphere and become widespread in the socio-cultural discourse of modern China. As the basic conditions that ensured the successful transition of a metaphor into the semantic space of a different culture, the formation of a linguistic picture of the world in relation to the surrounding reality and the role of metaphor as a tool of cognition are singled out. From the author’s point of view, with all the existing differences between cultures and languages, the successful adaptation of the metaphor “grass roots” in the Chinese language and culture allows us to speak about a certain typological similarity of thinking of representatives of different civilizations, starting from the basic level of perception of reality and ending with the construction of complex concepts.