Thesis (M.A.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2007. / "May, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-40). Online version available on the World Wide Web. Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2007]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2009. / Title from title screen (site viewed May 5, 2009). PDF text: iv, 194 p. ; 459 K. UMI publication number: AAT 3344727. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 202-219) Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Simon Fraser University, 2004. / Theses (School of Criminology) / Simon Fraser University.

Since 2004, the Chinese media scene has been dominated by what is called the “pan-reality television” trend. Reality television is capable of synchronizing the effects of all the political, economic, and cultural factors into the participants’ actions and becoming a powerful reconstruction of the social environment from which it emerges. The thesis takes Jiangsu Satellite TV (JSTV)’s golden hour reality televisions as the case to address the question of how they express, reflect and formulate the imaginations and understandings of urban living, focusing on the cultural, social, and political specificities of these reality television shows. The thesis is an attempt to bring into discussions ignored aspects of popular television culture that can be potential source for furthering the understanding of urban conditions in China. The thesis finds that the images, the discursive fields, and the procedures of the games in the reality television shows and the governmental regulations imposed on them are part of the mechanisms to dissemble a set of discourses into the colloquial, the practices of urban lives, and possibly the imaginations of urban lifestyles. Emerging out of this dynamic process is the formulation of a way of life in the context of urban China – specifically, the linear, individual progressivity. The main body of the thesis will empirically show how the linear, individual progressivity is installed and enacted in the shows and political implications of that.

published_or_final_version / English / Master / Master of Philosophy

Reality TV is the most popular genre of television programming today. The number of reality television shows has grown exponentially over the last fifteen years since the premier of The Real World in 1992. Although reality TV uses styles similar to those used in documentary film, the “reality” of the shows is questioned by critics and viewers alike. The current study focuses on the “reality” that is presented to viewers and how that “reality” is created and may differ from what the participants of the shows experience. I appeared on two reality shows, Faking It and That's Clever, and learned a great deal as a participant observer. Within the study, I outline my experience and demonstrate how editing changed the reality I experienced into what was presented to the viewers. O'Connor's (1996) representation context web serves as a model for the realities created through reality television. People derive various benefits from watching reality TV. Besides the obvious entertainment value of reality TV, viewers also gather information via this type of programming. Viewers want to see real people on television reacting to unusual circumstances without the use of scripts. By surveying reality TV show viewers and participants, this study gives insight into how real the viewers believe the shows are and how authentic they actually are. If these shows are presented as reality, viewers are probably taking what they see as historical fact. The results of the study indicate more must be done so that the “reality” of reality TV does not misinform viewers.

Physical inactivity is an important public health concern. Strong evidence exists linking insufficient physical activity (PA) with an increased risk of many adverse health conditions, including major non-communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast and colon cancers—all of which can drastically reduce one’s life expectancy. The media holds great potential to encourage positive health behaviors among the broader community. However, evidence to support traditional mass media campaign approaches to PA promotion remains inconclusive, with most televisionbased campaigns falling short of achieving the PA changes they were designed to promote. Researching alternative methods of delivering PA messages could improve the efficacy of television-based health promotion efforts. Reality television presents one such alternative. This dissertation consists of a systematic literature and two separate, but related, studies. The first study examined the associations between individual characteristics, health-related behaviors, impressions of a PA-themed reality television show concept, and intentions to engage in active transportation (AT) using a randomized two-group (independent) post-test pre-experimental design. Results showed that age, race, and education were significantly associated with impressions. Mild and moderate intensity exercise was significantly associated with behavioral intentions, while impressions of the show explained 19% of the variance in behavioral intentions. There was a statistically significant difference between TV show conditions with those exposed to the AT concept reporting higher AT behavioral intentions. The second study assessed the show concept in formative research and—in addition—examined the associations between individual characteristics, health-related behaviors, impressions of a PA-themed reality television show concept, and intentions to engage in active transportation (AT) using a non-randomized two-group (independent) post-test pre-experimental design as well as in-person, semi-structured interviews. Those exposed to the AT show concept showed higher behavioral intentions for AT, and there was a significant positive correlation between impressions and behavioral intentions in the AT show group. Semi-structured interview data indicated that a majority of research participants had positive impressions toward the PA-themed reality show concept and the show’s characters. However, the visual and design components as well as clarity of the show concept need improvement. These two studies demonstrate the acceptability of the potential effectiveness of a PA-themed reality show concept for conveying active transportation-related messages to viewers. Both studies showed that a PA-themed reality show concept positively influenced PA behavioral intentions specific to AT among those who watched it and impressions of the show as a correlate to behavioral intentions, thus confirming that innovative reality programming can be used to entertain viewers and potentially inspire positive health behaviors.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Dept. of English with Cultural Studies, 2004. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 208-228).