Intrigued by a striking resemblance between certain behaviour, characteristics and preoccupations in characters from French literary texts, on the one hand, and in modern-day anorexics on the other, we have undertaken a study of representations of abnegation. In reading female ascetic piety, particularly in an extreme and sterile form known as “scrupulosity,” as it is seen in Madame Gervaisais, by the Goncourt Brothers, and in the representation of adolescence in L’Histoire de ma vie, by George Sand, I aim to explore similarities and differences between these two “conditions.” Next, certain texts by Zola, Vincent van Gogh and Simone de Beauvoir allow me to study a wide range of responses to the same questions as those which motivate anorexia nervosa and scrupulosity: questions of balance between the spiritual and the material, of perfectionism, of excessive obedience, of refusal of pleasure, and of a capacity for self-destruction. Paradoxically, all the “characters” studied here (including those “characters” created by means of autobiography or letter writing) are represented as possessing tendencies which define these two “conditions,” tendencies which are capable of leading either to extraordinary fulfilment, an unheard of creativity, or to self-destruction motivated by a desire for perfect virtue. Reading these texts in the light of anorexia nervosa allows new insights into them, in turn offering a new perspective on anorexia nervosa, suggesting its long involvement in the cultural history of Europe. / RESUME S'anéantir ou s'épanouir : avatars d'ascétisme anorexique dans la littérature française du XIXe au XXIe siècle Intriguée par une ressemblance frappante entre quantité de comportements, caractéristiques et préoccupations chez, d'une part, des personnages des textes littéraires français du XIXe siècle, et d'autre part chez les anorexiques modernes, nous avons entrepris d'examiner des représentations de l'abnégation. En lisant la piété féminine ascétique, surtout dans une forme stérile et extrême nommée « scrupule », telle qu'elle est montrée dans Madame Gervaisais, des frères Goncourt, et dans la représentation de l'adolescence dans L'Histoire de ma vie, de George Sand, je me donne pour but l'exploration des similarités et différences entre ces deux « conditions ». Ensuite, certains textes de Zola, de Vincent van Gogh, et de Simone de Beauvoir me permettent de scruter une variété de réponses aux mêmes questions qui motivent l'anorexie mentale et le scrupule : questions d'équilibre entre le spirituel et le matériel, de perfectionnisme, d'obéissance excessive, de refus du plaisir, et de capacité à s'anéantir. Paradoxalement, tous les « personnages » étudiés ici (y compris les « personnages » créés à travers l'autobiographie ou l'art épistolaire) sont représentés comme possédant des tendances qui définissent ces deux « conditions », tendances qui peuvent mener soit à un épanouissement extraordinaire, une créativité inouïe, soit à l’anéantissement de soi motivé par un désir de vertu parfaite. Lire ces textes en rapport avec l'anorexie mentale, c'est les considérer sous un jour nouveau, ce qui offre à son tour une nouvelle optique sur l'anorexie mentale, suggérant son imbrication de longue date dans l'histoire culturelle de l'Europe.

This research takes an autoethnographical approach to exploring the connections between being a nurse, doing nursing work, and experiencing a mental illness. Data is comprised of autoethnographical stories from 18 nurses. Drawing on Lyotard’s (1988) postmodern philosophy of ‘regimes of phrases’ and ‘genres of discourse,’ the nurses’ stories yielded three motifs: Nursing, Tangata Whaiora (people seeking wellness) and Bullying. Motifs are recurring topical, emotional and contextual patterns which have been created in this research by means of the formation of collective stories from the content of the nurses’ stories, artwork, fictional vignettes and poetry. Interpretation of the motifs was undertaken by identifying and exploring connected or dissenting aspects within and between the motifs. Using Fine’s (1994) notion of hyphenated lives, the spaces between these aspects were conceptualised as hyphens. The Nursing motif revealed a hyphen between the notion of the nurses as selfless and tireless carers, and the mastery requirements of professionalism. The nurses’ hope for caring, belonging, expertise and ‘goodness’ were also features of the nursing motif. The Tangata Whaiora motif revealed the hyphen between being a compliant patient and a self-determined person seeking wellness, and also foreshadowed the notion that the nursing identity does not ‘permit’ the dual identities of nurse and tangata whaiora. This research has found that nurses who have experienced, or are vulnerable to, mental illness negotiate a nexus of hyphens between societal, professional and personal expectations of the nurse. Ongoing unsuccessful negotiation of their identities is exhausting and leads to enduring distress. At times, negotiation is not possible and the nurse is immobilised in a differend of silence and injustice. At such times, the only resolution possible for the nurse is to leave the nursing profession. Bullying surfaced as a feature of the hyphen between the nursing and tangata whaiora identities, as well as being a part of each identity as colonising, silencing and/or discriminatory acts. Successful negotiation between and among the nursing and tangata whaiora hyphens requires a radical restructuring of the nursing image and culture across the education, workplace and personal/clinical areas. Three strategies are proposed for the discipline of nursing to achieve this change: transformatory education, a conscientisation programme, and mandatory emancipatory clinical supervision.

Intrigued by a striking resemblance between certain behaviour, characteristics and preoccupations in characters from French literary texts, on the one hand, and in modern-day anorexics on the other, we have undertaken a study of representations of abnegation. In reading female ascetic piety, particularly in an extreme and sterile form known as “scrupulosity,” as it is seen in Madame Gervaisais, by the Goncourt Brothers, and in the representation of adolescence in L’Histoire de ma vie, by George Sand, I aim to explore similarities and differences between these two “conditions.” Next, certain texts by Zola, Vincent van Gogh and Simone de Beauvoir allow me to study a wide range of responses to the same questions as those which motivate anorexia nervosa and scrupulosity: questions of balance between the spiritual and the material, of perfectionism, of excessive obedience, of refusal of pleasure, and of a capacity for self-destruction. Paradoxically, all the “characters” studied here (including those “characters” created by means of autobiography or letter writing) are represented as possessing tendencies which define these two “conditions,” tendencies which are capable of leading either to extraordinary fulfilment, an unheard of creativity, or to self-destruction motivated by a desire for perfect virtue. Reading these texts in the light of anorexia nervosa allows new insights into them, in turn offering a new perspective on anorexia nervosa, suggesting its long involvement in the cultural history of Europe. / RESUME S'anéantir ou s'épanouir : avatars d'ascétisme anorexique dans la littérature française du XIXe au XXIe siècle Intriguée par une ressemblance frappante entre quantité de comportements, caractéristiques et préoccupations chez, d'une part, des personnages des textes littéraires français du XIXe siècle, et d'autre part chez les anorexiques modernes, nous avons entrepris d'examiner des représentations de l'abnégation. En lisant la piété féminine ascétique, surtout dans une forme stérile et extrême nommée « scrupule », telle qu'elle est montrée dans Madame Gervaisais, des frères Goncourt, et dans la représentation de l'adolescence dans L'Histoire de ma vie, de George Sand, je me donne pour but l'exploration des similarités et différences entre ces deux « conditions ». Ensuite, certains textes de Zola, de Vincent van Gogh, et de Simone de Beauvoir me permettent de scruter une variété de réponses aux mêmes questions qui motivent l'anorexie mentale et le scrupule : questions d'équilibre entre le spirituel et le matériel, de perfectionnisme, d'obéissance excessive, de refus du plaisir, et de capacité à s'anéantir. Paradoxalement, tous les « personnages » étudiés ici (y compris les « personnages » créés à travers l'autobiographie ou l'art épistolaire) sont représentés comme possédant des tendances qui définissent ces deux « conditions », tendances qui peuvent mener soit à un épanouissement extraordinaire, une créativité inouïe, soit à l’anéantissement de soi motivé par un désir de vertu parfaite. Lire ces textes en rapport avec l'anorexie mentale, c'est les considérer sous un jour nouveau, ce qui offre à son tour une nouvelle optique sur l'anorexie mentale, suggérant son imbrication de longue date dans l'histoire culturelle de l'Europe.

This research takes an autoethnographical approach to exploring the connections between being a nurse, doing nursing work, and experiencing a mental illness. Data is comprised of autoethnographical stories from 18 nurses. Drawing on Lyotard’s (1988) postmodern philosophy of ‘regimes of phrases’ and ‘genres of discourse,’ the nurses’ stories yielded three motifs: Nursing, Tangata Whaiora (people seeking wellness) and Bullying. Motifs are recurring topical, emotional and contextual patterns which have been created in this research by means of the formation of collective stories from the content of the nurses’ stories, artwork, fictional vignettes and poetry. Interpretation of the motifs was undertaken by identifying and exploring connected or dissenting aspects within and between the motifs. Using Fine’s (1994) notion of hyphenated lives, the spaces between these aspects were conceptualised as hyphens. The Nursing motif revealed a hyphen between the notion of the nurses as selfless and tireless carers, and the mastery requirements of professionalism. The nurses’ hope for caring, belonging, expertise and ‘goodness’ were also features of the nursing motif. The Tangata Whaiora motif revealed the hyphen between being a compliant patient and a self-determined person seeking wellness, and also foreshadowed the notion that the nursing identity does not ‘permit’ the dual identities of nurse and tangata whaiora. This research has found that nurses who have experienced, or are vulnerable to, mental illness negotiate a nexus of hyphens between societal, professional and personal expectations of the nurse. Ongoing unsuccessful negotiation of their identities is exhausting and leads to enduring distress. At times, negotiation is not possible and the nurse is immobilised in a differend of silence and injustice. At such times, the only resolution possible for the nurse is to leave the nursing profession. Bullying surfaced as a feature of the hyphen between the nursing and tangata whaiora identities, as well as being a part of each identity as colonising, silencing and/or discriminatory acts. Successful negotiation between and among the nursing and tangata whaiora hyphens requires a radical restructuring of the nursing image and culture across the education, workplace and personal/clinical areas. Three strategies are proposed for the discipline of nursing to achieve this change: transformatory education, a conscientisation programme, and mandatory emancipatory clinical supervision.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Victoria University (Melbourne, Vic.), 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis examines how men and women as co-interactants in management meetings use various interactional mechanisms to play out their roles and identities, as they position their ideas in a particular way for intended meaning and effect. The study aims to demonstrate how a particular approach to the examination of naturalistic data, gathered through the use of a case study design, based on recordings and supported by a number of ethnographic strategies can, when examined and informed by conversation analysis, pragmatics and more indirectly critical discourse analysis, generate further insights into the semantic and pragmatic meanings of utterances. The study focuses on four companies in postcolonial Zimbabwe, where the entry of women into senior management positions has changed the complexion of most organisations, but men continue to be the fundamental power brokers in the corporate workplace, which remains a site of social struggle where language, power and gender are important variables. This study finds that while perceptions of power may not vary significantly between men and women, how they use language to play out this power in meetings is of significance. The study suggests that gender-linked communication styles are reflected in management of talk in areas of influence, such as the corporate boardroom. It also shows that men and women, irrespective of their levels of position power or perceived power, present themselves in meetings in different ways, possibly due to gender-role socialisation processes. Apart from generating some new insights regarding theory and research methodology, and describing and interpreting male-female interaction in an under-researched domain (management meetings in a Zimbabwean corporate setting at a time of major socio-economic transformation), it is hoped that this study will also be of value at an applicational level: serving for instance to support applied linguistic goals such as the development of Language for Specific Purposes courses; and conscientising corporate citizens, in particular, to be more accommodating about, and appreciative of differences in communication styles that may be gender-based. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)

no abstract available / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Sociolinguistics)

The assumption underlying this study is that cultures differ in terms of politeness norms. Often people from different cultures approach one another in what they think is an appropriate manner and the outcome is miscommunication. This may be attributed to differing cultural norms and this study aims to examine what a sample of school learners perceive to be polite behaviour when making requests and their reasons for doing so. This study focuses on perceived politeness norms (Brown and Levinson 1978) in English across selected South African cultures. The individuals are seen as reflecting a cultural identity, using norms that they feel are appropriate in given situations. Previous researchers have endeavoured to show that politeness norms are universal, but it has emerged that this is not always the case. When people from differing language and cultural backgrounds come into contact they have to find a common ground for their interaction to be successful (Lustig and Koester 1999). Of particular interest is the way people request things, both the way they phrase their request and their reasons for phrasing it this way. In order to investigate this, twenty-nine same-sex pairs of Grade 10 learners were selected from three schools with different cultural backgrounds in Grahamstown. These learners were required to complete a Discourse Completion Test, which contained both Think-Aloud and Retrospection Procedures, while they were being audio-taped. This data was transcribed and analysed using a model that was developed and adapted to describe request strategies. This data is shown through the use of basic statistics, even though it is primarily qualitative. The data is given this qualitative dimension by looking at the factors that the co-conversants attend to. The recorded data shows that although second language speakers of English have a formula for requesting things, they are not always able to articulate why they use the request strategies they do. It appears that English first language speakers and speakers who have English as an additional language request things similarly, but the first language speakers have access to a greater variety of politeness strategies. They also attend to different contextual features. This shows that while the need to be polite seems to be universal, the expectations of the speakers will be different and while a first language speaker of English would not misinterpret the force of a given speech act, they may feel that the person who has English as an additional language is rude. Sensitivity is therefore called for in order to combat mutual negative stereotyping and misunderstandings. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

This study investigates the impact of Family Language Policy (FLP) on the conservation of minority languages in Zimbabwe. Family language policy is a newly emerging sub field of language planning and policy which focuses on the explicit and overt planning in relation to language use within the home among family members. The study is therefore predicated on the view that the conservation of any minority language largely depends on intergenerational transmission of the particular language. Intergenerational transmission is dependent in part, on the language practices in the home and therefore on family language policy. To understand the nature, practice and negotiation of family language policy in the context of minority language conservation, the study focuses on the perspectives of a sample of 34 L1 Kalanga parents and 28 L1 Tonga parents, who form the main target population. In this study, parents are considered to be the ‘authorities’ within the family, who have the capacity to articulate and influence language use and language practices. Also included in this study are the perspectives of language and culture associations representing minority languages regarding their role in the conservation of minority languages at the micro community level. Representatives of Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association (KLCDA), Tonga Language and Culture Committee (TOLACCO) as well Zimbabwe Indigenous Languages Promotion Association (ZILPA) were targeted. This research takes on a qualitative approach. Methodologically, the study deployed the interview as the main data collection tool. Semi structured interviews were conducted with L1 Kalanga and L1 Tonga parents while unstructured interviews were conducted with the representatives of language and culture associations. This study deploys the language management theory and the reversing language shift theory as the analytical lenses that enable the study to understand the mechanics of family language policy and their impact on intergenerational transmission of minority languages in Zimbabwe. Language management theory allows for the extendibility of the tenets of language policy into the family domain and specifically affords the study to explore the dialectics of parental language ideologies and family language practices in the context of minority language conservation in Zimbabwe. The reversing language shift theory also emphasises the importance of the home domain in facilitating intergenerational transmission of minority languages. Findings of the study demonstrate that family language policy is an important aspect in intergenerational transmission of minority languages, itself a nuanced and muddled process. The research demonstrates that there is a correlation between parental language ideologies and parental disposition to articulate and persue a particular kind of family language policy. In particular, the study identified a pro-minority home language and pro- bilingual family language policies as the major parental language ideologies driving family language policies. However, the research reveals that parental language ideologies and parental explicitly articulated family language polices alone do not guarantee intergenerational transmission of minority languages, although they are very pertinent. This, as the study argues, is because family language policy is not immune to external language practices such as the school language policy or the wider language policy at the macro state level. Despite parents being the main articulators of family language policy, the study found out that in some instances, parental ideologies do not usually coincide with children’s practices. The mismatch between parental preferences and their children’s language practices at home are a reproduction, in the home, of extra familial language practices. This impacts family language practices by informing the child resistant agency to parental family language policy, leading to a renegotiation of family language policy. The research also demonstrates that parents, especially those with high impact beliefs are disposed to take active steps, or to employ language management strategies to realise their desired language practices in the home. The study demonstrates that these parental strategies may succeed in part, particularly when complemented by an enabling sociolinguistic environment beyond the home. The articulation of a pro-Tonga only family language policy was reproduced in the children’s language practices, while the preference for a pro- bilingual family language policy by the majority L1 Kalanga parents was snubbed for a predominantly Ndebele-only practice by their children. In most cases, the research found out that language use in formal domains impacted on the success of FLP. Tonga is widely taught in Schools within Binga districts while Kalanga is not as widespread in Bulilima and Mangwe schools. Ndebele is the most widespread language in Bulilima and Mangwe schools. As such; children of L1 Kalanga parents tend to evaluate Kalanga negatively while having positive associations with Ndebele. All these language practices are deemed to impact on family language policy and therefore on intergenerational transmission of minority languages in Zimbabwe. The desire by parents for the upward mobility of children results in them capitulating to the wider socio political reality and therefore to the demands of their children in terms of language use in the home. The study therefore concludes that family language policy is an important frontier in the fight against language shift and language endangerment, given the importance of the home in intergenerational transmission of minority languages. The study therefore implores future research to focus on this very important but largely unresearched sub field of language policy. The study observes that most researches have focused on the activities of larger state institutions and organisations and how they impact on minority language conservation, to the detriment of the uncontestable fact that the survival of any language depends on the active use of the language by the speakers. The research also recommends that future practice of language policy should not attempt to promote minority languages by discouraging the use of other majority languages, but rather, speakers should embrace bilingualism as a benefit and a resource and not as a liability. The interaction between the top down state language policy and the bottom up micro family language policy should be acknowledged and exploited, in such a way that the two can be deployed as complementary approaches in minority language conservation. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Languages, Linguistics and Literature)

This study explores approaches and strategies to implement in multicultural English-medium secondary schools for the management and education of black pupils with limited proficiency in English. It attempts to identify means of enhancing and accelerating the mastery by such pupils of English at a level sufficient to support their cognitive-academic needs. An account is given of those elements of the South African education system that have contributed to the disadvantagement that such children bring to the multic,llttu'al classroom. Relevant theories of bilingual education create a theoretical context for the qualitative research that follows, in which the experiences are recorded of educators at three schools where the needs of limited-English-proficient (LEI') pupils have been addressed. Data gathering was by means of focus-group interviews. Based Oll this research, guidelines are offered to help multicultural schools design policies and implement programmes to accommodate the needs of LEP pupils. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Comparative Education)