2,861 research outputs found

    Corporate social responsibility and climate change: the case of oil and gas industry of Nigeria

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    The thesis contributes to the literature on social accounting, accountability, and reporting by providing insights into the perspectives of multinational and indigenous oil and gas corporations in Nigeria regarding climate change, particularly the link between gas flaring and its impact on the environment and local communities. The use of interpretive research methods and the application of climate justice theory provide a unique theoretical lens to challenge existing policies and practices and engage with stakeholders holistically and transparently. The study highlights the inadequacy of current corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSER) practices in addressing climate change challenges and the need for corporations to adopt an ethics or climate justice approach in their actions and reporting, supported by policy instruments to ensure compliance. Empirical evidence shows that corporations in this industry ride on increasing demand for fossil fuels, lax regulation and monitoring of the industry, vulnerability and powerlessness of local communities to take undue advantage of the communities. However, they use some CSR programmes, remote from real solutions to gas flaring or climate change challenges, to pacify community stakeholders and sustain or improve corporate legitimacy. An intentional commitment by the corporations, including imbibing ethics or climate justice lens, and backed by strict and mandatory policy instruments is essential for addressing gas-flaring-induced climate challenges

    Nice Food, Good People : Technologies of subjectivity and class distinction in media texts about the right kind of food

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    MinkĂ€lainen ruoka mÀÀrittyy kulttuurissamme hyvĂ€ksi? Ruoka mÀÀritellÀÀn useimmiten hyvĂ€ksi koska se maistuu hyvĂ€ltĂ€, mutta ruoka voi olla hyvÀÀ myös muilla tavoin. Ruokaan liittyvĂ€t arvomÀÀritykset kiinnittyvĂ€t muodostamiimme moraalisiin arvostelmiin: siihen, millainen ruoka ansaitsee huomiomme tai hyvĂ€ksyntĂ€mme, minkĂ€laista ruokaa pidĂ€mme sosiaalisesti ja kulttuurisesti arvokkaana ja ennen kaikkea siihen, mÀÀritymmekö me itse hyviksi, arvokkaiksi ja legitiimeiksi kuluttamamme ruuan kautta. TĂ€ssĂ€ vĂ€itöskirjassa esitĂ€n, ettĂ€ ruuan kulttuurista diskurssia asuttavan subjektin arvo kietoutuu yhtÀÀltĂ€ kulttuuriseen erottautumiseen ja toisaalta itsen hallinnointiin. Tutkimuksessa pohdin, kuinka arvottaminen ja se liike, jonka kautta kuulumme jonnekin ja etÀÀnnymme jo(i)stakin muotoutuu ruuan kuluttamiseen kiinnittyvien merkitysten kautta. TĂ€mĂ€ vĂ€itöskirja lĂ€hestyy hyvÀÀ ruokaa eettisen syömisen ja terveellisen syömisen perspektiiveistĂ€. Eettiseen ja terveelliseen ruokaan kiinnittyy muun muassa luonnollisuuteen, puhtauteen ja elinkelpoisuuteen (fitness) viittaavia kulttuurisia arvostelmia, ja siten joitakin keskeisiĂ€ (ruoka)kulttuurisia kysymyksiĂ€ voi lĂ€hestyĂ€ niiden analyysin kautta. VĂ€itöskirjassa perehdyn eettisen syömisen merkityksiin luomua ja lĂ€hiruokaa kĂ€sitteleviĂ€ journalistisia tekstejĂ€ tarkastelemalla, ja analysoin ruokaa ja terveellisyyttĂ€ digitaalisten mediasisĂ€ltöjen wellness ruokaan keskittyvien aineistojen avulla. VĂ€itöskirjan neljĂ€ osajulkaisua avaavat monipuolisia nĂ€kökulmia mediavĂ€litteiseen ruokakulttuuriin ja sen tarjoamiin subjektiasemiin. EnsimmĂ€isessĂ€ tutkimusartikkelissa tutkin luomu- ja lĂ€hiruokaan Helsingin Sanomissa kiinnittyviĂ€ merkityksiĂ€ ja selvitĂ€n, minkĂ€laisin diskursiivisin keinoin ruoka mÀÀritellÀÀn luomuja lĂ€hiruokateksteissĂ€ kulttuurista arvostusta ansaitsevaksi, ja miten erityisesti autenttisuuden ja nostalgian diskurssit kietoutuvat aineiston teksteissĂ€ kulttuuriseen pÀÀomaan. Toinen artikkeli keskittyy Helsingin Sanomien uutisartikkeleihin ja niissĂ€ muodostuviin luokkamerkityksiin: artikkelissa tutkin, minkĂ€laisia kulttuurisia erontekoja luomu- ja lĂ€hiruokateksteissĂ€ tuotetaan, millaisiin luokkakulttuureihin eettisen ruoan kuluttaminen lehden diskursseissa kiinnittyy ja minkĂ€laisiin diskursiivisiin keinoihin nĂ€mĂ€ kĂ€ytĂ€nnöt nojaavat. Kolmas artikkeli uppoutuu wellness-ilmiöön liittyviin merkityksiin, ja analysoin artikkelissa wellness-kulttuuriin yhdistyviĂ€ ruokablogeja kiinnittĂ€en huomiota niihin minĂ€tekniikoihin, joiden keinoin ’ideaali wellness-yksilö’ blogiteksteissĂ€ rakentuu. NeljĂ€s ja viimeinen tutkimusartikkeli pureutuu digitaaliseen wellness-kulttuuriin analysoimalla Instagramin #womenswellness (pseudo)yhteisöÀ ja sen sisĂ€llöissĂ€ kierrĂ€tettyjĂ€ tunnesÀÀntöjĂ€ ja neuvoteltua naiseutta. Artikkeli kysyy, minkĂ€laisten tunteiden nĂ€yttĂ€miseen yhteisön tunnesÀÀnnöt kannustavat, ja miten nĂ€mĂ€ affektiiviset kĂ€ytĂ€nnöt kietoutuvat yhteen populaarimedian feminististen muodostelmien kanssa. NĂ€iden neljĂ€n tutkimusartikkelin puitteissa lĂ€hestyn aineistojani 1) sosiaalisen luokan (erityisesti keskiluokan) ja kulttuurisen erottautumisen sekĂ€ 2) hallinnallisuuden ja (sukupuolittuneisiin) subjektiviteetteihin liittyvien terveysaatteen (healthism) ja uusliberalismin kĂ€sitteiden kautta. Tarkoituksenani on tuoda työn yhteenvedossa yhteen edellĂ€ mainittuja teoreettisia nĂ€kökulmia ja niihin liittyviĂ€ tutkimusongelmia, ja siksi vĂ€itöskirjan yhteenvedossa lĂ€hestyn osatutkimuksia ja niissĂ€ tĂ€rkeĂ€ssĂ€ osassa olleita teoreettisia kehyksiĂ€ hyvĂ€n elĂ€mĂ€n kĂ€sitteen kautta. Tavoitteenani on vastata yhteenvedossa kysymykseen, jota voi pitÀÀ erÀÀnlaisena hyvÀÀ subjektia painottavana koosteena vĂ€itöskirjan analyyseista ja osatutkimusten monista tutkimuskysymyksistĂ€. Keskityn siten yhteenvedossa hyviin ihmisiin hyvĂ€n ruuan konteksteissa, kysyen: minkĂ€laisia arvokkaita subjekteja nykykulttuurin ruokadiskurssit tuottavat? Yhteenvedon lopussa esitĂ€n, ettĂ€ ruuan diskurssit kiinnittyvĂ€t hyvĂ€n elĂ€mĂ€n ideaaleihin ensinnĂ€kin tavoitellen jotakin, kurkottaen kohti edessĂ€ siintĂ€vÀÀ tĂ€ydellisyyttĂ€ (tĂ€ydellistĂ€ terveyttĂ€, kehoa, tasapainoa), ja toiseksi pyrkimĂ€llĂ€ turvaamaan hyvĂ€n ja huonon sekĂ€ hyvien ja huonojen ihmisten vĂ€liset etĂ€isyydet, jĂ€hmettĂ€en asemiinsa tiettyjen ruokien tai elĂ€mĂ€ntyylien kulttuurisen legitiimiyden ja toisenlaisten ruokien tai elĂ€mĂ€ntyylien epĂ€legitiimiyden. Hahmottelen yhteenvedossa neljĂ€ erilaista kulttuurista subjektiasemaa, joita analysoidut mediatekstit lukijalleen tarjoavat. NimeĂ€n nĂ€mĂ€ subjektiasemat hyvĂ€n maun subjektiksi, moraaliseksi subjektiksi, tasapainoiseksi subjektiksi sekĂ€ resilientiksi subjektiksi, ja pohdin sitĂ€, miten kulttuurinen erottautuminen, luokka ja sukupuoli kytkeytyvĂ€t subjektiasemiin aineistoissa erilaisin tavoin. VĂ€itöskirja tuo esiin, kuinka ruokaan kiinnittyvĂ€t makuarvostelmat ja subjektiasemat eivĂ€t mÀÀrity ensisijaisesti esimerkiksi valinnanvapauden tai itsen kehittĂ€misen kautta, ja kuinka ruuan diskursiiviset neuvottelut tuovat nĂ€kyviksi toimijoiden eriarvoisuuden suhteessa kulttuuriseen statukseen tai itsen toteuttamiseen. Analyysien perusteella voidaan todeta, ettĂ€ luokka ja sukupuoli mÀÀrittĂ€vĂ€t vahvasti sitĂ€, miten ja minkĂ€laisista lĂ€htökohdista hyvĂ€n elĂ€mĂ€n ideaalia yhteiskunnassamme tavoitellaan.What kind of food might be categorised as good in our contemporary society? Describing food as good most often means that it tastes good, however, food is evaluated as good in other ways as well. These evaluations touch upon the moral judgements we make: what kind of food is worthy of our attention and approval, what kind of food is deemed as socially and culturally legitimate, and, most importantly, whether the food we eat and the culinary lifestyles we aspire towards make us good, worthy or legitimate. I argue that evaluating the subject of mediated food discourse – be it ourselves or ‘the other’ – is entangled, firstly, with cultural distinction and secondly, with governing the self. In this dissertation, I ponder how evaluation, the movement through which we belong somewhere or turn away from something else is done through mediated meanings connected with food consumption. This dissertation approaches good food from the perspectives of ethical eating and healthy eating. Ethical and healthy food incorporate cultural evaluations connected with, for example, naturalness, pureness, cleanliness and fitness, and thus some of the central food-related judgements of goodness and legitimacy can be addressed through mediated meanings connected with ethicality and healthiness. In this dissertation, ethical eating is examined in terms of how organic and locally grown food (i.e., sustainable food) are framed in journalistic texts, and healthy eating is viewed through the wellness food culture of digital media. The four publications open multiple perspectives on the contemporary mediated food culture and the legitimate subjectivities inhabiting it. The first publication analyses the meanings connected with organic and local food in Helsingin Sanomat through an examination of texts that can be categorised as ‘lifestyle journalism’, asking how organic and local food are legitimised in the data, and how authenticity and nostalgia are deployed in connection with sustainable lifestyle. The second publication centres on Helsingin Sanomat news articles and the class-related meanings created there in connection with organic and local food. The paper asks what kind of cultural distinctions are produced in these journalistic texts, and through which discursive strategies ethical consumption becomes associated with and attached to different class cultures. The third publication delves into the cultural field of wellness, analysing the ways in which subjectivity is discursively produced in the blog content of three wellness food blogs run by women. The article seeks answers to the question of how, and through what kind of technologies of the self the ‘ideal wellness subject’ is created in the blog texts. Finally, the fourth publication examines digital wellness culture through an analysis of the #womenswellness intimate public of Instagram, concentrating on the affective practices observable in the food-related content of this intimate public and how gendered existence and popular feminism factor into the displays of feeling in that space. The paper asks what emotions are encouraged in the #womenswellness public of Instagram, and how these affective practices intertwine with contemporary configurations of feminism in popular media. In these four research articles I approach my data predominantly through theoretical discussions on 1) social class (especially the middle class) and cultural distinction as well as 2) governmentality and the (gendered) subjectivities related to healthist and neoliberal ‘sensibilities’. With the intention of bringing these scholarly discussions together, the introductory part of this dissertation reflects on the research articles and on their theoretical frameworks through the concept of ‘the good life’. As I endeavour to answer an overarching research question focusing on the good people behind the good food, this dissertation asks: What kind of a valuable subject is being produced in contemporary food discourses? I propose that mediated, everyday food discourses adhere to the good life through, firstly, aspiring towards something (a lifestyle or a state of being for example): reaching for a beacon glimmering in the distance, promising perfection and happiness if we only stretch our reach far enough. Secondly, these food discourses work to secure the symbolic distance between good and bad, solidifying and reaffirming the legitimacy of certain foodstuffs, practices and eaters and the illegitimate status of others. In the concluding section of this dissertation, I formulate four different subject positions that seem to be offered to the (right kind of) recipient in food-related media texts. These are the tasteful subject, the morally-righteous subject, the balanced subject and the resilient subject, all of which attach to cultural distinction, class and gender in different ways. This dissertation shows that the judgements and subject positions related to good food are not a matter of free choice or self-improvement, as the discursive negotiations relating to food depict how subjects are on unequal footing with regard to cultural status or possibilities for ‘selfactualisation’. On the basis of the analyses, what is evident is that formations of class and gender have a crucial bearing on from which positions and with what kind of stakes the good life is pursued to begin with

    Organizational Leadership Culture and Gender Inequality in the C-Suite

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    Women in the automotive industry often struggle to advance into top leadership positions. More specifically, culture and gender inequality affect senior-level and higher women leaders trying to achieve a position in the C-Suite in automotive manufacturing organizations. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of senior-level and higher women seeking a C-Suite position. The research questions addressed the lived experiences of women who strive to be promoted to C-Suites positions. Three sub-questions were used to evaluate participants\u27 perceptions, leveraging them to increase awareness of the cultural and gender inequality affecting the representation of women in C-Suites. Semi-structured interviews were used with a sample of 15 women participants from Michigan’s automotive industry using audio recording and verbatim transcription of the interviews. Through a conceptual lens, the gender gap in inequality was examined using Blumberg’s theory of gender stratification and grounded on Geist and Myer’s concepts of gender inequality, aided in revealing three emergent themes. The findings of this study confirmed that cultural and gender inequality challenges influence women getting C-suites positions in the automotive industry. The finding shows practical implications that there is a need to provide equal advancement opportunities to more senior-level and higher women leaders, regardless of their culture and gender. This study promotes positive social change by educating the automotive industry about the challenges and the needs of women in the automotive industry aiding in decreasing cultural and gender inequality so more women can reach their career goals

    2023-2024 Catalog

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    The 2023-2024 Governors State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog is a comprehensive listing of current information regarding:Degree RequirementsCourse OfferingsUndergraduate and Graduate Rules and Regulation

    Under construction: infrastructure and modern fiction

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    In this dissertation, I argue that infrastructural development, with its technological promises but widening geographic disparities and social and environmental consequences, informs both the narrative content and aesthetic forms of modernist and contemporary Anglophone fiction. Despite its prevalent material forms—roads, rails, pipes, and wires—infrastructure poses particular formal and narrative problems, often receding into the background as mere setting. To address how literary fiction theorizes the experience of infrastructure requires reading “infrastructurally”: that is, paying attention to the seemingly mundane interactions between characters and their built environments. The writers central to this project—James Joyce, William Faulkner, Karen Tei Yamashita, and Mohsin Hamid—take up the representational challenges posed by infrastructure by bringing transit networks, sanitation systems, and electrical grids and the histories of their development and use into the foreground. These writers call attention to the political dimensions of built environments, revealing the ways infrastructures produce, reinforce, and perpetuate racial and socioeconomic fault lines. They also attempt to formalize the material relations of power inscribed by and within infrastructure; the novel itself becomes an imaginary counterpart to the technologies of infrastructure, a form that shapes and constrains what types of social action and affiliation are possible

    Gratitude in Healthcare an interdisciplinary inquiry

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    The expression and reception of gratitude is a significant dimension of interpersonal communication in care-giving relationships. Although there is a growing body of evidence that practising gratitude has health and wellbeing benefits for the giver and receiver, gratitude as a social emotion made in interaction has received comparatively little research attention. To address this gap, this thesis draws on a portfolio of qualitative methods to explore the ways in which gratitude is constituted in care provision in personal, professional, and public discourse. This research is informed by a discursive psychology approach in which gratitude is analysed, not as a morally virtuous character trait, but as a purposeful, performative social action that is mutually co-constructed in interaction.I investigate gratitude through studies that approach it on a meta, meso, macro, and micro level. Key intellectual traditions that underpin research literature on gratitude in healthcare are explored through a metanarrative review. Six underlying metanarratives were identified: social capital; gifts; care ethics; benefits of gratitude; staff wellbeing; and gratitude as an indicator of quality of care. At the meso (institutional) level, a narrative analysis of an archive of letters between patients treated for tuberculosis and hospital almoners positions gratitude as participating in a Maussian gift-exchange ritual in which communal ties are created and consolidated.At the macro (societal) level, a discursive analysis of tweets of gratitude to the National Health Service at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic shows that attitudes to gratitude were dynamic in response to events, with growing unease about deflecting attention from risk reduction for those working in the health and social care sectors. A follow-up analysis of the clap-for-carers movement implicates gratitude in embodied, symbolic, and imagined performances in debates about care justice. At the micro (interpersonal) level, an analysis of gratitude encounters broadcast in the BBC documentary series, Hospital, uses pragmatics and conversation analysis to argue that gratitude is an emotion made in talk, with the uptake of gratitude opportunities influencing the course of conversational sequencing. The findings challenge the oftenmade distinction between task-oriented and relational conversation in healthcare.Moral economics are paradigmatic in the philosophical conceptualisation of gratitude. My research shows that, although balance-sheet reciprocity characterised the institutional culture of the voluntary hospital, it is hardly ever a feature ofinterpersonal gratitude encounters. Instead, gratitude is accomplished as shared moments of humanity through negotiated encounters infused with affect. Gratitude should never be instrumentalised as compensating for unsafe, inadequatelyrenumerated work. Neither should its potential to enhance healthcare encounters be underestimated. Attention to gratitude can participate in culture change by affirming modes of acting, emoting, relating, expressing, and connecting that intersect with care justice.This thesis speaks to gratitude as a culturally salient indicator of what people express as worthy of appreciation. It calls for these expressions to be more closely attended to, not only as useful feedback that can inform change, but also because gratitude is a resource on which we can draw to enhance and enrich healthcare as a communal, collaborative, cooperative endeavour

    Innovation in Energy Security and Long-Term Energy Efficiency Ⅱ

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    The sustainable development of our planet depends on the use of energy. The increasing world population inevitably causes an increase in the demand for energy, which, on the one hand, threatens us with the potential to encounter a shortage of energy supply, and, on the other hand, causes the deterioration of the environment. Therefore, our task is to reduce this demand through different innovative solutions (i.e., both technological and social). Social marketing and economic policies can also play their role by affecting the behavior of households and companies and by causing behavioral change oriented to energy stewardship, with an overall switch to renewable energy resources. This reprint provides a platform for the exchange of a wide range of ideas, which, ultimately, would facilitate driving societies toward long-term energy efficiency

    Multilingualism and the Public Sector in South Africa

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    This book contributes to the discourse on language in South Africa with a specific focus on multilingualism and the public sector
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