Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Internet – Social aspects – Cross-cultural studies'
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Fong, John. "Electronic word-of-mouth and country-of-origin effects a cross-cultural analysis of discussion boards /." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/28611.
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Thesis by publication.Thesis (PhD) -- Macquarie University, Macquarie Graduate School of Management, 2008.
Bibliography: leaves 124-133.
Introduction - Literature review -- Online word-of-mouth: a comparison of American and Chinese discussion boards -- Electronic word-of-mouth: a comparison of stated and revealed behaviour on electronic discussion boards -- A cross-cultural comparison of electronic word-of-mouth and country-of-origin effects -- Conclusion.
The growth of electronic discussion boards has enabled consumers from different cultures to communicate with people of similar interests. Through this online channel, marketing concepts such as word-of-mouth (WOM) and country-of-origin (CoO) effects have the potential to become more important because of the potentially large number of participants involved. The US and China, being the largest and second-largest online population in the world respectively, are ideal countries to investigate the frequency and extent of these marketing concepts. --The thesis consists of three separate but inter-related papers which have been published in journals or have been accepted for publication. Each paper builds on the one before and analyses different aspects of online consumer behaviour such as information-giving, information-seeking and the CoO statements made by participants of discussion boards. By examining and comparing the frequency and content of discussion postings on discussion boards within US and China based websites, the thesis makes a comparison of the information-giving and information-seeking behaviour of the discussants and also looks at the extent and the content of CoO statements made. Online observation of discussion postings from six different discussion boards (three each from the US and China) was conducted over two 90-day period in 2004 and 2005 and a total of 5,993 discussion postings were downloaded for analysis. In addition, an online survey of 214 participants was conducted to compare the stated and actual (or "revealed") behaviour of discussants on the US and China based discussion boards. -- Overall, the findings indicate consistent differences over a 12-month period in the bahaviour of the US and Chinese discussants. The US discussants were found to provide more information than their Chinese counterparts while the Chinese discussants exhibited more information-seeking bahaviour on the discussion boards. The findings also indicate that the Chinese discussants demonstrated more negative CoO statements and these statements were observed to be related to Japan and/or brands that originated from Japan. The findings suggest that such negative CoO statements can increase rapidly online and it appears that the negative sentiments by the Chinese were apparently unrelated to product quality; instead they appear to have been predominantly associated with war related animosity. -- These findings have important implications for marketers selling to the Chinese as discussion boards appear to be more important as a source of information for the Chinese than the Americans. Also, given that the Chinese discussants demonstrated a high level of negative CoO statements relating to products from Japan, marketers selling Japanese products to the Chinese must understand the underlying issues related to these negativeCoO statements and take steps to prevent non-purchase of Japanese products.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
vii, 133 leaves ill
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Magaz, Nazare. "Gender and homosexual sterotypes: A cross-cultural study." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1992. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/516.
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Iezzi, Valeria. "Connectedness : Designing interactive systems that foster togetherness as a form of resilience for people in social distancing during Covid-19 pandemic. Exploring novel user experiences in the intersection between light perception, tangible interactions and social interaction design (SxD)." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Malmö högskola, Institutionen för konst, kultur och kommunikation (K3), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-37697.
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This thesis project explores how interactive technologies can facilitate a sense of social connectedness with others whilst remotely located. While studying the way humans use rituals for emotional management, I focused my interest on the act of commensality because it is one of the oldest and most important rituals used to foster togetherness among families and groups of friends. Dining with people who do not belong to the same household is of course hard during a global pandemic, just like many of the other forms of social interactions that were forcibly replaced by the use of technological means such as video-chat apps, instant messaging and perhaps an excessive use of social networking websites. These ways of staying connected, however, lack the subtleties of real physical interaction, which I tried to replicate with my prototype system, which consists of two sets of a lamp and a coaster which enable to communicate through light and tactile cues. The use of such devices creates a new kind of ritual based on the simultaneous use of the devices by two people, thus enabling a new and original form of commensality that happens through a shared synchronized experience.
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Leung, Wing-kwan, and 梁永坤. "Gender representation in personal ads in Hong Kong and the U.S.: a linguistic investigation." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1999. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B42128572.
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Lee, Chung-pak Richard, and 李松柏. "An evaluation of social discipline as a factor in economicdevelopment." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1985. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31974454.
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Murakami, Miki. "A Study of Compensation for Face-Threatening Acts in Service Encounters in Japan and the United States." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/381.
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This study examines how people compensate for their inability to accommodate the needs of others in service encounters. Being unable to meet others' needs violates the positive face of one of the participants in a discourse. Many previous studies on speech acts demonstrate how people control their utterances to avoid causing a face-threatening act. However, the language behavior that follows a face-threatening act has not yet received much focus. This paper looks at two different kinds of data in Japan and the United State (hereafter "U.S.") using two different approaches: observation and role-play. In the first, the observational phase, the author acted as a customer in several convenience stores in Japan and asked for an item that they did not carry. In the U.S., a native English speaker interacted with the salesclerk as the customer. (No recording device was used in either situation.) All exchanges were immediately recorded by hand and later coded by semantic formulas. In the second, the role-play phase, native speakers were asked to role-play a parallel situation in which they acted as a salesclerk and had to react to not being able to satisfy customers' requests. The results demonstrate that Japanese sales clerks compensate in the face of their inability to meet another's need (they avoid a direct face-threatening act) whereas most U.S. sales clerks do not attempt to compensate for their inability. These behaviors correlate with social expectations of the participants within both respective service encounters. Moreover, the results also suggest a re-thinking of speech acts and emphasize the importance of natural data.
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Johanek, Cynthia L. "Cross-cultural learning styles studies and composition : re- examining definitions, generalizations, and applications of past field dependence-independence research." Virtual Press, 1993. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/864905.
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In recent years, the media have publicized the social problem of physical child abuse. This study examined three artifacts of physical abuse: the children's book Robin's Story, the popular song "Luka," and the television documentary Scared Silent: Exposing and Ending Child Abuse. Chapter One described each artifact and provided a literature review which detailed the writings about physical child abuse and artifacts discussing this topic. The chapter then posed research questions about how the artifacts viewed abused children and their abusers, the causes of abuse, and the solutions proposed for ending physical abuse.Chapter One finally discussed the narrative framework of rhetorical analysis used to examine the three artifacts. The narrative method used in this analysis employed three steps: 1) An examination of narrative structure, which discussed the plot of the story, the crucial points of the story and the events which supplemented those points, and the steps of breach, crisis, redress, and reintegration in the narrative; 2) An examination of narrative rationality, which talked about the completeness and true to life quality of the story and evaluated the reasons the rhetors gave for following the course of action endorsed by the story; and 3) An examination of narrative standards, including truth standard or how the narrative compares with what the audience believes is true; aesthetic standard or the grammar, setting, and characterization within the story, and ethical standard or the values expressed within the narrative. Chapter Two applied this framework to the children's book Robin's Story. Chapter Three viewed the popular song "Luka" through the narrative framework. Chapter Four discussed the documentary Scared Silent in terms of narrative analysis.Chapter Five then discussed the conclusions of the analysis for each artifact, artifacts discussing physical abuse, and for rhetoric. Some of the conclusions reached were that artifacts discussing physical child abuse should attempt to make their stories universal, that such artifacts need to distinguish between abuse and physical punishment, and that artifacts dealing with this problem must provide concrete courses of action to end physical abuse. This analysis concluded that, while narrative analysis provided the answers to the research questions, this framework needs to be made into a concrete method of rhetorical analysis to ensure that narratives are effectively evaluated. Narrative analysis was positive in this analysis, however, in that it supported the definitions of rhetoric as value, epistemology, motive, drama, meaning, and argument. This analysis found that, to end the problem of physical child abuse, rhetors must work with experts in this field and tailor artifacts from different perspectives to various audiences using different forms of media.Department of English
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Dorrer, Nike Cornelia. "Women, body and eating : a social representational study in British and Tobagonian cultural contexts." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/21460.
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In this thesis I explore women's engagement with body, weight and eating from a socio-cultural perspective. I discuss the limitations of current research on body dissatisfaction and propose that women's negative appraisal of their body needs to be understood as an active engagement with their social context. Research that focuses on the interaction of ethnic/cultural differences and body dissatisfaction seeks to clarify the interrelationship between femininity, gender and culture and suggests that women's dissatisfaction with their body is linked to levels of global Westernisation. My criticism of this research is that it conceptualises culture and social knowledge in a simplistic way. I propose social representations theory and the principles of dialogicality as an alternative research paradigm and argue that such an approach can overcome the dichotomy of individual and social, inner and outer. In order to explore the interaction of the subjective with the social in relation to the negative and positive appraisal of the body an interview study was conducted in two distinct cultural contexts. In depth interviews were conducted with 14 women in the UK and 12 women in Tobago, WI. The thema recognition/disrespect was used as an interpretative frame. The results show that the meanings that were assigned to the body interlinked with socially enacted representations of self, other and femininity. While the thema recognition/disrespect could be seen to be problematised through contradictory conditions of worth in the UK, it was the notion of 'disrespect' in interrelation with representations of others that was foregrounded in women's reflections in Tobago. In both research locations women negotiated constraining or contradictory demands of femininity and 're-presented' themselves through the construction of alternative identities.
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Liang, Minqian. "Perceptions of public relations among Chinese and American college students : a comparative analysis." Scholarly Commons, 2011. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/794.
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People throughout history have judged Public Relations critically. So, today, it is essential for PR professionals to know how the field is perceived. This research examines how college students in America and China perceive public relations. Four research questions were proposed to understand perception differences between the two countries, existing misconceptions against public relations, media influences and PR education.
This study employed the survey method to find college students' perceptions of public relations in the U.S. and China. The study finds that college students believe that public relations practice is related to a broad range of specialized areas. Most of students view public relations as an important, ethical profession. However, some negative terms are still associated with public relations, such as "spin," that affect students' PR perceptions. In China, fewer students now relate public relations to the previously perceived escort service; and the Chinese cultural norm "guanxi" is considered to be an important element in PR practice. Comparative analyses show that American college students view public relations as a more positive, ethical, and well-developed profession than their Chinese counterparts do. Public relations, in Chinese students' mind, is far away from the well-developed stage. College students believe media, PR courses and internships influence their perceptions to a great extent. More Chinese students recognize the media impact, while more U.S. students value he education impact.
This study affirms the importance and professionalism of public relations. At the same time, it provides crucial insights into the challenges that this field is facing in the two countries. No matter whether it is as a profession, or an academic discipline and a social contributor, public relations still needs to keep educating the public in the new decade ofthe 21st century.
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Struser, Halina Gail. "The childbearing experience of Indo-Canadian immigrant women." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/24423.
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This study was designed to elicit Indo-Canadian women immigrants' experience of childbearing. Health care professionals do not know enough about the childbearing experiences of this cultural group. This may lead to conflicts and discrepancies of viewpoints between clients and professionals which may result in nurses providing care that is not perceived as relevant by the individual. This study was directed by the following questions: What are Indo-Canadian women's beliefs about childbearing? What are their perceptions of their traditional practices, in their ethnic community, surrounding childbearing? What are the western health care resources utilized by the women during childbearing? How are these western health care resources perceived by the women?
Phenomenology, a qualitative research methodology, was used in this study. Data were collected through a series of indepth interviews with eight women. The initial audiotaped interviews were guided by the research questions and addressed the women's perceptions of their childbearing experiences. The data were comprised of the accounts given by the women in these interviews. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously throughout the study. Analytic material was thus used to focus and clarify the ongoing construction of accounts.
The women described very different childbearing experiences. Dissimilarities in the phenomena under investigation were more evident than similarities and were attributed to the concept of acculturation. Two themes emerged from the data: the subjects' relationships with their families and the subjects' relationships with health care professionals. Each theme affected and was affected by the concept of acculturation. Influencing factors within the two themes were respect, authority, lack of knowledge and, in the case of the family, shyness. Perceived discrimination was an influencing factor in the subjects' relationships with post-partum hospital nurses.
This study concluded that dissimilarities in the childbearing experiences of Indo-Canadian immigrant women are attributable to the process of acculturation; and that the women's childbearing experiences are located within a broader context of meanings associated with the reproductive cycle. The subjects' relationships with their families and with health care professionals are significant aspects of their childbearing experiences and are influenced by authority, respect, lack of knowledge and shyness. Discrimination is perceived by the women in relation to the post-partum hospital nurses. These conclusions have implications for nursing practice, research and education.Applied Science, Faculty of
Nursing, School of
Graduate
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Lee, Sungho 1950. "Cross-Country Analysis of Income Inequality." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1989. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501122/.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the cross-country relationship between income inequality and selected socioeconomic variables reflecting the level of economic development. The first chapter introduces some theoretical approaches to income distribution and poses problems regarding income inequalities across countries. The second chapter surveys cross-country studies of income inequalities conducted by previous researchers. The third chapter covers statistical methodology. Chapter four analyzes statistical results of multiple regression. The final chapter is intended for summary, conclusion, and recommendations.
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Shenkier, Elisa. "Resource perception in a cross-cultural context : ethical dimensions of the conflict over the forests at Barrière Lake." Thesis, McGill University, 1992. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=67527.
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World perceptions are culturally determined, manifested in different cultural patterns of behaviour and in relationships between humans and their natural environments. Resource use and management reflect the values and priorities of a specific society. Conflicts may arise when different societies, with divergent attitudes and relationships with the land, are competing for resources. Cultural geographers and moral philosophers have explored ideas pertinent to such conflicts. A native community in Quebec's commercial forest area presents opportunity for an applied ethical inquiry into resource management: addressing the conflicting traditional and contemporary patterns of forest use of native and non-native groups. Yi-Fu Tuan and Paul W. Taylor explore issues of space, respect, and resource use, substantiating the assertion that cross-cultural resource conflict resolution necessitates moral inquiry. Taylor's six point value concept categorization is applied to show the perceptual differences between the groups, thereby affecting an assessment of the ethical roots and dimensions of the conflict.
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Verardi, Vincenzo. "The Economics of electoral systems." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/211302.
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Tanner, Janis, and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Arts and Science. "An ethnography of disordered eating in urban Canada." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Arts and Science, 2006, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/362.
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This thesis examines the problem of disordered eating based on ethnographic fieldwork
in emergency shelters, soup kitchens, and eating disorder support groups, as well as
interviews with medical professionals, and other residents of a Canadian city. This
person-centered ethnography that explores the eating behaviors of not only those who
have been diagnosed with 'eating disorders', but also those who are unable at times to
provide themselves with food reveals that in spite of a prevailing discourse that
determines eating as an independent act, food choices and eating patterns are dependent
social 'works of the imagination' affected and shaped by social determinants and cultural
norms. From eating disorders to type 2 diabetes and 'food as gift,' the lived experience
of individuals indexes the ways in which food, power, and identity are enmeshed and
embedded within culture. This critical perspective argues that disordered eating is
socially and culturally produced and reproduced.vi, 182 leaves ; 29 cm.
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Ho, Shun Chi Clara. "Exploring intercultural miscommunication language contact and conflict in a Hong Kong office." HKBU Institutional Repository, 1996. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/68.
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Lee, Shu-Yir. "Impact of cultural factors on transnational teams: Diversity, adaptation, communication quality, and trust." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2007. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3284.
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The present research proposes a general model of Transnational Teams (TNTs) to investigate how value placed on cultural diversity, cultural adaptation, communication quality, and trust affect the performance of TNTs and their interaction to each other. TNTs contribute to decisions about a firm's total portfolio of transnational interests, global brands and products, organizational configuration, and global sourcing strategy. Qualitative and quantitative methods are applied in this study of thirty members of TNTs from diverse teams. Based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis, relationships between theory and practice are examined. The analysis shows that there is a strong relationship between trust and performance of TNTs.
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Johnson, Robin Margarett. "Exploring Ethnic Differences in the Predictors and Outcomes of Academic Engagement During Middle School." PDXScholar, 2012. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/577.
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Guided by a motivational framework derived from self-determination theory, a study was conducted to examine the role of academic engagement in helping to explain and ameliorate ethnic differences in school achievement. Building on decades of research that documents both the importance of engagement to learning in European American students as well as its malleability, this study relied on an ethnically diverse sample of 6th and 7th grade students to examine three questions (1) Are achievement differences across ethnic groups due to differences in engagement? (2) Does engagement predict achievement similarly or differently across ethnic groups? and (3) Are the predictors of engagement suggested by the motivational model the same or different for students from different ethnic groups? Participants were 194 African-American, Hispanic/Latino/a, Asian/Pacific Islander, and European American middle school students who provided information about their engagement, self-system processes (SSPs) of relatedness, competence, and autonomy, and their experiences with teachers in school; information about students' cumulative achievement (GPA) was extracted from school records. First, analyses revealed few ethnic differences in achievement (only Asian/Pacific Islander students' levels of achievement were higher than students from other ethnic groups), and no ethnic differences in engagement. In analyses designed to examine if controlling for variations in engagement would cause achievement differences between ethnic groups to disappear, a test of the simple main effects demonstrated that ethnic differences in achievement were found only at the lowest level of engagement (again Asian/Pacific Islander students outperformed all other student groups). However, at medium and high levels of engagement, there were no significant differences in achievement across the four ethnic groups. Second, analyses designed to examine whether engagement predicts achievement differently across ethnic groups, revealed that although engagement was an important predictor of achievement for all students, it was even more important for non-European American (compared to European-American) students. Third, analyses designed to examine whether potential facilitators (SSPs and contextual constructs) predicted students' engagement similarly or differently across ethnic groups revealed no group differences: All predictors were positively and significantly associated with engagement for students from all four ethnic groups. These findings are considered in the context of the study's strengths and limitations and the larger literatures on engagement and achievement in ethnic minority students. A important implication of the current study is that with a more comprehensive understanding of how to support the engagement of students from ethnic minority backgrounds, schools and teachers will be better equipped to address the engagement gap, and in so doing also eliminate the achievement gap.
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Wang, Xingmin. "Cross-cultural leadership by Chinese managers with their South African Xhosa-speaking employees." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/21386.
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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Purpose. This study investigates how foreign-born Chinese managers in the Cape Town area perceive their own leadership in a cross-cultural business situation, and compares these perceptions with how the local South African Xhosa-speaking employees perceive the styles of their foreign managers. The study is important because of the growing private investment in Africa by people from China. Approach. Ten small businesses owned and managed by Chinese nationals were studied: five retail, two wholesale, one restaurant and two Chinese supermarkets. A Likert-type questiormaire was created by operationalising 10 of the 19 aspects of cross-cultural leadership identified by Suutari and Riusala (2001). These ten aspects are: decision participation, autonomy-delegation, consideration, rewarding, informing, conflict management, production emphasis, criticizing, goal setting, and inspiration. Each aspect had four questions associated with it. The questiormaire was given individually to the ten managers and to 20 of their Xhosa-speaking employees, two per business. It was followed by an open interview based mainly on the questiormaire content. The questionnaire responses were analysed statistically, first to test for the sameness of responses of the employees as well as the sameness of responses of the managers, using the Sign Test. Responses of the two groups were compared for each aspect. Interview responses were used to help interpret the numbers and formulate findings. Findings. There are clear, statistically significant differences between the perceptions of the managers' leadership style by the two groups on all ten of the aspects. The Chinese managers show a similar leadership approach when interacting with their employees. The Xhosa-speaking employees have perceptions similar to one another about their managers' leadership style. Thus a disjunction is shown between the two culturally different groups. The responses of the Chinese managers were analysed in light of the literature on Chinese culture, and in most ways they were seen to be managing using a traditional Chinese-based style. In general, they make the decisions and do the planning, do not delegate much, withhold infonnation, do not reward good performance, and are not inspirational. However, they do tend to be kind. Research limitations. The study compared only those two ethnic groups in a small geographic area, with small sample sizes. It also studied reported perceptions. Further research could tty to isolate just cultural differences, and focus more on leadership behaviours. Practical implications. Acknowledgement of the local culture and perhaps use of a more inclusive, less authoritarian management-leadership style seem important for existing and future Chinese managers. Culturally-based management training can be offered for them and for potential investors, to support future small business investors in South Africa and beyond.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Doel. Hierdie studie behels 'n ondersoek na hoe buitelands-gebore Sjinese bestuurders in Kaapstad hulle eie leierskap beoordeel in 'n kruis-kulturele sake omgewing. Hierdie sienings word dan vergelyk met die persepsies van hoe plaaslike Suid-Afrikaanse Xhosa-sprekende werknemers die bestuurstyl van hulle buitelandse werkgewers beoordeel. Hierdie studie is belangrik vanweë die toenemende private belegging in Afrika deur Sjinese burgers. Benadering. Tien klein sake-ondememings wat deur Sjinese burgers besit en bestuur word, is ondersoek: vyf in die kleinhandel, twee in die groothandel, een restaurant en twee Sjinese supermarkte. 'n Likert-tipe vraelys is saamgestel deur die operasionalisering van 10 van die 19 aspekte van kruis-kulturele leierskap s00s deur Suutari en Riusala (2001) geïdentifiseer. Hierdie tien aspekte is: besluit-deelneming, outonomie-delegasie, konsiderasie, beloning, inkennisstelling, konflik-bestuur, produksie-beklemtoning, kritisering, doelsteIling-bepaling, en inspirasie. Elke aspek is aan vier vrae gekoppel. Die vraelys is aan elkeen van die tien Sjinese bestuurders gegee, en aan 20 van hulle Xhosa-sprekende werknemers, twee per sake-ondememing. Dit is opgevolg deur 'n oop onderhoud wat hoofsaaklik op die inhoud van die vraelys gebaseer was. Die antwoorde op die vraelys is statisties ontIeed, eerstens vir die ooreenstemming van die antwoorde van die werknemers, sowel as die ooreenstemming van die antwoorde van die bestuurders deur middle van die "Sign" toets. Die antwoorde van die twee groepe is met mekaar vergelyk vir elke aspek. Die terugvoering vanaf die onderhoude is gebruik om die getalle te interpreter en om resultate te help formuleer. Bevindings. Daar is helder, statistiese beduidende verskille tussen die beoordeling van die bestuurders se leierskapstyl deur beide groepe wat betref al tien die aspekte. Die Sjinese bestuurders toon 'n soortgelyke leierskap benadering wanneer hulle met hul werknemers omgaan. Die Xhosa-sprekende wer1cnemers het onderling soortgelyke persepsies betreffende hul bestuurders se leierskapstyl. Dus bestaan daar 'n uiteenlopende siening tussen die twee kulturele groepe. Die beoordeling van die Sjinese bestuurders is ontleed in die lig van literatuur oor Sjinese kultuur, en dit het geblyk dat hulle 'n tradisionele Sjinese bestuurstyl navolg. In die algemeen is daar bevind dat hulle die besluite neem en die beplanning doen, dat hulle nie veel delegeer nie, dat hulle inligting weerhou, dat hulle nie goeie werkverrigting beloon nie, en dat hulle nie werkers aanmoedig nie. Desniteenstaande is hulle goedhartig. Navorsingsbeperkings. In hierdie studie is slegs twee etniese groepe in 'n klein geografiese gebied, met klein steekproewe, ondersoek. Persepsies waaroor verslag gedoen is, is ondersoek. In verdere navorsing kan daar probeer word om kulturele verskille te isoleer, en om op leierskapsgedrag te fokus. Praktiese implikasies. Erkenning van die plaaslike kultuur en miskien 'n meer insluitende, minder outoritêre bestuurstyl blyk belangrik te wees vir bestaande en toekomstige Sjinese bestuurders. Kultuur-gebaseerde bestuursopleiding kan vir hulle en voornemende beleggers aangebied word om toekomstige klein sake-beleggers in Suid-Afrika en elders te ondersteun.
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Reif, Alison. "Waves of change : economic development and social wellbeing in Cardwell, North Queensland, Australia." University of Western Australia. School of Social and Cultural Studies, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0184.
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This thesis is an anthropological study of local understandings of economic development in a small regional town in far North Queensland, Australia. How do preferences regarding lifestyle and social wellbeing impact on those living in the community? The study takes a particular interest in the aspirations, values and choices of the residents and their desires for the future and the future of their town. Throughout this thesis I argue that social wellbeing and lifestyle are important factors in Cardwell residents' choices and feature predominantly in their approaches to economic development. I contextualise this study through a comparative analysis of the effects of economic development on the wellbeing and lifestyle of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the Cardwell region of north Australia. This comparison arises firstly from an anthropological interest in the circumstances of Australian Aboriginal people as a significant minority in regional towns. Explicit attention is directed toward the Aboriginal people of the Cardwell region as they constitute a socially and culturally distinct sector of the local population. Secondly, my study explores ways in which comparative work of this kind may be instructive on cultural issues relevant to economic development. This is a study of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, who live in similar circumstances, and who, I propose, regard factors other than economic development as important. It is argued that while the Cardwell region does not provide ample nor a variety of economic opportunities, outward migration remains undesirable to many residents.
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Pope, Lindsay (Choral conductor). "Beyond the Binary: The Intersection of Gender and Cross-Cultural Identity in Reena Esmail's Life and Choral Works." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2019. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1505203/.
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Beyond the Binary explores the intersection of gender with cross-cultural identity in composer Reena Esmail's professional life and choral music. This intersection manifests in her musical style, which accesses the resonant spaces between Western and Indian classical music. I argue that it is through the convergence of Esmail's gender identity with her cross-cultural identity that her compositions challenge gender norms and break down perceived barriers between East and West, inviting her listeners into an intersectional feminist space. This project synthesizes musicological, theoretical, and ethnographic methods, and is meant as a starting point for choral musicians and scholars to consider cultural difference and its impact on choral music. What begins as a consideration of social themes within Esmail's life and work culminates in a practical musical analysis and performance practice guide to aid conductors in preparation of Esmail's music. The compositions discussed are I Rise: Women in Song (2016), Take What You Need (2016), TaReKiTa (2016), Tuttarana (2014), and This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity (2016).
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Da, Wei Wei. "Migrants from the People's Republic of China to Australia : a study of family practices." Phd thesis, Faculty of Education, School of Social, Policy and Curriculum Studies, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/9456.
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Since the late 1970s, dramatic social changes in the People's Republic of China have led to a sudden emigration of Chinese from China to Australia. Given the obvious social and cultural differences between the two societies, what has been the impact of this cross-country migration upon the migrants' family lives in their new country of residence? How do they cope with the changing social context? Are there patterns within their family practices which are distinctive from those of the mainstream society? This study has examined family practices through in-depth interviews of 40 Chinese migrants who immigrated to Australia in the past two decades. The study is intended to be broadly contextualized and historical in scope. Hence, overviews of family traditions, culture and contemporary changes in both the home and host countries are elaborated. An analysis of the informants' motivations for migration and perceptions of the host society are also examined in significant detail, as the respondents' motivations and perceptions have implications for the ways they have chosen to reorganize their lives in a new country. Family life including marriage, attitudes towards sexuality, child rearing and the division of labour at home were probed among this sample within broad frameworks utilizing scholarly perspectives of immigration, ethnoculture and gender relations.
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Gortz, Ann-Christin. "Linguistic markers as evidence for cultural awareness : a critical examination of international critiques of a South African dance company." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6840.
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Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.Bibliography
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Viewing cross-cultural dance performances on international tours or as part of international dance festivals has become common practice all over the world. For critique writers, choreographers/ dancers and the audience the accessibility of such a diverse variety of dance has both advantages and disadvantages. Cross-cultural differences in these performances challenge strategies of viewing and perception which may lead to aesthetic enrichment but these performances also risk being misunderstood. In dance critique writing, such a misunderstanding may result in a negative critique projecting, in a worst scenario, negative prejudices on the respective cultures. This thesis investigates how attitudes towards, and perceptions of, cultural differences are reflected in cross-cultural dance critiques, through the use of particular linguistic and stylistic devices. Analysis strategies deriving from Critical Discourse Analysis and Text Analysis are used to uncover the critique’s strategies to communicate their evaluation including ways of persuasion and power. I analyse six critiques from three countries on the performance Beautiful Me performed on international tours by the Vuyani Dance Theatre from South Africa. My initial hypothesis is that cultural differences may lead to negative critiques due to intercultural misunderstanding. Since viewing Performance Art is not only influenced by the critique writer’s cultural background but also by their perception attitude towards the performance, the analysis takes perception modes such as a theatre semiotic approach and a phenomenological approach into consideration. Interestingly, different perception modes seem to have a greater impact on the outcome of a critique than cross-cultural differences. This means that most negative evaluations must have their origin in the applied strategy of viewing and perceiving dance. The critic seems to interpret and embed the perceived features of the dance performance into specific cultural or socio-political contexts forming an individual, often complex evaluation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Om te kyk na kruiskulturele dansuitvoerings deur dansgeselskappe op internasionale toere of as deel van internasionale dansfeeste, het wêreldwyd algemene praktyk geword. Vir kritici, choreograwe/dansers en die gehoor hou die toeganklikheid van so ’n diverse verskeidenheid dans sowel voordele as nadele in. Kruiskulturele verskille in hierdie vertonings daag kyk- en waarneem-strategieë uit, wat tot estetiese verryking mag lei. Daar is egter ook ’n moontlikheid dat hierdie vertonings verkeerd geïnterpreteer mag word. Só ’n waninterpretasie in dansresensies mag lei tot negatiewe kritiek wat, in uiterste gevalle, negatiewe vooroordele oor die betrokke kulture projekteer. Hierdie tesis doen ondersoek na die wyse waarop houdings teenoor en persepsies van kultuurverskille in kruiskulturele dansresensies deur middel van spesifieke talige en stilistiese middele gereflekteer word. Analitiese strategieë uit die velde Kritiese Diskoersanalise en Teksanalise word gebruik om kritici se strategieë wat ’n oordeel kommunikeer, bloot te lê. Ek analiseer ses resensies uit drie lande wat handel oor die vertoning Beautiful Me wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse dansgeselskap Vuyani Dance Theatre tydens internasionale toere opgevoer is. My aanvanklike hipotese is dat kultuurverskille aanleiding mag gee tot negatiewe kritiek vanweë interkulturele misverstande. Aangesien die beoordeling van Uitvoerende Kunste nie slegs deur die kritikus se kulturele agtergrond beïnvloed word nie, maar ook deur hul waarnemingshouding teenoor die vertoning, neem die analise waarnemingsmodusse soos ’n teater-semiotiek-benadering en ’n fenomenologiese benadering in ag. Interessant genoeg, lyk dit asof verskillende waarnemingsmodusse ’n groter impak het op die uitkoms van kritiek as kruiskulturele verskille. Dít beteken dat die meeste negatiewe oordele hul oorsprong moet hê in die toegepaste strategie van dans kyk en waarneem. Dit blyk dat die kritikus die waargenome eienskappe van die dansuitvoering interpreteer en inbed in spesifieke kulturele of sosio-politiese kontekste wat aanleiding gee tot die verskillende, dikwels komplekse maniere van beoordeling.
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Scheldeman, Griet. "Performing diabetes : balancing between 'patients' and 'carers', bodies and pumps, Scotland and beyond." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/11085.
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This study is about young people (age 11-16) with diabetes. Based on fieldwork in a paediatric diabetes centre in Scotland, it describes the ways diabetes is lived and done by young people, their health carers and insulin pumps. This enactment is contrasted with other ways of doing diabetes, as observed on short fieldwork trips to paediatric centres in Brussels, Gothenburg and Boston. I explore the dynamics of diabetes care on two levels. I consider the interaction between health carers and patients. Comparative data from various paediatric centres make apparent how culturally and socially informed approaches towards adolescence, health and illness shape both care practices and patients' experiences, resulting in different medical outcomes. Concretely in the Scottish centre, a non-hierarchical holistic care approach by health carers emphasizing quality of life over health, informs the young people's perspective on diabetes. Being a free adolescent takes priority over managing diabetes, with the results of ill health and possible future complications. The existing dynamics in this care framework change as a third actor enters the scene: the insulin pump, a pager-sized technological device continuously attached to the body. I explore the balancing act between young people and their pumps. As the adolescents actively engage with their pumps not to search for better health but rather to pursue a better quality of life, the guiding question becomes: how can a technological device for insulin injection double as a tool towards a desired identity and a different illness? This work then, can be read as a concrete case study of how a uniform technological device is embedded and used in a specific cultural and social context. It can also be read as an argument for a re-orientation of paediatric diabetes care in the Scottish centre: care centred on collaboration and inclusion rather than focused on merely containing underlying conflict (between adults and adolescents, diabetes and life, health and quality of life). Centres in Brussels, Gothenburg and Boston, and the insulin pump concretely, show how collaboration can lead to good health and quality of life. To leave us to wonder: is 'doing diabetes differently' synonymous with 'doing a different diabetes'?
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Huh, Cheong Rhie. "Sociocultural factors in the loss of one's mother tongue: The case of Korean immigrant children." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1997. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1187.
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Bilyayeva, Tetiana A. "Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Users’ Perception of the Navigation Organization of an E-Commerce Web Application." UNF Digital Commons, 2012. http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/413.
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The object of this study was to assess the influence of native language, as a principal cultural characteristic, one users’ behavior when using a web-based e-commerce application. The study expands on previous research by comparing English and Russian users. The research also considered demographic data to assess additional factors that influence behavior and task performance. The research design encompassed an online shopping application with two different navigation menus. One menu was based on the action-object model and the other was based on the object-action model. The user interface was created in two different languages (Russian and English). This study suggests that language, as a cultural indicator, has a direct relationship to user satisfaction and performance in e-commerce web applications.
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Yang, Yi-Chen. "A comparison of women's roles as portrayed in Taiwanese and Chinese magazine print advertising." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2004. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2630.
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The purpose of this project was to examine the similarities and differences in magazine advertisements directed to women in China and Taiwan. Through content analysis of advertisments in these two countries, the researcher identified how women were portrayed and the social values or lifestyle attributed to them of each society.
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Chen, Hunglin Maggie. "An analysis of the impact of cultural differences upon management styles of selected Taiwanese managers within business/industry organizations of Southern California." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1995. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1045.
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Koch, Maria Martina. "Maatskaplike werk intervensie met gesinne van diverse kultuur en agtergrond." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52923.
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Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South-Africa is known for diversity because of the existence of so many different cultural groups. According to the South African Statistic Services is there an increase in immigration from different African countries, India and China. South Africa therefore need to accommodate the different cultural groups. Except for the fact that there is so many cultural groups, there is also the possibility that more relationships and even marriages will take place between these different cultural groups. The social work profession already started to adapt to these differences because the teaching at universities and colleges focus on multi-cultural intervention. Before 1994 little attention was given to training of social work intervention with families of different cultural backgrounds. To be able to make social work intervention count, knowledge about the different cultures where social workers are involved with, is important. The aim of the study was to establish guidelines for social workers who render services to families of different cultural background, to insure that their intervention will be done more effectively. Existing literature on intervention with families of different cultural background was studied and presented in a theoretical framework. Social work perspectives, theories and models which can be used in social work intervension were discussed. Specific social work perspectives, models and theories which can be used with intervension of families with different cultural backgrounds were also discussed. The definitions of culture and the family were explained and a study was done on social work intervention with families of different cultural backgrounds. Exploratory research was done with the aid of a questionnaire at three welfare organisations. Social workers knowledge and skills on counselling with families of different cultural backgrounds was determined amongst practising social workers. Information obtained from the questionnaires are presented in nine categories, namely : identifying particulars, the client system, problems with families from different cultural backgrounds, training and knowledge of the social worker in cultural diversity,further training, perspectives and models for intervention, intervention with families of different cultural background, the attitude of the social worker and the welfare organization's involvement in training. Conclusions and recommendations are made regarding social workers' knowledge and skills of intervention with families of different cultural backgrounds that are important for effective intervention. Recommendations are made regarding further training and research.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika is bekend vir diversiteit, as gevolg van die teenwoordigheid van verskillende kultuurgroepe. Volgens die SA Statistieke Diens is daar 'n toename in immigrante van verskeie Afrika lande, Indië en China. Suid-Afrika word dus genoodsaak om voorsiening te maak vir al die verskillende kultuurgroepe. Behalwe vir die feit dat daar verskillende kultuurgroepe bestaan, is daar ook die moontlikheid dat meer verhoudinge en huwelike sal plaasvind tussen verskillende kultuurgroepe. Die maatskaplike werk professie het reeds begin met aanpassings in die verband deurdat opleiding by universiteite en kolleges fokus op multikulturele intervensie. Voor 1994 is daar minder aandag gegee aan opleiding in maatskaplike werk intervensie aan gesinne van verskillende kulturele agtergrond. Ten einde doeltreffende maatskaplike werk intervensie te lewer, is kennis in verband met die verskillende kulture waarby maatskaplike werkers betrokke is, belangrik. Die doel van die studie was om riglyne daar te stel vir die maatskaplike werker wat dienste lewer aan gesinne van verskillende kulturele agtergrond, sodat intervensie meer effektief sal wees. Bestaande literatuur ten opsigte van intervensie met gesinne van verskillende agtergrond is bestudeer en aangebied in 'n teoretiese raamwerk. Eerstens is gefokus op algemene maatskaplike werk benaderings, teorieë en modelle wat in maatskaplike intervensie benut kan word. Daar is ook meer spesifiek gefokus op maatskaplike werk-benaderings, modelle en teorieë wat benut kan word met gesinne van verskillende kulturele agtergronde. Die definisies van kultuur en die gesin is ook bespreek en laastens is gefokus op maatskaplike werk intervensie aan gesinne van verskillende etniese agtergronde. Met behulp van 'n vraelys is 'n verkennende studie by drie welsynsorganisasies gedoen. Hierdeur is maatskaplike werkers in die praktyk se kennis en vaardighede oor intervensie aan gesinne met verskillende etniese agtergronde bepaal. Die gegewens verkry uit die ondersoek word in nege dele aangebied, naamlik : identifiserende besonderhede, die gevallelading, probleme met gesinne van diverse kultuur, onderrig en kennis van die maatskaplike werker in kulturele diversiteit, verdere opleiding, benaderings en modelle vir intervensie, intervensie met gesinne van verskillende kulturele agtergronde, die gesindheid van die maatskaplike werker en die welsynsorganisasie se betrokkenheid by opleiding. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings is gemaak ten opsigte van maatskaplike werkers se kennis en vaardighede met betrekking tot verskillende kulture en intervensie aan gesinne van verskillende kulturele agtergronde wat noodsaaklik IS vir effektiewe intervensie. Aanbevelings is gemaak ten opsigte van verdere opleiding en navorsing.
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Van, Heerden Gary Paul. "Holding on or letting go?: the resolution of grief in relation to two Xhosa rituals in South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016055.
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The dominant emphasis in Western models of bereavement is on the breaking of bonds with the deceased in order for healing to occur. Failure to let go often leads to a diagnosis of 'pathological grief'. This paper challenges the assumption that death invariably means that the bonds with the deceased have to be severed. Situating Western models of bereavement in a modernist context not only challenges the 'truth' claims of these models, but also facilitates a deconstruction of the elements that contribute to the emphasis on letting go. In contrast to these theories, two Xhosa rituals (umkhapho and umbuyiso) that seek to sustain the bond with the deceased person will be examined. Such rituals demonstrate that it is possible to both maintain the bond and for the bereaved person to move on with their lives. Despite different contexts, it will be argued that these Xhosa bereavement rituals have a contribution to make to Western models of bereavement and some implications for therapy will be explored.
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Sia, Rex Fycueco. "A study of the anxiety, depression and coping skills of Filipino immigrants in Southern California." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2001. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2037.
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Withers, Elizabeth Melissa. "Black/White Health Disparities in the U.S. The Effect of Education over the Life-Course." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/42.
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In the United States there exists a clear and disconcerting racial disparity in the distribution of good health, which can be seen in differential levels of morbidity and mortality affecting blacks and whites. Previous research has examined the role of SES in shaping racial health disparities and recent studies have looked specifically at the effect of education on health to explain the racial disparity in health. Higher levels of education are robustly associated with good overall health for both blacks and whites and this association has been examined over the life-course. This research explores racial differences in the effect of education on health in general as well as over the life-course. Specifically, this paper examines race differences in the effects of education on health over the life-course. Pooled data from the National Health Interview Survey were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression to estimate the effects of race, education and age on health. The results of these analyses indicate that blacks receive lower education returns on their health than whites. The effect of education on health was shown to grow in the beginning of the life-course and diminish at the end of the life course in accordance with the mortality-as-leveler hypothesis. The black white health disparity was shown to grow over the life-course among the highly educated, whereas the disparity was consistent over the life-course for the poorly educated.
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Gouws, Stephanie. "A study on the cultural adjustment of the domestic partners of German expatriates in the Nelson Mandela Bay automotive industry." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1540.
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This study explores the cultural adjustment of the domestic partners of German expatriates working in the Nelson Mandela Bay automotive industry of South Africa. The data was collected by distributing pre-interview questionnaires to the participants and conducting in-depth interviews with them. Grounded theory was used in the data collection and analysis and an auto-ethnographic approach was employed, allowing for reflexivity. The findings suggest that the expatriated domestic partners did not necessarily experience much difficulty in adjusting to South African culture as they did, for example, adjusting to not being able to work for the duration of their stay. The research has also shown that the unmarried domestic partners of expatriate employees are at a disadvantage compared to their married counterparts; receiving less assistance from the companies of their partners. Based on the findings, it has been recommended that companies refine and streamline the assistance they offer to the domestic partners of their expatriate employees, providing all domestic partners with the same pre-departure training and entitling them to the same benefits.
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Rodriguez, Denise, and Allen Kay Sackett. "Attitudes and practices of corporal punishment with ethnicity and religiosity as predictive variables." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2001. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2040.
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Silas, Fenni. "Understanding Grade 10 Life Sciences teachers’ perceptions and experiences of teaching topics on human reproduction." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020305.
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This study was conducted in order to understand Grade 10 Life Science teachers’ perceptions and experiences of teaching human reproduction topics in the Ohangwena political region in the northern part of Namibia. It also explored how the culture of the majority of the inhabitants of Ohangwena region who are Oshiwambo speaking impacts the teaching of human reproduction topics. The study was prompted by the fact that the Grade 10 Life Science syllabus requires learners to learn details of human reproduction although in Oshiwambo culture such things are not discussed openly. And this section has proven to be one of the poorly answered sections in the Grade 10 national examinations. A total of thirty five (35) Grade 10 Life Science teachers participated in this study. It is a qualitative case study underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. The unit of analysis for this study was teachers’ perceptions and experiences of teaching the topic of human reproduction. Data were generated through document analysis, questionnaires and tape recorded semi-structured interviews. Such data were analysed inductively by sorting them into categories and then into emerging themes. Categories included teachers’ views and experiences of being taught and teaching human reproduction, how culture influenced the manner in which teaching and learning of human reproduction takes place as stated in the socio-cultural theory, and how teachers of different gender perceived and experienced the teaching of human reproduction according to the feminist standpoint theory. The emerging themes were colour coded and then developed into analytical statements. Data triangulation, member checking, and follow up interviews ensured data validity and trustworthiness. This study revealed that the cultural belief of the Owambo people that prohibits adults to talk to children about things related to sex because it encourages them to practice sex is still strong among individuals in the community including teachers themselves. As a result, teachers are not comfortable with teaching human reproduction topics. From the findings, it is recommended that teachers should be empowered to teach Life Science, specifically human reproduction topics, with confidence. Furthermore, parents should be made aware of the importance of including human reproduction topics in the school curriculum so that they can motivate their children to study it with an open mind.
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Aleu-Baak, Machar Wek. "Perceptions and Voices of South Sudanese About the North-South Sudan Conflict." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/184.
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The conflict in Sudan reflects historic hatred and ethnic discrimination between Northern Arab Muslims and Southern African Christians and Animists. The longest and worst conflict began in 1983 and ended in 2005, when African Christians and Animists struggled to form an interim autonomous government. This conflict claimed 2 million lives from both sides and displaced almost 4 million people from the South. This thesis attempts to understand how people from Southern Sudan perceive the root causes and sustaining factors of the Sudanese conflict between Arab Muslims and African Christians. This research looks specifically into the roles of ethnic differences and religion. In this study, 10 emigrants from South Sudan were chosen to present their perceptions and views about the conflict, in the form of written responses to 22 questions. Analysis of their responses in light of conflict resolution literature suggests that the North-South Sudan conflict involves complex issues primarily fueled by ethnic and religious differences. This research reveals that South Sudanese refugees from varying backgrounds and professions expressed similar experiences of racial, religious discrimination and political and economic marginalization, and suggests that Sudan's July, 2011 declaration of independence, creating two separate nations, North and South Sudan, was a positive solution to achieving a just peace.
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Nwagbara, Francis Ikefule. "Perception of domestic violence among Nigerian immigrants in the United States." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2004. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2773.
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Nigerian immigrants have been largely excluded from studies on issues relating to immigrants living in American society. This study examines the perception of domestic violence among Nigerians and their help seeking counseling for behavior problems.
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Gonzales-Puell, Samuel. "Etude biopsychosociale du cancer: contribution à l'étude clinique et transculturelle des malades cancéreux." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/213591.
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Hawkins, Misty Anne. "Affective traits and adiposity : a prospective, bidirectional analysis of the African American Health study data." Thesis, Proquest, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1805/4840.
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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Research indicates that negative affective traits (e.g., depression) are predictors and consequences of excess adiposity. Given that racial minorities and positive affective traits have been underrepresented in past investigations, more prospective studies are needed which examine multiple affective traits in relation to obesity in these populations. The objective of the current study was to investigate the prospective, bidirectional associations between multiple affective traits and multiple adiposity indicators in African Americans using data from the African American Health (AAH) study. The AAH study is a prospective cohort study of African Americans aged 49-65 years at baseline (N = 998). The longest follow-up period in the current study was 9 years (N = 579). Self-reported and measured body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) and body fat percent (BF%) were used as adiposity indicators. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), and anxiety was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2) scale. Positive affective traits were assessed with the Vitality subscale of the Short Form-36 and Positive Affect subscale from the CES-D. Latent variable path analysis, a structural equation modeling technique, was conducted. Although fit statistics indicated that the models fit the data (RMSEA < .06), examination of the structural paths revealed that the CES-D and GAD-2 were not predictors or consequences of self-reported BMI, measured BMI, or BF% (ps > .05). Likewise, Vitality and CES-D Positive Affect were not related to any adiposity indicator (ps > .05). The results of this prospective cohort study suggest that affective traits are not predictors or consequences of adiposity in middle-aged African Americans and that this group may require obesity prevention or intervention programs with little to no emphasis on affective traits. Possible explanations for the current results include ethnic differences in the mechanistic pathways between affective traits and adiposity.
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GIACOMELLO, Giampiero. "The digital challenge : national governments and the control of the Internet." Doctoral thesis, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1814/5123.
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Defence date: 17 September 2001Examining Board: Prof. Richard Breen, European University Institute (co-supervisor); Prof. Gary Chapman, University of Texas, Austin; Prof. Giorgio Natalicchi, Università di Firenze; Prof. Thomas Risse, European University Institute (Supervisor)
First made available online on 11 April 2018
Over the last decade, the Internet has transformed how information can be made available-it is now used to transfer information about things as varied as financial transactions and celebrity gossip and to link and coordinate activities between otherwise isolated people, from protest groups to lonely hearts. This unprecedented ease of access to a wealth of information and contacts presents a challenge to national governments who wish to control and restrain some of this activity. In recent years, Internet control has become one of the major indicators to assess the balance between freedom and security in democracies. This book explores and compares how, why, and to what extent, national governments decide to control the Internet and how this impacts on crucial socio-economic activities and fundamental civil rights. The author provides detailed studies on the US, Germany, Italy and further case studies on Brazil, Canada, India, the Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland, to address topics such cyberterrorism, the protection of information infrastructure, and the impact on individual privacy and freedom of speech. This is the first cross-country, comparative study on the issue of Internet control. It will be of interest to international relations scholars and students, and particularly those with an interest in the Internet.
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Sengara, Ryan, University of Western Sydney, and of Arts Education and Social Sciences College. "Redfern kids connect : technology and empowerment." 2005. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/27868.
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Redfern Kids Connect is a community technology project that has run in inner-city Sydney since 2002. Redfern is known to many as the heart of urban Aboriginal Australia and as a diverse community facing challenges around poverty, crime and race relations. For three years, children (8-12 years old), and volunteers (university students and young professionals) have met each Saturday to play on computers and socialise. The project’s experiences with relationships, technology, and empowerment have been as confusing as they have been exciting. In the spirit of action research, this thesis explores the impacts the project has had. Uniquely embedded in the process of reflection occurring away from its on-the-ground activities, it tells the project’s story through the eyes of its volunteers. The research concludes that the project's main contributions to empowerment have been through building social capital (Cox, Putnam) and improving new forms of literacy (Warschauer). Vital to supporting and extending these outcomes have been taking a social approach to supporting technology use, shaping a safe and open environment (Marvin et. al), supporting critical thinking and expression (Freire) and examining the project 'behind the scenes'. The author takes the dual role of researcher and participant in the research.Master of Arts (Hons)
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Sengara, Ryan. "Redfern kids connect : technology and empowerment." Thesis, 2005. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/27868.
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Redfern Kids Connect is a community technology project that has run in inner-city Sydney since 2002. Redfern is known to many as the heart of urban Aboriginal Australia and as a diverse community facing challenges around poverty, crime and race relations. For three years, children (8-12 years old), and volunteers (university students and young professionals) have met each Saturday to play on computers and socialise. The project’s experiences with relationships, technology, and empowerment have been as confusing as they have been exciting. In the spirit of action research, this thesis explores the impacts the project has had. Uniquely embedded in the process of reflection occurring away from its on-the-ground activities, it tells the project’s story through the eyes of its volunteers. The research concludes that the project's main contributions to empowerment have been through building social capital (Cox, Putnam) and improving new forms of literacy (Warschauer). Vital to supporting and extending these outcomes have been taking a social approach to supporting technology use, shaping a safe and open environment (Marvin et. al), supporting critical thinking and expression (Freire) and examining the project 'behind the scenes'. The author takes the dual role of researcher and participant in the research.
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Williams, Jocelyn Elizabeth. "Connecting people : investigating a relationship between internet access and social cohesion in local community settings : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1358.
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The assumption that internet access is a means of building stronger communities is commonly found in a number of sectors, particularly in New Zealand government social services policy. In response to this assumed relationship between internet access and social cohesion, the present multiple case study research project examined the experience of free home internet access among families participating in New Zealand’s Computers in Homes scheme in low socioeconomic school communities between 2003 and 2005. The goal of the study was to assess how internet access and social cohesion are related in a free home internet scheme. Two propositions derived from a literature review underpinned the research goal: first, that internet access leads to ongoing use, and second, that internet access is positively related to social cohesion. The research was designed to test these propositions using a qualitative, constructivist approach with a mixed methodology. The principal method was interviews with adult Computers in Homes family members concerning their internet use and their sense of belonging to, and involvement in, the local community, across two waves of research about one year apart in two community settings. Additional data from observation, interviews and meetings with school principals and key informants such as Computers in Homes staff, provided context. Of thirty volunteer participants from among available Computers in Homes parents at two sites, twenty-six respondents took part in data collection at Time 1. Data from nine Case A and thirteen Case B participants contribute to the results. Nine of the original group participated at Time 2 one year later, seven from Case A and two from Case B. Internet use declined across the group as a whole, a negative outcome mitigated by positive experiences and individual success stories, and the emergence of ‘high-connector’ internet users. While evidence of social cohesion was found at both case study sites initially, it was noticeably associated with the activities and interpersonal influence of confident internet users at Case A where significantly greater retention of ongoing internet use also occurred. A key finding of the study is therefore that ongoing internet use was more successfully achieved in a setting where social cohesion was more readily apparent at the time the free internet scheme was implemented. Thus a positive relationship existed in this research between internet access and social cohesion in one case study of two, where conditions included the presence of opinion leaders and social solidarity. Opportunities for face to face social interaction and support such as are present in Computers in Homes practice are potentially significant for ongoing internet use. The Computers in Homes concept extends participants’ social experiences of community through the way it is structured and implemented. In combination with the mobilising behaviours of leader figures, these social experiences may be factors associated with longer term viability of a free home internet scheme as much as the presence of the internet itself. A range of significant barriers affecting individual internet users at home, and larger obstacles such as confused accountability when external agencies are involved in project management, is signalled in this research. Recommendations aimed at increasing the benefits of a free home internet scheme in terms of participant retention and social cohesion are proposed. Opportunities for further research arise from this study, in clarifying the conditions associated with positive social outcomes for internet interventions with a particular focus on the role of existing group cohesion and leadership dynamics.
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Hiltermann, Jaqueline Elizabeth. "Mobile media technologies and public space : a study of the effect of mobile, wireless and MP3 related technologies on human behaviour and interaction in shopping malls." Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/1391.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation explores Mobile Media Technologies (MMT’s) namely, cellphones, laptops and MP3 players, and their prevalence in public space as well as how they are being used within the space. Much of my research analyses the impact of MMT’s on social behaviour and the extent to which they can be seen as the harbingers of a new “postmodern” form of social organisation. My research is predominantly an observational study which is conducted within the postmodern space of the shopping mall. Through my research I discuss the multiple spaces within the shopping mall environment and I explore how humans behave, interact and construct their identities within this space; these ideas are evaluated in terms of the “modern” and the “postmodern” paradigms. “Postmodernity” and “modernity” are not mutually exclusive and as a result there are ambivalences in terms of how individuals relate to how MMT’s are being used in public space.Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.
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Pitcher, Sandra. "The mass collaboration of digital information : an ethical examination of YouTube and intellectual property rights." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/565.
Full textAbstract:
The Internet has been lauded as an open and free platform from which one is able to engage with, and share large amounts of information (Stallman, 1997). As one witnesses the shift from analogue media to digitalism, so too is it possible to note a change in cultural practices of media consumers. Users of the media can now be viewed as “prosumers”, producing as well as consuming media products (Marshall, 2004). Digital media users have been given the ability to engineer their own unique media experiences, especially within the realms of the Internet. However, this process has seemingly led to mass copyright infringement as Internet users appropriate various movies, music, television programmes, photographs and animations in order to create such an experience. The art of digital mashing in particular, has been deemed an explicit exploitation of intellectual property rights as it re-cuts, re-mixes and re-broadcasts popular media in a number of alternative ways. YouTube especially has been at the forefront of the copyright furore surrounding digital mash-ups because it allows online users the facility to post and share these video clips freely with other online users. While YouTube claims that they do not promote the illegal use of copyrighted material, they simultaneously acknowledge that they do not actively patrol that which is posted on their website. As such, copyright infringement appears seemingly rife as users share their own versions of popular media through the art of digital mashing. This dissertation however, explores the concept that the creation of mash-ups is not undermining intellectual property rights, but instead produces a new avenue from which culture can emerge. It highlights how Internet users are utilising the culture which surrounds them in an attempt to navigate the new social structures of the online, subsequently arguing that mash-ups are an important element of defining a new postmodern culture, and that the traditional copyright laws of analogue need to be modified in order to secure the development of new and emerging societal structures.Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.
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Beaumont-Smith, Natalie Elizabeth. "Cultural, social and individual aspects of food cognitions / Natalie Elizabeth Beaumont-Smith." 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/19830.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 289-319).xxiv, 378 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Explores the link between cultural, social and individual factors and the structure and content of food perceptions. The aims of the thesis were to investigate the content of taste and nutrition perceptions within Korea and Australia and to assess how shared these perceptions were using Q-methodology. Within-country differences between younger and older males and females were examined and the relationships of food perceptions to food use explored.
Thesis (Ph.D.(Sc.))--Adelaide University, Dept. of Psychology, 2001
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Beaumont-Smith, Natalie Elizabeth. "Cultural, social and individual aspects of food cognitions / Natalie Elizabeth Beaumont-Smith." Thesis, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/19830.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 289-319).xxiv, 378 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm.
Explores the link between cultural, social and individual factors and the structure and content of food perceptions. The aims of the thesis were to investigate the content of taste and nutrition perceptions within Korea and Australia and to assess how shared these perceptions were using Q-methodology. Within-country differences between younger and older males and females were examined and the relationships of food perceptions to food use explored.
Thesis (Ph.D.(Sc.))--Adelaide University, Dept. of Psychology, 2001
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Fushimi, Katsutoshi. "Cultural and historical transformation of judo in the United States and Japan : is sport dependent on the dominant culture?" Thesis, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/37307.
Full textAbstract:
Among sport sociologists, the dependency relationship
between sport and the dominant culture has become an important
area of concern. Examination of the cultural and historical
transformations of specific sports may be expected to provide
significant insights into the nature of this relationship.
The purpose of this study was to develop hypotheses to explain
how the meanings and the forms of judo have been transformed
and/or maintained in the society of origin, Japan, and in an
adoptive society, the United States.
An ethnographic study, based upon in-depth interviews
with judo instructors in the United States and Japan, selected
by means of criterion-based and purposive sampling, served as
the principal source of information. In addition, a variety
of additional information-gathering methods were used for the
two countries. Observations at selected judo clubs and
tournaments, informal interviews with judoists, and analysed
of sport-specific publications, were employed to develop the
credibility of the findings. Consequently, three hypotheses
were developed and explored: ( 1 ) the forms of judo are
independent of the dominant society, (2) the meanings of judo
are strongly dependent upon the dominant society, and (3) the
forms of judo in Japan have been subject to greater variance
than judo as practiced in the United States.
In addition, based upon modern methodology of consumer
behavior, an investigation of the favorite possessions of
judoists in the United States and Japan was conducted to
explore the deeper meanings of judo to individual participants
in each country. For the United States, three themes emerged:
(1} judo as a means to form friendships, (2) judo as a means
to express individual abilities, and (3) persistence of the
Kodokan-Japanese orientation. For Japan, the two themes which
addressed the meaning of judo were: ( 1 ) judo as a means of
self-discipline and (2) judo as a championship sport.
When considered jointly, both ethnographic inquiry and
favorite possessions investigation suggested that there were
culturally different reasons why individuals in the two
countries chose to seek involvement in the sport of judo.
Basically, American judoists tended to emphasize friendships
among judoists and the value of individual achievements,
whereas Japanese judoists valued the nature of individual
effort and respectful feelings for their instructor and the
instructional process.Graduation date: 1993
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Fujii, Yasunari. "Narratives as particular forms of culturally situated texts across speakers of Japanese and Australian English." Phd thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/148513.
Full text
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Chen, Louis S. C. "Exploring ESL immigrant students' perceptions of their academic and social integration success." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/12069.
Full textAbstract:
This study introduces a different kind of collaborative research whereby two
researchers co-design and co-conduct the research and draw their own conclusions from
the shared data. The data, gathered using qualitative tools such as surveys,
questionnaires, and interviews, was further enriched as a result of having two individuals
from different backgrounds interpreting the data. The data collected from 14 university
students who were once identified as ESL students in British Columbia, Canada, were
transcribed then analyzed using NUD*IST qualitative computer software. The focus was
on their perceptions of ESL programs, immigration process, and socio-cultural factors
that contributed to their academic and social integration success.
Participants' own words centered mostly on their relationships with families,
friends, and ESL teachers as major factors contributing to their success. ESL programs
served as their safety nets as the majority suggested that their journey into social and
academic mainstreams had undesirable effects on their experiences. Three major factors
were identified as having both helped and hindered their adaptation and integration into
Canadian school and society: family influence, bicultural identities, and segregation.
Results from this study suggest a number of theoretical and practical implications.
First, this study need to be replicated in different contexts using a longitudinal approach
to document how immigrant ESL students construct their experiences within and outside
of school overtime. Secondly, research need to aim at understanding the tension between
students' home and school cultures and encourage involvement and collaboration
between ESL students, parents, and teachers. In addition, examining how ESL students interact with their mainstream counterparts may provide helpful guidelines for schools to
foster an environment whereby unity and support exist between the two groups.
This study concludes with both researchers' reflection on each other's thesis. This
step led to a critical reexamination of their interpretation. Differences and similarities
emerged from this process. The similarities both researchers shared provided a greater
degree of validity and reliability to this project. On the other hand, the differences that
emerged served to enrich the data by providing two perspectives to the same problem.
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Ugochukwu, Chioma Rita. "The cross-cultural effects of American television programs on Nigerian audiences." 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3110596.
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