Religious education is one of the most debated school subjects in Swedish upper secondary education, primarily from an outside perspective where the secular and scientific norms of modern society often prompt questions about its relevance from politicians, media, and the public alike. This study investigates the relevancy of religious education from a student perspective, based on the aims and goals stated in the curriculum and through the theoretical lens of Gert Biesta’s theory on world-centred education. The main focus of this study has been to find out to what extent students find the subject relevant on a personal and societal level, how they perceive that it relates to other scientific and pedagogical areas in school, and how their attitudes towards the subject affect their ability to put the knowledge gained to use as democratic citizens of a multi-cultural world. The methods used to conduct this investigation has been a small-scale student survey followed by more in-depth interviews with two smaller focus groups and one semi structured interview, with questions based on the results from the survey. The results have then been analysed using the theory of world-centred education as an interpretive tool, backed up by previous research on the subject of attitudes towards religious education, attitudes towards religion and multiculturalism, and research on subject and curriculum integrated didactics. The results of this study reveal a more positive outcome on how relevant religious education is thought to be, in the context of Swedish schools and society from a student point of view, than the starting point suggested. Though far from all students rated the subject as very important, most of them expressed a good understanding and acceptance of the aim and purpose of the subject. Furthermore, many of them could apply the knowledge gained from the subject on life, relations, history, and society. Though this study is based on limited data, the outcome paired with the theoretical framework and backed up by larger scale research provides a didactic toolkit for navigating a global and multicultural society.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The value of accountability as a key feature of strengthening health systems and reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality is increasingly emphasised globally, nationally and locally. Frontline health professionals and managers play a crucial role in promoting maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services in an equitable and accountable manner. They are at the interface between higher-level health system management and communities, facing demands from both sides and often expected to perform beyond their available means. Although accountability is a central topic in the governance of MNCH literature, it has mostly been approached at global and national levels, with little understanding of how accountability is integrated into the routine functioning of local health systems.

This study by the name “To be or not to be in dialogue with the world” is based on our interest in Biesta´s theories, more specifically about relational pedagogy. The empirical material consists of 21 public lessons in visual arts for high school taken from lektionsbanken.se. Through a qualitative text analysis we wanted to answer the questions: What functions does the lessons have that are described in the lesson plan? What opportunities to exist in the world in an adult way emerge? And lastly what research space is there for the student. In our result we have been able to shed light on how three teaching functions which Biesta calls qualification, socialization and subjectification, are expressed in our 21 public lessons, and then discuss what pedagogical implications it may have if one of these three functions becomes dominant in a lesson. Based on this we have used Biestas theory about a communicational gap where learning takes place, which involves risktaking.  In the space Biesta calls the gap which is a spectrum between – world destroyer and self destroyer on extreme opposite ends, it is recommended for both teachers and students to try to stay in the middle zone where we as humans can be in dialogue with the world in an adult way. In order for teachers to work with Biesta´s positive view of risk, great demands are placed on teachers who need courage to let go and let the risk take its place in their teaching. One way to work with risk and practice this is to put more focus on the process instead of on the result and the end product, which can become a problem in a goal-oriented school.

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Tim Randberg and Filip Lindahl carried out this study under the institution for pedagogy, didactics and educational studies at Uppsala University. In relation to the lack of research regarding students’ perspectives regarding the legitimizing aspects of the school subject of social science(samhällskunskap), and in contrast to the existence of such research regarding teachers’ perspectives, this study is an attempt at contributing to the lack of previous research and note the importance of working towards a reality in which students’ and teachers’ attitudes, regarding the importance and the purpose of social studies, aligns.  This didactic study, which analyzes which attitudes are connected to a small group of students (age 18), as well as a small group of social science teachers, regarding what legitimizes studying social science, along with the key differences between these two groups, is an interview study in which a didactic theory formed by Gert Biesta was applied in relation to the results of the interview. Biesta’s theoretical framework, which is central for this study, categorized the legitimizing aspects of education into three categories: qualification, socialization and subjectification, in which every relevant analytical finding was categorized into each of Biesta’s three categories. This study concludes that both teachers and students found the internalization of democratic values as well as citizenship development to be the central legitimizing aspects of civic studies. The results regarding the teachers’ comments aligned with most previous research, except for the aspect of power, which in contrast to previous research was absent in the results for this study. Regarding the three theoretical categories, no significant differences were to be found but rather smaller differences that could be considered noteworthy. Teachers discussed the legitimizing aspects of civic studies from a qualification-related point of view more than the students did. In contrast, the students made comments that were connected to the concepts of socialization as well as subjectification in a greater sense compared to the teachers. Regarding the concept of qualification, both teachers and students related the purpose of civic studies to skills and knowledge necessary to engage politically in society, or to prosper in society. Connected to the concept of socialization, students found that it was important that people internalized democratic values and norms related to democracy, which aligns with the teachers’ responses, only that the latter as a group further discussed the legitimizing aspect of civic studies as it being a means to prevent extremism, racism as well as other anti-democratic aspects that a few students were described as gravitating towards. In relation to the concept of subjectification, students, unlike the teachers, noted the importance of becoming global citizens. Both groups argued for the importance of developing a culturally adaptive mindset as well as forming an individual political opinion. Most teachers discussed the importance of students, along with the civic studies, becoming less self-centered and more focused on their role in relation to a social, collective context. In contrast, several students made individualistic claims; that a legitimizing aspect of civic studies, regarding certain skills and abilities that comes with the subject and that was regarded as a key element in a modern, democratic social context, is that they develop a sense of what others think of them and how successfully they present themselves to other people, groups and institutions. One conclusion is that there is a reason for the didactic research-field to investigate whether there needs to be a function in Swedish education which investigates whether students and teachers share the same idea of why they are studying a subject or various content related to a subject,

Thesis (MA) -- Stellenbosch University, 1998. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis the techniques of defamiliarisation in Gert Vlok Nel's Om te lewe is onnatuurlik (1993) are investigated, especially with the aid of the Russian Formalist concept ostranenie. The introductory chapter expounds the theoretical basis. With reference to some reviews the question is investigated whether the volume can be regarded as worker poetry. After this follows an explanation of the concept ostranenie as understood by the Formalists, especially Victor Shklovsky, and of the concept Verfremdungseffekt as formulated by Bertolt Brecht. These concepts are then compared with the postmodemist notion of de-naturalization as used by, for example, Linda Hutcheon. In addition to Formalist theory other theories will be used in an eclectic fashion: semiostructuralism (Mikhail Bakhtin and Michael Riffaterre), reception theory (Wolfgang Iser) and psychoanalysis (Harold Bloom). Because om te lewe is onnatuurlik was created in postmodemity, the theoretical approach is also predominantly of a poetmodern nature. In the practical part of the thesis seven poems are discussed in order to highlight the principal techniques of defamiliarisation in each one: the use of ellipses and parody ("die dag toe hulle vir Donkie Viviers"); selfreflexivity and metafidional elements (desember & see"); childlike focalisation and register (soeklig" and "boggellug"); typographical experimentation ("landskap"); spatial relativation ("Rita" and "hillside") and retardation ("hillside"). / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis word ondersoek ingestel na die vervreemdingstegnieke in Gert Vlok Nel se bundel om te lewe is onnatuurlik (1993), veral met behulp van die Russiese Formalistiese teorie oor die begrip ostranenie. Die inleidende hoofstuk hied 'n uiteensetting van die teoretiese hegrollding. Met verwysing na enkele resensies word daar eerstens ondersoek of die bundel as werkerspoosie beskou kan word. Hierna volg 'n uiteensetting van die konsep ostranenie soos gehanteer deur die Formaliste, veral Viktor Sklovsky, en van die konsep Verfremdungseffekt, soos geformuleer deur Bertolt Brecht. Hierdie begrippe word dan vergelyk met die postmodernietiese begrip de-naturalisasie soos gebruik deur byvoorbeeld Linda Hutcheon. Naas die Formalistiese teorie word ander teoriee op eklektiese wyee in hierdie .tudie betrek: die semio-strukturalisme (Mikhail Bakhtin en Michael Riffaterre), resepsieteorie (Wolfgang Iser) en psigo-analise (Harold Bloom). Omdat die bundel om lewe is onnatuurlik in die post· moclemiteit geskep is, is die invalshoek hoofsaaklik p08tmodernisties van aard. In diepraktiese deel van die tesis word &ewe gedigte bespreek ten einde die belangrikste vervreemdingstegnieke in elk uit te lig: die gebruik van ellipee en parodiering ('"die dag toe hulle vir Donkie Viviers'); selfrefieksie en metapoitiese elemente ("desember & see"); kinderlike fokalisering en register reoeklig" en "boggellug"); tipografiese eksperimentering ("landskap"); ruimtelike relativering ("Rita" en ··hillside");en vertraging ("hillside").

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die eerste gedeelte van hierdie tesis ondersoek die ruimtelike basis vir morele agentskap in Gert Vlok Nel se digbundel om te lewe is onnatuurlik. As teoretiese raamwerk word daar van die teoloog/letterkundige Wesley Kort, die letterkundige/sosioloog Irma du Plessis en die radikale geograaf David Harvey se werk gebruik gemaak. Kwessies soos die (i) wisselwerking tussen omvattende, sosiale en intieme ruimtes deur narratiewe ruimtelikheid in poësie, (ii) die onstandvastigheid van die onderskeid tussen private en openbare ruimtes en (iii) verkillende vorms van ruimtelikheid, soos absolute, relatiewe en relasionele ruimtes, asook materiële ruimte, gerepresenteerde ruimte en ruimtes van representasie kom aan die bod. Daar word aangevoer dat Gert Vlok Nel se bewustelike plasing van homself as randfiguurdigter binne die Afrikaanse literêre sisteem as vorm van morele agentskap gesien kan word. Verder word getoon dat, as om te lewe is onnatuurlik in geheel en as familiekroniek gelees word, die onderskeid tussen private en openbare ruimtes waar geweld en trauma plaasvind ondergrawe word en sodoende politieke magskwessies as persoonliketiese kwessies herdefinieer. Laastens word argument gevoer dat, alhoewel die sprekerdigter in die bundel (“Gert”, of “Gertjie”) op die oog af gebrekkige agentskap blyk te toon, die besonderse tydruimtelike plasing van die spreker-digter die moontlikheid vir verruiming van agentskap skep en sodoende die idee van versplinterde subjek uitdaag. Hierdie akademiese opstel hou verband met die kreatiewe gedeelte van die tesis, digbundel getiteld Veelvuldige gebruike vir huishoudelike toestelle, waarin huishoudelike ruimtes as vertrekpunt gebruik word om kwessies soos morele verantwoordbaarheid, kreatiewe aandadigheid, post-koloniale manlikheid, sosiale verandering en trauma te ondersoek. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The first part of this thesis investigates the spatial grounds for moral agency in Gert Vlok Nel’s collection of poems om te lewe is onnatuurlik [“to live is unnatural”]. The works of theologian/literary theorist Wesley Kort, literary theorist/sociologist Irma du Plessis and radical geographer David Harvey are used as theoretical framing. Matters such as (i) the interplay between encompassing, social and intimate spaces through narrative spatiality in poetry, (ii) flawed distinctions between private and public space, and (iii) different forms of spatiality, such as absolute, relative and relational space, as well as material space, represented space and spaces of representation are explored. It is argued that Gert Vlok Nel’s conscious positioning of himself as poetic outsider within the Afrikaans literary system can be seen as a form of moral agency. Furthermore, it is pointed out that a reading of om te lewe is onnatuurlik in its entirety, as family chronicle, destabilises the distinction between private and public spaces where violence and trauma occur, thereby recasting political power as questions of personal ethics. Finally it is argued that, although the narrator-poet in die collection (“Gert”, or “Gertjie”) seems to lack agency, the peculiar spatio-temporal placing of the narrator-poet nevertheless opens up room for the possibility of agency and by doing this, challenges the idea of a splintered subject. This academic essay is related to the creative part of this thesis, a collection of poems titled Veelvuldige gebruike vir huishoudelike toestelle [“Multiple uses for domestic appliances”], in which household space is used as a vantage point from which to interrogate issues such as moral responsibility, creative complicity, postcolonial masculinities, social change and trauma.

Introduction An estimated 11.4% of South Africans are infected with HIV. As of 2007, 1.7 million people required antiretroviral therapy (ART) and only 460 000 were reported to be on ART. ART can improve the quality of life and socio-economic status for HIV positive patients. This study aimed at evaluating the role played by the different factors in influencing treatment adherence among HIV patients on ART. Methods The study was conducted on patients receiving out-patient ART in two district hospitals (one urban and the other rural) of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The study project was approved by the Research and Ethics Committee of the University of Pretoria as well as by the Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Health. This was an analytical, cross-sectional study. The sample size for the study was 490 (245 per site). Facility-based patient appointment registers for the period June-August 2008 were used as the sampling frame. The respondents were selected through systematic random sampling. An interviewer directed standardised questionnaire was administered to the respondents after securing voluntary informed consent. Data were also extracted from the attendance registers in the two facilities. Adherence was measured using the Patient Medication Treatment Adherence Questionnaire. The Pearson chi-square test of association and binary logistic regression analysis were used for identifying significant predictors of non-adherence variables. Results Four hundred and twenty nine questionnaires of the 488 returned questionnaires were analysed. Sixty one questionnaires were disqualified due to incompleteness of data. The response rate was 99.7% in both study areas and participants reported adherence was 92.54%. The median age of the respondents was 36 (IQR, 13), gender distribution was 21.13% males and 78.87% females. The median duration of treatment (in months) with ART was 15 months (IQR, 18). Treatment adherence was higher in the urban than in the rural hospital. The variables that were significantly associated with non-adherence were ‘urban residence’ (OR 0.39 [0.2-0.8]); ‘lack of social support’ (OR 2.74 [1.3-5.7]); Discussion There were also some qualitative variables that had a bearing on quality of healthcare services that could explain differences between the rural and urban sites. Social support and urban residence demonstrated association with treatment adherence. Copyright / Dissertation (MMed)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) / Unrestricted

Instagram är ett socialt medium med ett stort antal användare, inklusive flera professionella och kända fotografer. Det har dock många begränsningar och egenheter som gör att det skiljer sig en del från en del mer konventionella kanaler. Målet med undersökningen är att svara på frågan: Hur skiljer sig fotografierna som två professionella fotografer publicerar på Instagram kontra på sina egna hemsidor?   Den här undersökningen fokuserar på fotograferna Ira Block och Mattias Klum och analyserar fotografier som de publicerat på Instagram samt fotografier som publicerats på deras egna hemsidor. Analyserna görs ur semiotisk synpunkt samt med Gert Z Nordströms metoder för bildanalys, både på makro- och mikronivå. Totalt har 120 bilder analyserats på makronivå och fyra bilder på mikronivå.   Analyserna visar att båda fotografer har gjort skillnader i vilka bilder de väljer att publicera på Instagram och på sina hemsidor – i många fall föredras bilder som är lättare att ta till sig på Instagram. Fotograferna har dock använt sig av olika metoder för detta, bland annat genom att ta fler närbilder eller undvika att ha för många individer i sina bilder. / Instagram is a social medium with a large number of users, including several professional and famous photographers. However, the medium has several limitations, which makes it stand out from other more conventional channels. The goal of this study is to answer the question: How do the photographs that two professional photographers publish on Instagram versus on their websites differ?   This essay focuses on the photographers Ira Block and Mattias Klum and analyses photographs that they have published on Instagram and photographs published on their websites. The analyses are performed from a semiotic point of view and with Gert Z Nordströms methods of image analysis, both on a macro and micro level. A total of 120 photographs have been analysed on a macro level and four photographs on a micro level.   The analyses show that both photographers have made differences in what images they choose to publish on Instagram and on their websites – in many cases images that are easier to comprehend are preferred on Instagram. Nevertheless, the photographers have used different methods to accomplish this, for instance by publishing close-ups or making sure that there aren’t too many individuals present in their photographs.

Body ownership is a complicated and multifaceted percept. Although we subjectively perceive body ownership to be a stable component of our identity, recent work has illustrated that body ownership is a dynamic construct that is constantly updated by the integration of current endogenous and exogenous body-related information. The goal of this study was to explore the relation between these endogenous (interoceptive) and exogenous (exteroceptive) channels of information. We investigated this by using a heartbeat perception (HBP) task to measure interoceptive accuracy, and the Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) to measure malleability of body ownership. Based on prior findings, we hypothesized that the less accurate you are at counting your heartbeats, the more susceptible you will be to the RHI (i.e. the more malleable your sense of body ownership will be). In addition, we were also interested in exploring the relationship between interoception and emotion recognition ability (ERA). In this experiment, we failed to induce the RHI, and thus could not investigate the relationship between endogenous and exogenous body-related information. However, we successfully demonstrated the reliability of the interoceptive accuracy HBP task, as well as demonstrated that interoceptive accuracy is not related to ERA. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)