Janelle Ward, PhD

When Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands in December, he is accompanied by Zwarte Pieten made up in blackface, with afro wigs and bright red lips. Zwarte Piet, translated as “Black Pete,” has created growing controversy as a hurtful, racist caricature. Increasing voices demand change, but most of the population is opposed to altering the tradition. One way forward is to examine attitude change, and gain insight into how we can facilitate this process. This paper introduces the topic and… Show more

When Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands in December, he is accompanied by Zwarte Pieten made up in blackface, with afro wigs and bright red lips. Zwarte Piet, translated as “Black Pete,” has created growing controversy as a hurtful, racist caricature. Increasing voices demand change, but most of the population is opposed to altering the tradition. One way forward is to examine attitude change, and gain insight into how we can facilitate this process. This paper introduces the topic and reviews recent academic work on the controversy. Then, using autoethnographic vignettes (Humphreys, 2005), we explore our experiences with the tradition, weaving our stories together in relation to personal history, awareness, and attitude change. We provide an international perspective, as Renata is a Dutch/Cape Verdean woman born and raised in the Netherlands, and Janelle is a white woman, born and raised in Minnesota, who has lived in the Netherlands for 16 years. This approach allowed us to write together from an insider/outsider perspective (Zempi & Awan, 2017). Our stories depict attitude change from distinctive starting points, and by sharing them we hope to shed light on how attitude change can occur in relation to Zwarte Piet and broader social injustice issues. Show less

A growing body of literature focuses on gay men's use of mobile dating applications or “dating apps.” Running on smartphones and working with GPS, dating apps connect users to others in close geographic proximity and often in real time. These apps allow users to create profiles to present themselves and interact with each other to reach multiple goals, such as casual sex, dating, or networking. Attending to the dynamics between communication technologies and society, this article reviews gay… Show more

A growing body of literature focuses on gay men's use of mobile dating applications or “dating apps.” Running on smartphones and working with GPS, dating apps connect users to others in close geographic proximity and often in real time. These apps allow users to create profiles to present themselves and interact with each other to reach multiple goals, such as casual sex, dating, or networking. Attending to the dynamics between communication technologies and society, this article reviews gay dating app studies that highlight the communicative practices and social relations mediated by dating apps. Using the mediation framework as a starting point, we examine major themes in these studies, including gay men's online self-presentation and interactions, gay community in the digital era, and gay men's interpersonal relationships. We suggest that future research should pay more attention to the technical development of dating devices and the transformation of gay men's social relations. Show less

Mobile dating applications such as Tinder have exploded in popularity in recent years. On Tinder, impression management begins with a motivation to download the app, the choice of one’s profile photos and an assessment of the expectations of potential Tinder matches. These processes occur in a technologically mediated environment of reduced cues and increased control, local proximity and a reduced filtering process. My focus in this paper is this first stage of impression management, which… Show more

Mobile dating applications such as Tinder have exploded in popularity in recent years. On Tinder, impression management begins with a motivation to download the app, the choice of one’s profile photos and an assessment of the expectations of potential Tinder matches. These processes occur in a technologically mediated environment of reduced cues and increased control, local proximity and a reduced filtering process. My focus in this paper is this first stage of impression management, which consists of both impression motivation and impression construction. Specifically, what are the pre-match impression management practices of Tinder users? I present the results of interviews with Tinder users in the Netherlands. Participants were recruited via a Tinder profile that advertised the study using the University emblem and a brief description. Interview questions focused on user understandings of self-presentation practices and profile construction. The interviews also examined how users evaluated their potential matches. Results show users’ motivations for using Tinder range from entertainment to ego-boost to relationship seeking, and these motivations sometimes change over time. Profile photos are selected in an attempt to present an ideal yet authentic self, and chosen as an illustration of not only one’s desirability but also of other indicators such as education level. Tinder users ‘swipe’ not only in search of people they like, but also for clues as to how to present themselves in order to attract others like them. This research offers insight into user experiences and perceptions within the still under-researched area of inquiry. Show less

People have long used rituals of self-presentation and self-disclosure when looking for a romantic connection, whether they seek a passionate love affair, a spouse or a casual encounter. Mobile dating applications like Tinder have exploded in popularity in recent years. On Tinder, impression management begins with choosing one’s profile photos and viewing and assessing the profiles of potential Tinder matches. Self-disclosing to matches begins in a technologically mediated environment. This… Show more

People have long used rituals of self-presentation and self-disclosure when looking for a romantic connection, whether they seek a passionate love affair, a spouse or a casual encounter. Mobile dating applications like Tinder have exploded in popularity in recent years. On Tinder, impression management begins with choosing one’s profile photos and viewing and assessing the profiles of potential Tinder matches. Self-disclosing to matches begins in a technologically mediated environment. This article provides an overview of literature that has focused on self-presentation and self-disclosure on dating websites and raises questions about whether and how this literature can be applied to new digital matching mobile apps like Tinder. It highlights two current research projects on Tinder users recently conducted in the Netherlands. Show less

Authenticity is a popular buzzword in electoral politics: Electoral candidates and politicians are expected to be authentic in their public interactions. Since 2008, campaigning via social media has become an integral part of elections in the United States, and continues to gain importance. In such an environment, this paper presents research into the role of authenticity in electoral social media campaigns. Using Gilpin, et al.’s (2010) definition of authenticity as the theoretical basis… Show more

Authenticity is a popular buzzword in electoral politics: Electoral candidates and politicians are expected to be authentic in their public interactions. Since 2008, campaigning via social media has become an integral part of elections in the United States, and continues to gain importance. In such an environment, this paper presents research into the role of authenticity in electoral social media campaigns. Using Gilpin, et al.’s (2010) definition of authenticity as the theoretical basis, interviews were conducted with U.S. Democrats to query their perceptions of candidates’ Facebook pages, and particularly in relation to authenticity. This study refines existing definitions of authenticity and offers insights into how electoral candidates can demonstrate authenticity in electoral social media campaigns. Show less

How do youth organizations use new media? How do they address Internet savvy youth who are also apathetic citizens? How has this evolved with new demands for interactivity in social media? These are contemporary challenges facing any organization online. Spanning seven years of research, this book examines these issues and considers three separate political contexts with a variety of analytical tools. In a broad sense, this is a study about contemporary citizenship and how it is reflected in… Show more

How do youth organizations use new media? How do they address Internet savvy youth who are also apathetic citizens? How has this evolved with new demands for interactivity in social media? These are contemporary challenges facing any organization online. Spanning seven years of research, this book examines these issues and considers three separate political contexts with a variety of analytical tools. In a broad sense, this is a study about contemporary citizenship and how it is reflected in organizational aims. The book also provides a comprehensive overview of web-based communication, starting in the heyday of official websites and moving into the realm of social media. Show less

Keeping in mind the potential consequences that digital communication may hold for democratic societies, this research focuses on better understanding the web presence of UK youth organizations. It is interesting to examine how such organizations tie their theoretical conception of citizenship (their ‘offline’ philosophy) to the choices they make about web presence (their ‘online’ structure). Web presence – in this case, websites but also the use of Web 2.0 applications – can aim to provide… Show more

Keeping in mind the potential consequences that digital communication may hold for democratic societies, this research focuses on better understanding the web presence of UK youth organizations. It is interesting to examine how such organizations tie their theoretical conception of citizenship (their ‘offline’ philosophy) to the choices they make about web presence (their ‘online’ structure). Web presence – in this case, websites but also the use of Web 2.0 applications – can aim to provide information and promote participation, but can also encourage a particular view of citizenship and use certain forms of communication to advance this view. This paper focuses on seven youth organizations that embrace either a more conventional or non-conventional view of citizenship and have expanded their web presence from a dedicated website into Web 2.0, particularly social networking sites. First, I will summarize interview findings with web producers to better understand the philosophy behind web presence of the youth organization, along with a look at official website content. Second, I will provide a first look at how such organizations have adapted to Web 2.0, specifically via Facebook and Twitter. This paper contributes to an understanding of how online spaces and in particular the adaptation to Web 2.0 reflect offline views towards citizenship, a particularly important focus in an environment of increasing concern as to how to reach youth via technology. Show less

Evidence suggests that purchasing products for ethical or political reasons−also known as political consumerism−may be gaining in importance. With (young) people’s declining voting rates and a general disinterest in political institutions, scholars and political elites alike are speculating on the evolution of citizenship. Research shows that citizens in countries like the UK see issue and life-style-based politics as increasingly relevant. These developments point to an interest in… Show more

Evidence suggests that purchasing products for ethical or political reasons−also known as political consumerism−may be gaining in importance. With (young) people’s declining voting rates and a general disinterest in political institutions, scholars and political elites alike are speculating on the evolution of citizenship. Research shows that citizens in countries like the UK see issue and life-style-based politics as increasingly relevant. These developments point to an interest in understanding political consumerism and its relationship to citizenship. Through analysis of a survey conducted among 1215 respondents in the UK, this article presents evidence in particular for youth’s notable presence online and their affinity for a particular strain of political consumerism identified as socially conscious consumption. It explores the relationship between this consumption and online and offline political participation. It discusses the potential for political consumerism to play a larger role in traditional political realms and particularly through the utilization of technology. Show less

Those sentenced to death for committing a crime are given one last opportunity to speak their minds. These last statements are sometimes given in the company of friends and family or in front of living victims of the crimes. Sometimes the statements are defiant but most often they express sorrow, repentance, and love: they demonstrate the prisoner’s humanity. Mainly focusing on the US and the Texas death row, recent research has addressed these issues, primarily by examining the content of last… Show more

Those sentenced to death for committing a crime are given one last opportunity to speak their minds. These last statements are sometimes given in the company of friends and family or in front of living victims of the crimes. Sometimes the statements are defiant but most often they express sorrow, repentance, and love: they demonstrate the prisoner’s humanity. Mainly focusing on the US and the Texas death row, recent research has addressed these issues, primarily by examining the content of last statements made by death row prisoners, but sometimes also taking into account the context of the executions: Who was present? How did this influence the content of the statement? This article seeks to uncover these findings and shed light on how prisoners use this final opportunity for self-expression. Show less

With youth, in particular, there are perceptions of declining political interest; at the same time the world where normative democratic ideals were formed is rapidly changing. Globalization results in unclear boundaries between nation states. Consequentially corporations gain power, and advances in online technology make global communication all the more possible. Within such a context, the notion of political consumerism emerges and individual consumption is tied to the concept of citizenship.… Show more

With youth, in particular, there are perceptions of declining political interest; at the same time the world where normative democratic ideals were formed is rapidly changing. Globalization results in unclear boundaries between nation states. Consequentially corporations gain power, and advances in online technology make global communication all the more possible. Within such a context, the notion of political consumerism emerges and individual consumption is tied to the concept of citizenship. Young people's interest in non-traditional citizenship along with their strong online presence offers an opportunity to examine how organizations use the internet to address the young citizen-consumer. This paper presents results from a number of in-depth interviews with Web producers of UK-based youth organizations, and provides a look at how these organizations view political consumption in terms of their theoretical outlook and its application to their online presence. It concludes that issue-based campaigns see political consumerism as a new way forward for citizenship while others (those more tied to government) use it as a stepping stone to getting youth involved in more traditional arenas. Show less