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1 – 10 of over 189000This paper aims to shed light on how children's literature in Africa deserves to be studied because African writers “decolonize” the minds of African children and children and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to shed light on how children's literature in Africa deserves to be studied because African writers “decolonize” the minds of African children and children and adults around the world.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper defines children's literature from an African perspective and the “decolonization of the mind.” This is done to examine how two African writers provide narratives for children inspired by their cultures. They deal with themes, characters and symbols that interest children and adults.
Findings
Achebe and Youssef crossed many borders: the world of children and adults, animals and humans, vice and virtue, supernatural and real. Their stories take the reader on journeys that involve enriching, engaging and inspiring adventures.
Research limitations/implications
Youssef and Achebe are prolific writers. Providing a survey of what is available in Arabic and Nigerian literature for children, is beyond the scope of this paper.
Practical implications
This paper sends a message to those in charge of the curriculum in schools in Egypt, the Arab countries, Africa and the world at large: decolonize the syllabi in schools because the world is not black and white. Literature for children that encourages critical thinking is available by African writers in Egypt, Nigeria and elsewhere.
Social implications
The works discussed show that African writers are creative, and their works inspire the African child with pride in his/her identity, culture and heritage.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, no one has compared Egyptian and Nigerian literature for children before. Youssef and Achebe provide evidence that “Good literature gives the child a place in the world … and the world a place in the child.” – Astrid Lindgren.
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This chapter will focus on the development of children's literature in the western world. The topic will be discussed with reference to the historical development of children's…
Abstract
This chapter will focus on the development of children's literature in the western world. The topic will be discussed with reference to the historical development of children's literature, previous sample works and the concepts of childhood, which have been changing day by day. As it is known, the first literary texts presented to children are verbal. With the spread of the printing press, written literature and changing social perceptions led to the emergence of a separate literary idea for children. Tales, myths, legends, nursery rhymes, and children's songs, as well as the alphabet books and the texts in holy books, which are among the first oral products, are considered the first texts that children encounter. However, the spread of the idea of humanism enables the questioning of the position of the child in society. In this way, works that are suitable for the world of imagination have started to be produced, considering the interests, needs and perceptual differences of children. The Aesopian fables in the 17th century, the Works by J.J. Rousseau in the 18th century for children and his liberal perspective, Robinson Crusoe by D. Defoe and Gulliver's Travels by J. Swift are among the basic works of children's literature. The perception of children and childhood that changes in every century is reflected in literary works.
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Jayasankar Ramanathan and Keyoor Purani
The purpose of this paper is to help marketing scholars view virtual worlds as new product–markets and trigger serious investigations on consumer evaluation of brand extensions…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to help marketing scholars view virtual worlds as new product–markets and trigger serious investigations on consumer evaluation of brand extensions when a brand is extended from the real world to a virtual world and vice versa.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper makes an extensive review of studies on virtual world. Further, it amalgamates understanding from well-established literature on consumer evaluation of brand extensions into the emerging virtual world understanding to conceptualize moderating influence of contexts – the real world context and a virtual world context – on how consumers evaluate brand extensions.
Findings
Through logical arguments supported by existing literature, the paper provides 14 well-conceptualized propositions that argue that the real world and virtual world contexts moderate the well-established relationships in brand extension literature. It broadly proposes that the relationships between the consumer evaluations of brand extension and its known determinants are stronger in case of within-the-world extensions and weaker in case of across-the-world extensions.
Research limitations/implications
The paper introduces to the marketing scholars an entirely new area of enquiry as it challenges the known brand extension knowledge when a brand is extended across the worlds.
Practical implications
Marketers considering launching new offerings across the contexts of real or virtual world would have implications on whether to extend the brand or not.
Originality/value
Virtual worlds have largely been construed in marketing literature as fictional worlds. There is not much explored in terms of virtual worlds as new product–markets. The study offers unique value in conceptualizing differences among within-the-world brand extensions and across-the-world brand extensions.
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D.S.I.R. has been charged with the planning of a national lending library for science and technology. The purpose of this library will be to help users of scientific literature…
Abstract
D.S.I.R. has been charged with the planning of a national lending library for science and technology. The purpose of this library will be to help users of scientific literature and bibliographical organizations to obtain the literature which is not available locally. The library will take over from the Science Museum Library the responsibility for providing a lending service and it will also take over from that library some of its literature. The new library will be located outside the London Area and will aim at providing a postal lending service for all types of organizations.
Purpose ‐ The purpose of this article is to help those new to the practice of finding international children's books online navigate this exciting if confusing area of reference…
Abstract
Purpose ‐ The purpose of this article is to help those new to the practice of finding international children's books online navigate this exciting if confusing area of reference sources.Design/methodology/approach ‐ This article reviews the International Children's Digital Library that has revolutionized connecting children and books worldwide since 2002. However, there have been organizations busy identifying, evaluating, recommending and keeping lists and annotations of excellent international books for children since the 1940s. This article also reviews resources created by organizations, including the International Youth Library, the International Board on Books for Young People, international book fairs, Banco del Libro and other entities.Findings ‐ The article finds that, there is benefit to be gained from the expansion of international children's book resources into the world of the internet and that those who compiled both types of resource want to connect the world's children with quality literature.Originality/value ‐ This article offers information about historical context, partnerships, and hosting sites that have led to online access to many of these once print only resources. This review of these resources is original as it covers those who originated sources with the shared goal. That goal is their dedication to bring children and books together around the world and to build understanding and solutions together as members of a global community.
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The purpose of this article is to analyze the educational and more specifically, the library and information opportunities afforded through virtual worlds such as Second Life.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to analyze the educational and more specifically, the library and information opportunities afforded through virtual worlds such as Second Life.
Design/methodology/approach
The article provides an analysis of virtual world opportunities through a review of relevant literature as well as actual applications of virtual world platforms.
Findings
Virtual worlds have the potential to provide a rich learning and information environment. Despite what many see as limitations, virtual worlds can enhance the learning experience if problematic issues are addressed and if expectations are realistic. For libraries, a unique set of limitations are identified.
Research limitations/implications
The limited availability of library presences in virtual worlds prohibits a full scale analysis of the success or otherwise of such projects. Future analyses of virtual worlds, in particular Second Life, will be useful if their pervasiveness increases.
Practical implications
Library managers are alerted to issues and problems surrounding an investment in virtual worlds.
Originality/value
This paper will prove useful to educators and librarians considering investing time and other resources in developing content in virtual worlds.
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Presents an annotated bibliography of journals and magazines useful to students and professors of German studies. The publications listed are suitable for academic and large…
Abstract
Presents an annotated bibliography of journals and magazines useful to students and professors of German studies. The publications listed are suitable for academic and large public libraries.
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Since the 1970s, interest in African literature has grown considerably in English and comparative literature departments at American colleges and universities. African writings…
Abstract
Since the 1970s, interest in African literature has grown considerably in English and comparative literature departments at American colleges and universities. African writings increasingly appear on multi‐disciplinary and multi‐cultural reading lists, exposing both high school and undergraduate students to such Anglophone and Francophone writers as Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, and Ferdinand Oyono. Noticeably absent from this literary boom, however, was a female point of view. Nearly all of the writers read and discussed were male and these writers, in turn, created a picture of a male‐dominated society with women portrayed in the traditional roles of mothers and wives. In fiction, women characters were nearly always secondary to the major male protagonists. Some works, such as Elechi Amadi's novel, The Concubine, went so far as to openly disdain women. Critics also concentrated solely on male writers and examined the roles of women primarily from a male perspective. Even a dearth of female writers have added to this limited view. It was not until 1956 that Flora Nwapa published Efuru, the first African novel by a woman in English, and she was then dismissed as just another woman writing about women's issues.
Anthropology, and archaeology, a subdivision of anthropology, traditionally defined as the study of man and his cultures, has greatly expanded its scope of interest in recent…
Abstract
Anthropology, and archaeology, a subdivision of anthropology, traditionally defined as the study of man and his cultures, has greatly expanded its scope of interest in recent years. These interests are now much more contemporary and therefore less arcane to the average layman.
“A knowledge of different literatures is the best way to free one's self from the tyranny of any of them.” Jose Marti, Cuban writer, poet and statesman.