Having a child or sibling with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may be a positive experience, but it influences every family member differently. The present thesis examined the psychosocial adjustment of typically developing (TD) siblings of children with ASD and the extent to which this is impacted by key demographic and psychological variables. In addition, the influence of variables more specific to the families of children with ASD were considered, such as the broader autism phenotype (BAP) in parents and siblings, and the severity of symptoms in the child with ASD. A cross-cultural perspective was also adopted, in order to compare the coping and adjustment processes of siblings of children with ASD within two different cultures - Taiwan and the United Kingdom (UK). A combination of the Double ABCX Model and the Diathesis-Stress Model was used to explore: the influence of BAP-related traits; the interaction between coping, stressors, and support resources; and how these variables influenced TD siblings‘ adjustment outcome in the two locations. The research model was explored in two, interlinked studies using complimentary quantitative and qualitative methods. The first study was a large-scale questionnaire study including 89 and 77 parent-TD sibling dyads, in Taiwan and the UK, respectively. The findings indicated that UK siblings evaluated themselves as having significantly more adjustment difficulties but also significantly higher prosocial behaviour than their Taiwanese counterparts. Furthermore, there were substantial differences in terms of the variables which predicted TD siblings‘ adjustment outcome between the two countries. Taiwanese TD siblings‘ adjustment was more related to children‘s internal characteristics, while the UK TD siblings were influenced by both internal and external variables. The benefits of social support for adjustment were also evident in both countries. The discrepancies between parents and TD siblings‘ reports could be interpreted as resulting from culturally-specific patterns in parent evaluation of child behaviours. The siblings‘ level of BAP traits was also found to moderate the relation between ethnicity/culture and TD siblings‘ self-report adjustment difficulties. If Taiwanese TD siblings were reported to have higher BAP level by their parents, they showed fewer adjustment difficulties than those with lower BAP level, whereas the opposite pattern was found in UK siblings. This may indicate that for Taiwanese TD siblings‘ BAP level had a negative impact on their ability to evaluate their adjustment difficulties. Seven parent-TD sibling dyads from each country participated in the follow-up interview study. From thematic analysis of the data, a negative tone in the descriptions of the influence of ASD on the TD sibling was more evident in parents‘ and TD siblings‘ transcription in Taiwan, while a more balanced tone was apparent in the UK families. With the emphasis on involving their children in decisions about the child with ASD and providing age-appropriate information from the UK parents, it was speculated that UK siblings had a greater understanding of their parents‘ stress. Various types of support service were mentioned in the UK, whereas the availability of social services and support was relatively limited in Taiwan, whether for parents or TD siblings. Taken together, the findings from the two studies have important implications for clinical and educational settings. UK siblings‘ adjustment could be enhanced through modelling the coping of parents, while Taiwanese siblings could benefit from increased social support from peers. Health professionals should be aware of the influence of the BAP level displayed in parents and TD siblings, which might change the way they experience stress and respond under pressure. This thesis emphasised the importance of using TD siblings‘ report in comparison with parents‘ evaluation. Some potential relations, such as between BAP level and the coping style of parents and TD siblings remain unclear. With further development of self-report measurements, future research could replicate the present research design to clarify the influence of the variables discussed.

<div> <div> <div> <p>This study investigates the expressive design attributes of souvenir design preferred by tourists by comparing and contrasting preferences and perceptions of tourists from two different cultural groups. The study used a conjoint design to allow respondents to rank their preferences of sampled souvenirs which represents various expressive design attributes of souvenirs. This study uses conjoint analysis to test the relationship between those expressive attributes and tourists’ perceived value and purchase intention. The results showed that the three expressive attributes, namely Makers’ Mark attribute, Iconofetish attribute, and Relational attribute impact American and Chinese tourists perceived values of souvenirs and purchase intentions. The part-worth utility score indicates that comparatively speaking, American tourists prefer souvenirs with a dominant makers’ mark and those that are connected to the local place or local people. On the other hand, Chinese tourists prefer souvenirs with a domestic iconofetish feature. This study highlights the relationship between the four perceived value – perceived functional value, perceived emotional value, perceived social value, and perceived novelty value – and the purchase intention, using Spearman’s correlation. These results contribute to the literature of souvenir design. The culturally based preferences between the US and Chinese tourists allow designers and retailers to create and design souvenirs based on their preferred expressive attributes. </p> </div> </div> </div>

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Today, all companies face a challenge to cope with the globalized market, where organizations continuously establish on new markets in new countries. Different cultures meet and must be able to collaborate in an organization. The increased economic growth as well as the explosive Swedish tourism in Thailand today attracts more and more Swedish companies to the Thai market. It is likely that this can lead to different cultural challenges where people from different cultures meet and are forced to adapt to each other's established norms and behaviors. Our study aims to investigate the cultural challenges experienced by Swedish executives in Thailand. Our purpose is to identify the largest cultural challenges experienced by Swedish executives and to understand why this may be perceived as a cultural challenge among the Swedish executives. A qualitative method and a semi-structured interview form have been used in the conduct of the survey. The result showed that the main cultural challenges experienced by the Swedish executives were hierarchy, view of a leader, crosscultural leadership and collectivism. The Buddhist religion, the strongly established norms of Thai culture and the executives own positive and adaptable attitude towards cultural challenges proved to be the reason why these cultural challenges were experienced by the Swedish executives.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Studies suggest that online trust is fostered by the perception of its antecedents, such as the ability of the online seller, his demonstrations of benevolence, the security system of his website, the presence of seals from external regulators and the perception of the competence of the sales system. These predictors of online trust can be perceived differently among consumers of different countries, influenced by cultural values related to their country. It is proposed that cultural dimensions, specifically individualism versus collectivism and uncertainty avoidance, may, even indirectly, influence the development of trust between consumers and online retailers. Using theoretical framework of Hofstede (2001) and others scholars (JARVENPAA; TRACKTINSKY, 1999; LEE; TURBAN, 2001; CHOI; GEISTFELD, 2004; AN; KIM, 2008 among others), the survey was conducted in Fortaleza (Brazil) and Montreal (Canada), between 2011 Q3 and 2012 Q1. A survey was implemented using scales validated by previous researches. A descriptive data analysis was carried, as well as the assembly of a multiple linear regression model with online trust as the dependent variable. The results indicated rejection of assumptions about the appreciation of the Brazilian public by characteristics of benevolence from online vendors compared to the Canadian public, as well as rejection of assumption appreciation of Canadians on Brazilian relating to the perception of the competence of sales systems and guarantees verified by third parties in online stores. The results also suggested the statement of the assumptions made about the predilection of Canadians over the Brazilians in relation to the perception of the abilities of online retailers as well as the statement of the assumptions that Brazilian indicative attribute more importance to security of online systems, compared to the Canadian public. The study shows that culture affects the perception of consumers in collectivist and low uncertainty avoidance on the security system sales, while acting on the perception of consumerâs individualistic profile and low uncertainty avoidance in relation to individual abilities of online retailers. / Estudos sugerem que a confianÃa online à fomentada pela percepÃÃo de antecedentes, como a habilidade do varejista online, demonstraÃÃes de benevolÃncia, a seguranÃa que o website demonstra ter, a presenÃa de selos de ÃrgÃos reguladores externos e a competÃncia tÃcnica do sistema de vendas. Estes antecedentes podem ser percebidos de maneira diferenciada entre consumidores de diferentes paÃses, influenciados pela cultura de cada paÃs. PropÃe-se que as dimensÃes culturais, em especial individualismo versus coletivismo e aversÃo à incerteza influenciam o desenvolvimento das relaÃÃes de confianÃa entre consumidores e varejistas online. Pautado no referencial teÃrico de Hofstede (2001) e outros autores (JARVENPAA; TRACKTINSKY, 1999; LEE; TURBAN, 2001; CHOI; GEISTFELD, 2004; AN; KIM, 2008), a pesquisa foi realizada em Fortaleza (Brasil) e em Montreal (CanadÃ), entre 2011.2 e 2012.1. Utilizou-se questionÃrios fechados com construtos provenientes dos estudos supracitados. Realizou-se anÃlise descritiva dos dados, bem como a montagem de um modelo de regressÃo linear mÃltiplo com a confianÃa online como variÃvel dependente. Os resultados apontaram rejeiÃÃo das pressuposiÃÃes sobre a apreciaÃÃo do pÃblico brasileiro por caracterÃsticas de benevolÃncia dos vendedores online em comparaÃÃo com o pÃblico canadense, assim como rejeiÃÃes da pressuposiÃÃo de apreciaÃÃo dos canadenses sobre os brasileiros relativos à percepÃÃo da competÃncia tÃcnica dos sistemas de vendas e das garantias aferidas por terceiros em lojas online. Os resultados sugeriram, ainda, a afirmaÃÃo dos pressupostos feitos acerca da predileÃÃo dos canadenses sobre os brasileiros em relaÃÃo à percepÃÃo das habilidades do varejista online, assim como a afirmaÃÃo dos pressupostos de que brasileiros atribuem maior importÃncia à indicativos de seguranÃa dos sistemas online, em comparaÃÃo com o pÃblico canadense. O estudo propÃe que a cultura afeta a percepÃÃo de consumidores coletivistas e aversos a incertezas acerca da seguranÃa do sistema de vendas, enquanto age sobre a percepÃÃo de consumidores individualistas e com baixa aversÃo à incerteza em relaÃÃo Ãs habilidades individuais de varejistas online.

The concept of choral music as defined by the Western world was foreign to Arab cultures until the colonization of the Arab world began in the seventeenth century when we began to see the Western choral style emerging in the churches of the Arab world. Group singing of traditional music was done in unison or heterophonic textures. Notated part-singing is a product of colonization, Westernization, Christianization, and now globalization. In recent years, singing music in mixed or multiple voicings not of a heterophonic nature has spread beyond the churches to the secular Arab world. As choral singing has increased in the Arab world, a new genre of Arabic choral music has emerged. In order for Western conductors to effectively teach, conduct, or perform these new works, it is important for them to develop a basic understanding of traditional Arabic musical styles and pronunciation of the language, thereby making Arabic choral music more accessible and enabling it to become a part of the larger world’s musical vocabulary. This study serves as an introductory resource for non-Arab choral conductors concerning key elements related to performing Arabic choral music and provides a context for how these elements relate to this evolving choral genre. In addition, through interviews with composers and conductors of Arabic choral music, this project will further inform the reader regarding the performance of this genre.

There is a high prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) in India and the UK (Laccino, 2014). However, there is a lack of research on culturally-specific aspects of psychotherapy offered to child and adolescent survivors of CSA in both these countries. Therapeutic interventions with sexually abused children raise complex concerns due to the heterogeneity based on the developmental stage of children; varied impact, presenting difficulties and needs; and characteristics of abuse, age, gender, ethnicity and cultural factors. Numerous therapeutic interventions for CSA have been documented, with varying theoretical constructs, structure, content and outcome (Reavey & Warner, 2001), ranging from cognitive behavioural, psychoanalytic, humanistic and feminist paradigm (Misurell, Springer, & Tryon, 2011). Most of these approaches do not provide sufficient guides to therapy (Reavey & Warner, 2001). Few of these are widely studied and clinically accepted, while most lack empirical evidence. Although existing studies conclude that therapy is better than no treatment, there is lack of consensus on treatment characteristics important in child and adolescent sexual abuse therapy (Hetzel-Riggin, Brausch, & Montgomery, 2007). Further, little is known about culturally-specific holistic and coherent responses to CSA. A Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2006) study was conducted to investigate therapeutic approaches practiced by professionals in India and the UK with child and adolescent survivors of CSA, and to understand the factors that govern the choice of an approach or model adopted. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 32 professionals (16 each in India and the UK) from different settings including statutory, voluntary and private sector. NVIVO 10 was used for data management and analysis of the digitally recorded and transcribed interviews. Although there is a growing emphasis on evidence-based therapies, with most empirical studies focussing on traditional forms of psychotherapy, the actual practice of the professionals interviewed reflected a more fluid, flexible, multi-modal, ecological and integrative approach to CSA-therapy. The findings indicate that the therapeutic interventions progress through four different phases, based on the goals identified by professionals. The goals in turn are influenced by the socio-cultural context, structural factors, and/or trauma understanding of the professionals. Four phases identified in the study are: 1. Social Action Framework, with the goal to identify silenced and invisible children, particularly in a culture of silence and suppression in India; 2. Stabilisation and Resilience Building Framework, found to be practiced in India and the UK, with the goal to ensure safety and build the foundation for ensuing phase of therapy; 3. CSA-Trauma Resolution Framework, where the goal is to uncover the sexual abuse details to facilitate recovery and reintegrate the traumatised child, more visible in therapeutic practice in the UK; and 4. Maintenance and Relapse Prevention Framework, with the goal to prevent relapse and protect from revictimisation and future developmental difficulties. These phases may be mutually exclusive, follow a linear trajectory, or there may be a back and forth movement from one phase to the other. These four phases were integrated to construct a culturally relevant, ecological-based theoretical model of CSA therapy with child and adolescent survivors.

At the heart of this exegesis is the city-bush gap and the rivalry and stereotypes that gap has generated. I acknowledge how and why our national identity evolved from the writing of the 1890s but I argue that most current artists, particularly novelists, have failed to incorporate the ongoing cultural, societal and industrial changes that have occurred since, particularly in the last thirty years. I assert that the majority of artists still refer to and draw inspiration from established, inaccurate myths and stereotypes rather than the bush and Australian characters of today. Through examining three texts, Kate Grenville's The Idea of Perfection (Picador, Sydney, 1999), Christos Tsiolkas's Loaded (Random House, Sydney, 1995) and Silences Long Gone (Picador, Sydney, 1998) by Anson Cameron, I also point out how most artists in general have failed to keep pace with changes in the bush city cross-culture. My exegesis attempts to give an account of some deficiencies in contemporary Australian literature. In the creative component of this project, Summer at Mount Hope (Duffy and Snellgrove, Sydney, 2005), I write, as did Anson Cameron in his book, Silences Long Gone, (Pan Macmillan, 1998) of a bush (in 1894) where city and bush rely on each other and technology pushes into the bush uniting city and bush, thus enhancing the economy, the cross cultural interdependence and advancing the commonality between the two. I replace stereotypical characters with less predictable characters whose traits sit easily in either bush or city culture and skew the Traditionalist role of bush and city.