Thesis deals with possibility of development cooperation, engagement and interpersonal relationships through artistic projects. How can arts education promote children's interest in their neighbourhoods and learn them engagement? This is main a question in this thesis. The theoretical part describes the methods and approaches that are related to the cooperation in art education. The thesis search for contemporary art projects focused on community development and local changes and interpret them. The practical part describes own project, focused to the city of Dačice. The main ideas of the project are based on the official transfer of the city from Moravia to Bohemia. The aim of the project is not only to promote children's interest in their place of neighbourhoods and to lead them to engagement and cooperation, but also to lead them to reflect their identity. Keywords: community, school, visual culture, collaborative art, art education, communication, cooperation, interpretation, interdisciplinarity, project

This study explores the extent to which the use of indigenous languages in the publications of Kwayedza and uMthunywa has contributed to the empowerment of the indigenous people. It is informed by the idea that language is an important instrument of development which can either facilitate participation or engender exclusion, bringing about agency thereby inspiring a transformational and participative agenda. Given that the media plays a major role in informationdissemination, this study engages an important subject which has often been given cursory attention. The study is guided by the post-colonial theoretical framework. It employs the mixed methods approach which is premised on the assumption that life is characterised by complex realities which can be understood using multiple approaches. As such, elements of both quantitative and qualitative research are used. Findings revealed that the use of indigenous languages empower readers through making information accessible in a language that makes sense to them. The collected data also show that the newspapers are pivotal in resuscitating the indigenous languages that have been overshadowed by the hegemonic English. They promote the values, norms and general cultural features of indigenous people. Above all, the papers provide curriculum-specific columns for school going children. However, these newspapers are found wanting with regards to the scope of their coverage. Their coverage tends to concentrate on the socio-cultural lives of people at the expense of scientific, technological, political and economic issues. Furthermore, the papers‟ handling of the history of the nation is simplistic and lacks depth. In addition, issues of spirituality also tend to be concerned with the negative (witchcraft, bogus prophets and traditional healers) than the positive aspects. The study recommends a conversion of the papers from tabloid to a genre that accommodates politico-economic, scientific and technological news the social interest stories already being covered in these indigenous language papers; the development of orthographies of other local languages to avoid having Shona and Ndebele being the only indigenous languages that are used in these papers and that the papers present the best of all aspects of the Zimbabwean cultural heritage to restore the indigenous people‟s belief and respect in themselves. The study also suggests that the two papers and many more that are to come in indigenous languages, must showcase, develop, promote and institutionalise the positive aspect of the Zimbabwean cultural heritageand the infusion of all dimensions of indigenous knowledge systems into the current set-up. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

This dissertation is an exploratory study aimed at empirically identifying and examining manifestations of communication barriers in the South African National Defence Force. A convergence model of communication is presented, describing the stages involved when individuals share the same information. The convergence model of communication delineates the relationship among the physical, psychological, and social aspects of communication. Two complementary theorems deduced by Kincaid (1988) from the convergence principle and the basic cybernetic process involved in information processing are applied in the analyses. The theorems specify the conditions under which intercultural communication will lead to convergence between members of different cultures involved. An empirically testable model was developed to collect information about possible communication barriers. The barriers are an indication of the restrictions on communication in the system and therefore indicate the possibility of restricting cultural convergence. / Communication / M.A. (Communication)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:31:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carina Rufino.pdf: 844063 bytes, checksum: 6086c7dbebd2373d2d55f20f7fc689c1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-04-07 / Esta pesquisa tem o objetivo de compreender as dimensões envolvidas no processo de comunicação das organizações com atuação internacional. É um estudo de cunho qualitativo, constituído por uma pesquisa bibliográfica, onde se identificam diferentes perspectivas teóricas que contribuem para a análise e compreensão das dimensões envolvidas no processo de comunicação internacional das organizações, e de uma pesquisa empírica, de cunho exploratório, junto a quatro executivos de comunicação brasileiros, cuja técnica de coleta de dados foi a entrevista semi-estruturada. Ainda que os resultados alcançados não permitam generalizações, algumas lições importantes são extraídas, entre elas, a necessidade da compreensão da profunda articulação entre os conceitos de comunicação e cultura e sua decorrente influência para o processo de construção de significados; e a forte emergência das questões de identidade, imagem e reputação em ambiente internacional. O número de empresas brasileiras que se lançam em um processo de expansão internacional vem crescendo ano a ano. Contudo, é um assunto que ainda recebe pouca atenção de pesquisas acadêmicas no campo da comunicação organizacional. Espera-se que esta pesquisa contribua para reduzir essa lacuna ao identificar alguns dos desafios de comunicação presentes em empresas com atuação internacional.(AU)

When two or more languages come in contact, they influence each other in various ways, for example through word borrowing, transfer of sounds, morphology and syntax taken from one language system and imported to another. In this study, the primary concern is on the indigenous communities of Uganda learning the English language, plus the influence that this interaction brings into the linguistic space. Bringing the Ugandan multilingual situation into perspective, the study looks at how the English language has interacted with the local languages and the local speech habits, customs and traditions of the indigenous people, to the extent that it has been indigenized. Some word usage results in miscommunication due to the socio-cultural uniqueness of Ugandan cultural expressions. As an example, because of the practice of polygamy in most Ugandan cultures, words like co-wife are coined to mean 'a woman who shares a husband, or a husband's other wife', a word that is absent in both the language and culture of native English speakers. Furthermore some words are formed by calquing some indigenous language expressions, e.g. 'to eat money' or 'to eat cash', an expression that is calqued from the Luganda phrase, kulya sente. Such word coinages are meant to fill the 'shortfall' where the English language fails to provide adequate equivalents. Understanding the context of this kind of English usage and the influence from the indigenous languages is helpful in handling inter-cultural discourses, as the same expression may convey different senses to different people in different contexts. So then, this study deals with some peculiarities of Ugandan English, namely; the features of Ugandan English grammar which are influenced by the indigenous languages. Evidence from the Corpus of Ugandan English is explored to establish that indigenous languages in Uganda have a significant influence on the English language variety spoken in the country, and that a large part of English bilingual speakers cannot speak English without transferring the features from their mother tongue or indeed, switching and mixing codes. A British corpus was used for the purposes of comparison with Ugandan English. The research was conducted in Uganda, drawing data from English newspapers, radio and television talk -shows that were recorded to provide a structural analysis of the contact situations. The result of the study points to the fact that, indeed, the phonological, morpho-syntactic and semantic characteristics of Ugandan English have a considerable amount of influence from indigenous local languages. This study is hinged on the assumption that when indigenous languages and the target language come together in a linguistic contact situation, the resulting variety would exhibit distinct phonological, lexical, grammatical and semantic/pragmatic features ( cf. Sankoff, 2001; Thomason, 1995; Thomason & Kaufman, 1988; Winford, 2005). However, some of these innovations have attracted criticism from 'prescriptivists' such as Quirk (1985, 1988, 1990); Gaudio (2011); and Abbot (1991) who perceive them as 'nonstandard', 'incorrect English language usage' and a 'direct translation from the language user's mother tongue into English'. Yet, indigenous languages continue to play important roles in shaping the kind of English language usage in Uganda.

The recent emphasis on Affirmative Action policies in South African corporations has illuminated the issue of cultural diversity in organizations and the difficulties arising from this transition and change. One such difficulty is the problem of intercultural communication where miscommunication can have life-threatening consequences. This problem is particularly critical in the operational environment of the passenger aircraft flight deck where small group factors, as well as intercultural issues must be taken into account. In this thesis the problem of intercultural communication in such contexts as a consequence of Affirmative Action is examined. The data for this thesis comprises the communication of five culturally diverse flight crews. A multi-method was used for the gathering and analysis of this data. This involved the use of video-taped flight simulator sessions, and personal interviews with each crew member. The subjects themselves were involved in identifying key communication problems from the video and interpretation of the data. Three levels of analysis were used in the interpretation of the findings - the individual, the group and the organization. The factors which affected communication at each level in the small, culturally diverse group are highlighted. Furthermore, factors which influence the climate in which communication takes place are also considered. The implications for Affirmative Action are discussed.

Este trabalho discute as possibilidades de construção de ações emancipatórias frente às imposições hegemônicas. Para tanto, buscou-se compreender as práticas construídas nas ambiências das classes subalternas, em especial sua relação com o espaço no contexto da cidade. Tal relação foi discutida a partir do entendimento da comunicação e cultura como campo investigativo e da consideração do espaço como eixo articulador das novas subjetividades subalternas. Ao tomar como objeto de estudo o trabalho realizado pela Rede Livre Leste, o que se buscou, nesta pesquisa, foi mapear aspectos das novas subjetividades subalternas, analisando suas práticas culturais e seus processos comunicativos. Assim, avaliaram-se as potencialidades de constituição de novos fluxos emancipatórios diante da imposição das forças hegemônicas, ou seja, procurou-se estimar a viabilidade da constituição de espacialidades subalternas. / This paper discussed about the possibilities of the constructions of emancipatory actions before the hegemonic impositions in understanding the practices built in the ambiences of subaltern classes, especially its relationship with espace in the city context. These relationships have been discussed from the understanding of communication and culture as investigative field and taking into account the espace as the articulator central line of the new subaltern subjectivities. By taking as the study aim the work done by Rede Livre Leste, this paper aimed to map the aspects of the new subaltern subjectivities, analysing its cultural practices and its communicative processes to evaluate the potentialities of constitution of new emancipatory flows before the imposition of the hegemonic forces, that is, it was attempted to estimate the viability of the constitution of the subaltern spatialities.

Health communication has gained worldwide recognition as one of the most effective methods for tackling global health challenges; a conclusion that is supported by a range of studies showing generally positive results. Literature in the field has tended to focus on one of two perspectives: either individual behaviour change or a cultural/critical approach. This dissertation, which falls into the latter category, extends previous work on health communication and culture into a new context, namely Saudi Arabia. The thesis is motivated by two main research questions. First, how has culture influenced health communication in Saudi Arabia specifically in initiatives against illicit drug use and alcohol abuse? Second, how has this communication developed? At the heart of this study is the role of Saudi culture in health communication in an increasingly interdependent and connected world. The dissertation makes use of mixed qualitative data collection methods. Principally, it utilised semi-structured interviews with key officials and focus groups with young Saudis and health promoters in Saudi Arabia as well as attendance at and observation of health-communication events and permanent exhibitions as a subordinate method. The study reveals promising findings supporting the growing scholarly interest in the cultural dimension of health communication. It concludes that the key influence of the Saudi culture on health communication against substance abuse is Islamic beliefs about health, in particular those about substance abuse. These beliefs created a rejection of illicit drug abuse in Saudi society, thereby shaping a supportive environment for promotion activities against risky health behaviour. In addition, Islamic influence inspired the related regulations and laws in the kingdom. Islamic and local influences exert a powerful influence on the practical side of health communication in Saudi Arabia, including the content of messages, the appeal used to attract the specific audience, and the communication channels used to promote the campaigns. The study engages with four concepts constituting the Islamic model of health and illicit drug abuse: prohibition (haram), promotion (Da’wah), repentance and inclusiveness (Tawbah), and treatment and rehabilitation (Elaj). The study also examines controversial issues about health communication in the country, such as the predominance of top-down communication, the absence of participatory communication and cultural diversity. In short, a lack of innovation and creativity in delivering health communication messages. The study illustrates the major role the Saudi government has played in communicating health and substance abuse since the 1980s, when officials realised the need to modernise the means of communicating health and drug issues from mosque-based only to include modern methods such as televised campaigns, school-based programmes and hospital-based health education. Since then, government-led health communication initiatives have been well established in the kingdom. The dissertation is able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the reality of health communication against substance abuse in Saudi Arabia and make a range of recommendations to improve the efficacy of current policies and suggest new avenues for future research.

Costa Rica embodies many of the characteristics which the United States would like to foster in Central America and elsewhere. In recent years, however, misunderstandings have often been present in the development of relations between both nations, and leaders. These differences have been particularly visible between Presidents Reagan and Arias when carrying out their foreign policies towards Central America. Recent developments in warfare, social and political unrest and economic crises in the region added to the emergence of a Central American political leadership--independent of U.S. decision making-have increased international misunderstandings between both political speakers. These misunderstandings are shown by Reagan and Arias' through their public discourses which have revealed deterioration in communication and cooperation between them. Since Reagan and Arias come from different cultures, their values are different, making it difficult for the two men to communicate effectively. Towards discovering the differences m cultural values underlying arguments between them, this study uses the Toulmin model to provide a critical and interpretative analysis of the exchange of political arguments from both leaders concerning Central America. Data were collected from public discourses by Reagan and Arias. An intercultural communication perspective is then used to assess the effects of the arguments on international understanding. This research was successful in isolating a number of political arguments concerning Reagan and Arias' respective policies toward Central America, it revealed consistently different underlying cultural values. These differences in cultural values may affect the mutual understanding between the two political leaders, since their discourses did not acknowledge each other's cultural values or patterns of thinking. At the core of Reagan and Arias' disagreements is the ethnocentric assumption that each is similar to the other. This assumption is not a recommended strategy for intercultural interaction. Because of the novelty of this type of interdisciplinary interpretative research, the results can not be compared adequately with previous research on values in public discourse. Further investigation in this area should support the worth of studying political argumentation from the combines approaches of rhetorical analysis and intercultural communication.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The aims of this research were to evaluate the merit of a communication-based medical approach to cancer prevention in Taiwan and to give deeper understanding of whether physicians view this type of method as a possible solution to public health problems. It is also hoped that this research will be able to find out whether doctors support the use of COMBI for managing public health issues in Taiwan. The results show that Taiwanese physicians perceive communication-based approach and communication methods as a way for managing public health problems, and they also agree that COMBI can be used for cancer or other public health issues prevention. The World Health Organization has used COMBI to deal with public health issues and has made a huge impact in many countries, combating diseases such as dengue fever, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS with successful results. There is also a large body of research indicating that there is a strong relationship between eating fruits and vegetables and cancer prevention. In Taiwan, cancer has been both the top cause of death for 18 years and one of the top ten causes of death for 30 years. However, more than 80% of people in Taiwan still do not consume enough fruits and vegetables daily. Thus, this COMBI plan is hoped to help change these people’s eating habits for cancer prevention. The plan is also evaluated by doctors from Taiwan in terms of its pros and cons in this document, and suggestions for changes are made. These doctors view communication-based strategies like COMBI as a key component for managing public health problems, and they also believe that this COMBI plan will accomplish its goal of increasing people's fruit and vegetable intake for cancer prevention in Taiwan. Up till now, only minimal research has been conducted on the use of COMBI in Taiwan. Therefore, this investigation is hoped to initiate this research and provide a guideline for future COMBI-based actions taken in Taiwan.