My dissertation explores how digital media have transformed ritual, community, and the meaning of church. My research focuses particularly on the SaRang Community Church, one of the largest Protestant churches in South Korea. I examine how a Korean megachurch adopt digital media to reach out to the public and promote itself. The questions I will answer include: How does a megachurch present religious messages using visual and audio effects? How do people perceive those mediated messages? How do they configure communities through media experience? How does the megachurch reconnect communities through media? Is a church a medium of Christianity? What relationship does the megachurch have with consumer culture? While answering these questions, my dissertation focuses on the relationship between media and modernity. The dissertation picks three important themes: authenticity through media, nationalism and identity, and consumerism. To explain these issues through the lens of the transformation of the religious sphere in Korea, my dissertation examines (1) how the candle, an important symbol in Christianity, has been digitally represented, and how that representation has influenced rituals; (2) how digital media reconfigure various kinds of communities, as seen through the example of Korean Christian women’s daily religious practice; and (3) along with the development of digital media, how megachurches have grown in size, population, and social impact in Korea, a country well-known for its technological innovations and development. My overriding interest is in how religious rituals materialize through digital media.

This thesis investigates the construction of identity and authenticity through sociophonetic variation, focusing on British Hip Hop artist Amy Winehouse. Prior work on British vocal artists’ phonetic variation has relied upon regional categorical frameworks (Trudgill, 1983; Carlsson, 2001) and found variation to be evidence of production errors and speakers’ misidentification of targeted speech patterns, resulting in summative interpretations of conflict between speakers’ discreet identities and speech pattern categories. More recent work has attended to linguistic processes within cultural movements influenced but not strictly delimited by sociolinguistics’ canonical categories of region, class, race, etc. Within the context of the Hip Hop cultural movement, which demands members maintain authenticity via its mantra of keepin’ it real, scholars have described processes by which authenticity is redefined and re-localized (Pennycook, 2007), emphasized the performative process of the construction of identity rather than the categorical delineation of identity (Alim, 2009), explicated the construction of authenticity within Hip Hop as inextricable from Hip Hop’s roots in the Black American Speech Community (Alim, 2006), and shown how linguistic processes mediate the markedness of artists’ Whiteness as they construct authenticity within Hip (Cutler, 2007). This work applies sociophonetic analytic tools to sung and spoken speech informed by indexical theory. Through indexical theory, the construction of identity is examined via the employment of variants that do not convey fixed meanings but instead create complex fields of possible meaning (Eckert, 2008). The variables examined include postvocalic contexts of the liquids /l/ and /r/ and intervocalic instances of /t/. Findings indicate that Winehouse’s use of non-rhotic postvocalic /r/ in spoken language, rhotic postvocalic /r/ in singing language, glottal [ʔ] intervocalic /t/ in spoken language, intervocalic /t/ as [ɾ] in singing language, and categorical use of vocalized postvocalic /l/, demonstrates a negotiation between a Hip Hop identity and a White British non-posh identity. Her spoken and singing language represent a re-localizing of Hip Hop’s demand for authenticity within Winehouse’s British context. Findings indicate that phonetic features can index a redefinition of authenticity as forms of talk, such as Hip Hop, gain ownership in new contexts.

This dissertation study explored women's labor in the beauty industries of the YouTube vlogosphere, specifically beauty video production on the ICON network, the beauty and lifestyle channel of YouTube entrepreneur Michelle Phan. Via a case study of ICON's YouTube creators and their video production, this dissertation explored female digital labor by interrogating gender, ethnicity, bodies, and power to address two interconnected elements situated particularly in the YouTube vlogosphere: beauty and entrepreneurship. The study's key research questions asked: In the transnational world of digital employment, what are the material and ideological complexities of beauty YouTubers' experiences? And how do YouTubers interpret their technical production, their beauty ideologies, their power, their authenticity, and the material outcomes of their production for themselves and others? Following an analysis of ICON as a company, interviews with its management and video creators, and its video products, the case study's findings reveal that while ICON recruits beauty creators to market on behalf of its retail partners, the creators see themselves as entrepreneurs who negotiate their own stances regarding their beauty ideals, user-generated content, (post)feminisms, and online authenticity.

Background: The following thesis explores the use of UGC pictures as part of the product presentation in the online shop of a fashion retailer. Of interest are four variables and which influence these are having on the perception of the UGC pictures through the lens of authenticity. The theoretical background and the analysis are done through a developed model based on the SOR model of Mehrabian and Russell (1974). Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to gain deeper insights about the role of authenticity on the perception of consumers towards UGC pictures which are part of the product presentation of a fashion online shop. Method: This thesis follows a qualitative study by conducting two focus group sessions with in total 15 participants, as well as semi-structured interviews with four participants of the focus group. Findings: Resulting from the findings of this thesis it could be argued, that UGC pictures would be theoretically well suited as part of the product presentation. However, not in terms of authenticity, as consumers have an existing attitude towards content from social media. Value: The findings of this thesis are providing valuable insights into the perception of UGC pictures in the context of an online shopping setting through the lens of authenticity. The presented findings are beneficial and are giving tangible advice for online shop providers to not only understand the perception of consumers to the UGC pictures but also how authenticity is influencing this perception.

This thesis explores the subject of stillness: specifically the stillness that occurs in the midst of movement, turbulence or chaos. It is found in the midst of movement and can also be conceived as that which frames, or holds all movement. A principal focus of the thesis is to distinguish the therapeutic value of this stillness.The research methodology is hermeneutic phenomenology. Within this framework a choreographed dance work and written exegesis comprise and are equal parts of the whole. The choreography for the dance work employs a neo-classical-contemporary technique particular to the choreographer. A story and a journey are presented - providing a vehicle for the central theme of the thesis - stillness within movement, to be best elucidated. A Christo-centric philosophy and worldview are ground of the work.The dance work is choreographed on and presented by four dancers. These four dancers and four 'watchers' are the research participants. As the dance work evolved it was presented 'in process' and the participants interviewed subsequent to the showings. These interviews were not psychotherapy sessions, so data about interventions, process and outcome does not appear. Rather information was sought about the essence of the danced / watched experience, with particular attention being given to the felt experience of stillness. Data gained from these interviews constitutes the findings of the research.The findings show that the particular stillness exampled in this dance work is therapeutic, and therapeutic experience for the individual participants was realised. The data suggests the stillness was experienced in a number of different ways.These include: a personal relationship with chaos, the significance of relationship with each other, the particular relevance of design and time in the individual's life, the meaning of authenticity, the relevance and meaningfulness of symbolism, and the personal understanding of awareness, focus and release.This research shows that we who are psychotherapy clients, practitioners, and people of all walks would greatly benefit through including into daily life this 'stillness immanent within movement.'

This thesis explores the past and current roles that female bluegrass musicians achieve within the music industry in the United States. Using sociological concepts by Judith Butler, Simon Frith, Mavis Bayton, and, importantly, Thomas Turino’s ideas of participatory and communal versus performative and individual, I demonstrate women’s complex musical, social, and cultural positions in bluegrass culture. While women continue to make strides in achieving recognition in the bluegrass genre, society still hinders them from finding complete acceptance alongside male musicians. As bluegrass music is based on patriarchal foundations set by its creator, Bill Monroe of the Blue Grass Boys, female bluegrass musicians constantly struggle to variously actualize and resist this gendered model. Even as bluegrass women achieve success through manipulation of the traditional rules set before them, they continue to struggle against patriarchal foundations and women’s historical association with the voice. Through historical research, personal observations, and in-depth interviews with three female bluegrass musicians, I show that even as these women find acceptance within their own bands, they recognize the unequal musical acknowledgement they receive. With regard to communal and individual performance realms, women, unlike men, have trouble fulfilling positions in both areas. In order to achieve success, some bluegrass women embrace their sexuality and present an overtly feminine image to their audiences. Notions of tradition, authenticity and hybridity help frame my discussion of women’s roles. While the power of tradition and authenticity hinder women’s progress in the genre, concepts of hybridity allow them to branch out from conventions set down by first generation male bluegrass performers like Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers.

The aim of this master thesis is to contribute to a deeper understanding of women’s experiences in regard to menstrually related suffering. These particular experiences are examined in relation to notions of normality and authenticity. The study designed for this purpose is based on the life world of women in order to explore these ideas. The visceral signs originating from within the body are generally understood to be undetectable when working properly. Such is not the case for many women who menstruate. The cyclical change in physical and mental states associated with the menstrual cycle provide an opportunity to study how going in and out of different ways of being in the world influence human experience. Thematic interviews were conducted asking ten women living in Sweden to share their experiences of suffering related to the menstrual cycle. A phenomenological approach with focus on the body was used to study how changing ways of being in the world contribute to the construction of illness and health. Beginning with discussions about their experiences of suffering revealed that women thought in terms of when they felt like themselves and when they did not. Organization of time was interrelated with how women understood their experiences. Emphasizing recurring negative experiences lead to contemplation about causes of suffering and comparison of different states of being. The lack of ‘one’s selfness’ due to what is commonly referred to as PMS represents the dilemma these women describe. The need to have control over the outward representation of one’s self is discussed in light of different medical technologies like SSRI antidepressant use and hormonal therapies which revealed that women saw the origins of their suffering to be a product of society but tightly connected to their identity as women and were not willing to be without a menstrual cycle. Phenomenological ideas about embodiment were used to understand how suffering was seen both as a sign of health and as a part of the self.

Examining an Atlanta area Tibetan Buddhist center as a symbolic and imagined borderland space, I investigate the ways that meaning is created through competing narratives of spirituality and “culture.” Drawing from theories of borderlands, cross-cultural interaction, narratives, authenticity and material culture, I analyze the ways that non-Tibetan community members of the Drepung Loseling center navigate through the interplay of culture and spirituality and how this interaction plays into larger discussions of cultural adaptation, appropriation and representation. Although this particular Tibetan Buddhist center is only a small part of Buddhism’s existence in the United States today, discourses on authenticity, representation and mediated understanding at the Drepung Loseling center provide an example of how ethnic, social, and national boundaries may be negotiated through competing – and overlapping – narratives of culture.

Enligt tidigare forskning grundas gott ledarskap på förmågan att motivera, sätta upp mål och fatta kompetenta beslut (Bass, Riggio och Mahwah, 2006). Gott ledarskap grundas även på aktiv kommunikation och balanserade informationsflöden (Avolio, Gardner, Peterson, Wernsing & Walumbwa, 2008). Utan effektiv kommunikation är ledarskap i huvudsak irrelevant och kommunikation är som mest effektiv när den leder till delad förståelse (Neufeld, Wan & Fang, 2010; Chidambaram & Jones, 1993). Syftet med den här studien är att belysa fenomenet ledarskap och kommunikation från ett aktivt vardagligt perspektiv. Studien undersöker ledarskap och ledarskapets kommunikation med medarbetare genom en kvalitativ intervjustudie baserat på femton intervjuer med ledare, följt av en tematisk analys. Det undersökta fenomenet återspeglar ledarskap genom medvetenhet och ledarskapets kommunikation genom autenticitet. Studien beskriver ledares uppdrag, tydlighet och uppriktighet i kommunikation, fostran av positiv kultur genom engagemang och värdeskapande och vikten av förtroende och insikt i relationer. I studien diskuteras resultatet med tidigare forskning. Bland annat förs en diskussion om ledares starkare identifikation med organisatoriska värden jämfört med personliga värderingar. En slutsats som studien reflekterar över är betydelsen av att noggrant identifiera förväntningar och kommunicera dem uppriktighet med lyhördhet gentemot medarbetare. / According to previous research strong leadership is based on the ability to motivate, set goals and make competent decisions (Bass, Riggio and Mahwah, 2006). Good leadership is also based on active communication and balanced information flows (Avolio, Gardner, Peterson, Wernsing & Walumbwa, 2008). Without effective communication, leadership is essentially irrelevant and communication is most effective when it leads to shared understanding (Neufeld, Wan & Fang, 2010; Chidambaram & Jones, 1993). The purpose of this study is to highlight the phenomenon of leadership and communication from an everyday perspective. The study examines leadership and leadership communication with employees through a qualitative study based on fifteen interviews with leaders, followed by a thematic analysis. The investigated phenomenon reflects leadership through awareness and leadership communication through authenticity. The study describes the leader's assignment, clarity and sincerity in communication, nurturing of positive culture through engagement and creating value, and the importance of trust and insight in relationships. The study discusses the results with previous research. Furthermore, it discusses a stronger identification combined with organizational values compared to personal values. One conclusion that the study reflect upon is the importance of accurate identification of expectations and to communicate them with sincerity and sensitivity towards employees.

Social anxiety is associated with an unusually high level of negative affect, yet little is known about the strategies used by socially anxious individuals to manage and regulate their emotions. The present research examined differences in trait and state levels of expressive emotion suppression in high- and low- socially anxious participants, and explored possible causes and consequences of such suppression across two studies. Using self-reports of trait-like characteristics, Study 1 examined a theoretical model positing that individuals high in social anxiety would report greater emotion suppression than those low in social anxiety; and that authenticity, in turn, would predict diminished well-being. Study 2 used self-report measures administered following a brief social interaction in the laboratory to examine group differences in state-like emotion suppression and the effects of such differences on situational authenticity. Additionally, Study 2 investigated the contributions of state negative affect and acceptance of mood to help explain possible increases in emotion suppression in socially anxious participants. The results of Study 1 supported the hypothesis that diminished well-being in individuals with social anxiety is partially accounted for by low authenticity, which, in turn, is partially accounted for by high emotion suppression. Study 2 revealed that socially anxious participants suppressed their emotions more, and felt less authentic than, controls during the social interaction. However, state negative affect and acceptance of mood did not significantly mediate the relationship between group status and state-like emotion suppression. Implications of the present findings are discussed in terms of contemporary cognitive-behavioural theory and treatment, with indications for future directions for research.