This study examined the relationship between sex, sex role and expression of depression. The Beck Depression Inventory, The Bem Sex Role Inventory, and the Inventory of Depressive Behaviors were administered to 589 college students. Sex differences in the expression of depression were similar to the findings of previous studies. Sex role differences in the expression of depression were found. Masculine sex role was related to expressive coping strategies along with instrumental strategies. Feminine sex role was related to behavioral and cognitive coping along with more expressive behaviors. The variance in expression of depression accounted for by sex was only partially accounted for by sex role. Undifferentiated individuals were significantly more depressed than Masculine, Feminine or Androgynous individuals, but there were no differences between the latter three groups. Thus, either masculinity or femininity appears to be associated with lower levels of depression.

The study (paper 1) sets out to explore TAs perceptions of their practice by investigating the incidence of scaffolding present in their work with students. A mixed- methods approach to data collection involved a focus group of 12 TAs, and structured classroom observations followed by semi-structured interviews of 7 TAs. This allowed the researcher to discuss what was observed as well as discover their views on their and other TAs’ practise. Varying degrees of mediation were observed: scaffolding, acceptance but challenging pupil’s response, bridging, exploring systematic thinking, and using process oriented questions. Very rarely did TAs give answers to problems in isolation. TAs often were responsible for supporting students in regulating their behaviour, and indicated that their focus was not solely on students academic attainment but more so on their emotional and social development as well. Implications for practise within the school system are explored. Following findings from paper 1, this study (paper 2) sets out to further explore the roles of TAs from the perspectives of students and parents. TAs indicated that a significant aspect to their role was developing the social and emotional wellbeing of the students they supported. This paper explores to what aspect those views were shared and valued by students and parents. A mixed-methods approach to data collection involved a focus group of 3 students, 21 parental questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews of 7 TAs. 64% of parents indicated that TAs provide social and emotional support to their students, and 95% of parents indicated that the role was important in supporting their children in having successful school experiences. Students indicated that TAs knowing them well was one of the most important aspects needed to support them. The theme of ‘student nurture’ is explored, as TAs perceive this to be one of the main aspects of their role. Implications for practise within the school system are explored.

The rise of social media has significant implications for the advertising industry, particularly for the relationships between marketers, consumers and advertising agencies. In fact, the entire advertising landscape has been developing in response to the emergence of digital technologies and advertising media, and the roles of these key stakeholders of the advertising industry and how they perform in the social media era are still not clear. Most previous research on this topic has focused on Western countries and adopted a macro perspective. In contrast, this study contributes to knowledge by focusing on an Asian context, and by exploring how social media are shaping the working lives of individual creatives who play a key role in the development of creative ideas and their expression across an increasingly diverse range of media. This study aimed to explore how and to what extent the work roles and identities of Hong Kong-based advertising creatives are changing in response to the rise of social media. As the study focused on creatives’ experiences, a qualitative, interpretive approach was taken. This involved 32 interviews with advertising creatives in agencies differing in size, digital focus and ownership, supplemented with participant observations in both a multinational full-service advertising agency (Agency-M) and an independent Hong-Kong digital agency (Agency R). The study has provided insights into creatives’ perspectives on their roles, identities, skill-sets and beliefs in relation to the rise of social media, and on the ways in which their relationships with clients and agency colleagues were changing as social media became more important. In particular, the study identified three key experiences of Hong Kong advertising creatives in relation to the rise of social media. First, they were found to have divergent role identities linked to their identification with traditional and digital communication agencies. Second, the rise of social media led them to experience new tensions in their relationships with clients. Finally, across both traditional and digital agencies in Hong Kong, the role of advertising creatives is beginning to transcend the digital/traditional distinction. This new hybrid role was found to involve creative switching between three identities over the course of the advertising development process: creative strategist, creative facilitator, and creative producer. Each of these role identities required more from them than the merging of ‘digital’ and ‘traditional’ creative skills; in particular, the creatives increasingly found themselves having to work closely with a broader range of stakeholders within and beyond their own agencies, requiring them to develop their interpersonal and negotiating skills. This research contributes to understanding the role and role identity in creative industries. It explores the many ways that social media are shaping advertising creatives’ working practices and identities, and it highlights the importance of cultural context to advertising practice. The triadic structure of contemporary Hong Kong advertising creatives’ roles identified here has implications for theorising advertising creativity, agency practice, and social media as a catalyst for individual and organisational identity and practices in the creative industries. The findings also have implications for advertising agency structure and practices, within and beyond the creative department.

No description available.

In the field of digital media, the study of interactive narratives holds the aesthetics of agency and dramatic agency as core to digital design. These principles hold that users must reliably be able to navigate the interface and the narrative elements of the artifact in order to have a lasting appeal. However, due to recent academic and critical discussions several digital artifacts are being focused on as possible new ways of engaging users. These artifacts do not adhere to the design aesthetics foundational to digital media, but represent a movement away from the principle of dramatic agency in interactive narratives. In an attempt to understand this separation and offer a solution to this developing issue, another non-digital interactive medium was studied: tabletop role-playing games. The designers of this medium were studied to understand the techniques and methods they employed to create dramatic interactive narratives for their users. These case studies suggested the designers used a third design aesthetic, design agency, to help balance the tension between agency and dramatic agency of the users of their medium. This design aesthetic could provide a balancing force to the current issues arising within interactive narrative.

This paper aim to give a new perspective to science about service worker and their difficult situation between the organization and the customer. By using Goffman´s theories about how we act and define ourselves by others I hope to give a new dimension to understand what happens in the meeting between a customer and a service-worker. The essay is based on a category of service-worker called “servicerådgivare”. They are the ones who are between the car owner and the mechanics. Their job is to receive the cars in the morning and inform the customer of what has been done at the end of the day. During this process they are supposed to satisfy the customer while following the instructions from the organization, which leads to a tricky middle position. Theories about how people act and establish different faces are used to understand how the service worker always have to change face to different customers. It also discusses how a person can feel when being told to do one thing (by the company) and morally feel like doing another thing to satisfy the customer. Some researchers claim that this could make them feel bad and that working with customers all day may lead to social exhaustion. Trying to increase the understanding for people working in service work interviews and observations where used to form the material and the basis for my final discussion. Some comments from customers are also used to see what expectations they have on the service worker. The founding’s in this study is that “servicerådgivarna” have a hard time trying to balance between the organizational demands and the customer´s expectations. Many time lacks of resources are the biggest trouble and makes them improvise, which some finds satisfying but most of them are felling stressed and insufficient.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The goal of this project was to utilize social modeling, one of the antecedents of self-efficacy, to determine whether participants from The University of Texas Division of Housing and Food Service (DHFS) who chose to view a bilingual exercise role model video on YouTube increased exercise self-efficacy or exercise behaviors, compared to those who did not. The message from their coworkers featured in the video was simple: “If I can do this, you can, too,” and personal stories and success strategies were blended together to encourage and motivate viewers. The video compilation highlighted specific success strategies, in addition to employees sharing stories about what motivated them to change, or barriers they had to overcome in order to succeed. The video clip included both Spanish and English speakers, and the alternate language translation appeared as subtitles in all frames. Participants completed surveys prior to the launch of the role model video and again after four weeks (N = 113). Neutral promotional materials, both print and electronic, were disseminated to generate awareness about the video and to compare the relative effectiveness of different techniques. E-mails were associated with the greatest spikes; YouTube tabulated 210 unique views during the four weeks. Coworker word of mouth was the primary way participants heard about the video for those who watched (52.8%) and those who did not (33.6%). Despite concerns that participants would not watch the video, 46.9% of the participants did so. Most (88.7%) of those who watched the video were able to recall specific story details, indicating the use of YouTube as a delivery platform for health interventions is promising. Mastery of exercise was the strongest predictor of exercise-self efficacy and exercise; exercise self-efficacy did not emerge as a key predictor variable. There were no differences in exercise levels, exercise self-efficacy, social support, or collective efficacy between those who watched the video and those who did not. While the exercise role model video was well-conceived and developed, allowing participants to control exposure without associated exercise sessions was not sufficient to bring about a measurable change in efficacy beliefs or exercise behaviors. / text