Social campaigns to social change? Sexual violence framing in U.S. news before and after #metoo

The discussion on sexual violence gained momentum in October 2017 after the Twitter hashtag (#metoo) spread globally highlighting the widespread reality of this problem. While this resulted in extensive media coverage, and naturally informed audiences about societal issues, it can also be problematic regarding the media’s power to reflect and construct reality. Therefore, it is important to research how societal issues like sexual violence are discussed in media settings. The study aimed to investigate how journalists frame sexual violence in the news (RQ1) and whether such practices have changed in the wake of the MeToo movement (RQ2). A quantitative content analysis was conducted for news articles published in four US newspapers, spanning a period of 2 years – from 1 year before to 1 year after the #metoo tweet ( N = 612; Oct. 2016 – Oct. 2018). Results indicate that news coverage on sexual violence shifted from straightforward, single-incident reports to broader discussions. This study contributes to scientific research and journalism practices by providing an overarching view of how sexual violence is framed in the news and the potential impact of social movements on reportage.

Winter always comes: social enterprise in times of crisis

Purpose This study aims to outline the importance of distinguishing between different types of societal crises and the role that plays in how social enterprises may respond to crises at hand. Design/methodology/approach Previous literature is used to distinguish between various types of societal crises discussed in the study. Social enterprise responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recession and the racial uprising in the USA that all erupted at the start of the 2020 decade are explored to illustrate the need for different responses to each. Findings The origin and manifestation of crises differ in that they may have public health, natural, economic or even intentionally man-made origins. In addition, in times of crisis, social enterprises must be prepared to innovate, adapt or at least manage the effects of one or more crises on their organizations. These innovations may be social, technology or economic innovations. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to knowledge about the role and value of social enterprise as a tool for addressing societal issues. The three types of crises explored in this paper will likely reoccur and evolve to manifest in new ways. As such, it is imperative that research on the efficacy of social enterprises during times of crisis are conducted to inform practice, policy and future research. Practical implications This study aims to inform and encourage institutions, particularly social enterprises, to recognize that “winter always comes.” Crises always happen in life and how organizations respond to such crises will differ based on the type of crisis at hand. This study particularly contributes to knowledge by emphasizing the need for social enterprises to think about both economic uncertainty and the role they play in addressing crises in the long-term, not just when they occur. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to explore the role and value of social enterprises as a tool for combatting major social crises such as racism, pandemics and recessions.

The Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic on Consumer Burden in Malaysia: An Analysis

The effects of Covid-19 are continuing to increase around the world as the pandemic claims millions of lives. Malaysia is no exception and has been remarkably affected by the pandemic. Apart from the number of people who are or have been infected with this virus, millions of people are directly or indirectly facing many challenges to their living. The challenges include increased cost of living, income reduction or losses, decreased purchasing power, and unemployment, along with other societal issues created by the pandemic. This study contextualised the implications of the pandemic on consumers’ burden in Malaysia, focusing on the cost of living and unemployment. Observations on prices, inflation, and unemployment rates were conducted to provide meaningful evidence. Major findings revealed that the cost of living has risen, contributed by the increase in prices, especially for food items, healthcare, and education. The unemployment rate also expanded due to the lockdown measures, which led to income losses and reduction. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought challenges to the consumers as measures taken to curb the pandemic have altered many aspects of life and increased the consumers’ burden. Although the inflation rate remains manageable, a major concern lies in many people’s income reduction or income losses. This study implies that the government, together with private institutions and NGOs, needs to work hand in hand to minimise the consumers’ financial burden, especially during this pandemic. It is hoped that the discussion presented in this paper would shed light on the impact of the pandemic on consumers’ burden in Malaysia.

Effectiveness of a Theory-Informed Documentary to Reduce Consumption of Meat and Animal Products: Three Randomized Controlled Experiments

Several societal issues could be mitigated by reducing global consumption of meat and animal products (MAP). In three randomized, controlled experiments (n=217 to 574), we evaluated the effects of a documentary that presents health, environmental, and animal welfare motivations for reducing MAP consumption. Study 1 assessed the documentary’s effectiveness at reducing reported MAP consumption after 12 days. This study used methodological innovations to minimize social desirability bias, a widespread limitation of past research. Study 2 investigated discrepancies between the results of Study 1 and those of previous studies by further examining the role of social desirability bias. Study 3 assessed the documentary’s effectiveness in a new population anticipated to be more responsive and upon enhancing the intervention content. We found that the documentary did not decrease reported MAP consumption when potential social desirability bias was minimized (Studies 1 and 3). The documentary also did not affect consumption among participants whose demographics suggested they might be more receptive (Study 3). However, the documentary did substantially increase intentions to reduce consumption, consistent with past studies (Studies 2 and 3). Overall, we conclude that some past studies of similar interventions may have overestimated effects due to methodological biases. Novel intervention strategies to reduce MAP consumption may be needed.

Challenges Faced by Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review

Introduction: On March 11, 2020, the WHO formally declared the new coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks a pandemic by publishing public health guidelines to guide pandemic response. Serious illnesses may necessitate hospitalization and ventilatory assistance. The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed new concerns for healthcare workers around the world. However, in many developing nations, including India, information is scarce concerning these issues. Healthcare facilities are one-of-a-kind and difficult to understand. The Indian healthcare system consists of both governmental and private healthcare facilities. Healthcare practitioners face a variety of obstacles daily. The unexpected appearance of COVID-19 created a new threat to an already overburdened healthcare system. The pandemic altered the healthcare dilemma by introducing new employment and societal obstacles to healthcare workers. The goal of this review research is to uncover the causes of the workplace and societal issues that healthcare workers encounter.

Lévy, un ami qui vous veut du bien: the (mis)appropriation of Islamic practices in Bernard-Henri Lévy’s fulfilling of France’s mission civilisatrice

This article analyses the dynamics of cultural (mis)appropriation underpinning Bernard-Henri Lévy’s (BHL) catchphrase islam des Lumières. Be it against the backdrop of global terrorism in Qui a tué Daniel Pearl?, that of Franco-French societal issues in Ce grand cadavre à la renverse, that of French interventionism in La Guerre sans l’aimer, or that of homegrown terrorism in “Le moment churchillien de la Ve république,” BHL warns against the danger of a certain form of Islam whilst advocating an “enlightened” Islam that is, for him, compatible with French republican values. To this end, he (mis)appropriates conspicuous Islamic practices by claiming that they have nothing to do with Islam. Thus, BHL’s islam des Lumières is invisible and reduced to a cultural heritage that is void of religious practices. Drawing from cultural studies, social sciences, postcolonial studies, and African American studies, this article will argue that BHL is a “well-meaning colonizer;” a paternalist who seeks to fulfil France’s mission civilisatrice by (mis)appropriating Islamic practices in order to tell Muslims how to live their faith.

Bacterial respiration keeps amazing us in the 21st century

The last two decades have seen some remarkable discoveries in bacterial bioenergetics. In this article, we highlight how important societal issues such as antimicrobial resistance and sustainable fuel production have led to a renewed focus on the bioenergetics of bacteria, which is only beginning to show us how much we have left to learn. Advances in technology, particularly through biophysics, have further contributed to a rapid progress in our understanding of the respiratory chain complexes in bacteria. Blue-sky research has seamlessly merged with solutions to societal problems and we stand on the precipice of a number of exciting discoveries in this field.

The AstraZeneca affair. A litmus test of information disorder in the Italian hybrid media ecosystem

In this paper we seek to demonstrate how a variety of information disorder phenomena comes to be at the intersection of legacy and social media interaction. To do so, we collected more than 750.000 tweets and 30.000 news articles related to the adoption of AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy for a period of six months (1st January 2021 - 30th June 2021). Initially, using timestamps of publications and tweets, we tracked the pace of public debate. Then, using a mixed methods approach, we investigated Twitter reaction during the climax of attention toward AstraZeneca. Acting as a litmus test, our study reveals three different but intertwined information disorder phenomena: first, the vaccine debate exhibit a flat progression with few condensed peaks of attention (acceleration phenomenon); second, the two main peaks that involve both journalistic coverage and Twitter discussion generate from news of suspect deaths related to AstraZeneca (sensationalisation phenomenon); and finally, the report of suspect deaths news by mainstream media accounts on Twitter correlates with a polarized and ideological reaction of the connected publics (fragmentation phenomenon). These results highlight how a direct implication of the hybrid media ecosystem's actual configuration could be a resistance in the formation of a public arena capable of sustaining a prolonged and effective debate, particularly with respect to controversial societal issues such as those related to the covid-19 vaccination campaign.

Teaching What Society Needs: “Hacking” an Introductory Marketing Course With Sustainability and Macromarketing

Marketing classes are often focused on the micro level, failing to account for wider societal issues. In this article, we argue for the inclusion of a wider macro-sustainability focus, one that “hacks” marketing education. With that objective in mind, we developed and delivered an introductory marketing course that integrated both the micro and the macro, thus infusing the course with macro-sustainability. This was done through an “expanded voice” perspective that included alternate complementary micro and macro class sessions while using a traditional managerial marketing textbook supplemented by macro-sustainability materials. We also integrated a controversies approach to support discussion and learning. We taught this course to 150 undergraduate students and conducted both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the course, including comparing results with an “unhacked” marketing course. Findings indicated increased awareness of macro-sustainability topics and movement on appreciation of sustainability and the role marketing can have in achieving this awareness. Finally, we offer a model of how marketing classes at all levels can be “hacked” with a macro-sustainability approach.