A Content Analysis of Gender Stereotypes in Contemporary Teenage Magazines

The portrayal of women has long been a matter of concern as well as discontent. The patterns reflected in the media mostly deal with stereotyping females in very limited roles, and frequently as sex objects. Magazine content could be a crucial source in the issue of adolescent socialization. Magazines directed to adolescent female consumers orient the audience with the explicit and implicit messages of socio-economic lifestyle. Teens\u27 relying on the subjective as well as objective comprehension of these magazines is crucial to their growing up. Therefore, it was essential to understand the factors that are influential for much of adolescent socialization. In this regard, a content analysis of Goffman\u27s stereotypical categories was examined for the contemporary teen magazines. Coding on two magazines — Seventeen and Teen Vogue (2014 issues) was done using the frameworks of Goffman\u27s scale categories. Two more variables from Kang\u27s (1997) categories were added. While the roles of females are going through far-reaching changes in society-at-large, advertisements nevertheless have remained as stereotypical. The females\u27 portrayal in the teenage magazines was mostly inclined towards the essence of deferential dispositions and was rarely about self-assurance and independence. There was almost a nonexistent depiction of women in positions of power and in occupational frames. The stereotypical categories that were rife with examples were in the categories of: Ritualization of Subordination, Feminine Touch, Independence/Self Assurance, Licensed Withdrawal, and Body Display. It could be noted that with these stereotypical portrayal of images, especially with the increased sexualization of teenage girls, there is a huge possibility of limiting the teenage women\u27s self-definitions and potential to grow up into resolute and strong-minded individuals. The racial representation was not been duly addressed, according to the sample results. A more realistic representation of the races in the teen magazines could hold more promise of monetization as the racial groups like the Black Americans, Asian Americans, and the Hispanics have the growth potential over the next few decades. If there is lesser objectification of women in the magazine contents, the lesser would be the likelihood of alarmingly dangerous tendency of far-reaching problems like sexual coercion

Portrayals of Hashtag Activism in Southeast Asia: A Case Study of #NOVATONEDUCATION Citizen Movement in Bangladesh

During 2015, the government of Bangladesh imposed a value-added tax (VAT) on private university education in order to expand the purview of revenue collection. Fearing this additional hike in the tuition fees, thousands of mostly middle-class students protested that this would add to the already existing burden on their families in supporting their education. The country’s socioeconomic backdrop of culture and the economic scenario was such where the parents had to bear a lot for their children’s expenses for a long time until the children became independent. On top of such already overpriced expenses, the question of bearing VAT became exorbitant for the families. Therefore, the question of this added cost became a burning issue that the student activists chose to fight. The students vowed to continue peaceful protests and demonstrations until their demands were met. Activism found a new dimension with digital and social media. A literature review was conducted to explore the existing research regarding the issue in question and to identify any research gaps.When looking at the recent developments in the scenario of fundamental freedom, the countries once thought as invulnerable to authoritarian temptations are now imposing restrictions on basic rights and autonomy. Thanks to digital media and advancements in technology, the conversation on the internet, especially via social media, changed the mode of public conversation for good. This research incorporated the Southeast Asian perspective of activism in creating a desirable change in public opinion and the resultant policy reform as the after-effect of widespread dissension. This research revolved around starting with answering research questions like how the #NoVATonEducation campaign developed over time and then presents an overview of the media communication tools that were used in the campaign, followed by a focus on the role of social media

Knowledge for Competitive Advantage: Putting Knowledge at the Core of the Business

In recent years, the words - knowledge and managing knowledge are at the core of management thinking. Scholars and business strategists are trying to explore the real nature of knowledge and its management from the organizational competitiveness point of view. Organizations, irrespective of the nations and regions are facing a difficult problem in making their businesses more competitive and sustainable. In the changing business context, organizations need to adopt a dynamic approach which can make them flexible and self-motivated. Knowledge-based view proposes that knowledge can make an organization more adaptable through developing new competencies. Eventually, the ability of developing new competencies provides a competitive advantage in the long-term. This paper is exclusively involved in developing a knowledge strategy framework. This framework focuses on a strategic linkage between knowledge creation and business processes. This thematic paper equally emphasizes the people dimension of a business