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Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the Degree of MA in Communication Science, University of Zululand, 2008. / The concept of sustainability has been adapted in business context to achieve balance, integrity, economic, social and environmental performance (Naidoo 2002:129); however Corporate Social Investment (CSI) is a relatively new concept to some companies. This study measures the growing debate over the responsibilities of business and the examination of communication strategies and CSI programmes being implemented by the banking sector in the Chatsworth District The first part of the study reviews literature pertaining to the communication process, electronic communication, mass communication, organisational communication, public communication, communication strategies in corporate social investment and community development. Subsequent chapters deal with the construction of a survey instrument employed to measure and evaluate the extent of CSI programmes by the banking sector and the findings of the survey. Penultimate chapters blend the insights gained from this literature review to interpret the results, obtained through the quantitative research methodology, to describe a set of conclusions and recommendations in the context of community upliftment through CSI initiatives.

Communication between a patient with hearing loss and a health care provider can be challenging and potentially contribute to poor health outcomes. This document describes an audiology doctoral project with clinical innovation emphasis on the development of a guide and interprofessional training for health care providers to communicate effectively with patients with hearing loss. A preliminary assessment of provider needs for training was followed by the development and implementation of an interprofessional training on hearing loss and communication strategies for the University of Arizona-St. Luke's Home Interprofessional Education and Practice Program (Spring, 2015). Additionally, video training segments on effective communication in a health care setting were developed. Evaluation of the interprofessional training included administration of pre- and post-training questionnaires (n = 11). Results indicated a significant change in trainee confidence levels in screening for hearing loss and the use of appropriate communication strategies for communicating with hard of hearing patients. These results support further development and research on hearing loss and communication training for health care curriculums, interprofessional education, and in-service training meetings. Implementation of communication trainings may lead to improved patient-provider communication, with positive impact on health care experiences and outcomes for patients with hearing loss.

In my dissertation, I argue that rationality, for real humans, is best understood as a strategy for communication and interacting in a social environment. In particular, I argue that humans are rational to the extent that they are able to understand and be understood by others, to the extent that they can give and accept reasons and explanations. This raises a pair of questions. The first concerns the source of the norms for giving and accepting reasons. The second is why we should accept and follow these norms if they are not guaranteed to preserve truth or optimize outcomes. I address the first question by arguing that these norms function as constraints on our imaginations, on the ways in which we can think about or understand the world. This goes beyond the traditional view that these norms govern acceptable inferences. Rather, I argue, the more significant function of these norms is to govern the structure of our reasoning in the sense of guiding considerations about the relevance and form of our understandings of situations. This suggests an answer to the second question. We ought to accept these norms because they are self-confirming. Following them allows us to communicate and interact with others who follow these same norms. In those endeavors that require interaction and coordination in a social group, being understood is frequently more important than being right. / text

Introdução: A craniossinostose é causada pela fusão prematura de uma ou mais suturas cranianas, levando à deformidade do crânio. Formas sindrômicas ocorrem quando a craniossinostose é associada a características dismorfológicas adicionais. A fusão precoce das suturas pode ser causada por fatores ambientais e genéticos. No presente trabalho, pretende-se reconhecer os diagnósticos clínicos e características fenotípicas da craniossinostose em pacientes atendidos nos ambulatórios de Genética Médica do Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre no período de 2006 a 2016. O protocolo de investigação incluiu anamnese, exame dismorfológico e revisão de prontuário, incluindo exames de investigação realizados. Resultados: Entre 2006 e 2016, foram avaliados 133 indivíduos com craniossinostose, sendo que 121 reuniram critérios para inclusão neste estudo. A idade média de diagnóstico da craniossinostose foi de 38,4 meses. A sutura mais frequentemente acometida foi a sutura metópica. Houve maior proporção de casos sindrômicos (69,4%). Em 25 desses pacientes, foram identificadas as síndromes de Apert, Crouzon, Pfeiffer, Muenke, Craniofrontonasal ou Saethre-Chotzen. Síndromes não tipicamente relacionadas a craniossinostose foram também identificadas, como distrofia miotônica tipo 1 (n=2), síndrome de Gorlin, síndrome de Beckwith-Wiedemann e galactosemia. Os sinais clínicos não eram típicos de qualquer síndrome particular em 32 indivíduos (38,1% dos casos sindrômicos). Características fenotípicas frequentes incluíram malformações de extremidades (35,5%), do sistema nervoso central (32,1%), cardiovasculares (21,4%) e genito-urinárias (16,6%). Foram observadas malformações raras como espinha bífida (n=3), hérnia diafragmática congênita (n=3) e hipoplasia congênita de parede abdominal (n=2). Anormalidades citogenéticas ou moleculares foram identificadas em 18 indivíduos sindrômicos, sendo a síndrome de Muenke o diagnóstico mais frequente (n=7). Discussão: A maior proporção de casos sindrômicos em relação a outras séries é possivelmente relacionada ao fato de tratar-se de casos atendidos em um serviço de Genética clínica. Observou-se diagnóstico significativamente tardio na presente casuística, reforçando a necessidade de estratégias de saúde pública envolvendo treinamento de recursos humanos e otimização da referência aos centros terciários. O acometimento multissistêmico reforça a importância do acompanhamento multidisciplinar. Conclusão: O estudo demonstra uma amostra amplamente heterogênea em termos clínicos, genéticos e terapêuticos. É fundamental o desenvolvimento de estratégias de educação contínua não apenas dentro da equipe, mas também ao acessar pacientes e familiares, através do aconselhamento genético e de ferramentas de comunicação. Para isso, propõe-se uma cartilha informativa sobre craniossinostoses para pacientes e familiares. Faltam estudos em países em desenvolvimento para análise comparativa dos dados em contextos sociais semelhantes. / Introduction: Craniosynostosis is caused by premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, leading to deformity of the skull. Syndromic forms occur when craniosynostosis is associated with additional dysmorphological features. Early suture fusion can be caused by environmental and genetic factors. In this study, it is intended to recognize the clinical diagnosis and phenotypic characteristics of craniosynostosis in patients attending Medical Genetics outpatient clinics of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre from 2006 to 2016. The research protocol included anamnesis, dysmorphological examination, review of medical records and investigations carried out. Results: Between 2006 and 2016, 133 individuals with craniosynostosis were evaluated, and 121 met inclusion criteria for this study. The mean age at diagnosis of craniosynostosis was 38.4 months. Metopic suture was the most commonly involved. There was a higher proportion of syndromic cases (69.4%). In 25 of these patients, Apert, Crouzon, Pfeiffer, Muenke, Craniofrontonasal or Saethre-Chotzen syndromes were identified. Syndromes not typically associated to craniosynostosis were also identified, such as myotonic dystrophy type 1 (n = 2), Gorlin syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and galactosemia. Clinical signs were not typical of any particular syndrome in 32 individuals (38.1% of syndromic cases). Frequent phenotypic features included extremities (35.5%), central nervous system (32.1%), cardiovascular (21.4%) and genitourinary malformations (16.6%). Rare malformations such as spina bifida (n = 3), diaphragmatic hernia (n = 3) and congenital abdominal wall hypoplasia (n = 2) were observed. Cytogenetic or molecular abnormalities were identified in 18 syndromic patients, and Muenke syndrome was the most frequent diagnosis (n = 7). Discussion: The higher proportion of syndromic cases than in other series is possibly due to the fact that these cases are treated in a clinical genetics service. Significantly late diagnosis was observed in the present series, reinforcing the need for public health strategies involving training of human resources, optimization of referral to tertiary centers and active search strategies. Multisystemic involvement reinforces the importance of multidisciplinary follow-up. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a widely heterogeneous clinical, genetic and therapeutic sample. Strategies for continuous education within the team, patients and family members, through genetic counseling and communication tools are important, so it is proposed an information booklet for patients and families. There is a scarcity of case series from developing countries for comparative analysis in similar social contexts.

Central bank communication has become an important monetary policy tool. This is because it helps to improve the effectiveness of monetary policy by sharing information, which reduces uncertainty. Previous research on the topic has concentrated on central banks in developed economies, such as the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, and the Federal Reserve. This research contributes to the literature by providing insights from the perspective of emerging economies, where communications of Chinese and Indian central banks are examined. The first empirical chapter investigates the effectiveness of communication of People s Bank of China (PBOC) on Chinese financial markets: the interbank money market, the equity market, and foreign exchange markets, are analysed using time-series models. The main focus of the chapter includes an analysis of PBOC s credibility, construction of a new communication index on global economic outlook, more detailed communication indexes, and addressing how-to-communicate questions in the PBOC s communication strategies. The results indicate that the PBOC has credibility and its communication generally reduces volatility in these markets. The second empirical chapter looks at the role of the PBOC s communication in predicting policy rates, using an ordered probit model. The communication indexes constructed in the chapter cover both formal and informal communications of PBOC for 2009 to 2015 and a new communication index on money supply was also constructed. The main finding is that PBOC s communications (particularly on inflation) are useful for predicting PBOC s monetary policy stance. The money supply communication index has some, but not much predictability powers. Finally, the third empirical chapter compares central bank communications in China and India. The contribution of the chapter lies in the comparative analysis of two central banks communications of developing economies, which were overlooked in the extant literature. It shows that the communications on the countries monetary policy inclination have influence on macroeconomic variables of the countries, particularly, the short-term inflation expectations. The findings, therefore, suggest the effectiveness of communications as an unconventional monetary policy tool in emerging economies.

In the current research project the functions of self-initiated self-repairs in an advanced Japanese language classroom were investigated. From the reviewed literature it was found that repairing is possible through monitoring, which includes error detection, and involves attention and memory. Therefore, data was collected on the abilities of the participants in the current research project to repair, monitor and their attention levels and memory. There were seven methods used to collect data; participant observation, classroom interaction tape recordings, a questionnaire, stimulated recall interviews, attention test, memory and attention test and proficiency level assessments. From the participant observation, classroom interaction tape recordings and stimulated recall interviews data was collected on the repairs that the participants made and the way in which they monitored was explored. The questionnaire revealed relevant background information, such as, number of years the participants had studied Japanese, which supplemented other information collected. The attention test and memory and attention tests were used to obtain information on the participants’ perceptions of their levels of attention and their actual levels of attention and memory respectively. The final data collected was on the participants’ own perceptions of their speaking proficiency levels in Japanese and an independent judge’s evaluation of their levels. The results of the data collected on the way in which the participants repaired and monitored showed that overall the participants repaired and monitored in ways that had been discussed in previous research on repairing and monitoring. However, for the first known time, phenomena related to repairing and monitoring, which the researcher terms as communication strategies, are used frequently by the participants and also, that these communication strategies used and repairs made by the participants were not needed to be made. In other words, the participants in the current research project were often repairing errors that had not been made. As for the data collected on the participants’ attention levels and memory, no significant differences were found between the participants and neither did any differences reflect on the ways in which the participants repaired. From the proficiency level assessments, further evidence was found that supported previous research done on repairing and monitoring as well. Also, it was found that the participants under-estimated their levels of proficiency in comparison to the independent judge’s evaluations. Therefore, the participants both over repair and under estimate their Japanese speaking abilities. This is seen as detrimental to the participants’ performances in Japanese. Recommendations are made to use this data provided by Japanese language learners when repairing to guide instruction and to encourage learners to gain fluency by repairing less often than is thought necessary.

Speaking a foreign language is a major part of communicating in that language. Since LGY 69, spoken English has received the same attention in teaching as the writing of English; and in the national tests today spoken English is considered 1/5 of the test grade.  However, students in many cases find it more difficult to speak English than to write it and some teachers still focus more on writing and grammar than on speaking. In this essay, I am trying to show how a group of fairly fluent students tackle the oral part of their national test and what strategies they use to overcome linguistic difficulties. In order to do so I have filmed five groups and a total number of 17 students when they do the oral part of their national tests in English in grade nine and also have the students fill out a questionnaire about the experience. The tests took place in March and April 2010. This essay shows that the most frequently used strategy is pauses, unfilled and filled, but that for other strategies the individual differences are great. It also shows that group dynamics play an important role when doing the test and students who are not able to do the test with people they normally talk to do worse in the test setting and that the performance of both boys and girls suffer when being put in mixed groups.

<p>There is a gap between the citizens and the political institutions of the European Union. Many theorists think that this is due to the fact that the EU suffers from a “democratic deficit” and that the EU is perceived as a project made by and for the political elite. Several years of low participation in the European Parliamentary elections and the French and Dutch rejection of the European Constitutional Treaty in Spring 2005 shows that the EU has weak legitimacy in the eyes of the people.</p><p>In 2004, Margot Wallström was charged to renew the European Commission’s communication strategy and to reconnect with the citizens by stimulating dialogue and debate. This thesis is a critical study of the deliberative qualities of the new communication strategy based on Habermas’s discursive theory, which discusses the strategy’s possible effects on EU legitimacy. It finds that the communication strategy, despite several deliberative apects, have little chances to have an impact on EUs legitimacy, since it fails to engage “common people” in the debate and since it is not part of a major institutional reform but just an “icing on the cake”.</p>

The use of communication strategies (CSs) has been of interest on research into second language acquisition (SLA) since it can help learners to attain mutual comprehension effectively and develops understanding of interaction in SLA research. This study investigates and clarifies a wide range of CSs that learners of English and learners of Chinese use to solve language problems as well as to facilitate problem-free discourse in both text-based and video-based SCMC environments. Seven Chinese-speaking learners of English and seven English-speaking learners of Chinese were paired up as tandem (reciprocal) learning dyads in this study. Each dyad participated in four interactions, namely, text-based SCMC in English, text-based SCMC in Chinese, video-based SCMC in English and video-based SCMC in Chinese. The interaction data were analysed along with an after-task questionnaire and stimulated reflection to explore systematically and comprehensively the differences between text-based and video-based SCMC and differences between learners of English and learners of Chinese. The results showed that learners used CSs differently in text-based and video-based SCMC compared with their own performance and indicated different learning opportunities provided by these two modes of SCMC. Although the difference in language was less salient than the medium effect, learners of English and learners of Chinese tended to have their own preferences for particular CSs. When these preferences appear to reflect an appropriate communicative style in one particular culture, learners might need to raise their awareness of some strategies during intercultural communication to avoid possible misunderstanding or offence. Some possible advantages of tandem learning interaction were also identified in this study, such as the potential to develop sociocultural and intercultural competence due to the opportunity to practice culturally appropriate language use with native speakers in a social context.