About

Professor Fiona McLaughlin is a scholar in the Department of Linguistics at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, whose research centers on sociolinguistic perspectives of writing traditions used by populations within and adjacent to the Sahara desert. Her work argues for the conceptualization of a trans-Saharan world characterized by shared historical, religious, and linguistic influences. She focuses on vernacular literacies as robust everyday practices in many African societies, tracing their transmission and spread through pathways of Islamization, Islamic education, and pastoralist traditions. This approach strengthens the case for positing a trans-Saharan sphere of influence that challenges traditional constructions of the Sahara as a barrier separating regions and identities such as the Maghreb from sub-Saharan Africa, White from Black, Muslim from "pagan," and Arab from African.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Environmental health
• Political Science
• Medicine
• Criminology
• Sociology
• Economics
• Demographic economics
• History
• Social psychology
• Archaeology
• Gender studies
• Anthropology
• Media studies
• Law

Selected publications

• <i>Ajami</i> writing practices in Atlantic-speaking Africa

  2024-11-07

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Ajami, as the term is used in this chapter, is the use of the Arabic script to write African languages. The chapter first explores the advent of this practice in Atlantic-speaking West Africa and its origins in the historical processes of Islamization and Islamic education in the region. The appropriation of the Arabic script for writing African languages comes out of literacy practices associated with Islamic education and particularly the Qur’anic school. The adaptation of the Arabic script for writing African languages involves the use of diacritics for short vowels and for sounds that are not part of the Arabic phonemic inventory, such as implosive consonants and prenasalized stops. This technical discussion is followed by two case studies. The first is from the robust tradition of wolofal, writing Wolof in the Arabic script, while the second is from a more restricted literacy tradition in Sereer. The case studies point to Qur’anic education as sources for the adaptations but they also show some subtle influences from the Latin writing system. The chapter concludes with a discussion of some theoretical issues related to Blommaert’s (2008) engagement with grassroots literacy.

  PublisherDOI

• Atlantic consonant mutation

  2024-11-07

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Consonant mutation, a process whereby the initial consonant of a noun or verb stem alternates between different forms depending on their morphological or syntactic features, is one of the most salient characteristics of the Atlantic languages. It functions robustly as a productive morphological process in many Atlantic languages, commonly distinguishing singular from plural verb forms, marking noun class and noun class agreement, providing clues to their semantic content, deriving nouns from verbs or other nouns, and sometimes marking certain syntactic structures. This chapter provides an overview of the ways in which consonant mutation works, illustrated thoroughly with data from Fula which has one of the most systematic consonant mutation systems within the Atlantic group. The chapter then turns to discussion of the diversity of consonant mutation systems in the Atlantic languages, and a brief discussion of how it functions in all those Atlantic languages that have the feature. This is followed by a discussion of the theoretical status of consonant mutation in the literature and arguments based on loanword behaviour are made to support an autosegmental approach, with caveats. The chapter then offers some suggestions for future research, including child language acquisition and loanword behaviour.

  PublisherDOI

• Reminiscences of the last 50 years and the way forward

  Studies in African Linguistics · 2021-04-23

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This article is a retrospective and a prospective look at SAL on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The founding editors and various editors reflect on their experiences

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The role of deprivation and alcohol availability in shaping trends in violent crime

  European Journal of Criminology · 2021 · 21 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Political Science
  • Criminology
  • Psychology

  It is well known that both deprivation and alcohol availability are associated with violent crime. However, less is known about whether the former moderates the latter. Pioneering the linkage of novel alcohol availability measures derived from consumer data with police data and an index of deprivation, we examine inequalities in violent crime across small-level geography (LSOAs) for the whole of England. Our findings confirmed a recent upward trend in recorded violent crime in England between 2011 and 2018 and substantial between-area variability in recorded violent crime, as well as an increase in violent crime inequality across LSOAs during the period of analysis. Violent crime was higher in areas with increased deprivation and alcohol availability, especially in the form of on-licensed premises. On-licence availability, in the form of pubs, bars and nightclubs, explained variability in recorded violent crime more so when compared with off-licence availability. A positive interaction effect between alcohol availability (in the form of on-licensed premises) and deprivation showed how deprivation amplified the impact of alcohol availability, with more deprived areas having a stronger impact of on-licence availability on violent crime. Deprivation is thus an important contextual factor when considering rates and the social ecology of violence. Our findings suggest a need to respond to the disproportionate impact of violence on areas with higher levels of deprivation and availability of on-licensed premises.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Remembering Tucker G. Childs (1948-2021)

  Studies in African Linguistics · 2021-04-23

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  A tribute for Tucker Childs

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exploring the role of deprivation and alcohol availability in shaping trends in violent crime

  2021

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Criminology
  • Psychology
  • Environmental health
  Publisher

• SENEGAL ABROAD: LANGUAGE, RACE, AND IMAGINARIES - Senegal Abroad: Linguistic Borders, Racial Formations, and Diasporic Imaginaries. By Maya Angela Smith. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2019. Pp. <i>x</i> + 249. $79.95, hardcover (ISBN: 9780299320508).

  The Journal of African History · 2020

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Sociology
  • Anthropology
  • History

  SENEGAL ABROAD: LANGUAGE, RACE, AND IMAGINARIES - Senegal Abroad: Linguistic Borders, Racial Formations, and Diasporic Imaginaries. By Maya Angela Smith. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2019. Pp. x + 249. $79.95, hardcover (ISBN: 9780299320508). - Volume 61 Issue 1

  PublisherDOI

• Development of a Pediatric Psychology Practicum for Doctoral Trainees in the Context of Outpatient Pediatric Gastroenterology

  Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology · 2018-07-26

  articleSenior author

  This article demonstrates how the development of a practicum in pediatric psychology in a multidisciplinary clinic provides rich opportunities for doctoral trainees. The process of partnering with a pediatric gastroenterology clinic with limited behavioral health services and developing a practicum that met both clinic needs and trainee goals is described. Initial data assessing utilization, acceptability, and training effectiveness are presented. Medical providers ( N = 11) were asked to complete a brief survey to assess their experience with the trainees; graduates of the training clinic ( N = 3) were asked to retrospectively rate competencies before and after the training practicum. Preliminary data suggest that pediatric psychology services were well utilized and providers reported high levels of acceptability and satisfaction. Graduates of the training practicum reported growth in each competency. This practicum evolved into a tiered 2-year practicum experience that met core competencies in pediatric psychology across multiple domains. Lessons learned are reviewed in order to guide other graduate programs wishing to develop similar pediatric psychology practicum for advanced doctoral students with interests in pediatric psychology. Implications for Impact Statement This article reviews the development of a new clinical psychology training practicum in a pediatric multidisciplinary setting and discusses how this experience addressed core competencies in training in pediatric psychology. The development process is reviewed, initial utilization and acceptability data are presented, and specific lessons learned are provided for training programs interested in developing similar practicum.

  PublisherDOI

• Behavioral Treatment for Aerophagia in a Typically Developing 3-Year-Old

  Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology · 2017-06-19 · 3 citations

  articleSenior author

  Aerophagia is a functional gastrointestinal disorder involving swallowing excessive air, which is associated with gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and interference with dietary intake most commonly diagnosed among individuals with intellectual disabilities. Aerophagia is less common in typically developing children with gastrointestinal complaints and there is little previous research on successful behavioral interventions with this population. This case report illustrates an integrated behavioral approach to treating aerophagia in a typically developing 3-year-old with aerophagia that involved swallowing of emergent eructation. The family initially presented to an outpatient pediatric gastroenterology clinic. After diagnosis, the pediatric gastroenterologist referred the family to the integrated pediatric psychology service for behavioral intervention. Intake and intervention were brief, occurring over 3 outpatient sessions. Intervention included psychoeducation, selection of alternative behaviors incompatible with air swallowing, parental modeling, and systematic reinforcement. These procedures were feasible and acceptable for the family and referring provider and resulted in symptom remittance after 3 sessions, maintained at 6-month follow-up.

  PublisherDOI

• Personality Disorders

  The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Psychology · 2016-03-30

  reference-entrySenior author
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• William A. Altemeier

  University of Washington

  8 shared

• Kathryn B. Sherrod

  Vanderbilt University

  7 shared

• Myra J. Christensen

  Vanderbilt University

  7 shared

• Mary S. Dietrich

  Vanderbilt University

  7 shared

• Robert M. Brayden

  Children's Hospital Colorado

  6 shared

• Dorothy D. Tucker

  Vanderbilt University

  4 shared

• Lexa K. Murphy

  Seattle University

  3 shared

• José Pina-Sánchez

  2 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Linguistics

  University of Texas at Austin

• M.A., French

  The George Washington University

• B.A., English

  Louisiana State University