This dissertation explores the effects of mass-mediated taxpayer discourse on citizen perceptions of citizen-government relations in the context of the United States, a country where media and political discourse is heavily saturated with taxpayer talk. Specifically, this study considers two contrasting rhetorical constructions of the taxpayer. The first portrays the taxpayer as subordinate to the state by framing taxpaying as a citizen’s obligation through discussing it in legal and procedural terms of tax collection. The second constructs the taxpayer as a partner to which the government is accountable by emphasizing spending tax revenues and thus foregrounding the role of taxpaying in citizen’s claims for greater control over government actions. Drawing on a variety of perspectives from political science, mass communication, tax compliance research, history, and social cognition, I developed and tested two models to predict the effects of these contrasting constructions on two dimensions of citizen-government relations: power and trust. To test the models, I conducted two randomized controlled experiments: one that utilized a student sample recruited from a large undergraduate class at the University of Iowa (N=207), and one that replicated the results on a nationally representative adult sample (N=617). An additional experiment on a student sample (N=154) validated the experimental treatment. Taken together, the findings show that taxpayer discourse can affect citizen political judgement, but those effects do not operate through perceptions of power but instead through changes in political trust. When exposed to the tax-collection rhetoric, individuals in the nationally representative sample responded by deeming the government less trustworthy, which made them more motivated to monitor its actions. Notably, when participants were exposed to the public-spending frame, their reactions were statistically indistinguishable from those who did not read any taxpayer-related headlines at all. This suggest that in the context of the United States, where people are socialized into a public discourse that portrays the taxpayer as the ultimate sponsor and judge of government performance, this perspective can be internalized and become the default framework that citizens rely on in forming political judgement. However, when rhetorically denied this privileged position and placed in a subordinate role, citizens can push back by penalizing the government with greater distrust and reclaiming their right for citizen oversight. Importantly, the distrust-generating effect of the tax-collection frame is mitigated by the perceived scope of government reliance on taxes. The more reliant on taxpayer money participants perceived the state to be, the more trust this frame generated, which is consistent with a cognitive-dissonance explanation. Finally, changes in trust were triggered by taxpayer framing among actual taxpayers, leaving individuals with no actual experience unaffected. This study advances political communication research by refining the understanding of politically consequential citizen roles in communication scholarship to include that of the taxpayer as one of the most fiscally significant, personally relevant, media-salient, and — as this dissertation demonstrates — politically meaningful citizen roles. The project also contributes to political-science scholarship by suggesting that taxpayer discourse can prevent democratic backsliding in an established democracy and by making a case for considering the news media as an important element of the taxation-democratization nexus. In addition to scholarly significance, the dissertation has clear policy implications because it suggests new ways to communicate the benefits of democratic governance in more tangible, relatable terms of paying taxes and claiming greater accountability for government performance.

The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), the largest size acceptance organization (Kwan 2009), recognizes and frames fat as an identity in need of protective policies. This framing is not without complication. Both the framing techniques utilized by this organization and the political context in which this organization exists are extremely complex. As a way to uncover this dynamic relationship, I analyze NAAFA's framing techniques (Snow and Benford 1988). Employing this social movement organization (SMO) as a case study (Snow and Trom 2002), I analyze the way this organization's framing and reframing (Benford and Hunt 2003) shifts across time in the face of opposition. In particular, the First Lady's initiative, Let's Move!, is in direct contradiction of NAAFA's goals. While numerous themes, techniques and processes can be observed through the framing and reframing tools implemented by NAAFA over the years, I explore the three most pronounced primary framing tasks in relation to Let's Move!. These three themes include: (1) the dieting myth; (2) discriminatory policy; and (3) children as collateral damage. NAAFA reframes their message directly against the Let's Move! campaign, which makes their framing clearer and more relevant to public discussion. This research helps social movement scholars understand the importance of context in framing and reframing techniques.

As emerging technologies rapidly change the way that individuals socially interact, researchers can look back to older theories of social organization in order to apply traditional concepts to new ways of being. A #shelfie is a popular hashtag used on Instagram, a social media application, typically used with a post that consist of any visual media containing book(s) or item(s) related to literature in a physical space within, around, and/or upon a piece of furniture. This thesis is centered around the examination of a data collection that gathered top #shelfie posts on Instagram for the purpose of visual content and textual analysis. I argue that users are performing and constructing identities using curated #shelfies that actually span beyond the original typical bookshelf content, that this particular content is being utilized mostly by users identifying as women, and that it highlights areas of multiple framing occurring at the same time through Instagram and the objects being posted. My thesis is anchored within a multi-disciplinary framework that utilizes Erving Goffman’s theories of self and framing, cultural materialism as framing from scholars such as Daniel Miller, and that this analysis can be understood in a Deleuzian lens by examining how assemblage theory can help to navigate what #shelfie is, how it was produced, and what it may mean for future studies of digital media and the self. There will be no pixel left unturned.

Several studies have been done to examine the effects of fitspiration on body image satisfaction using social comparison theory but there has yet to be a study done using framing theory to find out what exactly these images are focusing on. This research will use framing theory to examine what characteristics and body types are being seen on Instagram under the hashtag “fitspiration”. Using a mixed method approach, this study uses a textual analysis to first get a larger sample set of fitspiration images on Instagram. It then uses in-depth interviews to get a deeper understanding of what the general public thinks the main frames of fitspiration are. Results for this research found that the social media trend emphasizes a stronger and more health-focused ideal and a strong sense of health and/or fitness behind the frames of each image. With the increased use of social media starting at such a young age it is important to understand the culture of popular trends in order to evaluate how we are interacting with them. Previous research focused on the outcome as opposed to the origin of the issue. This research gives a sample of the fitspiration culture in order to help us start to understand the trends of health and fitness online.

This study employs semiotic methods to identify the post-revolutionary roles of former Cuban President Fidel Castro in order to classify the transformations of his character portrayal over time. Informed by Goffman's framing theory as well as suggestions of agenda-setting and priming, this qualitative study analyzes 19 propaganda posters for communications of encoded messages. In this medium, the research explores thematic patterns of sociopolitical and sociocultural signs which add to the richness of Castro's appeal. In addition to providing a unique perspective on interrogating visual images, this study offers a better understanding of the influential power of professional design and the use of semiotics in political propaganda.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged fast fashion to circular products to prevent excessive overstock in responding to consumers' shift toward less consumption. These shifts are worth studying as consumers are willing to partake in pro-environmental behaviors, leading to a circular business model for fast fashion. This study explores how sustainable knowledge and consumer goals toward circularity can influence behavior toward circular consumption based on the goal framing theory. An online survey employing the Prolific survey platform was conducted with 300 fast-fashion consumer panels. The quantitative approach (ANOVA, cluster, factor, multiple regressions analyses) supported that consumers' framed-goals toward circularity significantly influence their intention to purchase fast fashion products. Fast-fashion consumers have prioritized reliable communication and pro-environmental goals to respectfully purchase circular products and 5Rs behaviors. They perceived circular economy and environmental knowledge as deciding factors in their pursuits of circularity. It corresponds to the benefits of lucrative circular business applications for fast fashion.

<p>Denna studie syftar till att se hur gestaltningen av det amerikanska presidentvalet 2008 såg ut i Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Aftonbladet och Expressen. Studien bygger på en kvantitativ innehållsanalys av ett avgränsat insamlat material. Valdagen inföll den 4 november 2008. Den tidsperiod som studeras är nio nyhetsdygn med tidningsutgivning från och med 2008-10-28 till och med 2008-11-06 för DN och SvD samt från och med 2008-10-29 till och med 2008-11-06 för Aftonbladet och Expressen. Studien utgår från gestaltningsteorin som den definierats av Kathleen H. Jamieson och Joseph N. Cappellas i kombination med Jesper Strömbäcks förklaring av den samma. Uppsatsen tittar på fördelning av gestaltningstyperna <em>sak</em>, <em>spel</em>, <em>skandal/trivia </em>samt <em>oklar</em>. Vidare syftar denna studie till att ta reda på fokus sakvinkel, fokus spelvinkel, aktörers förekomst – huvud- och medaktör – partiers förekomst samt analysenheters ursprung.</p><p>Studien visar att <em>spel </em>var vanligast som gestaltningstyp. Barack Obama var den dominerande aktören i samtliga tidningar och demokraterna var det dominerande partiet i alla tidningar utom Expressen. <em>Egen korrespondent </em>var vanligast som artikelursprung för tre av tidningarna, undantaget var Svenska Dagbladet som hade flest träffar för <em>reporter hemma</em>. För SvD och DN gäller att <em>spel </em>och <em>skandal/trivia </em>blivit vanligare till förmån för <em>sak </em>jämfört med resultat för fördelningen av gestaltningstyper vid 2004 års amerikanska presidentval.</p><p> </p><p> </p>

Industrialization creates new requirements for design. Designers need to consider not only building performance, but also production plan needs. This requires a well-structured Building Information Model (BIM) to support the manufacturing needs for design and drafting. BIM, in combination with CAD tools such as AutoCAD and ArchiCAD, can be used for this purpose. These, however, are not sufficient to support the level of detail needed for the manufacturing process. The proposed research establishes a methodology for the automation of design and drafting for the building manufacturing of residential facilities based on the platform construction framing method. The proposed methodology has been incorporated into a computer model called MCMPro, which was developed using Visual Essential for Applications (VBA) as an add-on to a CAD model. MCMPro incorporates BIM technology based on CAD parametric modelling and manufacturing requirements in a 3D-model, in order to generate sets of shop and fabrication drawings. / Construction Engineering and Management

The debate about how to frame health messages to maximize their effectiveness is ongoing. Research supports the use of both positive and negative frames under different conditions. This project was developed to further clarify the circumstances under which a negative frame may be harmful, or even backfire. In Study 1 it was proposed that past drinking behavior would moderate the relationship between message frame and behavioral intention to drink alcohol in the future such that people with a heavy drinking past would react to a negatively framed message by increasing their intention to consume alcohol. A total of 212 students participated in the study where they completed a questionnaire to provide information on some of the key variables, such as drinking history, and then were asked to read mock health materials with either a positive or negative frame. They concluded the study by responding to a final questionnaire where they provided feedback on the health materials and indicated their intentions to drink in the future. Results of this study supported the hypothesis. The goals of Study 2 were to replicate the findings of Study 1 and to test the hypothesis that self-esteem would be a second-order moderator of this effect such that people with a heavy drinking past and high self-esteem would be most likely to respond to a negatively framed message by increasing their intention to drink alcohol in the future. A total of 490 students participated in the study, which followed the same procedure as the first study. Results of Study 2 failed to replicate the findings from Study 1, and indicated that self-esteem did influence the relationship between past behavior, message frame and behavioral intention but not in the proposed direction. The marginally-significant effect found in Study 2 suggested that heavy drinkers with high self-esteem were actually more likely to decrease their intentions to drink alcohol after reading a negatively framed message. Because of the inconsistency in the results of the two studies presented, proposed directions for future research are discussed.

Software development outsourcing is a very common way to gain source for information system among government and private business. Although there are lots of advantages of software development outsourcing, if one do not really understanding outsourcing correctly, not only expected results cannot be met, there will be additional problems. From the past research data and real cases, there are lots of problems shown. There are always lots of participants involved in product development, thus conflicts are very closely associated with participants. If conflicts do not get solved immediately or root caused had not been found right away, conflicts always results in large damages to developments. For example, there are hidden conflicts with in ambiguous document format and request. When mistakes stack up and do not get solved right away, they will become potential conflicts. However, most members do not pay too much attention to the reasons how conflict occurred or to ways of solving but pay more attention on teamwork and professionalism. There were lots of research done in the past regarding the conflicts between customers and suppliers of software development outsoursing; most of them are limited in reseach conflicts of orgination and individuals. Most research methods are market research or individual interviews there is no in depth research regarding the conflict events with long period of data collection and analysis; also tracking the major factors for the root causes. This research method involoved two real cases. We observe, record, and collect data from the real events and interviews participants. We investigate the causes of conflicts between customers and outsourcing suppliers by framing theory. Then we analyzed the cognition of customers and outsourcing suppliers toward conflicts during the research period. Then, this research result came from using six main conflict frames work as conflict types : identity, characterization, fact, power, loose versus gains, process. After the data was collected, we use consistent comparison as a foundation. The purpose is to cross exam the data and found the root causes before and after conflict resolution. In software industry, when people encounter conflicts or found problems of conflict, this research helps them to understand the root cause faster and it provides great resource for project managers. By using real cases records and results as examples to find the root cause or potential problems; people could come to neutral agreement by using conflict management to satisfy both parties.