This study explored the experiences of members of an OCD support group, utilising a qualitative design, social constructionist approach, and a systemic framework. Participants were obtained through purposive sampling; data was collected via faceto- face semi-structured interviews with four participants. It emerged that these participants attended two OCD support groups (initial support group and sub-support group). The participants’ experiences were analysed using thematic analysis. Major findings: the participants’ motivation to attend both support groups was to reduce their OCD symptoms and improve functioning. The initial support group was a professional-led psychoeducational support group while the sub-support group was a self-help psychotherapeutic group. The groups also complemented each other with information from the initial support group being implemented in the sub-support group. The participants reported to have benefitted from participation in both support groups as their OCD symptoms reduced and their daily functioning improved. Recommendations for future research were discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Föreliggande arbete inriktar sig på att utifrån ett genusperspektiv undersöka hur sånglärares elevbemötande påverkas av elevens biologiska kön. Med hjälp av videoobservationer av lärarnas sångundervisning i kombination med semistrukturerade intervjuer med de observerade lärarna har olika teman framkommit i analysarbetet av lärarnas elevbemötande och uttalade uppfattningar kring kön och genus. Resultatet visar att den mest markanta skillnaden i lärarnas bemötande är hur mycket lärarna skrattar eller skämtar med eleverna. Lärarnas förhållningssätt till sångarens roll presenteras samt hur det påverkar lärarnas lektionsupplägg. Vidare behandlar resultatet hur det sociala samspelet mellan lärare och elev fungerar, hur uppmuntran och beröm ges samt hur lärarnas uppfattningar kring känslomässiga skillnader mellan pojkar och flickor tycks påverka sångundervisningen och lärarnas elevbemötande. I diskussionen behandlas bland annat hur genusordningen styrks genom såväl lärarnas elevbemötande som elevernas bemötande av lärarna samt hur normer och förväntningar färgar deras sociala interaktioner. / The purpose of the study is to, from a gender perspective, investigate how vocal teachers treatment of the student is affected by the student’s biological sex. With the help of video observations of the teachers vocal tutoring in combination with semi-structured interviews certain themes have emerged from the analysis of the teachers treatment of the students and stated views on sex and gender. The result shows that the most significant difference in the teacher’s attitude towards the students is the amount of teachers joke and laughter. The teachers approach towards the singers function is presented along with how that seems to affect the teachers approach towards vocal tutoring. The result also display how the social interaction appears between the teacher and students, how encouragement and praise is given and how the teachers perceptions on emotional distinctions between boys and girls are effecting the vocal tutoring and the teachers treatment of the students. In the chapter on discussion I present, among other things, how both teachers and students due to their attitude towards each other confirm the gender order and lastly how social structures and expectations affects their social interactions.

Syftet med denna studie har varit att erhålla en djupare kunskap om ungdomars användning av cannabis. För att göra detta utgår denna studie från en kvalitativ intervjumetod där vi har intervjuat fyra socialarbetare samt en polisman. Samtliga informanter har erfarenhet av arbete med ungdomar som brukat cannabis. För att analysera resultaten som uppkommit under intervjuer har vi valt att använda oss av de teoretiska perspektiven social konstruktionism samt utvecklingspsykopatologi. Vidare har vi i studien använt risk och skyddsfaktorer för att analysera vilka faktorer som kan påverka att en ungdom använder sig av cannabis. Resultaten pekar på att bakomliggande faktorer vid bruket är psykisk ohälsa, neuropsykiatrisk diagnos såsom ADHD eller ADD och en problematisk hemmiljö. I resultatet diskuteras vidare om riskfaktorer såsom en bristande skolgång samt huruvida könet har någon betydelse eller skillnad bland de som använder sig av cannabis som berusningsmedel. Ett av de viktigaste resultaten som framkommer är att psykisk ohälsa är den vanligaste gemensamma riskfaktorn hos de ungdomar som använder sig av cannabis och som blir aktuella på socialtjänsten. Nyckelord: cannabis, socialarbetare, social kontruktionism, socialtjänst, ungdomar / The aim of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of young people's use of cannabis. To do that is this study made out of a qualitative interview method where we have interviewed four social workers and one policeman. All informants have experience of working with young people who used cannabis. To analyse the findings raised during the interviews, we have chosen to use the theoretical perspectives of social constructionism and the development of psychopathology. Furthermore, we have in the study used the risk and protective factors to analyse the factors that can influence a young person use of cannabis. The result indicates that the factors behind the use of cannabis are mental illness, neuropsychiatric diagnosis as ADHD or ADD and a problematic home. This result further discussion of risk factors such as a lack of schooling and whether sex has any significance or difference among those who use cannabis as an intoxicant. One of the main results that emerge is that mental illness is the most common risk factor for young people who use cannabis, and who is current to the social services. Keywords: cannabis, social constructionism, social service, social worker, young people

Disertacijoje analizuojama psichikos sutrikimų kaip socialinių konstruktų samprata ir žiniasklaidos vaidmuo tokių konstruktų kūrimo procese. Pagrindinis darbo tikslas: išanalizuoti Lietuvos dienraščių bei interneto naujienų tinklalapių konstruojamus sutrikusios psichikos asmenų vaizdinius bei šių vaizdinių atspindžius visuomenės nuomonėje. Disertaciją sudaro įvadas, keturios pagrindinės dalys, darbo išvados, literatūros sąrašas ir priedai. Pirmojoje darbo dalyje pristatomos teorinės metodologinės disertacijos prielaidos: P. L. Bergerio ir T. Lukmano socialinio konstrukcionizmo teorijos pagrindinės teorinės įžvalgos ir jų taikymas analizuojant psichikos sutrikimų fenomeną. Antrojoje darbo dalyje analizuojama žiniasklaidos reikšmė ir poveikis konstruojant socialinio pasaulio fenomenų vaizdinius. Trečiojoje dalyje išsamiai pristatoma tyrimo metodika. Ketvirtojoje darbo dalyje pateikiama empirinio tyrimo duomenų analizė ir interpretacijos. Darbo pabaigoje formuluojamos darbo išvados. Siekiant pagrindinio darbo tikslo, trijų etapų empirinio tyrimo metu derinant kokybinius ir kiekybinius metodus buvo atlikta žiniasklaidos publikacijų analizė naudojant diskurso analizės ir turinio analizės metodus, anketavimo būdu atlikta reprezentatyvi visuomenės nuomonės apklausa, naudojant fokus grupės metodą atskleista sutrikusios psichikos asmenų nuomonė. Darbe konstatuojama, jog Lietuvos žiniasklaida sutrikusios psichikos asmenis vaizduoja remdamasi stereotipais, vyraujančiu medicininiu šio... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The object of this work is the concepts of mental disorders as a social constructs and the role of the mass media in the process of their construction. The main aim of the dissertation is to analyze the representations of people with mental disorders in the Lithuanian newspapers and news websites and to examine manifestations of these depictions in the public opinion. The dissertation consists of an introduction, four main parts, conclusions and the list of references. In the first part of the dissertation the theoretical methodological presumptions of P. L. Berger’s and T. Luckmann’s theory of social constructionism are presented and the phenomenon of the social construction of mental disorders is analyzed using this theoretical framework. In the second part the influence and importance of the mass media in the process of constructing representations of social phenomena, including mental disorders is presented. The methods of the empirical research are presented in the third part of the work. Analysis and interpretations of the empirical research data are presented in the fourth part of the dissertation. At the end of the work conclusions are stated. The main aim of the dissertation was reached by conducting a three staged empirical research combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. The research methods were: the analysis of the mass media publications using methods of Discourse analysis and Content analysis; the investigation of public opinion by... [to full text]

This essay looks to examine how eight religious women within Sunni Islam and Conservative Judaism in Sweden perceive their place in the religious community. The essay in itself rests on the theories of social constructionism and intersectionality, along with a qualitative interview study conducted with the eight different women. The results show that the women have very different opinion in regards to their thoughts about their place in the religious community depending on a variety of pre-consisting social factors which includes (but are not limited by) religious background, ethnicity and culture. Some women feel satisfied with their place in the religious community and in society while others call for a change to be made both in the religious community they belong to and in the society they live in.

This is a qualitative study that explores the thoughts and experiences of honour culture of young men who have previously been living in a residential care home for unaccompanied children. The data was collected through four semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The social constructionist theory was used together with previous research in order to analyse the results. The results of this study show that the informants highly associate honour culture with women, and therefore feel burdened with the fact that they are expected to guard females both in and outside their own families. Results also show that males are subjected to honour based oppression in different forms. Furthermore, it was found that honour culture is connected to shame and a fear of being ostracized from the family or the community.

The aim of this study is to explore discourses that emerge in texts in pre-school quality reports from 2011-2015 and how pre-school practitioners talk about quality in pre-school. Because of the complexity of the concept of "quality" the study is limited to focus on and explore discourses about quality in preschool that emerge in texts where preschools make a comprehensive analysis and assessment of their educational activity and quality. Five texts from different pre-schools and three transcribed interviews/conversations with pre-schoolteachers (one of these teachers has previous experience of being a preschool director) and one preschool director/teacher are analyzed. Three of the texts originate from communal pre-school units in a larger city in Sweden and the other two are from smaller community pre-schools throughout the country. The texts and the statements in the interviews are analyzed from a social constructional perspective and with discourse analytical tools inspired by Norman Fairclough (2010). Two different dimensions are analysed; the texts and the discursive practice but mainly the focus is on the analysis of the texts. The result of the analysis of the texts and the statements from the interviews, shows two emerging discourses of quality; “measurability” and “meaning making”. These two perspectives about quality in pre-school stand side by side in the texts and dialogs which results in a “field of tension” between the discourses. The first discourse, measurability, can be related to a political agenda of management, financial interests and controllability where pre-school quality is connected to accomplishments and results. In this perspective, knowledge and learning connect to an idea that all children develop and learn in a predetermined and predictable manner and therefore becomes measurable. The second discourse, meaning making, has its roots in a social constructional perspective were learning and knowledge are socially constructed by language when people interact, and therefore knowledge and understanding are undergoing constant transformations by reflection and negotiation.

Magister Artium - MA / This research is a discourse analysis of a Christian ‗coloured‘ youth group, from the area of Mitchell‘s Plain, Cape Town. The aim of the analysis is to explore the ways in which the interlocutors construct their identities and gender positions and how they are able to affirm, challenge and perpetuate dominant discourses. The role of this context, namely the social and religious context is pivotal to shaping this interaction.The analysis of the data uses the Appraisal framework particularly the attitudinal and engagement systems to analyse how the interlocutors strategically communicate their attitudes,evaluations, feelings and judgements. Ultimately, this research shows how the males and females use language to negotiate identities and socially position themselves.In addition, the research indicates that the male interlocutors in most instances exert a strong influence on the discussions, which result in females showing tendencies to allow for the male ideologies to dictate, thus perpetuating the dominant ideologies about male and female behaviour.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Heroin usage is on the increase in the Western Cape province of South Africa owing to globalization and to increased access to the drug in this province. The goal of this study is to explore the experiences of coloured heroin users in the Metro South area of , which stretches from Simons Town and Muizenberg to Retreat, Lavender Hill, Grassy Park, Parkwood and Wynberg. These individuals have been found to congregate in the Wynberg CBD. The overarching theoretical framework for the purpose of this research is social constructionism and symbolic interactionism, using a qualitative means of inquiry. Snowball sampling was used to recruit prospective participants and data was collected by means of in-depth interviews, with a semi structures interviewing schedule. The questions informed the subsequent themes and categories that arise from the data collection process. Snowball sampling was employed in this case, a non-probability sample, in which participants were recruited via key informants. The sample distribution included 13 participants, 10 of which were heroin users (5 female, 5 male) and the remaining 3 were key informants which contributed to triangulation of the data. In terms of the findings, participants spoke of mostly being involved in intimate relationships, which according to participants had dual benefits. For female participants intimate relationships offered a form of protection on the often dangerous streets of Wynberg and for certain males, intimate relationships offered an opportunity to fund their habit, by trading their female partners to perform sexual favors for money to acquire heroin. While the study found females were mainly involved in trading sexual favors for money, heterosexual males were also implicated in having sexual relations with homosexual men for money. Furthermore, the study found that heroin users in Wynberg represented a surrogate family, where, because of their lifestyle, they were disconnected from their own family. This family surrogate was found to be supportive, caring to a large extent, shared a living space, protective of each other and shared a common language and understanding.

A preocupação com a participação da família no tratamento em Saúde Mental no Brasil tem se produzido historicamente a partir do movimento de reforma psiquiátrica, que busca transformar a lógica de produção de cuidado em saúde. Desde então, observa-se certa tensão neste campo, com a presença de diferentes discursos sobre a família, sua participação, envolvimento e responsabilidade com relação ao adoecimento mental e seu cuidado. O objetivo do presente estudo é compreender como familiares atendidos em um programa de assistência à família, no contexto de uma instituição de Saúde Mental, constroem sentidos sobre sua participação no tratamento. Para tanto, foram realizadas entrevistas individuais, semiestruturadas, com dez familiares de pacientes de um serviço público de semi-internação psiquiátrica localizado em uma cidade de médio porte no estado de São Paulo. Estas entrevistas tiveram como tema central a participação destes familiares no programa de assistência à família da instituição, considerando seus entendimentos sobre família, doença mental e tratamento. As entrevistas foram audiogravadas e transcritas integralmente, sendo submetidas a procedimentos qualitativos de análise, com base nas contribuições do movimento construcionista social em ciência. Em primeiro lugar, realizamos uma análise temática, organizada em três recortes temporais: 1) Famílias em sofrimento, que versa sobre a vida dos familiares antes do HD, tendo como temas o surgimento da doença e suas consequências na vida familiar, e as passagens por serviços de saúde; 2) Famílias em tratamento, que contempla cinco formas de participação dos familiares no HD: o cuidado à família, o aprendizado sobre a doença mental, a transformação das relações familiares, o cuidado com o familiar em semi-internação e o cuidado mútuo entre as famílias; 3) Famílias em desenvolvimento, relacionando os assuntos acerca da vida atual, considerando a melhora do paciente, os desafios da vida pós-alta e as perspectivas imaginadas por estes familiares. A seguir, analisamos o processo comunicacional de uma das entrevistas, ilustrando como toda descrição da participação do familiar era construída como produto da interação de pesquisa. Percebemos como determinadas posturas do entrevistador convidavam a um processo de participação do familiar similar àquele que se pretendia investigar. Concluímos que a participação destes familiares no tratamento se constrói como possibilidade não apenas mediante o convite para participação, mas através do efetivo e cotidiano investimento na qualidade das relações entre os atores envolvidos no processo (pacientes, familiares e profissionais de saúde), em um contínuo processo, construído momento-a-momento no cotidiano das práticas de saúde. Esta compreensão chama atenção para a micropolítica da produção de cuidado e para a necessidade de uma atenção aos processos comunicativos e relacionais envolvidos na participação da família no cotidiano da instituição. Concluímos apontando o desafio de inventar, no cotidiano das práticas, formas de fazer este cuidado acontecer. Para este fim, destacamos a importância de deslocar o entendimento de tratamento da família para cuidado da família. A transformação deste entendimento considera os efeitos negativos que discursos de culpabilização e adoecimento da família geram na sociedade, buscando transformá-los em direção a discursos atrelados a práticas que de fato apoiem e ajudem famílias em sofrimento. (FAPESP) / Concerns with the participation of family in mental health treatments in Brazil have historically aroused from the movement of psychiatric reform, which aims at changing the logic that underlies the production of healthcare. Ever since then, it has been possible to observe tensions in this field, characterized by the presence of different discourses regarding family, their participation, involvement and responsibility in relation to mental health and to its needed care. This study aims to understand how relatives of mental health patients make meanings about their own participation in treatment. We conducted individual, semi structured interviews with ten of those relatives who were seen in a mental health day service in a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The participation of these family members in treatment was the central theme of these interviews, which focused especially on their understandings about family, mental health and treatment. The interviews were recorded in audio, fully transcribed and later analyzed through qualitative procedures, based on the contributions of the social constructionist movement in science. First, we conducted a thematic analysis, which was organized in three time-based categories: 1) Families in pain, that refers to the lives of the family members before their participation in treatment, and that has as themes the arising of the illness, its consequences to family life, and the families seek for help in health services; 2) Families in treatment, which contemplates five forms of participation in the program for family assistance, namely the care for families, the learning about the mental illness, the transformation of family relationships, the care for the family member who is being treated, and the mutual care between different families; 3) Families in development, under which are the themes regarding the interviewees current lives, considering the improvement of the patients situation, the challenges family members have faced since they left the service, and their imagined perspectives for life. Next, we analyzed the communicational process in one of the interviews that illustrated how every description of the participation of the family member in treatment was constructed as an interactional product during the research process. We realized how certain stances of the researcher invited a process of participation by the family member very similar to that which we wanted to investigate. We concluded that the participation of these family members in treatment is constructed as a possibility not only through inviting them to participate, but through an effective and daily investment in the quality of the relationships between different social actors involved in the process (patients, family members, healthcare practitioners). We characterized this as an ongoing process, constructed at every moment during everyday health practices. This understanding calls attention to the micro politics of production of healthcare, and to the necessity of an attention to communicational and relational processes involved in the participation of family in the quotidian of the institution. We concluded by pointing to the challenge of creating, in daily practices, ways of making this care happen. For that, we highlighted the importance of moving away from an understanding of a family being treated to one that considers a family who needs care. The transformation of this understanding considers the negative effects that discourses blaming families for the disease create in society. We hope to contribute to changes in these discourses towards others that, intertwined to practices, may actually be supportive and helpful to families who suffer. (The São Paulo Research Foundation).