Showing papers by "College of The Bahamas published in 2009"

Breaking ground in cross-cultural research on the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia): A multi-national study involving 73 countries

Abstract: The current study examines whether the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) can be assessed reliably and validly by means of a self-report instrument in different countries of the world. All items of the GELOPH (Ruch and Titze, GELOPH46, University of Dusseldorf, 1998; Ruch and Proyer, Swiss Journal of Psychology 67:19–27, 2008b) were translated to the local language of the collaborator (42 languages in total). In total, 22,610 participants in 93 samples from 73 countries completed the GELOPH. Across all samples the reliability of the 15-item questionnaire was high (mean alpha of .85) and in all samples the scales appeared to be unidimensional. The endorsement rates for the items ranged from 1.31% through 80.00% to a single item. Variations in the mean scores of the items were more strongly related to the culture in a country and not to the language in which the data were collected. This was also supported by a multidimensional scaling analysis with standardized mean scores of the items from the GELOPH15. This analysis identified two dimensions that further helped explaining the data (i.e., insecure vs. intense avoidant-restrictive and low vs. high suspicious tendencies towards the laughter of others). Furthermore, multiple samples derived from one country tended to be (with a few exceptions) highly similar. The study shows that gelotophobia can be assessed reliably by means of a self-report instrument in cross-cultural research. This study enables further studies of the fear of being laughed at with regard to differences in the prevalence and putative causes of gelotophobia in comparisons to different cultures.

Domestic Violence in the Homes of College Students, New Providence, The Bahamas

Abstract: This paper identifies the link between a number of antisocial behaviours and domestic violence in 588 households of college students in Nassau, The Bahamas. The survey indicates that about 21% of college students could be living in homes with domestic violence. Further, domestic violence is associated with other anti-social behaviours which may have adverse affects on household members and ultimately the welfare of the nation. The findings suggest that government policy towards alcohol could be changed to reduce the participation by residents in antisocial behaviours linked to domestic violence.

Determinants of the Level of Care Provided for Various Types and Sizes of Dogs in New Providence, The Bahamas

Abstract: This paper reports the level of care offered 424 dogs, classified as small dogs, large dogs, pit bulls and potcakes (the colloquial name for the local mongrel) in New Providence, The Bahamas. Levels of care that meet the legal minimum –food water and shelter– as well as care considered essential and enriched in The Bahamas were less common for large dogs than small dogs. Small dogs tended to get more care than other dogs and so were at lowest risk of being neglected. It is suggested that the size of the dog is an important factor which determines the level of care provided. Pit bulls generally received similar care to potcakes which are often considered neglected. Large dogs were more likely to be kept outside and less likely to be allowed inside the home than small dogs. It is conjectured that in many instances the level of care offered constitutes partial abandonment due to a lack of interaction between caregivers and their dogs.

Factors Affecting the Teaching and Learning of Haitian Creole in The Bahamas

Abstract: Lack of accurate information on many aspects of the Haitian culture and society; preconceived ideas about Haiti and its people; dated information on the linguistic status of the Haitian Creole (HC) language; and the socio-economic condition of HC speakers living in The Bahamas are some of the factors that have negative effects on the practice of teaching and learning HC as an academic subject at The College of The Bahamas (COB). This article consists of three main sections: Section one clarifies the obsolete question of HC being considered as a variety of French. It provides theoretical, practical, linguistic and socio-linguistic evidence that HC is a distinct language in its own right with its own pronunciation, spelling system, grammar, structure, and pragmatics. Section two describes the socio-linguistic situation of the HC speakers in The Bahamas as a factor influencing the use of the language in the country. Section three describes the challenges of teaching HC at COB and examines the perceptions and attitudes of students on New Providence to the HC language.

A Trellis-Coded Modulation Scheme with a Novel Expanded 16-Dimensional Constant Envelope Q2PSK Constellation

Abstract: This paper presents a TCM scheme that uses a new expanded 16-Dimensional Constant Envelope Q2PSK constellation along with a simple convolutional encoder of rate 2/3. An effective gain of 2.67 dB over uncoded CEQ2PSK is achievable with low complexity, and without suffering from constellation expansion penalty. Larger coding gains are easily achieved with encoders of higher rates. In addition, an optimal hardware implementation of the required decoders is described.

A Comparison of Bahamian Cat and Dog Caregivers on New Providence

Abstract: This article offers the first comparison of actions and attitudes of Afro-Caribbean caregivers who keep only cats or only dogs. A total of 330 Bahamian caregivers found that women primarily keep cats; men primarily keep dogs. Cat keepers were more attached to their companion animals but no more sensitive toward nonhuman animal-welfare issues than dog keepers. When considering actions toward pets, the study noted few differences between the two types of caregivers. Both types reported low neutering rates and lack of confinement. Findings suggest that although both cat and dog caregivers thought themselves good pet caregivers, both types would benefit from animal-welfare education. In communities where cat populations pose a threat to indigenous wildlife and current care-keeping practices may be a cause for concern, caregivers may need education as to the implications of their actions. Given the similarity in dog-keeping practices in the West Indies, the findings about cat caregivers reported here may be ap...

The uneasy masculinities of dissidence and exile: Reinaldo Arenas’s fight for textual‐sexual freedom

Abstract: The exiled Cuban author Reinaldo Arenas, regarded as a dangerous “counter‐revolutionary” by his government, uses alternative sexualities as both means and metaphor of social insurgence. As a writer, he foregrounds traumatic and personalized issues of politics and sexuality – critiquing both communism and capitalism – in order to explicate the meaning of freedom from homosexual and human rights perspectives. This article investigates how Arenas pushes the limits of satire and the absurd as postcolonial strategies for liberating oppressed masculinities.

Establishing a Typology for Dogs in the English-Speaking Caribbean

Abstract: There is currently confusion in animal welfare circles in The Bahamas and the Caribbean with regard to terminology in connection with dog populations. Speakers and writers use the same words to describe dogs with different levels of care and training: these two aspects are important when considering a domesticated animal. This leads to confusion when reading papers or comparing results from different countries or even different reports from within the same country. At its worst, incorrect use of words can lead to acts of violence against dogs. This paper puts forward a typology for dogs which is based upon the level of care offered to dogs as well as the interaction of dogs with humans.