Brand Endorsers with Role Model Function

Social media influencers (SMIs) are taking on new roles in the communication environment of their followers as persuasive agents, opinion leaders, brand endorsers, and role models. Taking a look from the perspective of SMIs as agents in the persuasion attempt and their advertising literacy, our study has three aims. First, we provide insight into SMIs‘ self-perception as opinion-leading brand endorsers. Second, we discuss the extent to which SMIs use this awareness of and knowledge about their role model function for their particular young followers. Finally, we show how SMIs actively construct their media persona and how their relationship with their followers is based around this identity. The results from 15 semi-structured, guideline-based interviews conducted in 2019 with German SMIs working in different subject areas (e.g., fitness, fashion, travel, and family) show that SMIs are advertising literate. SMIs are aware of their multiple roles (understanding of one‘s roles: conceptional dimension), and reflect about their media persona‘s role model function (role interpretation: attitudinal dimension). Therefore, the majority of SMIs create their content and their media persona, as well as actively construct their relationship to their followers, based on their knowledge and awareness (role construction: performance dimension).

Programme – related norms in modern agricultural law

Modern legal studies recognise the usefulness and necessity of distinguishing agricultural law norms. As part of the analysis of the legal impact of agricultural law norms, the phenomenon of publicization is also pointed out, which means a gradual increase in public legal regulations within the framework of agricultural law norms. As part of this phenomenon, not only do administrative norms gain in importance, but also programme norms within the framework of the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy. The aim of this article is to assess the scope of legal impact of programme norms in agricultural law, determining the objectives to be achieved in the market and income policy and the structural policy in agriculture and rural areas, in particular through an attempt to establish the legal character of the Rural Areas Development Programme as an act of the application of EU and national programme regulations. The author presents and justifies the position that the normative provisions of the Rural Areas Development Programme, due to its role, construction and manner of enactment, should be classified as mandatory legal provisions.

What about the parents? : a focus on parent perceptions regarding parent involvement in the middle school setting

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this phenomenological bounded case study was to understand parent perceptions regarding their involvement at the middle school level. This was significant to understanding why middle schools struggle with fostering parent involvement. Three focus groups comprised of sixteen parent participants from one middle school in Missouri were utilized. As parents discussed their views and experiences a deeper understanding of parent involvement emerged. The perceptions of parents were analyzed to understand how they perceive, define, and understand their role in terms of academic and social outcomes for their adolescent child's education. They considered parent participation as a partnership with the school requiring their involvement within three major constructs: learning in the home, parenting, and volunteering. However, the transition to middle school left them wondering how to support their child and knowing what role they should take in their education. This contributed to weakened parent self-efficacy and role construction. Difficulty navigating parent social networks emerged as a significant barrier to parent participation, suggesting it as another possible construct parents perceive as critical for parent participation. Findings suggest that parents have different perceptions about their role and efficacy for involvement. However, relationships with other parents may serve to lessen the disconnect between parents and middle schools, especially as students transition during the first year of middle school.

“GOOD EVENING TO YOU, LADY OF THE HOUSE”: CONSIDERACIONES SOBRE EL PRINCIPIO DE CORTESÍA EN EL TEATRO DE J.M. SYNGE

ResumenEn el ámbito de los estudios irlandeses se ha estudiado con profusión el inesperado fracaso del fenómeno teatral encabezado por W.B. Yeats y en el que John Millington Synge se llevó la peor de las partes. La subversión que sus personajes implicaban a todos los niveles explica el rechazo de los mismos por parte del público que acudía en masa al Abbey Theatre solo para silbar y patalear durante alguna de sus representaciones (Kilroy 1971). Un análisis detallado de la forma en la que hace que se expresen apunta en esta dirección. La incorrección verbal es una seña característica del teatro de esta figura clave de la literatura irlandesa. Partiendo de ahí, en el presente trabajo se aplica el principio de cortesía lingüística (Brown y Levinson 1987) a tres de las obras más destacadas de este dramaturgo: In the Shadow of the Glen, The Tinker’s Wedding y The Well of the Saints. Con la intención de refutar los resultados de trabajos anteriores (Hidalgo-Tenorio 1999) y demostrar la validez de este modelo en la investigación de textos de ficción, se comprueba que esas mujeres, que rompen con la norma social y conversacional una y otra vez, en casos muy excepcionales hacen un uso magistral de todas las estrategias posibles de cortesía. Las razones son tan diversas como las que se darían en cualquier transacción conversacional del mundo real. Este artículo se proponer desgranarlas como uno de sus objetivos.Palabras clave: Pragmática, principio de cortesía, género, teatro irlandés, J.M. Synge.English title: “Good Evening to You, Lady of the House”: Considerations on the Politeness Principle in J.M. Synge’s DramaAbstract: In the field of Irish studies, scholars have considered extensively the failure of the theatrical experience led by W.B. Yeats and J.M. Synge, who bore the brunt of popular criticism. The subversion embodied in Synge’s characters explains their rejection by the public, who flocked to the Abbey Theatre just to whistle and stamp their feet during some of his performances. One in January 1907 caused a particularly furious reaction from the press and political nationalists (Kilroy 1971). Since verbal impropriety (Bousfield and Locher 2008, Culpeper 2011) is their most outstanding characteristic, the analysis of how this major literary figure makes them express themselves can shed light on a phenomenon of much sociological relevance. Accordingly, here I apply the politeness principle (Brown and Levinson 1978, 1987) to four of his most well-known plays: The Well of the Saints, The Tinker’s Wedding, In the Shadow of the Glen and The Playboy of the Western World. Apart from demonstrating the validity of this model in the exploration of fiction, I will show that those women, who regularly break social and conversational norms, make use of all politeness strategies in very exceptional cases. The reasons are as diverse as those articulated in any real-world transaction, and this article aims to disentangle them. Thus, it will be easier to tackle the issue of gender role construction (Holmes 1995, Weatherall 2002, Litoselitti 2006), which is definitely one of the grounds on which Dublin’s dismissal of the Irish Dramatic Movement was based (Hidalgo-Tenorio 1999).Keywords: Pragmatics, politeness theory, gender, Irish Theatre, J.M. Synge.

Social Networks and Parent Motivational Beliefs

Background: Despite devotion of substantial resources and effort to increase parent/school partnerships, gaps remain between policy rhetoric and practice, especially in high-poverty communities. Current research focuses on parent involvement or effects of parent motivational beliefs on parent choice for behavior; however, it does not address the formation of beliefs or social factors that influence parent motivation to become involved. To gain a better understanding of factors that influence parent motivational beliefs, we examined the effects of parent social network, school outreach, and neighborhood health on parent role construction and parent efficacy in an urban school district. Method/Analysis: Survey data were collected from a random sample of 30 fifth-grade parents from 56 elementary schools in a large urban district in the Midwest. Using a partially latent structural regression model, we tested the relationships between school outreach, neighborhood health, parent social network, and parent motivational beliefs. Findings: The theoretical specification of the hypothesized model was observed in the pattern of the relationships among school outreach, neighborhood health, parent network, and parent motivational beliefs. Results: The results of the structural model confirm the association between parent social network and parent motivational beliefs. Combined parent social network and school outreach accounted for 10% of the variance in parent motivational beliefs. Implications for Research and Practice: Results from this study provide a different lens through which to view parent–school partnerships. Understanding parents as social actors whose perceptions are influenced through connections with other parents can help schools facilitate motivational beliefs that lead to effective partnerships.

Improving construction sector resilience

Purpose Improving the resilience of the construction sector helps countries recover quicker from crises and can assist with improving community resilience and recovery. This study aims to explore ways in which the construction sector might improve its resilience. Design/methodology/approach This paper examined past disasters and the role construction plays to understand what and how better construction resilience can be built, and the impact this will have on recovery and reconstruction. Findings The findings showed that after a crisis, the construction sector is called upon to manage building and infrastructure recovery and reconstruction. Construction organisations are needed by the community, as they provide physical resources, people, materials, logistics, management and technical expertise and rebuilding. To ensure that recovery and reconstruction programs are successfully implemented, it is necessary for the construction sector to be resilient. To achieve improved resilience in the construction industry, disaster resilience management needs to become mainstreamed into construction processes. Research limitations/implications Although larger organisations have some preparation to respond to crises, including having emergency or disaster plans, smaller companies struggle to achieve a reasonable level of resilience. It appears that senior management and key people in construction organisations are familiar with the procedures but that the majority of staff in organisations lack knowledge and skills. Practical implications Understanding the role the construction sector plays in disasters and providing directions for improving construction sector resilience will ultimately improve recovery and reconstruction outcomes. Social Implications This paper discusses how communities rely on services provided by construction organisations to enable them to recover from emergencies and crises. Pre-disaster construction company resilience impacts on the ability of construction companies to function post-disaster. Originality/value This paper focuses on a number of cases and shows where and how the construction sector has worked in disasters and provides a new analysis of the role the industry plays, and the various disaster stages where the industry has maximum impact.

The Influence of Parent Social Networks on Parent Perceptions and Motivation for Involvement

Despite reform efforts to involve parents, parent–school relationships in urban districts are rare. This qualitative study used a constructivist grounded theory approach to gain an understanding of how parent social networks, specifically relationships with other parents in the school, influence parent perceptions of their role in the educational process and their efficacy to fulfill perceived roles. Findings suggest that parents have differing perceptions about their role and differences in efficacy for involvement; however, relationships with other parents are important resources for role construction and efficacy, and may serve to lessen the disconnect between parents and schools in high-poverty districts.