The power dynamics of consumerism is an important aspect of contemporary consumer culture. Within the field of marketing and consumption, consumer culture theory (CCT) tends to understand power in terms of agency, the ability of consumers to emancipate from a market infused by the culture of consumerism. As such, CCT assumes a repressive hypothesis of power, as if consumerism was an external reality from which agentic consumers can escape by acts of dialectical opposition. In contrast, through a Foucauldian approach, the present study emphasizes the productive side of power, arguing that consumerism operates beyond dialectical oppositions to constitute consumption at different levels of scale – at the macro, meso and micro levels. More specifically, through qualitative data generated from official documents and interviews with state agency officials, consumers, and food manufacturers and retailers, the study undertakes a discourse analysis of date labeling in the food market. In accounting for the regulative, organizational and performative dimensions of consumption, the case of date labeling makes it possible to study consumerism at the intersection of the state, business and consumers. The study argues that consumption is constituted through a multiplicity of mundane power struggles that arise in the wake of date labeling. As such, it extends previous approaches by suggesting an extra-dialectical theory of consumer culture. Further, it argues that date labeling reinforces the mind/body dualism of consumerism by privileging cognition and choice at the cost of the human embodiment and sensory perception. It concludes that empowered performativity does not represent a negation of power, but that it emerges as a product of power and the consumerist attempt to constitute effective, predictable, responsible and controlled consumption. However, future research should continue studying the dominant institutional conditions of particular consumption contexts.

The Uzbekistani state declared mahalla kengash as a local self-government in order to achieve decentralization in its administrative system. This thesis is a critical study of whether decentralization can be an explanatory concept in the examination of new institution-building in Uzbekistan. This thesis claims that dialectic relationship between the center and local state becomes conflictual when there is inconsistency between (a) (national) ruling class and its hegemony, and (b) (local) ruling class and its hegemony. The hegemony of both national and local ruling classes is shaped according to their capacity for conformity/dissention with the Soviet regime, and neo-liberal structural hegemony. This study based on a case study of Tashkent mahallashas demonstrated that decentralization process has been reversed as a result of the strategies of the Uzbekistani state when the different responses of the mahalla kengash do not conform to mahalla imagined by the state. Shortly, the urban mahalla kengashes of mahalla types which were shaped according to identity politics during the Soviet era could be easily adapted the new regime shifting from class to identity politics / whereas other mahalla types shaped according to class politics of the Soviet regime has fall in difficult situation. Finally, the decentralization policy and hegemonic projects of the regime have been shaped by the dialectic relationship between the state and mahalla kengash. Thus this relationship can be both spatio-temporally and socio-spatially differentiated.Consequently, it has argued that standard theoretical paradigms for understanding transition in post-Soviet local politics are less globally generalizable than previously thought.

Few studies enlighten the problem associated with the dialectical relationship between adults and adolescents and how that affects the construction of identity for adolescent’s, in relation to two areas that are closely bordering to each other but differs socioeconomically whereas one area is much weaker on resources than the other. These two areas is Högberget and Haganäs, which are situated in a larger city in Sweden. For us to be able to enlighten this problem we have chosen to use an inductive research approach so that we can explain how adolescents construct their identity and how the organized spare time, in addition with the influence of adults, impacts on adolescents construction of their identity. Therefore we have used interviews as method, both group and individual, so it can regulate which theories that influence our study. The two theories that wires through the entire study are firstly Peter L. Bergman and Thomas Luckmanns theory on social construction where the idea is that the human being is an active social being that constructs its own reality. The secondary theory used in our study is Anthony Giddens theory on identity and modernity in a postmodern society that enlightens the construction of identity in addition to the reflective being in our modern society, and how that aid people in constructing our self-identity and identity. Some important aspects that are revealed during this study is how important it is for adolescents to get to experience some aspects of safety, solidarity, trust, influence et cetera. And how important these aspects are on creating a conjunction between adults and adolescents, the dialectical relationship where the relationship is mutual, which is so important for adolescent’s construction of identity in relation to their leisure time.

This thesis focuses on the case study of Kao-Pin River restoration movement. The first phase of this research uses R.A.W. Rhodes' policy network typology to categorize the complicated membership of participants of the movement. The second uses Marsh & Smith¡¦s dialectical model of policy network theory to analyze the complicated interactions, for instance, protest, alliance, competition, and coordination, between governments, professionals, environmental groups and interest groups. The research goes on to verify the mutual interaction of environmental policy, policy network, participant, and policy outcomes of Kao-Pin River governance. The alliance of Kao-Pin River restoration movement, anti-dam movement, opposition to petrochemical and steel works has been so far the biggest social movement of southern Taiwan. Almost every southern environmental group and all levels of government were involved in the movement. Environmental groups were usually disadvantageous minority within the policy-influential participants. In order to influence policy outcome, it is essential for environmental groups to mobilize dispersed social resources, organize intense interactive network, to gain legitimacy and public trust, and attract public attention to environmental issues. This research finds that Kao-Pin River restoration movement successfully takes advantage of power contradiction between different levels of governments, and different departments of the government; utilizes the support of local government, cooperates with scholars, experts and media to build up an intense network, to advocate sustainable river maintenance policy of water resources, against highly water-demanded industries, bureaucracy, and the authority. The environmental activists first utilized the media support to gain legitimacy and representation for river protection. Second, they allied with media, congressman and legislators, environmental groups, scholars and experts to formulate an issue network, and won over the support of local governments to join the network. Third, they employed the contradiction of central government to start a political struggle for water resource protection. Finally, the goal of the movement was achieved through shifting of central political power and the change of river maintenance policy. However, after the government responded to environmental activists' demands for sustainable river management and turn about relevant policy outcomes, the energy of the movement faded the alliance of issue network loosened. The main group "Green Alliance for Kao-Pin River Protection" announced disbandment in 1999, the movement entered a stage of Post-Social Movement; relevant issue groups turned to build partnership with local authority, a relationship of a kind of policy community.

Abstract Knowledge have gradually replaced the asset to become the most important resource of the organization , people are more and more concerned about how company do the knowledge selection , creation, storage and application in the recently 20 years. There are many researches to discuss about how organization manage its knowledge creation , but there are rare essays to discuss the process of knowledge creation. Nonaka had provided knowledge spiral model to explain how organization create knowledge, he predicted organization create knowledge through the SECI process ¡Vassociation , extermination, combination ,internalization, but he has never mentioned about the process of how individual create knowledge. This article offer ¡§From individual to organization knowledge creation integration modal ¡§ which based on the viewpoint of information flow in knowledge creation process to discuss the affecting factors of knowledge creation. We analog the cognition development theory of Piaget and combined the SECI organization knowledge conversion of Nonaka to develop individual knowledge creation modal. From this modal , we predict the new thinking comes from the process which individual try to eliminate the information gap between the outside information and inside knowledge base through the dialectical process of assimilation and accommodation. When individual offer the new idea t to the other guy of the task force, it become the new outside information of the people to do the next dialectical process , and at that time the creation type will transfer from individual to organization . We consider organization knowledge creation is the information transforming process among the individuals in the group , the new knowledge is created in the dialectical process that go through antithetical concepts such as individual ¡V organization , tacit - explicit . From this integration model, we predict the affecting factors of knowledge creation which includes the selection of creator and the fitness of organization management. Finally, we try to find the fitness factors arrangement of the knowledge creation management through the resource construction model to construct the innovation ability as organization .resource , which will let the creative activity continuous running. We interview the china steel knowledge creation activities, and use the modal what we develop to explain these cases , we also try to find the common factors of these successful activities and to find the process and the source of innovation and give some suggestion to these activities. It shows china steel cases own the most part of factors which a successful innovation need , but if these innovation activities want to last forever to become organization resource , they need to transfer the firm¡¦s frame of mind from individual achievement requirement to enterprise value emphasis.

This research examines the social construction of hope in a community mental health system of care. Groopman (2004) defines hope as the elevating feeling we experience when we see a path to a better future. A year-long ethnographic study of a children's mental health system of care team found that members of the mental health care team construct hope for themselves and for the family they're helping by cycling through the dialectical tensions of hegemony and equality, marginalization and normalization, relating and othering, empowerment and disempowerment, and control and emotionality. They reconcile these tensions in dialogic moments of empathy toward the family and other team members, engagement of all team members in the process, creation of a human connection within the team, vulnerability to each other, creation of possibilities for themselves and for each other, social support, and blended voices.

Purpose: Describe the Suquamish cultural influences on defining living a life worthwhile and to describe the compatibility of a culturally modified Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with a Native American community's culture and context. Background: Native Americans experience serious psychological distress, suicide, and substance abuse at higher rates than other racial groups. Studies using DBT found a significant decrease in parasuicidal risk behavior and substance abuse. However, research has not demonstrated that DBT is efficacious or compatible within the Native American culture. Specific Aims: 1) Describe the Native American cultural influences on defining living a life worthwhile. 2) Describe the compatibility between Healthy and Whole, a culturally modified DBT intervention with Native American culture. Methodology: Critical ethnographic study with in-depth interviews (13) and participant observations (10 months) was conducted. Sample was tribal members and clinicians exposed to the Healthy and Whole and tribal members who are identified as knowledgeable regarding tribal tradition. Analyses included semantic domain, taxonomic, and theme analysis for aim1 and compared DBT curriculum to results of aim 1 to accomplish aim 2.Findings: An intergenerational cycle of relational trauma was initiated by structural cultural genocide with systematic abuse and neglect of Native Americans especially children. Relational trauma of abuse and neglect is the source of a variety of maladaptive behaviors. These maladaptive behaviors lead to relational trauma in the next generation. A dual process of maintaining and revitalizing Suquamish cultural values coupled with skills taught in a culturally modified DBT intervention, Healthy and Whole, help Suquamish members live more worthwhile lives and recover from intrapersonal trauma. Implications: Healthy and Whole is a community approach to healing from relational trauma. Healthy and Whole approach to DBT may help other indigenous people live more worthwhile lives and recover from relational trauma and break the cycle because Suquamish cultural values are collectivist and many indigenous peoples share similar values and histories of historical trauma.

TEMA: Psichologinės pagalbos galimybės vaikams, turintiems emocijų bei elgesio problemų: dialektinės elgesio terapijos efektyvumo analizė. TIKSLAS: nustatyti dialektinės elgesio terapijos efektyvumą koreguojant 8 – 11 metų vaikų elgesio ir emocijų problemas. TIRIAMIEJI: 54 vaikai, apibūdinami kaip turintys emocijų ir elgesio problemų bei linkę nusižengti taisyklėms ar nusikalsti. 59% imties sudaro berniukai, 41% - mergaitės. Tiriamųjų amžiaus vidurkis 9,6±0,2. METODIKOS: ASEBA klausimyno probleminių teiginių skalės. REZULTAI: vaikų emocijų ir elgesio problemų korekcijai naudota dialektinės elgesio terapijos programa yra efektyvi 9 – 11 metų vaikų grupėje ir įtakoja daugiau elgesio bei dėmesio ir mažiau emocijų problemų raišką. Vaikų lytis ir amžius įtakojo programos efektyvumą. / TOPIC: Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Children with Emotional and Conduct Problems GOAL: to evaluate effectiveness of Dialectical behavioral therapy in the sample of 8th – 11th year old children with emotion and conduct problems. PARTICIPANTS: 54 children characterized as having emotional and conduct problems, prone to break rules or offend. 59 percent of the sample are boys, 41 percent are girls. Mean of age in the sample 9,6±0,2. MEASURES: ASEBA Teacher rating form. RESULTS: Dialectical behavioral therapy program was successful in reducing conduct problems in the sample of 9th to 11th year old children. Effect size was larger for conduct problems compared to emotional problems. Age and gender of the children influenced the effectiveness of the program.

Bill C-31 represents an important piece of policy in the history of Canadian citizenship. It takes its place in a dialog of policy and resistance about who ‘gets in’ and who is excluded from Canadian citizenship. By critically reading the text of Bill C-31 through other policy texts, academic arguments and research, and activist texts, this analysis elucidates historical connections between relations of capital, immigration, labour, and the criminal justice system. It works from a materialist feminist framework, critical of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation as systems that work through one another in dialectical and historically specific ways. The analysis argues that Bill C-31 is a continuation of relations of capital and that a dialectical conceptualization can yield strategies for a revolutionary praxis that offers hope for the transformation of existing social relations towards new and more humane ways of relating to one another.

Bill C-31 represents an important piece of policy in the history of Canadian citizenship. It takes its place in a dialog of policy and resistance about who ‘gets in’ and who is excluded from Canadian citizenship. By critically reading the text of Bill C-31 through other policy texts, academic arguments and research, and activist texts, this analysis elucidates historical connections between relations of capital, immigration, labour, and the criminal justice system. It works from a materialist feminist framework, critical of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation as systems that work through one another in dialectical and historically specific ways. The analysis argues that Bill C-31 is a continuation of relations of capital and that a dialectical conceptualization can yield strategies for a revolutionary praxis that offers hope for the transformation of existing social relations towards new and more humane ways of relating to one another.