Constructed action (CA) can be defined as adopting roles of different characters in a narrative (Cormier, Smith, and Sevcikova 2015). In multiple sign languages, CA is marked by the direction of...Show moreConstructed action (CA) can be defined as adopting roles of different characters in a narrative (Cormier, Smith, and Sevcikova 2015). In multiple sign languages, CA is marked by the direction of the body, facial expressions and signs marking the character’s perspective. Constructed dialogue (CD), quoting a certain character, is one of the forms of CA (Cormier, Smith, and Sevcikova 2015). This study will combine elements from Cormier, Smith, and Sevcikova’s work (2015), who used cartoon retellings to research CA in British Sign Language, and the study by Stec, Huiskes, and Redeker (2016), who used a corpus to investigate constructed dialogue in American English. The dataset for my study consists of 10 cartoon and fable retellings from the corpus NGT (Crasborn, Ros, and Zwitserlood 2008). I have selected these video fragments by searching the dataset for the verb ZEGGEN ‘say’ in the corpus NGT, because this is an indicator for a direct or indirect quote (Stec, Huiskes, and Redeker 2016, 5). This is a new method and has yielded many cases of CD. The selected clips already contain time-aligned glosses in ELAN, but I have added annotations concerning CA using the guidelines provided by Cormier, Smith, and Sevcikova (2015).Show less
Cross-linguistic studies have shown that despite variations across languages, universal patterns are found within semantic domains. In sign language linguistics, cross-linguistic studies of the...Show moreCross-linguistic studies have shown that despite variations across languages, universal patterns are found within semantic domains. In sign language linguistics, cross-linguistic studies of the iconic patterns per semantic domain have received major attention in recent years. This study investigates iconicity in the semantic domain of animals in Berbey Sign Language – an emerging family sign language in Mali – and compares it to 10 other sign languages. The results of the analysis of the iconic strategies and iconic image in 10 animal signs reveal notable patterns. An overview of the universal tendencies found in the semantic domain of animals is included in the study as well.Show less
Within sign language poetry there is a genre that has not been the subject of scientific research yet, even though it has been around for quite some time: visual vernacular. It differentiates...Show moreWithin sign language poetry there is a genre that has not been the subject of scientific research yet, even though it has been around for quite some time: visual vernacular. It differentiates itself from other types of sign language literature in that it hardly ever uses anything but iconic signs, and this is what makes it internationally comprehensible across sign language borders. It is even understandable to audiences who do not have any knowledge of a sign language. Besides iconic signs, it uses many cinematographic techniques such as role switching from and to different subject or objects within the story. Visual vernacular is different from another type of sign language literature called classifier stories mainly in that the latter uses sign language specific lexicon which visual verancular does not. Another similar form of art, this time outside the sign language realm, is pantomime, but this is different from visual vernacular in many ways, one of the most prominent of which is that pantomime performers are only the storyteller whereas visual vernacular performers swith between the storyteller, main protagonist and any other subject or object in the story. By making a literary overview and using a dataset of different types of visual vernacular stories, this thesis provides an inter and intra sign language poetry genre comparison.Show less
The Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities adopted by the UN in 2006 represents the first ever internationally agreed upon instrument in the field of universal human rights of people...Show moreThe Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities adopted by the UN in 2006 represents the first ever internationally agreed upon instrument in the field of universal human rights of people with disabilities. Since the Convention came into force, the number of funding directed towards disabled peoples organization grew significantly. With increase in number of NGOs, including disabled people’s organisation, more and more researchers began to be interested in studying the nature of relationship between the donor and the local NGO. In Tanzania, most of the local NGOs with an aim to improve lives of people with disabilities, receive majority of their funding from Western donors, where the recent trend is to implement the so called “human-rights based approach”. As this paper will discuss, the NGO-donor relationship is in itself unequal due to NGO’s financial dependency on the donor organization. The power relations are expressed through the process of developing an agenda of a development project, more specifically in project’s objectives and how these are in accordance with the NGO’s mission and to what extent can these be achieved with regards to the local context. Apart from achievability, this paper will discuss relevance of the targets and who benefits from these efforts. The analysis evolves around studying the relationship between CHAVITA, a local NGO advocating for the lives and better living conditions of deaf people in Tanzania, and DCW, a British charity organization, which is currently funding their Sign Language Development Project.Show less
This thesis is in fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the International Studies Bachelor Program. First, the aim of this thesis is to ascertain the perceived effectiveness of the...Show moreThis thesis is in fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the International Studies Bachelor Program. First, the aim of this thesis is to ascertain the perceived effectiveness of the 2015 Tanzanian Witchdoctor Ban as a countermeasure to the violence being perpetrated against people with albinism from the standpoint of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Tanzanian Government, and various NGOs actively engaged in the welfare of people with albinism in the region. The second chapter illustrates the state of the art of the literature concerning the Tanzanian societal witchcraft paradigm, status of PWA in traditional culture, occult-legislation, and indicators of legislative efficacy. The third chapter explains the multi-indicator document analysis conducted to determine each actor’s perception of the ban’s efficacy. The fourth chapter relays the results of the analysis, where it was determined that the United Nations Human Rights Council held a neutral perception of the effectiveness of the Witchdoctor Ban, the Tanzanian Government held a positive perception, and the various NGOs held a negative perception. This thesis henceforth concludes with a critical examination of the results and methodology, and a conclusory statement that further research into efficacy indicators and occult-legislation as an institutional countermeasure towards the violence against people with albinism can be facilitated by the foundation built through this research and its accompanied findings.Show less
This bachelor thesis seeks to identify the relevant actors in the medical and muti markets for organs in South Africa. Firstly a theoretical background is presented, in order to identify the...Show moreThis bachelor thesis seeks to identify the relevant actors in the medical and muti markets for organs in South Africa. Firstly a theoretical background is presented, in order to identify the relevant theories and concepts needed to understand organ markets. A brief overview of the two markets to be compared is also given. This background serves to support the central research question: Who are the relevant actors in the medical and muti markets for organs in South Africa and how do the respective actors interact and how do these interactions flow? A methodology for answering the above question is also presented. The method used in this bachelor thesis consisted of a review of the relevant literature and media sources in order to build an overview of actors in each market. These overviews are then used to construct actor network diagrams for each of the markets. The overviews and diagrams are then discussed. The study has shown that the markets are indeed comparable, and that they share a similar flow of organs. However, the muti market is a decentralized one with a strong linear flow from the source person to the recipient. The medical market on the other hand was found to be a distributed network, with organs and interactions flowing between and through a number of actors rather than from one side to another.Show less
Signed languages are used by deaf communities globally and are considered the languages of deaf people. Late deafened people are also deaf in an audiological sense, although they lost their hearing...Show moreSigned languages are used by deaf communities globally and are considered the languages of deaf people. Late deafened people are also deaf in an audiological sense, although they lost their hearing after acquiring speech, yet are commonly assumed not to learn signed languages. The aim of this thesis was to test this assumption by exploring 1) how frequently late deafened people choose to learn a signed language and 2) the factors which motivate this choice, focusing on native English speakers. Two separate studies were performed using both quantitative and qualitative methods in order to gather data for these two research questions. In the first study 25 adults with hearing loss completed an anonymous online survey comprised of both multiple choice and open questions. The second study analysed five blog posts written by late deafened adults in order to gain insight into their attitudes towards signed languages and their identities in relation to their hearing loss. The survey results showed that over half (59%) of the late deafened participants had learned a signed language, although they did not frequently use it and mostly communicated through speech. The factors which appeared to influence the choice to learn or not were found to be: the participants’ level of satisfaction with their ability to communicate without knowledge of a signed language; the support of their family and friends; and a positive attitude towards both signed languages and the Deaf community. Overall, my research found that late deafened people face a struggle in terms of their attitudes and identity when they become deaf and, although the majority of them continue to use English, many also choose to learn a signed language.Show less
