Showing papers on "Formality published in 2017"

A Study of Style in Machine Translation: Controlling the Formality of Machine Translation Output

Abstract: Stylistic variations of language, such as formality, carry speakers’ intention beyond literal meaning and should be conveyed adequately in translation. We propose to use lexical formality models to control the formality level of machine translation output. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in empirical evaluations, as measured by automatic metrics and human assessments.

State, scale and networks in the liberalisation of India’s land:

Abstract: As states concentrate their developmental capacities in space, the sub-national scale has emerged as a focal point of policy-making in India. The rescaled spatiality of the state is being inscribed on land. Land is the primary resource available to sub-national states to attract private investment in post-reform contexts. Yet, the promulgation of innovative policies is only the start of the space-state relationship. This paper follows rescaled state policy through to its reception and appropriation by business, community and family networks that operate in the real estate industry, which is a major land user. Dynamic multi-dimensional spatial relations involving scales and networks do not engage with a staid, centralised, formal state. Instead, real estate firms work with a state that is itself networked, and that straddles formality and informality, as well as shadows. India’s land economy is animated in this teeming space of state, scale and networks.

Communication Among Parents Who Share Physical Custody After Divorce or Separation

Abstract: This study produces a grounded theory of the process of communication with former partners for 30 men and women who share physical and legal custody of their children following divorce or separation. The formality of the custody arrangement was the core factor that influenced the ways in which study participants established and maintained boundaries regarding when, how, and what they communicated with their former partners. Other factors that played a role included the relationship with the former partner, the child, and the introduction of new partners. One cannot simply assume that because parents share physical and legal custody, they communicate with their former partners in a particular way; instead, the formality of the custody arrangement and the establishment of communication boundaries needs to be examined in order to understand how coparents communicate with their former partners.

Writing on the assembly line: Informal labour in the formalised online literature market in China

Abstract: Emerging as a non-commercial, grassroots alternative to the state-controlled publishing businesses, online literature in China has formalised based on the freemium business model and with the influx of capital. However, little is known about the informality in the formal market and their mutually shaping relationship. This article approaches online literature production in China as case study of the interconnection and interactions between the formal and informal in the wider context of the creative labour debate. It begins with an analysis of the inception of online literature in the context of Chinese literary system before unpacking the formalisation process. It then examines precarity associated with the informal labour, particularly the augmented precarity under the sway of capital. Then, it focuses on surrogate writing as a new form of informality arising from the formalised market, reveals the formality therein and its economic and socio-cultural implications including its impact on the formal market.

A sociologist looks at crowds: Innovation or invention?

Abstract: Crowd-based organizational models are purported to be more open and participatory than traditional organizational forms. But are they novel inventions or permutations of forms that have existed previously? This essay examines the wide array of innovations pursued under the umbrella label of crowd phenomena and asks whether they have altered traditional ways of organizing. The ramifications of crowds for both workers and consumers are also discussed. Central features of crowd organizing include spot transactions, short-term relations, demand-based pricing, heterogeneous demand, and reputations established through feedback mechanisms. Security and formality appear to have been replaced by openness and precariousness. The essay concludes with a call for further study of the contents of crowd-generated products and services.

The Formality of Informal Civil Society: Ukraine’s EuroMaidan

Abstract: Over a period of three months, starting in late 2013, Ukraine experienced a remarkable civic transformation. What started as peaceful protests largely consisting of young idealists, grew quickly into an organized yet decentralized social movement, a conglomeration of semi-formal initiatives, and a loosely defined network of related formal and informal organizations—a process that ultimately prompted significant political and social changes in Ukraine. This paper offers three case studies related to EuroMaidan to provide insight into the formal and informal dimensions of civil society, contrasting those with official designations. The discussion contributes to the long-debated question of the strength or weakness of civil society in the context of Eastern Europe and suggests directions for future research with regard to the conceptualization of civil society and our understanding of formality.

Sub-formality in the formalization of public transport in East Jerusalem

Abstract: This article discusses formalization processes in the context of urban conflict, focusing on the ways adversarial power relations dictate methods and outcomes of formalization. Based on analysis of the formalization of public transport in ethno-nationally contested Jerusalem, the article demonstrates the production of a mode of formalization, which the author terms sub-formalization. This mode is characterized by severe deviation from professional and administrative norms, both in methods and outcomes, and usually results in inferior solutions and irregular arrangements for challenging informality. In sub-formalization, modern rationality – which constructs planners’ professional authority – is eroded by powers from above and below. Therefore sub-formality represents a mutation of modern, rational, West-oriented planning, coming as a result of the encounter with informality and resistance in a way that blurs dichotomization between the formal and informal. In the context of an ongoing urban conflict, as i...

The Multifaceted Relation between Formal Institutions and the Production of Informal Urban Spaces: An Editorial Introduction

Abstract: The paper provides an introductory theoretical framework for this special issue of Geography Research Forum titled "The Spatial Dimension of Informality: Power and Law" . Firstly, the main weaknesses of the traditional ‘geography of informality’ are analyzed, including its tendency to focus on urban poverty in the ‘Global South’, to privilege its economic causes, and to treat the phenomenon in terms of clear-cut dichotomies. Then we stress the need for new critical approaches, which consider informality as an ordinary mode of the production of space that is structurally entangled with formality. In particular, the links between formality/informality and power, politics and policy require further investigation. To this end, this paper suggests a ‘four-lane two-direction road’ model which summarizes the main reciprocal impacts and influences between formal institutions and the production of formal/informal spaces.

On geometric Bott–Chern formality and deformations

Abstract: A notion of geometric formality in the context of Bott–Chern and Aeppli cohomologies on a complex manifold is discussed. In particular, by using Aeppli–Bott–Chern–Massey triple products, it is proved that geometric Aeppli–Bott–Chern formality is not stable under small deformations of the complex structure.

Noncommutative formality implies commutative and Lie formality

Abstract: Over a field of characteristic zero we prove two formality conditions. We prove that a dg Lie algebra is formal if and only if its universal enveloping algebra is formal. We also prove that a commu ...

Cleaning Floors and Sweeping the Mind: Cleaning as a Ritual Process*

Abstract: Ian Reader is Professor in Religious Studies at Lancaster University. His long-term interest in Japanese religions has resulted in a number of significant publications dealing not only with "traditional" religions but also with new movements in and from Japan. If obligation and formality play important roles in this argument and suggest themselves as contributing to an ability to distinguish rituals from other actions, the question of meaning and meaninglessness is also significant. In Japanese terms the apparently simple action of cleaning, whether of an external environment such as a park, or a personal one such as one's face, can incorporate a whole series of metaphors which have spiritual significance, which is, in turn, related to the conduct and nature of everyday life. The routines and life patterns of Zen temples thus traditionally incorporate periods of work—which are treated as meditations in themselves—in which all those at the temple have to participate.

Impact of Pedagogical Agents’ Conversational Formality on Learning and Engagement

Abstract: This study investigated the impact of pedagogical agents’ conversational formality on learning and engagement in a trialog-based intelligent tutoring system (ITS). Participants (N = 167) were randomly assigned into one of three conditions to learn summarization strategies with the conversational agents: (1) a formal condition in which both the teacher agent and the student agent spoke with a formal language style, (2) an informal condition in which both agents spoke informally, and (3) a mixed condition in which the teacher agent spoke formally, whereas the student agent spoke informally. Result showed that the agents’ informal discourse yielded higher performance, but elicited higher report of text difficulty and mind wandering. This discourse also caused longer response time and lower arousal. The implications are discussed.

Making workers real: Regulatory spotlights and documentary stepping-stones on a South African border farm

Abstract: Documents are central to the infrastructure through which formal workforces are constituted. They thus offer a privileged vantage point onto how formality is asserted and experienced as real. On the Zimbabwean–South African border, where formality is a plural and uneven patchwork of “formalizations,” thousands of migrants are employed on export-oriented commercial farms. Connections between state institutions and workplaces are regulatory spotlights. More complex than employee protection or domination, or than window-dressing fiction, they make workers by recognizing them as different from “border jumpers.” Workers make their own use of spotlights. Documents become steppingstones, as migrants broker conversions toward more durable forms of worker identity. They navigate the constellation of fixed points that documents represent, bringing coherence to fragmentary encounters. Spotlights and stepping-stones lie at the point where formal regulation and livelihood plans constitute one another, and thereby esta...

Restaurant Formality And Customer Service Dimensions In The Restaurant Industry: An Empirical Study

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to examine the different customer service dimensions in the restaurant industry. Survey-based data collected from customers that dined regularly in restaurants classified as fast food, casual dining, and fine dining was used. Our study makes an imperative contribution by applying Resource-based view theory in the field of services marketing. The results show that restaurant formality has an adverse impact on customer loyalty, but this impact is positive when restaurant formality interacts with customer gratification. There are other important findings that lead to repeat sales and improved profits for restaurants. We conclude by discussing some limitations in our study as well as suggesting future research directions.

Strategies for Developing English Academic Writing Skills

Abstract: Non-native English-speaking students at, or about to enter British Universities and other Western universities where the language of instruction is English may experience challenges with academic writing, often one of the most important means of assessing students. Pre-sessional and in-sessional English academic writingcourses have been developed to aid students, and traditionally covered a range of topics. This paper discusses essential ‘pre-writing’ tasks. It then outlines some of the essential elements of academic writing; these often focus on paragraph structure, basic components of an essay, and different functional types of essays. Other features covered by this paper include aspects of language such as level of formality, cohesive devices, caution and hedging, supplying evidence, and avoiding plagiarism, amongst others. This paper also emphasizes the growing importance of collaborative learning, critical thinking and autonomous leaning which may be insufficiently familiar to students from non-Western learning environments where traditionally factual recall is given the greatest importance. Inductive and deductive approaches to paragraph organization, and also essay development have also been introduced. These approaches may also contrast with the rhetorical features familiar to non-native students from various cultures around the world and require special attention. Contemporary pre-sessional courses are also becoming more specialized, targeting English suitable for specific sets of disciplines at the undergraduate at postgraduate level. For example, courses focusing in STEM subjects (science technology, engineering and mathematics) are replacing more ‘generic’ academic English courses.

Taking the Ambiguity Out of Subtle and Interpersonal Workplace Discrimination

Abstract: In their target article, Jones, Arena, Nittrouer, Alonso, and Lindsey (2017) make a compelling argument that discrimination may be best conceptualized continuously rather than categorically with respect to dimensions of subtlety, formality, and intentionality. We agree that such a framework can help capture the multifaceted nature of discrimination. The authors note that subtle and interpersonal discrimination, in particular, are difficult to address through formal organizational policy. In the workplace, subtle and often interpersonal discrimination can be overlooked or attributed to misunderstanding and, thus, may go unpunished (Dovidio & Gaertner, 2004).

Involvement and Attitude in Japanese Discourse: Interactive Markers

Abstract: This book addresses the long discussed issue of Japanese interactive markers (traditionally called sentence-final particles) in a new light, and provides the comprehensive linguistic documentation of the interactional functions of seven interactive markers: ne , na , yo , sa , wa , zo and ze . By adopting three key notions, ‘involvement’, ‘formality’ and ‘gender’, the study not only reveals the functions and pragmatic effects of each marker, but also sheds light on some fundamental issues of the nature of spoken discourse in general, including how speakers collaborate with each other to create and sustain their conversations and how linguistic functions of verbal forms interface with sociocultural norms. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in a wide range of linguistic fields such as Japanese linguistics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis and applied linguistics and to teachers and learners of Japanese and of a second/foreign language.

Political Participation in the Form of Online Petitions: A Comparison of Formal and Informal Petitioning

Abstract: This paper contributes to the field of e-participation by studying e-petitioning on both formal and informal petition bodies. The aim is to contribute to the understanding of the features of formal and informal e-petition platforms as well as the characteristics of the e-petitions. A formal kansalaisaloite.fi and an informal e-petition platform adressit.com in Finland were compared using quantitative content analysis. By examining the differences between formal and informal platforms, this paper sheds light over citizens' political behavior in the form of online petitioning. The varying formality of the platforms was reflected in their features and e-petitioning processes. Furthermore, formal and informal e-petitions differed regarding their initiators, text length, topics, preparation quality, rationality, affectivity and connections to other types of media. E-petitions on the formal platform are better prepared, show more signs of rational argumentation, and more often concern controversial topics.

Demonetization: In the context of formality and informality

Abstract: The present paper is an effort to detect the contributory economic factors explaining the policy of demonetization in India in recent past. The study has tried to unfold a few issues in correspondence to the “grey” informal localization of industries and services. It seems that such an exploration is crucial to make a successful policy orientation. The incorporation of the changes in the nature of FormalInformal linkages makes the scenario further intensified within the realm of diversified heterogeneity with increased volume of informal localized production within the economy. The present paper consciously avoids the issues like digitalization in this context in order to make the present study concise with the expectation to have separate studies with them. The micro-level field surveys, sampling design and data analysis of the study conducted is based upon the standard model approach to avoid spatial homogeneity.

Reducing the costs and enhancing the benefits of formality : from the firm's perspective

Abstract: The high incidence of informality in developing countries acts as a drag on economic development due to the associated efficiency and equity costs and implied weak governance. Policy makers therefore want to reduce informality. This note presents guidance on policy levers to make formality more attractive and informality less attractive from the perspective of small, medium and large firms, and from the perspective of micro-entrepreneurs. It elaborates the challenges for shifting incentives in favor of being formal and employing workers on formal contracts rather than operating under the regulatory radar, and presents a range of policy options.

The receding horizon of informality in WTO meetings

Abstract: The essay starts from the observation that attempts to formalize negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) have consistently spawned new forms of informality, such as the holding of meetings as ‘chairperson's consultations’ which do not require the adoption of an agenda, or the emergence of new types of ‘unofficial’ documents. The essay sketches the resulting layers of formality/informality and attempts to account for the survival of informality in the WTO. The most commonly offered explanation for the persistence of informality in WTO negotiations is that it serves to facilitate and disguise the exercise of power. The essay argues instead that formal and informal meetings serve essentially different functions. Informality can provide opportunities for productive interventions, alliances, and performances that are precluded in more formal settings. Gradations of formality/informality offer different avenues for WTO Members to talk to each other and to their domestic and international audiences.

Recursive in/formality: Time and ideology in a distributed monetary system

Abstract: I argue that in/formality is not a distinction between two qualities, but rather, a distinction of relative position achieved through linguistic and nonlinguistic practices of categorization. Through an analysis of illegal currency trading in Argentina, I show how temporal and ideological dynamics shape the semiotic framing of in/formality in any given context.

Universal Deformation Formula, Formality and Actions

Abstract: In this paper we provide a quantization via formality of Poisson actions of a triangular Lie algebra $(\mathfrak g,r)$ on a smooth manifold $M$. Using the formality of polydifferential operators on Lie algebroids we obtain a deformation quantization of $M$ together with a quantum group $\mathscr{U}_\hbar(\mathfrak{g})$ and a map of associated DGLA's. This motivates a definition of quantum action in terms of $L_\infty$-morphisms which generalizes the one given by Drinfeld.

Employment contract and smes’ innovation in developing and transition economies: the case of vietnam

Abstract: Although the job/employment security is critical to the implementation of high performance management practices (Pfeffer and Veiga, 1999), its impact on innovation remains understudied, especially in the context of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in emerging and transition economies (ETEs). This paper uses the institution-based view in entrepreneurship and strategic management to (i) analyze the relationships between the formality of an employment contract and the firm’s innovation (i.e., product innovation, product improvement, process innovation and intention of innovation); and (ii) indentify potential antecedents of the contractual formality. Based on a sample of 865 private, domestic SMEs operating in the manufacturing sector in an ETE — namely Vietnam — and by using multivariable regression techniques, we find that the formality of the employment contract significantly and positively influences some aspects of the firm’s innovation (i.e., product improvement and process innovation). Further...