This thesis employed semi-structured interviews to explore how a sample of Canadian men articulate their beliefs and experiences of masculine identity in the context of a contemporary crisis of hegemonic masculinity. Participants included four men from the conservative Christian organization, the Promise Keepers, with three other men as comparison. Participants discussed the traditional importance of men's roles as breadwinners and leaders in their families, and complementary roles for wives as homemakers and primary caregivers for children. They also acknowledged pressures for men to adapt in response to contemporary challenges to hegemonic masculinity. Responses included attempts to reinstate patriarchal forms of masculinity, to redefine masculinity, and to abandon it altogether in favour of more egalitarian gender roles. These findings support Connell's claim that hegemonic masculinity is threatened by changes in relations of production, power and cathexis, and show how men are seeking to adapt in response to these.

In light of the growing TV industry in Sweden competition is intensified. Production companies have increased in number and public service has gone through major organizational changes in order to adapt to the new market conditions. Stockholm is the major cluster for TV production. As a consequence production firms are located there. The thesis reveals that competition has risen and a certain trend of specialization has taken place. The Swedish public television provider has increased its collaboration with other production companies and also exports its own formats. As quality plays a crucial part in TV production it is relevant to understand the stakeholders and their definition of the concept of quality in relation to production and what role it plays in the interconnection between the decision makers and the creators. This thesis addresses two subjects. First the geographic nature of the Swedish TV industry: Its location, district and the network within the Stockholm region. Second the concept of quality and how the different stakeholders’ within the Stockholm region define quality in TV production. Using qualitative interviews similarities and differences in the concept of quality were discovered. The major differences are related to stakeholders’ relation to the cultural and economic spheres. Two formats were singled out for comparison: Reality shows and TV-series (all genres).  Firstly gate-keepers definitions in relation to formats and genres are analyzed through interviews. Secondly a participatory observation of the Swedish drama series Real Humans was conducted. By observing and interacting with the production and those involved the concept of quality is addressed in the creative context. I argue that there are similarities in the conceptualization of quality between different stakeholders but differences when prioritizing and crafting quality. Hence there is a complexity in the definition within TV-production which is identified and discussed in this thesis. / quality, TV-industry, gate-keeper, network

The historical survey of social movements in the United States reveals that the movement is a rhetorical ground occupied by groups who have been marginalized by society. Today, however, the distinctions between those who are marginalized and those who are part of the establishment have become difficult to distinguish. This study considers the emergence of Promise Keepers, an all-male social movement, and the rhetorical themes that emerge from the group. This study identifies five rhetorical themes in Promise Keepers. These themes include asserting authority of men in the home and church, the creation of a new male identity, sports and war rhetoric, political rhetoric, and racial reconciliation. The implications of these themes are considered from a critical perspective and areas for future research are provided.

This dissertation explores the role of masculinity as a component of social formation. Although research on masculinity has increased considerably since the early 1990s, the topic remains ill-defined and poorly explored. Scholars from a variety of disciplines have only been able to offer a limited amount of theoretical and practical insight on the subject primarily because masculinity has too often been conceptualized as a homogenous foundation that undergirds all social formation. Contrary to these perspectives, I suggest that masculine identities do not emerge from any single category, but rather, are constituted and reflected through a complex coherence of cultural and historical markers coming together to produce particular meanings. More specifically, I feature style as the most theoretically and politically useful grounding category capable of explaining these complex configurations. Style uses all the aesthetic dimensions of public presentation including dress, trappings, grooming, posture, body shape, stance, and voice and vocabulary to offer a clearer and more accurate answer to how identities come together in a struggled over, contested, and dynamic way and a more clear and accurate explanation for why reductive and overly homogeneous characterizations of identity are inaccurate and untenable. Utilizing style as a rhetoric, theory, and method, I analyze two case studies – the evangelical men’s movement Promise Keepers and the Presidential Style – to demonstrate how identity functions as a form of social style with important theoretical and political implications. Thus, this dissertation maps intersecting territories of masculinity, but also femininity, class, sexual orientation, and ethnic and racial identities in a way that illuminates how identity reinforces and coheres around particular stylistic markers. / text

Thesis (M.S.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 26, 2005). Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Martin Frick. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-42).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-110). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-110). Also available on the Internet.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research enquires how family farmers who are part of the Association of Creole Seed keepers of Ibarama, RS, rescue their traditional knowledge about the production of the creole corn seed, and how these farmers learn the production's techniques, through institutions that develop agricultural education activities, such as the Federal University of Santa Maria. The research also intends to investigate how this rescue process of knowledge and construction of the knowledge interfere in the organization of the units of production and reproduction of the family farming and the way of life of these individuals. To answer its objectives, the research shows that a qualitative approach, was developed through participatory research, therefore, the research count on a methodological hybrid focused in observation and semi-structured interviews that were realized with participating farmers of the association, the technical of the institutions EMATER and UFSM and also the current priest of the local Catholic church. After the interviews, we can understand how the development of the formalization of the Association was built, what are its achievements, limits and future prospects, as well as is possible to observe the role of the Federal University of Santa Maria as a partner in the Association's activities. Finally, highlights the important role of the Association front the society, with the conservation and rescue of the creole seeds, for this to be an act of valuing life and traditional knowledge. / A presente pesquisa, indaga sobre como os agricultores familiares que fazem parte da Associação de Guardiões das Sementes Crioulas de Ibarama, RS, resgatam seus saberes tradicionais sobre a produção de cultivares de milho crioulo e como esses mesmos agricultores apreendem as técnicas de produção, através de instituições que desenvolvem atividades de educação agrícola, como por exemplo, a Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. A pesquisa também pretende investigar como este processo de resgate de saberes e construção de conhecimento interferem na organização das unidades de produção e reprodução da agricultura familiar e na forma de vida desses sujeitos. Para atender aos seus objetivos a investigação, que apresenta uma abordagem qualitativa, foi desenvolvida através de pesquisa participante, portanto a pesquisa conta com um hibrido metodológico centrado na observação e em entrevistas semi-estruturadas que foram realizadas com os agricultores participantes da associação, técnicos das instituições EMATER e UFSM e também ao atual pároco da igreja católica local. Após as entrevistas pode-se conhecer como se deu o desenvolvimento da formalização da Associação, quais são suas conquistas, limites e perspectivas futuras, bem como se pode observar o papel da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria como parceira nas atividades da Associação. Por fim, evidencia-se o importante papel da Associação frente a sociedade, com a conservação e resgate das cultivares crioulas, por constituir-se este um ato de valorização da vida e dos saberes tradicionais.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka vilka berättarkomponenter som skaparna av The Keepers använder i serien, hur de fungerar tillsammans och hur de möjliggör ett långt dokumentärt berättande. För att komma fram till ett resultat har vi gjort en narrativ analys och en visuell narrativ analys med hjälp av teorier som diskuterar filmatiseringar, animationer, modus och dramaturgi. Resultatet visade att kombinationen av ett klassiskt dramaturgiskt berättande tillsammans med moderna berättarkomponenter i The Keepers skapar spänning och engagerar tittaren i det långa berättandet. Kombinationen av berättarkomponenterna gör att avsnitten hänger ihop väl och leder tittaren framåt genom alla sju avsnitt och serien.

This thesis investigates the seven promises of the Promise Keepers movement using the rhetorical criticism method of fantasy theme analysis. In order to understand this movement, four research questions guided the study: ( 1) What common themes are embedded in the rhetoric of the Promise Keepers? (2) What is the rhetorical vision promoted by the Promise Keepers movement? (3) What makes the vision of the Promise Keepers movement so persuasive to so many Christian men in America? (4) Based on an examination of the rhetoric of the Promise Keepers movement, what can be ascertained about the motives of the movement?" In order to answer these questions, a rhetorical analysis was conducted on the primary literature of the movement. The analysis indicated that the Promise Keepers are trying to transform America into a Christian nation. The Promise Keepers believe that change can be brought about if men follow the movement's seven promises for Christian living. Through these promises, the movement emphasizes a patriarchal view of men in society. In addition, the analysis of the movement's rhetoric suggests that the Promise Keepers are not interested in political change, but moral change through the lives of individual men.