Taking the case study of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, the largest event of its kind in Europe, this thesis examines the role that agricultural shows have in the modern-day countryside. Agricultural shows are a key fixture in the rural calendar. In recent years these events have changed from being a social and competition space, purely aimed at rural residents, to today displaying the finest livestock, mechanical, technological, and skills innovations serving a wide number of economic, social, cultural and environmental features targeted at the wider population. Despite their significance to rural society, agricultural shows remain largely unexplored in geography. Taking a mixed methods approach, and by undertaking an in-depth study of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, this thesis investigates the role that agricultural shows have in (re)imagining and (re)presenting their host communities. The thesis continues by examining the manner in which large-scale rural events can be seen as a nexus for knowledge exchange and innovation, before considering how large scale rural events influence the politics and governance of rural areas. This thesis suggests that agricultural shows are an important means of collective identity for rural people, and that these events reimagine their host communities. It also finds that agricultural shows are vital sites for the development of social capital in rural areas, have significant roles in knowledge exchange, and the development of rural buzz. Finally, it is concluded that agricultural shows inhabit a powerful, but extraordinary location within the political landscape of their host communities, having an influence on their politics and governance.

Orientador: Maria Cristina Gobbi / Banca: Angela Maria Grossi / Banca: Antonio Francisco Magnoni / Banca: Maria Ataide Malcher / Banca: Cristina Schmidt Silva Portéro / Resumo: Necessária para a sobrevivência humana, foi se aprimorando ao longo dos tempos, teve seu desenvolvimento potencializado pelo uso da tecnologia, pode variar de cultura para cultura. Essa descrição poderia ser utilizada para tratar de dois assuntos que estão presentes nesta tese: comunicação e comida. A comunicação acontece desde os primórdios da História da Humanidade, a começar pelos gestos e grunhidos, modificou-se primeiro com a fala e depois com desenvolvimento da escrita; teve sua função potencializada com o surgimento dos veículos massivos e hoje demonstra um alcance maior devido à internet. Já a comida é o resultado de um processo que envolve os alimentos e o saber-fazer que foi sendo adquirido, como as técnicas de armazenamento, de cocção, o uso de temperos, a facilitação com a chegada dos utensílios domésticos, a criação da indústria alimentícia e a expansão dos alimentos processados, a evolução do gosto e dos hábitos alimentares. Ambas possuem relações semelhantes em relação às controversas classificações como a comunicação de massa, a popular, a alta cozinha ou a comida de rua; as relações de poder também estão presentes: a hegemonia dos grandes conglomerados de comunicação versus a comunicação boca-a-boca, o conhecimento das cozinheiras tradicionais versus os restaurantes dos chef's renomados e com as reconhecidas estrelas que legitimam seus estabelecimentos. São dois processos que permeiam todas as sociedades, mesmo que de formas variadas, mas que fazem parte do c... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Resumen: Necesaria para la supervivencia humana, se fue perfeccionando a lo largo de los tiempos, tuvo su desarrollo potenciado por el uso de la tecnología, puede variar de cultura a cultura. Esta descripción podría ser utilizada para tratar dos asuntos que están presentes en esta tesis: comunicación y comida. La comunicación ocurre desde los primordios de la Historia de la Humanidad, empezando por los gestos y gruñidos, se modificó primero con el habla y luego con el desarrollo de la escritura; ha tenido su función potencializada con el surgimiento de los vehículos masivos y hoy demuestra un alcance mayor debido a internet. La comida es el resultado de un proceso que involucra los alimentos y el saber hacer que se ha adquirido, como las técnicas de almacenamiento, de cocción, el uso de condimentos, la facilitación con la llegada de los utensilios domésticos, la creación de la industria alimentaria y la expansión de los alimentos procesados, la evolución del gusto y de los hábitos alimentarios. Ambas poseen relaciones similares en relación a las controvertidas clasificaciones como la comunicación de masa, la popular, la alta cocina o la comida de calle; las relaciones de poder también están presentes: la hegemonía de los grandes conglomerados de comunicación versus la comunicación boca a boca, el conocimiento de las cocineras tradicionales frente a los restaurantes de los chef's renombrados y con las reconocidas estrellas que legitiman sus establecimientos. Son dos procesos que permea... (Resumen completo clicar acceso eletrônico abajo) / Abstract: Necessary for human survival, has been improving over time, has had its development enhanced by the use of technology, can vary from culture to culture. This description could be used to address two issues that are present in this thesis: communication and food. The communication happens from the beginnings of the History of the Humanity, beginning with the gestures and grunhidos, modified itself first with the speech and soon with development of the writing; had its function boosted by the emergence of massive vehicles and today shows a greater reach due to the internet. Food is the result of a process involving food and the know-how that has been acquired, such as storage techniques, cooking, the use of seasoning, facilitation with the arrival of household items, the creation of the industry food and the expansion of processed foods, the evolution of taste and eating habits. Both have similar relations to controversial classifications such as mass communication, popular communication, haute cuisine, or street food; power relations are also present: the hegemony of large conglomerates of communication versus word-of-mouth communication, the knowledge of traditional cooks versus the renowned chef's restaurants and the renowned stars that legitimize their establishments. They are two processes that permeate all societies, even if in various forms, but which are part of the daily life of every individual. In this thesis, an attempt was made to observe the path taken by communic... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

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This study examines talk-radio relations in advance of digitisation, testing the continuity of patterns of listener formation, to assess the accuracy of claims that 'interactivity' and individuated informational flows are demand-driven. Australian talk broadcasters are shown discursively creating a living 'thirdspace' or 'real virtuality' of transactional locations. Listener-caller participation arrays varying social orders across this imagined-yet-real terrain. Radio talk thus becomes a 'euphemised' form of social pre-dispositioning power, differentially locating power across communities. Four sets of talk-radio texts are examined in detail, using a socially contextualised form of linguistic analysis. Transcripts from 2UE's 'The Stan Zemanek Show' reveals an openly-gendered and more covertly classed discourse. The address to private rather than to public 'selves' in late-night sex-counselling talkback is examined. The study then examines programming from the community radio sector of volunteer-produced, local radio transmission. Finally, the study examines 'The prison show', a community radio music request and message programme for Aboriginal prisoners. The study concludes by suggesting that talk radio's role within cultural formation is complex in its articulations, but deeply implicated within the major cultural formational activities of contemporary consumer culture, on which are being modelled digital audio broadcasting's newly intensified flows of interactivity / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Problem: The dating reality show If You Are the One, won the largest audience rating in China after 2 weeks of its debut.  The sudden popularity led to more and more TV stations rushing to produce dating reality shows, and the majority gets even higher ratings from critics, from media, the Chinese government and common Chinese citizens. Method: Quantitative analysis of a multi-question online survey by logistic regression to determine whether certain variables, identified through academic research, correlate with satisfaction and use by audiences. Result: There are three types of audience. One is eager to get married and aims at finding true love through dating shows or getting some guidance for finding their perfect match. The second is already married and consider their relationship with their spouse to be a major life issue.  They will hope to receive beneficial advice from watching dating shows. The third type simply watches for entertainment, to relax after a day of harsh work and study.  All the audiences watch dating shows, more or less trust on the authenticity of TV and dating shows.

Incidents affecting the livestock industry are unavoidable in today's society. These incidents can happen at livestock shows across the country putting thousands of exhibitors, visitors, employees and livestock in danger. The purpose of this study was to determine local officials' perceptions and awareness of incident planning and response pertaining to selected livestock shows. Little research has been completed in this area; therefore, this foundational study was needed. The objectives of this study were to determine local officials' awareness of livestock shows and incident response plans for those livestock shows. In addition, the researcher wanted to describe the roles of local officials in incident planning and response at livestock shows. Level of communication and perceptions of challenges at livestock shows and among local officials were also evaluated. Lastly, the researcher wanted to describe local officials' recommendations for effective incident planning and response related to livestock shows. Five participants remarked on the value of this study and agreed to participate. These participants included livestock show officials involved in incident planning and response or local emergency management officials. Each participant was interviewed, and then data were transcribed and categorized to consensus. Nine themes arose including: background information, challenges, communication, example incidents, executing incident response, incident response planning, incident response training, miscellaneous and need for planning. It was concluded that all participants were aware of the selected livestock shows. However, levels of awareness varied by participant due to work-related experiences with the livestock show. The two livestock show participants were aware of specific incident response plans for the livestock show, while the three local emergency management officials were aware of city emergency management plans. Each participant remarked upon their roles in planning and executing incident response. In addition, communication was thought to be one of the key factors to successful incident planning and response. Challenges ranging from lack of communication to training for incident response were stated. Lastly, participants remarked on recommendations for others planning for incident response at livestock shows. These recommendations included communication, preplanning, building relationship with key stakeholders, training, and a need for more planning and research in this area. It is recommended that this study be replicated with scaled objectives for measuring awareness of livestock shows and incident response plans. Also, replicate this study to determine level of training in incident response and safe handling of livestock. It is recommended to describe communication between livestock shows and local emergency management officials. Lastly, it is recommended to replicate this study with regional livestock shows and state fairs.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Open University. BLDSC no. DX231422.