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The Chinese community is the fastest growing non-European ethnic group in the UK, with 11.2% annual growth between 2001 and 2007. According to the National Statistics office (2005), there are over a quarter of a million Chinese in Britain. Compared to other ethnic minority groups, the Chinese group is socio-economically widespread, characterized by high academic achievements and high household income. It is estimated that there are about 30,000 Chinese immigrant children studying in British schools, 75% of who were born in the UK. These children face a complex process of establishing their social identity, maintaining their own cultural roots whilst adapting to the British cultural contexts. The predominant psychological interpretation of social identity formation is founded on Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1978). Social identity creates and defines an individual’s place in society. One of the key features in social identity theory is ingroup favouritism and out-group derogation (Tajfel & Turner, 1986). The function and motivation for in-group and out-group attitude construction is to promoting a positive self-concept and related self-esteem. Theoretical approaches to understanding social identity that take a developmental perspective are Cognitive Development Theory (CDT) (Aboud, 1988, 2008) and Social Identity Developmental Theory (SIDT) (Nesdale, 2004, 2008). These theories attempt to explain the age related development in children’s inter- and intra-group attitudes. There are different types of social identities, and ethnic identity as well as national identity are the central focus of the current research. Some researchers have pointed out that ethnic identity is relevant to self-esteem and it is particularly important to children from ethnic minority backgrounds (Phinney, 1992). However, the research on social identity is predominantly conducted in Western contexts and there is lack of evidence supporting the generalization of developmental models of social identity in children to all ethnic groups and particularly those growing up in different cultures and national contexts. The research reported in this thesis is a cross cultural and developmental study which compares social identity in relation to self-esteem among British born Chinese (BBC), white British, Hong Kong Chinese and Mainland Chinese children. The overarching aim is to explore the influence of social context and ethnic culture on social identity development and self-esteem. Three research studies were conducted in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Scotland with 464 children across three age groups, age 8, 11 and 14 years (148 children from Mainland China, 155 Hong Kong Chinese children, 70 British born Chinese children, and 91 Scottish children). In addition, 46 parents of BBC children were surveyed to investigate their cultural orientation. The first study was designed to explore cultural similarities and differences in social identity and its relation to self-esteem across four groups of children in three age groups. Social identity (self-description questionnaire) and self-esteem (Harter’s Self-esteem questionnaire) were measured with all four groups of children. The result revealed significant differences of social identity across the groups. Four cultural groups of children think individual self was the most common form of identity. All the Chinese groups emphasized show more collective self than white Scottish children whereas the white Scottish sample of children placed more focused on individual identity. All four groups of children had high self-esteem, and no correlation was evident between social identity and self-esteem. Furthermore, analysis found no significant developmental change in social identity or self-esteem with age. The second study focused on BBC and white Scottish children: these share national context, but differ in ethnic identity. The study was designed to explore children’s national self-categorisation, the degree of national/ethnic identification (Chinese, Scottish, or both), and their perception of the positive and negative traits of Chinese and Scottish people across the age (using a Trait Attribution Task). BBC children’s sense of national identity varied in different national contexts, whereas white Scottish children were more fixed in their sense of national identity. Furthermore, BBC children attributed more positive traits to Chinese than to Scottish people, and white Scottish children attributed more positive traits to Scottish than to Chinese. BBC and white Scottish children evaluated both Chinese and Scottish groups positively, but they both attributed more positive traits to in-groups than out-groups. Some age-related differences were identified for degree of national identification. The third study introduced a novel social identity vignettes task to examine BBC and white Scottish children’s perceptions of ethnic identity of a Chinese character within two contrasting socio-cultural contexts (Scottish versus Chinese). This study addresses the question of whether children’s social identifications are adaptive and sensitive to social context, and how this contextual sensitivity might change with age. It also explored the link between parents’ attitudes towards their children’s cultural orientation and children’s national/ethnic identity in identity vignettes. The study revealed that both BBC and Scottish children judged the vignette characters as having a stronger Chinese identity or Scottish identity according to whether they were described in a Chinese or Scottish vignette. This cultural sensitivity increased with age. Both groups had a positive evaluation of the vignette characters’ self-esteem in both Chinese and Scottish cultural situations. Parental cultural orientation attitudes (using General Ethnicity Questionnaire) towards their children were also examined and differences of language proficiency among BBC children were identified. There is no connection between children’s strength of Chinese and Scottish identification and parents’ strength of cultural orientation towards Chinese or Scottish. Together, the findings presented in this thesis extend our understanding of social identity development, ethnic and national attitudes and the developmental intergroup attitudes among children from different national and ethnic groups. Furthermore, findings indicate that social identity is a complex and dynamic process in children’s development that cannot be understood without considering national and specific socio-cultural contexts as frames of reference. The findings of this research have important implications for child-related policy and practice and for future research on social identity development.

The thesis explores the role of Architecture in enhancing a sustainable rural livelihood in Botswana. Moshupa village is analyzed and assessed to create an alternative, self-sustainable model for rural development that can add value to the local economy, by fostering self-reliance, capacity building and empowerment. Through the design of an Integrated Community Hub for Moshupa, the thesis attempts to embrace the changing dynamics of a village. It explores strategies that would inject life into the village making it a desirable place for younger generations and women to live, similar to what is currently achievable in towns and cities. Most importantly, the design principles and guidelines of traditional building techniques are explored through studying spatial habitation and organization. Materiality of built form and study of details are examined in search for an architecture that belongs to a place, by responding to the current economic, cultural, technical and environmental challenges in Botswana.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the primary motivation for studying abroad among students at Södertörn University, and also examine how the time studying abroad will affect the students on a personal level. The essay is based on a qualitative approach of ten interviews with students who have already completed an exchange program. With the help of the theoretical concepts of push and pull factors, motivation categories, human capital and previous research, the results and analysis showed a coherent pattern. It turns out that the majorities of students are primarily motivated by the opportunity to enjoy a nice nature, new environment and get to know new people. The time studying abroad mostly contributed to the student’s personal development and also gave an understanding of other people and different cultures. Therefore it became clear that it was only a couple of students that based their choice of studying abroad on motivation grounded in wanting to learn something, in terms of knowledge, which also had an accordance with the few students who indicated that they had gained knowledge-related experiences. Hence there appeared an unexpected social perspective, of which the motives are placed in a vast opportunity to participate in a unique experience, in a new country with new people and where experiences in form of personal development took place. / Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka primära motiv för utlandsstudier bland studenter på Södertörns högskola samt hur studietiden utomlands påverkar studenterna på ett personligt plan. Uppsatsen grundar sig i en kvalitativ ansats av tio intervjuer med studenter som redan har genomfört en utlandsstudie. Med hjälp av de teoretiska begreppen push samt pull faktorer, motivationskategorier, humankapital och även tidigare forskning visar resultat och analys ett sammanhängande mönster. Det visar sig att majoriteten av studenterna främst har motiverats av möjligheten att få uppleva en fin natur, ny miljö och lära känna nya människor. Studietiden utomlands påverkade främst studenternas personliga utveckling och gav en förståelse för andra människor och nya kulturer. Det var endast ett par studenter som framförde kunskapsmässiga motiv för utlandsstudier och kunskapsmässiga erfarenheter som resultat av utlandsstudierna. Därav framträdde ett oväntat socialt perspektiv, vars motiv och effekter är placerade i en övervägande möjlighet att delta i en unik upplevelse i ett nytt land med nya människor, där erfarenheter i form av personlig utveckling blivit aktuellt.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Flinders University, Centre for Development Studies. / Typescript (bound). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 374 - 390). Also available online.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1995. / Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Josue Gonzalez. Dissertation Committee: Pearl Rock Kane. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-159).

Advances in aquaculture technologies are being investigated to support the replenishment of local fisheries, develop marine food fish farming opportunities and to increase seafood production globally. In order to promote the expansion and development of aquaculture technologies required to raise new finfish species, a number of key bottlenecks restricting commercial-scale culture need to be addressed, including the ability to control fish reproduction in captivity and to produce high quality seeds. One candidate species for large-scale production, and the focus of this work, is common snook. Prized as a food fish in Mexico, Central and South America and as a popular game fish along the Gulf coast of the United States; common snook are economically important having both a high market value and recreational demand. Despite recent advances in captive spawning, a number of reproductive bottlenecks still need to be addressed such as lack of spontaneous spawning in captivity, poor fertilization rates and inconsistent production of high quality eggs and larvae. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis was to better understand the reproductive biology of common snook in order to develop protocols to improve the reliability of captive spawning in closed recirculating aquaculture systems and the quality of eggs produced as a basis for commercial scale cultivation. First, this PhD project described oocyte development in common snook and validated a non-invasive method for assessing reproductive condition in wild and captive stocks (Chapter 2). This was done by using a tiered and adaptable staging scheme to compare the wet mount technique with histological preparations of ovarian biopsies. When compared with histology, the wet mount provided an immediate and precise method for determining whether female broodstock were candidates for hormonal induction. In fishery biology, an understanding of fish reproductive success and population reproductive potential is critical for designing and implementing effective fisheries management strategies. The wet mount technique provides a tool for non-lethal, low-cost determination of reproductive status in wild fish stocks. The next research chapter focused on spawning induction of captive snook populations. The first trial compared the effects of slow and regular release GnRHa implants whereas the second trial investigated the effects of GnRHa, alone or in combination with the dopamine antagonist, pimozide (PIM), on milt characteristics and plasma steroid levels in captive male common snook broodstock (Chapter 3). In an effort to better enable reliable control of reproduction under captive conditions, the annual plasma sex steroid profile of captive male and female broodstock maintained under natural photo-thermal conditions was also examined. When possible, milt samples were collected pre and post implantation; sperm density, sperm motility and spermatocrit were documented among individual males. The assigned treatments appeared to have no or little effects on milt production in male broodstock although plasma steroid levels were found to be significantly elevated in individuals treated with GnRHa in combination with the dopamine antagonist, pimozide. At the time this work was performed, no data on spawning dynamics, including individual spawning performance, had been reported for common snook in captivity. Mass spawning tanks are complex systems where fish are left to spawn naturally and fertilized eggs are collected with little or no control over the mating of the animals. Therefore, the third part of this thesis explored the potential of DNA profiling for monitoring mating outcomes in captive broodstock by employing eight microsatellite markers to detect and quantify individual parental contributions for 2,154 larvae obtained from the three broodstock tanks (Chapter 4). The panel of loci was generally robust and allowed unambiguous assignment of 89% of larvae to a single family. Overall, spawn contribution data 1) provided a confirmation of GnRHa treatment efficacy in female snook with a minimum stage of oogenesis (late secondary growth-SGl) required for successful spawning, 2) identified a potential impact of handling on maturation and spawning of captive broodstock and 3) confirmed that, through photothermal conditioning, captive broodstock can spawn over consecutive days and several times per year including outside of their natural spawning season. The exogenous cues that tropical species use to synchronize key life events like reproduction remain largely unstudied, therefore, my PhD project also investigated the influence of tidal cycle on reproductive activity in common snook (Chapter 5). Real-time quantitative RT-PCR assays were developed and validated to measure the temporal expression patterns of gonadotropin genes (fshβ and lhβ) during the reproductive cycle in males and females. These were evaluated in relation to sex steroid production, LH blood plasma levels, gonadal development and tidal cycle. The phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of common snook for fshβ and lhβ revealed strong identity with other teleosts (75-90%). Additionally, the mRNA profiles of fshβ and lhβ in the pituitary of females displayed a clear pattern of expression concomitant with histological changes in oocyte development. Histological observations of gonads suggested a circa-tidal rhythm of follicular development. The findings, as a whole, provided new information supporting the role of tidal cycle on the entrainment of gametogenesis allowing for a better understanding of the environmental control of reproduction in common snook. Although the primary research emphasis in this PhD was on broodstock spawning and gamete quality, the final chapter focuses on larval ontogeny. The goal of this research was to gain improve understanding of the early life history characteristics of common snook in order to improve larval culture technologies. To do so, a combination of digital photography and histological techniques were used to document the embryonic and early larval development (0 to 14 days post hatch-DPH) of hatchery-reared individuals (Chapter 6). Larvae hatched 15 h after fertilization at 28°C, lacked pigmentation, had a rudimentary digestive tract and undeveloped visual system. Development was rapid and by 3 DPH larvae had almost doubled in length, the yolk sac was nearly exhausted, the mouth was open and eyes were pigmented with a well-structured retinal layer. The alimentary canal was differentiated into three distinct sections including the foregut, midgut and hindgut. Food was observed in the gut (rotifers) and structural epithelium organelles, such as the nucleus, mitochondria, and dark vesicles, were all present in high numbers. The swim bladder was formed and inflated. In summary, understanding early ontogenetic development in common snook can help provide information needed to address key bottlenecks seen in captive cultivation, such as the high incidence of larval mortality observed during the transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding. Overall, this doctoral work 1) validated molecular and endocrine analytical tools for future studies of common snook reproductive physiology, 2) provided a better understanding of both broodfish requirements in tank systems as well as the endocrine control of reproduction and spawning at the level of the brain-pituitary-gonadal axis, 3) increased our knowledge in genetic management of captive broodstock, in terms of parentage assignment and 4) offered new insight into wild population reproductive strategy as well as how reproduction is entrained through environmental cues and the pathways leading to oocyte recruitment and maturation. The new information presented here can be used to conserve wild snook stocks through production of farm raised individuals as a sustainable source of seafood and for fisheries enhancement.

This thesis is about the relationships between sustainable livelihoods, micro-enterprise and culture in Samoa. The 'sustainable livelihoods approach' provides a basis for analysis. The research focuses on one livelihood strategy, micro-enterprise, in order to illustrate and explain issues that are important in supporting sustainable livelihoods in Samoa. Micro-enterprise is regarded as a livelihood strategy that, if successful and sustainable, can support livelihood outcomes for rural Samoan people, and reduce poverty. The sustainable livelihoods approach is reviewed and the thesis argues that culture is integral to sustainable livelihoods, but existing theory and frameworks do not incorporate cultural aspects in a way that provides a sound theoretical basis for this research, or any sustainable livelihoods analysis. The thesis argues that culture is interwoven into each of the components of the sustainable livelihoods framework, and in fact culture is a context in which livelihoods exist. Each of the components provides an entry point for analysis of the relationships between culture and livelihoods. This concept was used as a basis for an analysis of rural livelihoods in Samoa, where fa'aSamoa was found to be interwoven with almost every aspect of rural livelihoods in a complex and influential way. A revised definition of a sustainable livelihood, and a revised framework were then developed which were more appropriate for this research. A strength of sustainable livelihoods theory, and the related frameworks, is that the theory embraces flexibility, and could thus be adapted to incorporate cultural aspects in this way. The thesis reviewed business enterprise in Samoa, and described the relationships between fa'aSamoa and business enterprise. The research revealed both harmonies and tensions between fa'aSamoa and business which influenced the success and sustainability of business enterprise. Two 'types' of small and micro-enterprise were identified in Samoa (with a continuum between): private sector enterprises and traditional 'sphere ' enterprises. 'Traditional sphere' enterprises, in order to be sustainable, normally operate within the cultural context of fa'aSamoa, ensuring that relationships, trust and harmony within the family and community are maintained and social and cultural assets, which provide a sense of identity and security, are sustained. The field research described in the thesis focused on two separate groups of micro-entrepreneurs in Samoa, fine mat weavers and village-based coconut oil producers. The case studies described the outcomes the micro-entrepreneurs aspire to, the risk, adversity, and challenges they face, and the work of the non-government organisations (NGOs) that support them. The case studies illustrated and further developed concepts developed in previous chapters, and also demonstrated just how the relationships between fa'aSamoa and sustainable livelihoods were expressed in practice. In the fine mat weaving case study there was considerable harmony between fa'aSamoa and the livelihood strategy. However, in the village-based coconut oil case study there were some tensions between fa'aSamoa and the venture that were causing vulnerability. The thesis concluded that understanding the relationships between culture, and sustainable livelihoods is critical for ensuring that good judgements are made about development intervention and policy. The revised sustainable livelihoods framework, and the concept of using the components of the frameworks as multiple entry points for analysis, provided an appropriate and useful theoretical framework for understanding the relationships between fa'aSamoa, sustainable livelihoods and micro-enterprise in Samoa.

The design and implementation of business intranet system for Hestego s.r.o. company in attempt to enhance the quality and efficiency of internal communication, business culture and awareness of empolyees is the main focus of this thesis. Current status, limited to use of narrow-profiled information system is described as a part of analysis. Furthermore, commonly used practices in implementing business intranet, together with broadly acknowledged advantages for companies are provided. Based on the gained knowledge, a solution relying on implementing an independent intranet system utilizing database system and .NET web application is proposed. Within the practical section, company’s requirements with regards to functionality and design, conforming with provided logo guidelines are presented. As a final part of this thesis, proposed solution is implemented, documented and deployed in corporate enviroment. Moreover, the advantages of proposed solution for the company are evaluated.

<p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Det här är en tur i sagans land, där jag visar er vad pedagogerna använder högläsning av sagor till och vilka syften som är bakomliggande. Genom litteraturen får ni en bild av vad högläsning av sagor skapar, hur sagoarbete bör ske enligt författarna och arbetets syfte. Jag har valt att använda metoden intervju med två pedagoger i en förstaklass. Resultatet i min metod d.v.s. mina intervjuer visar de två pedagogernas arbete med högläsning av sagor och deras åsikt om vad högläsning av sagor kan ge till barnens utveckling. Arbetet har gett mig stora kunskaper om arbete med högläsning av sagor och jag har fått många svar på frågorna om hur arbetet bör ske och i vilket syfte. De två pedagogerna jag intervjuat i dagens skola använder arbete med högläsning av sagor för bl.a. språkutveckling, motivation, fantasi, gemenskap och vidarearbete. Deras arbetssätt skiljer sig en aning, men grundtanken är densamma, att högläsning av sagor är bra och ger mycket för eleverna, både i hemmet och i undervisningen.</p> / <p>Abstract</p><p>This is a journey to the land of tales, where I will show you what teachers use reading tales aloud for as well as the purpose of reading the tale aloud. Through the litterature you will get an idea of what reading tales aloud creates, how working with tales should occur according to the writers and the purpouse of the work. I have used interviews as a method in my essay and two teathers have bin interviewed. The result of my method in other words my interviews show the two teachers work with reading tales aloud and their views on how reading tales aloud benifits development in children. The essay has given me deep knowledge about the work of reading tales aloud and I have received answers to the questions about how you should work with this, and to what purpose reading tales aloud is used for. The two teachers I met in present day school use the reading of tales aloud for the benifit of, lingual development, motivation, emagination, togetherness and further work. There are some differncies between the two teachers way of working with tales, but they have the same basic idea, that the reading of tales aloud is good and benifits the pupils a lot, both at home as well as in teaching.</p>