The aim of this study was to explore God-belief as a source of meaning and psychological well-being qualitatively and through the review of literature. The study is embedded in the growing field of Psychology of Religion. In the first article, a literature overview regarding the field of Psychology of Religion, and specifically research done in the South African context, was reported. The key constructs spirituality and religiousness were investigated and defined. It was argued that traditional African religion and spirituality have unique characteristics and that Western, mostly Christian-based, research does not necessarily reflect the South African psycho-religious landscape. Articles published in the South African Journal of Psychology over the 10-year period 1997 to 2006 were analysed to ascertain the extent of South African research in this field. The necessity of continued research in this field in order to expand and enrich psychological discourse became clear. The second article investigated the reasons for humans' religiousness, the influence of religion on people's perspective on life and the importance of understanding the impact of religion on human functioning. It was shown that homo sapiens evolved to be religious and that religiousness therefore is a fundamental aspect of humanness. Untestable ontological and cosmological assumptions (mostly religiously informed) permeate people's worldviews and more or less unconsciously influence their decisions, their openness to new perspectives and their judgement and prejudices. This fact is not necessarily generally understood or recognised. The importance of helping professionals understanding their own assumptions and acknowledging those of their clients was illustrated in the context of education. The third article reported on the qualitative, interpretive case study in which the God-belief of a group of Christians from an African context was analysed and interpreted in terms of the participants' creation of meaning and their psychological well-being. Interviews were conducted with twelve participants, eight male and four female, ranging in age between twenty-five and sixty-five years, in sessions of between one hour and one and a half hours. The transcribed interviews, notes on personal reactions, insights, beliefs and discussions with knowledgeable individuals accumulated during the research process and noted in a research journal as well as literature were the sources of data for the thick description of the experiences of the participants. The description focused on participants' knowledge of God (God-concept), experience of their relationship with God (God-image) and their understanding of life. The contribution of their God-belief to their sense of meaning and psychological well-being was the leitmotiv of the description. The final conclusions were inter alia that the God-belief and mostly the God-image that participants hold, are a deep source of meaning, especially under unfavourable life circumstances and that aspects of participants' psychological well-being, e.g. a sense of self-worth, aspects of attachment and ability to cope with adversity, seem to stem from both the meaning that they create through their God-belief as well as the relationship they experience with their God. More South African research in the field of Psychology of Religion is called for, and professionals (e.g. therapists, clergy and educators) need to develop an understanding of and sensitivity to spirituality through their professional training. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

I ett flertal rapporter har det framkommit att det är vanligare med ohälsa bland individer med utvecklingsstörning än hos den övriga befolkningen. Dessutom visade det sig att funktionsnedsättningen i sig oftast inte var den påverkningsfaktor som bidrog till ohälsan. Istället handlade det om faktorer som kunde åtgärdas med hjälp av mer fysisk aktivitet och bättre hälsomedvetenhet. Därför riktades fokus mot skolan och ämnet idrott och hälsa för att finna vad som gjordes inom denna arena gällande hälsoundervisning. Syftet med studien blev således att undersöka hälsoundervisningen i idrott och hälsa på gymnasiesärskolan ur ett sociokulturellt perspektiv, samt att studera de beståndsdelar som kunde försvåra eller befrämja hälsoundervisningen. För att besvara syftet användes en kvalitativ metod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer, där urvalet utgjordes av sex lärare vilka undervisar idrott och hälsa i gymnasiesärskolan. Studiens empiri bearbetades genom en tematisk analys med utgångspunkt i det sociokulturella perspektivet. I resultatet framkom fyra övergripande teman som tillsammans gav en bild av hur lärare resonerar kring och bedriver hälsoundervisning. Lärarna uttryckte en viss oro om elevers rådande och framtida hälsa men yttrade sig positivt gällande elevers möjlighet till hälsoförståelse. Vidare ansåg lärarna deras utbildning vara bristfällig, information gällande elevers funktionsnedsättningar otillräcklig och att samarbetet mellan lärare i idrott och hälsa och särskolan lämnade mycket övrigt att önska. För att öka delaktigheten, aktivitetsnivån och hälsoförståelsen använde sig lärarna av olika stödjande strategier som assisterade elever i deras kunskapsutveckling. Dessutom användes olika verktyg och redskap för att bättre konkretisera undervisningen samt höja delaktigheten, aktivitetsnivån och elevmotivationen. Slutligen framkom i resultatet att lärare uppfattade det sociala samspelet emellan eleverna vara viktigt och att de försökte utforma en undervisningsmiljö som främjade det sociala samspelet. / In several reports it has been shown that illness is more common among individuals with intellectual disabilities then with the general population. The reports also showed that the disability in itself usually did not constitute the influential factor which contributed to illness. Instead, the factors which were emphasized on could all be resolved with more physical activity and better health awareness. Due to these findings the focus was directed towards the school environment and the physical education subject in order to uncover what was being done in this arena regarding health education. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate health education in the field of physical education in the upper secondary special school from a sociocultural perspective, and to study the elements which may hinder or promote health education. A qualitative approach, based on interviews with six teachers who teach physical education at special upper secondary schools was used as it provided the most conductive way to answer the questions established in the aim of the study.   The empirical data of the study was processed through a thematic analysis on the basis of the sociocultural perspective. The result revealed four broad themes that together illustrated how teachers reason about and conduct health education. The teachers expressed some concern about students’ current and future health, but were positive about the outlook regarding students’ ability to understand health. Furthermore, the teachers found their educational background to be inadequate and information regarding students’ disabilities insufficient, also the cooperation between physical education teachers and special schools left much to be desired. To increase participation, activity level and health understanding, various supporting strategies were used which assisted students in their knowledge acquirement. Different tools were also used to concretize teaching and raise participation, activity level as well as students’ motivation. Lastly, the results showed that teachers were aware of the positive effects that social interaction between the students could generate and that they tried to create a learning environment that promoted social interaction.

“Det är dålig uppfostran” är ett examensarbete skrivet av Jenny Spik och Alexander Villafuerte. Studien undersöker utifrån ett föräldraperspektiv hur föräldrarnas tillvaro påverkats utav en ADHD-diagnos på deras barn. Syftet med studien är att försöka hitta en förståelse kring hur detta påverkar familjelivet men framförallt föräldrarna. Med teorier om stigmatisering, avvikande och normaliseringsprinciper som verktyg har författarna till studien försökt att analysera data. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har använts vid insamling av data för denna studie. Sex föräldrar har intervjuas med avsikt att fånga upp deras upplevelser. Resultatet redovisas med hjälp av kategorier och varje kategori analyseras enskilt. Resultatet av studien visar att hur föräldrarna mår påverkas till mycket stor del av hur barnen blir behandlade främst av skolan, men även av både barn och andra vuxna i barnets omgivning. / "It's bad education" is a thesis written by Jenny Spik and Alexander Villafuerte. The study examines from a parental perspective on how parents' lives is affected out of an ADHD diagnosis of their child. The purpose of this study is to try to find an understanding of how this affects family life, especially the parents. The authors of the study attempted to analyze the data with the theories of stigmatization, deviant and normalization principles as tools. Semi structured interviews were used to collect data for this study. Six parents was interviewed with the intent to intercept their experiences. The results of the interviews are presented by categories. Each category is analyzed individually. The results of the study shows that the parents are very affected by how the children are treated primarily by the school. But also by children and other adults in the child’s environment.

ABSTRAKT Bakgrund: Ett nytt organ är livräddande behandling för patienter med kroniska hjärt- eller leversjukdomar. För den som blir transplanterad innebär det en stor omställning i livet, från att ha varit kronisk sjuk till att leva med ett nytt organ. Efter en transplantation är målet att personen ska kunna återgå till ett normalt liv. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien var att belysa den transplanterades perspektiv på att leva med ett nytt organ. Metod: I litteraturstudien har tio kvalitativa studier granskats och analyserats med inspiration av innehållsanalys. Artikelsökning gjordes i Cinahl, PubMed och PsycInfo. Resultat: I resultatet framkom tre huvudkategorier: ”Förändrad kropp”, ”Känslomässig berg- och dalbana” och ”Att leva vidare”. Under dessa framkom åtta underkategorier. Slutsats: Att genomgå en organtransplantation är en livsomvälvande upplevelse som förändrar livet för alltid. För sjuksköterskan är det viktigt att vara medveten om patientens perspektiv för att kunna ge god och anpassad omvårdnad. Trots att transplantationen följs av en påfrestande återhämtning både fysiskt och psykiskt så ges man genom ett nytt organ en andra chans i livet och hopp om en bättre framtid.   Nyckelord: Organtransplantation, patientperspektiv, omvårdnad / ABSTRACT Background: A new organ is a lifesaving treatment for patients living with chronicle illness in heart or liver. To be transplanted implicates a big change in life, from living with a chronicle illness to be living with a new organ. After the transplantation the aim for the patient is to go back to living a normal life again. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to elucidate the transplanted patient perspective of living with a new organ. Method: In this literature review ten qualitative studies were viewed and analysed. The articles were searched in CINAHL, PubMed and PsycInfo.  Result: The result identified three main categories: ”Changed body”, ”Emotional rollercoaster” and ”To manage to keep living”. From these categories eight sub categorize were identified. Conclusion: To be transplanted is a life changing experience that changes the life forever. It is important for the nurse to be aware of the patient perspective to be able to offer a good and suitable care for the patient. Though the transplantation is followed by a difficult recovery, both physical and psychological, to be transplanted gives you a second chance in life and hope of a better future. Keywords: Organ transplantation, patient perspective, nursing

Background: Borderline personality disorder is a complex mental disorder that has become increasingly common in those individuals who seek care today. These individuals are often perceived as being different by society and the health care system, because of the prejudice and lack of knowledge that exists around mental illness and borderline personality disorder. Aim: Highlighting adults experiences of living with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Method: Literature study with qualitative approach. Seven articles were chosen to be read, reviewed and analyzed. Results: Three categories with seven subcategories appeared. Experiences of emotional pain, feelings of not being like everyone else and experiences of social interactions. Conclusion: The results show in general negative experiences in several different aspects. Feelings of hope for the future were countered with suicidal thoughts and self-destructive behavior. Negative emotions in behavior from society but also from health professionals, stigma that constantly surrounded their life-world, an attitude which in most cases is due to large gaps in knowledge. The authors included research that was done 20 years ago, and the results of this study show that the response and experience of the individuals has not been changed. This means that the knowledge is not as high as it should be and the skills of health professionals are not as current as it should be. Future research should focus on how health professionals should be able to raise their level of knowledge and respond to individuals in a more customized way.

The following essay aims to determine what textbooks and teaching media educators in the county of Västerbotten use when teaching the relation between religion and science. Based on educational science theory and through analyzes of factual texts, the teaching materials was examined to determine how much focus they put on the thematic of religion and science. The result shows how the different teaching materials affect this thematic differently. The main conclusion is therefore that students in Sweden could, depending on the teaching materials used in their education, be taught by different standards to reach the same requirements.

Bakgrund: Tidigare forskning visar att flertalet patienter har en positiv inställning till studentmedverkan. Trots detta finns olika faktorer som kan påverka patientens inställning negativt.   Syfte: Att undersöka studentmedverkan i vården ur ett patientperspektiv hos kvinnor i obstetrisk- och gynekologisk vård.   Metod: Kvantitativ studie, enkätstudie. Patienter som vårdats på kvinnodivisionens mottagningar och avdelningar på ett universitetssjukhus i Mellansverige tillfrågades under en tvåveckorsperiod att svara på enkätfrågor.   Resultat: Den övervägande delen av patienterna, 71 %, var bekväma med att en studerande var med under sitt vårdbesök. Patienterna med tidigare erfarenheter av studentmedverkan under sitt vårdbesök var mer positivt inställda till studentmedverkan överlag. Var patienterna bekväma med en mycket ung student under sitt vårdbesök, skattade sig patienterna mer bekväma överlag med studentmedverkan. En större andel av patienterna skattade sig mer bekväma med en kvinnlig student, 71 %, än med en manlig student, 41 %, under sitt vårdbesök. Patienterna på avdelningarna skattade sig i större utsträckning mer bekväma än patienterna på mottagningarna.   Slutsats: Majoriteten av patienterna kände sig bekväma med studentmedverkan inom obstetrisk- och gynekologisk vård, däremot sjunker graden av bekvämlighet då vården den studerande utför självständigt, ökar. Patienterna som tidigare mött studenter vid sina vårdbesök och även de som är bekväma med en mycket ung student var mer positivt inställda till studentmedverkan. Fler patienter kände sig mer bekväma med kvinnliga studenter än med manliga studenter. / Background: Previous research shows that the majority of patients have a positive approach to student participation. Despite this, there are various factors that can affect the patient's attitude negatively.   Aim: To examine student participation in health care from a patient perspective of women in obstetric- and gynecological care.   Method: Quantitative questionnaire study. Patients who were treated in the clinics and wards in the Department of Women's Health at a university hospital in central Sweden were asked during a two-week period to answer survey questions.   Result: The majority of the patients, 71.2%, felt comfortable with student participation. Patients with previous experience of student participation had a more positive attitude towards student participation overall. The patient felt more comfortable with student participation if the patient also were comfortable with a very young student. A greater proportion of patients felt more comfortable with a female student, 70.6%, than with a male student, 40.8%. Patients in wards were to a greater extent more comfortable than patients in clinics.   Conclusion: The majority of patients felt comfortable with student participation in obstetrics- and gynecological care, however, the level of convenience will drop, the more of the care that the student performs independently. Patients who had previously met with students and also those who were comfortable with a very young student were more positive to student participation. Most patients’ felt more comfortable with female students than male students.

The present mixed-methods study examined adolescents’ social perspective taking in contexts of social justice as demonstrated by their awareness and interpretations of hypothetical peer interactions depicting racism and sexism. Fifty adolescents in Grades 9 and 12 participated in a semi-structured interview in which they were presented with two scenarios, involving adolescents in conflicts portraying racism and sexism. They were asked a series of questions designed to elicit their awareness and understanding of social group differences. Qualitative analyses revealed three categories of adolescents’ responses, reflecting distinct interpretations of social group differences. On average, adolescents assumed a perspective that was naïve to the disparities existing between vulnerable and less vulnerable social groups. Furthermore, it was shown that older adolescents had significantly more sophisticated social justice understandings than younger adolescents. These findings highlight the need to educate adolescents about issues of social justice and facilitate an appreciation of social group differences.

Introduction: Enterprise recourse planning (ERP) is a system that combines software, hardwareand people to manage information The aim of this study is to investigate ERP systems effect onbusiness performance (advertised vs. realized benefits) and user’s complaints. It also aims toidentify the most important issue a company faces after implementing an ERP system and if thisstops potential benefits from happening. This will be viewed from a user’s perspective. Approach/Methodology: This research includes qualitative and quantitative primary data withsecondary data to answer the research questions posed. It is based on a number of semistructuredinterviews of people well versed in ERP systems presented in case study form.Alongside, it also utilizes a series of questionnaires presented in tabular form. The data wasanalyzed and linked with theory to provide answers and test assumptions. Findings: ERP systems provide their advertised benefits to a large extent. The most importantorganizational issue after implementing an ERP system is resistance to change and this issueaffects the benefits realization of the system. Finally, user’s complaints about ERP systems arevaried and include the speed of the system, support in error situations and general complexity. Conclusions: Even though it provides many benefits in business performance, an ERP system,selection and implementation in a company is a critical step. The whole process is complicated,resource consuming, takes a long time and can encounter problems. Mistakes in theimplementation cost a company more resources to fix after they happen. In this case preventionis better than cure and the best medicine.Implications and Value of research: ERP system implementation and use should bemethodically planned from the beginning to get maximum benefits realization. This is especiallyimportant in effectively managing change in an organization. In this issue, top level managersshould be aware and committed to. Suggestion for future studies: A possible research that could correlate user complaintcategories already established with age group of respondents under a global perspective.

Computer graphics perspective is based on photography, the pin-hole camera model. This thesis examines the perspective as practiced by artists, who develop the picture geometry within the planar surface of the canvas. Their approach is flexible, depth is simulated with planar composition as the primary geometry. Renaissance artists discovered construction methods to draw the foreshortening of realistic pictures: the construction of a tiled floor in perspective was fundamental. This thesis presents the framework, a computer program, I developed to create the perspective of pictures based on the geometry practices of artists. Construction lines on the image plane simulate the 3D geometry of the pictorial space; cartoons of foreground elements are manipulated in 2D within the picture perspective; projected shadows, examples of double projection, are also included. A formalism, reformulating algebraically the straight-edge and compass evaluations, generalizes the planar geometry that solves the challenge of depicting 3D. A revised Painter’s algorithm produces the occlusions between the picture elements from sequencing them from their definitions on the canvas.