Reproduction of Gender Ideology Through Russian Consumer Culture: The Case of Iconography of the 'Mother' in Russia, an Extended Abstract

ABSTRACT The interest towards gender related studies in marketing emerged since late 1960s along with the critical developments regarding gender inequalities (Pilcher & Whelehan, 2004, Cova, et al., 2013). The shifting methods and approaches of analysing gender stimulated the formation of a discipline called ‘gender studieslan, 2001; Durante et al, 2011; Fan&Miao, 2012; Tiferet et at, 2012). Due to the complexity of understanding and interpreting gender roles in Marketing Communication (MC) scholars suggested and implemented interdisciplinary methods for more in –depth interpretation (Zotos & Tsichla (2014), Luyt, (2011). Knoll et al (2011)). Nonetheless, majority of scholars tend to focus on the gender stereotyping and comparative studies of male and female role portrayals in TV/print ads via quantitative content analysis (Berger (2015) Schroeder & Zwick (2004) (Kroska, 2006). This study aims to bring innovation in the field by applying multiple methods of investigation of archetypal images of “mother” in MC. This study explores the Russian consumer culture by focusing on the gender ideology and its role in the print advertisements. The doctoral project is divided into several stages that will subsequently contribute towards the knowledge by its originality. By heavily relying on Bourdieu’s sociology (Bourdieu, 1989) and Consumer Culture Theory traditions (Arnould & Thompson, 2005), the first stage of the research aims to explore and interpret the production of gender ideology in MC by the use of critical visual methods (Schroeder, 2002) and qualitative content analysis (QCA) (Schreier, 2012) and in the second stage further extends the investigation of the re- production of gender ideology from critical feminist perspective. The last stage of the study employs qualitative methods; in-depth interviews with Russian mothers, in order to understand how images used in advertisements influence the construction of identity of Russian women. The first stage of investigation concentrates on the advertisements published in three popular Russian women and baby magazines and correspondingly compares the representations of woman as mother in three most popular British magazines. The dimensions and categories of QCA emerged according to the critical visual analysis (Schroeder, 2002) that took into consideration the key historic events within this specific culture, sociological stimulus and changing patterns of everyday life, political and economic influence, including the consequences of soviet power in Russian culture. Totally 45 randomly selected issues of Russian magazines for the period of 2013-2015 have been selected and overall 160 ads with images of mother have been analysed. At this stage the research continues the comparative content analysis of images advertised in most popular mother and baby magazines in the UK. For the effectiveness and validation of the research outcomes additional inquiry is arranged with editors and advertisement agencies with the tactical purpose of understanding how the particular images of motherhood are positioned in ads and generally how the ads are designed and originated. This will largely contribute towards the theme formations for the in-depth interviews with Russian mothers. The expected outcome of the research will be concluded in the final section of the thesis where managerial implications are discussed and the outcomes of the previously mentioned stages are synthesised

Reproduction of Gender Ideology through Russian consumer culture: Iconography of Russian ‘Mother’

Contemporary studies in consumer research significantly shifted the attention towards gender identities and its importance in consumer culture (Epp and Price 2008, Humphreys and Thompson 2014; Dion et al 2014, Cova et al 2013), however less attention was given to ideological aspects in gender representations persisting in today’s marketing practice (Thompson and Üstüner 2015, Thompson and Coskuner-Balli 2007). CCT scholars often look at the social reproduction (Bourdieu 1979) and construction of identity as a result of socio-historic and sociocultural change that are evoked through meanings, symbols and signs (Moisio, Arnould, Price 2004, Arsel and Bean 2013). Wallendorf and Arnould (1991) argue that class and gender norms undergo through intergenerational transmission that often represent the collective past and Humphreys and Thomson (2014) suggest culturally iconic images as significant element in consumer decision making process and they represent the ‘bigger systematic picture of integrated political and market structures’ (Holt 2012, McDonagh et al 2012). Thus the theoretical and conceptual conversation around CCT allows this study to fulfil the gap by looking at the reproduction of gender ideology that presumably generates iconographic images of motherhood (mothers) in print advertisement. Following Schroeder’s interpretation we agree that images are core components of advertising practice that continuously circulate in everyday life by producing and reproducing sociocultural meanings (Schroeder 2006, Borgerson and Schroeder 2002;), stimulate gender roles (Goffman 1979), circulate signs and symbols that contribute towards identity formation as well as lifestyle choices (Arnold and Thompson 2005, Featherstone 2006). Thus this study explores archetypical images of mothers in Russian consumer culture and proposes five archetypes of motherhood frequently used in print media. By implemented body of theory in consumer research we suggest a novel theoretical framework that attempts to unpack iconography of Russian mothers and the effect of reproduced gender ideology in Russian consumer culture

Reproduction of Gender Ideology Through Russian Consumer Culture: The Case of Iconography of the ‘Mother’ in Russia

Gender is one of the central topics of contemporary studies in marketing and consumer research. Since the introduction of Goffman’s schema on gender roles and portrayals in advertisements (Goffman, 1979), scholars continue adapting his method and reveal some of the hidden factors of gender roles, portrayals or inequalities in contemporary marketing practices (Bettany et al 2010). Noticeably, less attention has been given to the ideological aspects of gender portrayals and its unique value of producing and reproducing sociocultural meanings around gender. Thus, this research looks into the archetypal images of Russian mothers and proposes multiple ichnographic images of motherhood implemented in contemporary Russian print media. The study adopted critical visual methods (Schroeder, 2002) and qualitative content analysis (Schreier 2014) while analysing advertisements from three Russian and three Western origin ‘mother and baby’/’parenting’ magazines. The study is positioned within the theoretical spectrum of Consumer Culture Theory and contributes to the field by unpacking the role of ‘symbolic power’/ (ideology) (Bourdieu, 1979) around the motherhood that persists in contemporary Russian consumer culture

High-order numerical method for the nonlinear Helmholtz equation with material discontinuities in one space dimension

The nonlinear Helmholtz equation (NLH) models the propagation of electromagnetic waves in Kerr media, and describes a range of important phenomena in nonlinear optics and in other areas. In our previous work, we developed a fourth order method for its numerical solution that involved an iterative solver based on freezing the nonlinearity. The method enabled a direct simulation of nonlinear self-focusing in the nonparaxial regime, and a quantitative prediction of backscattering. However, our simulations showed that there is a threshold value for the magnitude of the nonlinearity, above which the iterations diverge. In this study, we numerically solve the one-dimensional NLH using a Newton-type nonlinear solver. Because the Kerr nonlinearity contains absolute values of the field, the NLH has to be recast as a system of two real equations in order to apply Newton's method. Our numerical simulations show that Newton's method converges rapidly and, in contradistinction with the iterations based on freezing the nonlinearity, enables computations for very high levels of nonlinearity. In addition, we introduce a novel compact finite-volume fourth order discretization for the NLH with material discontinuities.The one-dimensional results of the current paper create a foundation for the analysis of multi-dimensional problems in the future.Comment: 47 pages, 8 figure

A High-Order Numerical Method for the Nonlinear Helmholtz Equation in Multidimensional Layered Media

We present a novel computational methodology for solving the scalar nonlinear Helmholtz equation (NLH) that governs the propagation of laser light in Kerr dielectrics. The methodology addresses two well-known challenges in nonlinear optics: Singular behavior of solutions when the scattering in the medium is assumed predominantly forward (paraxial regime), and the presence of discontinuities in the % linear and nonlinear optical properties of the medium. Specifically, we consider a slab of nonlinear material which may be grated in the direction of propagation and which is immersed in a linear medium as a whole. The key components of the methodology are a semi-compact high-order finite-difference scheme that maintains accuracy across the discontinuities and enables sub-wavelength resolution on large domains at a tolerable cost, a nonlocal two-way artificial boundary condition (ABC) that simultaneously facilitates the reflectionless propagation of the outgoing waves and forward propagation of the given incoming waves, and a nonlinear solver based on Newton's method. The proposed methodology combines and substantially extends the capabilities of our previous techniques built for 1Dand for multi-D. It facilitates a direct numerical study of nonparaxial propagation and goes well beyond the approaches in the literature based on the "augmented" paraxial models. In particular, it provides the first ever evidence that the singularity of the solution indeed disappears in the scalar NLH model that includes the nonparaxial effects. It also enables simulation of the wavelength-width spatial solitons, as well as of the counter-propagating solitons.Comment: 40 pages, 10 figure

Comparative modeling of infrared fiber lasers

The modeling and design of fiber lasers facilitate the process of their practical realization. Of particular interest during the last few years is the development of lanthanide ion-doped fiber lasers that operate at wavelengths exceeding 2000 nm. There are two main host glass materials considered for this purpose, namely fluoride and chalcogenide glasses. Therefore, this study concerned comparative modeling of fiber lasers operating within the infrared wavelength region beyond 2000 nm. In particular, the convergence properties of selected algorithms, implemented within various software environments, were studied with a specific focus on the central processing unit (CPU) time and calculation residual. Two representative fiber laser cavities were considered: One was based on a chalcogenide-selenide glass step-index fiber doped with trivalent dysprosium ions, whereas the other was a fluoride step-index fiber doped with trivalent erbium ions. The practical calculation accuracy was also assessed by comparing directly the results obtained from the different models

Measurement of Transparency Ratios for Protons from Short-Range Correlated Pairs

Nuclear transparency, Tp(A), is a measure of the average probability for a struck proton to escape the nucleus without significant re-interaction. Previously, nuclear transparencies were extracted for quasi-elastic A(e,e′p) knockout of protons with momentum below the Fermi momentum, where the spectral functions are well known. In this Letter we extract a novel observable, the transparency ratio, Tp(A)/Tp(12C), for knockout of high-missing-momentum protons from the breakup of short-range correlated pairs (2N-SRC) in Al, Fe and Pb nuclei relative to C. The ratios were measured at momentum transfer Q2 ⩾1.5(GeV/c)2 and xB⩾1.2 where the reaction is expected to be dominated by electron scattering from 2N-SRC. The transparency ratios of the knocked-out protons coming from 2N-SRC breakup are 20–30% lower than those of previous results for low missing momentum. They agree with Glauber calculations and agree with renormalization of the previously published transparencies as proposed by recent theoretical investigations. The new transparencies scale as A−1/3, which is consistent with dominance of scattering from nucleons at the nuclear surface

Transverse Polarization of Σ+ (1189) in Photoproduction on a Hydrogen Target in CLAS

Experimental results on the Σ+(1189) hyperon transverse polarization in photoproduction on a hydrogen target using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Laboratory are presented. The Σ+(1189) was reconstructed in the exclusive reaction γ+p→K0S+Σ+(1189) via the Σ+→pπ0 decay mode. The K0S was reconstructed in the invariant mass of two oppositely charged pions with the π0 identified in the missing mass of the detected pπ+π− final state. Experimental data were collected in the photon energy range Eγ=1.0 –3.5 GeV (√s range 1.66–2.73 GeV). We observe a large negative polarization of up to 95% . As the mechanism of transverse polarization of hyperons produced in unpolarized photoproduction experiments is still not well understood, these results will help to distinguish between different theoretical models on hyperon production and provide valuable information for the searches of missing baryon resonances

Comparison of Forward and Backward \u3ci\u3epp\u3c/i\u3e Pair Knockout in \u3csup\u3e3\u3c/sup\u3eHe(e,e\u27pp)n

Measuring nucleon-nucleon short range correlations (SRCs) has been a goal of the nuclear physics community for many years. They are an important part of the nuclear wave function, accounting for almost all of the high-momentum strength. They are closely related to the EMC effect. While their overall probability has been measured, measuring their momentum distributions is more difficult. In order to determine the best configuration for studying SRC momentum distributions, we measured the 3He(e,e\u27pp)n reaction, looking at events with high-momentum protons (pp \u3e 0.35 GeV/c) and a low-momentum neutron (pn \u3c 0.2 GeV/c). We examined two angular configurations: either both protons emitted forward or one proton emitted forward and one backward (with respect to the momentum transfer, q). The measured relative momentum distribution of the events with one forward and one backward proton was much closer to the calculated initial-state pp relative momentum distribution, indicating that this is the preferred configuration for measuring SRC. ©2012 American Physical Societ