This doctoral thesis aims to provide a comprehensive and historical analysis of foreign policy behaviour of the principal states involved in nuclear talks on North Korea known as the Six-Party Talks (SPT). Despite the failure in achieving a primary objective of denuclearizing North Korea, the SPT were believed to provide interesting and informative cases to investigate dynamic interactions among states engaged in security talks with different motives and interests. For a holistic approach to foreign policy analysis, the thesis adopts a newly introduced theoretical framework called Interactionist Role Theory (IRT) which integrates the levels of analysis from individuals to international system by incorporating the concept of ‘roles’. Based on IRT, the thesis examines what drove the concerned states’ foreign policy shifts; what kinds of discrepancies the states experienced between or among competing roles (role conflicts); how successful their deliberate policy implementations were (role-makings); and what structural effects their foreign policy decisions had on the overall Six-Party Talks process. The thesis findings support the IRT premise that it is critical to understand a state’s perceived ideal roles to accurately identify the state’s motives for actions regarding particular foreign policy issues. The prevalence of inter-role conflicts at the time of states’ role-makings evinces that the SPT as social constraints did exert competing role expectations that challenged the member states’ role conceptions. Above all, the sequential analysis of the SPT process clearly shows the mutual influence between the member states (agents) and the SPT (social structure), which implies successful multilateral negotiations require reciprocal relations among participating states where all parties’ desired roles (role conceptions) are mutually verified and affirmed. The thesis is deemed to give insightful messages to conventional foreign policy readings that predominantly view the nuclear drama in the Northeast Asia region from a binary focus of US-DPRK mutual deterrence. / The full text has been embargoed.

This study aimed to investigate the role, possibilities, challenges and emotional labor of Healthcare Counselors in pediatric palliative care. Through semi-structured interviews with five counselors, a thematic analysis was conducted. The findings reveal a broad and dynamic role, partially unclear, allowing individual shaping. Additionally, the study highlights counselors' capacity to support families during severe crises and discussions about end-of-life matters. The work is both meaningful and emotionally challenging, and coping theory illustrates how counselors manage their emotions using problem-focused and emotional coping strategies. The conclusions emphasize the relevance for counselors, collaboratingprofessions and management in pediatric palliative care.

Syftet är att kartlägga anhörigstödet kring övergången från barnhabilitering till vuxenhabilitering utifrån kuratorers erfarenhet. Genom att undersöka ämnet övergång utifrån olika aspekter såsom organisation, samverkan, roller samt vinster med ett aktivt anhörigstöd eller brist i avsaknad av den, är förhoppningen att skapa djupare förståelse för de svårigheter som kan eventuellt tillkomma under processens gång. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ hermeneutisk ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Teorierna som används i studien är Systemteori, Ekologisk systemteori, Rollteori och Livsloppsperspektivet. Följande teman framkom i resultatet Organisation, Samverkan och Roller. Resultatet visar att förbindelse mellan forskningen och det praktiska arbetet när det gäller anhörigstöd i övergången är bristfällig. Studien visar även att övergången är en orolig tid med många förändringar och där många unga vuxna likväl anhöriga upplever en oro. I resultatet framkommer det att anhörigstöd finns inom habiliteringen men att det främst erbjuds i relation till den unga vuxnas diagnos, vilket enligt resultatet indikerar att anhörigstöd i övergångsprocessen i dag är otillräckligt. Stödet behöver ses utifrån ett större perspektiv, där samverkan med andra instanser är av stor vikt för att kunna möta de behov som kan finnas hos de anhöriga. / The purpose is to identify the support for relatives in the transition from child habilitation to adult habilitation, based on the experience of health care curators. By examining the transition of the subject based on various aspects such as organisation, cooperation, roles and benefits with active relative support or disadvantages in lack of it, the expectation is to create a deeper understanding of the difficulties that may occur during the process. The study is based on a qualitative hermeneutic approach, based on semi-structured interview. The theories used in this study are Systems theory, Ecological system theory, Role theory, and Life course perspective. The themes that emerged were Organization, Cooperation, and Roles. The study shows that the connection between the research and the practical work regarding relative support in the transition is flawed. The transition is a troubled time and with many changes taking place and young adults, as well as relatives, experience a higher level of concerns. The results show that while support for relatives is available in habilitation, the support in question is primarily provided in relation to the young adult's diagnosis, which according to the results indicate that relatives support in the transition process is insufficient. The relatives support needs to be seen from a broader perspective where collaboration with other services is of great importance.

This study deals with the role of the unit sister in teaching student nurses in KwaZulu hospitals. The aim of the study was to identify the extent of her involvement in managing the unit to ensure clinical teaching and her involvement in the clinical teaching process. The role theory and the clinical teaching process formed the conceptual framework. Data was collected from sisters in charge of units by means of a questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that:- unit sisters regard good management of the unit as essential for effective clinical teaching. unit sisters regard clinical teaching as one of their important roles and functions as they said they were involved in all activities of the clinical teaching process however the responses were confined to what the unit sisters said they do which might not be what they actually do / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Forming teacher teams is currently the standard way of organizing teachers in Swedish Compulsory Schools. This is the result of a process that started in the 1970s. Traditionally the culture of teaching has been one of isolation. Once the door to the classroom is shut, what happens behind the door is up to the teacher to decide. Over the past thirty years a lot of time has been dedicated to making fundamental changes in the way teachers interact with their colleagues. Today the idea of teachers forming teams is generally accepted but still the core of a Swedish teacher’s job is that of a lone worker. The purpose of this paper is to study how the role of the teacher has been defined in the Swedish curricula of 1962, 1980, 1994 and 2011. Of particular interest is if the teacher role is expected to be solitary or collaborative and if this has changed from the 1960s to the current curriculum of 2011. The theoretical framework consists of the frame factor theory and systemic/role theory. The curricula have been studied using a word search method, identifying sentences with the words teacher or teachers. These sentences have then been coded in different categories depending on what instructional words have used together with the word teacher/teachers. In the analysis, specific interest has been addressed to autonomous (solitary) or homonymous (collaborative) role expectations. The study shows that the teacher role has changed from one curriculum to the other. The state control of the teacher varies through the use of different instructional words. The state control has increased and is strongest in the most recent curriculum of 2011. The study also reveals the fact that Swedish curriculums never have been used to stress to collaborative aspects of being a teacher but rather to stress solitary role expectations. / Syftet med denna studie är att studera hur lärarrollen har definierats och förändrats i grundskolans läroplaner mellan 1962-2011, med fokus på två olika sätt att se på lärarens uppdrag; läraren som ensam styrare av verksamheten i klassrummet eller lärarlag som utövar en viss grad av kollektiv styrning. Frågeställningarna i studien är; Hur har lärarens uppdrag formulerats i läroplanerna? Förväntas läraren utföra sitt uppdrag ensam eller tillsammans med andra lärare? Organisationsteori är utgångspunkten för forskningsintresset och det är inom denna sektor som studiens resultat kan vara av praktisk nytta. Studien fokuserar på läroplanerna och de rollförväntningar som beskrivs i dessa. Rollteori/systemteori ger de teoretiska begreppen och är utgångspunkten för analysen. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats men en viss kvantitativ bearbetning av data förekommer. Ett urval av data har gjorts från läroplanerna LGR 62, LGR 80, Lpo 94 samt LGR 11. Vid urvalet har selektiv kodning använts med utgångspunkt i kärnkategorin läraren/lärarna. Nästa kategorisering har varit vilka instruktionsord som kopplas samman med kärnkategorin. I analysmomentet har särskilt intresse riktats mot autonoma rollförväntningar (individuella roller) eller homonoma rollförväntningar (samarbetsroller). Studien visar att formuleringen av lärarens uppdrag förändrats från en läroplan till en annan. Statens styrning har förändrats genom användandet av olika slags instruktionsord. Vad man väljer att styra hårdare har varierat. Den senaste läroplanen LGR 11 innehåller också den starkaste styrningen genom ett konsekvent användande av instruktionen läraren ska. Studien visar också att läroplanerna aldrig i någon högre grad har använts för att formulera ett kollektivt uppdrag riktat till lärarna som grupp. De kollektiva beslutsprocesser som beskrivs är mer inriktade på att involvera eleverna i beslutsfattande. Huvudfokus i alla läroplanerna ligger på den enskilde lärarens arbete och inte på ett kollektivt utförande av uppdraget.

This study deals with the role of the unit sister in teaching student nurses in KwaZulu hospitals. The aim of the study was to identify the extent of her involvement in managing the unit to ensure clinical teaching and her involvement in the clinical teaching process. The role theory and the clinical teaching process formed the conceptual framework. Data was collected from sisters in charge of units by means of a questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that:- unit sisters regard good management of the unit as essential for effective clinical teaching. unit sisters regard clinical teaching as one of their important roles and functions as they said they were involved in all activities of the clinical teaching process however the responses were confined to what the unit sisters said they do which might not be what they actually do / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

This dissertation seeks to understand the conjunction of faculty roles as teachers and as researchers. This understanding is pursued through philosophical analysis. Discourse ethics, in particular, is used as a framework by which to best understand the roles played by faculty and if the roles of teacher and researcher are, in fact, commensurable. The purpose of the work is two-fold: 1) to develop a construct that may be used by future researchers to better understand the roles played by faculty, and 2) to suggest a best-construct that enables future researchers to propose how actual lived roles should be instantiated in the world. The dissertation reviews a series of university handbooks, professional association ethical guidelines, and philosophical arguments to establish how the roles of faculty are best understood. The investigation illuminates the tensions at the heart of faculty roles. This tension is not definitionally embedded in the roles of faculty as teacher and researcher. Rather, the tension emerges from the failure of institutions to fully actualize faculty roles as normatively grounded in human communicative interaction. As a result, the work suggests that in order to best resolve the cognitive dissonance that may be experienced as a result of role ambiguity, faculty should engage in a process of self-reflection and community dialectic in order to best determine how “faculty” can be actualized in a way that best benefits all stakeholders.

Cotutelle de thèse avec l'Université de Montpellier / Pourquoi des États créent-ils des forces expéditionnaires bi/multi-nationales ? Pourquoi celles-ci ne sont pas utilisées au final ? L’objectif de cette thèse est d’apporter une explication à ce paradoxe, illustré parfaitement par la brigade franco-allemande et les groupements tactiques de l’Union européenne. Bien que ces deux unités ne soient pas les seules en Europe pouvant être qualifiées de forces expéditionnaires, nous avons décidé de choisir ces deux cas d’études, afin d’analyser également à travers les mesures relatives à celles-ci, les processus décisionnels tant en France qu’en Allemagne. Nous nous sommes par conséquent focalisés sur ces unités et sur les politiques d’alliances à l’origine de celles-ci. Concrètement notre recherche s’inscrit dans la lignée des travaux portant sur les alliances, mais également au sein du champ de l’analyse comparée de la politique étrangère. L’explication théorique développée pour expliquer les décisions étudiées s’appuie sur la théorie des rôles de Kal Holsti. Selon nous les décisions ne sont prises que par un groupe limité d’acteurs et résultent des rôles auxquels ces derniers adhèrent pour leur pays. Des arrangements institutionnels, ainsi que des conflits et des rapports de force modèrent ces rôles. Par ailleurs, en cas de décision ayant une portée institutionnelle, on constate une dépendance au sentier vis-à-vis d’anciennes mesures. Les décisions en faveur de la brigade franco-allemande et des groupements résultent in fine de la domination des rôles de promoteur du renforcement des capacités militaires européennes et d’allié fidèle, parmi les acteurs à l’origine de ces décisions. D’autres rôles présents en France et en Allemagne tendent au contraire à freiner l’emploi de ces unités, en particulier celui de grande puissance (pour la France) et celui de puissance civile (pour l’Allemagne). Plusieurs rôles coexistent en effet au sein de chaque appareil décisionnel et chacun voit son poids en termes d’influence fluctuer. Ceci résulte de la variation selon les décisions étudiées des acteurs impliqués, ainsi que des luttes et des rapports de force entre eux. Notre thèse se divise en sept chapitres. Dans les trois premiers, nous reviendrons sur la littérature consacrée aux forces étudiées et aux alliances, sur notre méthodologie, ainsi que sur les relations internationales en Europe des trente dernières années. Les parties suivantes traitent de l’évolution de la brigade franco-allemande en force expéditionnaire, de la création des groupements tactiques, des choix de partenaires au sein de ceux-ci et enfin du non-emploi de ces troupes militaires. Ces différentes thématiques constituent les quatre chapitres empiriques de notre recherche. En conclusion de celle-ci, on peut estimer que les chances de déploiement des unités étudiées dans les années à venir demeurent plutôt faibles. L’explication théorique développée pour ce travail et basée sur la théorie des rôles offre également un outil de compréhension du fonctionnement des appareils politico-militaires français et allemands. Validé pour cette analyse, il lui reste désormais à être testé sur d’autres cas d’étude et États. / Why do states create bi/multinational expeditionary forces? Why have not they been used yet? The objective of this PhD dissertation is to explain this paradox, which is well exemplified by the Franco-German brigade and the European Union Battle Groups (EUBG). Although these two units are not the only ones in Europe that can be qualified as expeditionary forces, we chose these two case studies to analyze, among others, the decision-making processes in both France and Germany. We have therefore focused on these two units and on the alliance policies that are at the origin of these units. In practice, our research builds on the work on alliances and the field of comparative foreign policy analysis. The theoretical framework developed to explain the foreign policy decisions is based on the theory of roles by Kal Holsti. Our findings indicate that these decisions are made only by a limited group of actors and result from the roles those actors assume for their country. Institutional arrangements, as well as conflicts and power struggles, moderate these roles. In addition, there is strong evidence for path dependency in cases where decisions have an institutional scope. The decisions in favor of the Franco-German brigade and the EUBG ultimately resulted from the role of a promoter of reinforced European military capabilities and the role of a faithful ally, which dominated among the actors behind these decisions. Other roles present among the French and German decision-makers tend, on the contrary, to slow down the use of these units. This is particularly true for the role of a great power (France) and the role of a civilian power (Germany). Several roles coexist indeed within each state and each sees its amount of influence fluctuate. This variation in roles’ influence depends on the actors involved, as well as on power struggles and relations. Our dissertation is divided into seven chapters. In the first three we will return to the literature on expeditionary forces and alliances, to our methodology, and to the international relations in Europe over the past thirty years. The following chapters deal with the development of the Franco-German brigade as an expeditionary force, the creation of battle groups, the choice of partners within them, and finally the non-employment of these military troops. These are the four empirical chapters of our research. In conclusion, we estimate that the probability of deployment of the studied units in the coming years remains rather low. Relying on role theory, our theoretical explanation serves as a tool for understanding the functioning of the French and German political-military decision-making structures. While validated for this analysis, this theoretical framework now has to be tested on other case studies.

Purpose and research questions: The purpose of this study has been to critically examine Esports through a gender perspective. The study therefore investigated the gender-typing of Esports and if these stereotypes affect players’ performance. The research questions were: Do players gender-type Esports to be a neutral, feminine, or masculine sport? Do gender stereotypes in Esports affect female players’ performance? Do gender stereotypes in Esports affect male players’ performance? Method: A quantitative research design was used, and two different surveys were sent out to respondents. Both surveys contained the exact same information and questions on the first page. These were aimed at answering questions regarding gender-typing (i.e. if the respondents perceived Esports to be a neutral, feminine or masculine activity and how appropriate they perceived Esports to be for women respectively men). The survey’s second page had identical questions on both surveys, however the respondents got to see different texts of information (stereotypes) depending on which survey they participated in. The first survey (Group 1) included two different conditions groups (women = stereotype threat; men = stereotype lift) and primed the respondents with the stereotype that “women are inferior to men in Esports”. The second survey (Group 2) also included two different condition groups (men = stereotype threat; women = stereotype boost) and primed the respondents with the alternative stereotype manipulation that “women are equally as good as men in Esports”. After participating in the surveys, the respondents played three games of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that were then analyzed against the respondents’ three most recent matches before partaking in the study. As such, the players’ performance could be evaluated and a result could be determined (i.e. either an improvement or impairment in performance). A control group (Group 3) that did not partake in the surveys was used as a reference group and to evaluate the participants’ performances. As a total, 290 persons participated in the study, of which 50 were women and 240 men. Results: The results showed that the players perceived Esports to be more of a masculine sport. For the stereotype effects on players’ performance, an ANOVA of the results showed that stereotype threat had a statistically significant effect on female players’ performance (p = .008), whereas stereotype boost did not. For the men, the results showed that neither stereotype threat nor lift had any statistically significant effect on male players’ performance. Conclusion: The findings suggest that players gender-type different aspects of Esports in different ways. The participants perceived Esports to be more of a masculine activity but on the other hand to be almost equally as appropriate for women and men. As a whole, the respondents perceived Esports to be more of a masculine sport than neutral or feminine. The findings from this study also suggest that women in Esports are more affected by gender stereotypes than men are, and that negative gender stereotypes about women’s ability may impair female players’ performance. Finally, the findings suggest that the awareness as well as the occurrence of gender stereotypes in Esports are widespread among players. However, players in Esports consider themselves to not fully endorse these stereotypes but believe that other players do, especially the negative stereotypes about women’s ability in Esports. This finding generates an interesting area for further research and investigation. / Syfte och frågeställning: Syftet med denna studie har varit att kritiskt granska Esport ur ett genusperspektiv. Studien undersökte därmed könsstereotypningen (”gender-typing”) av Esport samt huruvida dessa stereotyper påverkar spelares prestationer. Frågeställningarna var: Könsstereotypar spelare Esport som en neutral, feminin eller maskulin sport? Påverkar könsstereotyper inom Esport kvinnliga spelares prestationer? Påverkar könsstereotyper inom Esport manliga spelares prestationer? Metod: En kvantitativ forskningsdesign användes, och två olika enkäter skickades ut till respondenter. Båda enkäterna innehöll exakt samma information och frågor på den första sidan. Dessa var ämnade att besvara frågor kring könsstereotypning (dvs. om respondenten ansåg Esport var en neutral, feminin eller maskulin aktivitet samt hur lämpligt de ansåg Esport vara för kvinnor respektive män). Enkätens andra sida hade identiska frågor på båda enkäterna men respondenterna fick ta del av olika texter av information (stereotyper) beroende på vilken enkät de deltog i. Den första enkäten (Grupp 1) inkluderade två olika tillståndsgrupper (kvinnor = stereotype threat; män = stereotype lift) och grundade respondenterna med stereotypen att ”kvinnor är sämre än män inom Esport”. Den andra enkäten (Grupp 2) inkluderade även den två olika tillståndsgrupper (män = stereotype threat; kvinnor = stereotype boost) och grundade respondenterna med den alternativa manipulationen av stereotypen att ”kvinnor är lika bra som män inom Esport”. Efter att ha deltagit i enkäterna spelade respondenterna tre matcher av Counter-Strike: Global Offensive som sedan analyserades mot respondenternas tre senaste matcher innan de deltog i studien. Som sådant, kunde spelarnas prestationer utvärderas och ett resultat kunde fastställas (dvs. antingen en förbättring eller en försämring i prestation). En kontrollgrupp (Grupp 3) som inte deltog i enkäterna användes som referensgrupp och för att utvärdera deltagarnas prestationer. Totalt deltog 290 personer i studien varav 50 var kvinnor och 240 män. Resultat: Resultatet visade att spelarna uppfattade Esport som mer av en maskulin sport. Angående stereotypeffekterna på spelarnas prestationer visade en ANOVA av resultaten att stereotype threat hade en statistisk signifikant effekt på kvinnliga spelares prestationer (p = .008), medan stereotype boost inte hade det. För männen så visade resultaten att varken stereotype threat eller lift hade någon statistisk signifikant effekt på manliga spelares prestationer. Slutsats: Resultaten tyder på att spelare könsstereotypar olika aspekter av Esport på olika sätt. Deltagarna uppfattade Esport som mer av en maskulin aktivitet men å andra sidan som lika lämpligt för kvinnor och män. Som helhet uppfattade respondenterna Esport som mer av en maskulin sport än neutral eller feminin. Resultatenfrån denna studie tyder även på att kvinnor inom Esport påverkas mer av könsstereotyper än män och att negativa könsstereotyper om kvinnors förmåga kan försämra kvinnliga spelares prestationer. Slutligen, resultaten tyder på att medvetenheten samt förekomsten av könsstereotyper inom Esport är utbredd bland spelarna.Spelarna inom Esport anser dock inte att de själva stödjer dessa stereotyper fullt ut men tror att andra spelare gör det, särskilt de negative stereotyperna om kvinnors förmågor inom Esport. Detta resultat genererar ett intressant område för vidare forskning och undersökningar.

Text in English / The transition from traditional to non-traditional marital roles was brought about by changes in the political, social and economic spheres. Within this transition, a new family arrangement has emerged in which traditional marital roles of breadwinning husband and care-giving, nurturer-wife are replaced by a breadwinning wife and a care-giving, nurturer-husband, the so-called stay-at-home husband. Various factors contributed and necessitated this change in marital roles, such as, but not limited to, the feminist movement, the economic recession, changes in legislation, retrenchments and so forth. However, making this transition is not easy. These couples, fulfilling non-traditional marital roles, are faced with stigmatisation and negative attitudes that make them want to conceal their marital roles from family, friends, the community and society as a whole. This state of affairs results in a situation where these couples stay in the closet and as consequence the topic is ill-researched and ripe for further investigation. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, this study explored and described the challenges, experiences and coping resources of couples fulfilling non-traditional marital roles in order to propose practice guidelines to support these couples from a social work perspective. A total of ten couples participated in the study. Independently, the working wives and stay-at-home husbands provided separate accounts of realities related to fulfilling the non-traditional marital roles within their respective marital relationships. Themes that emerged from the in-depth description of their experiences reflected the benefits accrued, the challenges experienced, their needs and coping resources. From the information provided suggestions were derived for social workers to assist couples in a similar working wife and stay-at-home husband marriage set-up to deal with situations encountered. In consulting extant literature, research on this phenomenon appeared to be totally neglected both internationally and nationally. Hence this study sought to address this lacuna by specifically investigating the situation in South Africa. It also appeared that existing research tended to focus on either the stay-at-home mother or the dual career family. Research on the experiences of stay-at-home husbands was thus severely lacking as were ways in which such couples in these roles could be supported. Therefore, making use of the ecological and role theory perspectives, attention is given to exposing their experiences, challenges and coping resources with a view to developing practice guidelines for helping social work practitioners to adequately support these couples practising non-traditional marital roles. / Social Work / Ph. D. (Social Work)