This thesis sets out to test the Full Transfer Full Access hypothesis (FTFA), which claims (i) that second language (L2) learners start out with the parameter settings instantiated in their first language (L1) grammars ('full transfer') and (ii) that they can subsequently reset parameters to the target L2 settings where these differ from the L1 settings, provided the required (triggering) positive evidence is available in the L2 input ('full access'). / Three studies on the L2 acquisition of two verb movement parameters, the V2 parameter and the Split-IP parameter (SIP), are reported. The first study investigates 'full access', testing whether English-speaking learners of Afrikaans, who started acquiring the L2 in early childhood and are thus child L2 learners, can reset the two parameters. The second study investigates 'full transfer' and 'full access' by testing whether English-speaking and German-speaking learners start out with different settings of the two parameters and whether the English-speaking learners can reset the parameters. All participants in this study are adult L2 learners, which facilitates a comparison of child L2 acquisition (first study) with adult L2 acquisition. The third study investigates whether Afrikaans-speaking learners of French can acquire knowledge of the ungrammaticality of certain construction types that are allowed in their L1 but not in the L2 (although the languages share the same parameter setting), despite the fact that there seems to be no positive evidence to this effect in the L2 input. It is argued that, taken together, the studies provide evidence in support of the FTFA. / The original contribution of this thesis lies in (i) investigating both verb movement parameters (instead of only one), (ii) providing a thorough discussion of the relevant syntactic properties of Afrikaans, (iii) investigating the L2 acquisition of Afrikaans, and (iv) addressing the question of how learners go about acquiring a parameter setting ([+SIP]) in cases where both the L1 and the L2 share the parameter setting but the L1 exhibits a superset of the properties exhibited by the L2.

<p>Between one hundred and one hundred and forty million young girls around the world have reportedly been subjected to some form of genital excision during 2005. Approximately three million young girls are at risk every year of undergoing this harmful procedure (WHO, 2008). Female genital mutilation is reported to occur, and is expected to continue occurring in twenty-eight African countries (London Safeguarding Children Board, 2007). This paper aims to firstly observe the levels of excision in Africa, and then highlight the underlying factors that encourage certain women to continue this dangerous ritual by analysing national datasets, such as the child info database, obtained form the United Nations Children&rsquo / s Fund. By calculating and comparing common indicators, the prevailing ones that dominate FGM appreciation can be further analysed. The final objective will be to suggest strategies that can be put in place to encourage the discontinuation of female genital cutting universally.</p>

This thesis investigates the binding of overt and null subject pronouns in second language (L2) acquisition and first language (L1) attrition of Turkish. The aim is to provide a comparative investigation of language transfer effects in the ultimate state of the L2 and L1 grammar. More specifically, it examines transfer effects from English L1 and English L2 into the grammars of Turkish L2 and Turkish L1, respectively. / In this thesis, I propose that the Subset Condition (Berwick, 1985; Manzini & Wexler, 1987) can account for transfer phenomena observed in both L2 acquisition and L1 attrition. I argue that the subset relation that holds between the L1 and the L2 can be a predictor for the extent and duration of cross-linguistic transfer in L2 acquisition and L1 attrition. In other words, whether or not a particular property will resist L2 acquisition and undergo L1 attrition can be determined by looking at the subset relationship between the L1 and the L2 with respect to that property. / The prediction is that in configurations where the 'influencing language' (L1 in L2 acquisition and L2 in L1 attrition) is the superset of the 'affected language' (L2 in L2 acquisition and L1 in L1 attrition), L1 transfer effect will persist in L2 acquisition and we will see more signs of L2 transfer into the L1 grammar, resulting in more attrition effects. / Pronominal binding is chosen to investigate such cross-linguistic transfer effects. English and Turkish differ with respect to governing domains and types of pronominals present in two languages. Turkish, being a pro-drop language, allows null subject pronouns in main and embedded clauses. It also has a special type of anaphoric pronominal, kendisi, for which English has no corresponding form. / Two experiments were conducted to test L2 acquisition and L1 attrition of binding properties of Turkish overt and null subject pronouns under the influence of English. Participants included native English-speakers living in Turkey (end-state L2 Turkish speakers) and native Turkish-speakers living in North America (end-state L2 English speakers). Overall, results obtained from the two studies reveal cross-linguistic transfer effects in the manner predicted. In particular, properties of English overt pronouns (e.g., him/her) are transferred onto the overt Turkish pronoun o in L2 acquisition and in attrition, whereas properties of the Turkish null pronoun and the anaphoric pronominal kendisi are unaffected by English.

This study analyses the development of health care in Haiti as it has emerged from a syncretic cultural background. The historical bases of the social and cultural practices surrounding health and illness are described as four separately developing but interacting strands--domestic medicine, mercantile medicine, official medicine and Creole medicine. The thesis interprets this heterogeneity of health-care beliefs and practices using the theoretical concept of a disemic culture, in which diverse cultural codes interact, to provide occasions for the situational negotiation of health care. / Case studies of domestic groups suggest that the domestic unit is the determining factor of health status, and the necessary focus for health development policy. The resources of the health care system outside the domestic unit are shown to contribute little to the health status of the population.

According to Metheny (1965), people's impressions of the acceptability of sport for women varies across several factors, including culture and gender. In this study, 206 prospective physical education teachers from Canada and Kenya were questioned about their perceptions of gender appropriateness of various sports. They completed Likert-type questionnaires related to sport/physical activities found in their respective university curricula. For those sports that appeared in both countries, responses were compared (2 x 2 ANOVA) for effects of culture and gender. Gender differences were also addressed within each culture. / Results revealed that Canadian respondents perceived fewer sports to be on the extremes of the male-female continuum than did the Kenyan respondents. Females in both cultures considered more sports to be appropriate for both male and female participation than did their male counterparts. However, Canadian and Kenyan respondents, both male and female, unanimously perceived some sports to be primarily appropriate for males and others primarily appropriate for females. / The study supports Metheny's contention of cultural variance in perceptions of the gender appropriateness of sports. Although many sports that had been considered inappropriate for females in 1964 are today considered to be androgynous, especially by Canadians, some gender stereotyping still remains to be overcome. Implications for physical education teachers are suggested.

This research study investigates the design features that both Iranians and Americans care about and notice, the housing characteristics they prefer, and the extent by which evaluation of housing forms may be affected by familiarity. The study also investigates the influence of the Western civilization on the Iranian culture through perceived imagery associated with architectural form.A set of twenty photographs representative of architectural styles commonly found in the city of Tehran, Iran as well as a questionnaire survey were the tools used in this cross-cultural perception study.After analyzing the responses given by the two sample groups, it was concluded that each group was in agreement in their perception of architectural styles and preferred the unfamiliar styles. However both groups did not agree in their association of familiarity and newness. Throughout the study it was evident that the Western civilization had a strong influence on the Iranian culture in their perception and preference of architectural forms. / Department of Landscape Architecture

This study was an attempt to identify the relationship between women and non-governmental organizations in Ghana. It was conducted over a period of one year in the capital city of Accra. Ethnographic and feminist methodology were the framework for the fieldwork and text. Interviews, observations and discussions with aid workers and development recipients determined the perimeters and rendered meaning. Women dominated both sides of development and aid work in Ghana; however, there was limited interaction between them. Female recipients of development were not consulted regarding development projects and were not familiar with the scope and implications of international aid. Female development personnel from both Ghana and the United States were separated from the communities and people they worked for personally and professionally. The development workers did not consider consultation with female clients a necessity or an obligation. Both groups of women struggled to incorporate the concepts and implications of development into their situated reality. / Department of Anthropology

The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of cultural factors, such as self-construal, and social beliefs, on coping for U.S. and Chinese college students. Data from 325 U.S. and 321 Chinese college students were used for the analyses. It was found that independent self-construal, beliefs in reward for application and social complexity predicted task-oriented coping and self-regulation for both the U.S. and Chinese students. It was also found that beliefs in both fate control and social cynicism were associated with avoidance and emotion-focused coping in both groups. These two patterns of relationships were also observed across gender in each sample. Differences were also noted between the two countries. For the U.S. students, independent self-construal and interdependent self-construal contributed equally to task-oriented coping and self regulation, whereas for the Chinese students, only independent self-construal predicted these coping strategies. Moreover, religiosity was associated with emotion-focused coping and self regulation for the Chinese participants, while this pattern was not found in the U.S. student sample. The results of this study support the transactional model of coping. Consistent with previous findings, significant associations were found between three of the cultural variables (independent self-construal, beliefs in social complexity, and reward in application) and taskoriented coping. In contrast to prior research, the current study indicates that both independent and interdependent self-construal predicted task-oriented coping for the U.S. students. This contradicts Lam and Zane’s (2004) findings which suggested that these two dimensions of selfconstrual affect coping differently. Moreover, the current study found associations in the U.S. sample between self-construal, social beliefs, and coping dimensions which were originally identified in Chinese populations (i.e., self-regulation and help seeking). Similarly, the current research illuminated relationships in the Chinese sample between self-construal, social beliefs, and coping dimensions which were originally identified in the West (i.e., task-oriented and emotion-oriented coping). These findings suggest that current conceptualizations of coping in the West and China may not fully capture important aspects of coping in these two cultures. These results were discussed in relation to past findings in the literature, as well as the cultural contexts of the U.S. and China. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Today Russia plays an important role in global economic development and attracts a lot of multinational companies, who establish their subsidiaries there. Many foreign investors send their representatives, business expatriates, to develop their businesses in Russia. The knowledge of cultural and communication specifics in Russia is very important for the success of those business personnel. This study has presented an in-depth picture of Danish business expatriates’ experience in Russia. Qualitative interviews with eight Danish business expatriates were conducted to examine and compare cultural and communication norms in Denmark and Russia. The results were analyzed using the cross-cultural theories of Hofstede (2011) and Hofstede, Hofstede and Minkov (2010). The findings revealed that communication norms in Russia differ significantly from those in Denmark on two cross-cultural dimensions: Power Distance and Indulgence versus Restraint. / Department of Communication Studies

The purpose of the present study was to compare the factor structure of distress, comprised of depression, anxiety, and somatization, across Turkey and the U.S., and to investigate the metric invariance of the instruments used to measure distress: The Beck Depression Inventory-II, The State Trait Anxiety Inventory Trait subscale, and TheSymptom Check List 90-R Somatization subscale. Data from 778 Turkish and U.S. participants were used for the analyses. It was found that depression, somatization, and anxiety are three distinct but related constructs for both Turkish and U.S. participants. It was also found that BDI-II, STAI-Trait, and SCL-90-R-Somatization do not have metric invariance across the two cultures, and these instruments do not measure the same distress construct across Turkey and U.S. Stated differently, distress as measured by these three instruments has different meanings for Turkish and U.S. participants. According to the results of a freelist analysis, somatic, cognitive, behavioral, and affective reactions to distress were equally salient for Turkish students. In contrast, affective and somatic reactions to distress had more salience for the U.S. participants.Some of the results obtained from the current study contradicted previous findings, while some were consistent. The results were consistent with the way depression, anxiety, and somatization are conceptualized in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) as separate constructs, but contradicted Krueger et al.'s findings (2003) and Broom's unitary model of personhood (2000, 2003). Results from the freelist analysis contradicted the previous findings indicating that Turkish individuals are more likely to somatize compared to individuals from the U.S. (Gureje et al., 1997). The methodological differences between the current study and the previous studies (Gureje et al., 1997), such as differences in the instrumentation and the educational levels of the participants, may have caused the observed differences in the findings. The results from the current study should be interpreted in light of its limitations, such as use of convenience sampling, instrumentation, and the effect of potential response biases. Future studies are needed to further investigate the cross-cultural metric invariance and item bias of BDI-II, STAI-Trait, and SCL-90-R-Somatization individually. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services