The emergence of non‐governmental organisations (NGOs), along with supranational organisations, is probably the most important political development of the post‐Second World War…
Abstract
The emergence of non‐governmental organisations (NGOs), along with supranational organisations, is probably the most important political development of the post‐Second World War period. Yet it is not easy to explain why they are so numerous today but relatively rare just 50 years ago. By comparing the internal organisation, diversity, brand building and internationalism of NGOs and corporations, this paper shows that NGOs are far more similar to private corporations than to any existing political institution. Moreover, the corporate model has given NGOs important advantages with which they have “out‐competed” traditional political institutions to win greater public influence, awareness and trust. In the increasingly important arena of supranational politics and treaty organisations, NGOs have exploited the flexibility of their corporate structure to become the sole players apart from governments. Thus NGOs are, in effect, the political analogues of that other highly successful late 20th institution, corporations, sharing not only their strengths, but also their weaknesses.
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According to the psychological model of social behaviour, the public is instinctively fearful of new or unquantifiable threats, such as those posed by environmental and health…
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According to the psychological model of social behaviour, the public is instinctively fearful of new or unquantifiable threats, such as those posed by environmental and health hazards. This paper takes a psychological perspective to try and explain how public opinion on environmental issues is formed, and why pressure group campaigning is so successful at influencing it. The paper concludes with some thoughts on the consequences for industry and government.
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Large‐scale street protests such as the demonstration against the World Trade Organization (WTO) intergovernmental conference in Seattle in November 1999 have pushed issue…
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Large‐scale street protests such as the demonstration against the World Trade Organization (WTO) intergovernmental conference in Seattle in November 1999 have pushed issue activism to a new level of political consciousness. They have also drawn attention to a new consequence of the Internet, which appears to enable activist groups to become more effective and more powerful than ever before. This paper tests this assumption by analysing how the Internet is actually being used by activist groups. It concludes that while it has greatly increased the effectiveness of activist groups in many ways, the Internet is also changing the political basis of activism by stimulating the emergence of a new kind of activist. As such groups proliferate and influence the media’s view of activism, the centre of gravity of the non‐governmental organisation (NGO) movement as a whole is being shifted to a more radical and more overtly anti‐capitalist position.
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We know that emotion has a major influence on the way individuals make decisions, but what part does emotion play in public opinion, when large numbers of people appear rapidly to…
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We know that emotion has a major influence on the way individuals make decisions, but what part does emotion play in public opinion, when large numbers of people appear rapidly to determine on similar points of view? In this paper the author proposes a model of ‘emotional transmission’ through ‘icons’ — emotionally arousing images, events or verbal metaphors — as a mechanism for public opinion formation, and from it deduces possible strategies for responding to emotional campaigning.
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On 9th July, 1998, the Journal of Communication Management organised a seminar on innovation in public relations practice with the Institute of Public Relations special interest…
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On 9th July, 1998, the Journal of Communication Management organised a seminar on innovation in public relations practice with the Institute of Public Relations special interest group, Mindlink, and City University Business School in the City of London. This paper summarises the thinking which led to the seminar, and some of the discussions which took place at the seminar.
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Tribalism is at the forefront of public discussion across the political spectrum in America today. Zombie stories have also risen to unprecedented popularity. Amid present-day…
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Tribalism is at the forefront of public discussion across the political spectrum in America today. Zombie stories have also risen to unprecedented popularity. Amid present-day racial, political, and otherwise tribal tensions, the story I Am Legend has particular resonance. As the original inspiration behind the modern zombie trope, it was published as a novella in 1954 and has been remade as a film multiple times, in 1964, 1971, and 2007. Using grounded theory, I explore each film regarding what moral attitudes are portrayed concerning confrontation between rival milieus. My findings center on four themes: identification, compassion, ambivalence, and condemnation. Overall, in chronological order, the different renditions of the story exhibit decreasing compassion for the other and decreasing ambivalence about relations with the other. The most dramatic change is between the 1971 and 2007 remakes. Implications for what the changes in the morals presented in the story might reflect in terms of social changes in America are discussed.
Mona Kratzert and Debora Richey
Over the past 30 years there has been a growing interest in fiction by Native American authors. An increasingly diverse crop of Indian writers have produced innovative and…
Abstract
Over the past 30 years there has been a growing interest in fiction by Native American authors. An increasingly diverse crop of Indian writers have produced innovative and sometimes controversial works, but often critics, readers and the book publishing community have concentrated their attention on older, more established writers. This article identifies younger and up‐and‐coming Native American authors, many of whom are producing major literary works, but have not received the attention they deserve. The article also discusses ways researchers and those involved in collection development can track down information on rising Indian authors and their novels.
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Nurul Hazwani Abdul Latif, Muhammad Taher, Juliana Md Jaffri, Mohamad Shahreen Amri, Muhammad Badri Abdul Kudos, Wan Mohd Azizi Wan Sulaiman and Deny Susanti
Various studies suggest that some of natural agents create a specific action of hypocholesterolemic effect. Considering this fact, the aim of this paper is to work on describing…
Abstract
Purpose
Various studies suggest that some of natural agents create a specific action of hypocholesterolemic effect. Considering this fact, the aim of this paper is to work on describing selected natural agents that may reduce cholesterol concentrations by different mechanism of actions.
Design/methodology/approach
The advantages, phytochemical components and the mechanisms of the agents were reviewed and supported from the findings of the in vitro, double-blind and clinical studies from published journals, books and articles. The journals used in this review were published between 1987 and 2016, and are available from PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar.
Findings
Plant stanols and sterols, turmeric, fenugreek, avocado, tomato, artichoke, red yeast rice and garlic showed a positive effect in maintaining cholesterol levels by specific mechanisms or actions. These agents each had a specific action in creating a hypocholesterolemic effect either by inhibition of the enzyme significant to the synthesis process, disturbing the absorption of cholesterol, conversion of cholesterol to other related forms and through the reduction of the oxidative stress.
Research limitations/implications
However, this field still needs more studies as, currently, there is not any detailed information regarding the main active ingredients responsible for the mechanism to reduce cholesterol levels in humans.
Originality/value
This paper enlightens the authors’ understanding of some natural agents that have the potential to be used in controlling cholesterol.