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This dissertation is an exploratory study aimed at empirically identifying and examining manifestations of communication barriers in the South African National Defence Force. A convergence model of communication is presented, describing the stages involved when individuals share the same information. The convergence model of communication delineates the relationship among the physical, psychological, and social aspects of communication. Two complementary theorems deduced by Kincaid (1988) from the convergence principle and the basic cybernetic process involved in information processing are applied in the analyses. The theorems specify the conditions under which intercultural communication will lead to convergence between members of different cultures involved. An empirically testable model was developed to collect information about possible communication barriers. The barriers are an indication of the restrictions on communication in the system and therefore indicate the possibility of restricting cultural convergence. / Communication / M.A. (Communication)

The purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate how five Swedish university libraries use Facebook and Twitter. The paper is intended to determine what reasons there are for university libraries to use social media, what information they intended to convey through them, and whether different media was used for different purposes. The libraries idea of how they used social media is then correlated to the information published and how the libraries communicated through Facebook and Twitter. The theoretical framework consists of the base and convergence model of communication and Gummessons relationship marketing theory. The method contained four different parts; an examination of the library's Facebook and Twitter profiles, a web survey, a qualitative content analysis of the libraries published Facebook and Twitter posts during the fall semester 2015 and a content analysis of the library's media policies. The results of the survey shows that the libraries use Twitter and Facebook for different purposes. Facebook was used primarily to promote the university libraries as well as to communicate with and build relationships towards the users. Twitter, on the other hand, was used to communicate with researchers and external monitoring. The content analysis showed that university libraries have an overall accurate idea of how they published material on social media but lacked de- tailed knowledge. The libraries also exhibit a lack of an strategy of how they should advertise through social media and how to initiate a two-way communication with their users. The analysis revealed that the libraries contact attempts over Facebook and Twitter primarily results in one-way communication. Passive user feedback, like Fa- cebook likes and web traffic, were common whereas active user feedback as comments and private messages were rare. University libraries seemed perplexed of the reasons behind the target groups' communicative disinterest and appeared unsure of how to respond. The author draws conclusions concerning the university libraries attitude towards marketing and communi- cation through social media. The analysis shows that academic libraries seems to consider marketing synonymous with providing information about the library resources. Such a mindset might set limits to the libraries marketing strategies and restrict innovative thinking about how social media can be used for public relations. Libraries also seem to want to establish a dialogue with their users, but what kind of communication the dialogue should consist of and what subjects it should contain seem to be unclear to them. The thesis ends with a discussion about how university libraries can use relationship marketing, social media etiquette and brand development for strategic marketing and to engage the library users on social media.

Amid the 2011 Arab Revolts, and the subsequent worldwide Occupy movement, social movement scholars faced sudden, powerful mass mobilisations without easily identifiable resources, networks, or forms of organisation underlying them. These instances of mobilisation beyond the scope of what we traditionally consider ‘the movement’ have stretched existing theories of social movements to their limits, defying both conventional theoretical frameworks and existing approaches. This work undertakes a novel analysis of mobilisation which accounts for these new, disruptive cases. It advances the concept of Affinity: a predisposition to participate in certain causes based on social or psychological traits. Alongside this concept, it outlines conditions of Convergence: emergent situations, frames and spaces which encourage those with such Affinity to temporarily participate in mass mobilisations. These two concepts are advanced and developed through a study of the 2011 Egyptian Revolt and Occupy Wall Street movement, alongside the classic case of the 1789 French Revolution. These cases are analysed in comparative perspective to develop a powerful analytical tool with which scholars can augment conventional analyses: The Affinity-Convergence Model of Mobilisation.

This dissertation is an exploratory study aimed at empirically identifying and examining manifestations of communication barriers in the South African National Defence Force. A convergence model of communication is presented, describing the stages involved when individuals share the same information. The convergence model of communication delineates the relationship among the physical, psychological, and social aspects of communication. Two complementary theorems deduced by Kincaid (1988) from the convergence principle and the basic cybernetic process involved in information processing are applied in the analyses. The theorems specify the conditions under which intercultural communication will lead to convergence between members of different cultures involved. An empirically testable model was developed to collect information about possible communication barriers. The barriers are an indication of the restrictions on communication in the system and therefore indicate the possibility of restricting cultural convergence. / Communication / M.A. (Communication)