‘Disturbing’ children’s YouTube genres and the algorithmic uncanny

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110492
Author(s):  
Jessica Balanzategui
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Textual Analysis ◽  
Video Content ◽  
Advocacy Groups ◽  
Children's Media ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Target Child ◽  
Syntactic Features ◽  
Cultural Expectations

Since late 2017, journalists, advocacy groups, and policy-makers have expressed serious concerns about popular genres of video content on YouTube that target child viewers but which are not child-appropriate according to extant definitions and cultural expectations. This article combines a discourse and thematic analysis of 54 news articles and opinion pieces about ‘disturbing’ children’s genres on YouTube with textual analysis of the two genres at the centre of this reportage. The analysis illuminates why the formal, aesthetic, and thematic qualities of these particular child-oriented YouTube genres trouble existing cultural expectations around children’s media. I argue that the genres addressed in the reportage share a key quality that I refer to as the ‘algorithmic uncanny’: common semantic and syntactic features that foster among reporters a perception that algorithms have played a key role in not only distributing the content but in shaping its aesthetic and thematic agendas.

Challenges of Green Office Implementation: A Case Study in Penang, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ong Yee Sin ◽  
◽  
Nor'Aini Yusof ◽  
Atasya Osmadi ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Green Practices

This study was conducted in response to the lack of green office buildings in Malaysia, despite the fact that the green concept has been initiated in Malaysia for many years. The Penang State Government has taken the initiative to establish the Penang Green Council (PGC) as the first state in Malaysia, and the implementation of green offices is one of its programme initiatives. Nonetheless, green offices are still in scarcity across Penang. This study identified the challenges faced in implementing green offices. Data were collected from five green building owners using semi-structured interviews and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The outcomes revealed that the main challenges faced by green office adoption were lack of budget, lack of awareness, lack of expertise, ownership factor, and type of building. This study offers several implications for practitioners and policy makers to improve the adoption of green office in Malaysia. The results may be applied to raise awareness amongst practitioners and office owners regarding green practices in office buildings. The study outcomes may serve as reference to policy makers on enhancing the development of green buildings.

Evaluating and Analysing Qualitative Data

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget E Ogharanduku ◽  
Lubaina Zakaria ◽  
Rafał Sitko ◽  
Katherine J C Sang
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Textual Analysis ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Template Analysis ◽  
Technological Tools

The nature and volume of qualitative data can be overwhelming for researchers. This chapter provides useful steps for organising, managing and analysing qualitative data. Several techniques for analysing qualitative data are discussed in this chapter with examples to enable users to conduct their own analysis. The techniques include grounded theory, thematic analysis, template analysis, narrative analysis, textual analysis, discourse analyses, content analysis and hermeneutics. Validity and reliability issues to consider when analysing qualitative data are equally discussed. The chapter also considers technological tools available for organising, managing and retrieving qualitative data.

A closer look at opportunities for blind adults: Impacts of stigmatization and ocularcentrism

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-283
Author(s):  
Laura Yvonne Bulk ◽  
Andrea Smith ◽  
Laura Nimmon ◽  
Tal Jarus
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Blind People ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Initial Analysis ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
The Common

Blind Canadians experience higher rates of unemployment, social isolation, and poverty than sighted Canadians. Examining what influences opportunities can help to identify the factors that disable blind people. During initial analysis, stigma and ocularcentrism emerged as important factors. Thus, this article examines how stigma operates culturally, socially, politically, and economically to shape opportunities among blind adults. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six legally blind participants (visual acuity of 20/200 or below), aged 19–65 years. Thematic analysis was employed to understand the common and diverging narratives of participants. Within participant narratives, ocularcentrism is found to contribute to stigmatization at societal, interpersonal, and internalized levels. Opportunities are experienced within this context, and the stigmatization experienced both shaped and was shaped by participation in activities. It is imperative that a closer look is given to how stigma shapes the opportunities for blind people, so that individuals, teachers, practitioners, and policy makers can develop relevant and effective interventions and can challenge stigmatization.

scholarly journals Adolescents’ Conceptualizations of Kindness and its Links with Well-being: A Focus Group Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 599-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Cotney ◽  
Robin Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Future Design ◽  
Dispositional Factors

There has been a recent surge of interest from researchers, policy makers, and the general public in how kindness can promote well-being. Even though adolescence is a key period for the development of relevant value systems and mental health, little is known about adolescents’ understanding of kindness. Six focus groups were conducted with 11- to 15-year-olds, exploring their conceptualizations of kindness. Thematic analysis revealed a multifaceted understanding, identifying 10 different categories of kind behavior that are influenced by situational antecedents as well as specific self- and other-focused goals. Crucially, participants also identified a number of moderators including contextual and dispositional factors (e.g., features of social relationships, levels of empathy) that support and extend current theoretical frameworks. Responses from participants reinforced the idea that kindness contributes to well-being for the recipient and the giver. These findings have implications for the future design and efficacy of kindness-based well-being interventions for adolescents.

scholarly journals Challenges faced by Malaysian private HLIs in providing quality education: a thematic analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azilah Anis ◽  
Rafikul Islam ◽  
Nur Anisah Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Prospective Employer ◽  
Learning Institutions

Purpose The paper aims to identify the emerging themes on the challenges faced by the Malaysian private higher learning institutions (HLIs) in the provision of providing quality education. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were purposively conducted with 29 of the Malaysian private HLI internal and external stakeholders ranging from the relevant personnel of the institutions (the quality director, administrators and senior academics), regulatory agencies, prospective employer, students and parents. Thematic analysis was then applied to analyze the participants’ responses in determining and clarifying the challenges faced by the Malaysian private HLIs in the issue of providing quality education. Findings Eight overarching themes were identified, namely, Academics, Facilities, Students, Programs and curriculum, Competition, Accreditation, Finance and Research. Academics represent the most frequent challenge raised by the participants, whereas Research emerged as the least mentioned challenge during the interview sessions. Research limitations/implications The present paper focused solely on Malaysian private HLIs, and thus, the findings may not be applicable to the foreign private HLIs that are operating in Malaysia as well as to the public HLIs. Originality/value The findings are expected to provide valuable guidelines to the Malaysian Private HLIs in areas where resources need to be critically disbursed. To the regulatory agencies and policy-makers, the findings could enlighten them on the difficulties faced by these privately funded institutions so that further policies can be designed and implemented to assist these institutions in their operations and long-term survival.

scholarly journals A thematic analysis of smokers’ and non-smokers’ accounts of E-cigarettes

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532090987
Author(s):  
Georgia Louise Wilson ◽  
Sarah Grogan ◽  
Susan Powell ◽  
Ivan Gee ◽  
Lorna Porcellato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Health Implications ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis

This study explored smokers’ and non-smokers’ accounts of E-cigarettes. A total of 51 UK-based participants, 20 men and 31 women, responded to open-ended questions online. Inductive thematic analysis identified that the factors that influence E-cigarette behaviour and opinion in adult smokers and non-smokers are related to social context, informative sources, practical aspects and health implications. Participants presented varying accounts of E-cigarettes, suggesting that individual narratives regarding E-cigarettes are multi-faceted. This is important information for health professionals and policy makers tasked with advising on E-cigarette use.

scholarly journals Banking on exclusion: Data disclosure and geographies of UK personal lending markets

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 2046-2064 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Henry ◽  
J Pollard ◽  
P Sissons ◽  
J Ferreira ◽  
M Coombes
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Advocacy Groups ◽  
Access To Finance ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Financial Exclusion ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

In 2013, the UK Government announced that seven of the nation’s largest banks had agreed to publish their lending data at the local level across Great Britain. The release of such area based lending data has been welcomed by advocacy groups and policy makers keen to better understand and remedy geographies of financial exclusion. This paper makes three contributions to debates about financial exclusion. First, it provides the first exploratory spatial analysis of the personal lending data made available; it scrutinises the parameters and robustness of the dataset and evaluates the extent to which the data increase transparency in UK personal lending markets. Second, it uses the data to provide a geographical overview of patterns of personal lending across Great Britain. Third, it uses this analysis to revisit the analytical and political limitations of ‘open data’ in addressing the relationship between access to finance and economic marginalisation. Although a binary policy imaginary of ‘inclusion-exclusion’ has historically driven advocacy for data disclosure, recent literatures on financial exclusion generate the need for more complex and variegated understandings of economic marginalisation. The paper questions the relationship between transparency and data disclosure, the policy push for financial inclusion, and patterns of indebtedness and economic marginalisation in a world where ‘fringe finance’ has become mainstream. Drawing on these literatures, this analysis suggests that data disclosure, and the transparency it affords, is a necessary but not sufficient tool in understanding the distributional implications of variegated access to credit.

scholarly journals It’s Just Steam: a qualitative analysis of New Zealand ENDS users’ perceptions of secondhand aerosol

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerri Haggart ◽  
Lindsay Robertson ◽  
Mei-Ling Blank ◽  
Lucy Popova ◽  
Janet Hoek
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Secondhand Smoke ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Sensory Experiences ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Former Smokers ◽  
Free Area

IntroductionMany smokers who begin using electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) report vaping in settings where they would not have smoked and believe secondhand aerosol (SHA) is simply steam. However, current understanding of how ENDS users differentiate between secondhand smoke and SHA, or how vaping norms develop, is limited.MethodsWe conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 39 current ENDS users (dual users and former smokers, now exclusive ENDS users) from New Zealand to explore participants’ perceptions of SHA. We probed how these perceptions arose and examined implications for vaping practices and policy. We managed the data using NVivo V.11 and used a thematic analysis approach to interpret the transcripts.ResultsParticipants had limited understanding of SHA, its constituents or its possible effects on others. They drew on the absence of harm information, and their sensory experiences and perceptions of others’ views of vaping, to support the conclusion that SHA posed few, if any, risks to bystanders. Yet despite this perception, some felt they should recognise others’ rights to clean air and most would not vape around children to avoid setting an example.ConclusionsIn the absence of trusted information, participants used sensory heuristics to rationalise their ENDS practices. Policy-makers face the challenge of correcting misperceptions about SHA without deterring full transition from smoking to ENDS use. They could consider including vaping in current smoke-free area policies; this measure would signal that SHA is not harmless, and could protect clean-air settings and reduce potential normalisation of vaping among non-smokers.

“I’m Grateful, but Am I?”: The Exploration of Gratitude as a Complex Experience Among Malaysian Cancer Patients

2021 ◽  
pp. 105413732110541
Author(s):  
Nur Atikah Mohamed Hussin ◽  
Taufik Mohammad ◽  
Shariffah Suraya Syed Jamaludin
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Sociocultural Perspective ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Cultural Expectations ◽  
Complex Dimensions

Gratitude has gained attention among health researchers for its benefits among chronic illness. However, most of the studies were focusing on the positive effects, neglecting the complex dimensions of gratitude that can contribute to both opportunities and challenges for chronic illness patients. This study aims to understand gratitude among cancer patients in Malaysia from a sociocultural perspective. This includes understanding how cancer patients view gratitude and the impacts of gratitude throughout their cancer-battling journey. This qualitative study involved 35 cancer patients. A thematic analysis was done to analyze the collected data. Among the themes discovered were searching for meaning, meaningful experience, gratitude through the enrichment activities, and gratitude as religious cultural expectations. This study suggests that gratitude is an important experience for chronic illness patients. The ability to understand this experience is vital to support and empower the patients throughout their daily lives.

scholarly journals Commentary: The land of insurmountable opportunities

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-99
Author(s):  
Robert W. Denniston
Keyword(s):  
Drug Research ◽  
Free Market ◽  
The United States ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
United States Government ◽  
Advocacy Groups ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Alcohol Industry

Denniston, R. (2015). Commentary: The land of insurmountable opportunities. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 4(2), 97-99. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v4i2.207Much is known about how to change alcohol policy to reduce harm, but despite the evidence little action has been taken at thenational level in the United States. Government officials have shown little interest in putting prevention research results to work.The influence of the alcohol industry on policy-makers combined with free market ideology has thwarted change despite theefforts of advocacy groups working to reduce harm. The role of the alcohol industry at the national and international level servesas a powerful deterrent to policy change.

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