Abstract: The paper presents a case study of early childhood language development focused on a Tamil child from Sri Lanka. The research study aims to analyse the progress a Tamil child from Sri Lanka achieves in language development at the five levels: phonological, morphological, syntactical, semantic, and pragmatic. The methodology involves a five-fold linguistic analysis of some utterances extracted from a conversation between the researcher and the subject, who is a six-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil child, based on a story presented in the form of a monologue. It reveals that the child had acquired the necessary language skills in Tamil to communicate his thoughts in advance of the conversation. Also, his speech is equal to that of an adult, if not for some interlanguage expressions and discourse markers. The findings reveal that the child has managed to internalise the structure of the Tamil language, which is his mother tongue. The child possesses a considerable fund of ‘language universals’ that are required in the narration of his story. Although the story is not his own creation but heard from his teachers or parents, the utterances he makes are similar to those used by an adult. Most of the sentences he utters represent a high level of competence. So, this paper identifies the child’s language output under Chomsky’s mentalist approach to language and transformational generative language acquisition. It is perceived that his innate language faculties help him utter sentences, in addition to his exposure to the use of language by the adults in the environment. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Abstract: Nutrition is an important determinant of one’s brain performance and ultimately the mental health. Similarly, the pattern of one’s eating behaviour defines one’s health. Unhealthy eating patterns from childhood can lead to physical, psychological, and behavioural problems in later stages of life. In this context, the purpose of this research is to study the eating behaviour patterns of young adults, the association between eating patterns and the quality of life, and the differences in mental health conditions determined by demographic factors like age and gender. The research was conducted in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in Pakistan, under a quantitative research design, that used a questionnaire with close-ended questions to assess the individual respondents’ eating patterns and their quality of life. The responses of (385 respondents) were collected online through a survey link, shared on multiple platforms. The findings indicate that the eating patterns like low-fat eating, meal skipping, emotional eating, snacking and sweet, haphazard planning and cultural lifestyle. do have an impact on one’s physical and psychological health. It was also deduced that males have relatively better physical and psychological health as compared to females. The study concludes that healthy eating among young adults will lead to a better quality of life. Hence this study promotes awareness of healthy eating patterns among the younger generation because healthy eating behaviours when initiated from the childhood will lead to a high quality of life ahead. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Abstract: Harmful masculine norms, attitudes, and behaviours are considered the cause of most cases of gender-based violence against women and girls in most parts of the world. This premise applies to the patriarchal society of Sri Lanka as well. Regarding various policy-level efforts made to reduce the frequency of gender-based violence in Sri Lanka, this paper explores the efficacy of adapting a cross-cultural evidence-based approach to gender relations tried under the Parivartan programme in India in an effort to improve masculinity-based gender norms in Sri Lanka. The programme’s content and consensual validities are assessed by using the Delbecq technique which involves experts from a variety of relevant fields. At the onset of the programme, each expert independently rates the relevant concepts and teaching techniques that are generally used by cricket coaches on male cricketers of 12-14 years. Towards the end, after a group discussion by experts, a second rating is made of the same concepts and teaching techniques. The two ratings are compared, and the programme is revised to suit Sri Lankan society. The Sri Lankan experience of the cross-cultural evidence-based approach to gender relations inspired by the Parivartan programme in India shows satisfactory content and consensual validities. Therefore, this paper argues that the Delbecq technique is a useful tool to devise in improving masculinity-based gender norms in the society of Sri Lanka. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Abstract: The job seeker value proposition (JSVP) can be defined as a set of benefits or values a firm promises its job seekers to deliver once they join it, signifying an indicator of its employer brand as well as focusing on job seeker attraction because it carries some information that helps the decisionmaking process of the prospective employees. In this concern, the job choice theory interprets the actual factors of a job seeker’s decision-making process, and therefore, it could be effectively used in conceptualising the JSVP. However, it is claimed that, in most cases, the job choice theory is not considered the basis for developing the construct of the JSVP. Therefore, taking the job choice theory into consideration, this paper aims to develop a framework for conceptualising the JSVP from a new perspective. Thus, through a systematic literature review, eight factors that explain the conceptual domain of the JSVP are discovered and, on the basis of them, eight propositions are made in developing a measurement scale for the JSVP. This study discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the proposed factor-based structure for the JSVP. Subsequently, the limitations in the present research are discussed, and suggestions are made for future research concerning JSVP constructs. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Abstract: It is considered that the university system of Sri Lanka is less efficient in providing degree programs to suit contemporary societal, economic, and political needs and fails to face the current dynamic environmental changes precipitated by issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers have realised that the recent pandemic highly affects the execution of universities in Sri Lanka. Simultaneously, experts have noted the severe lack of focus on identifying the causes of university administration failures. Amidst these claims, this study, as its primary objective, strives to explore the factors that affect the implementation of the strategic initiatives made by public universities in Sri Lanka, adopting a qualitative approach with a multimethod sequential design under a thematic model developed based on a detailed literature review. Accordingly, the first qualitative phase of the study was conducted using archival sources, and the second phase used in-depth interviews. The purposive sampling method was used to conduct the seven interviews with the Registrars and Strategic Directors of selected universities. As a result, the study explores and confirms sixteen factors that affect the implementation of strategic initiatives by public universities in Sri Lanka. The theoretical contribution expected from this exercise is to explore new factors that affect the strategic functioning of public universities, with the support of the Open System Theory (OST) and Resource-Based Theory (RBT) that have monetary value in institutional analysis mechanisms, and help to streamline the universities’ decision-making processes with a focus on enhancing the strategic management practices. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Abstract: This paper assesses the level of awareness the general public of India maintains about the COVID-19 pandemic which is likely to vary on the basis of their heterogeneous demographic characteristics and examines the efficacy of the preventive practices being followed by them. In this survey based cross-sectional study, with the help of a self-administered questionnaire circulated through various social media platforms for almost two weeks, data were collected online from 2168 literate adult citizens of India. The participants were selected through a convenience sampling technique, and the results indicate a significant difference between the demographic profile of a respondent and his/her knowledge about various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that nearly 90% of the respondents were aware of the evolution, the symptoms, and the transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic and almost all of them were following the state-recommended preventive practices. Thus, the overall result of the study reveals that the majority of the Indian population is aware of the pandemic and is being followed. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Abstract: Eco-tourism all over the world is threatened by the fact that the coral reefs and associated ecosystems are in a process of disappearing at an accelerated rate due to several natural and anthropogenic causes. In this context, the Marine National Park Hikkaduwa (MNPH), one of the four marine national parks in Sri Lanka, that features a fringing coral reef with a high degree of biodiversity, reports a decreasing trend in visitation mainly due to a condition of coral bleaching caused by an El Nino effect. Unfortunately, the regeneration of the corals is found to be slowed by continuous anthropogenic activities. Against this background, the research focuses on investigating how visitor behaviour changes with the degraded situation and what avenues are available to attract more visitors to ensure benefit flows. In this concern, visitor preferences regarding the quality of the habitats and other facilities and their significance were analysed under a conditional logistic regression model. Further, a choice experiment was carried out with a randomly selected group of 200 visitors to diagnose their response to the present condition of the coral reef, the beach, and the facilities provided. Under a conditional logistic model, it was discovered that the condition of the coral reef is an important attribute that answers the question of why visitors are not willing to pay if the corals are bleached and broken. It was also discovered that the visitors are willing to pay LKR 322.52 if they are provided with new boats and new safety jackets. The results indicate that benefit flows could be enhanced with the restoration of coral ecosystems and the improvement of the physical infrastructure. Overall, the research attempts to establish that the standard maintenance of the coral reef along with high-quality visitor welfare facilities to match visitor preferences will positively impact all types of payment compliance issues with regard to the visitors. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Abstract: At a time the ecosystem of mobile phones continues to evolve, this study investigates the impact of the users’ technology readiness (TR) and perceived value (PV) of mobile phone-enabled internet usage (MPEIU). The primary aim of this study is to examine the potential roles of TR and the dimensions of PV as antecedents of mobile data usage and to contribute to the debate on the determinants of technology acceptance and usage by individuals. The perceived value of mobile phone-enabled internet is conceptualised under five dimensions, viz: (1) utilitarian value, (2) hedonic value, (3) uniqueness value, (4) epistemic value, and (5) economic value, in a survey conducted by using a validated questionnaire, with a sample of 550 adult mobile phone users in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. The data analysis employs covariance based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) analytical process and the findings reveal that their adoption intention (AI) has a direct positive influence on the MPEIU. It is discovered that the utilitarian, epistemic, and hedonic value dimensions of MPEIU indicate a direct influence on their AI while TR indicates an indirect influence on it. The findings imply that the generic strategic approaches (i.e., cost and differentiation) to mobile internet services may be an ineffective solution and suggest that the focus should shift towards improving the utilitarian, epistemic, and hedonic components of mobile internet services. Accordingly, the users with a higher level of TR indicated an affinity to have a higher AI and higher usage. Therefore, the user’s TR is recommended here as the basis for market segmentation. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Abstract: The Nepalese indigenous identity movement took the nation by storm during the tremulous politics of the 2000s and toppled the status quo, paving way for a series of legal changes in favour of Nepal’s many minority communities. However, the movement has suffered setbacks since 2010 as various minority communities have denounced many of its objectives, including its most prominent demand for ethnic/identity-based federalism. The study draws on empirical observations and in-depth interviews with 21 participants to examine these setbacks. The findings reveal that partisanship has played a significant role in discouraging the indigenous movement. Partisanship has an inimitable presence in many Nepalese people’s lives, as it provides emotional, ideological, and instrumental support and is a powerful source of self-esteem and self-identification. The indigenous movement, therefore, began to lose momentum when it pitched a strongly resistant partisan identity in direct opposition to the newly discovered/recovered indigenous identities. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Abstract: Women academicians in higher education in India have a more rigorous path to follow than their male counterparts in achieving their due professional status. There are several factors that hinder their progress, including patriarchal concepts in certain role expectations from women; stereotyping of women in certain roles; and non-acceptance of women in certain others. The notions about women that have thus got embedded in the higher education sector in India have a negative impact on their career progress. There is also the need to understand the phenomenon of the glass ceiling that women are faced with in their career promotion efforts in higher education and the inequalities they often encounter under male chauvinism. Against this backdrop, the present paper strives to study the factors that contribute to the job stress and dissatisfaction of women in higher education in India, using the constructs of feminism. The paper concludes that understanding these constructs enables the members of the academia to rationally navigate the experiences of women in higher education and to create supportive policies that ensure a sustainable future for academic women with job security, satisfaction, and dignity. Published on 2023-04-27 00:00:00
Open Access journal
[71 journals]
