The purpose of this research is to explore how narrative practices can be meaningful in pastoral conversations with women living with breast cancer. A theoretical collaboration between narrative therapy, feminism and pastoral theology has been used in order to facilitate meaning-making, to give ‘voice’ to local knowledge, and to co-create a more holistic understanding of the experiences of illness narratives and breast cancer. The methodology of this research is ‘interdisciplinary’ and uses qualitative, co-participatory action research and reflexivity as its research design. Conversations with the co-researchers explore illness narratives, breast cancer, spirituality and faith, life-giving relationships, femininity and body image, socially constructed discourses and pivotal moments that enable alternative stories. Values of respect, curiosity and listening have been upheld in order to provide a safe place for the co-researchers to give voice to their stories and experiences of breast cancer in a way that supports the researcher position of ‘witness’. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology, with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

A presente pesquisa investiga a interação discursiva em quatro atividades de campo junto a estudantes de sexta série do Ensino Fundamental, assumindo as explicações construídas como ferramenta cultural à luz da Teoria da Ação Mediada, de James Wertsch, na perspectiva da construção de significados. Para tal evidenciamos a contribuição do processo interativo, fundamental para uma alfabetização científica. De uma forma mais específica e no escopo do ensino de Biologia, defendemos a tese de que, na atividade de campo a construção de significados se faz pela incorporação do objeto no discurso, quer por sua presença como parte do cenário, quer como representação em gestos. Esta afirmação emerge a partir de nossos dados de pesquisa, organizados em mapas de interatividade, os quais revelam as conexões entre objeto empírico, gestos, modelos conceituais e outros recursos presentes no discurso dos sujeitos em interação, concernentes com o quadro teórico de apoio. Nessa perspectiva, observamos que nas situações de ensino estão presentes diversos modos semióticos, e investigar como os educadores os combinam, contribui para que compreendamos os processos de construção de significados para além da análise verbal nas interações discursivas, ou seja, para construirmos significados precisamos incorporar diversos modos de ação, sejam concretos ou abstratos, mas necessariamente compartilhados entre educadores e estudantes. Portanto, seria insuficiente analisar as interações discursivas apenas do ponto de vista da fala, da linguagem verbal, uma vez que, ao produzir um gesto, o sujeito produz ou altera a interpretação do outro. Observando ainda o contexto de produção dos gestos, apontamos que, nas explicações construídas pelos sujeitos, os gestos apresentaram estreitas relações com práticas epistêmicas, padrões de interações e o objeto empírico. Em termos conclusivos, apontamos como característica do movimento discursivo nas atividades de campo a incorporação do elemento empírico como recurso de negociação de significados, que somente terá sentido se a atenção for dirigida ao que é observável e relevante, função esta cumprida pelos gestos. / This study investigates the interaction of four discursive field activities with students from sixth grade of elementary school, assuming the explanations constructed as a cultural tool to the Theory of Mediated Action by James Wertsch, in view of the construction of meanings. To this evidence the contribution of the interactive process, fundamental to scientific literacy. On a more specific and scope of teaching biology, we defend the thesis that, in the field of activity of meaning making is done by embedding the object in the discourse, either by their presence as part of the scenario, either as representation in gestures. This statement emerges from our survey data, organized in interactive maps, which reveal the connections between empirical object, gestures, conceptual models and other features present in the speech of individuals in interaction, related to the theoretical framework of support. In this perspective, we note that in teaching situations are present different semiotic modes, and investigate how educators combine them, helps us to understand the processes of meaning beyond the verbal analysis in discursive interactions, i.e., to construct meanings need to incorporate different modes of action, whether concrete or abstract, but must be shared between educators and students. Therefore, it would be insufficient to analyze interactions discursive only from the point of view of speech, language verbally, since, in producing a gesture, the subject produces or alters the interpretation of the other. Noting further the production context of gestures, pointed out that the explanations constructed by the subjects, the gestures had close relations with epistemic practices, patterns of interactions and empirical object. In terms conclusive, pointed out as characteristic of motion in the discursive field activities incorporating the empirical element as feature negotiation of meaning, which only make sense if the attention is directed to what is \'observable\' and relevant, this function fulfilled by gestures.

The present study addresses what happens when historical feature film is used in history education. The purpose of this thesis is to develop new knowledge of historical film literacy through a study of the feature film's didactical potential in an educa­tional context. This is carried out through an analysis of the historical meaning making among upper secondary students when viewing historical feature films, and special attention is paid to the importance of emotions in the students' meaning making through historical feature film. A focus of the study is the didactical dilemma, previously addressed in historical film research, that arises in the use of feature film in history or social studies education, in relation to educational context, film experience, and historical understanding. The present thesis is an independent continuation of my licentiate thesis History as Fiction (2014). The empirical material consists of interviews with students and teachers from two upper secondary schools in Sweden, as well as documentation from students' assessments and selected scenes from feature films experienced by the students as they were used in history class. The theoretical framework for the study takes an interdisciplinary approach. It is based on Jörn Rüsens under­standing of historical meaning and histo­ri­cal culture, as well as on transaction theory described by John Dewey and Louise M. Rosenblatt. Film reception theory is equally important, represented by theories from David Bordwell and Carl Plantinga. The main research question focused on how the concept of historical film literacy could be developed theoretically. Historical film literacy is understood in this thesis as an advanced consciousness of how historical meaning making is created through the individual's transaction with film's narration in a specific context, and how meaning making ideally links historical disciplinary thinking with practical orientation in life. The core of theoretically developed historical film literacy is an understanding of the individual's emotional and aesthetic experience of historical feature film, and elaborated theoretical knowledge about the close relationship between the affective response and the more distanced cognitive activity during and after watching a film. Also crucial for historical film literacy is an under­standing of the historical film's representation of the past as a conflation of facts and fiction. The knowledge of history that students' gain from historical feature film should be constructed in a synthesis of an aesthetic and an efferent stance in the transaction process. This is because the feature film has the capacity to stimulate both a feeling of empathy and of nearness in the viewer as well as a movement of the viewer away from the narration and towards more distanced cognition. This movement helps the viewer to analyze and interpret the historical meaning making from a critical perspective, when the experience of the feature film is transformed to a reflected experience.

This thesis is about newly arrived adult migrants’ meaning making and learning in Swedish society during the two years’ introduction period, after they have received the residence permit. I have specifically studied Arabic speaking adults’ meaning making and learning, by carrying out observations and individual in-depth interviews with 12 migrants. The introduction period consists mainly of three so called introduction measures; the civic orientation course, Swedish for immigrants (SFI), and different work related activities, such as internship at different work places. The results show that etablering is about shaping the newly arrived adult migrants into ”good” citizens, through the introduction measures, among other things in the civic orientation course, which is regulated through the policy documents, and which so to say provides meaning to the newly arrived. The “good” citizen has some specific characteristics, which, roughly, are that he or she is independent (and advocates individuality), free, equality thinking, secularized, law-abiding (which includes being honest), responsible, and a “good” parent. These characteristics are expressed in different ways in the civic orientation course, for instance through the course material. The Swedish society is described as something desirable, and different from what is implied to be ”Arabic” values and ways of thinking. The idea of the “good” citizen appears to aim at constructing the adult migrants’ (and their families’) identity, something which many of the study’s respondents make a resistance to. As concerns the migrant’s new experiences, it is, for example, those which the migrant get through the contact with the Swedish Public Employment Service (SPES) that affect the meaning making in the new society. The meaning which most of the respondents have made of the SPES’s measures for them is that this authority only offers “prepackaged” solutions, and does not provide the help or support that they need. Also the experiences which the migrant has in the civic orientation course, and the meaning which ”old” migrants give to him or her, play a role when he or she makes meaning of Sweden and Swedes, and of his or her new life situation. Further, it has been shown that it is those experiences that the adult individual has been socialized through, and those which he or she has gained through work or education in his or her country of origin, which affect his or her meaning making in Sweden. It is mostly values which concern child upbringing and religion that lead to a certain understanding and construction of one’s new life. These values, when related to the values which are included in the ”good” citizen idea, also lead to either a resistance or a readiness towards the meaning giving that is embedded in the ”good” citizen notion. / Denna studie handlar om nyanlända vuxna migranters meningsskapande och lärande i det svenska samhället under deras tvååriga introduktionsperiod, efter att de har fått uppehållstillstånd. Jag har specifikt studerat arabisktalande vuxnas meningsskapande och lärande, genom observationer och enskilda djupintervjuer med 12 nyanlända. Introduktionsperioden består främst av tre s.k. etableringsinsatser; kursen i samhällsorientering, svenska för invandrare (SFI) samt olika arbetsrelaterade och arbetsfrämjande insatser, såsom praktik på olika arbetsplatser. Resultatet visar att etablering handlar om att forma de vuxna nyanlända till ”goda” medborgare, genom etableringsinsatserna, bl.a. i samhällsorienteringskursen, som regleras genom policydokumenten, och som s.a.s. tillhandahåller mening för de nyanlända. Den ”goda” medborgaren har vissa specifika kännetecken, vilka, i grova drag, är att han eller hon är självständig (och förespråkar individualitet), fri, jämlikhetstänkande, sekulariserad, laglydig (vilket inkluderar ärlig), ansvarsfull, och en ”god” förälder. Dessa karaktärsdrag kommer på olika sätt till uttryck i samhällsorienteringskursen, exempelvis genom kursmaterialet. Det svenska samhället framställs då också som något eftersträvansvärt, och skilt från det som antyds vara ”arabiska” värderingar och tänkesätt. Föreställningen om den ”goda” medborgaren verka syfta till att konstruera den vuxna nyanländas (och dennas familjs) identitet, något som många av studiens respondenter gör motstånd mot. Vad gäller migrantens nya erfarenheter, är det exempelvis de som migranten har fått genom kontakt med Arbetsförmedlingen som påverkar meningsskapandet i det nya samhället. Den mening som de flesta av respondenterna har gjort om Arbetsförmedlingens insatser för dem är att denna myndighet enbart erbjuder dem ”förpaketerade” lösningar, och inte tillhandahåller den hjälp eller det stöd som de behöver. Även erfarenheter som migranten gör i samhällsorienteringskursen, samt den mening som ”gamla” migranter förmedlar till honom eller henne, spelar roll för hur vederbörande skapar mening om Sverige och svenskar, och om sin nya livssituation. Dessutom har det visat sig att det är de erfarenheter som den vuxna har blivit socialiserad genom, samt de som han eller hon har fått genom utbildning eller arbete i ursprungslandet, som påverkar migrantens meningsskapande i Sverige. Det är främst värderingar som är knutna till barnuppfostran och religion som leder till en viss förståelse och konstruktion av ens nya liv. Dessa värderingar leder också, när de stöts mot de värderingar som ingår i föreställningen om den ”goda” medborgaren, antingen till ett motstånd mot eller en beredvillighet inför det meningsgivande som ingår i den ”goda” medborgaren.

The present study addresses what happens when historical feature film is used in history education. The purpose of this thesis is to develop new knowledge of historical film literacy through a study of the feature film's didactical potential in an educa­tional context. This is carried out through an analysis of the historical meaning making among upper secondary students when viewing historical feature films, and special attention is paid to the importance of emotions in the students' meaning making through historical feature film. A focus of the study is the didactical dilemma, previously addressed in historical film research, that arises in the use of feature film in history or social studies education, in relation to educational context, film experience, and historical understanding. The present thesis is an independent continuation of my licentiate thesis History as Fiction (2014). The empirical material consists of interviews with students and teachers from two upper secondary schools in Sweden, as well as documentation from students' assessments and selected scenes from feature films experienced by the students as they were used in history class. The theoretical framework for the study takes an interdisciplinary approach. It is based on Jörn Rüsens under­standing of historical meaning and histo­ri­cal culture, as well as on transaction theory described by John Dewey and Louise M. Rosenblatt. Film reception theory is equally important, represented by theories from David Bordwell and Carl Plantinga. The main research question focused on how the concept of historical film literacy could be developed theoretically. Historical film literacy is understood in this thesis as an advanced consciousness of how historical meaning making is created through the individual's transaction with film's narration in a specific context, and how meaning making ideally links historical disciplinary thinking with practical orientation in life. The core of theoretically developed historical film literacy is an understanding of the individual's emotional and aesthetic experience of historical feature film, and elaborated theoretical knowledge about the close relationship between the affective response and the more distanced cognitive activity during and after watching a film. Also crucial for historical film literacy is an under­standing of the historical film's representation of the past as a conflation of facts and fiction. The knowledge of history that students' gain from historical feature film should be constructed in a synthesis of an aesthetic and an efferent stance in the transaction process. This is because the feature film has the capacity to stimulate both a feeling of empathy and of nearness in the viewer as well as a movement of the viewer away from the narration and towards more distanced cognition. This movement helps the viewer to analyze and interpret the historical meaning making from a critical perspective, when the experience of the feature film is transformed to a reflected experience.

Syftet med denna studie var att bidra med kunskap om hur maskulina representationer i utvalda skönlitterära böcker framställdes och att studera svensklärares utsagor kring arbetet med dessa manliga representationer på gymnasiet samt hur svensklärares arbete med de maskulina representationerna kunde verka meningsskapande i klassrummet.      Våldet ökar bland unga män och det är färre pojkar än flickor som når kunskapskraven i alla ämnen i årskurs nio. Genom studier framträder skolan som en starkt normgivande arena där det existerar få möjligheter för unga människor att bryta mot etablerade stereotypa normer. Unga män blir offer för en maskulin stereotyp som förväntas hålla tillbaka känslor och bruka våld. I skönlitteraturen beskrivs människor och representationer som läsaren själv kan känna igen sig i eller som läsaren kanske önskar att hen själv var. Med denna studie ville jag öka medvetenheten kring vilka maskulina representationer svensklärare introducerade till sina elever via skönlitteratur.      En kvalitativ metod valdes. Fyra kvinnliga legitimerade och verksamma svensklärare på gymnasiet intervjuades om deras arbete med maskulin representation i fyra olika skönlitterära böcker som de arbetade med under våren 2020. Lärarnas utsagor förväntades ge svar på vilket potentiellt meningsskapande eleverna erbjöds i behandlandet av skönlitteraturen. De fyra skönlitterära böckerna analyserades utifrån maskulinitetsteori och feministisk teori i syfte att identifiera dess maskulina representationer.      Resultatet visade att de fyra skönlitterära böckerna innehöll en mångfald av maskulina representationer. Männen var unga och gamla, heterosexuella och homosexuella, omtänksamma och dominanta, svaga och starka och så vidare. Den mångfald som presenterades i böckerna ger läsaren möjligheten att bredda sin syn på vad maskulinitet kan vara. Lärarna uppgav att de behandlade framträdande maskulina representationer och deras specifika drag i böckerna vilket innebär att eleverna potentiellt sett fick chans att skapa mening ur det lästa och med olika representationer i fokus. / The overall aim of the study was to contribute with knowledge about how representation of masculinity was composed in fiction and to study L1 teachers´ statements about their work with these representations of masculinity in upper secondary school and how L1 teachers´ work with the representations of masculinity could become meaningful in the classroom.       Violence increases among young men and less boys than girls are reaching knowledge requirements in all subjects in grade nine. Through studies school appear to be a normative arena where few opportunities are given for young people to trespass established norms and stereotypes. Young men become victims of a masculine stereotype which is supposed to maintain his feelings and be violent. Fiction describes people and representations that readers can recognize themselves in, or that the reader may wish to be. With this study I wanted to increase the awareness of which representations of masculinity L1 teachers introduced through fiction to their students.      A qualitative method was chosen for this study. Four female L1 teachers, active and legitimate at upper secondary school, were interviewed about their work with representation of masculinity in four different fiction books which they worked with during spring 2020. Teachers´ statements were expected to give answers to what potential meaning making the pupils were given when working with the fiction. The four fiction books were analyzed through masculine theory and feminist theory with the purpose to identify their representations of masculinity.      The result revealed that the four fiction books contained a diversity of masculine representation. The men were young and old, heterosexual and homosexual, thoughtful and dominant, weak and strong and so forth. The diversity presented in the books gives the reader an opportunity to increase their image of what masculinity can be. L1 teachers´ statements showed that they treated prominent representations of masculinity and their specific traits in the books which entails that students were given the opportunity to create meaning out of the text and with different representations in focus.

Considering the high incidence of suicide in the South African context, the fact that suicide is considered an occupational hazard for psychologists, with more than half experiencing the suicide of a patient in their career and the dearth of post-suicide qualitative research among psychologists, the purpose of this study is to explore and describe the experience of psychologists after the suicide of their patient, and to develop guidelines as a framework of reference to assist psychologists in dealing with the suicide of their patient. In keeping with a social constructionist ontological and ecosystemic epistemological theoretical framework, data was collected by means of meaning-making conversations with six purposively selected psychologists, with a minimum of five years‟ experience and at least one year having passed after the suicide of their patient. The data was analysed independently by the researcher and an independent coder using Tesch‟s open and descriptive method. The present study found that, following the suicide of their patient, the participants were propelled into a myriad of acutely distressing emotions. They often described a suffocating sense of responsibility for the suicide and the lingering presence of their patient. The participants experienced feelings of guilt and self-doubt, often questioning their own professional competence. The post-suicide process was described as being both a personally and professionally isolating event, due to the sense of having to carry the burden of the suicide alone for ethical reasons and fear of social stigmatisation. The participants appeared to grapple with the paradoxical dance between their personal emotional realities and what they perceived to be “clinically” or “professionally” acceptable. Having gone through the traumatic experience of losing a patient to suicide, most of the participants eventually found new wisdom, which helped them become wounded healers. Based on these findings, post-vention guidelines with practical actions were developed to assist psychologists in dealing with the suicide of their patient. Recommendations are made with regard to suicidology research, suicide education and psychologists‟ practice. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This phenomenological, qualitative study addressed student perceptions of their meaning-making process towards self-authorship in a self-designed gap year experience and was conducted in a public higher educational institution in the Southeast. Data was gathered through interviews from a purposeful sample of gap year program participants and program administrators. Emerging themes and categories were identified by coding and analyzing the interview data, such as continual reflection reinforces the value of individual meaning-making, self-expectations versus self-worth, the influence of societal expectations are minimized, and self-designed learning helps to solidify changes in self-authorship. The data showed a strong connection between multiple meaning-making contexts for students and an enhancement in their authorship, as well as multiple-identities. The findings may be useful in gap year program reflection and redesign, and provide implications for self-design in experiential learning opportunities and gap year outcomes.

Syfte Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur samspel och kommunikation med personer med flerfunktionsnedsättning, deras assistenter och vattendansledare under vattendans kan analyseras med multimodal interaktionsanalys, för att genom tolkning av kommunikativa uttryck identifiera upplevelse av interventionen. Ytterligare ett syfte med studien är att identifiera vilka styrkor och svagheter analysmetoden har vid studier av interaktion mellan personer med flerfunktionsnedsättning och deras assistenter. Metod I studien videoinspelades och analyserades interaktion mellan personer med flerfunktionsnedsättning, deras medföljare samt personal som höll i vattendansen. Den metod som användes var multimodal interaktionsanalys, som är en metod där man analyserar interaktion i naturligt förekommande situationer. Analysen utfördes genom observation och transkription av videoinspelad interaktion. Resultat Ett flertal uttryck identifierades med multimodal interaktionsanalys. Dessa uttryck kunde säga något om upplevelsen hos personerna med flerfunktionsnedsättning under vattendansen. De kommunikativa uttrycken analyserades alltid i den kontext där de förekom. Uttrycken betraktades som kontextberoende och inte som isolerade handlingar. De modaliteter som personerna med flerfunktionsnedsättning använde för att kommunicera var bland annat blickar, vokalisationer och ansiktsmimik. Dessa uttryck studerades i termer av vilken mening eller sinnesstämning de tycktes förmedla, hur frekvent de förekom, samt vilken respons de väckte. Tolkning av uttrycken gjordes till stor del genom att studera omgivningens respons. Under arbetets gång identifieras styrkor såväl som svagheter med analysmetoden. Att analysera materialet med någon annan metod än just multimodal interaktionsanalys hade varit svårt, eftersom det i dagsläget finns mycket få alternativa sätt att analysera och transkribera den här typen av komplex interaktion på. Slutsats Genom multimodal interaktionsanalys kunde en varierad bredd av olika kommunikativa uttryck identifieras och tolkas, och författarna fick därmed en bild av hur personerna med flerfunktionsnedsättning och deras medföljare upplevde interventionsmetoden. Överlag förefaller upplevelsen av vattendansen vara positiv för personerna med flerfunktionsnedsättning såväl som för deras medföljare. Multimodal interaktionsanalys lämpade sig väl som analysmetod för att identifiera tecken som kan säga något om personernas med flerfunktionsnedsättnings upplevelse av vattendansen. / Aim The aim of this study is to investigate whether interaction between people with multiple disabilities, their assistants and waterdance staff during waterdance can be analysed using multimodal interaction analysis, in order to identify how the people with multiple disabilities experience the intervention. Identification of experience is conducted by recognizing and interpreting communicative actions. Another aim is to identify strengths and weaknesses of the method of analysis in the study of interaction between people with multiple functional impairments and their assistants. Method Interaction between three people with multiple disabilities, their assistants and waterdance staff was video recorded and then analysed. The method used is multimodal interaction analysis, which is a method for analysing naturally occurring interaction. The analysis was performed through observation and transcription of video-recorded interaction. Results Several communicative expressions were identified with multimodal interaction analysis. These expressions could say something about the people with multiple disabilities’ experience of the waterdance. The communicative actions and expressions were analysed in the context in which they occurred. The expressions were regarded as contextually dependent, and not as isolated, independent actions. Modalities that were used for communication were among others: gaze, vocalizations and facial expressions. These communicative actions were studied regarding what meaning or mood they seemed to convey, the frequency with which they occurred in, and in what response they evoked. Interpretation of the expressions was largely conducted by studying the response from people in the environment. Strengths as well as weaknesses were identified regarding the method of analysis. To analyse the material with a method other than multimodal interaction analysis would have been difficult, since other options of methods for analysing and transcribing this complex type of interaction are very limited. Conclusions A variety of communicative expressions were identified through multimodal interaction analysis. Through interpretation of the expressions, the authors were able to better understand how the people with multiple disabilities and their assistants experienced the intervention method. Multimodal interaction analysis is well suited as an analytical method for identifying signs that may tell us something about the experience of waterdance, of the three persons with multiple disabilities.

The aim of this study is to investigate how preschool children, aged 3-5 years, create meaning of static electricity in an activity led by a pedagogue, how this is expressed and what part the pedagogue takes in children’s meaning making. The method used was participant observation and video camera was used to document a designed activity. The observations took place at four occasions with four different groups and the observations was conducted in different rooms of various sizes, which were provided by the preschool. Equipment used in this study are: Balloons, pvc-pipes, salt, different kinds of papers, aluminum cans and thin plastic bags. Results in this study show that the children create meaning of the activity first and foremost by exploring interplay and conversations. They solve the task at hand working together and with support of the pedagogue. The role of pedagogue in the children’s meaning making is to present tasks which have moderate levels of difficulties, and to direct the children’s focus by using questions concerning the current phenomenon. In so doing, they support the children to succeed. Factors of importance for the children’s meaning making is to be given the opportunity to explore, their curiosity, joy and being heard.