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This paper analyzes the NBA's communications efforts from June 4 to July 30, 2020 as it prepared for an unprecedented season restart in the early days of a global pandemic. While scholars have examined the media's framing of the NBA in this period, there is a gap in the literature when looking at the official NBA communications strategy of the organization itself. As the first study to use risk communication theory in a sports scenario while also employing corporate social advocacy as the second theoretical basis of analysis, this qualitative study is a thematic and textual analysis of 14 NBA press releases and three existing video interviews of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Findings show that risk communication theory holds up in a sports context as the NBA employed effective use of widely accepted risk communication criteria. The study also puts forth a basis for CSA in sports communication regarding social justice.

The early childhood profession regards advocacy as a professional and ethical responsibility yet little is known about advocacy instructional practices in teacher education programs. This study surveyed selected early childhood teacher educators who currently prepare undergraduate preservice professionals in two- and four-year institutions throughout the United States to identify and evaluate the existing advocacy training practices in preservice education. The study was designed to: (a) determine what leaders in the field of early childhood believe constitutes appropriate advocacy training for preprofessionals, (b) describe the advocacy activities of teacher educators, (c) determine if there is a difference in the advocacy instructional practices of two- and four-year institutions, and (d) recommend a model for advocacy in preprofessional programs. The participants included 607 teacher educators who responded to a mailed questionnaire and 14 leaders of early childhood professional organizations who participated in telephone interviews. Participants represented 48 states and all geographic regions of the United States. Results indicate that teacher educators and leaders believe advocacy instruction is important in preparation programs. The most frequently included advocacy activities are professionalism and understanding the professional role. Advocacy skills and strategies focused on public policy were included the least. Findings show that teacher educators participate in a variety of advocacy activities although few participate in public policy activities. No statistically significant differences were found between two- and four-year institutions in advocacy instructional practices. Based on study data, the researcher developed the Brunson Model for Advocacy Instruction in order to provide the profession with a consistent and sequenced approach to advocacy instruction. Recommendations for future research include: investigation of effective strategies for teaching advocacy; a study of the developmental nature of advocacy; and a study of the Brunson Model for Advocacy Instruction to determine the model's effectiveness in preparing professionals who will have the ability to speak up and speak out for children and families.

Students of accredited social work programs are expected to demonstrate ten core competencies, including the ability to "engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services" (Council on Social Work Education, 2008). Despite this expectation, almost half of licensed social workers surveyed disagreed with the notion that they were adequately prepared for political engagement by their social work education (Ritter, 2007). Because social welfare policy courses are the primary curricular means for preparing generalist social workers for political advocacy, this study explores how undergraduate students respond to social welfare policy instructors' efforts to prepare them for political engagement. Quantitative and qualitative data from social work students in two distinct social welfare policy courses support the idea that participation in such a course can contribute to an increase in political interest and internal political efficacy. Based on surveys (n=31), focus groups (n=28), and interviews (n=11) with students, a model for social welfare policy instruction is proposed, which includes 11 recommended teaching methods and 7 key aspects of the students' learning experience. By listening to the voices and experiences of social work students, this study begins to fill a gap in the social work education and policy practice literature. The final conclusions of the study help clarify for social work educators methodologies by which they can more effectively support students in the development of political interest, internal political efficacy, and ultimately policy practice.

The present study looks at how companies use corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate social accountability (CSA) messages differently. This study uses Discovery Channels Shark Week as an example by utilizing a grounded deductive analysis of Discovery's X, formerly known as Twitter, posts from 2015-2020. This timeline was chosen thanks to Discovery partnering with the non-profit organization Oceana in 2010 to create more informed and conservation minded content. The posts on Discovery's X account during each Shark Week from 2015-2020 were examined. Each were coded for themes, Other, CSA, or CSR, and additional frames for those themes. The frames gathered consisted of education, conservation, what you can do to help, entertainment, engagement, sensational, and promotion. This study concluded that the definitions of CSA and CSR in previous literature discounted for instances like the one studied here with Discovery instead focused on either CSA or CSR messages and tactics, and usually in a more political context. This study showed that organizations can use both simultaneously and in a more light-hearted fashion, like focusing on conservation efforts rather than politics. An unexpected conclusion from this study focused on the nature of social media as a marketing tool as one week was studied over the course of five years with little to no consistency in the tone, style and content posted each year.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2004. Graduate Programme in Political Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 467-490). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ99208

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study questions if the advocacy efforts of community based organizations, like community development corporations, voluntary member associations, and community action agencies, can achieve policy development. Policy development is defined as the proposal of a policy by a community based organization. That policy proposal receives the attention of local decision makers for consideration. This study uses the stages of the policy process to assess what coordinated activities are most effective to achieve policy development. It was concluded that community based organizations can achieve policy development, if they identify an issue or problem, conduct some level of strategic planning, create a policy agenda, and seek access to decision makers. In all three case analyses, the hybrid organization, community action agency, and the voluntary member association were able to achieve policy development. This research does not focus on policy impact or evaluation. The goal was to ascertain how effective an organization can be at proposing a solution and receiving the attention of local decision makers. This research explores how organizational development can become the foundation for advocating for issues and achieve policy development. Community based organizations are not only government funded service providers, but also community collaborators and educators who stimulate citizen participation and increase public awareness about social issues. Their role as autonomous service providers puts them in a conundrum because of their funding streams. Since the 1950s, researchers have explored the roles and responsibilities of government-funded service providers. This study provides an overview of the roles of community based organizations and activities that define their political participation. It explores how these organizations mitigate issues to ensure overall community success.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) has been a concern in the US since 2013, thereby becoming an increasing interest. Several US corporations’ attention has been drawn to BLM due to its radical strategy on social media to facilitate engagements. Research shows that a company's engagement in activism by taking a stance on socio-political issues often records growth. Also, scholars have focused on corporate responses to BLM through the lenses of the implications or intentions of the brand’s engagement. This study, however, analyzes 236 corporate Instagram BLM posts through the lenses of the attributes of their responses. It is assumed that brand responses should be significant in respect to clarity and intentionality. Therefore, to answer the research questions, a five-coding scheme was created. Results suggested that a brand’s frequency of responses to BLM, direct reference to BLM, and response content influence followers’ engagement and speak volumes of their stance while addressing BLM.

Ce mémoire s’attarde à la manière dont une communauté en ligne de fan d’un groupe de musique – la communauté BTS ARMY – s’est mobilisé pour soutenir le mouvement Black Lives Matter, en particulier lors d’une campagne de levée de fonds référée par le mot-clic #MatchAMillion. En mobilisant un cadre théorique inspiré de la sociologie des usages (Breton et Proulx, 2012) et des répertoires d’actions numériques (Granjon, 2017a), mon analyse s’intéresse à ce que j’appelle des « usages créatifs » des réseaux sociaux, qui impliquent notamment des détournements des fonctions des plateformes numériques. Je propose de considérer ces usages créatifs comme faisant partie du répertoire d’action numérique de cette communauté en ligne pour concrétiser leurs revendications politiques. À travers une démarche computationnelle de moissonnage de données, j’ai collecté un ensemble de 168 453 tweets publiés par des membres de la communauté de fans BTS ARMY entre mai et juin 2020 sur Twitter qui font références à Black Lives Matter. J’ai réalisé une méthodologie mixte de recherche pour faire ressortir une quinzaine de cas concrets d’usages créatifs que j’ai pu regrouper dans des catégories d’usages que je considère comme prenant part au répertoire d’action de BTS ARMY. En sélectionnant trois cas pour des analyses approfondies, je décris le déroulement et les rôles joués par les membres de BTS ARMY lors de ces usages créatifs des réseaux sociaux selon la hiérarchie de l’activisme numérique de George et Leidner (2019). Mon analyse met en évidence des formes d’usages créatifs des réseaux sociaux durant les mobilisations en ligne de la communauté BTS ARMY. Je fais aussi ressortir des enjeux importants de visibilité soulevés par les usages créatifs à partir du concept de l’allyship performatif de Kutlaca et Radke (2022). / This dissertation focuses on how an online fan community of a music group – the BTS ARMY community – mobilized to support the Black Lives Matter movement, particularly during a fundraising campaign referred by the hashtag #MatchAMillion. By mobilizing a theoretical framework inspired by the sociology of uses (Breton and Proulx, 2012) and the digital action repertoires (Granjon, 2017a), my analysis focuses on what I call “creative uses” of social networks, which notably involve innovative uses that can divert the functions of digital platforms. I propose to consider these creative uses as part of the digital action repertoire of this online community to realize their political demands. Through a computational data harvesting approach, I collected a set of 168,453 tweets posted by members of the BTS ARMY community between May and June 2020 on Twitter, which refer to the fundraising campaign #MatchAMillion. I carried out a mixed research methodology to bring out around fifteen concrete cases of creative uses, which I was able to group into categories of uses which I consider being part of the action repertoire of BTS ARMY. By selecting three cases for in-depth analyses, I describe the course, and the roles played by the members of BTS ARMY during these creative uses of social networks according to the hierarchy of digital activism by George and Leidner (2019). My analysis highlights forms of creative uses of social media during the online community mobilizations of BTS ARMY. I also highlight important issues of visibility raised by creative uses based on the concept of performative allyship by Kutlaca and Radke (2022).

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Advocacy, in the form of direct service, is a critical type of intervention to help intimate partner or domestic violence survivors. Little is known the best practices for social workers and other helping professionals to assist survivors of domestic violence who present for services at shelters, non-residential outreach, and legal settings. This dissertation reviews relevant research related to domestic violence direct services, which is also called advocacy. The study also outlines a brief overview of the history, theory, and paradigms of thought related to the movement to end intimate partner violence. The research project used the grounded theory method to conduct and analyze semi-structured, in-depth interviews with advocates at domestic violence agency to answer the research question: What constructs and practices inform the delivery of direct services to survivors of domestic violence from shelter and non-residential service advocates? A total of 22 women working primarily with domestic violence survivors in shelters and non-residential agencies participated in the dissertation study. Participants came from one Midwestern and one Southwestern state. The interviewees had a range 1-20 years of experience in the field of domestic violence advocacy. Eighteen of 22 participants had experienced some sort of intimate violence in their lifetime. Several important findings emerged. Advocates typically enter the field because of personal motivations. The empowerment and strengths-based perspective are important to the delivery of advocacy services, as is belief in hope. Advocates typically endorse a survivor centered approach to their work. Data analysis revealed a concurrent process of advocacy that occurs within advocates and between advocates and survivors. This parallel process is marked in the earlier state of assessing and grounding; in the middle stage of establishing and affirming; and the ending stages of hoping and reflecting. These findings suggest the importance of personal experiences, hope, and reflection in the delivery of advocacy services. Community collaboration and support are essential to maintaining services that are aimed at the individual needs of survivors. More research is needed about the perceptions of services among survivors of domestic violence.