Although digital media has been exploited to improve digital libraries, social networking sites, and book promotion for adult and child stakeholders, but encouraging children who have the choice to either read from a book or on a screen remains limited worldwide, including Jordan. This interest has meant that data about children's reading habits were needed, and the present study was intended as a contribution towards this aim. Interviews were conducted with Jordanian writers, publishers, child specialists, and various children's cultural centres. The managers and personnel unanimously showed that Jordanian children are not good readers and that a limited number of books are published for children as there are actual boundaries preventing Jordanian writers from publishing books. In particular, subjecting the typical sorts of children's websites - 'Club Penguin', 'PBS Kids', 'A Story before Bed', 'Baraem', 'Storyline Online', and 'Raneen' - to evaluation showed that 'Club Penguin' got the highest rank among the other websites in terms of multimodal features, usability, and language, while 'PBS Kids' got the highest rank regarding interactivity, and 'A Story before Bed' got the highest rank in reading activities. Although it was realised that most children were satisfied with the aspects of usability and ease of use rather than the structure or the aesthetic of the website, and were more attracted to the websites that provide multimodal features such as special characters, narration, gesture, and interactivity. The targeted websites' parameters obtained from the survey were used as guidance in the design structure of the KITABAK website, as a virtual reading environment for children's reading practices. The evaluation results that were obtained showed that there is a significant correlation towards encouraging children's reading habits and reading from printed books accompanying the website; girls showed more interest in reading iv than boys; and there is an obvious willingness for the adaptation of the website as a part of the Jordanian school curriculum. In addition, the KITABAK website was accepted significantly more than 'Club Penguin', mainly because the KITABAK website has facilities, games and reading activities. Also, results showed that children who were subjected to testing the KITABAK website for a one-week period proved to accept the website significantly more than those who were subjected to testing it once.

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This dissertation is a critical investigation of the engagements of scriptures in the life and speeches of U.S. Congresswoman Barbara C. Jordan (1936–1996). I engage in a research methodology that utilizes critical historical, auto/biographical, literary, and rhetorical analyses. My research agenda is to explain how scriptures work and are used by Barbara Jordan to illustrate an example of a larger phenomenon of scripturalizing and scripturalization outside of the context of institutional religion. In order to give a fuller context to Barbara Jordan’s rhetorical strategies, as an African American woman, I first consider the lives, speeches and use of scriptures of formidable 19th century African American women orators and political activists, Maria W. Stewart and Anna Julia Cooper, who serve as functional equivalents or precursors to Barbara Jordan. In this study, I found that Barbara Jordan makes American scripture, i.e. the Constitution, function in her speeches as a central component in a discursive rhetorical strategy of indirection, which I refer to as signifying on scriptures. She uses the Constitution, along with her personal history as an African American woman, to pretend mere sociopolitical conviction about social injustice. However, at the same time, she is strategic and intends to promote advocacy for racial justice and gender equality. Jordan uses the Constitution to signify on scriptures in a similar manner to how Maria W. Stewart and Anna Julia Cooper use Christian scriptures, i.e. the Bible, in their speeches to negotiate social and political power.

The main contribution of the present thesis is in two aspects. The first one, which is the heart of the thesis, is to explore the fundamental relation between rough paths and their signatures. Our main goal is to give a geometric characterization of the kernel of the signature map in different situations. In Chapter Two, we start by establishing a general fact that a continuous Jordan curve on a Riemannian manifold can be arbitrarily well approximated by piecewise minimizing geodesic interpolations which are again Jordan. This result enables us to prove a generalized version of Green’s theorem for planar Jordan curves with finite p-variation 1 &le; p < 2, and to prove that two such Jordan curves have the same signature if and only if they are equal up to reparametrization. In Chapter Three, we investigate the problem for general weakly geometric rough paths. In particular, we show that a weakly geometric rough path has trivial signature if and only if it is tree-like in the sense we will define later on. In Chapter Four, we study the problem in the probabilistic setting. In particular, we show that for a class of stochastic processes, with probability one the sample paths are determined by their signatures up to reparametrization. A fundamental example is Gaussian processes including fractional Brownian motion with Hurst parameter H > 1/4, the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process and the Brownian bridge. The second one is an application of rough path theory to the study of nonlinear diffusions on manifolds under the framework of nonlinear expectations. In Chapter Five, we begin by studying the geometric rough path nature of G-Brownian motion. This enables us to introduce rough differential equations driven by G-Brownian motion from a pathwise point of view. Next we establish the fundamental relation between rough (pathwise theory) and stochastic (L²-theory) differential equations driven by G-Brownian motion. This is a crucial point of understanding nonlinear diffusions and their generating heat flows on manifolds from an intrinsic point of view. Finally, from the pathwise point of view we construct G-Brownian motion on a compact Riemannian manifold and establish its generating heat flow for a class of G-functions under orthogonal invariance. As an independent interest, we also develop the Euler-Maruyama scheme for stochastic differential equations driven by G-Brownian motion.

The modern battlefield is a changing environment where new ideas and technology are being tried and implemented. One such technology that has brought recent changes to the battlefield is the Unmanned Aerial Combat Vehicles (UCAV), commonly (and often incorrectly) referred to as “drones”. UCAV can be considered the new weapon of choice to deal with irregular opponents or terrorist organisations, such as those in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, the use of UCAV is not without contradictory elements and leads to debate. It is within this debate that this study takes foothold. This study will be analysing the debate and issues surrounding this by evaluating four contrasting variables, measuring impact through different means and aiming to increase the understanding of UACV in the field. There are several crossovers in the analysis of all four variables citing the strengths and weaknesses of UCAV provisions in conflict. The analysis, however, conclude that a sole, holistic use of UCAV strikes would not resort in a termination of threats, such as the Taliban or Al-Qaida. This means that both the positive and the negative aspects of UCAV are seen in the conflict and do not contradict one another. Regretfully, this implicates that even if the Taliban and Al-Qaida becomes less effective due to the UCAV strikes, they will not perish.

Jordan is a developing country which is taking measures to make the situation in the society more equal between males and females. Former research has showed that it, worldwide, sometimes is great differences between the genders in the health care. This thesis illuminates how it is to work in an intensive care unit and if there are differences between male and female intensive care nurses influencing on the provided care. Twenty intensive care nurses from four intensive care units at Jordan University Hospital were included in the study. Both field notes and an observation schedule were used to gather data. The field notes captured the overall experience of working in the intensive care area and were analyzed by thematic content analyze. The observation schedule concentrated on how long time was spent and which activities were performed bedside. Data from the schedule was compared between the units and between male and female intensive care nurses caring for male and female intensive care patients. The field notes showed that even if the units were busy and crowed the silence and calmness were present. Cooperation was essential and trust and knowledge were spread. Often a warm and comfortable feeling surrounded the personnel and they seemed to like it at work. The observation schedule showed that in the medical and surgical intensive care units the intensive care nurses spent more time and performed a greater number of bedside activities compared to the pediatric and main intensive care units. Female intensive care nurses who cared for male intensive care patients performed less bedside activities and when they cared for a female intensive care patient they spent less time bedside compared to the other groups. In all the units and all the groups the most frequent performed activity was to have a look at the equipment, followed by have a look at the patient. The results can however be questioned since it is a small study accomplished by a single researcher, in some few intensive care units at one hospital. / Program: Specialistsjuksköterskeutbildning med inriktning mot intensivvård

Jordan is a developing country and there are ten Palestine refugee camps throughout Jordansince the Arab-Israel conflict in 1948 and the Arab-Israel war in 1967. The camps are run byUnited Nation Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)which is the main provider of health care in the camp. Today, the fourth generation ofrefugees lives in the camps which are extremely overpopulated. The social and economicconditions in the camps are poor. The nurses&apos; workload in the Health care centre in the campis getting harder and UNRWA&apos;s resources are getting strained due to funding shortfalls. Weasked ourselves the question: How do the nurses experience providing care for the patientswith limited resources? The aim of this study is to elucidate the nurses&apos; experiences ofworking and caring in a Palestine refugee camp in Jordan and also to describe challengeswhile conducting a qualitative study within this field. Qualitative data were collected byperforming interviews with an open ended question with nurses who are working in one of theHealth care centres in the largest Palestine refugee camp in Jordan. Methodologicalreflections were made out of our experiences while conducting the study. The nurses talkedabout providing good care for the patients and their satisfaction when caring. They alsoreflected over the resources in the Health care centre. Since the Palestine refugee camp is thenurses&apos; home and workplace, a place where they have their professional and private life, itseems that there is a very strong connection between the nurse and the patient. / <p>Program: Sjuksköterskeutbildning</p><p>Uppsatsnivå: C</p>

This study examines Al-Ḥirāk Al-Shabābī Al-ʾUrdunī (the Jordanian Youth Movement), from now on the HSU, and aims to be a first scholarly attempt at mapping the organisation, strategy, challenges, and significance of this youth-led and youth-organised social movement. Taking an interpretive approach to organisational research, this thesis has used a wide range of primary and secondary data, benefited from extensive periods of participant observation as well as interviews with a variety of people including movement participants, in order to achieve a better understanding of the HSU. The main findings that result from this research show that the HSU is ideologically an umbrella to a variety of ideologies, from leftist or communists to Islamists, and that it chooses to organise informally and uninstitutionally in accordance with their political conviction of political parties and traditional opposition groups being a tool of social control for the regime. Politically, therefore, the movement represents a rupture with traditional politics in the country which are perceived by participants as part of a historically constructed system for exercising social control. Finally, the movement challenges traditional frames of ethnic and religious understandings of social and political subjectivities by mobilising a more inclusive discourse that tries to recover the debate on class struggle. Its political independence from other actors in the Jordanian political scene allows participant to raise more radical claims that seek regime removal as well as demands for reform, and these radical discourse within the movement greatly depend on the varying political opportunity structure in time determined by the Jordanian regime’s combination of conciliatory and repressive counter-strategies. An analysis of the strategic conversation between the regime and the HSU is key to exploring the social and political significance of movement strategies in bringing about change in the country as it determines the challenges to organisation encountered. However, relevant transformations in the culture of activism in Jordan are evident, and have the potential to transforming the future of political participation and organisation.

The relationship between politicians and firms has attracted a considerable amount of research, especially in developing countries, where firms' political links are a widespread phenomenon. However, existing literature offers contradicting views about this relationship, espicially regarding the impact of firms' political connections on firms' market-performance. Furthermore, there is limited evidence on the impact of firms' political connections on some of the important corporate decisions, including firms' investment- and dividend-policies. Therefore, this thesis seeks to fill these gaps by offering three empirical essays with Jordan as a case study. The first essay examines the impact of firms' political links on their values by controlling for macroeconomic conditions. Also, in the extended models, by specifying three major events which occurred after 2008, namely, the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Global Financial Crisis, and the Arab Uprisings, we investigate the effects of these events on the relationship between firms' political ties and their value. The findings of this essay indicate that politically-connected firms have higher values compared to their non-connected counterparts in Jordan. Moreover, it is found that firms with stronger political-ties have higher values than firms with weaker ties. Furthermore, the positive effect of political connections continues, even after controlling for the macroeconomic conditions, though the latter are considered to be more important than political connections for firm valuation due to their impact on the share price. Interestingly, findings show that the events occurring after 2008 do not seem to have affected the relationship between political connections and firm value since the significant positive impact of political-ties on firm value persists during the post-event period. The second empirical essay studies the role of political connections in mitigating firms' financing-constraints. Moreover, it investigates the effect of the strength of political connections in alleviating these constraints. Finally, it looks at the impact of the above-mentioned three events which occurred after 2008, notwithstanding the new banking Corporate Governance Code issued in 2007. Findings of this essay reveal that firms' political connections are important in mitigating their financing-constraints. Furthermore, the results show that stronger political connections seem to reduce financing-constraints more than weaker connections. Finally, findings show that the impact of firms' political connections has diminished during the post-event period (2008 - 2014). The third essay examines how a firm's political connections can affect its dividend-policy. It also considers the impact of the strength of political connections on dividend-policy. Finally, we extend the empirical analysis by investigating any shift in the relationship between political connections and dividends due to the events of the Global Financial Crisis, the Arab Uprisings, and the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Results of this essay reveal that a firm's political connections have a significant positive impact on both the propensity to pay dividends and the dividend-payout ratio. Regarding the impact of the strength of political connections on dividends, it is found that firms with weaker political connections pay out more in dividends than firms with stronger connections. In terms of the impact of the events which occurred after 2008 on the relationship between political connections and dividends, the findings show that the impact of these connections on dividends is eliminated.

There is a legal separation in Jordan between Sharia' (Islamic) Law and Civil Law. Both types of law come together to create criminal law that has a negative effect on women's rights. Laws in Jordan are evolving in the right direction but are not going far enough to protect women from violence. This study explores the issues of violence against women in Jordan through a study the Jordanian legal system and the experience of women who suffer violence. The working of the Jordanian justice system is presented by analysing the responses of state and non-state institutions dealing with violence against women. Included in the research is an analysis of feminist concerns with the law and the position of women in society. My concern is with the way in which women's inferior position impacts on their experience of violence and their ability to obtain redress and access protection. The methods used to complete this study included qualitative data collections such as field observations, and semi-structured participant interviews. It also extended to archival work in which I studied official reports and public policies on VAW. My study attempts to explain the structure of gender relations and women's experiences of violence in the context of Jordanian society by using feminist theory. The empirical work conducted in Jordan considered the effectiveness of law in serving victims. Further analysis considers how the Jordanian socio-economic and legal environment influences women's decisions on whether to seek help. The research found that there is a need to introduce better-developed law accompanied by additional policy measures to affect an essential change in attitudes. This requires changing some laws and policy programmes to increase awareness of legal rights. Additionally, I will suggest that applying Islamic law to women's rights can also give women more freedom and provide them with additional opportunities to access protection. The research identified a need for coherence between Civil and Sharia' (Islamic) Law in developing civil and criminal remedies which would align Jordan's domestic law to its international obligations.