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The study presented in this chapter explores the influence of social networks in directing and shaping the supply of, and demand for, healthcare services – specifically systems and therapies for the treatment and rehabilitation of mental disorders. For this purpose, knowledge sharing and co-construction processes of social representations of psychoanalysis and psychiatry, the images of the relevant professionals (psychoanalysts and psychiatrists), and their social practices are investigated within the social arenas provided by digital media 2.0, namely some of the most popular social networks. The authors collect a substantial corpus—a total of 6762 statements—of public, spontaneous conversations on Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo! Answers. These are analyzed with the text clustering method of Descending Hierarchical Classification by means of the Alceste software. Thanks to the cross-national perspective of the study, they identify different psycho-social scenarios between the two national contexts (Italy and France) in which the social demand for health care and supply relating to mental illness has in recent decades been animated by the controversial debate on psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and the institutional practices with large impact on society and laypeople outside the circles of experts and professionals. Confirming their hypotheses, the results show specific strategies for the promotion by users involved in communicative processes in the social networks—under the relevant communicative constraints—of specific claims for the treatment and rehabilitation of mental disorders, and of the relative services in healthcare sectors. The study presented in this chapter explores the influence of social networks in directing and shaping the supply of, and demand for, healthcare services – specifically systems and therapies for the treatment and rehabilitation of mental disorders. For this purpose, knowledge sharing and co-construction processes of social representations of psychoanalysis and psychiatry, the images of the relevant professionals (psychoanalysts and psychiatrists), and their social practices are investigated within the social arenas provided by digital media 2.0, namely some of the most popular social networks. The authors collect a substantial corpus—a total of 6762 statements—of public, spontaneous conversations on Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo! Answers. These are analyzed with the text clustering method of Descending Hierarchical Classification by means of the Alceste software. Thanks to the cross-national perspective of the study, they identify different psycho-social scenarios between the two national contexts (Italy and France) in which the social demand for health care and supply relating to mental illness has in recent decades been animated by the controversial debate on psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and the institutional practices with large impact on society and laypeople outside the circles of experts and professionals. Confirming their hypotheses, the results show specific strategies for the promotion by users involved in communicative processes in the social networks—under the relevant communicative constraints—of specific claims for the treatment and rehabilitation of mental disorders, and of the relative services in healthcare sectors.

This chapter presents a perspective theory, not yet fully developed, that seeks to analyze the connections between “Social Representations and Corporate Communication” (Penz, 2006; Usunier & Lee, 2009). It is divided into two sections. In the first, descriptive section we identified the organizational dynamics of the Benetton Company utilizing structural elements found in the enterprise’s literature and documents. The objective was to understand Benetton galaxy’s role in globalization and its complex market strategies. Since this was an internal view of the company, data was obtained from internal documents, including the company’s publications, such as Global Vision and Colors publications. In order to understand the company from an external perspective, we consulted studies conducted on the Benetton universe that considered the marketing element as interaction between the company and the market (Kotler, 1997; Nardin, 1987; Semprini, 1996; Moliner, 1996; Tafani, 2006). In the second, empirical section, the social representation of the Benetton brand is analyzed using a large sample of Benetton’s advertisements, selected as the basis for research to identify the perceptive modalities of advertising messages and attitudes in Benetton’s communication strategies (de Rosa, 1998, 2001; de Rosa & Losito, 1996; de Rosa & Bocci, 2009). In this second section the relationship between social representations and corporate communication will be presented in a dialogical perspective that examines the social discourse “of” Benetton in regard to social issues. We will look at the different phases of advertising campaigns (1992-2008, with special focus on one of the controversial campaigns: Autumn-Winter 1992\1993) and the discourse “about” Benetton. The targets of reference for our research program are considered to be not only recipients of the company’s advertising campaigns, but also potential buyers.