Search results

Describes a “tool kit” approach to applied social research into food and nutritional issues. Briefly describes the main differences between qualitative and quantitative research styles in terms of outlook and methods. Using the example of research into cream and its consumption in the context of health promotion, argues that different research methods and styles are appropriate to different issues and the type of findings required. Illustrates a distinction between findings about structure and findings about process. Concludes that an open‐minded approach and a pragmatic view of research methods as a potential range of options (a “tool kit”) are desirable in applied research settings.

Illustrates how qualitative methods can illuminate social and cultural contexts which affect food choice in the domestic situation. Argues that these contexts are best uncovered by the exploratory, inductive and less structured approaches offered by qualitative methods. Describes some analytical strengths of these methods: complexity, depth, context and dynamics. Illustrates these with examples drawn from a multi‐interview study of whole family groups carried out in Edinburgh in the late 1980s. Suggests that qualitative methods are best suited to investigating the social processes and dynamics which underpin the statistical picture presented in quantitative nutritional surveys.

Purpose – This chapter explores the use of music and celebrity endorsements in political campaigns of the United States. It focuses on two aspects: (1) the legality of a political campaign’s use of music at rallies and in advertisements without authorization from the owner of the musical work and (2) a review of the literature on the potential effect of the use of music in political campaigns on voter behavior.

Design/methodology/approach – A brief history of the use of music in political campaigns precedes an examination of the expansion of copyright law protection for music and the legal claims musicians may raise against the unauthorized use of music by political campaigns. The chapter then reviews the potential effect of political campaigns’ use of music and celebrity endorsements on voter behavior.

Findings – A musician’s primary legal protection falls under copyright law, but the courts disagree on whether the unauthorized use of music at political rallies and in political campaign advertisements results in copyright infringement. Social research suggests music and celebrity endorsements affect voter behavior with a likely greater effect on first-time voters.

Originality/value of chapter – This chapter introduces the complicated application of copyright law to the unauthorized use of musical works by political campaigns. Additionally, it notes the limited research on the effect of music and celebrity endorsements on voter behavior even as political campaigns increasingly target niche demographics with specific music selections to motivate voters to vote.

AS J. L. Hobbs shows so clearly in his recent book, the interest in local history is growing enormously at present. The universities, training colleges and schools, as well as the institutions of further education, are all making more use of local studies—geographical, economic, social and historical—in their regular courses, in their advanced work, and in their publications.

While living in the information age is not new, the continued spread of dis/mis/information in tandem with rising partisanship has made clear the educational need for robust and critical information and media literacy education (Bulger and Davison, 2018; Garcia et al., 2021; Reich, 2018; Wineburg and McGrew, 2016). Given that most young people (and adults) today get their information and news about the world through online sources, including social media (Pew Research Center, 2018; Garcia et al., 2021), it is imperative for the health of the American democracy that students’ school-based civic learning opportunities include digital civic learning, too. This paper aims to offer a study into one such schooling landscape in a large and diverse public school district in the USA.

A mixed-method approach – including an online survey and face-to-face group interviews – was used to understand the opportunity landscape more broadly and glean insight into the texture and nuance of youth perspectives and experiences on digital civic learning.

Analysis of data reveals a dearth of consistent and routine opportunities for digital civic learning within the Rio Public School District context.

Empirical research that examines and makes visible students’ lived experiences and perspectives with digital civic information is essential if as educators and researchers, the authors are to successfully design for more and better of these experiences.

The purpose of this paper is to examine retailer response to the use of alternative currency, or scrip, as an emergency measure during the Great Depression. Advocates of scrip argue that it would help recovery efforts, encouraging consumer spending and keeping dollars “at home” within the local community. Merchants face a dilemma, as they hope to use any means to increase sales, but are worried that they would be left holding a stack of worthless paper that they would not be able to pass on to their suppliers. Two cases of scrip in action in Chicago and Atlanta are contrasted.

This paper draws upon primary data sources including period newspapers from across the USA, business periodicals, archival materials from retailers and city councils, and government reports.

There is no uniform response to the use of scrip by merchants. Some retailers hope to use scrip to boost sales and encourage consumer loyalty, and even organized their own campaigns to use alternative currency. In other cases, retailers felt the risks of accepting scrip were too high. Without the participation of retailers, scrip schemes were doomed to failure.

In the early years of the Depression, alternative currency enjoyed a remarkable popularity across the USA. It is now known that scrip would not end the crisis, as boosters hoped, yet this episode reveals much about popular understandings of the economy, and the role of retailers in local communities.

The purpose of this paper is to help inform the ongoing policy and training debates over use of the Taser and its proper role in the use of force continuum.

This paper qualitatively analyzes all reported court decisions (n=53 as of January 31, 2007) in which a Taser was used by a law enforcement officer.

The majority of reported cases have resulted in the dismissal of claims against officers and municipalities for alleged Taser‐related excessive force violations. In most cases, plaintiffs were unable to show the existence of an unconstitutional policy or custom to support municipal liability. As for the liability of individual officers, most cases were decided in the officer's favor on summary judgment, particularly when the suspect was exhibiting physical resistance. In a few cases, summary judgment was denied to officers when the plaintiff alleged that he or she was fully compliant when the Tasering occurred.

This analysis was confined to reported court decisions, which do not necessarily represent a random sample of all Taser‐related lawsuits filed in the courts. Likewise, Taser‐related lawsuits appear to be increasing as the use of the Taser proliferates among law‐enforcement agencies. Thus, the trends and patterns in Taser liability identified in the analysis may change and evolve with newly decided cases.

The analysis suggests that agencies should review their policy and training guidelines on Taser usage to remain compliant with emerging legal standards. Officers should be trained to articulate a physical threat or potential threat before using a Taser against a verbally resistant subject.

Civil liability is always of concern to law enforcement officials, particularly when an emerging technology is involved. At the time of this writing, there were no published analyses of Taser‐related excessive force claims.