Examining media discourses of diversity and ‘indoctrination’: Public perceptions of the intended screening of Gayby Baby in schools

This research presents the findings of a year long study, undertaken between 2016 and 2017, seeking to understand the degree to which students are influenced to attend culinary school by food medias, social media, and the Food Network. The notion that food medias draw the majority of new cooks to the industry is often present in popular media discourses, although no data exists seeking to understand this relationship. This study reveals that food medias play a secondary or tertiary role in influencing students to register at culinary school, while also showing previously unknown patterns related to culinary students’ intention to persist with culinary careers. Nearly 40 percent of this sample do not intend to remain cooking professionally for greater than five years, and about 30 percent are “keeping other doors open” upon entry into culinary school. Although food celebrity certainly plays a role in awareness about culinary careers, intrinsic career aspirations are the most frequently reported motivation.

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An empirical study of public perceptions on ambient media

International Journal of Strategic Innovative Marketing ◽

10.15556/ijsim.02.04.004 ◽

2116 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tomáš Šula ◽

Milan Banyár

Keyword(s):

Empirical Study ◽

Public Perceptions ◽

Ambient Media

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Buddhism in Crisis? Institutional Decline in Modern Japan

Buddhist Studies Review ◽

10.1558/bsrv.v28i2.233 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 233-263 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ian Reader

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Japanese Population ◽

Public Perceptions ◽

Japanese People ◽

Death Rituals ◽

Modern Times ◽

The Past ◽

Modern Cities ◽

Modern Japan ◽

Institutional Decline

Concerns that established temple Buddhism in Japan is in a state of crisis have been voiced by priests in various sectarian organizations in recent years. This article shows that there is a very real crisis facing Buddhism in modern Japan, with temples closing because of a lack of support and of priests to run them, and with a general turn away from Buddhism among the Japanese population. In rural areas falling populations have led to many temple closures, while in the modern cities people are increasingly turning away from the prime area in which Japanese people have traditionally engaged with Buddhist temples — the processes of death and their aftermath. Partly this is due to competition from new secular funeral industries, but partly also it is because public perceptions of Buddhism — which has become over-reliant on death rituals in Japan — have become highly negative in modern times. Even practices which have often been seen as areas in which Buddhist temples have been able to attract people — such as pilgrimages — are proving less successful than in the past, contributing further to a sense of crisis that threatens to undermine Buddhism’s roots in Japan.

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Quirky Neighbors or the Cult Next-Door?

International Journal for the Study of New Religions ◽

10.1558/ijsnr.v3i2.163 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 163-211

Author(s):

Bernard Doherty

Keyword(s):

Content Analysis ◽

Public Opinion ◽

Public Perceptions ◽

Political Involvement ◽

Television Programs ◽

High Degree ◽

Media Transformation

Beginning in 2005 the tiny Christian sect then known as the Exclusive Brethren suddenly underwent a media transformation from a virtually unknown or ignored group of quirky and old-fashioned Protestant sectarians to being touted as “Australia’s biggest cult” by tabloid television programs. This explosion of controversy came on the heels of media revelations about the involvement of Brethren members in providing financial donations to conservative political causes across the globe and a snowballing effect in response which brought forth a number of ex-members eager to expose their former group. This article looks at how this media transformation has been received by the wider Australian public. By studying the hitherto little utilized data contained in readers’ letters to Australia’s three mainstream broadsheet newspapers this article identifies which events or undertakings had the most impact on public perceptions of the Exclusive Brethren and which specific articles and issues struck the most responsive chord with readers. This content analysis found that Australian public opinion toward the Exclusive Brethren, while on the whole negative, was more indicative of their political involvement than their beliefs. The study also found that prior to what I call “The Brethren Controversy” the Exclusive Brethren had maintained a high degree of “sectarian tension” in Australia for almost four decades with little public outcry or media vilification.

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