Malay muslim religious ideology : representations of gendered beauty ideals in women’s magazines

Responding to Drenten and McManus (2016) call on the lack of scholarship on the intersections of macromarketing and religion, this article uses magazines to demonstrate how beauty discourses reinforce or contest religious ideology in Malaysia. We draw from institutional logics to show how magazine discourses present macrolevel belief systems that can both shape and constrain the micro level behaviour of women. We identify three dialectical tensions of gendered beauty ideals as firstly both something that is embraced and something that is imposed; secondly it is collectively and individually displayed in fashion and thirdly offers contradictory discourses over blending-in versus standing-out in physical appearance. This study supplements the very limited literature on how the media as an institutional and social structure injects religious ideology to gendered representations of beauty ideals. © The Author(s) 2020

The role of the gift wrap stall at christmas

The pressure to wrap a gift can cause anxiety for the giver. At Christmas, many shopping centres have gift wrap stalls to assist their customers with the wrapping. In this paper we explore the purpose of a gift wrap stall and the role it plays in Christmas gift shopping. Data were collected through observation as it allowed insights into the phenomena that could not otherwise be obtained. Findings include the nature of a gift wrap stall, the mood surrounding the gift wrap stall, the types of gifts wrapped, the level of decision making involved, the role of the staff and issues relating to trust, the waiting times for gift wrapping, the giver&rsquo;s gift wrap skills, and enquiries into the gift wrap service. This research makes an insightful contribution to a novel topic in the field of consumer behaviour as it allows us to better understand gift wrapping and its role in gift exchange.<br /

To wrap or not to wrap? What is expected? Some initial findings from a study of gift wrapping

This paper aims to explore and discuss the expectations surrounding the decision to wrap a gift. Gift wrapping can enable an object to be turned into a gift through the development of meaning that symbolises it as a gift. There are two key expectations surrounding the use of gift wrapping. The first expectation is that receivers prefer gifts to be wrapped and the second expectation is that the gift meets individual and social expectations of what a gift should look like. Data was gathered using three qualitative techniques; observation, interviews and projective workshops. These initial findings form part of a larger research study into gift wrapping.<br /

What's in a Name? A Comparative Analysis of Surf and Snow Brand Personalities

This paper performs a comparative analysis of niche brands. Within surfing and snowsport markets, key companies, with distinctive brand names, market specifically to their respective subcultures. Each brand embodies an individuated personality, markets according to unique criteria and evolves through a variety of methods including advertising, event sponsorship, film production and concept stores. This paper investigates the manner in which brand names are apprehended by participants, what difficulties may arise in managing brands and suggest how marketers may cultivate brand image more perceptively since the represented brand personality affects company status in or appeal to these highly discriminating subcultural groups

What's in a Name? A Comparative Analysis of Surf and Snow Brand Personalities

This paper performs a comparative analysis of niche brands. Within surfing and snowsport markets, key companies, with distinctive brand names, market specifically to their respective subcultures. Each brand embodies an individuated personality, markets according to unique criteria and evolves through a variety of methods including advertising, event sponsorship, film production and concept stores. This paper investigates the manner in which brand names are apprehended by participants, what difficulties may arise in managing brands and suggest how marketers may cultivate brand image more perceptively since the represented brand personality affects company status in or appeal to these highly discriminating subcultural groups

Reseña: Barry Glassner & Rosanna Hertz (Eds.) (1999). Qualitative Sociology as Everyday Life

URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0003450URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0003450URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs000345

Looking at bodywork : Women and three physical activities

Les concepts de ''sujet en action'' (subject at work) et de ''sujet du discours'' (subject in discourse) servent de base pour examiner les implications de l'apparence physique perçue chez les femmes physiquement actives et la présentation qu'elles font d'elles-mêmes. Etude réalisée à partir d'interviews de trois groupes de femmes australiennes (danseuses de ballet, culturistes et haltérophiles)

Review: Barry Glassner & Rosanna Hertz (Eds.) (1999). Qualitative Sociology as Everyday Life

URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs000345

General Practitioners and Online Continuing Professional Education: Projected Understandings

Continuing professional education seems to be particularly suited to the online environment with opportunities to communicate anywhere anytime. This appears to be convenient and time efficient for the busy working professional. The views of practising professionals were sought and form the basis of this paper. Primary care physicians at two locations, who actively pursue continuing education, discuss the role of information technology in their daily professional practice and give their views about online education. This professional group is a good example of how a particular interaction style is significant to the collective cultural mores of a group. The paper concludes that these group preferences need to be taken into account when designing continuing education and some suggestions are made for design