Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of cases of criminal charges laid against those who do not disclose their HIV-positive status to their sexual partners. The criminalization of HIV non-disclosure has generated an intense debate which is the object of this analysis. Using a social constructionist framework, particularly the work of Donileen Loseke, a leading social problems theorist, and documentary data drawn primarily from the internet, my goal is to shed light on the debate. More specifically, I am concerned with definitional contests or competing constructions inherent in the debate. The dissertation is organized around three papers. The first paper explores how the condition of HIV itself is socially constructed in the debate. Claims-makers who support criminal sanctions construct the disease as deadly and devastating, while claims-makers who oppose criminalization construct HIV as chronic and manageable. The second paper explores the rhetorical strategies used by those who support criminalization to construct non-disclosers as villains. I coined the term techniques of vilification to capture these strategies. The third paper examines the rhetorical strategies used by those who oppose criminalization to neutralize the label of victim for partners of non-disclosers. As a whole, the dissertation contributes to a better understanding of social problems claims-making processes, particularly around the construction of conditions and people. The dissertation also makes contributions to ongoing discussions in the sociology of health and illness, and victimology. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This thesis investigates the debate around the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure with an emphasis on the Canadian context. Adopting a social constructionist approach, particularly as it has been used in the sociological study of social problems, and building on the work of social problems theorist Donileen Loseke, the thesis explores three themes: 1) how claims-makers understand HIV as a condition based on whether they support or oppose criminalization, 2) how claims-makers who support criminalization vilify those who do not disclose their HIV-positive status, and 3) how claims-makers who oppose criminalization work to downplay claims to victimhood by partners of non-disclosers. This work contributes to our understanding of the definitional contests underlying the debate. More broadly, it contributes to our understanding of social problems claims-making processes.

Major hurricane landfalls are the most dangerous natural hazard threats experienced in the U.S. Television news is a primary sources of hurricane hazard information and has the ability to influence what viewers understand about and how they respond to these events. While it is understood that media plays a central role in communicating weather, it is unknown whether or not news media content communicates the recommended hurricane hazard adjustments that are needed for preparedness and protection. Thus this study supports prior research calling for a closer examination of the role and effects of visual information in media documents. Using the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, the present research employs qualitative media analysis to explore the framing of hurricane preparedness through television newscasts covering Hurricane Katrina from August 23-29, 2005. Key findings from this study suggest that there are five common frames through which hurricane information is presented to viewers of the national news broadcasts surveyed in this study. Preparedness information was found to be mainly represented through visual content but sparsely mentioned in reporting. The study also found that more often visuals were used to aid story development instead of provide educational or instructional messages that model the adoption of hazard adjustments and have the potential to motivate protective actions and behaviors by helping to increase self-efficacy. The present study concludes by discussing underlying aspects of conflict present within the media frames and offering recommendations for better integration of media content into risk communication campaigns for severe weather.

The purpose of this essay was to examine Islamic State’s (IS) self-image and perception of their enemies, and also what kind of propaganda technique that they use in their movies. To do so three questions were formulated: 1. According to Social Identity Theory the ingroup’s social identity is the same as the ingroup’s prototype. How is IS’s prototype portrayed, and thus their social identity, in the movies Flames of War and Clanging of the Swords IV? 2. According to Social Identity Theory a consequence of group membership is that the ingroup will associate outgroups with stereotypic images. What stereotypic images does IS’s associate outgroups with in the movies Flames of War and Clanging of the Swords IV? 3. According to Jacques Ellul propaganda can be categorized as either rational or irrational. So, based on his definition of propaganda, what kind of propaganda technique is used in Flames of War and Clanging of the Swords IV ? In this paper four segments were analyzed from two of IS’s movies: Flames of War and Clanging of the Swords IV. Two theories were used in this essay: Ellul’s theory on rational and irrational propaganda, and also Social Identity Theory. The first theory presents different techniques of argumentation that can be classified as either rational or irrational propaganda. The second theory describes the phenomenon known as prototype and stereotype. The most common propaganda technique used in the movies was that of social evidence, which is a rational strategy of propaganda. This means that the propaganda mainly uses symbols in its arguments, which in this case is the symbol of Allah. IS uses Allah, as well as their leader Al-Baghdadi, to justify their actions. Irrational propaganda is also used quite often. It can be seen in the way IS describes their own group and their enemies. IS always describes themselves with positive attributes and characteristics, while their enemies are described as their complete opposite. The purpose of this is to make the viewer automatically start to associate the ingroup (IS) as good and the outgroups (enemies) as evil. The prototype of IS is that they see themselves as the holy warriors of Allah executing His will on earth. The stereotypic image of IS’s enemies is that they are apostates and enemies of Allah. Their infidelity has provoked Allah, they’re sinners and thus IS considers it to be their duty to punish them.

<p>"Understanding what I write" is a study of university-scientists’ work concerning science-information, with the basis in Pedagogical Theory. The empirical material is collected through an inquiry and several interviews with scinentists at the ten universities of Sweden. This inquiry was done within the timeframe of November 2000 to Janurary 2001. The purpose is to find out wich methods scientists use to spread their knowledge to the society and what possibilities there are to improve these.</p> / <p>"Jag skriver begripligt "är en studie av universitetsforskares arbete med forskningsinformation med utgångspunkt i pedagogisk teori. Det empiriska materialet är insamlat i form av en enkät och ett flertal intervjuer med forskare på Sveriges tio universitet, under tidsperioden första november 2000 till sista januari 2001. Syftet med undersökningen är att ta reda på vilka metoder forskare använder för att sprida sin kunskap till det omgivande samhället och vilka möjligheter det finns att förbättra dessa.</p>

"Understanding what I write" is a study of university-scientists’ work concerning science-information, with the basis in Pedagogical Theory. The empirical material is collected through an inquiry and several interviews with scinentists at the ten universities of Sweden. This inquiry was done within the timeframe of November 2000 to Janurary 2001. The purpose is to find out wich methods scientists use to spread their knowledge to the society and what possibilities there are to improve these. / "Jag skriver begripligt "är en studie av universitetsforskares arbete med forskningsinformation med utgångspunkt i pedagogisk teori. Det empiriska materialet är insamlat i form av en enkät och ett flertal intervjuer med forskare på Sveriges tio universitet, under tidsperioden första november 2000 till sista januari 2001. Syftet med undersökningen är att ta reda på vilka metoder forskare använder för att sprida sin kunskap till det omgivande samhället och vilka möjligheter det finns att förbättra dessa.

The diploma thesis deals with representations of femininity and masculinity in Sluníčko magazine. These representations are examined through analysis of men, women, boys, girls and animal characters. The theoretical part defines gender order of contemporary society and its main characteristic. Then usual gender stereotypes in physical appearance, gender roles, interests and characteristics are defined. The diploma thesis then focuses attention to the gender socialization and concept of representations, which are defined as an instrument of power that helps to maintain androcentric order of society. Also the media are considered as significant and important tool of normalization and socialization. Another dimension of the thesis is mapping the "progress" of representations or comparing the two editions - edition n. 8 (published in 174/75) and edition n. 48 (published in 2015). In research the qualitative media analysis is used. It is focused on texts and picture illustrations of femininity and masculinity, therefore on characters. These characters are analysed through four categories - Physical appearance, Gender roles, Activities and interests, Characteristics, while the central categories are "Vacant" femininity and Counterfactuality, which are present throughout the content of both editions. Key...

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