School websites are useful in providing an additional environment to educate and impart culture to the collectivity. They reflect the collective phenomenon of behaviour and traditional ideas, and at the same time, reflect the efforts made by the educators to teach cultural identity, values and social skills. The work of renowned anthropologist Geert Hofstede (1991) on cultural dimensions has contributed to the study and reassessment of current theories on software and websites, which interact with the cultures of societies in which they function, and are still relevant to the constant evolution of technology (communication tools) in the educational environment. The aim of this research is to explore how cultural dimensions are reflected on ORT school websites in Israel. This study in a relatively new field offers educators an insight into new options and innovations offered by school websites, and provides reflections on their use in cultural education. In this context, the importance of this research lies in its contribution to the pedagogical dialogue on culture, and as it is reflected on school websites. This study applies Hofstede's (1991) work, in which he classifies cultural characteristics prevalent in global organizations into five "cultural dimensions": power distance, individualism&collectivism, masculinity&femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and time orientation, and design expert Aaron Marcus' (2001) interpretation and application of this model to website designs worldwide. The subject of this study consists of 54 Ort school websites operating in Israel. The findings on ORT school websites echo Hofstede's characteristics on the reflection of power distance in Israeli culture. However, my findings on Hofstede's three other dimensions – collectivism vs. individualism, masculinity vs. femininity, and uncertainty avoidance – illustrate a more complex picture, with the elements reflected in differing patterns. ORT school websites reflect both elements of culture as defined by Marcus (2001) and elements of standardization of website design. In recent years, there has been an upsurge in the software available globally to create and design websites, all using the same basic tools and elements of design. In conclusion, schools' attempts to impart culture as part of their social education policies is reflected in the contents and design of their websites. / Dissertation (MEd (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

<p>Soundclash is a phenomenon where groups within the culture of reggae music “battle” against each other, through strategies including both music and rhetoric. The social interaction in the clash exemplifies the scene hierarchy, in which the participants aim to position themselves as number one. This study includes empirical material from a competition within the Swedish scene, also distributed digitally via Internet sites. The analysis is based on discursive psychology, focusing on rhetoric and the construction of meaning. The thesis emphasize how different truth claims are made, which relate to social positions as well as places within the international community.</p> / <p>Soundclash är ett fenomen där grupper inom reggaescenen tävlar mot varandra genom musik och retoriska strategier. I sina tal förs olika argument fram, vilka syftar att positionera grupper högst upp i scenens hierarki. Materialet utgörs av en svensk tävling inom detta fält, vilken även distribuerats i digital form genom Internet. Uppsatsen utgår från ett diskurspsykologiskt perspektiv, där språklig praktik och meningsskapande står i fokus. Uppsatsen visar hur olika anspråk görs, vilka relaterar till olika sociala positioneringar, likväl som till en plats inom en större internationell gemenskap.</p>

Soundclash is a phenomenon where groups within the culture of reggae music “battle” against each other, through strategies including both music and rhetoric. The social interaction in the clash exemplifies the scene hierarchy, in which the participants aim to position themselves as number one. This study includes empirical material from a competition within the Swedish scene, also distributed digitally via Internet sites. The analysis is based on discursive psychology, focusing on rhetoric and the construction of meaning. The thesis emphasize how different truth claims are made, which relate to social positions as well as places within the international community. / Soundclash är ett fenomen där grupper inom reggaescenen tävlar mot varandra genom musik och retoriska strategier. I sina tal förs olika argument fram, vilka syftar att positionera grupper högst upp i scenens hierarki. Materialet utgörs av en svensk tävling inom detta fält, vilken även distribuerats i digital form genom Internet. Uppsatsen utgår från ett diskurspsykologiskt perspektiv, där språklig praktik och meningsskapande står i fokus. Uppsatsen visar hur olika anspråk görs, vilka relaterar till olika sociala positioneringar, likväl som till en plats inom en större internationell gemenskap.