A adolescência é um período de redefinição das identidades, incluindo a dimensão de gênero. Nesta pesquisa, procurou-se conhecer as concepções de adolescentes sobre o que é ser homem e ser mulher, a partir de suas próprias narrativas. Participaram 41 adolescentes, com idades entre os 14 e os 15 anos, estudantes de uma escola pública e de uma escola privada de Porto Alegre. Com eles, foram realizados 6 grupos focais online, através do programa de bate-papo MSN: 2 grupos compostos por adolescentes homens, 2 por adolescentes mulheres, e 2 mistos. As narrativas interacionais produzidas pelos grupos foram analisadas, em primeiro lugar, segundo a Análise de Conteúdo temática, que revelou uma predominância dos papéis tradicionais de gênero. Após, um trecho de cada grupo foi microanalisado, evidenciando que a interação fomentada pelos grupos focais promoveu também questionamentos e redefinições dos sentidos comumente atribuídos ao homem e à mulher. / Adolescence implicates redefinition of identities, including the gender dimension. The goal of this research was to identify teenagers’ conceptions about what does it mean to be a man and a woman, through their own narratives. Participated in the study 41 teenagers, between 14 and 15 years of age, who were students of a public school and of a private school, both located in the city of Porto Alegre. Through the chat software MSN, 6 online focus groups were carried out: 2 groups of young men, 2 of young women, and 2 hibrid groups. The narratives in interaction produced by the groups were analyzed, firstly, by using a thematic content analysis, that revealed a predominance of traditional gender roles. Then, a section of the narratives produced by each group was micro-analyzed, showing that the interaction fostered by the focus-groups promoted questioning and the redefinition of the meanings commonly assigned to men and women.

Recently, changes in graduation requirements in some states have made it more important than ever for students to be literate in all content areas. State assessments not only measure student academic ability, but they are a necessary component of graduation from high school. After completing required courses, students are expected to take assessments covering the content of those courses. In order to safely meet the graduation requirement, students must score at least 3 points per assessment on a 5-point scale. This has proven difficult for over 50% of students expecting to graduate. Students at Midwestern-American High School (MAHS) have been struggling to achieve the required minimum scores on the state achievement assessments, as have many others in the region. A review of the report card data for MAHS reveals the area of greatest need (i.e. category of lowest performance) is in science. Research suggests a leading cause for these struggles is waning teacher efficacy and lack of ability to build capacity in staff members due to high mobility in teacher populations, especially in urban communities serving high-poverty and minority populations. For these reasons, it is necessary for leaders to have the skill to quickly build effective instructional teams. During the 2017-2018 schools year, I utilized the Community of Practice (CoP) framework to establish entities that align closely with the criteria of CoPs. I used mixed methods research throughout the bounded period (August 2017 – May 2018) to conduct the proposed study. Data sources included: meeting agendas and minutes, participant interviews, survey results and reflections on the action by researcher and participants. I used the information gathered from this study to continue or modify the action and/or propose new strategies for the capacity building of staff.

Background: College food insecurity (CFI) is a prevalent social justice and public health issue in the U.S. with the prevalence ranging between 15-59%. Though numerous quantitative studies were first conducted in the past decade, little qualitative research was conducted to assess CFI. Objective: To explore and deeply understand the contexts of CFI at a land-grant university in Kentucky. Methods: This qualitative study used a validated food insecurity survey tool and hour-long focus groups that were audio recorded and transcribed. Three theoretical models were combined into an adapted model and utilized for the thematic analysis. Results: Thirty-three students participated in one of eight different focus groups. Among participants, 72.7% were female, 81.9% were undergraduate students, and 63.6% were food insecure. Access-related themes included transportation, time-related issues, awareness of resources, coping strategies and suggestions for improvements; availability-related themes consisted of city- and campus-wide availability of food choices and coping strategies; utilization-related themes constituted dietary needs and coping strategies; and stability-related themes involved disrupted element(s) of food security and their effects on well-being and academics. Conclusion: All elements of food security need to be fulfilled to achieve a sustainable food security. For future CFI studies, the use of theoretical framework(s) is recommended.

Sufficient physical activity, a key prerequisite for health, is lacking in many teenagers. Limited knowledge, however, exists about who, when, why, and if New Zealand teenagers are getting their daily dose of health-related physical activity. At conception of this thesis, available information was predominantly survey-derived with no New Zealand data and few international studies that had assessed adolescent physical activity levels objectively. Data were collected from three projects. Convenience sampling was used across all projects to recruit students from low-decile high schools located in the Auckland region. For Project 1, 236 Year 9 to Year 13 students each wore a pedometer for five days (three weekdays and two weekend days) and reported their mode of transportation to and from school. To explore ethnic and sex-specific perceptions of physical activity among youth (i.e., barriers, benefits, potential physical activity enhancing strategies), Project 2 involved nine focus group discussions with 44 Year 9 and Year 10 students who identified as Māori or European. Project 3 was a large cross-sectional study of 3,451 high school students (Years 9 - 13) from seven low-decile schools. Through this project the following self-reported data were collected: demographics, physical activity levels during four school-day physical activity opportunities (i.e., active travel, lunchtime physical activity, recess physical activity, after-school physical activity), sedentary behaviour (i.e., school-day television (TV) watching), level of perceived encouragement to be active, and the presence of home policies regarding TV use. Analyses revealed low physical activity participation and high TV use behaviours. Pedometer data showed that only 14.5% of participants achieved a conservative criterion of 10,000 steps daily. Also, daily steps varied by age group (junior students: 11,079 ± 330; senior students: 9,422 ± 334), sex (males: 10,849 ± 381; females: 9,652 ± 289), time of week (weekday: 12,259 ± 287; weekend day: 8,241 ± 329), and transportation mode to/from school (walkers: 13,308 ± 483; car transit users: 10,986 ± 435). Low school-day physical activity levels emerged, especially during school hours (i.e., during recess and lunchtime). Based on dichotomised grouping (less active versus more active), the proportion of students in the ‘more active’ group during morning recess and lunchtime, after school, and as part of active travel to/from school were 26%, 32.4%, 56.3%, 58.1% respectively. Only 11.1% of participants were in the ‘more active’ group across all four physical activity opportunities. The focus group data revealed primarily social benefits of physical activity (e.g., meeting new people, fun). Barriers were mainly environment-related and included lack of peer support, low accessibility to and availability of physical activity opportunities, alternative sedentary activities, structure of physical education classes (females only), and distance between home and school (in terms of active transportation). Potential strategies to increase physical activity reflected the articulated barriers and benefits (e.g., increase peer support, parents to turn off the TV, organised activities at school, restructure physical education classes to allow student involvement in the decision-making process of class content). No ethnic and few sex differences in perceptions were found. Focusing on the verbalised importance of social support from the focus groups, Project 3 data showed that the strength of association between perceived encouragement from different support sources (i.e., parents, older siblings/cousins, peers, school) and physical activity participation varied by the physical activity opportunity examined. In particular, multivariate logistical regression showed reduced odds of being in the ‘more active’ group was associated with low parental encouragement (Juniors, OR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.38-0.58; Seniors, OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.29-0.60) and low peer encouragement (Juniors, OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.51-0.74; Seniors, OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.35-0.69) for after-school physical activity, low peer encouragement (Juniors, OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.32-0.48; Seniors, OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.29-0.57) for lunchtime activity, and low peer encouragement (Juniors, OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66-0.92) for active transportation (junior students only). No significant difference in physical activity was found between students who received high encouragement from two parents than students who reported high encouragement from their sole parent in a single parent family. Concentrating on the after-school period, Project 3 data were analysed to examined the relevance of the displacement hypothesis during this school-day period. The association between parental strategies (i.e., encouragement to be active and having TV limits) and youth after-school activity behaviours (i.e., hours spent viewing TV, physical activity participation) was also examined. Support for the displacement hypothesis emerged. In particular, compared to students who watched less than one hour of TV, those who watched greater than four hours of TV were half as likely to be in the more active group for after-school physical activity participation (adjusted OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.40-0.65). Comparing activity profile groups (i.e., based on combined TV use and after-school activity levels), compared to the participants in the ‘low TV/active’ group, participants in the other three activity groups (e.g., ‘high TV/low active’) were at least 1.28 times more likely to have parents that executed only one parental strategy and up to 4.77 times more likely to have parents that did not carry out either strategy. Substantive opportunities exist for youth to be active every day, and in different contexts and environments, yet a large proportion of young people are not maximising these opportunities to be active. If the health issue of inactivity is to be tackled in a comprehensive and efficient manner, a multi-strategy, multi-environment, coordinated approach among local authorities, government agencies, schools, families, and neighbourhoods is required to address the noted policy, physical, and social-related associates of an active lifestyle for youth. Future effort, whether in the form of strategy development, intervention work, or research, needs to be founded upon ecological theory, where both individual and a range of familial, social, and physical environmental factors (and there potential interactions) are considered. Lastly, equal research attention should be directed at improved physical activity levels, and just as importantly, reducing time youth spend in a sedentary state.

<p>Several Swedish studies have suggested that within the group of clients contacting social welfare offices for social assistance, approximately one third are having problems with heavy drinking. The overall aim of the dissertation was to study how social workers approach these problems in single, male clients. That is; are the drinking problems of these clients approached and if they are, when and why does this happen? The subject has been investigated in four studies. In study I (n=66) and II (n=103) social workers were to respond, in a written questionnaire, on how they would act on a hypothetical client described in vignettes. The results from these studies suggest that there is no consensus among social workers of how to act towards the clients drinking problem and that social workers personal values seem to influence their choice of action taken. In study III, data was collected from case files on male single clients in nine municipalities. Case files in which alcohol related notes were present (n=297) were investigated. The results indicate that social workers are more active as regards demands on clients to moderate or stop their alcohol consumption if the clients are able to work, than if they are not. Study IV was based on focus-group interviews in eight municipalities. In each municipality, a work group of social workers dealing with social assistance were interviewed on one occasion. The social workers approach to the client’s problems was described as a mobile point within a two-dimensional system. The legislative dimension concerned the clients’ right to be equally treated versus the right to have their application judged individually with every circumstance considered. The other dimension was related to traditional social work with the client’s integrity versus the need for support and control. The results were contextualised mainly from three aspects, the influence from raised demands on a “knowledge-based” practice, the prerequisites consistent of the specific frames for social work and changes in the public discourse constituting the frame of socially acceptable drinking habits.</p>

<p>The basic intention of this study is founded on an ambition to make </p><p>change within the competing activity at “Svenska Brukshundklubbens Halmstadavdelning” (SBK Halmstad). This is a local association for owners of working dogs, where I am one of the members. A problem in engage a larger number of voluntarily working members in the association has been established and discussed over several years. My premier aim was to make the members award of different perspectives of the problem. This was made by a presentation of made up assertions in focus groups. The interpretations that have been made from the result of the study are influenced from my former experiences from my membership of the association. From these interpretations I have made an analysis which mainly illustrates a need of reorganizing in tasks and improved communication among groups of the members. Eventually I have framed a plan of actions, which expresses my understanding of how the problem can be solved by an increased use of competence. Since I have learned a lot from my friends in SBK Halmstad, I hope this study will be significant in the future development of this association and others.</p>

<p>Purpose/Aim: In the information and communication technology society (ICT) we live in today it is easy to feel that we are constantly expected to be available. The daily contact with the Internet and the use of cell phones has changed our way to communicate. With this in mind in combination with the increased stress among young adults my aim is to investigate how young adults, aged 23-26 years, experience to be constantly connected and available through the Internet and the cell phone. What are their opinions, attitudes and feelings about what this entails in their lives?</p><p>Material/Method: The essay is based on four focus group interviews with sixteen students from Uppsala University aged 23-26, two groups consisting of women and two groups consisting of men. The ICT & Internet research is developing rapidly which led me to do an exploratory study that is hypothesis-generating and which I hope can be used for forthcoming research of the consequences of the ICT society. The empiric result has been analyzed from a behavioural science perspective.</p><p>Main results: The results have been interesting from several perspectives. The focus groups seem to think that the Internet and cell phone use is the best thing that has happened. They are so-called "Multitaskers" and have no problems to do several things simultaneously. The relationship between ICT and stress becomes slightly more noticeable among the girls. I dare to say that the constant availability do result in a certain stress, which I based on the clear statements about stress that came up between the lines. The focus groups are highly dependent on both their cell phone and access to Internet. They have also developed new cell phone behaviours that are customized to different situations and people.</p>

<p>Purpose/Aim: To investigate why people in the age group of 30-40 subscribe to the traditional morning newspaper even though they can get the same information at a much lower cost from for example TV, the internet or the free daily papers. The aim is to also look at possible future alternatives to the traditional morning newspaper.</p><p>Material/Method: Focus group interviews were used to gather the empirical material. These consisted of a total number of twelve people, divided into three groups. The results from the focus group interviews were analysed with help from established uses & gratifications theories and two diffusion theories.</p><p>Main results: This study shows that people read the traditional morning newspaper to get a good mixture of entertainment and local, national and global news. It is relaxing to read the newpaper on paper compared to reading it on the internet, mainly because you get a good overview which makes it a lot easier to find exactly want you want to read. The content of the newspaper is often discussed with family, friends and colleagues and can therefore be said to fill an important social function. Reading the newspaper is thought of to be intellectual and can help people form their identities. All respondents in this study grew up in homes which subscribed to a morning newspaper and thought this fact was a big reason for them finding it so important to have a subscription themselves. Even so, most of them were positively in favour of the so called e-paper, as a future alternative to the traditional newspaper, when discussed in the groups, mainly because of it being a more environmently friendly option, but also because of the ability to pick and choose your personal newspaper content and only pay for what you want to read.</p>

<p>This thesis investigates how consumers perceive ecologically and locally produced milk. Theories on consumer perception are used together with definitions of ecologically and locally produced food. The empirical findings are based on four focus groups discussing their perception towards six milk brands in Uppland as well as the concepts of ecologically and locally produced goods. We see a positive perception of brands with higher responsibility standards and brands wearing external labels guaranteeing the standards of the product. We have come to the conclusion that the participants in this study have an interest in ecologic and local production, something that we presumed because of the trends we have seen. We do however also conclude that the knowledge of these concepts is low due to vague information from the producers in combination with consumer inertia.</p>

<p>Abstract</p><p>Purpose/Aim: To describe in-classroom use of mobile phones amongst teenagers.</p><p>Material/Method: The data was collected through as use of focus groups and field studies.</p><p>Main results: The main findings confirm the findings of other studies on teens and mobile phones. Teens use their mobile phones for much more than just sending text messages and making calls, there are many different types of localized usages. There is also a strong emotional connection between the device, its content and the user.</p><p>Keywords: mobile phone, teens, classroom, focus groups, observation, field studies, mobility.</p>