L’objectif était de développer un questionnaire (IDEA) afin de capter les attitudes envers les rêves et d’évaluer leurs relations avec des variables externes ainsi que le rôle qu’elles représentent dans la vie des gens. 725 participants ont complété l’IDEA et parmi ceux-ci 357 ont aussi complété des questionnaires concernant le rêve, la personnalité et le bien-être ainsi qu’un journal de rêve. Dans le premier article, une analyse factorielle de l’IDEA a dégagé 7 dimensions d’intérêt. Les individus ont été classifiés selon trois profils distincts de rêveur montrant des relations différentielles aux mesures de personnalité et de bien-être. Dans le second article, les résultats ont montré que les individus qui rapportent beaucoup de rêves, une détresse psychologique, des frontières fluides ou une capacité d’absorption croient que leurs rêves possèdent un sens. L’IDEA est un instrument utile pour la recherche et montrent que les croyances oniriques ont un rôle psychologique important. / Our goals were to develop a questionnaire (the IDEA) to assess dream-related beliefs, to investigate the relations between these beliefs and waking-state variables as well as the roles they may play in peoples’ lives. In the first article, 725 participants completed the IDEA and 357 participants also completed a dream log and questionnaires on dreams, personality, and well-being. A factor analysis of the IDEA revealed 7 dimensions. Using these dimensions, individuals were classified into three distinct profiles which showed differential relations to measures of personality and well-being. In the second article, people with high dream recall, psychological distress, thin boundaries and an elevated capacity for absorption, were found to be the most likely to believe that their dream experiences are meaningful. The findings indicate that the IDEA is a useful instrument for researchers and those dream-related beliefs can play important psychological roles in people’s lives. / L'accord des co-auteurs est inclus dans le mémoire

S’appuyant sur la sociologie des relations ethniques et de l’interactionnisme symbolique, ce mémoire vise à analyser la manière dont des femmes de culture musulmane engagées dans l’espace public québécois interagissent avec les stéréotypes par lesquels elles sont caractérisées dans la société, mais auxquels elles disent ne pas correspondre. Partant du postulat qu’il existe un discours dominant ethnicisant qui dépeint les femmes musulmanes comme des êtres « soumis » et « vulnérables », ces femmes engagées se voient assigner une identité dépréciative qu’elles ne partagent pas. Elles perçoivent donc un écart entre leur identité « réelle » qu’elles voudraient se voir reconnaître par autrui et l’identité « attribuée par autrui ». À partir d’entretiens semi-directifs, ce mémoire propose une typologie des femmes de culture musulmane engagées dans l’espace public québécois. Cette typologie permet d’analyser la manière dont celles-ci perçoivent le discours dominant et les réactions qu’il suscite chez elles. Les résultats de cette analyse suggèrent notamment que ces femmes engagées élaborent des stratégies identitaires afin de voir confirmer et renforcer l’identité qu’elles voudraient se voir reconnaître par la société majoritaire. La mise en place de ces stratégies révèle la porosité des frontières ethniques puisque certaines d’entre elles vont adopter des stratégies orientées vers la « similarisation » au majoritaire, alors que d’autres vont chercher à s’en différencier. / Based on the sociology of ethnic relations and symbolic interactionism, this master thesis aims at analyzing how women of Muslim culture involved in the Quebec public sphere interact with the stereotypes by which they are characterized in society but to which they do not associate themselves. Starting from the premise that there is a dominant ethnicizing discourse depicting Muslim women as being « submissive » and « vulnerable », these women are assigned a depreciative identity they do not share. They perceive a discrepancy between their own identity, which is the one they want to be perceived as, and their assigned identity.Starting from semi-structured interviews, this master thesis proposes a typology of women of Muslim culture involved in the public sphere. This typology is use to analyze how they perceive the dominant discourse and the reactions it evokes in them. The results suggest that these involved women develop identity strategies to confirm and reinforce the identity they wish to be recognized by the majority society. These strategies revealed the porosity of ethnic boundaries, since some of them will adopt strategies oriented to « similarisation » with majority while others will seek to differentiate themselves.

Care of the elderly is frequently debated in the Swedish media. Pensioners, who are often ill and lonely, need help with social care, such as cleaning and cooking, and health care, such as taking medicine and treatment of injuries and wounds. They are aided by home helpers from the home helper unit and assistant nurses and nurses from the health centre. How does control operate in this intimate and private situation, and what influences the home helpers? What is the relation between control and the delivery of care to the pensioners? These are the questions explored in this dissertation, based on an empirical study of domestic elderly care in a large city in Sweden. The thesis explores the conflict between the productification of care, manifested in administrative controls, and the needs and desires of the pensioners in specific care giving situations, manifested in self controls. It is seen that even during periods of high financial pressure, the home helpers are influenced by the pensioners. The home helpers are flexible and do extra things not included in the pre-specified social care contract for some pensioners. Flexibility is shown to be important for the pensioners, but the increased financial pressure makes it harder and harder for the home helpers to be flexible. It is therefore suggested in the thesis for social care service purchasers to put in some unspecified time in the social care decisions and not just pre-specified operational activities. In this way some flexibility will be built into the administrative system. The importance of cooperation between the health centre and the home helper unit is also stressed in the thesis. There is a need to issue administrative controls for cooperation. A joint task group, with members from the health centres and the home helper units, meetings between the home helpers and the nurses and specified guidelines for cooperation tasks can act as controls which would sustain significant and positive effects on the cooperation. Finally, a problematic underlying financial process for the home helper units is identified. The home helper units are not often compensated for yearly salary increases. The problems of the moment receive significantly more attention, but this thesis points to the need for discussing the ongoing, underlying and problematic financial process in the elderly care. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2007</p>

In this dissertation we study free boundary problems that model the evolution of interfaces in the presence of elasticity, such as thin film profiles and material void boundaries. These problems are characterized by the competition between the elastic bulk energy and the anisotropic surface energy. First, we consider the evolution equation with curvature regularization that models the motion of a two-dimensional thin film by evaporation-condensation on a rigid substrate. The film is strained due to the mismatch between the crystalline lattices of the two materials and anisotropy is taken into account. We present the results contained in [62] where the author establishes short time existence, uniqueness and regularity of the solution using De Giorgi’s minimizing movements to exploit the L2 -gradient flow structure of the equation. This seems to be the first analytical result for the evaporation-condensation case in the presence of elasticity. Second, we consider the relaxed energy introduced in [20] that depends on admissible pairs (E, u) of sets E and functions u defined only outside of E. For dimension three this energy appears in the study of the material voids in solids, where the pairs (E, u) are interpreted as the admissible configurations that consist of void regions E in the space and of displacements u of the atoms of the crystal. We provide the precise mathematical framework that guarantees the existence of minimal energy pairs (E, u). Then, we establish that for every minimal configuration (E, u), the function u is C 1,γ loc -regular outside an essentially closed subset of E. No hypothesis of starshapedness is assumed on the voids and all the results that are contained in [18] hold true for every dimension d ≥ 2.

Nors sportininkių skaičius nuolat auga, sportas vis dar yra suvokiamas kaip vyrams aktuali veikla, todėl natūralu, kad moterys, norėdamos sulaukti pripažinimo ir populiarumo, susiduria su eile apribojimų. Šio darbo tikslas yra išsiaiškinti, ar egzistuoja lyčių nelygybė sporte ir pastarosios įtaką kolektyvinio tapatumo formavimuisi komandinėje sporto šakoje, kaip būdui, siekiant sugriauti lytiškumu (sexism) paremtas struktūras. Teorinėje darbo dalyje remiantis socialinio pripažinimo, lyties kaip struktūros, galios sampratomis bei sportininkių/ sportininkų vaizdavimo ypatumais žiniasklaidoje parodoma, kad sportas dar tebėra vyrų dominavimo sritis. Aptariama teisinė bazė (Tarptautinių „Moterų ir sporto“ konferencijų principai, Title IX (JAV)), reglamentuojanti moterų teises sporte. Apžvelgiamos A.Melucci, V.Taylor ir N.Whittier kolektyvinio tapatumo sampratos leidžia suvokti, kaip grupė apibrėžia, kas ji yra, kaip konstruoja grupės sąmonę, bei kaip mobilizuojasi kovai prieš nusistovėjusį lyčių status quo. Tuo pačiu, pristatomas kolektyvinio tapatumo ryšys su lauko, socialinio pripažinimo sampratomis. Aptariamos sąlygos, sukeliančios kolektyvinio veiksmo atsiradimą. Pristatomas C.F. Pelak atliktas lyčių nelygybės ledo ritulyje tyrimas. Empirinės darbo dalies pagrindą sudaro atvejo – VU merginų krepšinio komanda – analizė, kurioje siekiama pažiūrėti, ar moteriškos lyties atstovės susiduria su lyčių nelygybė sporte ir kokia forma ji reiškiasi. Tuo pačiu, C.F.Pelak merginų ledo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Although the number of sportswomen grows, however the sport is conceptualized as exclusively male domain. For this reason, women, who want to be sport leaders have to confront with a lot of boundaries. The aim of this work is to find out whether gender inequality exists in sport and if it does, to show the role that collective identity plays in contesting sexism structures in team sports. According to conceptions of social recognition, gender as a social structure, power and presentation of sportsmen/sportswomen in media, the theoretical part of this work reveals that the sport is not just the male domain. In this part is described the legal basis (the principles of international “Women and sports” conferences Title IX (USA)) that regulates women‘s rights in sports. A.Melucci, V.Taylor and N.Whittier collective identity concepts allow us to examine the processe of how groups define who they are, contruct the group consciousness and mobilize against perceived injustices. Here are also discussed the circumstances that cause the rise of collective action. The research of gender differences in ice hockey by C.F. Pelak is presented. The empirical base of this work is a case study – VU women‘s basketball team – analysis, which helps to find out whether female confront gender inequality in sports and if they do, how it shows. The same indicators were adapted in making the interviews with the VU basketball players as in C.F.Pelak female ice hockey players research, in order to... [to full text]

This study investigates the representation of narrative space in the novel and the film of The Return of the King. As the two representations belong to two different mediums, the theories on narrative space in the novel and in the film are examined in order to distinguish between their modes of representation of space. In essence, the theory utilised for the spatial analysis focuses on the content, function and symbolic meaning within spaces, as created by the description of objects, the repetition and accumulation of spatial information, as well as the movement of characters within spaces and the interaction between characters and different spaces. This spatial interaction relates to the events, representations of time and the role of the narrator within the different dimensions of narrated space, that is, concrete and abstract space. The three most significant spaces within the novel and the film, namely Minas Tirith, Mount Doom and Hobbiton form the basis of the analysis, which focuses on the narrative spaces as they are represented. From this study, it becomes clear that there are different levels of meaning embodied within a space: the physical and geographical space, the social space of interaction and the abstract, symbolic space. The significant spaces and their meanings in the novel have been subjected to filmic transformation. Essentially, the spaces in both the novel and the film display the fact that space ultimately influences those events and people who interact with it and vice versa. These spaces thus embody specific meanings, which contribute towards the undertaken journey represented in Tolkien's fantastical, imaginative world. / MA (English), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This dissertation examines three novels by the author and critic A.S. Byatt, namely Possession (1990), Babel Tower (1996) and The Biographer’s Tale (2000), using a hermeneutic method of analysis. The investigation pays specific attention to the structure of the novels and how this compares to the structure of the ancient palimpsest. Theoretical information on the palimpsest as model is based on relevant writings by Thomas Carlyle (1830, 1833), Thomas De Quincey (1845) through to Josephine McDonagh (1987), Gérard Genette (1997) and Sarah Dillon (2007). The ensuing argument is that Byatt’s use of postmodernist pseudo-intertextuality and intertextuality cause her novels to have a palimpsestic structure of various layers, with the effect that textual boundaries are transgressed. Ultimately Byatt’s writing strategies result in ontological uncertainty for the reader. / MA (English), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014.

Emerging energy storage applications are driving the demand for Li-ion battery positive electrode materials with higher energy densities and lower costs. The recent production of complete pseudo-ternary phase diagrams of the Li-Mn-Ni-O system generated using combinatorial methods has provided a greater understanding of the impact of initial composition, synthesis temperature, and cooling rate on the phases that form in the final materials. This thesis focuses on the synthesis and characterization of gram-scale positive electrode materials in the Li-Mn-Ni-O system. Structural analysis of these samples has resulted in the production of partial pseudo-ternary phase diagrams focusing on the positive electrode materials region of the Li-Mn-Ni-O system at 800°C and 900°C in air for both quenched and slow cooled compositions. These bulk-scale diagrams support the observations of the combinatorial diagrams, and show similar layered and cubic structures contained within several single- and multi-phase regions. The phases that form at each composition are shown to be dependent on both the reaction temperature and cooling rate used during synthesis. The electrochemical characterization of two composition series near Li2MnO3, one quenched and one slow cooled, is presented. The quenched compositions exhibited reversible cycling at 4.4 V, voltage plateaus and small increases in capacity above 4.6 V, and large first cycle irreversible capacity losses at 4.8 V. In the slow cooled series, all but one composition exhibited initial capacities below 100 mAh/g which began to continually increase with cycling, with several compositions exhibiting capacity increases of 300% over 150 cycles at 4.9 V. In both series, analysis of the voltage and differential capacity plots indicated that significant structure rearrangements are taking place in these materials during extended cycling, the possible origins of which are discussed. Finally, high precision coulometry studies of one Li-deficient and two Li-rich single-phase layered compositions are discussed. These materials exhibit minimal oxidation of simple carbonate-based electrolyte when cycled to high potential, with the Li-deficient composition producing less electrolyte oxidation at 4.6 V vs. Li/Li+ than commercial Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2 at 4.2 V. The inherent inertness of this composition may make it suitable for use as a thin protective layer in a core-shell particle.

At the turn of the twentieth century, apples served as a catalyst for far-reaching social and environmental change in the North American West. As people debated the future of North American society as a rural or urban civilization, rural advocates found their answer in horticulture. Steadfast in their conviction that urban environments were corrupt, immoral, and disordered, people on both sides of the international boundary engaged in a boisterous promotional campaign that culminated with the creation of an orcharding landscape that spanned British Columbia, Washington State, and Oregon. Consequently, countless communities found new purpose or came into existence organized around the cultivation of apples and other assorted fruits. Fully aware of negative stereotypes that depicted farming as backwards and unfulfilling, horticulturists argued that fruit farming would lead to the creation of a modern countryside. Guided by scientific agriculture, refined and intelligent settlers would transform rural life by uniting in partnership with “Dame Nature,” leading to bountiful harvests as nature was finished to its “intended end.” As a result, the orcharding landscape would organize an alternative modernity that stood in juxtaposition to the urban-industrial axis of development. Despite their location in different political projects, fruit farmers on either side of the International Boundary bore striking affinities that were affirmed and reinforced through publications, associations, exhibitions, and educational initiatives, underlining the significance of the border as a vantage to appreciate divisions as well as continuities. While the creation of a modern countryside was sustained by high hopes, growers did not anticipate that nature’s bounty would in many instances stand as a curse rather than a blessing. Through two world wars, growers wrestled with the changing contours of rural life, particularly as it related to rural growth. While orcharding endured, its original conception as the nucleus of a progressive and middle class rural society did not.

Aim: The aim of this comprehensive thesis is to explore different perceptions of public health nursing practice. The intention being to contribute to developing the service, theoretically and practically, in throe with current and future public health needs. Methods: The thesis comprises five studies. Public health nurses, young people, parents and decision makers are interviewed and share their perceptions of public health nursing practice (studies I, II, III and IV). Consultations at local child health clinics, clinics for young people and at school health services are observed (study III). A cross sectional study amongst a sample of doctors, public health nurses, midwives and child protection workers is carried out (study V). The first four studies have an explorative, descriptive design. Study V, with its focus on interprofessional collaboration, is based on the results of studies I, II, and IV. Findings: Study I, a case study, provides a backdrop for the remaining four studies. It focuses on changes the nurses have faced during the period 1984-2005. The results point to issues of visibility and that respect is more important for the nurses than authority or status. Study II is a philosophical study based on interviews with public health nurses. It gives an introduction to the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas and develops a novel theoretical and practical understanding of aspects of responsibility in public health nursing. Study III shows the importance of relationships with service users in public health nursing practice; and that not only pleasantness but also honesty and openness are important. This study has contributed to further developing models of public health nursing interventions. Decision makers in study IV point to the challenges public health nurses face regarding collaboration, visibility and boundaries. Study V is a cross sectional questionnaire study that focuses on interprofessional collaboration. The results show that size of municipality can influence frequency of meeting points and views on issues relating to collaboration; and that mental health services are those most missed in collaborative relationships. The findings warrant further research and should be of interest when organising municipal health- and social services in Norway. Conclusions: The thesis concludes that service users and decision makers are satisfied with public health nursing services, but that public health nurses face challenges related to collaboration, to boundaries for knowledge and involvement, and in making their health promotive function visible / Denne doktorgradsavhandling: Perceptions of public health nursing practice - on borders and boundaries, visibility and voice, fokuserer på ulike oppfatninger av helsesøsters praksis. Helsesøstre, ungdom, foreldre, samt lokale politikere og administratorer er intervjuet om deres syn på helsesøstertjenesten. Konsultasjoner på helsestasjon for barn, ungdom og i skolehelsetjenesten er observert. Et utvalg av samarbeidspartnere har svart på et spørreskjema om samarbeidsforhold. Avhandlingen består av fem studier. De første fire studier har eksplorativ, deskriptiv design. Studie V er en tverrsnittsstudie som bygger på resultatene fra studiene I,II, og IV. Avhandlingen har til hensikt å løfte frem områder som respondentene mener fortjener oppmerksomhet og som kan ha praktiske og teoretiske implikasjoner for utvikling av tjenesten. Studie I, en case studie danner et bakteppe for de andre studiene. Den fokuserer på endringer i helsesøstertjenesten i perioden 1984-2005. Resultatene fra denne studien peker på helsesøstrenes opplevelse av usynlighet og at respekt er mer viktig for helsesøstrene i studien enn autoritet og status. Studie II er en filosofisk studie basert på intervjuer med helsesøstre. Den gir en introduksjon til Levinas’ filosofi og utvikler en dypere forståelse for teoretiske og praktiske aspekter av etisk ansvar i helsesøsters praksis. Studie III peker på betydningen av relasjoner i helsesøsters praksis. Det var viktig at konsultasjonene var hyggelige for helsesøstrene og brukerne, men ærlighet og åpenhet var også vesentlig for gode relasjoner. Beslutningstakere i studie IV peker på utfordringer helsesøstre har når det gjelder samarbeid, usynlighet, samt grenser for deres kunnskap og involvering. Studie V er en spørreskjemaundersøkelse som fokuserer på samarbeid. Resultatene viser at kommunestørrelse har betydning for hyppighet av møtepunkter og syn på samarbeid og at psykiske helsetjenester er savnet mest i samarbeidsrelasjoner. Disse funn burde være av interesse i fremtidig organisering av helse- og sosialtjenester. Avhandlingen konkluderer med at foreldre, ungdom og beslutningstakere er fornøyde med helsesøstertjenesten, men at helsesøstre står overfor viktige utfordringer i samarbeidsrelasjoner, i forhold til grenser for involvering og i å synliggjøre deres helsefremmende funksjon