Better and Lesser Catalans?

The paper analyses the relationships between the teams and supporters of FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol Barcelona, in which the dispute concerning Catalanness has been and remains the foremost issue. FC Barcelona is widely considered an ambassador of Catalonia, a symbol of Catalanness and the epitome of Catalanism as embodied through football. Espanyol, its local rival, has to face allegations of being a non-Catalan club, or an outgrowth of Real Madrid in Barcelona. While Barça is the club in which one “does politics” and with which one creates Catalonia (fer Catalunya), it is emphasized that Espanyol and its supporters are not involved in politics and the Catalan national effort. A perennial feud continues between the boards and fans of both clubs; historical, identity-related and ethnic arguments are invoked to demonstrate the Catalanness of one side (FC Barcelona) and its incompleteness or even utter absence in the other (RCD Espanyol). The analysis conducted in the paper shows that FC Barcelona’s exclusive Catalanness and right to represent Catalonia is a historical and social fact, but it has been challenged recently by Espanyol through the Catalanization the club undertook in mid-1990s and a series of public campaigns to undermine the hegemony of Barça in the city and the region. Espanyol is the active side in the contest to overcome FC Barcelona’s monopoly on representing Catalonia, while Barcelona itself focuses on retaining its previous status. The study demonstrates that both clubs are in fact polysemous, which means that Espanyol has supporters who feel first and foremost Catalans and espouse Catalan independence, while avowed opponents of the same idea can be found among the supporters of the Blaugrana, although the club is primarily Spanish and not only Catalan.

Sociocultural context and autistics’ quality of life: A comparison between Québec and France

Quality of life is important for the development and evaluation of interventions for autistic people. It is a multidimensional concept, anchored in a sociocultural context and based on a person’s subjective assessment of their life. The aim of this study is to examine whether the determinants of perceived quality of life vary by country (or culture) by comparing two groups of French-speaking autistic adults ( n = 430), one in France and the other in Québec (Canada). A cross-sectional survey was conducted to provide information on the quality of life (Autism Quality of Life Measure—ASQoL), diagnosis and health conditions, self-evaluation of autistic traits (Autism-Spectrum Quotient—AQ10), and sociodemographic characteristics of these two samples. The results of our comparison of French-speaking autistic adults in France and Québec suggest that sociocultural context has an impact on autistic people’s quality of life ( r2 = 0.280). The Québec group reported a superior quality of life. The social experience of autism-related stigmatization emerges as a strong predictor of lower quality of life in both groups. However, the two groups differ with other predictors. This study demonstrates the importance of considering sociocultural context in measuring quality of life in autistic adults. It emphasizes the need for awareness programs and public campaigns aimed at identifying and countering stigmatization processes. Lay abstract What is already known about the topic? Quality of life refers to how people perceive aspects of their life such as physical health, material security, and interpersonal relationships. Studies have reported lower quality of life among autistic individuals than in the general population. What does this article contribute? This article contributes to a better understanding of quality of life and its measures from the point of view of autistic adults. By comparing two groups of French-speaking autistic adults from two different places (France and Québec—Canada), this research shows that the perception of quality of life and its determining factors differ for autistic adults living in each country. The Québec group reported a superior quality of life, and some quality of life predictors were different in each group. The social experience of autism-related stigmatization, however, was a powerful predictor of quality of life for all. Implications for practice, research, and policy To promote a higher quality of life for autistic people, it is important to consider the sociocultural context and implement awareness programs and public campaigns aimed at identifying and countering stigmatization processes.

Voluntary Public Campaigns to Benefit the Environment: Assessing the Effectiveness of the There Is No Poop Fairy Campaign

The There Is No Poop Fairy campaign began in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2014 to encourage dog owners to pick up their dogs’ waste so that it does not contaminate the Rio Grande through stormwater runoff. This research aimed to understand the success of the campaign using a survey of local dog owners. Results suggest that the campaign was successful based on its reach and influence on self-reported pickup frequency and showed that those who were aware of the campaign reported higher frequencies of dog waste pickup, greater environmental concern, and greater awareness about the effects of dog waste on stormwater quality.

Power resources and supranational mechanisms: The global unions and the OECD Guidelines

This article uses the power resources approach to analyse the Global Union Federations’ (GUFs) use of the specific instances mechanism associated with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. While this mechanism has serious limitations, it has proved to be a useful tool when combined with public campaigns and the exercise of other power resources at multiple scales. This is so, we argue, because the fact that multi-national enterprises themselves operate across national boundaries creates an incentive to engage power resources at a supranational level, as well as within the countries where they, or their suppliers, are present. As this finding suggests, consideration of unions’ power resources benefits from deeper consideration of the multi-scalar and interrelated character of union action and of the role that intermediary coordinating organizations like GUFs play in supporting the exercise of power at the supranational level.

Media scarcity in an age of information abundance: the case of MK veterans

This paper questions the dominant attention economy and media abundance framework in media studies by questioning the mediated politics of ‘media scarce’ communities and individuals. Focusing on the armed wing of the African National Congress (MK), the paper questions how media scarcity affects a group’s ability to engage in public campaigns, given their lack of historical media documentation. The paper analyzes how the MK developed various media tactics to overcome their lack of media documentation, both during the fight against the Apartheid state and in present day campaigns for military veterans’ rights.

Public communication campaigns as mundane category

This article examines the public connection and understanding of public communication campaigns. Public communication campaigns are widespread, but the audience dimension of the campaign category itself is still a blind spot in research. Drawing on focus group interviews and a survey among Danish citizens, the article shows that public campaigns are recognized as a mundane communicative category. Moreover, drawing on theories of public connection and governmentality, we show how citizens receive and resist, accept and negotiate public campaigns.

Corporate social responsibilityin shaping the media image of the company

Enterprises frequently employ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to create a positive brand image in the media. To further good relations with stakeholders, companies create an image before their customers by their participation in public campaigns and information in advertisements employing elements of CSR. Discussing this practice, I will highlight aspects of this phenomenon in the context of consumer opinion about advertisements. Some examples of companies show that Cause Related Marketing (CRM) and public campaigns are becoming more significant in the strategies of cause related companies. Enterprises at all costs want to buy their way into the favour of stakeholders, and through various marketing actions they try to build a strong brand and position in this way. In spite of the low evaluation of advertisements and the decline in confidence in them, enterprises aim to convince everyone that they are socially responsible companies.

‘The Inalienable Right of the White Man’

Victory over Russia established Japan as the leading power in East Asia, and inaugurated a period during which its economic and political influence in the region sharply expanded. This chapter explores these shifts in the regional order from the perspective of both British policymakers in London, and from that of the British communities in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and the other ‘treaty ports’ scattered along the China coast. For many, Japan, came to represent a challenge to British hegemony in China that manifested itself on a racial as well as on the commercial or political fronts. The chapter goes on to analyse the efforts of the ‘Shanghailanders’ to mobilize British policy to constrain Japanese power in the region through public campaigns and political manoeuvring. In the process, it demonstrates how treaty port residents articulated their own vision on Britain’s imperial future in Asia.