Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the influential factors on consumer attitude towards organic food in a rapid growing market and how the attitude influences consumer purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach – after reviewing relevant literatures, a research model was developed based on six hypotheses. The model was tested by conducting an online survey on Chinese consumers. Findings – Four out of six hypotheses were accepted. In specific, health consciousness, consumer knowledge and personal norms obviously showed their impacts on Chinese consumer attitude and the last hypothesis indicates the positive relationship between attitude and purchase intention. Originality/value – Since two hypotheses from the research model were rejected, a new model was developed which is particularly represented for Chinese market. Keywords - Consumer attitude, Organic food, Health, Consumer knowledge, Environmental, Norms, China, Purchase intention Paper type - Research paper

The purpose of this study is to examine discourses about norms and norm criticism regarding sex/gender and sexuality in preschool teachers’ and nursery nurses’ speech using a post-structuralist perspective. My two research questions are: How do the educators describe norms in general and norms about sex/gender and sexuality in relation to their work? How do the educators describe their work with norm criticism in relation to norms about sex/gender and sexuality? The theoretical base of this thesis is feminist post-structuralism and queer theory. Qualitative interviews were used as method to gather material and then a form of discourse analysis was made based on the transcribed interviews. Five preschool teachers and one nursery nurse participated in this study. Four of these educators work in two different open preschools, which are lgbtq-certified by RFSL, The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights, and two educators work in a preschool that explicitly say that they work with a norm criticism perspective.   In this study I found that the main discourses about norms were that they can be both positive and negative, but controlling and often invisible. Norms concerning sex/gender and sexuality were mainly described as limiting and narrow. The main discourses found about norm criticism were that it is a work without specific methods but that there are still norms concerning it. That norm criticism is about broadening the meanings of different norms and also, that how teachers talk and respond to children and parents affects them and how they understand and create themselves and others. The conclusions are that many discourses contradict each other in ways that are necessary. That the discourses mainly focused on educator’s and adult’s impact on children, and that norms which are perceived by the educators as dominant in society affect the educators discourses.

This study investigates the perceptions different groups of hearing impaired adults have of the difficulties experienced in the acquisition and retention of satisfactory employment. A societal reactions perspective is adopted: departures from 'standard' communicative competence which violate expected norms of interaction are heavily sanctioned in our society. Those who 'deviate' in this respect tend to be negatively categorised in a fairly uniform manner. Thus the mildly impaired suffer similar imputations of deviance as those more severely impaired, variations being of degree rather than of kind, Despite this common categorisation, however, the hearing impaired adopt differing strategies to deal with stigma according to their skill in achieving 'standard' communicative 'competencies'. The semi-closed field of employment was chosen as illustrative of my arguments, as the hearing impaired must contend daily with a hearing environment. Participant observation activities were combined with in-depth interviewing of fifty respondents, covering a diverse range of clinical loss, age of onset and communication skills. My major speculation was confirmed. Respondents, as a group, felt under-involved, if not totally segregated from participation in economic goals by the stereotyping and stigma reactions their handicap was perceived to elicit from work colleagues and employers. Outcomes, however differed according to skill in communicative performance, although the work setting constrained options overall for successful strategy management. Other findings include the power of informal labellers to instigate deviant outcomes; the situational and sequential nature of deviance defining; the legitimation of limitations extrinsic to a respondent's handicap as intrinsic, and their rationalisation as 'insuperable obstacles'; and adherence by respondents to the work ethic. An appreciation of the commonalities of the deviantising process as applied to different groups of the hearing impaired is a pre-requisite for suggested anti-discriminatory legislation: to proscribe overt stigmatising behaviour, and ultimately eradicate stigma's 'small beginnings' at the level of individual interaction.

Denna uppsats redovisar en studie av normer i interaktionsdesignen av svt.se, som ett exempel på en nyhetssida av public service-karaktär. Uppsatsen syftar till att undersöka och belysa sociala normer och hur de bäddas in i designen. Vi ville också undersöka och utvärdera metoder och ramverk för att studera webbplatser och dess interaktionsdesign som kulturella uttryck och bärare av sociala normer. För att belysa studiens syfte har vi använt oss av de riktlinjer för tillgänglighet i webbgränssnitt som SVT förhåller sig till i designen. Studien utgick från en multimodal analysmetod för webbplatser och grounded theory. Studien visade att svt.se erbjuder ett tillgängligt gränssnitt som följer de riktlinjer webbplatsen sägs förhålla sig till. Vi såg att det fanns en tydlig aktualitetsnorm där innehåll och design samverkar för att lyfta en aktuell händelse. Studien visade även att könsfördelningen på bilder på svt.se var jämn, men att bilder på icke-vita personer samt personer med funktionsvarianter var mindre förekommande. / In this essay we present a study of norms within interaction design. We have analyzied svt.se as an example of a news site with a public service duty. The essay aims so explore and highlight social norms and how they are embedded in the design. We also wanted to examine and evaluate methods and frameworks for studying websites as cultural expressions and carriers of social norms. To illustrate the purpose of the study, we have used guidelines for accessibility on web interfaces that SVT relate to in their website design. The study was based on a multimodal framework for analyzing websites and grounded theory. The study showed that svt.se provides an accessible interface that follows the guidelines the interface is said to relate to. We also saw a clear convention regarding how current events where depicted where both content and design interacted. The study also showed that the gender distribution on images on svt.se was even, but the images of non-white people and people with functional variants were less common.

This thesis compromise four studies, three regarding psychometrics and norms of parent rating scales, and one study regarding effectiveness of two different interventions. A normative sample consisting of 1443 parents with children aged 10 to 13 years old, was used in the Study I, II and III. In Study IV, 231 self-referred parents with children aged 10-13 years old with externalizing behavior problem (EBP) were randomized to either Family Check-Up (FCU) or iComet. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) used in Study I proved to be a reliable and valid instrument with high internal consistency, clear factor structure and high correlation with other similar instruments. In addition, the results support the online use of SDQ as well as using norms obtained through traditional administration even when the SDQ has been administrated online. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) investigated in Study II was shown to have adequate reliability and construct validity. The specific use of expressive suppression or cognitive reappraisal as a parental emotion regulation strategy was correlated as expected to the couple’s satisfaction, family warmth, and the employment of adequate discipline strategies. Swedish norms for self-rated ERQs are also presented. Study III investigated the Parental Knowledge and Monitoring Scale (PKMS), which was shown to be a useful instrument for assessing parental knowledge and its sources. Family climate appears to moderate important relationships between parental knowledge and conduct problems with implications for such things as family interventions. Finally, a person-oriented analysis was used in Study IV to subtype the children according to combinations of prosocial behavior and EBP, such as different levels of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and/or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) behaviors. Despite being a heterogeneous group of children with EBP, they were meaningfully grouped into significantly different profiles. Both FCU and iComet resulted in post-treatment measurement within non-clinical range for three of the five profiles. The two profiles that included high levels of ADHD behaviors at baseline assessment continued to have residual symptoms post intervention.

Den här kvalitativa textanalysstudien syftar till att undersöka vad det finns för ideal i samhället och vilka normer som motiverar dessa. Ur debatter på internet blottlägger jag samhällsideal om makt och politik och de normativa gränser som finns mellan privatliv, arbetsliv och svensk partipolitik. På så vis lyfter jag upp vad det är som upprör människor i Maxgate. Genom att visa vad som skapar den kollektiva upprördheten kommer det som tidigare var osynliga samhällsideal och normer i öppen dager. Studien syftar också till att visa på spänningar inom samhällsidealen och hur normer tolkas olika, men ändock beskrivs på samma sätt. För att ta mej an detta utgår jag från Durkheims moralsociologi, och hävdar att det finns en kollektiv moral, som har sin grund i samhälleliga ideal och normer. I analysen och diskussionen av materialet framgår det vilka samhällsideal och normer som aktualiseras i skandalen och hur dessa tolkas av de som skriver i debattkedjorna. En slutsats som kan dras av studien är att även om man ställer sej bakom idealen och normerna som framkommer i denna studie, är det inte säkert att man tolkar dem lika eller att man kommer atthandla på liknande sätt. / The purpose of this qualitative text analysis is to investigate the ideals of society, and the underlying norms. In web-based public debates social ideals concerning power and politics as well as the normative boundaries between private life, working life and Swedish party politics are made clear. Looking into said debates therefore makes it possible to see which aspects of “Maxgate” are upsetting to the public. By showing what creates the collective outrage, what was formerly invisible social ideals and norms can be revealed. This study also aims to cast light upon tensions within social ideals and how norms are interpreted differently, although described in the same way. The theoretical foundation of the study is Durkheim's sociology of morals, and I work on the supposition that there is a collective morale with a based on social ideals and norms. In the analysis and discussion of the material it is revealed which social ideals and norms are brought up in the scandal, and how these are interpreted by the participants in the debates. A conclusion that can be made from this study is that, although people endorse the ideals and norms investigated in the study, it is not given that they interpret them the same way, or that they would act similarly.

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka nyblivna föräldrars upplevelser rörande användandet av förlossningsbrev. Föräldrar intervjuade till denna studie valde att skriva eller inte skriva ett förlossningsbrev. Blivande föräldrar som valde att inte skriva ett förlossningsbrev gjorde detta på grund av att de ansåg att brevet skulle styra in dem i en specifik riktning, samt att det inte hjälper att försöka kontrollera något som är utom deras kontroll. Föräldrar som valde att skriva ett förlossningsbrev gjorde detta eftersom de hade specifika önskemål som frångick den norm som styr förlossningen. Även kvinnor som utryckt någon form av förlossningsrädsla valde att skriva ett förlossningsbrev. Under studiens gång har fokus även riktats mot att undersöka andra förberedelser inför förlossningen. Studiens resultat bygger på att förlossningsbrevet bidrar till att kvinnor ska få en mindre passiv roll i sin förlossning samt att partnern blir mer delaktig i förlossningsskedet. Förlossningsbrevet upprätthåller och bekräftar normen kring den ”normala” vaginala födseln, men bidrar även till att föräldrarna ska få styra och planera sin förlossning. Därför kan förlossningsbrevet ses som en användbar metod för föräldrar som vill förbereda och planera förlossningen, då de får en större delaktighet i förlossningsskedet. Förlossningsbrevet kan därför vara en användbar metod för blivande föräldrar som vill ha större kontroll och delaktighet under graviditet och förlossning. / This Bachelor Thesis discusses expectant parents' experiences regarding the use of a birth plan. Prospective parents who chose not to write a birth plan did so because they felt that the letter would steer them in a specific direction, and moreover, that trying to control something that is beyond their control won't help. Parents who chose to write a birth plan did so because they had specific requests that were not consistent with standard Swedish hospital practices. Those women who expressed any sort of fear of childbirth also chose to write a birth plan. During the study, the focus has also been aimed at exploring other preparations for childbirth. The essay's conclusion is that birth plans aid women in playing a less passive role during the birth process, as well as the partner becoming more involved in the birth. Birth plans maintain and reaffirm the norms surrounding "normal" vaginal birth, but also help parents to gain more control and plan childbirth on their own terms. A birth plan may therefore be a useful method for parents who want more control and involvement during both pregnancy and childbirth.

Il est difficile, en sociologie, de parler des problèmes éducatifs sans remettre sur le tapis les définitions de la socialisation, des normes et des valeurs; sans faire un détour sur le passé en rapport avec l’avenir; et sans questionner le rôle des sociologues dans la société. Notre travail vise à faire état des débats sur ces questions délicates, tout en proposant d’autres pistes pouvant alimenter la réflexion. Ainsi, à partir d’une étude de terrain avec des enfants du primaire, on essayera de mettre de l’avant ce qu’on appellera des problèmes culturels, dont la résolution est fonction de la capacité humaine d’innover. Le regard tourné vers les nuisances, pratiques nocives au développement de cette capacité, on s’interrogera sur les conditions de maintien de la vie sociale humaine. / Discussing educational problems in sociology is difficult without once again defining expressions such as « socialisation », « norms », « values » and without considering the relationships between the past and the future nor questioning the sociologists’ role in society. Our work intends to expose the debates regarding these delicate questions while suggesting other ideas that may further develop the reflection on that matter. Thus, through a field study involving primary school children, we shall bring forth what we label as cultural issues which solving depends on the human innovation capacity. Considering unwholesome practices hazardous to innovation’s development, we shall reflect upon the conditions for the safeguard of the human social life.

This study sought to investigate solitude as a phenomenon. People’s affinity for solitude and the antecedents of affinity for solitude were of crucial interest to the study because affinity for solitude has been considered a strong determinant of solitude behavior. Based on the review of existing solitude studies, major constructs believed to comprise an empirical model were theoretically and operationally defined: affinity for solitude, general attitudes toward solitude, subjective norms, perceived control, extraversion, intended solitude behavior, and actual solitude behavior. The relationships among latent factors were hypothesized for empirical tests. A questionnaire was designed to measure the above constructs. Several items were based on previous studies although several items were developed by the investigator. A total of 395 college students, 162 male and 233 female students completed an online survey in exchange for extra credit. Preliminary analysis indicated the internal consistency of the battery of measurement scales used in this study were highly reliable; the measurement test also provided empirical evidence of the construct validity of the developed measures. A test of the hypothesized model of people’s affinity for solitude revealed that there were well-defined path relationships between latent factors with a good fit between the measures and the sample data. Findings revealed that general attitudes toward solitude and subjective norms positively contributed to affinity for solitude; while extraversion negatively influenced affinity for solitude. Affinity for solitude effectively predicted intended solitude behavior and actual solitude behavior. Additionally, the study found that subjective norms and general attitudes toward solitude also significantly predicted intended solitude behavior. A model of people’s affinity for solitude and solitude behavior allowed us to analytically view the latent social and cognitive factors that significantly inform people’s affinity for solitude and their solitude behavior. This study is valuable in two ways. First, theoretical and empirical approaches derived from this current study suggest ways of conceptualizing solitude attitudes and behavior. Second, study findings account for the antecedents and consequences of affinity for solitude. Theoretical relations and several implications associated with college students and recreation management were presented. Additionally, the limitations of the study followed by suggestions for improvements and possible directions for future research were discussed.

There is a critical need for more studies to identify socio-ecological drivers that affect conservation and management of fire adapted ecosystems, yet studies that identify such variables and explore their interaction in specific systems are not only scarce but limited to only a few systems. Although information on the socio-ecological effects of prescribed fire application exists, there is no integrative framework that simultaneously considers the interplay between social and ecological factors affecting the use of prescribed fires. Fire suppression, together with other human and natural disturbances in grassland systems that are adapted to episodic fire, are the major factors that have contributed to the recruitment of woody species into grasslands worldwide. Even though the ecology of restoring these fire prone systems back to a grassland state is becoming clearer, the major hurdle to reintroducing historic fire at a landscape scale is its social acceptability. To address these deficiencies, I studied the socio-ecological factors influencing the use of prescribed fire in Texas, USA and Chihuahua, Mexico using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine how social and ecological factors affect ecosystem conservation and management of semi-arid grassland systems. For the Texas case study I used quantitative survey data analyzed using logistic regression models and structural equation models. For the Mexico case study I used qualitative interviews gathered using a snowball network sampling approach and coded them based on the analytic themes of land cover change, institutional failure, market drivers, and population dynamics. Results from the Texas case study suggest that risk taking orientation and especially, perceived support from others when implementing prescribed burns, play important roles in determining attitudes towards the use of high-intensity prescribed fires, which are sometimes needed to restore ecosystems. Results from the Texas case study also highlight how membership in Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) influence land manager decisions regarding the use of prescribed fire by reducing concerns over lack of skills, knowledge and resources. Results emphasize the potential for PBAs to reduce risk concerns regarding the application of prescribed fire and are relevant to management of brush encroached areas. Through PBAs, effective landscape-scale solutions to the brush encroachment problem can be achieved in Texas. Results from the Mexico case study show how fire stopped effectively being a driving factor on this system decades ago. Socio-political and ecological changes at the national, and international level produced changes in land use disrupting historical fire patterns and contributing to the ecological deterioration of the area. Droughts combined with poor management practices have depleted the fuel needed to carry a fire. Landowners also face safety and legal concerns but in most cases, even if a landowner decided to implement a prescribed burn, an ecological threshold has been crossed and current fine fuel loads (grass) are insufficient to carry a fire that is sufficiently intense to reduce brush cover and restore grassland and savanna ecosystems. Based on my findings I can conclude that ecologically sound adaptive management and social capital are fundamental components of the livelihoods of landowners and land managers in both case studies. Work and investment that is focused on strengthening this social capital will have the most profound effects in maintaining the integrity of grassland systems at a landscape scale.