Estimating audiences: sampling in television and radio audience research

Cultural consumption is problematic from a number of different perspectives, but certain responses from producers, regulators and commentators depend on the measurement of consumption according to quantitative and qualitative parameters. The reliability of the data can vary widely, not least because in certain areas consumption is invisible to those who would measure it, and so they must make estimates based on assumptions about methodology and sampling techniques. Whereas in auditoria, turnstiles may quite accurately quantify footfall through the premises, and sale or return inspires high levels of confidence in circulation figures for certain types of publication, broadcasters perform to intangible audiences who can be neither counted nor observed en masse. This article considers the appropriateness of sampling techniques used to produce audience research data for the broadcasting industries, for the programmers and advertisers who need detailed ‘knowledge’ about their audiences. It draws on the contextualization in Cultural Trends 45 (Starkey, 2003), which examined the debate around competing methodologies using either innovatory electronic devices for the measurement of consumption or more traditional human recall. The article raises important questions for those who use sampling techniques in the cultural sector and those who would interpret their data.     

Arts audience segmentation: data,profiles, segments and biographies

ABSTRACT

This article critically examines how segmentation is used to identify, understand and engage arts audiences. Policy reports and academic publications are reviewed to establish the priorities of arts policymakers and practitioners for understanding arts audiences and their continued focus on audience data and segmentation. This article then makes two contributions. Firstly, critical perspectives on the use of data for audience profiling are applied to arts audience segmentation. Secondly, research using biographical methods is introduced as a new approach for critically evaluating arts audience segmentation. This research, employing biographical methods, shows the exploration and negotiation of audience identity positions. This article takes these insights to critically examine the implications of how profiles and segments are used to define and understand audiences for the arts. The conclusion addresses the implications of segmentation in terms of the design and communication of cultural experiences, the complexities of aligning audiences’ identities with segments, and the seemingly inevitability of exclusion. This article will be of relevance in the scholarly study of arts audiences and for arts and cultural organisations and policymakers in reflecting on the implications of quantitative and qualitative approaches in designing and undertaking audience research.     

Diversity ideologies and flourishing: An Australian study comparing polyculturalism,multiculturalism, and colorblindness

In pluralistic societies such as Australia, an emerging diversity ideology of polyculturalism promotes sharing ideas and practices among people from diverse cultural traditions. What are the psychological associations of endorsing polyculturalism in contrast to multiculturalism and colorblindness, especially for an individual’s psychological well-being? We tested a path model to investigate if diversity ideologies are associated with flourishing through ethnocultural empathy, intercultural contact quality, and cultural identity clarity, using questionnaire responses of 255 Australians. The results supported our hypothesis that polyculturalism is associated with higher ethnocultural empathy and higher-quality intercultural contact and with higher flourishing through these pathways. Simultaneously, polyculturalism also associated with lower cultural identity clarity and indirectly with lower flourishing through this pathway. In contrast, the results did not support the link between these mediators and multiculturalism or colorblindness. Our findings indicate that polyculturalism has both positive and negative associations with eudaimonic well-being for those who endorse this ideology and suggest the increasing relevance of polyculturalism for Australians and the need for further research.     

Arts participation and the three faces of time: A reflection on disentangling the impact of life stage,period and socialization on arts participation,exemplified by an analysis of the US arts audience

Arts participation bears the threefold imprint of time: people's life stage (age), their earlier socializing imprint (cohort) and the historical circumstances of the moment (period). A proper understanding of these three effects is of great importance in understanding the present and future sizes and preferences of arts audiences. Such understanding implies disentangling those three effects properly, rather than overlooking or confusing them. An example of how that might be done is presented here with regard to arts participation in the US.     

The red thread and the white kimono: Japanese women, omote and ura

A portrait of modern Japanese middle class urban woman is presented from a dual perspective: Omote, public outside self, and Ura, private inside self. An almost Stereotypic outward submissive presentation is correlated with a special inner strength commanded as the Japanese woman satisfactorily fulfills the role of home manager. This strength is understood to be a particular characteristic of Japanese women which supports the existence of the well known “psychology of dependence.” Data from interviews with 30–50 year old Japanese women, collected over a four year period, is placed within the historical context of women 's traditional role in Japan.     

Muslim women wearing the niqab in Spain: Dialogues around discrimination,identity and freedom

The niqab provokes a heated debate in European societies and generates intolerance towards women who wear it. Some of the explanations used to criticize this Muslim garment refer to the idea that women wear the niqab as a form of patriarchal oppression. Furthermore—especially after the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Islamic extremists—the niqab is seen as a symbol of religious radicalization. We carried out 10 communicative daily life stories with Muslim women wearing the niqab in Spain, to explore the adverse experiences that they face, as well as the ways to transform them. Our analysis, informed by a communicative approach, revealed different forms of discrimination, such as prejudice, personal attacks and social isolation. Furthermore, it revealed some opportunities to transform these experiences, through the equality of differences, the egalitarian dialogue, and the support of faith-based organizations. Ultimately, our findings illustrated participants’ persistent defense of their right to express their religious identity.     

A state of constant prodding: live music,precarity and regulation

Live music makes a vital contribution to the cultural and creative identities of cities. In turn, the spaces in which such activity takes place contribute strongly the functioning of local music and arts scenes. However, particularly in large Australian cities, there is a tension between economic development, fuelled by an extended property bubble, and the viability of small-to-medium live music venues. This tension is compounded by community attitudes toward arts and culture as well as a range of regulatory measures which govern the spaces in which this activity takes place. This paper examines the challenges inherent with developing and sustaining of live music venues in relation to the regulatory barriers associated with doing so. This paper draws on data from two qualitative examining producer accounts of live music operation in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, and Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. Both studies focused on the regulatory frameworks, and barriers associated with being able to support local, original contemporary music activity and were prompted following the closure of several highly supportive, high profile live music venues in each location. This research came in the wake of the so-called ‘lock out laws’, in the entertainment district of Kings Cross and surrounding suburbs, resulting in significant local and national debate around the impact and effectiveness of such laws. This paper is contextualised within debates relating to the importance of supportive live music venues, the challenges associated with developing, supporting and maintaining such spaces in light of gentrification and urban renewal strategies. As argued, these strategies, which work to enhance the vibrancy of cities – and often position arts and culture activity as being a vital component - often displace and/ or cause tensions for the spaces in which cultural and creative activity takes place during and after such regeneration.     

Sociocultural Understanding of Miscarriages,Stillbirths, and Infant Loss: A Study of Nigerian Women

Miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant loss are a constant threat to Nigerian women. Little research has sought to understand the cultural silence and taboo that typifies these issues needs and its impact on the women. Drawing on 35 in-depth interviews with Nigerian women, this study explored the sociocultural understanding of perinatal loss among Nigeria women. A thematic analysis of the women’s narratives indicated that cultural norms and practices contribute to disenfranchised grief, which translates into ridicule and blame for women, identity loss, marital instability, and a feeling of despair. The findings point to a need for more empirical research into the grieving processes of diverse populations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Gender,culture, and geography: A comparison of seating arrangements in the United States and Taiwan

The present study describes and compares seating preferences among Taiwanese and American respondents. Using a questionnaire method, seating preferences were obtained for 75 male and 100 female college students from the United Slates, and for 29 male and 54 female teachers of English in Taiwan. Responses were obtained for all possible combinations of sex of interaction partner, location (task or social), and six interpersonal activities. Results were summarized in the form of proportions of respondents choosing each of four possible angles of interaction: corner, opposite, diagonal, and side seating. Comparisons were made using Chisquare tests for independence.In general, results showed that Taiwanese respondents, when compared to Americans, are more likely to prefer side seating and less likely to prefer corner seating. Culture, sex of respondents, and sex of interaction partner interact in influencing preferences. In the United States, seating preferences function to unite males with females and to separate same-sex partners, while the opposite is true in Taiwan. Results are interpreted in terms of implications for intercultural communication.     

Managerial characteristics, operational observations, and small business performance: A comparison of US and Mexican ventures

To contribute to our cross-cultural understanding of small business ventures, we investigate manager reports of small business effectiveness in the United States and Mexico. We examine the influence of organizational policies, managerial characteristics, and managerial process observations on reports of business effectiveness. Data were gathered from ventures in both countries, and results showed differences in interpersonal processes, business structure, and gender. Implications for future research are given.     

A Chinese in the new world: television dramas,global cities,and travels to modernity

Abstract

After having lain dormant for some 20 years during 1973 and 1991, the Singaporean film industry is experiencing a revival. Films produced since the early 1990s have been resolutely ‘local’ in their portrayals in an effort to ground this emergent cinematic modernity. Only a handful of these films have, however, received any international attention; most remain ‘too local’, ‘too colloquial’ to be exported further afield. This paper explores those visions or versions of the local presented in contemporary films from Singapore that simultaneously manufacture a brand of foreignness assimilable by international audiences. Through an overview of films from the revival period, this paper will show that the images that do travel successfully overseas are those that portray the dark side to Singapore’s road to economic modernization, the failed processes of an Asianized modernity. It is these images, representing one vision of an ‘authentic’ social reality, that is recognizable by international audiences in the context of previous successes by Asian films utilizing a shared form of (local) expression. My question is whether we can read these images as a particular kind of ‘slang’ – a vagabond expression that represents a filmic vernacular that also strategically invokes a cinematic modernity for the Singaporean film industry. This argument may extend to other (emergent) Asian cinemas that also participate in the production of this particular brand of foreignness. The paper will therefore provide some initial speculations towards the regionalization of cinema and ask whether such a move might be desirable and what its purpose might be.     

Consolation,Individuation and Consumption: Towards A Theory of Cyclicality in English Funerary Practice

The paper contends that the scale of mortality is a more significant determinant of change in funerary practice than chronological periodisation. A concentration on scale suggests that change in funerary practice runs in cycles, reflecting the search by the bereaved for consolation that is undermined by the threat to individuation posed by industrial-level scales of operation and professionalization. Within this framework, the bereaved make active choices – depending on their unequal resources – amongst a range of products and services to secure consolation. England is posited as a case study to evidence cycles of change, and this paper uses historical data to consider change in use from churchyard to cemetery, from cemetery to crematorium, and the contemporary evolution of natural or ‘green’ burial.     

The impact of cultural,ethnic, and national variables on attitudes towards the disabled in Israel: A review

Studies in Israel relating to attitudes of various ethnic, cultural and religious groups towards the disabled were reviewed. The results indicate that although there were differences in attitudes towards the disabled, these differences appear to be a function of interaction effects between many other variables and not necessarily only related to ethnic, cultural, and religious affiliation.     

The roles of culture and fairness in maintaining relationships: A comparison of romantic partners from Malaysia,Singapore, and the United States

The present study concerns how culture connects to perceptions of equity and relational maintenance behavior in the United States (US), Malaysia, and Singapore. In doing so, this study extends findings that employed cultural modernization theory (CMT) and equity theory to explain cultural and individual variations in relational maintenance behavior. Sex differences were also examined. Three countries were selected for their proximity in Traditional (vs. Rational) Values and divergence in Survival (vs. Self Expression) Values, according to the World Values Survey (WVS) cultural map. Consistent with CMT assumptions, participants in the United States and Malaysia (i.e., countries that espouse self expression values) reported greater use of relational maintenance strategies than did those in Singapore (i.e., a country endorsing survival values). As hypothesized, curvilinear associations between equity and relational maintenance strategies were found for the US participants only. This finding concurs with CMT-grounded assumptions and facts that romantic partners in Western (vs. Eastern), high-income societies (e.g., the US) seek equitable relationships. Sex differences also emerged but only for the US participants.     

Artists,employment and the Great Recession: A cross-sectional analysis using US Current Population Survey data

This paper uses cross-sectional data from the US Current Population Survey to examine employment behavior among artists before and after a major period of economic transition – the Great Recession. The analysis looks at employment behavior among artists as an occupational group compared to other creative class workers and analyzes trends in periods before, during and after the recession. The results suggest that as a result of the downturn, many artists changed occupations to non-arts-related work or left the workforce altogether; artists became self-employed, and new artists opted for self-employment over wage/salary work; artists were disproportionately adversely impacted – either unemployed or underemployed – than other types of workers. Level of educational attainment was a significant determinant of whether an artist maintained quality employment and stayed in the occupation of his choice; and gender and marital status had a bearing on artists' ability to remain employed as an artist and maintain quality employment. The analysis emphasizes the importance of examining specific occupations within the creative class before drawing broad conclusions pertaining to all occupations with this title. Future work will test the conclusions in this study by using longitudinal data on artists.     

A Tale of Two Funerals: Civic Ritual,Public Mourning and Community Participation in Late Nineteenth-Century Middlesbrough

In the late nineteenth century, British funerals became increasingly rational as they began to strip away the excesses of Victorian custom. Yet imposing public funerals for well-known figures continued to take place. Historians have previously underestimated the entertainment value which a public funeral could offer. As this article demonstrates, attendance at such funerals could only be guaranteed if the occasion held particular emotional resonance, personal appeal or came with a degree of novelty. Focusing on Middlesbrough in 1889, the circumstances surrounding two particular funerals are considered in order to understand both local shifts in values and priorities concerning death ritual, as an indicator of a broader national trend.     

Narratives about the Media,Diet, and Body Image: A Cross-Cultural Comparison between Young Female Adults in the Midwestern United States and South Korea

This paper focuses on analysing college women’s narratives to discover their interpretations of thin ideals and dieting experiences and to compare cultural differences between the USA and Korea. Narrative analysis revealed that US women and Korean women have a different understanding of thin ideals. Both groups experienced social comparisons, social pressure to be thin, and emotional distress regarding appearance. Similarly, they revealed their emotional fluctuations associated with changes in weight. However, there were cultural differences in both groups’ ultimate goals for weight control. Consequently, this study suggests that feelings towards weight control have culturally grounded implications. Future directions are discussed.     

Ethnic outgroup aggression: A pilot study on the importance of emotion regulation,nationalism and susceptibility to persuasion

The current pilot study investigated the psychological mechanisms behind ethnic outgroup aggression, a significant outcome of intergroup conflicts. While previous research suggested several impactful predictors of ethnic outgroup aggression, such as intergroup contact and nationalism, no attempt has been made to synthesize all these constructs into a single cross-cultural study. Building on existing research, this pilot study is the first to assess a refined framework where we tested a proposed mediation model according to nationalism and emotion regulation mediate the relationship between intergroup contact, susceptibility to persuasion, and intergroup anxiety on the one hand and ethnic outgroup aggression on the other hand within a cross-cultural sample. An online questionnaire was distributed using convenience sampling among 2482 students with an ethnic majority background living and studying in ten (European) countries. Multigroup path analysis supported the larger part of the hypothesized model where we found that emotion regulation partially mediated the relationship between susceptibility to persuasion as a predictor and aggression as an outcome. As expected, we found that the higher the susceptibility to persuasion, the higher the emotion regulation, and the higher the regulation, the lower the aggression in all countries. Our pilot study provided preliminary evidence that emotion regulation, nationalism and susceptibility to persuasion are critical for the understanding of ethnic outgroup aggression in ethnically diverse societies. Future research needs to be carried out focusing on the development of an intergroup anxiety assessment in which possible gender differences in assessed constructs are considered.     

Investigating Pragmatic Competence,Metapragmatic Awareness and Speech Act Strategies among Turkmen-Persian Bilingual and Persian Monolingual EFL Learners: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effect of bilinguality on pragmatic production and metapragmatic awareness in third language learning. Thus, 59 Turkmen-Persian bilinguals (using Turkmen as their L1 and Persian as their L2) learning English as a third language and 55 Persian monolinguals learning English as their second language were selected and given a WDCT and a metapragmatic awareness questionnaire. The results showed that bilingual EFL learners outperformed monolingual EFL learners in pragmatic production and metapragmatic awareness. The findings also confirm the pragmatic differences among the three languages and the bilinguals’ advantage over monolinguals concerning the appropriate use of speech act strategies.     

Intergroup contact and prejudice toward immigrants: A multinational,multilevel test of the moderating role of individual conservative values and cultural embeddedness

We performed a multilevel, multinational analysis of the 2014 European Social Survey dataset (N = 33,597, nested in 19 countries) to study how individual conservative values and cultural embeddedness moderate the link between contact with immigrants and the attitudes toward them. A combination of frequency and positivity of contact with immigrants showed a negative association with ethnic prejudice while, conversely, participants’ conservative basic values were directly and positively associated with prejudice. National cultural embeddedness was not associated with the dependent variable. Neither individual conservative values nor cultural embeddedness moderated the association between contact and prejudice. Strengths, limitations, implications and future directions of this study are discussed.