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Agenda cueing is a theorized mechanism whereby news consumers form judgments of relative social issue importance based on exposure to media coverage. Agenda cueing entails taking issue importance signals from surface features of news presentations, such as the mere frequency of the topic's coverage. This study relies on an experimental stimulus simulating an interface of a major news platform, puts this hypothesis to the test in the context of an aggregated digital newsfeed, and investigates whether cues coming from different gatekeepers produce varying agenda-setting effects. The analysis reveals that interface features presenting the newsfeed as an algorithmic selection of mainstream media content ("top stories") had a more powerful effect on individuals' perceptions of issue importance than cues attributing newsfeed's curation to other users of the news platform. The moderating role of gatekeeping trust is replicated only partially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People often believe that they do more than their fair share of work. This tendency plays out across daily life, from married couples to workplace collaborations. While the inclination to "over-claim" credit is pervasive and has potentially serious consequences, little is known about the factors that make it more or less likely to occur. This article considers two predictors--group size and the role of indirect participants, such as supervisors, teachers, coaches, and office assistants--on the phenomenon known as over-claiming. It offers practical steps for individuals, managers, and organizations to take to moderate the damaging effects of over-claiming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article builds on recent sociological debates about the explanatory importance of claims-making contexts and the continuing challenges associated with subjectivism and objectivism in social problems research. The sociology of knowledge is used to illustrate how the contextual compromise that has sustained social problems theory and method for at least two decades is based on a number of erroneous assumptions about subjectivity and objectivity in the tradition of phenomenological analysis. To strengthen recent discussions about the contextual dimensions of claims-making activities and framing techniques, the article critically assesses the curious neglect and continuing misrepresentation of the sociology of knowledge in constructionist analyses of social problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effects of negative and positive framing of ad claims on consumers' choices and attitudes. Propositions about how the extent of processing before choice affects the relative impact of claims-related versus advertising tactics-related cognitions are tested in three experiments. Findings suggest that when processing is limited, claims-related cognitions have a greater impact on choice, which results in the sponsoring brand being chosen more often when the ad claims are negatively framed than when they are positively framed. When respondents engage in more extensive processing before choice, tactics-related cognitions become more accessible and, if perceived to be unfair, result in an attenuation of the advantage of negative framing over positive framing. A different pattern of results is obtained when one examines brand attitudes rather than brand choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to expand the agenda setting theory and its later ramifications, by complementing them with the hypothesis of the articulation function of mass-media. Defined as the capacity of the media to offer people the words and expressions associated with defending specific points of view, the articulation function suggests a new ramification of the agenda setting theory, namely the key words level of agenda setting. Building on the third-level assumption about the transfer of issues and attributes from the media to people's agenda in bundles, we argue that each issue is in fact transferred together with a set of "key words", corresponding to the additional sub-topics related to the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newspaper data are popular in Comparative Migration Studies as they allow diachronic and cross-national comparison and are relatively easy and inexpensive to acquire. Critics, however, warn that newspaper data are hampered by selection, description and researcher bias. This article argues that research drawing on newspaper data can be improved by employing mixed methods to confirm and complement data and to analyze findings from different research paradigms. To demonstrate this claim, I ethnographically re-analyze part of the dataset of the Mobilisation on Ethnic Relations, Citizenship and Immigration (MERCI) project. I chose MERCI as publications based on its data, which I am well acquainted with, have inspired numerous researchers and European comparative research projects to pursue newspaper content analysis. This article shows how an ethnographic approach can address description bias and researcher unreliability, and reveal selection bias. It offers concrete suggestions for incorporating political ethnography into newspaper analysis. In doing so it advocates a new path for empirical research in Comparative Migration Studies, one that bridges the qualitative-quantitative divide. The conclusion encourages researchers on both sides of the quantitative-qualitative spectrum to reconsider habitual and safe research paradigms and move towards the middle to improve the quality of their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of applied constructionism are opportunities for scholars to explore how social constructionism is a resource used by claims-makers in describing and justifying their orientations to professional practice. The present paper expands sociological constructionism by analyzing applied constructionism in social problems work in Copenhagen, Denmark. Based on interviews with staff members in narrative drug treatment, we explore two themes: the relationship between dominant and liberating narratives and the position of expert knowledge in narrative therapy. Our guiding framework is Ian Hacking's inquiry into the Social Construction of What? and Kenneth Burke's dialogic approach of comparing statements to counterstatements. The purpose of the paper is to link academic studies of the social construction of realities to applied constructionists' principles in addressing social problems. We do this by describing narrative therapists' critical reflections on their own work, suggesting that these reflections are not only useful when it comes to developing narrative therapy but also for the advancement of academic constructionism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the Internet's emergent role in the claims-making process. My central premise is while Internet technology provides lay citizens with a mass mediated platform to distribute claims publically, power dynamics in the public sphere have remained relatively stable: Insiders and lobbyists continue to be powerful cultural voices; the press still functions as a cultural gatekeeper of newsworthiness; most people continue to have relatively little social authority; and the least powerful risk being completely left out of a digital society. Using the National Rifle Association (NRA) web presence as a case study, I describe the Internet as a vast collection of interconnected public cyber-arenas where problem claims are continuously disseminated, global communication is facilitated via online advocacy networks, and claimants utilize novel cyber-strategies to mobilize supporters. In doing so, I examine how cyber-arenas fundamentally differ from more static traditional claims-making arenas like television, radio, and print publication. I conclude by considering the extent to which historically powerful insider claims-making groups like the NRA are actually best positioned to succeed in a supposedly democratized new media world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the "one country, two systems" model fashioned after its handover to China in 1997, Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China, is to retain its rule of law, capitalist system, and accompanying political and ideological independence. However, tensions remain centered on concerns held by many Hong Kong citizens over the "resinicization" of Hong Kong, related to anxieties regarding the putative erosion of political and ideological freedoms. This paper examines the claims-making of the student activist group Scholarism, who effectively used Facebook to raise awareness of and successfully resist a government proposal to introduce a national education curriculum into Hong Kong schools. Scholarism's resistance and ability to mobilize mass demonstrations against the government is significant considering the lack of democratic channels in Hong Kong. Implications are explored for the examination of how claims-making in cyberspace impacts the social problems process, especially in non-democratic and post-colonial contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, more and more cities in China have adopted policies to ban motorcycles in the name of crime prevention or modernization. This paper examines the differential role of mass media in the construction of motorcycle ban policies in Southern China in general, and in the city of Guangzhou in particular. Although Guangzhou was neither the first city to ban motorcycles nor the city adopting the most radical means of implementing this policy, the media have successfully constructed a social problem of banning motorcycles in Guangzhou. Using content analysis of newspaper articles, I found that from 2000 to 2009 nearly two thirds of newspaper reports on motorcycle ban policy in China were published by newspapers based in Guangzhou. I argue that the relatively liberal media in Guangzhou played a vital role in constructing the ban policy as a social problem. In addition, I examine media discourse in constructing the problem of motorcycle ban policy and argue that although the mass media are still under strict control and serve as mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party-State, their increasing commercialization has made it possible to work as claim-makers for a social problem in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appeals to authority have always played a key role in the construction of social problems. Authority legitimates claims, which is why claim-makers have always sought its validation. An exploration into the historical dimension of the social construction of authority provides insight into changing foundations on which claims about social problems are made. In contrast to the Middle Ages, the modern era has found it difficult to gain consensus on the meaning of authority. This historical shift in the status of authority provides the context for contemporary competitive claims-making about social problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Constructing Social Problems, Spector and Kitsuse initiated a constructionist approach to the study of social problems that would emphasize processes of definition over objective conditions. Despite this emphasis on a different subject matter, the social problems moniker was retained and continues to frame the constructionist study of claims-making. This paper contests the centrality of the social problems concept to the constructionist perspective and proposes a shift in theoretical emphasis from constructions of problematic conditions to constructions of actors' interests. I use the term "interest claims" to describe assertions of what is advantageous or beneficial to certain people or groups, and use a brief case study of claims made by a school board and a group of parents to delineate the difference between paternalistic ("their" best interests) and proprietary ("our" best interests) claims-making activities. Finally, I argue for the inclusion of claims-maker interests and motivations in the study of interest claims and claims-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the work of Dorothy Smith and Bruno Latour, this article examines the textual mediation of social problems activities. Because of their materiality and/or digitality, texts preserve constructions of reality, rendering those constructions durable and mobile. This, in turn, allows claims-makers distant in time or space to access those constructions as interpretive resources for claims-making. Texts, then, help us account for how social problems spread and endure. We show how texts mediate claims-makers access to two resources for claims-making: the "reality" of problematic conditions and definitions of problems. We also consider how texts structure social problems work. We conclude by briefly considering how the contemporary technological environment may be altering the textual mediation of claims-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most constructionist analyses of social problems are case studies; these focus attention on the particulars of the case at hand. Analysts have devoted less attention to the ways cases can be connected. This paper presents a typology of such connections, based on five elements: the problem, the frame, the claims-makers, place, and time. The typology identifies ways each of these elements can serve as a basis for connecting different campaigns to construct social problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which various reports within the issue are mentioned on topics including the constructive social problem perspectives, the claims making expansion of case studies, and the developing of context understanding in claims making of constructionist.

The article presents an overview on the empirical investigation into nominee claims of neutrality and admissions of subjectivity during the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings. The cultural cognition and law explore possible consequences and implications to make differences between the confirmation hearing objectivity or neutrality and the reality of the Court's judgment. It also informs conditions when a nominee assert claims of neutrality or objectivity.

Abstract: In this paper, we consider a delayed renewal risk model, where the first inter-arrival time can be an arbitrary positive random variable while the following inter-arrival times are assumed to be infinitely divisible, and further the claim sizes are Erlang distributed. Applying the approach of Borovkov and Dickson (2008) [7] we derive an expression for the joint density of the number of claims until ruin and the time to ruin. The special case where the claim sizes are exponentially distributed is also considered, in which the inter-arrival times are not necessarily infinitely divisible. Finally, examples of the Erlang() risk model with exponential distributed claims and the Gamma risk model with Erlang(2) distributed claims are given, respectively, to illustrate the results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Morrison v. National Australia Bank Ltd. drastically altered the landscape for transnational securities litigation and the way that courts determine proper application of a statute concerning a transnational claim. The Supreme Court's characterization of extraterritoriality under the Securities Exchange Act as a merits-based inquiry has led to a reexamination of limitations under other federal statutes that were previously thought to be jurisdictional issues. Significantly, Morrison created a roadmap for courts to follow when the extraterritoriality of a statute is questioned. The key to proper application of a statute is to decipher the minimum U.S. contacts required to state a transnational claim. The tests developed addressing this inquiry are critical in discerning the boundaries of U.S. law at a time when transnational dealings are prevalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concerns regarding the approach of courts to multiple claimants in employment discrimination cases. It presents information on the development of employment discrimination law in the U.S., and reflects the contemporary problems in employment discrimination. It focuses on the empirical findings of a study regarding litigation outcomes for multiple claimants, and provides solutions to some of the issues relating to multiple claimants.

The transformative promises of participatory and action research can lead to a preoccupation with methods and tools, diverting attention from important questions about politics, purpose, facilitation, and the philosophical and pedagogical claims that underlie the use of these methods. Reflecting on two action learning processes with community leaders and voluntary sector workers in England, which combined a series of reflective workshops with periods of practice, this article examines the nature of the learning process, the power and position of the facilitators, and the quality of this experience as a form of participatory or action research. Looking through the lenses of the critical, reflective and experiential learning traditions that underpin participatory and action research, the article asks how these theories and practices can help to explain the process. It also asks how certain assumptions about critical and experiential learning might be problematic and - while making transformative claims - actually close down necessary reflection about power, positionality and the ethical dilemmas and imperfections that arise in all research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We model the dynamic process wherein two privately informed plaintiffs may file and combine related lawsuits in order to lower trial costs and/or improve the likelihood of winning. The equilibrium resembles a 'bandwagon': some plaintiff types file early, whereas others wait and only file suit if they observe a previous filing. Finally, some plaintiff types never file and some early filers drop their suits if not joined by another plaintiff. We then consider the effect of allowing preemptive settlement offers by the defendant aimed at discouraging follow-on suits. Preemptive settlement results in a 'gold rush' of cases into the first period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how the patent disputes are resolved by the U.S. appellate courts that involve a marginal interface between claim construction and infringement. It also examines the background and modern legal framework for classifying claim construction as a pure question of law that is answered prior to and separate from the issue of infringement. Further, it discusses courts decision in cases such as Markman v. Westview Instruments Inc. and Cybor Corp. v. FAS Technologies Inc.

The article offers information on the use of force in self-defence. It states that the use of force can be permissible depending on the proportionality condition or the success condition for a victim to defend herself or himself from culpable aggressors. It mentions that in a victim-centered view, defensive force is used to protect a person against disrespectful harm. Meanwhile, in aggressor-centered view, there is a reduced claim on protection which exercises disproportionate force.

The article addresses the argument among legislators concerning the flaws in executive compensation such as practices that are not appropriate with long-term performance at banks. It inquires whether executive compensation at banks before the global financial crisis was predominantly short-term oriented. It also explores on the adoption of two international schemes, the Principles for Sound Compensation Practices, and the Principles for Sound Compensation Practices: Implementation Standards.

This paper briefly describes the proceedings of the Panel of Inquiry held May 13, 2008 at Saint Michael's College on the case of "Anna" (Podetz, 2008, 2011). It summarizes the advocate's and critic's positions on four claims and one counter-claim. The five judges independently voted to accept all four of the advocate's claims (by votes of 5-0 or 4-1), and rejected the critic's counter-claim by a vote of 3-2. The panelists all found the educative and pedagogical aspects of the Panel of Inquiry process commendable, but several raised questions about how this methodology would be accepted by their own research and practice communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study discussing the criteria for rejection and approval of patent applications by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). After examining the transaction data from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system of the PTO, it is found that 86.5 percent of PTO's first office actions were non-final rejections, which gives applicant opportunity to amend the claims again. It is also mentioned that many applicants use Request for Continued Examination (RCE) to keep fighting for claims that the examiner was not willing to give them and others file continuation applications rather than RCEs.

Competing claims for legal protection based on religion and on sexual orientation have arisen fairly frequently in Canada in the past decade or so. The authors place such competitions into five categories based on the nature of who is making the claim and who is impacted, the site of the competition, and the extent to which the usual legal and constitutional norms applicable are affected. Three of the five categories identified involve a claim that a religion operate in some form in the public area so as to impinge on the usual protection of equality on the basis of sexual orientation. The authors examine the basis of claims for such religion- based exceptionalism and argue that acceptance of the religion claim in these three public-area categories would involve unjustifiable curtailment of citizenship for queer people and could undermine the equality gains that have been made by this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the phenomenon of making claims of excellence by universities, which we interpret as a response, inter alia, to the hitherto unfamiliar context of scarce and diminishing resources. The main objective is to understand how claims of excellence are mobilised by higher education institutions to achieve “competitive advantage”. The paper argues that most claims of excellence do not derive from evidence and are a misrepresentation of reality geared at attracting resources. It is further argued that by making claims of excellence universities take advantage of the experiential nature of their goods and services, and the phenomenon of information asymmetry. Those targeted by these claims only discover the true excellence of the university’s goods and services after consuming them and of course, providing resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an overview of a blockade which was erected in 2002 near Slant Lake in Ontario, Canada by members of the Anishinaabe Indians, who are also know as members of the Grassy Narrows First Nation. A discussion of the anthropological aspects of the blockade, which was built in an effort to protest against the clearcutting of forests in the area, which the Anishinaabe people feel are located on Indian land, is presented. A cultural revitalization of Anishinaabe Indians which led to the blockade is discussed. Troubled relationships which have existed between Canadian Indians and anthropologists who have attempted to study them are examined.

Abstract: Aim: The aim of this study was to reveal and discuss the profile of medical malpractice claims involving children aged 0–18 years and reported to the Supreme Health Council (SHC), an organization providing expert opinion for malpractice claims in Turkey. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 167 children cases among 960 malpractice claims which expert opinion was provided by SHC between 1996 and 2000. Results: Out of 167 children, 64.1% were male. Most of the children were aged 6–12 years. 63.5% of the claims were associated with crime lawsuits. 59.3 and 31.7% of the children applied to hospitals due to diseases and accidents, respectively. More than half of the malpractices occurred in state hospitals (63.5%) and resulted from non-surgical interventions (58.7%). One-thirds of the children suffered from infections. 57.5% of the children (n =96) died and 59.3% of them (n =57) were autopsied. Health staff was found at fault in 46.1% of the claims. Causes of deaths reported before and after autopsies were conflicting in 13 of 19 autopsied children (68%). Conclusion: We think that the results of this study will contribute to the data about the profile of medical malpractice claims involving children will increase awareness in medical malpractices and deter health staff from malpractice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the three comprehensive claims concluded by the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic, such as the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. It explores issues affecting these land claims agreements relating to climate changes in these regions, that corresponds with the fieldwork research conducted in the area. Inuit perceptions of climate change, knowledge of respective land claims agreements are discussed.

This article examines the contextual factors driving legal mobilization of workers in the United States through an analysis of national origin discrimination charges under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (2000–2005). Consistent with previous studies, this analysis confirms that high unemployment levels and weak labor protections promote legal mobilization. The findings also highlight the positive role that civil society may play in promoting claims-making. I argue that nongovernmental organizations fill the gap in places where organized labor is weak, and may help support claims-making particularly in places with a larger vulnerable workforce. The article concludes by offering suggestions for a renewed sociolegal research agenda that examines the role of 501c(3) civil society organizations for the legal mobilization of an increasingly non-unionized and immigrant workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents a personal account of discussing issues related to the field of sociology with sociologist John I. Kitsuse. As a sociologist, Kitsuse maintained an attitude of attentive modesty about the endless ways people can organize and perceive the things that concern them and what they think they should be done about them. The introduction of social problems theory is described. It is stressed that the theory required sociologists to study "definitional activities" and how the definition of these actions shaped various social responses and related practices. The meaning of "putative" conditions is discussed.

This article puts forth the idea that the social demand for the division of land was a relevant factor of great significance, among other reasons, because of its persistence throughout the decades of 1910, 1920 and 1930. This persistence had crucial relevance in the process of its articulation with other social demands of a more immediate and structural nature. Along with the Agrarian Reformists there were other social and political organizations mobilized using political, labor and electoral motives. The purpose of this paper is to raise the notion that social expressions of the Agrarian Movement were a key factor in the efforts to abolish the crumbling old regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the impact that the Mexican Revolution had on the main mining centers located in Sonora, Mexico. Its purpose is to widen the historical view which sustains that large mining centers did not interrupt their productivity because of revolution. In a new perspective, based on archival documents, it has been shown that mining towns polarized their social and political lives during every revolution phase. That is, the workers, organized in embryonic unions, took advantage of the political context to claim, trough the usage of stoppages and strikes, old aspirations regarding wages, health and housing. In times or stages of the revolutionary movement, especially during the factional struggle, they managed to form true communes of mine workers, imposing their hegemony. In sum, we think that the mine workers, especially the emblematic ones of Cananea, need to be considered as a social movement in the Mexican Revolution that distill the struggles of the early twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on constructionist theory, this study examines how the media portrayed five public reporting events initiated by the Fair Labor Association (FLA), considering whether the coverage encourages or discourages companies from undertaking a reporting initiative as part of their ethical management. Media coverage was limited but generally favorable across all five events. Coverage frequently included claims made by FLA spokespersons and provided basic facts about the organization and its activities. Extensive detail about labor violations found by monitors was often included. Additional media coverage centered around themes of public reporting and transparency, an assessment of the FLA’s work, brand accountability and responsibility of corporations with regard to working conditions and labor standards, and specifics about the factory monitoring and partnering with factories and NGOs that is necessary to achieve change. Counter-claims brought question to the FLA’s efforts. Explanations about why the social condition exists were fairly limited, and thus, provided little insight into how the problems might be resolved. We discuss managerial implications regarding public reporting initiatives and media coverage, particularly regarding the countering effects of positive coverage and diminishing news stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the article "The Contemporary Function of the Class Suit," by Harry Kalven, Jr. and Maurice Rosenfield, which is said to be the first major analysis of the class action device in institutional terms. The article by Kalven and Rosenfield that is considered to be a "first mover" captured the connection between the notion of negative-value claims and the limited capacity of enforcement of public administrative agencies. According to Kalven and Rosenfield, the function of the class action lays in facilitating private litigation by combining claims that are unmarketable if take individually. However, it is said that the article underplayed the divisions of governmental authority and the domination of settlements over trials.

The article focuses on pre-dispute mandatory arbitration of unfair labor practice charges in non-union workers. The U.S. Supreme Court emphasized that by agreeing to arbitrate a statutory claim, a party does not forgo the substantive rights afforded by the statute but it only submits to their resolution in an arbitral, rather than a judicial, forum. Despite judicial consensus, in nonunion work forces, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) generally opposes arbitration of unfair labor practice charges under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

Social problems theory has yet to fully address the impact that new communication technologies are having on the claims-making process. This article examines the emergence of the blogosphere as a cultural phenomenon that provides claims-makers with a powerful new public arena to advance social problem claims, Using Stephen Hilgartner and Charles Bosk's (1988) public arenas model of social problem construction, blog-generated problem claims are examined to analyze how Internet driven social problems compete for public attention. Findings suggest that blogs make the claims-making process more efficient, offer expanded carrying capacity compared to traditional arenas, and provide outsider claims-makers with greater opportunity to have a voice in social problems construction. Still, only a small number of blogs have become recognized as claims-making arenas: they still rely on traditional principles of selection; and bloggers face the same competition for mainstream media attention as claims-makers using traditional arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notice and comment provisions in agency rulemaking provide an important mechanism for the public to contribute to policy. Yet there is limited research on how interest groups participate in this process. California's passage of an ergonomics standard in 1997, the only current state statute in the country, provides a useful, high salience policy case for examining public commentary. Between an initially proposed comprehensive standard and the enactment of a much weaker regulation occurred the largest public response in California's state Occupational Safety and Health Administration history. Through a detailed content analysis of the notice and comment submissions we identify features of participation and claims-making that differ between business and nonbusiness submissions. Business groups were the large majority of participants and also presented a disproportionate amount of evidence, using an "abstract-technical" policy frame to assert the illegitimacy of the ergonomics standard. Labor, public health organizations and private citizens represented less than one-third of the participants and relied primarily on experiential information and a "concretized-moral" characterization of policy issues in support of the standard. The existence of these distinct "interpretive communities" that mobilize different resources raises questions about whether public commentary can fulfill its purported "democratic accountability" purpose as well as underline the limitations of appealing to scientific expertise for solving complex policy problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes of defining citizenship become particularly exposed in a media context, since this is an arena where a broad range of actors get their voice heard. The aim of this contribution is to explore the claims-making activities by different actors in stories about the Roma in Finnish newspapers. I want to elucidate the access to the mediated space and provide some examples of how citizenship claims are raised and contextualised. The empirical study is based content analysis and qualitative text analysis of articles from 1990–2003 in both the largest Finnish-language and the largest Swedish-language daily newspapers (Helsingin Sanomat and Hufvudstadsbladet). While Romani voices do have the possibility to contest dominant views in newspaper stories related to the Roma, this article argues, firstly, for a diversified coverage on Romani issues and, secondly, for increasing dialogue between a broader group of actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the secondary consequences of international institutions on Mexican civil society networks and claims-making and the effect of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) under the North American Free Trade Agreement. The experiences of Mexican activists with the CEC showed that participation in the CEC does not probably result in activists' transnational collaboration. The involvement of Mexican activists with CEC can lead to reinforcement of local frames and a rejection of the global.

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to explore boundaries in marketing and science with respect to labeled claims of herbal products and other dietary supplements. Design/methodology/approach - Supplement manufacturers are allowed to include claims on product labels without meeting an acceptable substantiation standard, as long as such claims are accompanied by an FDA disclaimer statement. While manufacturers are prohibited (though the regulation is often violated) from making specific claims about prevention or treatment of disease, the implied associated health benefits of using dietary supplement products are usually clear from marketed claims. A case example on themes expressed in labeled structure-function claims for ginkgo biloba is presented to illustrate the issues. Findings - Marketing of product claims is controversial due to differing perspectives about the truthfulness of claimed health benefits and quality of information presented to consumers. Although dietary supplements could have pharmaceutical-like properties, they are not required to demonstrate safety and efficacy before market availability. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can take action only if supplements are shown to be unsafe after market introduction. Practical implications - The need for consumer choice, meaningful information and free-market access to dietary supplements must be balanced with the demands for truth-in-advertising and consumer protection from unreliable claims and adverse health events. Marketing and policy implications are described. Originality/value - The outcome would help increase consumer confidence, while continuing to allow free-market forces for the dietary supplement industry, to a large extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past twenty years, claimsmakers have asserted that the mid-1960s marked the beginning of an unprecedented and ever-growing mass murder wave in the United States. Recent research has shown, however, that mass murder was just as common during the 1920s and 30s as it has been since the mid-1960s. Using the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) and newspaper, network television news, and newsweekly magazine coverage as sources of data, this study examines why and how mass murder was constructed as a new crime problem. I suggest that the news media have figured prominently in the social construction of mass murder by heavily influencing which cases claimsmakers have selected as landmark narratives and, more generally, as typifying examples. Because claimsmakers have relied almost exclusively on national news coverage as a source of data, they have made a number of questionable claims about the prevalence and nature of mass murder since the high-profile cases represent the most sensational and least representative mass killings. And the news media have completed the circle of distortion by disseminating the bulk of the claims that have been made, leading to policies that have targeted the rarest aspects about mass murder. But not all of the solutions offered by claimsmakers have been accepted by policymakers. As a result, this study also looks at why claimsmakers tasted only modest success in constructing mass murder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the author's insights regarding public debate in the mass media. The author says that public discussion is considered a face-to-face communication in mass media and takes place in public sphere like meetings while mass media is regarded as a marketplace of ideas. He mentions that claims-making activity has produced social problems discourse or social problems language game.