I samband med att dagens konsumenter blir allt mer medvetna om de globala, sociala och miljömässiga konsekvenser som vår konsumtion medför, har det på senare år ställt större krav ett på företagens arbetssätt mot ett mer hållbart och etiskt verksamhetsutövande. Av denna anledning har företagens ansvarstagande för miljön och samhället blivit en central fråga i företagsekonomiska diskussioner, även känt som Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Syftet med CSR- strategier är att ett företag, på eget bevåg integrerar sociala, miljömässiga, ekonomiska eller/och etiska hänsyn i sin affärsmodell, samt i relation till intressenter, utöver vad lagen kräver. CSR blir allt vanligare bland företag att använda som ett verktyg för att kommunicera sitt CSR-arbete är via sociala medier. Den ökade användningen av sociala medier har förändrat kommunikationen för både företag och konsumenter, då det har skapat nya möjligheter att integrera med varandra. Användningen av sociala medier kan därmed vara ett effektivt verktyg inom marknadskommunikation, då det kan användas som en direkt kommunikation till sina målgrupper, samt användas för att bygga, bevara och vårda relationen till sina konsumenter. Vidare har sociala mediers användning också ökat transparensen, då det skapar en tillgänglighet till information om företag, som konsumenter tidigare inte fått tillgång till. Detta ställer därmed krav på att företagens marknadskommunikation, inte minst inom CSR hanteras effektivt, då CSR är ett starkt debatterat ämne bland dagens konsumenter. Många företag ser möjligheterna med att använda sociala medier, däremot om det inte används eller hanteras rätt, kan det likväl visa sig vara ett hinder som det är en fördel. Eftersom sociala medier skapar en möjlighet för konsumenter att lämna feedback, som i många fall inom CSR kan vara negativt, skapar det också möjligheten till att enkelt sprida Negative Word of Mouth (NWOM), dvs negativa budskap om ett företag. Att kommunicera CSR på sociala medier kan således upplevas som en utmaning för företag. Kan företag hantera sociala medier kan det användas som ett effektivt marknadskommunikationsverktyg. Därför är det betydelsefullt att använda tydliga strategier som kan hantera möjliga konflikter som kan uppstå i samband med diskussioner om CSR på sociala medier. Behandlar företag inte konflikterna kan det påverka konsumenters attityder och köpintentioner, och slutligen deras relationer till ett varumärke. Syftet med studien är att undersöka och observera strategier inom marknadskommunikation med CSR-inriktning på sociala mediet Facebook [Facebooksidor]. Vidare kartlägger studien möjliga utmaningar som de observerade strategierna medför inom kosmetikabranschen, i syfte med att få en ökad förståelse för strategihanteringar inom marknadskommunikation. För att undersöka CSR-kommunikation på sociala medier har studien avgränsats till kosmetikabranschen som en empirisk kontext, då det i dagsläget pågår stora diskussioner om CSR inom branschen. Studien resulterade i en CSR-integrerad relationshanteringsmodell och som observerade två huvudkategorier: Verbala och Icke-verbala relationshanteringsstrategier. Dessa innefattar fyra olika hanteringsstrategier; tillmötesgående, defensiv, censurerande och oengagerade. Studien resulterade även i vilka utmaningar, dvs svårigheter företag har när de använder sociala medier [Facebooksidor] inom CSR. Det observerade tre omfattade utmaningar; (1), det är svårt att kompensera en missnöjd konsument ämnen inom CSR går bortom transaktionen och är mer baserat på en individs emotioner. Då CSR är ett komplext ämne, blir det utmanande för företaget att kompensera en missnöjd kund då CSR handlar om att integrera socialt och miljömässigt ansvarstagande i hela företagets affärsmodell. (2) CSR-diskussioner är svåra att hantera för företag med traditionella kundservice-strategier inom social media marketing och webcare. (3) Företag som inte har CSR integrerat i sin affärsmodell från grunden har svårt att skapa, bevara och vårda relationen till sina konsumenter inom CSR-diskussioner. / As today's consumers become increasingly aware of the global, social and environmental consequences that our consumption brings, has in recent years influenced companies' way towards business ethics and sustainability. Therefore, corporate responsibility for the environment and society has become a central subject in business decisions, also known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The purpose of CSR is to encourage and integrate the work of ethical, financial, social and environmental aspects of business processes, and in relation to stakeholders, in addition to what the law requires. One tool that is becoming more common among companies when communicating their CSR work, is via social media. The increased use of social media has changed the communication for both companies and consumers, as it has created new opportunities to integrate with one another. The use of social media can thus be an effective tool in market communication, as it can be used as a direct communication tool to its target groups, as well as be used to build, maintain and nurture the relationship with its consumers. In addition, social media has increased the transparency, as it creates accessibility to information, whereas the consumers have more information and insight about companies today. Which demands on companies' marketing communications to be handled effectively, not least in the field of CSR, since social responsibility is a highly debated topic among today's consumers. Companies are becoming more aware of the possibilities of using social media, however, if it is not used or handled properly, it can also prove to be an obstacle as it is an advantage. Since social media creates an opportunity for consumers to provide feedback, which in many cases within CSR can be negative, it can also create the opportunity to easily spread Negative Word of Mouth (NWOM). Thus, communicating CSR on social media can therefore be a challenge for companies. If companies can manage social media, it can be used as an effective marketing communication tool. Therefore, it is important to use strategies that can handle possible conflicts that may arise in discussions of CSR on social media. If it is not handled, it can affect consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions, and ultimately their relationships with a brand. The purpose of this study is to investigate and observe strategies in market communication with CSR discussions on the social media platform, Facebook [Facebook pages]. Furthermore, identify possible challenges that the observed strategies pose, with the aim of gaining an increased understanding of strategy management in market communication. To study CSR communication on social media, the study has delimited to the cosmetics industry, as an empirical context, due to currently great discussions about CSR among consumers. The study resulted in a CSR-integrated relationship management model and observed two main categories: Verbal and non-verbal relationship management strategies. which includes four different management strategies; accommodating, defensive, censorship and non-engaging. The study also resulted in different difficulties companies have when using social media [Facebook pages] within the field of CSR. It observed three major difficulties/challenges; (1) It is difficult to satisfy a displeased consumer within the concept of CSR, due to the concept of CSR goes beyond the transaction and it is more based on an individual's emotions. As CSR is a complex subject, the difficulty of compensating a dissatisfied customer becomes challenging as CSR is about integrating social and environmental responsibility into the entire business model. (2) CSR discussions are difficult to manage for companies with traditional customer service strategies in social media marketing and webcare. (3) Companies that do not have integrated CSR into their business model from start, finds it difficult to create, maintain and nurture the relationship with their consumers within CSR discussions.

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Denna studie är ett kandidatarbete i informationsdesign som fokuserar på interaktionsdesign. Den syftar specifikt till att utveckla och utvärdera en innovativ applikation som förenklar valet av hudvårdsprodukter för personer med allergier och hudkänslighet. Studien använde en kombination av kvalitativa metoder, inklusive intervjuer och användbarhetstester, och kvantitativa metoder, såsom enkäter, för att samla in data. Denna rapport detaljerar utvecklingsprocessen från forskning och användarstudier genom iterativa design och testfaserna till skapandet av en slutlig högkvalitativ prototyp. Utvecklingen innefattade samråd med experter och potentiella användare för att säkerställa en användarcentrerad designinsats. Olika teorier, inklusive kognitiv belastningsteori och principer för användarcentrerad design, tillämpades för att förbättra applikationens användbarhet. Resultatet av denna studie är en högkvalitativ prototyp av Allergo. Denna applikation innehåller funktioner som en ingrediensscanner, personliga allergilarm, personliga hudvårdsrekommendationer, community-feedback och recensioner samt en rutintracker. Applikationen hjälper användare att snabbt och effektivt identifiera säkra hudvårdsprodukter, vilket främjar en känsla av förtroende och kontroll över deras hudvårdsval. / This study is a bachelor's thesis in information design that focuses on interaction design. It specifically aims to develop and evaluate an innovative application that aims to simplify the choice of skin care products for people with allergies and skin sensitivities.  The study employed a combination of qualitative methods, including interviews and usability testing, and quantitative methods, such as questionnaires, to gather data. This report details the development process from research and user studies through iterative design and testing phases to the creation of a final high-fidelity prototype. The development involved consultations with experts and potential users to ensure a user-centered design approach. Various theories, including Cognitive Load Theory and User-Centered Design principles, were applied to enhance the application's usability. The outcome of this study is a high-fidelity prototype of Allergo. This application integrates features like an ingredient scanner, personal allergy alerts, personalized skincare recommendations, community feedback, and reviews, as well as a routine tracker. The application helps users identify safe skincare products quickly and effectively, fostering a sense of confidence and control over their skincare choices.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine consumers’ perceptions of loyalty programmes offered by cosmetic retailers in Durban and on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa. A broad and in-depth literature review of loyalty programmes as tools for retaining consumers, as well as the different types of loyalty programmes currently available in South Africa, was conducted. An empirical study was conducted by using an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data from consumers who were members of cosmetic retailers’ loyalty programmes. A quantitative approach was followed in order to satisfy the research objectives of the study. Loyalty programmes are an integral part of many retail businesses as they allow retailers to reward returning consumers with (amongst others) discounts or special promotional offers when the loyalty programme is used at the point of sale. The rapid advancements in technology has also enabled retailers to maintain databases containing valuable information on consumers’ spending patterns, which informs retailers about products consumers prefer buying. Retailers all over the world have been using loyalty programmes to retain existing consumers by rewarding loyalty and win over new consumers. Although many South African retailers have introduced loyalty programmes into their businesses, consumers’ perceptions of loyalty programmes offered by cosmetic retailers have not been investigated here. The results of this research study indicate that consumers perceived loyalty programmes as easy to use at the point of sale when making purchases. Consumers also felt that loyalty programmes helped them to save money through the redemption of vouchers or points. Overall, consumers were satisfied as members of cosmetic retailers’ loyalty programmes. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Beschneidung umfasst einschränkende, genitalverändernde und -normierende Eingriffe. Zu unterscheiden sind unter anderem die Vorhautbeschneidung bei Jungen sowie Genitalbeschneidungen bei Mädchen in christlichen, islamischen und jüdischen Traditionen, medizinisch indizierte Praxen, genitale Schönheitschirurgie und genitalvereinheitlichende Behandlungen intergeschlechtlicher Neugeborener. Letztere sind wie die religiös motivierten Eingriffe Thema anhaltender rechtlicher und ethischer Debatten.

This study deals with the trend of male bodybuilding in Korea and investigates the motivations and aesthetic ideals of Korean male bodybuilders. The author of the study uses the few hitherto academic research works on the subject and tries to give an overview of the history of Korean bodybuilding. Besides, the author has conducted a digital survey in order to collect answers from Korean male bodybuilders about their motivations, aesthetic ideals, etc. The aesthetic ideals of the bodybuilders are then compared to the male aesthetic ideals of modern Korean society and also discussed in relation to the somatic beliefs of NeoConfucianism. The findings are thereafter analyzed in context of two theses of the cultural consequences of globalization, namely homogenization and hybridization. The study concludes that Korean bodybuilders are more concerned with the arduous process of sculpting their physiques rather than the look of them themselves. Although the research material on Korean bodybuilding is scarce and the responses to the conducted survey are small in terms of both numbers and scale, it may be suggested that Korean bodybuilding appears to be an instance of the hybridization thesis. Lastly, the study emphasizes the need for more extensive research on the subject in question. / Denna studie behandlar ämnet koreansk bodybuilding för män och undersöker dels vad som motiverar koreanska kroppsbyggare att utöva sin sport, dels vad deras estetiska ideal är. Studiens författare använder sig av den begränsade befintliga forskningen inom ämnet och försöker även ge en överblick över koreansk bodybuildings historia. Författaren har dessutom utfört en digital undersökning för att samla in svar från koreanska kroppsbyggare om deras drivkrafter, estetiska ideal, etc. Dessa ideal jämförs sedan med det moderna koreanska samhällets motsvarigheter och diskuteras även utifrån de somatiska föreställningarna inom neokonfucianismen. Studiens forskningsresultat analyseras sedan utifrån två teorier om globaliseringens kulturella konsekvenser, närmare bestämt homogenisering respektive hybridisering. Trots det knappa forskningsmaterialet kring koreansk bodybuilding är studiens slutsats att koreanska kroppsbyggare är mer måna om den mödosamma processen i att bygga sina kroppar, snarare än hur dessa ser ut i sig själva. Studien suggererar också att koreansk bodybuilding verkar vara ett exempel på hybridiseringsteorin. Slutligen betonar studien behovet av mer utförlig forskning kring ämnet i fråga.

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The purpose of this research is to examine through sociological and psychological theories how women make sense of the desire and attainment of breast implants for graduation. The study used a qualitative approach and focused on women ages 18-35 in the state of Texas who have received breast implants for graduation. The sample size in this study included 10 high-school graduates receiving implants as a gift and their 10 mothers. Seven theoretical paradigms provided a better understanding for why the daughters asked for breast implants and why the parent(s) paid for them. Symbolic interaction theory explained why the daughters wished to replace their "fake" cotton padded self with their augmented self, to become the most authentic woman possible. Social construction of reality theory explained why both mothers and daughters wanted to conform to the social construction of gender, and to accomplish their gender well. Conspicuous consumption theory demonstrated how cosmetic surgery practices allow women to appear wealthy, gain status, and "flash" their assets. Feminist theory explained why some women were motivated to capture the attention of men and others altered the body out of empowerment. Reference group and social comparison theories explained how the women in this study were influenced to undergo cosmetic surgery by ranking themselves in attractiveness against real friends and media icons. Lastly, self-discrepancy theory showed how the daughters in this study felt they needed surgery to fix a discrepancy between their real and ideal self. The majority of respondents expressed complete comfort with their gifting and receiving of breast implants for graduation, claiming it was a great decision. They also agreed surgery was worth any risk to increase their daughter's confidence. Most of the mothers expressed that they were comfortable with their decision to gift surgery to their daughters, despite knowing that their gift of augmentation would ultimately result in more surgery in the future.

This thesis features a qualitative analysis of eight Korean media products — both fiction and nonfiction. For many years, South Korea (hereafter also called Korea) has been called the "world's plastic surgery capital" by many publications, such as Business Insider and The New Yorker. Although Business Insider considers the United States the "vainest country in the world," the numbers of cosmetic surgeries, percentage wise, per person in Korea still outnumber those in the United States, with 20 procedures per 1,000 persons. In this thesis, I argue by using the cultivation theory that Korean television, such as K-Dramas, talk shows and films, which celebrate transformations and feature makeovers and thus normalize cosmetic surgery, create a fantastic space for viewers where the viewers are compelled to act on a media-generated desire to undergo cosmetic surgery in the belief that doing so will also transform or better their lives in the same way it does for the characters in these Korean television productions.

This master‘s thesis studies problems of chosen active substances in cosmetic emulsions and gels. There is their main characteristics – distribution and properties of cosmetic emulsions and gels, preparation of the active substances, effects on the skin and conditions, which could them influence. In experimental part, preparation of gels and emulsions bases was described which were than enriched by active substances - evening primrose oil, hemp oil, Salvia officinalis extract, Symphytum officinale extract and sea salt. Properties of these cosmetic gels and emulsions bases with the addition of active substances depend on temperature and method of storage, amount of light exposure, method of preparation and another conditions. Action of these factors can cause changes of the stability, thereby the cosmetics effects on the skin can be lost. On the bases of performed rheology measurements (oscillation and flow measurements), pH measurements and sensory analysis were determined, if the properties of examined samples were changed. The measurement was performed in the certain time intervals and the properties were evaluated like at laboratory temperature 23±2 °C, so after exposure to temperature regime 37 °C in thermoregulator. On the basis of performed measurements, there was determined, that gel base with addition of Symphytum officinale extract had the most stability properties.