Community Schools in Saskatchewan offer tremendous potential for building and sustaining democratic communities. This potential is based on what is intended to be the participatory and inclusive nature of these schools. Notions of inclusion at the root of community school orientations to foster well-being emerged from a social-democratic tradition within education and have been explored to differing extents by educational, political, and social theorists. To date, few researchers have examined staff perceptions of inclusion, given the broad and nuanced definition of social inclusion I use here. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the perceptions of these individuals so critically positioned to impact the lives of children, youth and their families, and to frame them in a socio-political and critical theoretical context. In doing so, I focus on the relationship between community school policy and practice in Saskatchewan, examining inclusive processes in community schools, and applying a critical theoretical perspective that accounts for complex and dynamic trends within these schools. Using Habermass critical theory of society, I argue that both functional and communicative rationalization can be seen as converging in the body of community education literature, although functional rationalization is the more predominant, or colonizing, feature. This colonization subsequently leads to legitimation and motivation crises in Community Schooling in Saskatchewan, which can be seen in the low levels of participation of families and community members into school activities. Despite the challenges Community Schools are currently facing, I conclude there is room and opportunity for change at the school level, where stakeholders come together to reach common goals, and live out, at the local level, the ideals of community schooling.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa litteratur och intervjustudie var att undersöka pedagogens roll i relationsskapande möten för barn i behov av särskilt stöd i förskoleklass, i synnerhet med tanke på barn som har ett utagerande beteende. De frågeställningar som låg till grund för denna studie var; Vilka pedagogiska strategier kan bidra till att öka graden av inklusion av barn som har ett utagerande beteende i både didaktiska situationer och i socialt samspel? och: Vilken är pedagogens roll i relationsskapande möten och hur blir detta synligt i arbetet med barn som har ett utagerande beteende? För att få svar på dessa frågeställningar valde jag att först undersöka relevanta internationella forskningsartiklar, leta strategier och presentera de mest frekventa strategierna i en tabell. Då detta resultat kändes statiskt och lämnade flera frågor obesvarade gjordes valet att intervjua en yrkesverksam förskollärare i förskoleklass. Intervjufrågorna baserades på resultatet av litteraturstudien, egna reflektioner och på föreliggande studies teoretiska inramning, det vill säga Martin Bubers relationsfilosofi. Resultatet av delstudie I visar att det finns en mängd pedagogiska strategier som kan bidra till att öka graden av inklusion av barn med ett utagerande beteende. De mest frekventa strategierna utifrån forskningsartiklarna är; Pedagogens förhållningssätt; beröm, uppmuntran och positivt bemötande. Att ha en trygg och tydlig struktur på miljö, uppgifter, förväntningar och på dagen. Skapa en tillåtande och accepterande atmosfär där olikheter ses som tillgångar och arbeta för att skapa goda relationer. Uppmuntra till diskussion, interaktion och samlärande. Undvik särskiljande lösningar som små undervisningsgrupper. Anpassa alla aktiviteter efter individuella behov, förutsättningar och intressen. All träning i sociala förmågor bör sammanflätas med vardagliga aktiviteter samt att ha en god samverkan med föräldrar, kollegor och andra instanser. Resultatet av delstudie II visar att pedagogens roll för att skapa inkluderande relationsskapande möten är betydelsefull. Pedagogens roll är att ge hela barnet möjligheter till lärande och utveckling genom att se, bekräfta, uppmuntra, stödja och lyfta fram det som är enastående och unikt hos varje individ. En medveten pedagog har en förmåga att ta tillvara på relationsskapande möten för att bygga förtroende, tillit och för att skapa en förstående och accepterande atmosfär där olikheter ses som tillgångar. Pedagogens roll är att ha en tilltro till barnets förmågor och ta tillvara på dessa. Arbetssätt och förhållningssätt i detta perspektiv anpassas efter barnens olika förutsättningar, behov och intressen. / The purpose of this qualitative literature and interview study was to investigate the role of teacher in relationship-buildingsessions with children in need of special needs support in pre-school,particularly with respect to children who have a disruptive behavior. Theissues underlying this study were: Whatpedagogical approaches can help to increase the degree of inclusion of childrenwith a disruptive behavior in both didactic situations and in socialinteraction? and: What is theteacher's role in relational meetings and how this will be visible in the workwith children who have disruptive behavior? To answer these questions, Ichose to first examine relevant international research articles, searchstrategies and present the most frequent strategies in a table. Since thisresult seemed static and left several questions unanswered I chose to interviewa professional teacher in preschool class. The interview questions were basedon the results of the literature review, reflections and this present study theoreticalframe, namely Martin Buber's relational philosophy. The first study shows thatthere are a variety of teacher strategies that can help to increase the degreeof inclusion of children with disruptive behavior. The most frequent strategiesbased on the research articles are; teachers attitude and approach; praise,encouragement and positive feedback. Have a safe and clear structure of theenvironment, tasks, and expectations of the day. Create a permissive andaccepting atmosphere where diversity is seen as an asset and develop goodrelations. Encourage discussion, interaction and co-operative learning. Avoidexcluding solutions such as small teaching groups. Adapt all activities toindividual needs, abilities and interests. All training in social skills shouldbe integrated with everyday activities. Have a good cooperation with parents,colleagues and other agencies. The results of the second study show that theteacher´s role in creating inclusive relational meetings is important. Theteacher's role is to give the child opportunities for learning and developmentthrough to really see, acknowledge, encourage, support and highlight what isoutstanding and unique in each individual. A conscious teacher has the abilityto take advantage of the relationship-building sessions to build confidence,trust and to create an understanding and accepting atmosphere where differencesare seen as assets. The teacher's role is also to have a belief in each child'sabilities and take advantage of these abilities. Work methods and teachersattitudes in this perspective are tailored to meet children's differentcircumstances, needs and interests.

As we start a new millennium, the conviction that exclusionary practices need to be fought at all levels of society is becoming gradually more accepted. Nevertheless, as I show in this thesis, many if not most researchers on High School Philosophy (HSP) operate from what Iris Marion Young (1990) calls a logic of identity, which continues to be exclusionary even when it attempts to reach “all.” My objective in this thesis, therefore, is to map out the HSP literature in terms of Young’s “Politics of Difference,” and, by doing that, to suggest ways in which it could be more inclusive. This adaptation of Young’s Politics of Difference to HSP is presented in this thesis in six chapters. In chapter 1, I summarize the main aspects of Young’s argument. In chapter 2, I give an overview of the current literature on HSP, showing that it is scarce and scattered. This thesis’s first contribution, therefore, is as a representative, though not exhaustive, catalogue of the HSP literature. In chapter 3, I present a deeper analysis of the HSP literature, dividing it into two main strands, “the selective” and the “universal” approaches to HSP. I also argue in this chapter that both these approaches are problematic, because they exclude many, privileges some over others and alienate all. In chapter 4, I present a brief analysis of the epistemology informing both the selective and the universal approaches to HSP. In this chapter, I focus on the so-called “Myth of Neutrality,” which is another manifestation of the logic of identity. Using as illustration the works of two authors, Robert Simon and Harvey Siegel, I show in this chapter how the myth of neutrality manifests the positivism and reductionism typical of the logic of identity. Finally, in chapter 5 I present my positive proposal for HSP, which I called “Philosophy of Many” (PoM), as a more inclusive alternative to both the selective and the universal approaches to HSP. The final chapter reviews the main conclusions of this study and suggests direction for further research.

As we start a new millennium, the conviction that exclusionary practices need to be fought at all levels of society is becoming gradually more accepted. Nevertheless, as I show in this thesis, many if not most researchers on High School Philosophy (HSP) operate from what Iris Marion Young (1990) calls a logic of identity, which continues to be exclusionary even when it attempts to reach “all.” My objective in this thesis, therefore, is to map out the HSP literature in terms of Young’s “Politics of Difference,” and, by doing that, to suggest ways in which it could be more inclusive. This adaptation of Young’s Politics of Difference to HSP is presented in this thesis in six chapters. In chapter 1, I summarize the main aspects of Young’s argument. In chapter 2, I give an overview of the current literature on HSP, showing that it is scarce and scattered. This thesis’s first contribution, therefore, is as a representative, though not exhaustive, catalogue of the HSP literature. In chapter 3, I present a deeper analysis of the HSP literature, dividing it into two main strands, “the selective” and the “universal” approaches to HSP. I also argue in this chapter that both these approaches are problematic, because they exclude many, privileges some over others and alienate all. In chapter 4, I present a brief analysis of the epistemology informing both the selective and the universal approaches to HSP. In this chapter, I focus on the so-called “Myth of Neutrality,” which is another manifestation of the logic of identity. Using as illustration the works of two authors, Robert Simon and Harvey Siegel, I show in this chapter how the myth of neutrality manifests the positivism and reductionism typical of the logic of identity. Finally, in chapter 5 I present my positive proposal for HSP, which I called “Philosophy of Many” (PoM), as a more inclusive alternative to both the selective and the universal approaches to HSP. The final chapter reviews the main conclusions of this study and suggests direction for further research.

Friendship matters. Practical support, caring, moral guidance, enjoyment, improved health and greater life expectancy are but a few of its benefits. Despite living in a stigmatizing social environment where isolation is common among disabled youth, some disabled teens establish strong friendships. A nuanced understanding of these meaningful friendships from the perspective of disabled teens was constructed through this qualitative study. Teens aged 15 to 20 who self-identified as experiencing stigma due to disability were recruited from urban, suburban and rural areas of Nova Scotia, Canada. Each teen was involved in a friendship of at least six months duration and had a close friend (with or without a disability) who was also willing to participate. Seven boys and seven girls, all but one of whom were disabled teens, took part in the study. These seven sets of friends engaged in research interviews and participant observation sessions. Nine adults who witnessed the friendships develop over time were also interviewed. Preliminary coding was completed using Atlas.ti. This was followed by a deeper, critical approach to analysis which generated three inter-connected themes. The first theme outlines how stigma disrupts the friendships of disabled youth though a range of processes (labeling, stereotyping, status loss, separation) that arise from and contribute to ableism discrimination against disabled people. The second theme, finding a balance between adult support and surveillance, emphasizes the crucial role adults play in facilitating the friendships of disabled youth. The final theme, disrupting oppression to create enduring friendship, highlights the strategies used by these disabled teens to make and keep friends in a stigmatizing society. Strategies most often used that appeared to be effective for participants were disrupting norms about friendship, coming out as disabled, connecting through stigma, and choosing self-exclusion. Two strategies horizontal hostility and passing as nondisabled were potentially harmful to disabled youth and in some ways limited friendship opportunities. Ideas to counter the harmful effects of ableism while creating lasting friendships are addressed to disabled teens, to their families, to allies in the education system, and to the broader community.

Ontario is a culturally diversified society. Its population composition has changed drastically in the past few decades to include large numbers of individuals with cultural norms differing from that of the majority. This poses challenges to public health, such as HIV prevention. Identifying practices that promote social inclusion in these communities is an important step toward the maintenance of cultural diversity and elimination of social exclusion. Culturally competent health promotion is one example of socially inclusive practices. Cultural competence refers to practices that take into consideration the cultural and linguistic nuances of a specific community or group. This thesis will be guided by the research questions: (1) What are the main health promotion practices of Community-based AIDS Service Organizations (CBAOs)? (2) How do the activities of these organizations promote social inclusion? This thesis uses qualitative methodology to study the CBAO as the unit of analysis. Data were collected from operators at three ethno-cultural CBAOs in Ontario: South Asian; Black, African, and Caribbean; and Portuguese. CBAOs are organizations within the community that provide HIV prevention resources, as well as support for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the community. The practices demonstrated at CBAOS in these communities illustrate three related mechanisms present that promote social inclusion: (a) community networking, (b) community knowledge and involvement, and (c) community-specific resources. These mechanisms can be used to inform practices at other community-based organizations in Ontario.

The aim of this study was to understand how three selected football associations in three counties in Sweden work to include children and adolescents with disability in the age of 7-20 in their organization.  For this study we have used a qualitative method. The data have been collected through using semi-structured interviews with coaches and representatives from the board. When analyzing the data, we used Charles Tilly's theory Durable Inequality and research within the area of inclusion within sports, the significance of activities and the inequality within sports. The conclusions of the study showed that there was a stated lack of knowledge in the associations when it comes to their work with young people with disabilities and also in their work with the policies. Though there was a mutual feeling of insecurity we noticed that in their work with coaching young people they adapted the training session in order for everyone in the team being able to participate. We also saw that the inclusion of the children and adolescents with disabilities varied between the three football associations, how they choose to model their activities. Two of the associations had separated teams and we analyzed how those teams were different in the aims for the teams and in other ways.

My big interest in sports was what shaped my choice of subject for the essay. The purpose of this study has been to explore the social meaning of team sports for functionally impaired persons. In order to fulfil the purpose of the essay I formed following questions: How do the actives experience their participation in team sports? And how important is the social intercourse in team sports to the individual welfare? The methods I’ve used have been qualitative with an ethnographic approach. I have used participant observations and field interviews to gather my empirical material. To analyze this material I have used theoretical concepts such as: group membership, social skills, social interaction, social inclusion and social exclusion. In this essay I have found out that team sports promotes people’s social skills. Therefore team sports are, according to my studies, a beneficial form of social work.

This report is the result of a field study conducted in urban Bolivia on women‘s group in which women are organised in order to work, get social support and personal capacity building under the responsibility of a licensed psychologist. The study sought to examine the groups by focusing on the experiences of the women in relation to the process of empowerment and the development of the community. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with half of the women participating in the group. Results showed that weekly capacity building workshops and social inclusion have positive effects on the women‘s development in terms of self-confidence and communication skills. The economic development has not been what the women expected and they showed great disappointment regarding that. The results were further analysed by the use of Bronfenbrenner‘s bioecological perspective, an analysis in which the main conclusion drawn was the positive effects of strong development from interaction between actors within the women‘s microsystems. A conclusive analysis has proposed more active participation from the women and more control over the progress of the groups to further promote the process of empowerment.

Ontario is a culturally diversified society. Its population composition has changed drastically in the past few decades to include large numbers of individuals with cultural norms differing from that of the majority. This poses challenges to public health, such as HIV prevention. Identifying practices that promote social inclusion in these communities is an important step toward the maintenance of cultural diversity and elimination of social exclusion. Culturally competent health promotion is one example of socially inclusive practices. Cultural competence refers to practices that take into consideration the cultural and linguistic nuances of a specific community or group. This thesis will be guided by the research questions: (1) What are the main health promotion practices of Community-based AIDS Service Organizations (CBAOs)? (2) How do the activities of these organizations promote social inclusion? This thesis uses qualitative methodology to study the CBAO as the unit of analysis. Data were collected from operators at three ethno-cultural CBAOs in Ontario: South Asian; Black, African, and Caribbean; and Portuguese. CBAOs are organizations within the community that provide HIV prevention resources, as well as support for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the community. The practices demonstrated at CBAOS in these communities illustrate three related mechanisms present that promote social inclusion: (a) community networking, (b) community knowledge and involvement, and (c) community-specific resources. These mechanisms can be used to inform practices at other community-based organizations in Ontario.