This study is concerned with the inter-subjectively co-constructed narratives of experience, for Child and Youth Care practitioners, in an agency-based school program which focuses on treatment of DSM diagnosed children. This school-based program is formally committed to a strength-based practice for treatment of mental disorder. A Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) diagnosis is required for admission to this program. This agency-based practice exists at the intersection of dissonant discourses of understanding, in the treatment of children’s mental disorder. In this study, a narrative methodology of inquiry, situated in a post-modern epistemology of understanding, was utilized to investigate the narratives of experience of four Child and Youth Care practitioners. Narratives are distinctive units of speech that are typically employed by the narrator to convey evaluative meaning in context. Narratives inquiry represents a useful means for understanding questions of experience, as people use narratives to organize and evaluate their knowledge and transactions with the social world. The narrative, as a reflection of intersubjective constructs of meaning, provides a means of understanding the individual or group through its conveyance of lived experience. The results of this study include four narratives, written in the first person, communicating the subjective experiences of Child and Youth Care practitioners in this unique practice setting. Each of these narratives suggests the importance of, and methods towards, finding ways for strength-based practitioners to practice in harmony in landscapes of deficit-focused understandings.

Education is rapidly moving away from the instructional models of the 19th century and educationalists are now asserting that not only do students need to be able to learn by rote but also to be able to think in a more profound and complex manner. Students are required to develop new processes to handle the rapidly changing world that they are expected to take part in as they complete their formal learning. This change is evident in all the developed nations and Australian students are finding that they are being asked to demonstrate a range of higher order thinking skills in all their school subjects. Science courses in Queensland require students to be assessed on both complex reasoning and scientific process skills. Studies have shown that students can develop these skills in a number of ways that include the exposure to appropriate open-ended hands-on tasks. As higher order thinking skills underlie the development of both complex reasoning and scientific process, it is important that science educators take appropriate steps to facilitate the development of this level of thinking. This study examined the use of some higher order thinking skills by students using Information Technology in their science classroom. It investigated the degree to which students used their higher order thinking skills when engaged in a computer simulation of a complex science task. The study involved two pairs of Year 9 students, one pair each from the upper and lower quartiles of the year level, in a private Years 4 to 12 boys' school in an inner Brisbane suburb. All students had been immersed in Information Technology in Years 4 to 8 as part of a technology-across-the-curriculum project for all year levels in the school and at the time of the study were at the end of their second semester in Year 9. Students had worked with a large number of computer applications in all their subjects, averaging about one lesson in the computer room per day across all their subjects for the past year of schooling. The school also had a policy for learning and teaching that revolved around the development in students of critical thinking and, specifically in Science, complex reasoning, and scientific process skills. During this study, students engaged in a computer simulation requiring the application of skills and knowledge already learnt in their science course. The modules of this simulation developed an understanding of the essentials for life and the quantities of a range of items from water to seeds to land areas that would be required for a number of people that would be needed to staff the Lunar Base. Prompts were given on the way, which assisted students in their decision making. Students progressed through the various areas and stages of the development of the Lunar Base until they were satisfied that each area supported the others and that there was no imbalance that needed to be corrected. Once all stages had been completed, students were free to change variables and experiment further as they saw fit in order that they might produce the most self-sufficient Lunar Base possible. There was some evidence that the simulation did encourage the students in the pairs observed to think in greater depth about the materials and to argue their convictions in an improved manner. As well as the students appearing to increase in competency in argument over the period of time, the four students in their final interviews, spoke of feeling satisfied with the results of the lessons. The students also appeared more engrossed in their task and the pedagogy provided in the task was appreciated as it gave meaning to why they were required to learn scientific materials as well also presenting them with ways to find the knowledge for themselves.

This study seeks to make a theoretical contribution to the rapidly growing field of International Entrepreneurship by investigating the process of internationalization of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Bell, McNaughton, Young & Crick, (2003) emphasized the need for researchers to re-conceptualize their thinking on the internationalization process of smaller firms. While there has been substantial research done on the small business internationalization and how the participation of these firms in the global economy has fuelled economic growth in a number of countries (Audretsch & Thurik, 2003; Acs, Randall Morck, Shraver & Yeung, 1997; Storey, 1994; Alam & Pacher, 2003), there is tangible evidence that SMEs in Australia are not keeping up with global trends. Studies conducted on Australian firms allude to the following reasons for their constrained presence in international markets: (i) geographic and psychic distance; (ii) costs disadvantage; (iii) overdependence on inward FDI from large foreign multinationals; (iv) a history of inward-looking and narrowly focussed economic development policies of the Australian government. These factors had the combined effect of imbalanced economic growth which was particularly detrimental to the small business sector (Australian Trade Commission, 2002; Maitland & Nicholas, 2002; Alam & Pacher, 2003). Despite the identified obstacles, some Australian SMEs have succeeded in penetrating international markets. This study involved a preliminary qualitative investigation of selected Australian SMEs and their unique internationalization process. Evidence from the case study based investigation will indicate that the respondent firms have leveraged on entrepreneurial qualities to overcome the obstacles and enhance their success in international markets. As such, the internationalization process for these selected firms is seen as an extension of and integral to their entrepreneurial behaviour. Using the lenses provided by relevant facets of the entrepreneurship, internationalization and strategy scholarly fields, this exploratory qualitative study, while building the foundation for further empirical research into the internationalization process of SMEs, can serve as a guide to researchers for ascertaining future directions in this emergent field. The findings from the study are intended to contribute to a body of knowledge encompassing the cross-border operations of SMEs. The research also has value from a practical perspective as Australian SMEs can draw from this body of knowledge as they pursue opportunities internationally.

This study aims to investigate how diagnosis as a social construction affectsrecognition of students from youth workers experiences. Youth workers assurveyors have been chosen because of their broad social network and the lack ofearlier studies concluding their experiences. The research question for this paperis: How does the diagnosis, as a social construction, affect the recognition ofstudents based on the experiences of youth workers? This study is based on aqualitative research method and in order to reach results we used a semi-structuredinterview. The theoretical framework that have been used in this study is KariIngstad’s theory regarding sickness as a social construction and Carl-GöranHeidegren’s theory regarding recognition. The results of this study indicate thatthere is a connection between diagnosis as a sickness and recognition of abehavior. Our conclusion is that the diagnoses does not work as a recognition ofhow a person really is but as a helping tool for recognition in social contexts. / Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur diagnos som en social konstruktionpåverkar erkännandet av en elev utifrån fritidspedagogers erfarenhet.Fritidspedagoger som undersökningspersoner har valts i syfte om att de har ettbrett socialt nätverk och att få studier tar hänsyn till fritidspedagogers erfarenheter.Frågeställningen till detta arbete lyder: Hur fungerar diagnosen, som socialkonstruktion, för erkännandet av elever utifrån fritidspedagogers erfarenhet?Studien grundar sig i en kvalitativ undersökning och för att komma fram till ettresultat använde vi oss av en semistrukturerad intervju. De teoretiska perspektivsom används i denna studie är Kari Ingstads teori om sjukdom som en socialkonstruktion och Carl-Göran Heidegrens teori om erkännande. Studiens resultattyder på att det finns en växelverkan mellan diagnos som en sjukroll ocherkännande av ett beteende. Vår slutsats är att diagnosen inte leder till etterkännande för hur en elev är utan fungerar som ett hjälpmedel för erkännande isociala sammanhang.

The Programme for Purchase of Food from Family Farming (PAA), created in 2003, has achieved year by year a larger number of municipalities, served family farmers bearers of the Declaration of Able for Pronaf and people facing food insecurity and social vulnerability. In the case of farmers, very types fall into this category through state legal frameworks often not responsive to the cultural, social, anthropological and especially the distinctive differences compared with the market. The COPERTERRA participates in this program since 2009 and has increased the volume of resources, expanding its area of action along the protected institutional markets. Initially, it was hoped that from the experience acquired the proponents who participate in the PAA, these cooperatives and associations, would open new spaces together with local/regional markets, achieving greater financial autonomy. The social construction of markets ( CSM ) is a theory that has been worked by many researchers as an alternative to traditional markets with functional features, usually marginal analysis proposed by theorists in the formal economy and the highly standardized dominant agrifood system. The CSM creates and strengthening short circuits of marketings, adds to the intangible and immaterial qualities products, creates new equivalences and aggregates the prices of material goods, such as identification of origin and process. Until then, these elements are not being discussed in the action plan of the PAA. To seek answers and understanding about the possibility of advancements in the field of markets for family farmers by ensuring marketing, expanded participation in local/regional market through the PAA, we performed a case study, using a qualitative/quantitative research, fieldwork and applying semi-structured interviews with open questions, analysis of secondary data collected from the cooperative and Conab, and direct observation. The interviews were transcribed and processed by the content analysis method. As a result of work done, some of the elements found in the CSM theory emerged in the interviews, even though the program does not work and cooperative on this perspective. What we found was an extreme dependence on institutional markets, with the cooperative marketing does not perform even with entities that are benefited by the PAA and carry out purchases to meet the demands of their beneficiaries. Customers outside the institutional markets are not representative of the cooperative in revenue . The institutional arrangement enables the qualification adopted in the implementation of the proposal exempts the cooperative, as the SESC - Mesa Brazil performs pickup and delivery of donated products, however the distance farmers supplying to consumers. Among beneficiaries of PAA consumers interviewed , there is widespread ignorance about the program, objectives and operation, diagnosed from a large share of qualified managers SESC - Mesa Brazil , which makes this is the reference in implementation of the proposal. Similarly, family farmers also unaware of the program. Overall, it is understood that state action could provide advances in the construction of markets, with the participation of actors and public policies that meet assumptions contained in the theory. / O Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos da Agricultura Familiar (PAA), criado em 2003, tem alcançado ano a ano um maior número de municípios, atendido agricultores familiares portadores da Declaração de Aptidão ao Pronaf e pessoas em situação de insegurança alimentar e ou vulnerabilidade social. No caso dos agricultores familiares, muito tipos se enquadram nessa categoria através dos marcos legais estatais, muitas vezes, não se respeitando as diferenças culturais, sociais, antropológicas e principalmente, a relação diferenciada com o mercado. A COPERTERRA participa deste programa desde 2009 e tem aumentado o volume de recursos, expandindo a sua área de ação junto aos mercados institucionais protegidos. Inicialmente, esperava-se que a partir da experiência adquirida pelas proponentes que participam do PAA, essas cooperativas e associações abririam novos espaços juntos aos mercados locais/regionais, alcançando uma maior autonomia financeira. A construção social de mercados (CSM) é uma teoria que vem sendo trabalhada por diversos pesquisadores, como forma alternativa aos mercados tradicionais, com características funcionais, geralmente marginais nas análises propostas pelos teóricos da economia formal, pelo sistema agro alimentar dominante altamente standardizado. A CSM cria e fortalece os circuitos curtos de comercialização, agrega aos produtos qualidades intangíveis e imateriais, cria novas equivalências e as adiciona aos preços de bens materiais, tais como identificação de procedência e de processo. Até então, tais elementos não estão sendo debatidos no plano de ação do PAA. Para se buscar respostas e entendimento sobre a possibilidade de avanços no campo dos mercados para a agricultura familiar através da garantia de comercialização, ampliação da participação no mercado local/regional através do PAA, realizou-se um estudo de caso, através de uma pesquisa quali-quantitativa e trabalho de campo aplicando-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com perguntas abertas, análise de dados secundários coletados junto à uma cooperativa e a Conab, além de observação direta. As entrevistas foram transcritas e processadas pelo método da análise de conteúdo. Como resultado do trabalho realizado, alguns dos elementos encontrados na teoria da CSM surgiram nas entrevistas, mesmo que o programa e a cooperativa não trabalhem sobre esta perspectiva. Identificou-se uma extrema dependência dos mercados institucionais, sendo que a cooperativa não realiza comercialização nem mesmo com as entidades que são beneficiadas pelo PAA e que realizam compras para atender a demanda de seus assistidos. Os clientes fora dos mercados institucionais não são representativos no faturamento da cooperativa. O arranjo institucional adotado possibilita a qualificação na execução da proposta, desonera a cooperativa, à medida que o SESC-Mesa Brasil realiza a retirada e entrega dos produtos doados, porém distancia os agricultores fornecedores dos consumidores. Entre consumidores beneficiários pelas propostas do PAA estudado neste trabalho, há um grande desconhecimento sobre o programa, objetivos e operacionalização, diagnosticado a partir de uma análise qualificada realizada pelos gestores do SESC Mesa Brasil, o que faz com que este seja a referência na execução da proposta. No mesmo sentido, os agricultores também desconhecem o programa. No geral, entende-se que a ação estatal poderá proporcionar avanços na construção de mercados, com a participação de atores e com políticas públicas que atendam pressupostos constantes na teoria.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:50:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5549.pdf: 5006318 bytes, checksum: fd2220183f70dedce82b0b8c94c5e374 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-05 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The ergonomics actions demand design processes for working conditions, products, processes or working organization. However, the integration of ergonomics into the design processes of organizations is still new. Several reasons account for this, whose common point rests on the failure of the models and practices to trigger design processes from the results generated by the analysis. It is recommended that these processes are developed within a paradigm of social construction in order to facilitate the participation of social actors and stimulate cooperation and incorporation of diverse knowledge involved. From a qualitative analysis, essentially descriptive, of ergonomics and design approaches, the research aims at defining an integrated approach, from the exploration of the contributions of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and its tools to design process in ergonomics. The tools of TRIZ, in the context of ergonomics, can be applied at all stages of the design process, encouraging and equipping analysis, scenario building, anticipating conflicts and developing solutions. The proposed approach covers five main points including (i) system analysis / problem and constraints identification, (ii) analysis of the situation from the perspective of ideality, comparing past, present and future. (iii) determination of parameters and contradictions by building scenarios, (iv) use of the matrix of contradictions to explore the most relevant inventive principles, and (v) thereafter, the collective construction of the solution, its implementation and reassessment. The research also proposes a matrix of contradictions along with 39 ergonomics parameters. Built on the traditional TRIZ matrix structure and keeping the original inventive principles, the matrix enables the exploration of ideas to solve the contradictions found in the course of the project. The results are a conceptual and a operative starting point for the integration of ergonomics to design processes. / As intervenções em ergonomia demandam processos de concepção (ou reconcepção) sejam de situações, produtos, processos ou da organização do trabalho. Paradoxalmente, sua integração aos processos de projeto no cotidiano das organizações ainda é incipiente. Diversas são as razões apontadas, cujo ponto comum repousa sobre a insuficiência dos modelos e práticas em, a partir dos resultados gerados pelas análises, deflagrar processos de concepção. A partir de uma análise qualitativa, essencialmente descritiva, a pesquisa teve como objetivo a delimitação de uma abordagem integradora, através da exploração das contribuições da Teoria de Solução de Problemas Inventivos (TRIZ) e suas ferramentas ao processo de projeto em ergonomia. Sob a perspectiva da concepção, as ferramentas da TRIZ, associadas à ergonomia, podem ser aplicadas em todas as fases do processo de projeto, favorecendo e instrumentalizando a análise, a elaboração de cenários, a antecipação de conflitos e o desenvolvimento de soluções. O foco está na construção do problema, de forma a permitir a identificação e eliminação de contradições que caracterizam os determinantes do trabalho. A abordagem proposta abrange cinco pontos principais que incluem (i) a análise do sistema/problema e identificação de constrangimentos; (ii) a análise da situação em três espaços temporais (passado, presente e futuro), sob a perspectiva da idealidade; (iii) a determinação de parâmetros e contradições, através da construção de cenários; (iv) a utilização da matriz de contradições para explorar princípios inventivos relevantes; e, (v) a construção da solução, sua implementação e reavaliação. Também como resultado da pesquisa e visando instrumentalizar o processo de desenvolvimento de propostas de melhorias, é apresentada uma matriz de contradições em ergonomia, fruto da determinação de 39 parâmetros de ergonomia, que traduzem os determinantes das situações passadas e presentes, bem como os condicionantes futuros e englobam aspectos físicos cognitivos e organizacionais. Dispostos na estrutura matricial da TRIZ clássica e mantendo os princípios inventivos originais, exemplificados a partir de sua aplicação à solução de problemas em ergonomia, a matriz permite a exploração de princípios para a solução de contradições identificadas. Os resultados, materializados na abordagem e matriz propostas, constituem um ponto de partida conceitual e operativo para a integração da ergonomia aos processos de projeto.

This study is based on interviews with six students from Stockholm that have shared their feelings/opinions about how they experience their identity as a student. The aim of this master’s thesis is to examine how the identity of students is constructed but also how the post modern society affects the life that the students are living. With a higher demand on education and responsibility of making the right decisions, the student’s main concern is not only her studies, but also the goal to succeed in her life. The result points out that the environment which the student lives in has an influence on how the identity develops. The identity has nothing to do with the actually fact that the student studies, but with how the student acts outside the university.

Submitted by Neusa Fagundes (neusa.fagundes@unioeste.br) on 2018-03-09T14:35:44Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Ana_Müller2017.pdf: 3180531 bytes, checksum: 03e16626559f87a0f0378e6bb7e63bd1 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-09T14:35:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Ana_Müller2017.pdf: 3180531 bytes, checksum: 03e16626559f87a0f0378e6bb7e63bd1 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-22 / This study aims to analyze, under the optics of the students, the social construction of knowledge in learning and research in Strategy in professional Masters in Administration in Brazil. As theoretical and empirical foundations for this research, the Sociology of Knowledge and the social role in the optics of Berger and Luckmann (2014) have been explored; as well as the body of knowledge in Strategy; the pedagogical choices when teaching Strategy and the researches developed in the area. An explanatory research has been conducted, using qualitative approach, corresponding to a multi-case study of 18 Post Graduate programs in Administration, professional variety. The primary data collection was realized through interviews with 30 students; and the secondary data was obtained through documents related to the object of the research, the teachers and the disciplines. The data collected from multiple origins was triangulated and the thematic analysis was used. Many actions related to teachers’ conduct in the classroom, the relationship with students and the assignment of activities could be perceived by analyzing teachers’ social roles, and its analysis showed the creation of this role is influenced by primary as well secondary socialization processes. As a pattern of conduct, it is possible to state that all works have been delivered and, in the students’ role, the regular activity identified by them is reading, followed by secondary activities. Concerning institutional conduct requirements, the analysis showed that the relationship among students is maintained by all the interviewees after the discipline is finalized and the student-teacher relationship is maintained by some of them, according to specific objectives. In regard to the body of knowledge, it was stated that the different concepts of Strategy were presented and discussed only in 6 of the disciplines; the remaining ones focuses on specific concepts studying the line of thought of more prolific writers. Many contents, tools and references which are used in the discipline were identified, demonstrating there is a fragmentation of the body of knowledge. When analyzing the pedagogical choices, it is possible to highlight two aspects: the need to enhance the theoretical studies and the discussions which stimulate critical thinking; and the importance of approaching organizational reality, not only related to the interviewees but also to future perspectives. Concerning researches developed in the field, few of the studied disciplines required students to write academic articles; nine interviewees who wrote their dissertations in this area, out of only three were in relation to research projects from their teachers and five related to their own professional areas or companies where the students work. The understanding of the continuation, specialization and creation of knowledge was enabled through questions related to the progress of the interviewees, as their acting as teachers and future researches. As theoretical contribution, the Sociology of Knowledge from Berger and Luckmann (2014) has been used in order to understand the development of the Strategy field and, as empirical contribution, to give information related to the practices being used, the critical points and the suggestions for the teaching and research of Strategy. / Este estudo objetivou analisar, sob a ótica dos discentes, a construção social do conhecimento no ensino e na pesquisa em Estratégia nos Mestrados Profissionais em Administração no Brasil. Como base teórico-empírica, exploraram-se a Sociologia do Conhecimento e o papel social sob a ótica de Berger e Luckmann (2014); o corpo do conhecimento em Estratégia; as escolhas pedagógicas empregadas no ensino de Estratégia; e as pesquisas desenvolvidas na área. Explicativa, com abordagem qualitativa, a pesquisa corresponde a um estudo multicasos de 18 Programas de Pós-Graduação em Administração, modalidade profissional. A coleta de dados primários ocorreu por meio de entrevistas com 30 discentes; e a dos dados secundários, por meio de documentos relativos aos sujeitos da pesquisa, aos professores e às disciplinas. Fez-se a triangulação dos dados coletados nas múltiplas fontes e, na análise, utilizou-se a técnica de análise de conteúdo temática. A análise do papel social dos docentes apontou múltiplas condutas relacionadas à postura em sala de aula, ao relacionamento com os alunos e à cobrança das atividades; e a análise do papel social dos discentes indicou que a formação do papel é influenciada tanto pelo processo de socialização primária quanto pelo processo de socialização secundária. Como padrão de conduta, obteve-se a realização de todas as exigências de trabalhos e, na representação do papel de aluno, a atividade regular identificada por todos os sujeitos da pesquisa foi a leitura que, em geral, é seguida por atividades secundárias. Em termos de necessidades institucionais de conduta, a análise apontou que o relacionamento entre alunos é mantido por todos os entrevistados depois da disciplina e que o relacionamento aluno-professor é mantido por alguns e atrelado a objetivos específicos. No que tange ao corpo do conhecimento, constatou-se que, em apenas seis disciplinas investigadas, foram apresentados e discutidos os diferentes conceitos de Estratégia e que as demais trabalharam com conceitos específicos e direcionados às linhas dos autores mais prolíficos. Identificaram-se diversos conteúdos, ferramentas e referências que são empregados nas disciplinas, o que indica a existência de uma fragmentação do corpo do conhecimento. Na análise das escolhas pedagógicas, destacam-se dois pontos: a necessidade de contemplar o aprofundamento teórico e a realização de discussões e reflexões que estimulem o senso crítico e a importância da aproximação com a realidade organizacional, tanto dos entrevistados quanto ampliada a perspectivas futuras. No que tange às pesquisas desenvolvidas na área, poucas disciplinas investigadas exigiram a produção discente de artigos; e nove entrevistados desenvolveram suas dissertações na área, sendo que três estavam relacionadas aos projetos de pesquisa dos orientadores e cinco, às próprias áreas profissionais dos discentes ou às organizações em que esses discentes atuavam. A compreensão da perpetuação, especialização e geração de conhecimentos na área foi possibilitada por meio de questionamentos relativos a desenvolvimentos dos entrevistados, como atuação enquanto docente e pesquisas futuras. Como contribuição teórica, teve-se a adoção da Sociologia do Conhecimento, de Berger e Luckmann (2014), para a compreensão do desenvolvimento da área de Estratégia e, como contribuição empírica, o fornecimento de informações relacionadas às práticas em uso, aos pontos críticos e às sugestões para o ensino e a pesquisa em Estratégia.

Nonverbal communication such as body language is a vital component of our communication, and since scholars agree that there are some notable differences in the way men and women use body language, the study of gendered nonverbal communication as a social construction is vital to our understanding of how we create gendered identities. The aim of this paper is to investigate how social gender norms concerning body language appear in constructed communication. By studying the body language of the characters in the American sitcom Friends, and with focus on leg postures, I examine how the show Friends enacts and represents stereotyped sex differences in body language. The study encompasses both the distribution of leg positions between the genders, and what these postures seem to accomplish in interaction. As for the relationship between gender and leg postures, I observed the sitting positions of the characters Chandler, Ross, Joey, Monica and Rachel in six episodes from the 1999/2000 season of Friends for the first study. For the analysis of leg postures in relation to the communicative situation, the entire corpus of ten episode recordings was used. Based on repeated inspection of scenes where leg positions could be studied in relation to gender and communication, systematic patterns were identified. The results of the study are consistent with the findings of scholars like Vrugt and Luyerink (2000); women tend to sit in closed postures or with their legs crossed, which is regarded feminine, while men sit in wide positions with their legs spread, which is regarded masculine. Furthermore, the characters/actors in Friends seem to perform their gender roles partly by using different leg positions and wideness of postures. However, leg positions alone were not found to be decisive in the messages communicated, and emotions and stance were communicated using verbal and other non-verbal channels and cues. Instead, leg positions remained gender-stereotypical regardless of the message communicated, and men and women seem to communicate the same message using different leg positions. It is therefore concluded that leg positions are an inherent part of “doing gender”, but that leg positions as such are not necessarily related to the type of message or emotional stance that is communicated.

Avsikten med denna studie är att problematisera och ge en djupare förståelse för tre utbildade specialpedagogers tankar och reflektioner, beträffande hur makt, konstruktioner och diskurser kan komma till uttryck kring barn med autismspektrumtillstånd (AST) i förskolan. Forskningsområdet utgår från en förståelse som hävdar att det finns otillräckliga kunskaper om maktrelationer, sociala konstruktioner och diskurser som präglar dessa barn. Studiens forskningsfrågor berör hur barn med AST skildras och förstås, blir socialt konstruerade samt vilka förhållningssätt som kan finnas gentemot dem i förskolan. De teoretiska utgångspunkter som denna studie grundas på, är socialkonstruktionism, diskursteori och Michel Foucaults maktperspektiv. För att samla in och analysera data, tillämpades den kvalitativa forskningsintervjun och diskursanalys. Resultaten visar att barn med AST betraktas som socialt avvikande och att de på olika sätt blir föremål för korrigering.