Broader Societal Context Research Articles

Mysteries, Markets, and Myths: Publishing Relevant Policy Research

This issue of the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing ( JPPM) is the last to be published during my tenure as editor. The five years I have served as editor have been a time of growth for the journal: growth in submissions, growth in the number of papers published, and growth in the influence of JPPM. Serving as the editor of a major journal such as JPPM is a learning experience. My service as editor of JPPM, combined with my prior terms as editor of Journal of Marketing and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, has taught me a great deal about the marketing discipline, the enterprise of scholarly research, and the role of marketing in a broader societal context. I use this final editorial to share some of what I have learned and to offer advice to scholars who wish to contribute to scholarship in marketing and public policy.

Analyzing the Relationship Between Social Capital and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Social Affiliation

While previous studies have established social capital as an important determinant of subjective well-being (SWB), the broader social context people are living in has not received much attention in terms of SWB. To address this issue, we propose the concept of social affiliation, measuring the feeling of belonging to the social whole, of being a respected and valued member of society. In contrast to standard concepts of social capital, social affiliation is not related to an individual’s direct environment (‘Gemeinschaft’), but concerns one’s relation to society (‘Gesellschaft’). Such a subjective evaluation of how an individual feels within a broader societal context is neither covered by traditional concepts of social capital nor by the concept of social cohesion which focuses on the macro level. A perception of oneself as living on the margins of society, of not being a respected member of society, is very likely to diminish subjective well-being. At the same time, it can be expected to not be completely unrelated to individual resources of social capital. Drawing on unique survey data from Japan, we analyze the triangle relationship between social capital, social affiliation and subjective well-being applying a structural equation model. Our results have two main implications. First, we show that social affiliation has an effect on subjective well-being that is independent from the effect of standard measures of social capital. Second, we find that social capital influences social affiliation, and thereby also has an indirect effect on subjective well-being. In terms of theory building our results suggest that social embeddedness has two elements which should be measured separately: a community dimension usually measured as social capital in terms of trust, personal networks and norms, and a societal dimension of being and feeling part of a ‘Gesellschaft’, measured as social affiliation.

Reflections on the First Decade of Latino Studies

This article narrates personal recollections of the founding editor on the origins and development of the academic journal Latino Studies , and the collective vision the journal set out to fulfill over the course of the first ten years. The article highlights the broader societal context at the time and, within it, some of the steps taken to contribute to the development of the field of Latina/o studies since the turn of the twenty-first century. It also reflects on the extent to which the editorial purpose, design, and growth of Latino Studies has been from early on, a collective endeavor made possible by the ongoing participation, commitment and support of the community of Latina/o studies scholars.

Fields of Tension in a Boundary-Crossing World: Towards a Democratic Organization of the Self

In their study of the relationship between self and society, scientists have proposed taking society as a metaphor for understanding the dynamics of the self, such as the analogy between the self and the functioning of a totalitarian state or the analogy between the self and the functioning of a bureaucratic organization. In addition to these models, the present article proposes a democratic society as a metaphor for understanding the workings of a dialogical self in a globalizing, boundary-crossing world. The article follows four steps. In the first step the self is depicted as extended to the social and societal environment and made up of fields of tension in which a multiplicity of self-positions are involved in processes of positioning and counter-positioning and in relationships of social power. In the second step, the fertility of the democratic metaphor is demonstrated by referring to theory and research from three identity perspectives: multicultural, multiracial, and transgender. In the fields of tension emerging between the multiplicity of self-positions, new, hybrid, and mixed identities have a chance to emerge as adaptive responses to the limitations of existing societal structures. In the third step, we place the democratic self in a broader societal context by linking three levels of inclusiveness, proposed by Self-Categorization Theory (personal, social, and human) to recent conceptions of a cosmopolitan democracy. In the fourth and final step, a model is presented which allows the formulation of a series of specific research questions for future studies of a democratically organized self.

Deliberative Democratic Monetary Valuation to implement the Ecosystem Approach

The potential for developing the participatory dimensions of the Ecosystem Approach are examined through the work of Habermas to guide the design of Deliberative Democratic Monetary Valuation (DDMV) and elicit social willingness to pay. DDMV is contrasted with Deliberated Preferences approaches, which are a deliberative adaptation of stated preference techniques and comprise almost all Deliberative Monetary Valuation studies so far. In a detailed case study where coastal and marine cultural ecosystem services were set within a broader societal context, DDMV was undertaken through three iterative workshops involving a single group of participants representing local residents and different interests across the public, private and third sectors. The use of DDMV generates insights into its potential for securing a socially sustainable route to environmental management: sustainable development that brings together values for ecosystem services with other social priorities, is more inclusive of diverse user needs and values, and is sensitive to issues of environmental justice. As well as highlighting the benefits and challenges that a more democratic deliberative valuation presents, we highlight the practical strengths and vulnerabilities of this approach and indicate directions for further methodological evolution of DDMV.

Suicides in the U.S. Military

This paper builds a case for examining suicide in the U.S. military relative to broad societal context, specifically, the unique experiences of birth cohorts relating to processes described by Durkheim’s theory of suicide. In more recent birth cohorts, suicide rates have increased among teenagers and young adults. In addition, suicide rates of age intervals at a given time period have been reliably predicted by the size of the birth cohort and the percentage of nonmarital births—supposed indicators of Durkheim’s diminished social integration and behavioral regulation. Consequences of these trends are likely more evident in the U.S. military due to having proportionally more individuals known to be at risk for suicide, that is, young males who are from nontraditional households. The all-volunteer force compared to draft force has fewer applicants to select, and proportionally more of applicants are accepted for military service. Consequently, more recruits having varied conditions now than before, perhaps including greater vulnerability to suicide, serve in the U.S. military. These points are further elaborated with supporting evidence, concluding with a call for new directions in suicide research, practice, and policy.

Operationalizing cultural political economy: towards critical grounded theory

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to take conceptual and methodological steps towards the elaboration of the critical grounded theory (CGT) method.Design/methodology/approach– Starting from conceptual issues with mapping everyday discourses and practices in their broader societal context in organisational ethnography, cultural political economy (CPE) is proposed as a suitable theoretical framework for integrating the cultural dimension of discourses and imaginaries into political-economic analyses of organisation and management. The CGT method is introduced for empirical operationalisation.Findings– Grounded theory tools for working with ethnographic data can be employed within critical approaches such as CPE although they originate from positivist social science. The need to combine ethnographic fieldwork with substantial theoretical work and/or critical discourse analysis may be met by CGT, which affords the ethnographic strengths of grounded theory without, however, bracketing the critical-theoretical insights of CPE.Research limitations/implications– The usefulness of CGT has been tentatively tested, but requires thorough meta-theoretical and methodological development, which is what is undertaken here.Social implications– CGT expects and takes account of the social implications of its employment in the field.Originality/value– First steps towards a new critical method for organisation and management studies are taken. Although originating from concern with CPE, the CGT method may appeal to a wider audience of critical scholars across the social sciences.

Contemplative Leadership: The Possibilities for the Ethics of Leadership Theory and Practice

In this paper, we offer a conceptualization of leadership as contemplative. Drawing on MacIntyre’s perspective on virtue ethics and Levinas’ and Gilligan’s work on the ethics of responsibility and care, we propose contemplative leadership as virtuous activity; reflexive, engaged, relational, and embodied practice that requires knowledge from within context and practical wisdom. More than simply offering another way to conceptualize the ethics of leadership (e.g., what leaders ought to do), this research contributes to understanding the ethics of leadership in practice. Empirically, we analyze the narratives of those in positions of formal authority and other organizational members in churches. We illustrate contemplative leadership as driven by a good purpose, derived from the unique organizational and broader societal context in which leadership occurs, and grounded in an ethical concern for the other. Contemplative leadership accounts for the complexity of experience and is discerned in mundane and everyday practices. We conclude with the implications for leadership theory, practice, and education.

A Contextual Analysis of the Hate Speech Provisions of the Equality Act

The article presents a detailed contextual analysis of the categorical prohibition of hate speech in terms of section 10(1) of the Equality Act. It is argued that this provision is not primarily intended to describe and effectively regulate the extreme expression that falls within the narrow ambit of "hate speech" as defined in section 16(2)(c) of the Constitution. Rather, it is concerned with the promotion of equality in the broad societal context. It acknowledges the hurt and harm that discriminatory expression may entail and it condemns the reinforcement of systemic discrimination by means of expression. Therefore, the principal interpretive frame of reference for the analysis of section 10(1) of the Equality Act is the explicit constitutional obligation in terms of sections 9(3) and (4) of the Constitution to enact legislation to prevent and prohibit unfair discrimination, and not section 16(2)(c) of the Constitution. The fact that section 10(1) categorically prohibits hate speech, instead of premising its prohibition on the unfairness analysis generally applicable to discrimination in other contexts, however, implies that only expression with no reasonable prospect of meeting the constitutional fairness standard ought to be covered by section 10. Put differently, the prohibited expression may in no way promote rather than jeopardise the achievement of equality. The interpretation takes into account that section 10(1) applies only to engagement in expression that, in terms of an objective reasonableness assessment, is clearly primarily aimed at hurting or harming others, or at inciting others to hurt or harm, or at promoting hatred based on group identity. Furthermore, bona fide expression in accordance with the essential characteristics of the freedoms of expression mentioned in section 16(1) of the Constitution is explicitly excluded from its ambit. An analysis of the expression covered by section 10(1) leads to a conclusion that it prohibits only low-value discriminatory expression that obstructs the constitutional quest for the healing of our injured society. It manages to achieve this without jeopardising the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression, construed in the light of the foundational values of the Constitution.

Toward a legitimacy-based view of political risk: The case of Google and Yahoo in China

Traditional political risk theories often focus on a developing host country government's ability to intervene in the activities of foreign multinationals in the extractive or infrastructure sectors. This results in inadequate understanding of (1) how a government's motivation to intervene is influenced by the broader societal context, (2) the importance of multinationals' political risk at home, and (3) the increasing political risk faced by high-tech and service firms. We argue that there is a need to update the bargaining power and political institutions theories and further develop a legitimacy-based view of political risk. Then, we examine the political risk experienced by Google and Yahoo at home and abroad due to their activities in China to illustrate the benefits of a holistic approach to political risk. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Economic rationalisation of health behaviours: The dangers of attempting policy discussions in a vacuum

When analysing the health behaviours of any group of people, understanding the constraints and possibilities for individual agency as shaped by the broader societal context is critical. In recent decades, our understanding of the ways in which physical and social environments influence health and health behaviours has expanded greatly. The authors of a recent analysis of Australian Aboriginal health data using an economic ‘rational choice model,’ published in this journal, claim to make a useful contribution to policy discussions relating to Aboriginal health, but neglect context. By doing so, they neglect the very factors that determine the success or failure of policy change. Notwithstanding the technical sophistication of the analyses, by ignoring most relevant determinants of health, the conclusions misrepresent the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and therefore risk perpetuating harm, rather than improving health.

A Relational Study of Firm's Characteristics and CSR Expenditure

The role of companies and firms has been understood in terms of a commercial business paradigm of perspective that aims on economic profitability and success. However, in the past few years, as a consequence of rising globalisation and critical ecological issues, the perception of the role of companies in the broader societal context in which it operates, has been altered, by redefining the responsibilities of firms towards society and environment along with financial goals.The study proposed to analyse the impact of Firm characteristics toward Corporate Social Responsibility expenditure. The variables used in this research are size of firm, firm profitability, firm leverage, and sales of the firm. The populations are all firm BSE 30 index in 2007-2012 periods. The analysis methods are using multiple regression analysis. The research found that firm size, firm profitability, firm sales, have an influence toward the Corporate Social Responsibility expenditure, while firm leverage have no influence toward the Corporate Social Responsibility expenditure.

The role of proficiency and social context on the Grade-6 students' acquisition of French as a second official language in Canada

In this paper, I report on the findings of a study that compared the French as a second official language (FSOL) proficiency of three groups of Grade-6 students in English-dominant Canada: Canadian-born monolingual English-speaking students, Canadian-born bilingual students and immigrant bilingual students (IMBs). The goal of the study was to examine if and how proficiency in previously known languages impacts students' FSOL proficiency while taking into account the broader societal context of English-dominant Canada as well as the observed classroom contexts. Analysis of variances showed IMBs to have higher FSOL proficiency scores. Multiple regression analysis determined that membership in the IMB group is advantageous even when considering language of origin proficiency.

Negotiations of Acknowledgement among Middle Class Residents: An Analysis of Post Disaster Interactions and Performance in a Danish Context

This article presents an analysis of communication processes between residents, between residents and people in the broader societal context, as well as of media coverage of a fireworks disaster in a Danish suburb. It demonstrates how residents (all members of the Danish middle class) were able to have their situation—their affectedness— acknowledged in interactions with others and gain considerable attention immediately after the accident. In addition, it demonstrates how the initial acknowledgement decreased over time. In this case, the axes of differentiation did not relate to questions of gender, ethnicity, class or other social categories normally recognized as influential in case of disasters. Since the population in the area was very homogenous, the axis of differentiation was instead linked to the social category of affectedness, and a hierarchy of affectedness was identified within the population.

Comparing Contracts Through a Socio-Legal Approach: Case Study of Ukraine

For decades comparative law scholarship has emphasized the need to move beyond the “law as rules” approach of traditional legal doctrine towards the studies of law within broad societal context. Nevertheless, empirical studies in the field of comparative law of contracts remain uncommon. This article presents the findings of an ethnographic case study of the contractual practices of three Ukrainian companies and analyses them in a comparative perspective.However uncommon research may be on contractual practices during the post-Soviet transition, it is an acknowledged fact that most businesses in this environment use written contracts. This article examines various characteristics of formal contracts and their socio-legal functions. It demonstrates that an understanding of the “non-legal” functions of contracts unravels the rationale behind the seemingly wasteful efforts at signing contracts when legal enforcement would be pointless. The study concludes by contrasting the reasons for contracting in written form in the west and in Ukraine.

Pushed or pulled? Understanding fishery exit in a welfare society context

For a long time the number of fishers in Norway has declined. Is the decline the result of an increasingly difficult situation for Norwegian fishers or can other factors have had an impact? Or in other words: are fishers pushed out or pulled out of the fisheries? Our analyses are based on a survey among retired fishers and suggest several reasons for exit: in addition to structural push and pull factors we also find reasons that are connected more to change in social and cultural values than economic value. Our point is that we cannot understand why Norwegian fishers are leaving the fisheries without taking the broader societal context into consideration. Our results show that fisheries and marine industry policies for recruitment and employment will have to take the pull from other industries and the comprehensive welfare state into consideration.

Counseling Jewish Women: A Phenomenological Study

The field of counseling has paid little attention to religion in general and Jewish women's realities in particular. This article presents the findings of a qualitative phenomenological study examining 12 Ashkenazi, non‐Orthodox, Jewish American women's self‐reported understanding of their Jewish identity, revealing the themes of Jewishness and being Jewish in a broader societal context, as well as 7 related subthemes. Recommendations are offered for counselors, educators, and researchers who work with Jewish women.

The Impacts of Societal Context on Student Motivation and Engagement

ABSTRACTPromoting a sense of societal connectedness is critical in today’s engineering educational environment. The NAE’s Grand Challenges for Engineering point to broad human concerns — sustainability, health, vulnerability, and joy of living — and human connectivity as the future of engineering problem solving. Engineering studies, however, are often presented in a completely decontextualized manner, with an emphasis on technical content that is free of any human meaning. As a result, students may have difficulty identifying either personal or societal value in their learning tasks. Through their course design, instructors can help students situate themselves and their engineering learning experiences within the larger human system. Studying technologies and technological development within the broader societal context may, in turn, offer significant benefits to student motivation and engagement in learning. In this paper, we report findings from a three-year investigation of the effects of disciplinary integration on student motivation and learning engagement in introductory materials science courses. The quantitative results show that integrating materials science with humanities provides for increased student motivation and cognitive engagement in learning. Compared to students in non-integrated project-based courses, students in integrated project-based courses show higher intrinsic motivation and task value. In addition to these motivational gains, students in the integrated materials science-history course report significantly higher use of critical thinking strategies in their project work, indicating that an emphasis on societal context may help students cognitively engage in their engineering studies. Our findings also indicate that women in the integrated materials-history course report higher intrinsic motivation, task value, self-efficacy, and critical thinking strategy use compared to women in the non-integrated materials course. Overall, our research suggests that putting human contexts at the center of engineering learning can help students build a sense of societal relatedness that promotes better learning.

Athletics and Social Order in Sparta in the Classical Period

This article seeks to situate the athletic activities of Spartiates and their unmarried daughters during the Classical period in their broader societal context by using theoretical perspectives taken from sociology in general and the sociology of sport in particular to explore how those activities contributed to the maintenance of social order in Sparta. Social order is here taken to denote a system of interlocking societal institutions, practices, and norms that is relatively stable over time. Athletics was a powerful mechanism that helped to generate consensus and to socialize and coerce individuals. It thus induced compliance with behavioral norms on the part of both females and males and thereby contributed meaningfully to the maintenance of social order in Sparta. Athletics inculcated conformity to norms that called for females to be compliant, beautiful objects of male desire. Athletics had an equally profound effect on Spartan males because it inculcated compliance with norms that valorized subordination of the individual to the group, playing the part of the soldier, and meritocratic status competition. Athletics may well have also to some degree empowered both Spartan females and males, but its liberatory dimensions can easily be unduly amplified. There is an ever-present dialectic in athletics, between its ability to reinforce norms that underpin the prevailing social order and its ability to foster individual autonomy. In the case of Sparta, the balance in that dialectic always inclined very much toward the former.

Does country-context matter? A cross-national analysis of gender and leisure time physical inactivity in Europe

It is well known that European women are less physically active in their leisure time than European men. Attempts to explain this gender difference often do not succeed in raising the problem above the individual level. However, the size of the disadvantage for women varies considerably across countries, proving that leisure time physical (in)activity takes place in a broader societal context and must also be approached as such. In this sense, some authors have explained women's lack of leisure time physical activity in terms of gendered power relations in society. Therefore, the present article postulates that over and above the individual effect of gender, there is an additional impact of a society's gender-based (in)equality distribution. By means of the 2005 Eurobarometer survey (comprising 25,745 adults from 27 European countries), gender differences in leisure time physical inactivity (LTPI) were analysed by means of multilevel logistic regression analysis. National gender-based (in)equality was measured by the Gender Empowerment Measure and the Gender Gap Index. Controlled for compositional effects, gender differences in LTPI varied as a function of gender-related characteristics at the macro-level. In particular, in countries characterized by high levels of gender-based equality, LTPI differences between men and women even disappeared. The findings underscore the need to adopt a society-level approach and to incorporate socio-contextual factors in the study of gender disparities in LTPI.