Metadiscourse, or discourse about discourse, manifests itself in both spoken and written genres. However, the focus of existing studies of spoken metadiscourse remains mainly on academic speaking (Hyland, 2017), whereas research on metadiscourse in spoken non-academic genres is much less common. The present study thus investigates, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the use of metadiscourse in TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talks, which are primarily monologic speeches aiming at knowledge dissemination among a lay audience. The corpus for this exploratory study comprises the top 20 most viewed speeches (49,000 tokens and 286 minutes of presentation time) presented in English at an official TED conference in 2019. This study attempts at shedding light on how TED speakers use metadiscourse from the perspective of the discourse functions by applying Ädel’s (2023) taxonomy of reflexive metadiscourse. The results reveal that TED speakers demonstrate a high level of audience orientation. The findings also indicate a strong focus on discourse organization, which underlines the importance of making this explicit in TED talks, thus providing guidance for the audience. One of the key observations of this study is that the audience in the genre of TED talks is complex, as talks are not only presented live when recorded, but also made available to a global, online audience. The thesis aims to contribute insights to TED talks as a genre, enhance the taxonomy development for metadiscourse, and suggest potential pedagogical implications for teaching public speaking.

Conventional wisdom, inspired in part by Eric Raymond, suggests that open source developers primarily develop software for developers like themselves. In our studies we distinguish between reflexive software (software written primarily for other developers) and irreflexive software (software written primarily for passive users). In the first study, we present four criteria which we then use to assess project reflexivity in SourceForge. These criteria are based on three specific indicators: intended audience, relevant topics, and supported operating systems. Based on our criteria, we find that 68% of SourceForge projects are reflexive (in the sense described by Raymond). In the second study, we randomly sample and statically estimate reflexivity within SourceForge. Our results support Raymond's assertions that 1) OSS projects tend to be reflexive and 2) reflexive OSS projects tend to be more successful than irreflexive projects. We also find a decrease in reflexivity from a high in 2001 to a low in 2011.

This dissertation considers how refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are conceived in international relations, and how they are understood in relation to the global refugee regime complex. This research explores how cognitive frames are impeding fair/democratic governance of IDPs/refugees and employs two case studies to investigate how the practice of critical reflexivity can lead to the creation of democratic spaces for refugees/IDPs to enact protection preferences. The first case analysis argues that Sarvodaya Shramadana's Deshodaya initiative in Sri Lanka has enabled IDPs in that nation to embrace critical reflexivity to re-constitute/reimagine themselves as governing agents who can redefine state and international organization-based definitions of their protection. The second case examines asylum adjudications at the Department of Homeland Security and is an exploration of how that agency's responsible officials can employ critical reflexivity to recognize seemingly hidden governance structures that condition their decision-making and limit refugee choices. Finally, this inquiry offers a new, organic model for conceptualizing both refugee/IDP governance and strategies for democratization of refugee/IDP governance institutions and systems. / Ph. D.

In advancing a critical examination of post-processualism, the thesis has – as its central aim – the repositioning of the Neolithic within contemporary archaeological theory. Whilst acknowledging the insights it brings to an understanding of the period, it is argued that the knowledge it produces is necessarily constrained by the emphasis it accords to the cultural. Thus, in terms of the transition, the symbolic reading of agriculture to construct a metanarrative of Mesolithic continuity is challenged through a consideration of the evidential base and the indications it gives for a corresponding movement at the level of the economy; whilst the limiting effects generated by an interpretative reading of its monuments for an understanding of the social are considered. Underpinning these constraints is the conceptual privileging of the individual consequent upon the post-processual reaction to the totalising frameworks of modernist knowledge and the metanarratives of progress they construct – as exemplified in the economic reading of Childe. In examining the form of this reaction, the wider post-processual transposition of postmodernism within contemporary archaeological theory is also considered. In utilising Giddens’ concept of reflexivity, it is argued that rather than the ‘cultural turn’ itself, it is the inflection of the epistemological frameworks of the Enlightenment with a teleological reading of the past as progress that represents the postmodern within contemporary archaeological theory and it is through this understanding of postmodernism as expressing the capacity that modernity has to be self-aware that the conditions are established for the recovery of the Neolithic as a holistic object.

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Abstract  Master thesis in Business Administration, School of Business and Economics Linnaeus University 4FE17E VT2022  Authors: Eric Månsson & Marcus Nykvist  Supervisor: Magnus Willesson  Examiner: Christopher von Koch  Title: Identifying Reflexivity  Keywords: Reflexivity, EMH, AMH, fundamental value, market value, feedback loop, cognitive function, manipulative function.  Background: Current economic theory describes the risks the financial markets face as exogenous in nature. Several studies suggest the presence of an unaccounted-for risk which is not exogenous in nature but endogenous. Seemingly, the initial risk is exogenous but through the interaction between the market and its participants this risk can be either amplified or dulled. As such, current economic theory illustrates only partially the risks of financial markets as they do not account for endogenous risk. A theory is necessary which not only acknowledges the influence of exogenous risk but also considers the impact of endogenous risk after the fact. The theory of reflexivity offers a solution to this problem as it considers the interactions between the market and its participants and how these two affect each other, through the so-called cognitive- and manipulative function.  Purpose: As reflexivity entails a more complete description of the behavior of financial markets than current economic theory, the purpose of this study is to identify its occurrence.  Method: This study uses a deductive research approach along with a quantitative strategy to test its purpose. The utilized model is constructed through the theory of reflexivity and the implications this theory poses toward statistical testing. The study conducts its testing on a random sample of firms from the S&P 500 between 1992-2021 using annual data.  Results: The results of the study are invalidated due to the use of weak instruments in the market model, and due to a lack of endogeneity in the fundamental model. As such, the occurrence of reflexivity cannot be confirmed through this study. An interesting ancillary finding however is a methodological implication which suggests that different proxies for fundamental value as well as different instrumental variables may be necessary given a certain context to identify endogeneity and instrumental relevance respectively. / Sammanfattning  Examensarbete, Ekonomihögskolan vid Linnéuniversitetet, Företagsekonomi 4FE17E VT2022  Författare: Eric Månsson & Marcus Nykvist  Handledare: Magnus Willesson  Examinator: Christopher von Koch  Titel: Identifying Reflexivity  Sökord: Reflexivity, EMH, AMH, fundamental value, market value, feedback loop, cognitive function, manipulative function.  Bakgrund: Nuvarande ekonomiska teorier behandlar de risker som finns på de finansiella marknader som exogena. Hursomhelst, flertalet studier indikerar att det även finns risker som inte har tagits i beaktning och som eventuellt kan anses vara endogena. Det verkar därmed som att den ursprungliga risken är endogen, men genom samspelet mellan marknad och dess deltagare kan denna stärkas eller dämpas. Till följd av detta verkar det som att de nuvarande ekonomiska teorierna bara tar hänsyn till en del av alla de risker som existerar på de finansiella marknaderna. Med andra ord, det behövs en teori som inte bara tar hänsyn till de exogena riskerna, men som också uppmärksammar de endogena riskerna. Reflexivity erbjuder en sådan lösning i och med dess hänseende till interaktionen mellan marknad och marknadsdeltagare och dessas påverkan på varandra genom de så kallade kognitiva och manipulativa funktioner.  Syfte: Syftet med detta arbete är att identifiera reflexivity på marknaderna, eftersom att denna teori erbjuder en mer heltäckande beskrivning av marknadsbeteendet.  Metod: Tillvägagångssättet i denna studie är i form av en deduktiv forskning med en kvantitativ strategi för att testa syftet. Modellen som används är uppbyggd genom reflexivity-teorin och dess innebörd som denna teori har för statistisk testning. Testningen utgår från ett slumpmässigt urval av företag från S&P 500 mellan 1992 och 2021 på en årlig basis.  Resultat: Resultaten från denna studie ogiltigförklarades på grund av svaga instrumentala variabler i testningen och till följd av bristande endogenitet i den fundamentala modellen. Det gick därmed inte att bekräfta förekomsten av reflexivity genom denna studie.