The Little Things is a draft of a novel.

My dissertation research employs theories that examine the relationship between language and social meaning to look at semiotic processes through which ideologies of differentiation are formed. This dissertation considers language use and heritage language maintenance in four multigenerational families whose ancestral language was a target of elimination by national language policies. Utilizing paradigms for examining the semiotic processes of ideologies of language differentiation, as well as identity formation, this dissertation attempts to untangle the various language ideologies surrounding the different language resources within the ethnic Chinese community in Singapore and examines their effects on identity formation and intergenerational interactions where different language competencies are featured. Linguistic resources in Singapore are legitimized with differentiating attribution of linguistic capital where four official languages are placed higher than the heritage languages, and within the official languages, English is legitimized as the language for business and science, and for use in interethnic communication. Differentiation is constructed among the languages, which then project indexical values to their speakers and their respective linguistic behaviors. Taking a discourse-centered approach and paying attention to historicity, this dissertation provides an in-depth analysis of language patterns in multigenerational families. The findings show varying degree of heritage language maintenance at home and language shift from the heritage language in the public sphere. The study also identifies a unique skipped-generational heritage language transmission phenomenon resulting from changes in woman’s roles, as well as from the complexity of identity configurations featuring ethnic, heritage, linguistic, and national affiliations. This dissertation also examines processes of intergenerational language negotiation foregrounding age and religion as two intersecting factors, discussing their implications on traditional family values, family structure, as well as heritage language maintenance. Utilizing multigenerational and multilingual families as a research site encompasses alternative linguistic markets and temporalities to examine the creative use of linguistic resources by speakers for identity formation and language maintenance efforts. / text

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases pose a grave challenge to the health of populations. A fourto six-fold increase in risk of NCDs has been documented among South Asians living in the UK, and lifestyle factors, including an unhealthy diet have been implicated. Pakistanis are the largest ethnic minority in Scotland, many of whom still prefer to live together as multigenerational families. The older generation mostly came from Punjab, Pakistan, while subsequent generations were born in Scotland. Research on food and eating practices among Pakistanis living in the UK has tended to focus on individual practices and preferences, has mostly been disease oriented and quantitative in nature, and has lacked the cultural insight needed to inform effective health promotion interventions. This qualitative study aims to fill a gap in the literature by exploring food and eating in multigenerational Pakistani, Muslim families. This study used qualitative interviews informed by the case study approach and an ethnographic perspective. Two or more adult family members of different genders and generations were recruited from eight multigenerational Pakistani families living in Edinburgh. Twenty-three interviews were conducted in total. The data were analysed thematically using the method of constant comparison. The analysis identified distinctive features and commonalities within each generation as well as the ways in which the preferences and tastes of one generation could influence the food eating by family members belonging to other generations. The older generation exhibited a need to maintain their ethnic identity through eating traditional foods such as salan and roti, and adhered to cultural and religious values and traditions. Their experiences, both before and after migration, influenced their present everyday food and eating. Almost all families had one person from the older generation who had a chronic illness, but the impact of this illness on that person’s diet and the diet of other family members varied. Within the second generation, differences were apparent according to gender and place of birth. Women juggled multiple roles as wives, daughters-in-law and mothers, and were responsible for most of the food-related chores. Preferring traditional meals and prioritising taste over health, Pakistan-born women were more likely to adhere to cultural values in relation to food-related issues than their British-born counterparts. Second-generation women accommodated the wishes of all family members, including husbands, in-laws and children, which constrained food-related decisions and their role as gatekeepers of food. Second-generation men preferred fried meaty dishes over roti and many opted out of family meals by eating food from outside the home. Children were looked after and fed by many members of the family. They often ate five meals daily, along with a variety of snacks. Feeding was seen by women, especially older generation, as a function of nurture, and well fed children as a sign of affluence. This study highlights the issues which influence and inform food and eating practices in multigenerational, Pakistani, Muslim families. It is the first of its kind not only to look at what members of different generations eat, but also how and why they eat it. It offers an insight into how continuities and change in eating practices can co-exist, leading to multiple menus and how individuals are influenced by others when making decisions about everyday foods. A range of factors, including historical experiences, cultural and religious values, familial hierarchy, identity maintenance and attitudes towards health and disease are shown to affect the diet of these individuals, which vary according to gender and generation. It is shown that the gatekeeping function is not solely restricted to second generation women, even though they are primarily responsible for food-related tasks, and multiple gatekeepers exist with varying roles. Generally, the link between food and health was not recognised by participants in this study, although some individuals had made dietary changes for health reasons. It is recommended that health promotion interventions should take into account the way members of the family influence the diet of other family members, rather than restricting the focus to the person with or at risk of a NCD or the cook.

The research aimed to explore the phenomenon of serial murder from a systems theory perspective. The purpose of the study was to develop an understanding of serial murder in a South African context from a family systems approach. Utilizing a family systems theoretical framework and the genogram method, the study, which was qualitative in nature, explored information about the family systems of individuals who committed serial murder via content analysis. The investigation focused mainly on emotional processes, multigenerational and relationship patterns in family systems. Information was gathered from numerous sources and included interviews conducted inter alia with individuals currently incarcerated for serial murder and their family members, and with professionals involved with such individuals; as well as information obtained from clinical observations and archival data. The results of the content analysis demonstrated considerable similarities but also differences in the organization and functioning of the family systems of individuals who committed serial murder. Importantly, the analysis shed novel theoretical light on the role of serial murder within family systems and challenged established dominant theoretical perspectives on serial murder that have emphasized linear, causal and/or individual-focused explanations. The study opened up considerable opportunities for further exploration of the phenomenon from a systemic perspective, specifically with the focus on the meaning of serial murder in relatively smaller (e.g., parent-child or peer relationships) or larger (e.g., political, cultural and societal) systems. It also provided opportunities for alternative vistas from which the phenomenon of serial murder can be viewed in terms of theoretical, definitional, typological, investigative and correctional approaches. / Thesis (PhD (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

Trace quantities of pharmaceuticals (including carbamazepine and sertraline) are continuously discharged into the environment, which causes concern among scientists and regulators regarding their potential long-term impacts on aquatic ecosystems. These compounds and their metabolites are continuously interacting with the orgranisms in various life stages, and may differentially influence development of embryo, larvae, juvenile, and adult stages. To fully understand the potential ecological risks of two candidate pharmaceutical chemicals (carbamazepine (CBZ) and sertraline (SERT)) exposure on survival, growth and reproduction of Ceriodaphnia dubia in three sucessive generations under static renewal toxicity test, a multigenerational approach was taken. Results indicate that SERT exposure showed higher sensitivity to chronic exposure to C. dubia growth and reproduction than CBZ exposure. The lowest concentration to affect fecundity and growth was at 50 µg L-1 SERT in the first two generations. These parameters become more sensitive during the third generation where the LOEC was 4.8 µg L-1. The effective concentrations (EC50) for the number of offspring per female, offspring body size, and dry weight were 17.2, 21.2, and 26.2 µg SERT L-1, respectively. Endpoints measured in this study demonstrate that chronic exposure of C. dubia to SERT leads to effects that occur at concentrations an order of magnitude higher than predicted environmental concentrations indicating potential transgenerationals effects. Additionally, a process-based dynamic energy budget (DEB) model is implemented to predict the simulated effects of chronic toxicity of SERT and CBZ to C. dubia individual behavior at laboratory condition. The model‘s output indicates the ecotoxicological mode of action of SERT exposure, which acts on feeding or assimilation with an effect that rapidly saturates at higher concentrations. Offspring size decreases with the toxic effects on feeding, and offspring number is thus less affected than total investment in reproduction. Consequently, CBZ affects direclty in reproduction which are captured by DEBtox model as increased embryonic hazard and reproduction cost as well as growth and maintenance costs. Furthermore, stress factor linearly increased not only with increasing chemical concentrations but also with exposure time. The DEBtox model establishes a cumulative life history consequence of multigenerational exposure to CBZ and SERT. This approach provides a tool to which to understand the effect of chemical to the individual organism and predict the population level effects in ecological risk assessment of the emerging contaminants.

As the cities grow, our lives get busier and we live further away from our families than we ever have before, have we thought about what life is like for our parents and grandparents at home? Can architecture help improve the mental and physical health of the occupiers? Design like a problem solver does not only mean solving pre-existed problems, but also thinking preemptively. Although technology can solve part of the problem, if we explore the role of design in our society and know how to apply good architecture to promote connection between generations, we can help elders feel active. We can even help prevent depression amongst seniors. In the near future, the population 65 or older will continue being the majority of the entire demography. And inclusive living will be an inseparable part of every future design project. Biophilic design would contribute to part of the solution as well. The elderly have lots to offer that the younger generations would need: experience, education, wisdom and most importantly, freetime; we can't leave all these resources aside. By encouraging interactions between different age groups, our children could benefit from all of this in one way or another that is going to be useful for their learning, and elders would feel they can also create value in the society. This thesis originates from a simple desire to make a safe and fun environment for my grandparents to spend their time in. And to make people be aware of their surrounding physical and also the psychological world. This design is site-specific, where the nearby park/trails and existing neighboring buildings become an integral part of the work. The beauty of the natural world always strikes me, thereby I try to work in response to that beauty. Protect the wetland park nearby and use it as an educational resource for people who come across my project. But whether socially or aesthetically based, in this work I seek to create a strong bond with the residents and visitors, to allow a place of lively interactions. I think architecture is not just physical walls and roofs enclosing a space, but a passage, a journey, a reflection of time. / Master of Architecture / As the cities grow, our lives get busier and we live further away from our families than we ever have before, have we thought about what life is like for our parents and grandparents at home? Although technology can solve part of the problem, if we explore the role of design in our society and know how to apply good architecture to promote connection between generations, we can help seniors feel active. We can even help prevent depression amongst them. The seniors have lots to offer that the younger generations would need: experience, education, wisdom and most importantly, freetime; we can't leave all these aside. By encouraging interactions between the two age groups, our children could benefit from all of this in one way or another that is going to be useful for their learning, and elders would feel they can also create value in the society. This thesis originates from a simple desire to make a safe and fun environment for my grandparents to spend their time in. And to make people be aware of their surrounding physical and also the psychological world. This design is site-specific, where the nearby park and existing neighboring buildings becomes an integral part of the work. The beauty of the natural world always strikes me, thereby I try to work in response to that beauty. Protect the wetland park nearby and use it as an educational resource for people who come across my project. But whether socially or aesthetically based, in this work I seek to create a strong bond with the residents and visitors, to allow a place of lively interactions. I think architecture is not just physical walls and roofs enclosing a space, but a passage, a journey, a reflection of time.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, unique challenges for a multigenerational workforce (MW) using different types of current technology (CT), informational and noninformational, at an increasing rate have surfaced. Necessary considerations were made among companies using these types of CT that changed frequently and influenced employee efficiency (EE) and organizational productivity (OP), leading to an under-identified impact on management decisions. The problem addressed in this study was the difficulty management had in managing work tasks and activities when CT was used in a MW. Most of the Baby Boomer generation will be retiring over the next decade, thus compromising and leaving a major gap in skills, experience, and talent. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to study the effects of multigenerational cohorts (MC), gender (GEN), CT, experience (EXP), and voluntariness of use (VU) (independent variables [IVs]), among a MW and their impact on EE and OP (dependent variables [DVs]). Two research questions were used that focused on the relationship between the IVs and DVs. Positivism was used as the theoretical framework. A convenience sampling approach was used to select participants. The participants were full-time employees between 23 and 71 years of age in the continental United States. Multiple and stepwise regression analyses was used to investigate the relationship between the IVs and the DVs. Results showed that only IVs type of CT and VU had a significant effect on EE and OP. These findings may contribute to positive social change by helping organizations create comprehensive and explicit business models of efficiency and productivity among a MW.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, unique challenges for a multigenerational workforce (MW) using different types of current technology (CT), informational and noninformational, at an increasing rate have surfaced. Necessary considerations were made among companies using these types of CT that changed frequently and influenced employee efficiency (EE) and organizational productivity (OP), leading to an under-identified impact on management decisions. The problem addressed in this study was the difficulty management had in managing work tasks and activities when CT was used in a MW. Most of the Baby Boomer generation will be retiring over the next decade, thus compromising and leaving a major gap in skills, experience, and talent. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to study the effects of multigenerational cohorts (MC), gender (GEN), CT, experience (EXP), and voluntariness of use (VU) (independent variables [IVs]), among a MW and their impact on EE and OP (dependent variables [DVs]). Two research questions were used that focused on the relationship between the IVs and DVs. Positivism was used as the theoretical framework. A convenience sampling approach was used to select participants. The participants were full-time employees between 23 and 71 years of age in the continental United States. Multiple and stepwise regression analyses was used to investigate the relationship between the IVs and the DVs. Results showed that only IVs type of CT and VU had a significant effect on EE and OP. These findings may contribute to positive social change by helping organizations create comprehensive and explicit business models of efficiency and productivity among a MW.

No description available.

Disasters are prevalent phenomena in the human experience and have played a formative role in shaping world cultures. Contemporary and popular conceptions of disasters as events, such as hurricanes, droughts, or earthquakes, fail to fully capture the social dimensions of these complex processes. Building on theoretical models and research in sociology, geography, and anthropology, this research explores one community's experience with and reaction to disaster over the longer-term--primarily through the lens of archaeology. The anthropology of disaster recognizes that these processes have the potential to affect every facet of human life, including biological, technological, ritual, political, social, and economic aspects of a society. How groups react to and cope with these processes dramatically shapes their cultural histories and in some instances their cultural identities. Using theoretical assumptions from the anthropology of technology, my research explores the social impacts of disaster at community and sub-community levels by drawing on method, theory, and information from across subdisciplinary boundaries to incorporate archaeological, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic datasets to better understand the entire disaster process or cycle. Specifically, I investigate how Hidatsa potters located near the Knife River of North Dakota responded to the smallpox epidemics of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and how these women maintained or modified their daily practice in light of these catastrophes. In addition, I examine oral tradition and contemporary discourse on these subjects to explore the lasting legacies and impacts of catastrophe. The objective of my research is to contribute new theory to the anthropology of disaster by examining disasters over the long-term, investigating the relationship between disaster and motivations for the production or reproduction of material culture--the focus of most archaeological studies--and by exploring the role of materiality and traditional technology in coping strategies.