Drawing Disney: Analyzing Artistic Reinterpretations of Disney Deaths.

Disney's notably traumatic character deaths have been the focus of several academic studies that identify the potential harm of witnessing animated deaths during childhood; however, these studies have almost exclusively examined death images within film without looking to images that exist external to the media texts themselves. This paper addresses such limitations by uniquely examining how audiences use/produce images to offer reinterpretations of popular death scenes in Disney films. The components of user-generated images, descriptions, and comments on deviantart.com indicate that audiences utilize creative expression to communicate the traumatic experience of viewing character deaths during childhood, change elements that are frustratingly inaccurate, and re-write narratives to challenge assumptions of sympathy. Such an analysis considers what these artistic expressions might suggest about the decoding of animated death by consumers and encourages new ways of thinking about the consumption and interpretation of death narratives.

A Web-Based Gaming Approach to Decrease HIV-Related Stigma: Game Development and Mixed Methods Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The stigma faced by people living with HIV causes difficulties in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Decreasing this stigma is thus no less urgent than implementing behavioral interventions. Serious games are being increasingly adopted as an intervention mechanism to control HIV/AIDS around the world. However, the development and evaluation of these games in China are far from adequate. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to help decrease HIV-related stigma in China via the development and evaluation of a serious game, as well as promote a participatory gamification culture for health interventions. METHODS: Initially, a serious game was developed using free resources from a user-generated content website. Then, quantitative and qualitative methods were employed for game evaluation. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to explore the game's effect on HIV-related stigma. The trial included 167 university students, who were randomly allocated to game and control groups. After the experimental evaluation, focus group discussions were held with 64 participants, who were invited to form 16 groups. RESULTS: The game was called The Second Kind of Life with HIV (SKLWH), which is a free online game that can be played on computers and smartphones. This game hopes to publicize that people living with HIV can live a normal life, that is, a second life different from that imagined by the public. Based on the gamification practice of SKLWH, the participatory serious game development model (PSGDM) was proposed, which guided the development of 3 other HIV-themed games. The trial showed that intimacy stigma was much more severe than morality stigma and personal interaction stigma. Females were more tolerant of morality stigma than males (mean score: 1.29 vs 1.50; P=.01). The game intervention showed an advantage in decreasing intimacy stigma (mean score [game vs control]: 2.43 vs 2.73; P=.04). The group discussions validated the quantitative results and provided further in-depth information. The game intervention was largely preferred by participants, and the belief in intimacy impossibility was commonly expressed by participants when considering their relationship with people living with HIV. CONCLUSIONS: HIV/AIDS education should adopt appropriate media interventions to mitigate different dimensions of HIV-related stigma. Serious games should be used to decrease intimacy stigma, which is the hardest form to diminish. It is expected that the PSGDM can promote the development of more health games. Furthermore, HIV/AIDS intervention requires interdisciplinary efforts and cooperation that will allow more people to participate and share the responsibility of promoting health.

Exploring Social Media Contexts for Cultivating Connected Learning with Black Youth in Urban Communities: The Case of Dreamer Studio.

Using the Connected Learning framework as a conceptual lens, this study utilizes digital ethnographic methods to explore outcomes of a Hip-Hop Based Education program developed to provide music related career pathways for Chicago youth. Using the narratives of the participants within the program, I draw on participant observation online and in-depth interviews collected to explore the link between the tenets of Connected Learning and digital participation in this artistic community of practice. I explore participants' work within social media platforms toward building their creative skill, cultivating a public voice, connecting to mentors, and communicating in ways that strengthens the social bonds within their peer community. This study's findings affirm prior studies that suggest late adolescence is an important time frame where children are developing social identities online in affinity spaces but in ways that are tied to civic engagement, self-empowerment, and critical skill development for their future pathways. To conclude, I suggest that investigating participant activity on social media platforms as a part of field work can help ethnographers to better connect their impact to the agency and life trajectories of their youth participants.

Media education and educational commons for youth civic engagement. A case study from the Horizon 2020 project SMOOTH.

This study presents the preliminary findings of the first round of implementation of a case study included in the Horizon 2020 project SMOOTH. The project's main objective is to introduce and study the emergent paradigm of the educational commons as an alternative system of values and actions for promoting intercultural and intergenerational dialogue and establishing spaces of democratic citizenship that support the development of local communities. Our case study adopts this paradigm with insights derived from the field of media education. Hence, our research questions were as follows: (a) How do young people collectively experience and build the educational commons? (b) How do participants (youth and adults) in educational commons experience peer governance and how do they handle and resolve conflicts? (c) How does the co-creation of a photo-blog as a shared space of work help young people discover and develop a "civic intentionality" in the (digital) public sphere? (d) What are the effects of applying a commons' logic to address inequalities and achieve social inclusion of young people from vulnerable social groups? Fieldwork, framed in an ethnographic and action-research approach, was developed by examining the three dimensions of the notion of educational commons (commoners, commoning practices, and community). Although data collection and analysis are still in progress, our preliminary results allow us to draw some initial reflections on what worked well in the first round and what could hinder the achievement of the project's objectives. We also propose hypotheses for re-designing the second round to overcome the weaknesses that emerged during the first experimental phase and foster its strengths.

Cultura participativa: um processo de construção de cidadania no Brasil / Cultura participativa: un proceso de construcción de ciudadanía en Brasil / Participatory culture: citizenship-building process in Brazil

Este estudo pretende descrever os elementos - contexto e recursos - que influenciam a participação social em um Conselho Municipal de Saúde (CMS). Trata-se de pesquisa descritiva com abordagem qualitativa. Os dados foram coletados por meio de observação direta da dinâmica do CMS estudado e de entrevistas semiestruturadas com seus membros. A análise dos dados baseou-se na análise temática, visando aproximar as categorias obtidas com as categorias estabelecidas pela OMS sobre as dimensões do contexto e dos recursos que influenciam a cultura participativa, quais sejam: i) políticos conscientes da questão da participação; ii) organização da sociedade civil; iii) estruturas e espaços; iv) recursos; v) conhecimento; e vi) impacto das políticas e práticas anteriores. Como resultado, constatou-se que os componentes são deficientes e a participação popular é ainda precária, e os maiores obstáculos são aqueles relacionados à comunicação entre vários atores e instituições sociais.

El objetivo de este estudio es describir los elementos - contexto y recursos - que influyen en la participación social en un Consejo Municipal de Salud (CMS). Se trata de un estudio descriptivo con abordaje cualitativo. Los datos se colectaron por medio de la observación directa de la dinámica del CMS estudiado y de entrevistas semi-estructuradas con sus miembros. El análisis de los datos se basó en el análisis temático, con el objetivo de aproximar las categorías obtenidas con las establecidas por la Organizaciõn Mundial de Salud (OMS) sobre las dimensiones del contexto y de los recursos que influyen en la cultura participativa y que son los siguientes: i) políticos conscientes de la cuestión de la participación; ii) organización de la sociedad civil; iii) estructura y espacios; iv) recursos; v) conocimiento; y vi) impacto de las políticas y prácticas anteriores. Como resultado, se constató que los componentes son deficientes, que la participación popular todavía es precaria y que los mayores obstáculos son los relacionados a la comunicación entre diversos actores e instituciones sociales.

This study aims to describe the elements - context and resources -influencing social participation in a Municipal Health Council (MHC). It is a descriptive research using a qualitative approach. Data collection was done through direct observation of the MHC dynamics and semi-structured interviews with its members. Data analysis was based on thematic analysis, aiming to fit into the categories established by World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the dimensions of context and resources that influence participatory culture, such as: i) awareness related to political participation; ii) civil society organization; iii) structures and spaces; iv) resources; v) knowledge; and vi) impact of policies and past practices. As a result, authors found problems with regards to these components, as well as the fact that social participation is still weak and its biggest obstacles are related to communication between stakeholders and social institutions.

German Muslims and their engagement in participatory culture: reflections on civic and artistic contributions to the public sphere.

This paper examines publics of young German Muslims. Case studies include the singer Huelya Kandemir, the theatre group Uma Lamo and the social network Zahnräder. By focusing on spiritual music publics, theatrical comedy publics and social publics, it tries a new approach to the way in which we understand minority public engagement. In addition to examining the concept of counterpublics, it utilizes the concept of participatory culture, which offers a relevant complement. The study argues that the publics of young German Muslims display multifaceted artistic and civic engagement, which can best be understood in terms of participation in cultural or civic productions and contribution to the wider German public. Features or effects of counterpublics, such as the countering of mainstream representations of minority identities and the offering of alternative discourses, are occasionally reflected in their activities.

Cultura da participação e da convergência na Copa do Mundo FIFA 2014: um estudo a partir de imagens compartilhadas no Twitter / Culture of participation and convergence in FIFA World Cup 2014: a study from photos shared on Twitter / Cultura de participación y convergencia en la Copa Mundial FIFA 2014: un estudio a partir de fotos compartidas en Twitter

A Copa do Mundo Fifa une a maior parte dos brasileiros sob a condição de torcedores, desde antes mesmo da chegada da televisão ao país. Participa-se, durante a Copa do Mundo, não só de evento esportivo, mas também midiático. Ao redor do campeonato, orbitam diversos tipos de narrativas: ufanistas, publicitárias, noticiosas e até mesmo políticas. O advento dos recursos participativos da internet tornou possível a mensuração direta da resposta do público a estas mensagens. Este artigo pretende analisar como se deu a repercussão das imagens sobre a Copa do Mundo na rede social Twitter, e a natureza deste conteúdo quanto à origem destas mídias: criação do público, montagens e remixes, produções publicitárias ou da mídia tradicional. Esta análise será realizada a partir das dez imagens mais compartilhadas na rede social durante a fase eliminatória do campeonato, identificadas a partir de metodologia desenvolvida pelo LABIC/UFES.

Fifa's World Cup gathers the majority of Brazilian population under the condition of supporters, even before television broadcasting started in the country. During the event, people participate not only of a sportive experience, but also of a mediatic phenomenon. Around the competition there are several kind of narratives: vainglorious, publicity, news and even politics. The advent of participatory resources the internet has made possible the direct measurement of the public response to these messages. This article analyzes how was the impact of images on the World Cup in the social network Twitter, the nature of the content and the origin of these media: creation of the public, remixes, advertising productions or traditional media. This analysis will be performed from the ten most shared images on the social network during the championship, identified from the methodology developed by LABIC / UFES.

La Copa Mundial de la FIFA une la mayoría de los brasileños sob la condición de hinchas, antes mismo de la televisión llegar en el país. Se participa, durante él Mundial, no sólo del evento desportivo, pero también mediático. Alrededor de la competición, orbitan diferentes tipos de narrativas: vanagloriosas, de la publicidad, noticiosas y até mismo políticas. Él advenimiento de los recursos participativos de la internet hizo posible la mensuración en directo de la respuesta del público a estas imágenes. Este artículo pretende analizar como fue la repercusión de las imágenes (fotografías, ilustraciones, montajes o frames de videos) sobre él Mundial en la red social Twitter y la naturaleza de este contenido cuanto a la origen de estos medios: creación del público, montajes, remixes, producciones publicitarias o de medios oficialistas. Este análisis será realizada a partir de las diez imágenes más compartidas en la red social durante la competición, identificadas a partir de la metodologia desarollada por el Laboratorio de Estudios de la Imágen y Cibercultura de la Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo.