<p>The Elon Research Seminar, <i>Critical Transitions: Writing and the Question of Transfer</i>, was a coalition of rhetoric and composition scholars’ attempt at codifying writing transfer knowledge for teaching and research purposes. Although the seminar was an important leap in transfer research, many ‘behind the scenes’ decisions of writing transfer, often those not involving the writing program, go unnoticed, yet play a pivotal role in how writing programs encourage and reproduce writing transfer in the classroom. This dissertation study, inspired by a pilot study conducted in Fall 2018 on writing across the curriculum programs and their role in writing transfer, illustrates how an institution’s context systems (e.g., macrosystem, mesosystem, microsystem, etc.) affect writing programs’ processes—i.e., curriculum components, assessment, and administrative structure and budget—and vice versa. Using Bronfenbrenner and Morris’ (2006) bioecological model, I show how writing programs and their context systems interact to reproduce writing transfer practices. Through ten interviews with writing program administrators at state comprehensive universities, I delineate specific actions that each writing program could take to encourage writing transfer. I develop a list of roles and responsibilities a university’s context systems play in advocating writing transfer practices. The results of the study show that research beyond the writing classroom and students is necessary to understand how writing transfer opportunities arise in university cultures of writing.</p>

BACKGROUND Children and youth with intellectual disabilities have a right to participation in life just like any other children. AIM This study aims to explore the most influential factor on the participation of a child with intellectual disability and to compare the level of participation between children with ID from South Africa and China. To this day there is still insufficient information on what can influence the participation of children with intellectually disability and how to improve their attendance in everyday activities. METHOD A cross-sectional study using secondary data was conducted. The data was collected through the ‘Picture my participation’ tool that explores the self-perceptions of children with ID in everyday activities. Study participants were 191 children and youth from South Africa and China, ages 6 to 21, who have intellectual disabilities. A multiple linear regression was conducted to find an answer to the research questions. Data of this study was retrieved from the CHILD group at Jönköping University. RESULTS The findings of this study show that children with intellectual disabilities have a lower participation rate in social and community activities than in home activities. It shows that children who live in South Africa have a higher participation mean than children in China. Within China children who live in an urban area show higher participation than the children living in the rural area CONCLUSION The level of participation of children and youth with intellectual disabilities is highly influenced by the social environmental factors in the child’s life. Cultural contexts include the country, socio-economic status, poverty, and ethnicity. A child and his environment are all part of a greater cultural context.

Although the number of black/white marriages has significantly increased since the 1970s, interracial marriage is far more common between whites and members of other minority groups, making black/white pairing still rare (Carolyn, Sitawa, & Murray, 2013). As Rockquemore and Brunsma (2001) argued, blacks and whites continue to be the two groups with the most spatial separation, the greatest social distance, and the strongest taboos against interracial marriage. In this qualitative study, common themes will be analyzed to contribute to literature regarding black/white interracial romantic relationships. The research question guiding this exploratory qualitative study will be to explore how black/white couples describe their experience and what these pairings reveal about black/white race relations presently. Grounding the research in the bioecological theory, this study allows for an intimate portrayal of the two races as they navigate interacting systems.

The overall aim of this research is to describe and analyse the educational pathways from preschool to school of a group of children with and without special educational needs. The aim is also to describe and analyse children’s views and experiences of early years education, and how these can be obtained. The research comprises six studies that are presented in four articles and two conference papers. Longitudinal and multiple-case study designs, and mixed method approaches are adopted in the empirical studies, and the data is collected via observations, a questionnaire, documents, conversations and interviews with staff, children’s drawings and interviews with children. The results from the empirical studies show a variation of pathways to compulsory education; changes in activities and relationships in the transitions; a variation in preschool quality; a broad conceptualising of special educational needs; an application of comprehensive or specialised typologies in the educational settings; an undecided and cautious attitude toward inclusive education; an allocation of generous resources to specialised and segregated programmes; and a diversity of support provisions. The children report more positive than negative experiences of their early school years and pinpoint the importance of having a sense of belonging among peers; opportunities for creative play and thinking; experiences of speed, excitement and physical challenges; elements of cosiness, withdrawals and comfort for recreation; experiences of growth in knowledge and understanding of the world; feeling safe; feeling free and autonomous; and preventing homesickness in order to thrive. The results of the literature review are that the researchers may obtain data from children with and without special educational needs by means of traditional and innovative data collection methods. For broadening participation and sharing of views, the researchers may offer relational and material support. The thesis has relevance for researchers in the field of special education, inclusive education and early childhood education and care. It has also relevance for teacher training, policy makers and stakeholders, school heads, teachers and families. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 6: Submitted.</p>

This study was the foundation for an evaluation of an employment project in Sweden. The project offers occupations in carpentry as well as kitchen work for people with psychiatric disorders, substance abuse and other social difficulties. This studies purpose was to analyze the projects significance to its participants and also to distinguish weather the project influences the participant’s life in a professional or private way. The methodological tool was five qualitative interviews with the participants and three qualitative interviews with the employees. The theoretical framework was Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development.  Results of the study showed that the employment project has had a notable value for its participants, in a professional as well as in a private way. By using the bioecological model of human development, we have also gained an understanding of how the project creates new roles for the participants. We found that interpersonal relationships emerged throughout the project. These relationships, which had a positive influence on the participants, were established between the participants and the employees as well as among the members themselves. In conclusion, the support given by the employees has had a deep impact on the participants’ developmental processes.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:37:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Danielly Bart do Nascimento.pdf: 1087921 bytes, checksum: b861e5660ca87dc55ce0ed9c57257216 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-06-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Esta pesquisa possui como objetivo avaliar o Serviço de Proteção e Atendimento Especializado a Famílias e Indivíduos (PAEFI) enquanto participante da rede de apoio social e afetiva de crianças por ele acompanhadas. A avaliação é feita a partir da percepção de ambas, profissionais e crianças atendidas. O intuito é disponibilizar dados que ajudem a fomentar as políticas públicas e as práticas dos profissionais de Serviços voltados para este público. Participaram da pesquisa duas crianças, um menino e uma menina, com idades de 10 e 11 anos respectivamente, os seus responsáveis (os pais e as mães), uma Psicóloga e uma Assistente Social do PAEFI que os acompanharam. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas, análise de prontuários, aplicação do Mapa dos Cinco Campos e observações que foram registradas em um diário de campo. As observações foram facilitadas pelo método de Inserção Ecológica e a Teoria Bioecológica do Desenvolvimento Humano foi utilizada na discussão dos dados. Como principais resultados, encontramos o Serviço como parte da rede de apoio social e afetiva na percepção da menina, enquanto o menino não o percebeu da mesma maneira. A distinção entre os resultados dependeu de como as crianças perceberam e lidaram com o ambiente e as relações estabelecidas entre as pessoas. Além disso, fatores relacionados à estrutura do Serviço têm dificultado sua atuação. Dessa forma, o estudo indicou a necessidade de mais investimentos em sua infraestrutura, desde o ambiente físico à formação dos profissionais que nele trabalham / The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Service for Protection and Specialized Assistance to families and individuals (PAEFI) Program as part of the social and affective support network, from the viewpoint of both the assisted children and the professionals who assist them. It is hoped that the research can provide data which may foster public policies as well as the practices of those involved in programs which deal with this type of audience. Two children (a boy and a girl of ten and eleven years old respectively), their parents, the social assistant and the psychologist who assisted them in the PAEFI participated in the research. Data were collected by means of interviews, analysis of records, application of the Five Field Map, observations and field diaries. The observations were facilitated by the Ecological Insertion method whereas the Bioecological Model for human development was applied for the discussion of results. Results indicated that the program was perceived by the girl as part of the social and emotional support network, but not by the boy. This difference may be due to the way children perceived and dealt with the environment, and to the type of relationship established. It was also evidenced that factors related to the structure of the program have hampered its performance. Therefore, the study indicated the need for more investments in the PAEFI s infrastructure from the physical environment to the training of those professionals who are part of it

No description available.

Mental health is a major child public health issue in Sweden. The overall aims of this thesis are to explore girls’ and boys’ perspectives on mental health and on mental health-promoting initiatives, and to deepen the knowledge of disclosure and support for ado-lescents at risk of abuse and neglect. Four studies are included in the thesis, and a qualitative descriptive design was chosen. In three of the studies (Studies I, II, and III), adolescents in Sweden were interviewed individually or in focus-groups. In the fourth study (IV) officials and politicians in nine municipalities in Sweden were interviewed, and documents were analysed in a multiple-case-study design. In study I the adolescents were asked about the mental health-promoting dialogue with the school nurse. The results reveal that what the adolescents found important were trustiness, attentiveness, respectfulness, authenticity, accessibility, and continuity. The adolescents also had certain views on what issues to talk about in the health dialogue; physical and psychological issues should be included. In Study II, the adolescents perceived “mental health” to be an emotional experience with positive and negative aspects of internal and relational feelings. Family, friends, and school were regarded as important determinants of mental health by the adolescents. Neither girls nor boys thought that there were any major differences in mental health between girls and boys, but did think they were subject to different expectations. In Study III the results show that adolescents with families with alcohol problems are unsure whether to disclose their home situation to an adult; the adolescents seem to make a risk assessment when looking for trustworthy adults. It is a disclosure process. Friends are confidants and supportive, and sometimes facilitators for contacting adults, when support from adults is needed. Study IV show that even small grants to municipalities for children-at-risk projects lead to more activities for these children and adolescents. But children or adolescents were not involved in the planning or decision-making of the activities. The studies in this thesis show that most important thing for adolescents’ mental health is the relation between adolescents and adults, foremost parents, and between adolescents and friends. In addition, gender and age, adolescents’ perspec¬tives and par-ticipation, and society’s support, including the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, have an impact on adolescents’ mental health, both for ado-lescents in general and for adolescents at risk of abuse and neglect. The results are viewed in relation to the bioecological model, to illustrate how all levels in society influence mental health among adolescents, on an individual and a population plane. The findings have implications for adults: to learn more about adolescents and puberty, and about the home situation for children and adolescents at risk of abuse and neglect; to listen to suggestions from children and adolescents; to include friends in support to adolescents at risk of abuse and neglect; and to include girls and boys in all matters concerning them.

Purpose: Neurodevelopmental difficulties are correlated with lower mental well-being and more mental health problems. Issues in social relations such as bullying are a prominent risk factor in a social setting of high school, have also been associated with the status of disability. This thesis investigated the relation between mental health problems, mental well-being, and bullying in adolescents with self-reported neurodevelopmental difficulties and compared these with adolescents with Other disabilities. Materials and methods: Data from a Swedish longitudinal survey study (LoRDIA) was used. Mental health problems were measured through emotional and conduct problems scales of SDQ, mental well-being was measured with MHC-SF, and a bullying questionnaire was used. Results: Adolescents with NDD experience more bullying victimization and perpetration than adolescents with Other disabilities such as physical disability and autoimmune diseases. Significant association to bullying perpetration was found in NDD adolescents. Adolescents with Other disabilities indicated high mental well-being compared to NDD. While gender predicts high mental well-being, disability and emotional problems have a negative relation with it. Conclusion: Adolescents with NDD report more bullying victimization and perpetration experiences in comparison to adolescents with Other disabilities. Emotional problems have an inverse relation for predicting high mental well-being for adolescents with NDD and Other disabilities.

No description available.