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Books by Maryam Najafian

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Rhetorical figures in Advertising Headlines: Translation studies and critical discourse Analysis

Various researches have more than a half century centered upon analyzing advertising discourse fr... more Various researches have more than a half century centered upon analyzing advertising discourse from different perspectives but little seems to have been done in the area of Translation Studies. Part of the difficulty arises from the nature of advertising as a multimodal discourse. The words, seen in this way as the product of social practices, are just one of the many semiotic modes through which social meanings of advertisements are coded. The primary aim of this book is to serve as a guide for students of Marketing and Translation Studies in their struggle to find proper strategies in using rhetorical figures in advertising headline and their corresponding translation.

Papers by Maryam Najafian

Research paper thumbnail of A Transparent Framework for Evaluating Unintended Demographic Bias in Word Embeddings

Proceedings of the 57th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics

Word embedding models have gained a lot of traction in the Natural Language Processing community,... more Word embedding models have gained a lot of traction in the Natural Language Processing community, however, they suffer from unintended demographic biases. Most approaches to evaluate these biases rely on vector space based metrics like the Word Embedding Association Test (WEAT). While these approaches offer great geometric insights into unintended biases in the embedding vector space, they fail to offer an interpretable meaning for how the embeddings could cause discrimination in downstream NLP applications. In this work, we present a transparent framework and metric for evaluating discrimination across protected groups with respect to their word embedding bias. Our metric (Relative Negative Sentiment Bias, RNSB) measures fairness in word embeddings via the relative negative sentiment associated with demographic identity terms from various protected groups. We show that our framework and metric enable useful analysis into the bias in word embeddings.

Research paper thumbnail of A Transparent Framework for Evaluating Unintended Demographic Bias in Word Embeddings

Proceedings of the 57th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics

Word embedding models have gained a lot of traction in the Natural Language Processing community,... more Word embedding models have gained a lot of traction in the Natural Language Processing community, however, they suffer from unintended demographic biases. Most approaches to evaluate these biases rely on vector space based metrics like the Word Embedding Association Test (WEAT). While these approaches offer great geometric insights into unintended biases in the embedding vector space, they fail to offer an interpretable meaning for how the embeddings could cause discrimination in downstream NLP applications. In this work, we present a transparent framework and metric for evaluating discrimination across protected groups with respect to their word embedding bias. Our metric (Relative Negative Sentiment Bias, RNSB) measures fairness in word embeddings via the relative negative sentiment associated with demographic identity terms from various protected groups. We show that our framework and metric enable useful analysis into the bias in word embeddings.

Research paper thumbnail of Advertising Social Semiotic Representation: A Critical Approach

International Journal of Industrial Marketing

The aim of this article was to show the usefulness of a Social Semiotics approach proposed by Kre... more The aim of this article was to show the usefulness of a Social Semiotics approach proposed by Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) in analyzing advertising discourse to achieve the aim of uncovering the ideology behind choosing different resources (verbal and non verbal). Two examples selected from 'Time' magazine showed that both textual and visual signs are among social semiotic resources which could help advertisers to convey persuasive messages under ideological assumptions. The result of this study revealed that social semiotic reference occupies a pivotal point in the relationship between advertising discourse and ideology. The image, word and color, seen in this way as the product of social practices, are just three of the many semiotic modes through which social meanings of advertisements are coded.

Research paper thumbnail of Lexical Choices and Ideology in Translation: A Case Study of 'The old Man and the Sea

Journal of Social and Development Sciences

The present research aims at conducting a critical study of the novel 'The Old Man and the Se... more The present research aims at conducting a critical study of the novel 'The Old Man and the Sea' written by Ernest Hemingway (1976) and its two translated versions in Persian; one rendered by Faramarzi (2006) the other by Shahin (1979). The researchers apply a comparative lexical analysis proposed by Newmark (1988) and Venuti (1995). An attempt has been made to reveal the ideology behind the original sample words and to show how translators and the effect thereof handle it. The data of this research consists of 10 ideological laden terms selected randomly among 45 words from the original text and the corresponding Persian translations. The results of this study suggest a significant difference between the two Persian translations and the original novel. It revealed that one of the translators has attempted to 'domesticate' his translation while another has been attentive to 'foreignize' it. As for implication, it seems necessary to note that translational deci...

Research paper thumbnail of Lexical Choices and Ideology in Translation: A Case Study of 'The old Man and the Sea

Journal of Social and Development Sciences

The present research aims at conducting a critical study of the novel 'The Old Man and the Se... more The present research aims at conducting a critical study of the novel 'The Old Man and the Sea' written by Ernest Hemingway (1976) and its two translated versions in Persian; one rendered by Faramarzi (2006) the other by Shahin (1979). The researchers apply a comparative lexical analysis proposed by Newmark (1988) and Venuti (1995). An attempt has been made to reveal the ideology behind the original sample words and to show how translators and the effect thereof handle it. The data of this research consists of 10 ideological laden terms selected randomly among 45 words from the original text and the corresponding Persian translations. The results of this study suggest a significant difference between the two Persian translations and the original novel. It revealed that one of the translators has attempted to 'domesticate' his translation while another has been attentive to 'foreignize' it. As for implication, it seems necessary to note that translational deci...

Research paper thumbnail of The Words behind Images: A Critical Social Semiotic Approach toward Analyzing Advertising

International Journal of Linguistics, 2011

This study was an attempt to investigate the application of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) app... more This study was an attempt to investigate the application of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach and Social Semiotic Approach (SSA) proposed by in analyzing ads discourse i.e. an approach that combines textual analysis with semiotic analysis in studying advertising. This combined approach was checked in two sample ads extracted from 'Time' magazine (2000, 2001). As results, two points emerged based on this study. The first was that advertising is a crucial factor in the dissemination of ideological values in any social discourses. The second point was that this discourse is not in any sense neutral. This is mediated, meaning that whatever aspects of social life are represented in the advertising pass through the particular linguistic (cohesion, disjunctive syntax, modality) as well as social semiotic resources (words, images and colors).

Research paper thumbnail of A Word Means A World: A Comparative Study of Metaphors in English and Persian Print Advertising Headlines

The purpose of this research is to compare advertisements' headlines in the English and correspon... more The purpose of this research is to compare advertisements' headlines in the English and corresponding Persian versions in terms of using destabilization trope metaphor. This paper makes an attempt to identify the dominant translation strategy used in rendering metaphors in headlines based on the extended model of Smith (2006) proposed by Najafian & Ketabi (2012). The results of this study show that English uses metaphor greatly than Persian and as supported before by Najafian & Ketabi (2012), the main translation strategy is "transference". English perhaps uses metaphor greatly to call into larger frames of perception. Ideationally, using more aesthetic elements than other figures may result in more illocutionary effect on the readers.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Image Language of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh from the Purview of Social Semiotics

The present study addresses three different methods of language image creating used in Ferdowsi's... more The present study addresses three different methods of language image creating used in Ferdowsi's selected poems of Shahnameh. To do so, 1200 couplets selected randomly from the larger corpus. The study attempts to reveal the image language of Ferdowsi's poems that have not been adequately considered before. For doing this, the Social Semiotic model proposed by Kress & van Leeuven (2006) has been adopted. The findings of this study show that there are three main elements namely; cohesion, concrete affairs and metaphor which make Shahnameh's language more vivid and tangible. These linguistic signs seem to have crucial role in creating transparent image in the mind of readers. Applying these verbal devices leads to the lesser confusion and more conceptual experiences for the readers.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the Relationship between Moral Intelligence and Achievement Motivation among Academic Professors of Iran Universities

Nowadays, it seems that everyone knows about the importance of observing job ethics in every orga... more Nowadays, it seems that everyone knows about the importance of observing job ethics in every organization or career. Accordingly, some have argued that it causes the emergence of the concept of moral intelligence. Also, considering job-achievement motivation would say something about the importance of profession growth. This study is a co-relational descriptive one whose population consists of 5250 professors of Iran universities such as state, Payam-e-Noor, Azad and Non-profitable ones. A total of 358 professors selected by stratified random sampling method from that wider corpus. Valid standard questionnaires of moral intelligence and achievement motivation have been used as research tools. Findings of this study show that most of the professors have high moral intelligence and achievement motivation and there exists a significant and directional relationship between these two variables. Hence, academic community should emphasize the code of ethics and improve moral intelligence among professors as a continuum prerequisite for observing and enhancing morality at scientific and pedagogical settings. Perhaps, it requires devoting more attention to their achievement motivation as an important factor in fulfilling organizational and individual's goals.

Research paper thumbnail of The Words behind Images: A Critical Social Semiotic Approach toward Analyzing Advertising

This study was an attempt to investigate the application of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) app... more This study was an attempt to investigate the application of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach and Social Semiotic Approach (SSA) proposed by in analyzing ads discourse i.e. an approach that combines textual analysis with semiotic analysis in studying advertising. This combined approach was checked in two sample ads extracted from 'Time' magazine (2000, 2001). As results, two points emerged based on this study. The first was that advertising is a crucial factor in the dissemination of ideological values in any social discourses. The second point was that this discourse is not in any sense neutral. This is mediated, meaning that whatever aspects of social life are represented in the advertising pass through the particular linguistic (cohesion, disjunctive syntax, modality) as well as social semiotic resources (words, images and colors).

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Rhetorical figures in Advertising Headlines: Translation studies and critical discourse Analysis

Various researches have more than a half century centered upon analyzing advertising discourse fr... more Various researches have more than a half century centered upon analyzing advertising discourse from different perspectives but little seems to have been done in the area of Translation Studies. Part of the difficulty arises from the nature of advertising as a multimodal discourse. The words, seen in this way as the product of social practices, are just one of the many semiotic modes through which social meanings of advertisements are coded. The primary aim of this book is to serve as a guide for students of Marketing and Translation Studies in their struggle to find proper strategies in using rhetorical figures in advertising headline and their corresponding translation.

Research paper thumbnail of A Transparent Framework for Evaluating Unintended Demographic Bias in Word Embeddings

Proceedings of the 57th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics

Word embedding models have gained a lot of traction in the Natural Language Processing community,... more Word embedding models have gained a lot of traction in the Natural Language Processing community, however, they suffer from unintended demographic biases. Most approaches to evaluate these biases rely on vector space based metrics like the Word Embedding Association Test (WEAT). While these approaches offer great geometric insights into unintended biases in the embedding vector space, they fail to offer an interpretable meaning for how the embeddings could cause discrimination in downstream NLP applications. In this work, we present a transparent framework and metric for evaluating discrimination across protected groups with respect to their word embedding bias. Our metric (Relative Negative Sentiment Bias, RNSB) measures fairness in word embeddings via the relative negative sentiment associated with demographic identity terms from various protected groups. We show that our framework and metric enable useful analysis into the bias in word embeddings.

Research paper thumbnail of A Transparent Framework for Evaluating Unintended Demographic Bias in Word Embeddings

Proceedings of the 57th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics

Word embedding models have gained a lot of traction in the Natural Language Processing community,... more Word embedding models have gained a lot of traction in the Natural Language Processing community, however, they suffer from unintended demographic biases. Most approaches to evaluate these biases rely on vector space based metrics like the Word Embedding Association Test (WEAT). While these approaches offer great geometric insights into unintended biases in the embedding vector space, they fail to offer an interpretable meaning for how the embeddings could cause discrimination in downstream NLP applications. In this work, we present a transparent framework and metric for evaluating discrimination across protected groups with respect to their word embedding bias. Our metric (Relative Negative Sentiment Bias, RNSB) measures fairness in word embeddings via the relative negative sentiment associated with demographic identity terms from various protected groups. We show that our framework and metric enable useful analysis into the bias in word embeddings.

Research paper thumbnail of Advertising Social Semiotic Representation: A Critical Approach

International Journal of Industrial Marketing

The aim of this article was to show the usefulness of a Social Semiotics approach proposed by Kre... more The aim of this article was to show the usefulness of a Social Semiotics approach proposed by Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) in analyzing advertising discourse to achieve the aim of uncovering the ideology behind choosing different resources (verbal and non verbal). Two examples selected from 'Time' magazine showed that both textual and visual signs are among social semiotic resources which could help advertisers to convey persuasive messages under ideological assumptions. The result of this study revealed that social semiotic reference occupies a pivotal point in the relationship between advertising discourse and ideology. The image, word and color, seen in this way as the product of social practices, are just three of the many semiotic modes through which social meanings of advertisements are coded.

Research paper thumbnail of Lexical Choices and Ideology in Translation: A Case Study of 'The old Man and the Sea

Journal of Social and Development Sciences

The present research aims at conducting a critical study of the novel 'The Old Man and the Se... more The present research aims at conducting a critical study of the novel 'The Old Man and the Sea' written by Ernest Hemingway (1976) and its two translated versions in Persian; one rendered by Faramarzi (2006) the other by Shahin (1979). The researchers apply a comparative lexical analysis proposed by Newmark (1988) and Venuti (1995). An attempt has been made to reveal the ideology behind the original sample words and to show how translators and the effect thereof handle it. The data of this research consists of 10 ideological laden terms selected randomly among 45 words from the original text and the corresponding Persian translations. The results of this study suggest a significant difference between the two Persian translations and the original novel. It revealed that one of the translators has attempted to 'domesticate' his translation while another has been attentive to 'foreignize' it. As for implication, it seems necessary to note that translational deci...

Research paper thumbnail of Lexical Choices and Ideology in Translation: A Case Study of 'The old Man and the Sea

Journal of Social and Development Sciences

The present research aims at conducting a critical study of the novel 'The Old Man and the Se... more The present research aims at conducting a critical study of the novel 'The Old Man and the Sea' written by Ernest Hemingway (1976) and its two translated versions in Persian; one rendered by Faramarzi (2006) the other by Shahin (1979). The researchers apply a comparative lexical analysis proposed by Newmark (1988) and Venuti (1995). An attempt has been made to reveal the ideology behind the original sample words and to show how translators and the effect thereof handle it. The data of this research consists of 10 ideological laden terms selected randomly among 45 words from the original text and the corresponding Persian translations. The results of this study suggest a significant difference between the two Persian translations and the original novel. It revealed that one of the translators has attempted to 'domesticate' his translation while another has been attentive to 'foreignize' it. As for implication, it seems necessary to note that translational deci...

Research paper thumbnail of The Words behind Images: A Critical Social Semiotic Approach toward Analyzing Advertising

International Journal of Linguistics, 2011

This study was an attempt to investigate the application of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) app... more This study was an attempt to investigate the application of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach and Social Semiotic Approach (SSA) proposed by in analyzing ads discourse i.e. an approach that combines textual analysis with semiotic analysis in studying advertising. This combined approach was checked in two sample ads extracted from 'Time' magazine (2000, 2001). As results, two points emerged based on this study. The first was that advertising is a crucial factor in the dissemination of ideological values in any social discourses. The second point was that this discourse is not in any sense neutral. This is mediated, meaning that whatever aspects of social life are represented in the advertising pass through the particular linguistic (cohesion, disjunctive syntax, modality) as well as social semiotic resources (words, images and colors).

Research paper thumbnail of A Word Means A World: A Comparative Study of Metaphors in English and Persian Print Advertising Headlines

The purpose of this research is to compare advertisements' headlines in the English and correspon... more The purpose of this research is to compare advertisements' headlines in the English and corresponding Persian versions in terms of using destabilization trope metaphor. This paper makes an attempt to identify the dominant translation strategy used in rendering metaphors in headlines based on the extended model of Smith (2006) proposed by Najafian & Ketabi (2012). The results of this study show that English uses metaphor greatly than Persian and as supported before by Najafian & Ketabi (2012), the main translation strategy is "transference". English perhaps uses metaphor greatly to call into larger frames of perception. Ideationally, using more aesthetic elements than other figures may result in more illocutionary effect on the readers.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Image Language of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh from the Purview of Social Semiotics

The present study addresses three different methods of language image creating used in Ferdowsi's... more The present study addresses three different methods of language image creating used in Ferdowsi's selected poems of Shahnameh. To do so, 1200 couplets selected randomly from the larger corpus. The study attempts to reveal the image language of Ferdowsi's poems that have not been adequately considered before. For doing this, the Social Semiotic model proposed by Kress & van Leeuven (2006) has been adopted. The findings of this study show that there are three main elements namely; cohesion, concrete affairs and metaphor which make Shahnameh's language more vivid and tangible. These linguistic signs seem to have crucial role in creating transparent image in the mind of readers. Applying these verbal devices leads to the lesser confusion and more conceptual experiences for the readers.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the Relationship between Moral Intelligence and Achievement Motivation among Academic Professors of Iran Universities

Nowadays, it seems that everyone knows about the importance of observing job ethics in every orga... more Nowadays, it seems that everyone knows about the importance of observing job ethics in every organization or career. Accordingly, some have argued that it causes the emergence of the concept of moral intelligence. Also, considering job-achievement motivation would say something about the importance of profession growth. This study is a co-relational descriptive one whose population consists of 5250 professors of Iran universities such as state, Payam-e-Noor, Azad and Non-profitable ones. A total of 358 professors selected by stratified random sampling method from that wider corpus. Valid standard questionnaires of moral intelligence and achievement motivation have been used as research tools. Findings of this study show that most of the professors have high moral intelligence and achievement motivation and there exists a significant and directional relationship between these two variables. Hence, academic community should emphasize the code of ethics and improve moral intelligence among professors as a continuum prerequisite for observing and enhancing morality at scientific and pedagogical settings. Perhaps, it requires devoting more attention to their achievement motivation as an important factor in fulfilling organizational and individual's goals.

Research paper thumbnail of The Words behind Images: A Critical Social Semiotic Approach toward Analyzing Advertising

This study was an attempt to investigate the application of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) app... more This study was an attempt to investigate the application of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach and Social Semiotic Approach (SSA) proposed by in analyzing ads discourse i.e. an approach that combines textual analysis with semiotic analysis in studying advertising. This combined approach was checked in two sample ads extracted from 'Time' magazine (2000, 2001). As results, two points emerged based on this study. The first was that advertising is a crucial factor in the dissemination of ideological values in any social discourses. The second point was that this discourse is not in any sense neutral. This is mediated, meaning that whatever aspects of social life are represented in the advertising pass through the particular linguistic (cohesion, disjunctive syntax, modality) as well as social semiotic resources (words, images and colors).