This study examined contextual influences on the relationship between peer norms for condom use and risky sexual behavior among African-American men who have sex with men. Analyses assessed the moderating effects of socio-demographic, socio-contextual, and health-related variables. One thousand forty African-American men, who have sex with men, ages 17 to 25 years, were surveyed as part of the Community Intervention Trial for Youth (CITY) from 1999 to 2002 in Atlanta, Georgia. Findings supported the hypothesis that participants who engaged in unprotected insertive anal intercourse, socio-contextual variables moderated the relationship between peer norms and risky sexual behavior. Findings also supported the hypothesis that participants who engaged in unprotected receptive anal intercourse, both socio-demographic variables and a health variable moderated the relationship between peer norms and risky sexual behavior. Findings have implications for intervention, policy, and research, including a need for interventions that recognize the contexts of influence that shape African-American MSM sexual behavior and that support norms for consistent condom use in both steady and casual sexual relationships.

In public relations, minority public relations practitioners are feeling left behind by the profession (Ford & Appelbaum, 2005). Where do top executives stand on employment diversity within their organizations? An online survey of 20 top executives of small-sized public relations agencies explored how top executives’ perceptions of and normative beliefs about diversity practices were related to their future engagement in diversity practices at work. Based on the theory of reasoned action, this explanatory study found that executives’ perceptions of peer endorsement of diversity were associated with greater intention of organizational engagement in diversity practices. Neither perceived benefits of nor perceived concerns about diversity were related to future engagement. Recommendations for contacting this hard-to-reach audience, as well as suggestions for promoting diversity practices among top executives, were discussed.

Title: Digital christmas greetings - the viral communicators, public sphere and democracy(Digitala julhälsningar - de virala kommuniktörerna, offentligheten och demokratin)Number of pages: 41Author : Anna-Sara TorgnysdotterTutor: Ylva EkströmCourse : Media and Communication Studies DPeriod: Spring, semester 2010University: Devision of Media and Communications, Department of Information Science,Uppsala UniversityPurpose: The purpose of this study is to see if social media could be an arena for the usersto increase democracy and the public sphere. Studying the role and possibilitys of the individual.Is there a space for any one to act and debate?Method: A qualitative analysis based on interviews with ten users of social media - viralcommunicators. They were discussing public and private sphere, democracy, norms andbehavior in social media.Theoretical platform: The theoretical basis has its roots in sociology: Ervin Goffman´sidea on self-presentation and social interaction, Manuel Castels´ theories of the networksociety and Jürgen Habermas idea of the public spehere.Main result: The viral communicators are ambivalent in their use of socialmedia. They are users because they want to be but also because they feel forced to - professionalor private. Their primary aim in communicating in social media could summarize“self-expression”.The users of social media talks contradictivly about their feelings wheter they feel safe orunsafe in the social media situation.They talk about lacking time to debate on the internet and they feel confused about what´sprivate and whats public.Social norms and unwritten laws rules communication in social media and the loosening inpublic and private sphere creates confusion about to whom and where you communicate.This results in avoiding messages that might offend or harass. Because the viral communicatorscommunicate with a broad group of people, including every one - from your cousin toyour boss - there is a vague idea of the tolerance from the target audiences and therefor themessages tend to be very conservative and safe.The viral communicator uses that public arena the social media offers like traditional postcards. A christmas greeting to keep in touch and stress their prosperity and wellbeing.Keywords : Social media, viral communication, Habermas, Goffman, Castells, publicsphere, private sphere, social norms, unwritten laws

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Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur tjejer på gymnasiet upplever könsnormativa förväntningar gällande skönhetsideal samt utbildnings- och yrkesval. Vidare vill vi undersöka om och hur dessa upplevelser är förbundna och relaterar till varandra. För att besvara vårt syfte har vi genomfört en kvalitativ intervjumetodik där vi har intervjuat sex tjejer som går tredje året på gymnasiet i ett studieförberedande program. Vi har även valt att presentera relevant forskning och litteratur inom ämnet. I studien fann vi att tjejerna inte upplevde de könsnormativa förväntningarna gällande både skönhetsideal samt utbildnings- och yrkesval som ett krav utan tjejerna valde att följa dessa förväntningar på grund av de medföljande förmånerna. Tjejerna upplevde även att de könsnormativa förväntningarna skapade en samhörighetskänsla bland tjejer. Upplevelser gällande skönhetsideal samt utbildnings- och yrkesval är förbundna genom att det finns könsnormativa förväntningar för båda som tjejerna följer. Förväntningarna gällande båda relaterar till varandra på så sätt att de är förknippade med femininitet och den kvinnliga rollen. / The purpose with this studie is to examine how girls in high school perceive gender related expectations of beauty ideals and gender related expectations regarding choice of education and occupation. Furtheron we want to study if and how these expectations are connected and associated with each other. To answer the purpose of the study we have implemented a qualitative method of interviewing where we have interviewed six girls in their third year on a study preparatory program in high school. We have also chosen to present relevant research and litterature on the subject. I the study we found that the girls did not perceive the gender related expectations regarding both beauty ideals and for choice of education and occupation as demands. The girls chose to follow these expectations because of the benefits they generate. The girls also perceieved that the gender related expectations create a sense of belonging among girls. Perceptions regarding both beauty ideals and educational and occupational choice are connected by both implying gender related expectations which the girls follow. The expectations considering both relate to each other by being connected with femininity and the female role.

The purpose of my study was to find out how staff in after-school activities thinks they work with norms and values, we may call this values education, and how this in turn may influence children's norms and values. By extension, how children are socialized with each other and develop socially. In my research, I have interviewed five of the after-school activities staff who work with children aged 6-9 years at a school in the neighbourhood Rinkeby-Kista in northwestern Stockholm.The results show that after-school activity according to the staff can play a very important and sometimes crucial role in children's social development. Staff believes that if they do not learn the social rules by participating in playing and games in early childhood, when growing up they are outside and cannot participate. By their pedagogical approaches, in terms of values and norms, the adults in after-school activities can help children to become socialized into a community of solidarity and eventually as adults become responsible citizens able to function and participate in society.

Abstract This study used an exploratory research focus to investigate if making electricity consumption public and subject to social norms and networks resulted in consumption decreases for households in Milton, Ontario. In the first phase, Milton Hydro identified customers who fell within an average annual electricity consumption category and these customers were invited to participate by mail. Due to lack of participant uptake, cold-calling, targeting of service and faith groups and commuters, and snowball sampling were employed to obtain a total participant size of 17. The second phase saw participants grouped according to social network type (occupational, faith group, etc) and exposed to approval or disapproval indicators within their group about their daily electricity consumption rates via an on-line ‘energy pool’. There were five main groups: one of neighbours, one of members of a faith group, one of members of a company, one of strangers and one of a control group. Group members saw other members’ indicators with the exception of the control group, whose indicators were privately delivered. All group’s electricity consumption was tracked through daily smart meter readings. Participants also had the option of commenting on each other’s electricity use via an online ‘comment box’. In the third phase participants were asked to participate in a questionnaire to assess: 1) the perceived efficacy of the intervention; 2) perceptions of electricity consumption; and 3) the influence of the group on these perceptions. This sequential methodology was chosen for its ability to “...explain significant (or non-significant) results, outlier results, or surprising results” (Cresswell, 2006, p. 72). The findings of this exploratory research seem to suggest the following: 1) that publicity or group type does not seem to affect electricity consumption in comparative electricity consumption feedback for this study; 2) that participants used injunctive norms to comment on their electricity consumption but directed these comments solely at themselves; and 3) that the stronger the relationships in the group, the more likely participants were to engage with the website through checking it and commenting on it. This study may be useful to those in the fields of: 1) electricity conservation who wish to leverage feedback technologies; 2) social networks who wish to better understand how tie strength interacts with social norms and; 3) those in social marketing who wish to develop norm-based campaigns.

Adoption är ett av många sätt att bilda familj på, dock är det inte så vanligt i vårt samhälle. Då adoption inte är vanligt förekommande finns det inte heller mycket kunskap kring adoptionsprocessen därför har vårt syfte varit att undersöka vilka emotioner som uppkommer i adoptionsprocessen och hur dessa bearbetas både inom individen och i en gemenskap. Vårt syfte var att undersöka hur paren och den enskilda individen hanterar emotionerna som uppkommer i adoptionsprocessen men även hur normerna påverkar synen på adoptivföräldrar. Därefter ville vi även se hur den enskilda individen kunde genomgå denna process och om föräldragruppen hade någon betydelse. För att ta reda på detta utförde vi fyra solidariska intervjuer med fyra olika par som ingick i samma föräldragrupp. Materialet analyserades utifrån tre teoretiska utgångspunkter, normer enligt M. Foucualt, T. Scheffs begrepp skam och stolthet samt S. Freuds försvarsmekanismer. Med hjälp av dessa teorier kom vi fram till att adoption som familjebildning ses som normbrytande då dessa föräldrar väljer att inte skaffa biologiska barn, vårt resultat visade även att föräldrarna använde sig av försvarsmekanismer för att försvara sig mot ångest och depressiva känslor i olika delar av adoptionsprocessen samt att föräldragruppen hade en stor betydelse. / Adoption is one of many ways to start a family on, however, it’s not so common in our society. When adoption is not usual, there is not much knowledge about the adoption process, therefore our aim was to explore the emotions that arise in the adoption process and how they are processed in both the individual and in the affinity. Our aim was to examine how the pairs and the individual dealing with emotions that arise in the adoption process, but also how the norms affect the view of adoptive parents. Then we wanted to see how the individual could go through the adoption process and if the parent group was important. We have performed four interviews with four couples that was part of the same parent group. The materials were analyzed according to three theoretical points, norms according to M. Foucault, T. Scheffs concept of shame and pride and S. Freuds defense mechanisms. By using these theories we concluded that adoption as a family formation is seen as norm-breaking, when the parents choose not to have biological children, our results also showed that parents used the defense to defend against anxiety and depressive feelings in different parts of the adoption process and that the parents' group had a significant impact.

Studien handlar om heteronormativitet i grundskolans sex- och samlevnadsundervisning. Heteronormativitet är antagandet om att det enda rätta och normala är att vara heterosexuell. Normer finns överallt i olika kulturer och grupper, heteronormen är en ledande och övergripande norm i vårt samhälle. I skolan kan svårigheter uppstå för de elever som på något sätt avviker från heteronormen. Svenska lärarutbildningar berör ämnet sex och samlevnad i mycket begränsad utsträckning vilket kan medföra att lärare inte har den kunskap som krävs för att undervisa i ämnet. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur niondeklassare uppfattar att heteronormen behandlas i sex- och samlevnadsundervisningen. För att ta reda på elevernas egna uppfattningar och åsikter kring undervisningen konstruerades en enkät som besvarades utav 194 elever i årskurs nio vid fyra olika grundskolor i Skåne. Resultatet visar att de elever som har fått vara delaktiga i upplägget av sex- och samlevnadsundervisningen i större utsträckning har lärt sig något nytt/betydande och fått mer information om deras rättigheter och skyldigheter rörande sexualitet. Det framkommer även att undervisningen har ett patogent och preventivt fokus och lägger mycket vikt vid könssjukdomar och preventivmedel. Fokus ligger till stor del på sex, och samlevnadsdelen hamnar i skymundan. Eleverna uttrycker i egna ord att lärarna verkar tycka att ämnet är genant och att undervisningen fokuserar på saker som eleverna redan vet. De uttrycker även att de skulle vilja ha mer undervisning om sexuella läggningar. Slutsatser som kan dras av studien är att det finns en antydan till att skolans sex- och samlevnadsundervisning är heteronormativ och utgår i hög grad från det heterosexuella samhället. Ofta berörs andra sexuella läggningar än heterosexuell som problemfrågor. / Our study is about heteronormativity in the elementary schools sex education. Heteronormativity is the assumption that the only right and normal way to be is heterosexual. Norms exists everywhere across cultures and groups. Heteronormativity is a leading and global norm in our society. Problems can arise for those students who in any way deviate from the heterosexual norm. Teacher education in Sweden involve sex and social life in a very limited extent. This may mean that teachers do not have the skills that are necessary to teach the subject. The aim of our study was to investigate how ninth graders perceive that heteronormativity is treated in the sex education. To find out the students' own perceptions and opinions about teaching, a questionnaire was constructed that was answered out of 194 students in ninth grade at four different elementary schools in Skåne. The results showed that students who had been involved in the arrangement of sex education to a greater extent have learned something new / substantial and have learned more about their rights and obligations relating to sexuality. It also reveals that the education has a pathogenic and preventive focus, and puts much emphasis on sexually transmitted diseases and contraceptives. The focus is largely on sex, the part about relationships and social life remain in the background. The students express in their own words that the teachers seem to think the topic is embarrassing and that teaching is focused on things that students already know. They also express their wish for more education about sexual orientations. Conclusions that can be drawn from this study suggest that the school's sex education is heteronormative and assumes much of the heterosexual community. Furthermore it often involves other sexual orientations as problem areas.

The thesis makes a constructivist criticism of neo-realism&rsquo / s particular conceptualization of state through a comparative analysis of Turkey&rsquo / s five motions (2003-2007) on military involvement in Iraq. Firstly, neo-realism and constructivism with regards to the concept of state are explored. Then, through the lights of the theoretical discussion, Turkey&rsquo / s five military motions are examined. In the case study, parliamentary minutes are used as the primary historical evidences. In the parliamentary discussions, three themes appeared significant-&ldquo / institutional identity&rdquo / , &ldquo / legitimacy&rdquo / and &ldquo / interest&rdquo / - which provided the ground for a constructivist criticism of neo-realist understanding of state. These three themes obtained from the discussions are tapped under four major topics which have been the main issues for the constructivists: &ldquo / agency&rdquo / , &ldquo / norms&rdquo / , &ldquo / identity&rdquo / and &ldquo / interest&rdquo / . Thesis argues that foreign policy behavior is a political product and &ldquo / state&rdquo / is a social actor whose behavior can only be understood from the social, cultural and historical context in which the state-society relations are embedded. Hence, for the purpose of making a structural analysis, separation of the domestic and the international realm of state is a fallacy with which neo-realism is badly plagued. Constructivism, on the other hand, has the potential to bridge this gap and understand the foreign policy behavior of states more accurately since it gives credence to the inner diversity of states through problematizing the ideational elements in foreign policy making and in international politics.