The purpose of this study was to examine children's perceptions of social situations as these are related to the social environment in which the child lives, and to investigate the influence of social class upon their perceptions. An oral picture test, consisting of seven pictures, was administered to 60 fourth grade children in two Ogden, Utah, public schools. The findings of this study are that there are differences between middle and lower class children, but not between boys and girls, in their perceptions of their social environment. Middle class children were shown to be more positive in their social environment. Middle class children were shown to be more positive in their general outlook towards life, and lower class children are found to have tendencies toward a more negative perception of life. The conclusions are that social class does influence children's perceptions of their social environment, and the most favorable life circumstances for the lower class child seem to be those which are encountered in relationship with siblings. Also, there is need for concern about the image of the peace officer in the minds of children in both social classes, and about the lower class child's perception of the teacher in the classroom.

<p> The ability to recognize facial expressions facilitates social interactions. In my Ph.D. thesis, I took three approaches to compare the sensitivity of adults and children aged 5 to 14 years to the six basic facial expressions: 1) the influence of intensity on the recognition of facial expressions; 2) the perceived similarities among facial expressions; and 3) the selective use of spatial frequency information in recognizing facial expressions. Collectively, these studies reveal different developmental trajectories for different expressions, with sensitivity to happy expressions already adult-like at age 5, but changes for some negative expressions continuing even past age 10. The slow development of adult-like proficiency with negative expressions may lead children to make errors in judging the intentions of others. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Barns uppfattning av delaktighet i vården är utforskat, men när det gäller vårdkvalitet är källan till uppgifterna sällan barnen själva. En förutsättning för ett barnperspektiv i vården är att barn själva deltar i utvärderingen. Studier visar att det är angeläget att ta del av åsikter gällande delaktighet i vården då barns uppfattning inte nödvändigtvis överensstämmer med föräldrars uppfattning. Studiens syfte var att undersöka barn och föräldrars uppfattning om barns delaktighet i vården. Två frågeformulär, ett avsett för barn och ett för föräldrar har använts i studien, som genomfördes med kvantitativ metod och med deskriptiv design. Enkätundersökningen genomfördes på barnavdelningar och barnmottagningar vid ett mellanstort sjukhus i västra Sverige. Totalt ingick 19 barn åldern 10-17 år samt 18 medföljande föräldrar i studien. Barn och föräldrars svar indikerar gynnsamma förutsättningar för delaktighet och en majoritet av barnen upplevde sig delaktiga. Dock ses tendenser som pekar på att det föreligger viss skillnad mellan barns upplevelse av delaktighet, relaterat till barnets ålder. Viss diskrepans mellan barns och föräldrars svar kan även skönjas. Att enbart förlita sig på föräldrars utsago om barns uppfattningar anses därför inte tillräckligt. Vidare kartläggning av barns delaktighet i verksamheter riktade till barn är önskvärt. / Children's perception of participation in health care is rarely based on the children’s experiences. A prerequisite for a child-centered perspective in health care is that children themselves participate in evaluations. Studies show that it is important to take part of opinions regarding participation in health care due to the fact that children and parents' perceptions not always are consistent. The aim of this study was to investigate how the child and their parent perceive the child's participation in health care. Two questionnaires, one intended for children and one for the parents were used in the study. The study was conducted using a quantitative method with descriptive design. The survey was carried out in pediatric wards and child clinics at a midsize hospital in western Sweden. 19 children in the age of 10-17 years and 18 accompanying parents participated in the study. Children’s and parents' responses indicate favorable conditions for participation. A majority of the children stated an experience of involvement. However, trends indicate that there is some difference between children's experience of participation, related to the age of the child. Some discrepancies can be discerned between the children’s and the parents' responses. Relying solely on the parents' admission of the child's perception is therefore not sufficient. Further research of children's participation in activities directed to children is desirable.

Orientador: Elizabeth Piemonte Constantino / Banca: Sueli Guadalupe de Lima Mendonça / Banca: Mário Sérgio Vasconcelos / Resumo: A presente pesquisa, fundamentada na perspectiva histórico-cultural, tem como objetivo identificar as características do brincar das crianças nas idades de 6 e 7 anos, período de passagem da Educação Infantil para o Ensino Fundamental. Pretende, ainda, saber como os educadores oportunizam espaços para o brincar e como o fazem, investigando se é possível verificar os fatores delimitadores dessa prática. A escolha dessa faixa etária se justifica, considerando que as instituições escolares reduzem, cada vez mais, os espaços do brincar das crianças sob sua responsabilidade, haja vista, por exemplo, o recente parecer do Conselho Nacional de Educação (CNE/CEB n° 18/2005, Lei n 11.274 de 6/02/06, ainda não em vigor, em todo o território nacional), que acaba por priorizar a alfabetização, desconsiderando as especificidades próprias da criança. Nesse sentido, tanto a Educação Infantil como o Ensino Fundamental participam de um processo de preparação da criança para a alfabetização, priorizando o uso do material apostilado de ensino, destacado neste trabalho como um dos principais fatores delimitadores do brincar, principalmente na educação infantil. Para a realização da pesquisa, utilizou-se a abordagem etnográfica, concebida como um importante instrumento, pois possibilita maior interação com as complexidades e singularidades das relações sociais, viabilizando um estudo mais profundo e a construção de conhecimentos consistentes e científicos. Os procedimentos envolveram a observação participante, entrevistas semi-estruturadas com os professores, diários de campo e a elaboração de outras técnicas de coleta de dados. A partir da análise do material obtido foi possível verificar que o brincar... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Based on historical and cultural perspective the present research has as a purpose to identify characteristics of playing among children between 6 and 7 years old, a period of transition from Early Childhood Education to Elementary School. Nevertheless it intends to know how the educators suit rooms for playing and how they do it, investigating whether it is possible to verify the factors that line off that action. The choice of this age group is justified, considering that schools reduce the rooms for the children's plays under their responsibility. For instance, the recent opinion of the National Education Council (CNE / CEB No. 18/2005, Law No 11,274 of 6/02/06, not yet in force throughout the national territory), has just prioritize the literacy, ignoring the child's own characteristics. Accordingly, both Early Childhood Education and Elementary School take part in a process of preparing the child for literacy, prioritizing the usage of school supplies of teaching, highlighted in this work as one of the main delimiting factors of playing, especially in early childhood education. It was used to carry out the research an ethnographic approach, conceived as an important instrument, which allows a greater interaction with the complexities and singularities of social relationships, enabling a deeper study and a construction of a consistent and scientific knowledge. The procedures involved participant observation, semi-structured interviews with the teachers, daily records and the development of other techniques for collecting data. It was possible to verify from the analysis of the material obtained that playing, as an essential activity to the child development, is still seen as a moment of "energy drain" or as a "pedagogical tool" of literacy which according to historical-cultural theory misreads its functions. / Mestre