This essay uses some tenets of structuralism as well as the concept of “discourse” to analyze David Lodge’s novel Nice Work (1988). The opposite discourses of Academia and Industry, as expounded through the life and character of the main protagonists, are analyzed as they are exposed throughout the novel through the involuntary mingling of the main characters. The governing idea is that three separate discourses can be gleaned as a basic structure in the novel, forming a triad that suggests the idea of a possible synthesis, which is shown to be what propels the plot of the novel onward. As in Hegelian dialectics the clash between a thesis and its antithesis makes the reader expect the third term, a synthesis, which is offered in the mediating discourse of the narrator. Further, this essay focuses on three levels of exchange within the novel and its protagonists: the intellectual, emotional and practical ones. The synthesis of discourses is shown to come to a halt in the end, and the opposites seem to stand unperturbed, even though an exchange of values, ideas and actions has occurred.

Isolated hip fracture following a minor fall is a serious injury, normally requiring urgent surgical treatment and a complex recovery journey. Although commonly associated with the elderly, incidence and impact in adults under 60 years of age may be underestimated. The extensive literature almost exclusively focuses on the elderly, surgical interventions and relatively short-term outcomes. Young adults are also missing from the dominant societal discourse and healthcare policy on fragility hip fracture. They therefore represent a silent sub-subset of the fragility hip fracture population, whose recovery experiences and needs, particularly in the longer term, remain largely unknown. A critical interpretivist approach and The Silences Framework (Serrant-Green, 2011), were used to ‘give voice’ to young adults with isolated hip fracture. Thirty participants, between one and ten years post injury, completed an in-depth, minimally structured interview in which they told their story of recovery. An inductive, thematic analysis was undertaken integrating Braun and Clarke (2006) and the four phase cyclical analysis of The Silences Framework (Serrant-Green, 2011). One cross-cutting theme: Communication emerged, together with four other main themes: Experience of care, Impact on self, Impact on others and Moving forward. 11 The findings indicated wide variation in the quality of care, often influenced by social and professional norms regarding hip fracture patient characteristics such as age and mode of injury. Multi-faceted, often long term, physical, social and psychological impact on participants, their family and wider social networks was also found. This included Post Traumatic Stress Disorder type symptoms and impact on work, finances and relationships. The study highlighted some limitations of the current hip fracture care pathway for supporting the specific recovery needs of young adults. It also identified some limited effectiveness of commonly used patient reported outcome measures for hip fracture in this young client group. Exploring the recovery experiences of this under-represented group confirmed, but also altered the silences initially identified. Furthermore, it uncovered new silences which informed recommendations for future research; healthcare practice and policy. This study offers the first long term exploration of the impact of isolated hip fracture following a minor fall in young adults from their perspective. In doing so, it has also demonstrated the appropriateness of The Silences Framework (Serrant-Green, 2011) for guiding a person-centred, experience-based, acute orthopaedic/rehabilitation study undertaken by a student researcher.

Ireland is facing a great challenge in meeting renewable energy requirements, where due to past circumstances and decisions, the nation state is now heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels. Given the contribution of these imported fossil fuels to global climate change, price instability and supply insecurity, Ireland is under a pressing need to face up to the dilemma of an unsustainably fueled economy. This thesis explores how the EU policy process is helping Ireland to achieve the goals it has set with the EU and how these are being incorporated into the drivers of wind power development in Ireland. This research sought to uncover the dynamic of this relationship - the goodness of fit - through an assessment of three mechanisms of change, namely: Discourses, Directives and Finances, which were drawn on from the theoretical approach of Europeanisation. By doing a combined assessment of these three channels and their influence, this thesis provides a greater understanding of the ways in which the development of wind power in Ireland is influenced by the EU level. The thesis finishes with a concluding discussion on the importance of the national level in this process, as well as the importance of social and community engagement, which despite being previously seen as important, has to date largely manifested as a tokenistic gesture in Ireland. This thesis reasserts it as a common and crucial thread of the renewable energy transition that continuously arose as being pre-eminent during this study.

I denna avhandling fokuseras akademins (o)föränderliga genusmönster för att öka kunskapen om förutsättningarna för långsiktig förändring av rådande genusmönster i akademin. Trots olika jämställdhetsinsatser vid högskolor och universitet är de nämligen fortfarande könssegregerade, vilket är speciellt tydligt på höga positioner. Endast 27 procent av professorerna i akademin är kvinnor (SCB, 2016) och vid Luleå tekniska universitet är motsvarande andel 19 procent (Luleå tekniska universitet, 2017). För att förstå bakgrunden till detta och undersöka vägar till förändring studeras i avhandlingen fem projekt vid Luleå tekniska universitet som genomförts under perioden 2005-2013. Utifrån tidigare forskning om akademins genusmönster analyseras och kategoriseras projektens jämställdhetsinsatser som individorienterade, strukturorienterade och processorienterade insatser. Genom intervjuer, fokusgrupper, observationer, olika interaktiva metoder och workshopar söks svar fyra frågeställningar: Vilka förutsättningar i form av metaforer och diskurser råder i projektens akademiska kontext? Hur kan en individorienterad, strukturorienterad respektive process-orienterad ansats användas för att förstå förutsättningarna för jämställdhetsinsatser i akademin? Hur påverkar kombinationen av genusteori och interaktiva metoder förutsättningarna för jämställdhetsinsatser i akademin? Hur påverkar persona som förändringsmetod förutsättningarna för jämställdhetsinsatser?   I avhandlingen kombineras genusteori med interaktiva metoder, dels för att skapa förståelse för hur genusmönster skapas och återskapas i strukturer, symboler, interaktioner och identiteter (Acker, 1990, 1992, 1999), dels för att minska motståndet mot förändringar genom att involvera aktörer som berörs av forskningen i förändringsprocessen. Trots en tydlig jämställdhetsambition vid Luleå tekniska universitet visar resultaten att den meritokratiska diskursen och diskursen om den jämställda akademin överskuggar jämställdhetsdiskursen, vilket bidrar till att upprätthålla rådande genusmönster. Metaforer som den avsmalnande pyramiden, läckande pipelinen eller svarta hålet kan enligt analysen både främja och hindra förutsättningarna för jämställdhetsinsatser i akademin. Universitetets jämställdhetsinsatser har över tid förändrats från individorienterade med fokus på att stärka enskilda kvinnor, till mer strukturorienterade med inriktning på att förändra missgynnande strukturer för kvinnor och andra missgynnade grupper. På senare tid har även insatser med en processorienterad ansats gjorts som fokuserar på att medvetandegöra och förändra könsskapande processer i akademin. Persona i kombination med andra interaktiva metoder, som värderingsövningar, forumteater och scenarios, visar sig i avhandlingen kunna fungera som förändringsmetod vid jämställdhetsinsatser för att synliggöra och kritiskt reflektera över bristande jämställdhet samt främja förändring.

Skrivundervisning påverkas av lärares föreställningar om skrivande, skrivinlärning och vad som bedöms som godtagbart skrivande. För att ta reda på sju lärares didaktiska val i skrivundervisningen har föreliggande studie undersökt deras uppfattningar om skrivundervisningen i årskurs 3 utifrån Ivaničs skrivdiskurser. Studiens resultat visar att lärarna förhåller sig till flera olika skrivdiskurser men vanligast är genrediskursen, färdighetsdiskursen och processdiskursen. Resultatet visar även att de nationella proven påverkar innehållet som berörs i skrivundervisningen och tre av lärarna anser att det tar för mycket tid från ordinarie undervisning. Samtidigt uppskattas det bedömningsstöd som kommer med de nationella proven eftersom det kan användas i all skrivundervisning. Lärarna anser att de nationella proven är tidskrävande samtidigt som dem kan ses som en utvärdering av skrivundervisningen. Skrivundervisningen påverkas även av elevernas olika behov och eleverna erbjuds stöd i form av kompensatoriska verktyg och specialundervisning för att stötta deras skrivutveckling och utmana de med ett utvecklat skrivande. De särskilt begåvade eleverna har istället högre krav på  i skrivundervisningen. / Writing instruction is affected by teachers’ ideas about writing, learning to write, and what is judged to be acceptable writing. To ascertain seven teachers’ didactic choices when teaching writing, the present study has investigated their perceptions of writing instruction in grade 3, based on Ivanič’s writing discourses. The results of the study show that the teachers relate to several different writing discourses, but the most common are the genre discourse, the skills discourse, and the process discourse. Another finding is that the national tests affect the content of writing instruction, and three of the teachers think that it takes too much time from the ordinary teaching. At the same time, they appreciate the assessment support that comes with the national tests, since this can be used in all writing instruction. The teachers find the national tests time-consuming, while they can simultaneously be regarded as an evaluation of the writing instruction. The teaching of writing is also affected by the pupils’ different needs, and the pupils are offered support in the form of compensatory tools and special teaching to further their writing development and challenge them to achieve more advanced writing as a result of higher demands.

La présente thèse explore l’espace formel de l’enseignement de la musique en Grèce actuelle en tant qu’un espace de confrontation et de négociation de sens autour du musical. L’introduction de la musique traditionnelle au sein de cet espace sert de paradigme à une étude sur « la gestion de l’altérité musicale » à partir d’une enquête ethnographique de terrain (observation participante et entretiens non directifs), qui s’intéresse plus particulièrement aux conditions de cohabitation entre des enseignants-musiciens aux parcours différents, aux conditions donc de cohabitation entre des pratiques d’apprentissage, des discours et des imaginaires qui tantôt s’entrecroisent, tantôt se concurrencent. L’objectif ultime de ce travail est, à cet égard, de mettre en évidence que les façons dont les individus se représentent la musique et tout ce qui s’y rattache, forment un système symbolique qui renvoie à la manière dont ils se définissent eux-mêmes et ils se situent envers les autres. / The present thesis explores the formal space of music education in Greece as an area of confrontation and negotiation of meanings around music. The introduction of Greek traditional music in this educational space serves as a paradigm for a study on “the management of musical otherness”, based on a field survey (participant observation and non-directive interviews) which focuses in particular on the conditions of cohabitation between teachers-musicians with different musical trajectories, thus on the conditions of cohabitation between learning practices, discourses and imaginaries which sometimes intertwine, sometimes they compete with one another. In this regard, the ultimate aim of this work is to bring to light that the ways individuals represent music and everything related to it, form a symbolic system referring to the manner in which they define and situate themselves in relation to others.

Ce mémoire est une analyse féministe critique de cadrage et de discours que véhiculent les représentations médiatiques occidentales des femmes dans les conflits armés. En examinant spécifiquement le cas des combattantes kurdes, nous avons effectué une analyse qualitative de 125 articles de presse dans trois espaces médiatiques différents. Nos résultats mettent en évidence la nature complexe et socialement construite des représentations médiatiques et comment celles-ci sont liées à des relations de pouvoir géopolitiques plus vastes. Alors que les médias de masse et les médias spécialisés (y compris les magazines féminins et la presse culturelle/destinée aux millénariaux) semblent relativement similaires dans leur manière de représenter les combattantes kurdes, seuls les médias alternatifs (tant de gauche que de droite) semblent véritablement différents dans leur manière de les dépeindre. Alors que les images des combattantes kurdes sont censées remettre en question les stéréotypes de genre orientaliste, nous soutenons que – en les présentant à la fois comme des héroïnes et des victimes – la couverture médiatique occidentale de ces dernières ne fait que reproduire ces stéréotypes. / This thesis is a critical feminist framing, and discourse analysis of Western media representations of women in armed conflicts. Looking specifically at the case of Kurdish women combatants, we conducted a qualitative data analysis of 125 news articles in three different media spaces. Our results highlight the complex (and socially constructed) nature of media representations, and how these representations are intertwined with larger geopolitical power relations. While mass media and specialized media (including women’s magazines and cultural/millennial press) seem relatively similar in their way of representing Kurdish women fighters, only the alternative media (both left-wing and right-wing), seem significantly different in their way of portraying them. While the images of Kurdish fighters are supposed to challenge the Orientalist gender stereotypes, we argue that – by portraying them both as heroines and victims – the Western media coverage of them only reproduces these stereotypes.

The invisible struggle for the purpose of leisure time pedagogy  - a study of discourses about leisure time pedagogy The aim of the study is to examine and highlight the discursive struggle about the main purpose of leisure time pedagogy in school in a democratic society. Thereby my aim is to deepen the discussion about what leisure time pedagogy is and should be. The examination of different purposes is based on Gert J.J. Biestas different educational concepts qualification, socialization and subjectification. The study is based on a webb survey answered by 71 leisure time pedagogues, and interviews answered by 6 leisure time pedagogues. Findings from the webb survey suggests that most of the respondents believe their administration think the most important duty of leisure time pedagogy is different from their own. Most of the respondents indicated socialisation or subjectification of students as their most important duty, while most of them think their administration designate the students qualification as most important. The interviews where recorded, transcribed, and later analysed in line with Ernesto Laclau ́s and Chantal Mouffe ́s discourse theory. From the interviews I was able to map out 3 different discourses about the main purpose of leisure time pedagogy according to leisure time pedagogues: the socially oriented discourse, the knowledge oriented discourse and the identity oriented discourse. I was also able to map out one discourse based on leisure time pedagogues views on how they think their administrations anticipation on leisure time pedagogy differ from their own beliefs. In conclusion most leisure time pedagogues believes their main purpose is to help students develop social skills and personal identity, while they believe their endeavor to do so, is interfered either by their administrations designated purpose with leisure time pedagogy or their anticipation on leisure time pedagogues to help teachers and to support pupils development of subject knowledge, rather than to plan and elaborate with leisure time pedagogy. The study suggests that the different discourses, while not properly articulated, may lead to misunderstandings and a false feeling of agreement when there is none. This is why there seems to be a need to really discuss and clarify different comprehensions of the meaning of the main concepts of leisure time pedagogy in order to articulate the discursive struggle. / Syftet med föreliggande studie är att undersöka och lyfta den diskursiva kampen om fritidspedagogikens roll och syfte inom skolan i ett demokratiskt samhälle. Genom detta är min förhoppning att studien kan bidra till att fördjupa diskussionen om vad fritidspedagogiken är och bör vara. Fritidspedagogikens syfte undersöks utifrån Biestas utbildningsfunktionskategorier kvalificering, socialisation och subjektifiering. Studien baseras på en webbenkät som besvarats av 71 fritidspedagoger och intervjuer med 6 fritidspedagoger. Resultatet från webbenkäten visar att de flesta av fritidspedagogerna tror att skolledningens uppfattning om fritidspedagogikens viktigaste uppdrag skiljer sig från deras egen. De flesta menade att elevernas socialisation eller subjektifiering var fritidspedagogikens viktigaste uppdrag, men att de trodde att skolledningen menade att fritidspedagogikens viktigaste uppdrag var elevernas kvalificering. Intervjuerna spelades in med ljudupptagningsapparat, transkriberades och analyserades därefter med hjälp av Ernesto Laclaus och Chantal Mouffes diskursteori. Utifrån intervjuerna kunde tre diskurser om fritidspedagogers egen uppfattning om fritidspedagogikens viktigaste syften kartläggas: en socialt orienterad diskurs, en kunskapsorienterad diskurs och en identitetsorienterad diskurs. Utöver dessa tre diskurser kartlades en diskurs baserad på fritidspedagogers uttalanden om hur skolledningens förväntningar på fritidspedagogikens syfte skiljer sig från deras egen uppfattning. Sammanfattningsvis anser de flesta fritidspedagogerna att deras viktigaste uppdrag är att stötta elever i deras utveckling av sociala förmågor och personliga identitet, men att deras strävan mot detta hindras antingen av att skolledningen menar att fritidspedagogiken har ett annat syfte, eller att de förväntar sig att fritidspedagoger främst skall arbeta för att stötta klassläraren och elevernas kunskapsutveckling, snarare än att planera och utveckla fritidspedagogiken. Studien tyder på att de olika diskurserna om fritidspedagogikens syfte kan leda till missförstånd och en falsk känsla av samstämmighet när så inte är fallet. Detta pekar på behovet av att diskutera och tydliggöra olika uppfattningar och tolkningar av fritidspedagogikens centrala begrepp samverkan, kompletterande uppdrag och värdegrundsarbete för att tydligare artikulera den diskursiva kampen.

In recent years there has been a growing internal debate within the EU regarding the direction of its trade policy. Circled around the understanding of a geoeconomic development within the international economic sphere, the Union is divided in terms of how to best respond in this proclaimed situation for ensuring its future success and prosperity. Where the European Commission has adopted several protectionist measures at the same time as upholding its liberal route one may ask what this implies for the future, as well as what the underlying forces behind this trend are, which is part of the general aim of this study. Previous research has provided both rationalistic and constructivist approaches to analyzing EU’s trade policy agenda, where rationalistic approaches has investigated to which degree trade policy has been politicized and constructivists more focused to understanding to which degree ideas, norms and values has contributed to the Commission’s legitimization and continuation of liberal trade politics. However, the area of discourse(s) role in this nexus is left relatively unexplored. With use of the IR theories of Realism and Liberalism as well as the methods of Critical Discourse Analysis and Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework for critical discourse analysis, this paper examines the main respective arguments of the debate regarding a New European Industrial Strategy, through three dimensions of discourse(s): as text, discursive practice and social practice. Findings suggests that realist discourses have gained traction within the Commission at the same time as it is constrained by institutional and integrational discourses, which are factors that indeed may result in troublesome years to come.

Educational textbooks have the power to influence pupils’ perception of the world. In the subject of English, this specifically concerns learning about cultures in different parts of the world where English is used. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of cultural representation in two English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks with the aim to make the hidden curriculum visible and to raise awareness among publishing houses and teachers. Using a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) based on Fairclough’s (2001) three-dimensional model in combination with Barthes’ (1977) Visual Semiotics methodology, we investigated which regions and countries were presented and how their cultures were constructed through texts and images. These findings were further compared to the cultural values and content of the Swedish curriculum, the genre of textbooks, and existing hegemonic discourses in society. In the analysis, Kachru’s (1986) Circles of World Englishes, Machin and Mayr’s (2012) toolkit for CDA, McKay’s (2010) interpretation of Anderson’s (1983) imagined communities, and Said’s (2003) concept of Orientalism were applied. Our findings show that the inner circle dominates and is depicted as superior in contrast to the outer and expanding circles. Although the textbooks include a variation of different cultures which is in line with the curriculum, representation of the outer and expanding circles is often stereotypical and underdeveloped which reinforces hegemonic discourses instead of acting to restructure them. This corresponds to previous studies in the genre, and hence, educators must work to ensure that the hidden curriculum in ELT textbooks is continuously made visible and challenged.