In this study, a specific group of religiously active Muslim women is investigated about how they are treated in Swedish society and what they consider the role of women in Islam. Predictions that Islam would be a women-threatening religion is common in the media, but also among the majority of Sweden's population, according to respondents in this study. Therefore, the intention of the study has been to gain a better understanding of the Muslim women's lives in Sweden. The study has a qualitative approach based on a comparative hermeneutic interview study where five, active Muslim women to a varied extent have been interviewed. The result shows that all women have been subjected to violations in society and that they consider that the majority of Swedish society's individuals are prejudiced by Islam as religion assuming that Muslim women are oppressed, are abandoned against their will, have to wear veil and must obey their men - who are formed as aggressive and violent.

This diploma thesis deals with the position of women and men on the Internet social network called Instagram. The theme is first described from a theoretical point of view, explaining what web 2.0 is, what social networks are and how social networking helps with our socialization to society and our self-presentation. In this part are also explained the concepts of gender and gender stereotypes. My own research consist of three parts. The first part is a qualitative image analysis of so-called "selfie" photos of selected Instagram users, which revealed, that the women that I analyzed supported gender stereotypes in female imaginary, while analyzed men occasionally oscillated between masculinity and femininity. The second part is the analysis of the number of the likes under these "selfie" photos and the third part is the analysis of deep semi-structured interviews, which showed that women and men have much in common on Instagram. But overall, their position on this network according to my analysis is not the same.

Daar bestaan verskeie stressors in onderwysers se werksomgewing (Steyn & Kamper, 2006; Van den Berg, 2003). Cox (in Travers & Cooper,1996:4) noem egter dat volgehoue en voortdurende verandering, een van die grootste stressors blyk te wees. In die onderhawige studie is laerskoolonderwysers se aanpassing by veranderinge in die Suid-Afrikaanse kurrikulum ondersoek. Die navorsing het aan die hand van Interaktiewe Kwalitatiewe Analise (IKA) geskied, soos uiteengesit deur Northcutt en McCoy (2004). Die deelnemers was 14 laerskoolonderwysers wat 10-36 jaar ondervinding in die onderwys het. Die groep onderwysers het deel gevorm van ‘n gekose afdeling, op grond van wat hul in gemeen het en hoe naby hulle aan die fenomeen is, wat nagevors is. Die navorser het aan die hand van ’n gevallestudie as navorsingsontwerp en IKA as navorsingsmetode, gepoog om meer inligting rakende die navorsingsvraag in te win. Die Affiniteit Verhoudingstabel (AVD), Sistemiese Invloedsdiagram (SID) en Interverhoudingsdiagram (IRD), is gebruik en het deel gevorm van die ouditspoor. Tydens die navorsingsproses is IKA se sentrale benadering, naamlik dat deelnemers vrylik aan die navorsingsproses kan deelneem, deur die minimalisering van die invloed van die navorser en die ander deelnemers, as effektief en positief deur die navorser ervaar. Die navorser het slegs ‘n fasiliterende rol ingeneem en leiding aan die deelnemers verskaf terwyl hulle self hul data gegenereer, gegroepeer en benoem het. Deelnemers is elkeen die kans gegun om as individue hul persoonlike belewenisse en ervaring anoniem te beskryf en te benoem. Die studie demonstreer die belangrikheid van sewe konsepte, (naamlik: kurrikulum-veranderinge; onderwysers se gesindheid; negatiewe emosies en ervaringe; werkslading; groeiproses vir onderwysers; groeiproses vir kinders; en administrasie-frustrasie) in die navorsing van onderwysers se aanpassing by kurrikulumveranderinge. Die navorsing het gefokus op die invloed wat die kurrikulumveranderinge op die onderwysers en derhalwe ook op die leerders uitoefen. Msibi en Mchunu (2013:23) vestig die aandag op die belangrikheid van professionaliteit by die onderwyser en voer verder aan dat laasgenoemde die sukses van kurrikulumhervorming en ‘n algemene sistemiese verbetering van die onderwysstelsel sal bepaal. Ten spyte van die voortdurende veranderinge in die onderwysstelsel en kurrikulum, tesame met die toenemende werkslading, het die meerderheid onderwysers in die onderhawige studie steeds ’n positiewe gesindheid getoon en ook persoonlike groei beleef. Dié groep onderwysers plaas die leerders se belange en groei steeds eerste en vir hulle is dit die spil waarom alles draai. A variety of different stressors exists in the working environment of teachers (Steyn & Kamper, 2006; Van den Berg, 2003). Cox (in Travers & Cooper,1996:4), however, mentions that change and change-on-change seems to be one of the greatest stressors. In the present study, primary school teachers’ adaptation to the changes in the South African curriculum was studied. The research was conducted by the use of Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) as outlined by Northcutt and McCoy (2004). The participants consisted of 14 primary school teachers whose experience ranged from 10–36 years in the teaching profession. The group of teachers, as participants, formed a constituency based on what they have in common and how close they find themselves to the phenomenon that was being studied. By using a case study as a research design and IQA as the research method, the researcher attempted to gain more insight and information with regards to the research question. The Affinity Relationship Table (ART), Systems Influence Diagram (SID) and Interrelationship Diagram (IRD), were applied during the research and formed a part of the audit trail that is presented in the present study. During the research process, the researcher experienced the IQA’s central approach, namely that participants can freely take part in the research process by minimizing the influence of the researcher and other participants, as positive and effective. The researcher filled a facilitative role only and guided the participants while they generated, grouped and named their own data. Participants were each given the opportunity to express and name their personal experiences and opinions with regards to the phenomenon, anonymously. The present study demonstrated the importance of seven concepts (namely, curriculum changes; teachers’ attitude; negative emotions and experiences; workload; development process for teachers; development process for learners; and administration-frustration) to the study of primary teachers’ adaptation to the curriculum changes. This study focused on the influence that the curriculum changes had on the teachers and subsequently also on the learners. Msibi and Mchunu (2013:23) highlight the importance of the professionalism of the teacher and argue that the level of professionalism will determine how sucessful a curriculum reform and a general systemic improvement of the education system will be implemented. Despite the recurring changes in the education system and curriculum, together with the increasing workload, the majority of teachers in the present study still displayed a positive attitude and experienced personal growth in terms of professional development. The learners’ interest and develpment remain pivotal and are still the main goal of the participants’ practice. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Educational Psychology / MEd / unrestricted

The master'sthesiscalledThematicpreferencesoftheCzechprintedmedia seenontheexampleofthecaseofPussyRiotdeals withthe mediaphenomenon Pussy Riot, whichprovokedheightenedinterestofboththegeneralpublicand Russianand Western mediaatthebeginningof2012.The membersoftheartistic activistmovementPussyRiotperformedtheso-called"punkprayer"intheCathedral of Christthe Saviourin Moscow. Thisact, whichhadpoliticalandreligious overtones, wassubsequentlycriminalized. Thethesisoffersaninsightintothe backgroundofthecasefromtheperspectivesofhistory,inspirationandgoalsofthe movement.Italsoseekstopointouttheimportantaspectsoftheirperformanceand eventsthattookplaceafterthecase.ThethesisshowshowthePussyRiotissuehas beenaddressedbythemediaaroundtheworld,takingintoaccounttheworkofthe journalistandtheinfluencesthatmayshapehisorherwork.Italsotakesintoaccount theinfluenceoffeminism,itsdevelopmentinthemedia,anditsconnectionwiththe activismofPussyRiot.ThemainaimofthisworkistofindouthowCzechmedia haveconstructedmeaningsrelatedtoPussyRiotfromthebeginningofthecasetothe present.Todothis,aqualitativeanalysisofthreeCzechdailynewspapers Mladá frontaDNES,Hospodářskénoviny,PrávoandthreeCzechweeklyRespekt,Reflex andTýdenwasused.

The thesis titled "Czech serial Velmi křehké vztahy characters with regard to their property estate and social class" is linked to specialised publications which originated in the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Charles University in Prague mapping how the 'after the velvet revolution' series made by the Czech TV portray the topic of wealth and affluence. The theory part consist of findings from two socio-scientific fields, i.e. sociology and media studies, the outcomes of which will consequently meet in the research part of this thesis. The subject matter of the research part of this thesis is the episodes of the third season of the Velmi křehké vztahy soap opera which was broadcast by the Prima Czech TV channel between 2008 and 2009. This research sample was achieved by using a qualitative research technique, specifically the grounded theory method. The thesis focuses predominantly on how a class hierarchy and wealth determine their character. The attention is also paid to listing various social classes which appear in the series, and to the outline of the areas of a social life in which the social mobility is possible. The research part of the thesis also focuses on which professions are represented mostly in the series and how characters are portrayed when working. There is also a part dedicated to...

Diploma thesis Fashion blogs and research on the phenomenon discusses a relatively new phenomenon of personal blogs with a focus on fashion and style. It presents fashion blogs in all their complexity, including the definition, classification, origin and evolution. The second section compares the descriptive way fashion blogs with thematically related fashion magazines and from various perspectives: formal characteristics, work organization, text, picture and graphic elements, audiences, the use of advertising and PR and representation of reality. The practical part is focused on qualitative research fashion blog - by a focus group interview with fashion bloggers and subsequently grounded theory method of analysis examines the various relationships, especially causal, which operate under the studied phenomenon. Through reveals further aspects of the fashion blogging such as motivation, fears, needs, dreams and ambitions of bloggers. The goal is to answer the question of how fashion blogs with its distinctive style and authors presentation define the fashion magazines and propose a basic theory of operation of the medium as yet not explored.

This study focuses in the students’ perception of self-regulation in learning as influenced by the teaching-learning-environment. The study was conducted at the University of Pretoria. The participants in the study were first year students registered for a second semester module in Educational Psychology in the faculty of education. The size of the sample was nine (22,5%) male students and 31 (77,5%) female students. At the time of participation, the participants had attended university for a period of at least six months and had written tests and one examination. The Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) method as described by Northcutt and McCoy (2004) was used to elicit participants’ knowledge and experiences of the research phenomenon. The participants were expected to complete an instrument that required them to indicate the direction of three relationships between all combinations of the themes which were selected on the basis of literature review. The participants were required to indicate how they perceive the nature of relationships between themes that were developed by the researcher as associated with self-regulated learning in a system of cause and effect. The main findings of the study indicate that language of instruction and student personality are primary drivers that determine the academic success of the students. The two themes exert great influence on other themes that are involved in the teaching-learning environment. Academic success emerged as primary outcome which means that it is a theme that depends to a large extent on how the other themes that exist in the teaching-learning environment are structured. The findings of the study indicate that there is no significant difference that exists in the male and female participants’ perception of the factors that influence self-regulation in learning. In both sample primary drivers were language of instruction and students’ personality and the primary outcome was academic success. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

This study focuses on educational psychology students’ self-efficacy beliefs in career counselling. The research was conducted in the Department of Educational Psychology of the University of Pretoria. An Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) as described by Northcutt and McCoy (2004) was done. The constituency comprised seven students who have provided career counselling to at least one client.</p.> The IQA approach to research postulate that the ideal in qualitative research is to create a process that invite participants to produce data while minimizing the effect of the research process on the content. With the IQA approach the participants in the research have a remarkable degree of freedom and are empowered to generate and analyze their own data with minimal external influence. The role of the researcher in this process is to facilitate the process and to teach participants the process while guiding them to generate and analyze their own data. The central assumption in IQA, namely that the people closest to the phenomenon are in the best position to report about the phenomenon was confirmed by the researcher. The main findings of the study indicate that self-efficacy develops through formal and personal development. The identification of possible areas of growth and how this is communicated by the supervisor is fundamental for both formal and personal development processes of students. A positive cooperative developmental approach during feedback sessions is conducive to the growth of the career counsellor. The importance of experiential learning and modelling as a means to develop self-efficacy was confirmed by the research participants. The reduction of anxiety with the increase of self-efficacy was reported as a very important benefit of increased self-efficacy. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

The aim of this thesis is to implement a qualitative analysis on interpretive trails, which are also considered part of local heritage interpretation. This analysis verifies if the authors of panels used recommendations published in two known methodologies during their preparation phase. This research is applied on eighteen interpretive trails in the protected landscape area of Český kras. In the practical part of this thesis, each interpretive trail has been evaluated by applying nine criteria. The outcome of the thesis is an evaluation of visuals and content composed on the interpretive trail panels for the purpose of attractive communication. The most significant deficiencies of the panels of interpretive trails in the protected landscape area of Český kras are quality of graphical design, whether the text communicates with the reader and if the text does not require linear reading. On the other hand, the most important strengths of interpretive trail panels are that the visual elements are always well connected to the content of the text on the panel and the text is easily read without specialised terms. The interpretive trail that has reached the best evaluation in the qualitative analysis is Vodácká NS Berounka. On the other hand, the trails with the lowest scores were NS Památné stromy Karlštejnska and NS Klonk-Suchomasty.

The retail banking services sector, a key driver for global economic growth, faces drastic challenges, such as globalised competition and continuously changing customer expectations that call for an in-depth understanding of customer switching, particularly in Asia’s emerging markets. Research shows that minor reductions in switching can notably enhance profitability. Yet only insufficient or fragmented research to explain switching exists. For this study titled “A Cross-Cultural Study of Consumer Switching in the Retail Banking Services Sector” at The University of Manchester, completed in September 2014, Frank Siegfried identified the theory of planned behaviour as the most suitable framework, while Singapore served as a test bed in view of its diverse population. A qualitative pilot study was conducted (February to April 2010), consisting of 22 semi-structured interviews, in which a suitable definition of switching and a better understanding about the cross-cultural context of this study were developed. These insights were instrumental in the design of a new theoretical model, built on constructs that had not been combined in a single framework before, applying constructs of the theory of planned behaviour as the foundational framework, and subsequently integrating the concept of past behaviour, selected cultural dimensions from the GLOBE model and four distinct predisposing and precipitating factors. Next, a quantitative study was conducted (January to May 2013) and, after data cleaning, a quasi-representative sample of 1,431 cases was subjected to analysis. For comparability with other studies, both regression analysis (RA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) were performed. Notable results that were consistent in RA and SEM include: Attitude towards switching (attitude) successfully explained switching intention. Subjective norms had a positive effect on attitude, which implied a mediated effect of subjective norms on switching intention. Contradicting the initial hypothesis, a significant effect of perceived behavioural control on switching intention was negative. Past behaviour had a significant, but weak positive effect on attitude and switching intention, as well as an indirect positive effect on switching intention, mediated by attitude. Lack of trust positively affected switching intention. Service failure had a strong positive effect on switching intention, with perceived behavioural control moderating this effect. Performance orientation had a moderately strong effect on perceived behavioural control. High in-group collectivism negatively affected service failure. These results constitute the new Comprehensive Banking Service Switching Model (CBSSM). Interestingly, a large number of constructs and construct paths that played an important role in the literature could not be confirmed as significant contributors to the model. Overall, tests of model fit still showed a significant contribution of the proposed extensions to the foundational model. Weighting the importance of various constructs in a single framework enhances the understanding of switching of retail banking services in Singapore and offers new insights for strategic planning, particularly in the areas of branding, marketing, service operations and human capital management. Theoretical, methodological and managerial implications are discussed in detail.