<p>The purpose of this thesis is to study the personal problems that can occur when defecting from a destructive cult, and what kind of support you may need from social authorities. The aim is to develop guidelines for social workers who are in contact with sect defectors. It’s a qualitative study based on interviews with six defectors from Jehovah’s witnesses. The results shows that all the defectors that have been interviewed have had anxiety problems, lost contact with friends and relatives, low level of education, and low self esteem when defecting or after. Most respondents have reported that they have had thoughts of suicide. It also occurs that respondents have had eating disorders, psychosomatic problems, drug abuse, lack of knowledge about society and have felt threatened and harassed in connection with the defection. These psychosocial problems that have been ascertained to constitute areas where social authorities should aid sect defectors. In accordance with the purpose of this thesis, guidelines are formed for social workers.</p> / <p>Syftet med undersökningen är att undersöka den personliga problematik som kan uppstå vid avhopp från en destruktiv sekt och de behov av stöd och hjälp man kan behöva ha från sociala myndigheter. Avsikten med studien är att försöka utveckla vägledande anvisningar för socialarbetare som kommer i kontakt med avhoppare. Det är en kvalitativ studie baserad på intervjuer med sex avhoppare från Jehovas vittnen. Resultatet visar att alla de avhoppare som intervjuats hade haft ångestproblematik, förlorat kontakt med vänner och familj, låg utbildningsnivå samt svag självkänsla i samband med avhoppet eller där efter. De flesta respondenterna sagt sig ha haft självmordstankar. Det förekommer även att respondenter säger sig ha haft ätstörningar, psykosomatisk problematik, narkotikamissbruk, bristande kunskap om samhället samt känt sig hotade och trakasserade i samband med avhoppet. De psykosociala problem som intervjupersonerna berättar om liknar det som tidigare studier funnit och som utgör områden där sociala myndigheter bör bistå sektavhoppare. I enlighet med syftet är slutligen vägledande anvisningar utformade för socialarbetare.</p>

The purpose of this thesis is to study the personal problems that can occur when defecting from a destructive cult, and what kind of support you may need from social authorities. The aim is to develop guidelines for social workers who are in contact with sect defectors. It’s a qualitative study based on interviews with six defectors from Jehovah’s witnesses. The results shows that all the defectors that have been interviewed have had anxiety problems, lost contact with friends and relatives, low level of education, and low self esteem when defecting or after. Most respondents have reported that they have had thoughts of suicide. It also occurs that respondents have had eating disorders, psychosomatic problems, drug abuse, lack of knowledge about society and have felt threatened and harassed in connection with the defection. These psychosocial problems that have been ascertained to constitute areas where social authorities should aid sect defectors. In accordance with the purpose of this thesis, guidelines are formed for social workers. / Syftet med undersökningen är att undersöka den personliga problematik som kan uppstå vid avhopp från en destruktiv sekt och de behov av stöd och hjälp man kan behöva ha från sociala myndigheter. Avsikten med studien är att försöka utveckla vägledande anvisningar för socialarbetare som kommer i kontakt med avhoppare. Det är en kvalitativ studie baserad på intervjuer med sex avhoppare från Jehovas vittnen. Resultatet visar att alla de avhoppare som intervjuats hade haft ångestproblematik, förlorat kontakt med vänner och familj, låg utbildningsnivå samt svag självkänsla i samband med avhoppet eller där efter. De flesta respondenterna sagt sig ha haft självmordstankar. Det förekommer även att respondenter säger sig ha haft ätstörningar, psykosomatisk problematik, narkotikamissbruk, bristande kunskap om samhället samt känt sig hotade och trakasserade i samband med avhoppet. De psykosociala problem som intervjupersonerna berättar om liknar det som tidigare studier funnit och som utgör områden där sociala myndigheter bör bistå sektavhoppare. I enlighet med syftet är slutligen vägledande anvisningar utformade för socialarbetare.

This essay aims to study and compare two religious movements in Tornedalen, Sweden, during two centuries. The Laestadian movement was founded by Lars Levi Laestadius during the 1840's in a, according to him, sinful society. Laestadius contributed to end a lot of the alcoholic abuse and also made the population a God-fearing people. Almost a century later, a man named Toivo Korpela stood up against the traditional laestadian norms and decided to preach his faith on his own. After a few years, the movement went in a new direction with the leadership of Sigurd Siikavaara. It turned into a sect, waiting for an arc to come down from heaven and take the chosen ones to the promised land. The purpose of this essay is both to compare the two movements, but also to examine the social, economical and political circumstances during the 1930's. Using the theory sociology of religion, I have discussed how the previously named factors were a contributing reason as to why people decided to join the movement, and also how it could evolve into a millenary movement.

Efter den senaste tidens debatter om Laboraskolan så har vi i denna uppsats valt att fördjupa oss i skolan och det samfund som driver den. Laboraskolan är en grund- och gymnasieskola belägen i Hylte kommun, det som gör den speciell är att den drivs av det religiösa samfundet Plymouthbröderna. Plymouthbröderna är ett litet samfund som kallats för bland annat “sekternas sekt” och som håller sig frånvända från det omgivande samhället. Trots detta fick skolan år 2007 efter flera tvister och vad som kallats en “administrativ cirkus” tillåtelse att starta sin skola. Efter starten har Skolinspektionen granskat skolan i flertalet omgångar och skolan har i dessa granskningar fått mycket kritik. I denna uppsats så fördjupar vi oss i dessa granskningar och främst i de återkommande problemen gällande främst allsidighet och saklighet, motverkande av traditionella könsroller och studie och yrkesvägledning. När vi fördjupat oss i Brödernas lära och vad som ingår i denna försöker vi sedan analysera om det kan finnas några samband mellan denne och de problem som påvisats i Skolinspektionens granskningar. Det visar sig att det inte är helt lätt att besvara frågan då det är många olika röster som hörs i frågan och som också motsätter varandra. Att det är ett slutet samfund som startat en skola och som sedan granskats för problem som kan tänkas ha med läran att göra står dock klart, men det finns också en bild av en skola med en god studiemiljö och elever med höga studieresultat.

No description available.

Roman Catholicism and Srivaiṣṇavism are two religious traditions in which mediation, primarily through the use of images, plays a central role in soteriology. A comparison of various modes of mediation between these two traditions will highlight a dialectic of presence and absence, inherent in mediation, and will examine the various ways of interpreting and dealing with this dialectic in their respective theologies. Three general categories of mediation are identified through which this comparison will take place: God, saint, and priest. / Images of the full presence of God, namely the eucharistic host in Roman Catholicism and the arcavatara in Srivaiṣṇavism, mediate this full presence either through the transformation of substance (as in Roman Catholicism) or through the appearance of materiality and limited form (in Srivaiṣṇavism). Saints and alvars can also be regarded as images or mediatory modes; the saint embodies and mediates Christ's presence, becoming "as if" Christ. This presence is manifested not only in the saint's life but in his or her relics as well. The alvar is regarded as an aṁsa or partial incarnation, thus manifesting a part of God, most notably His ornaments, weapons and companions. / A specific comparison of Mary and Aṇṭaḷ/Sri will further highlight the dialectic of presence and absence in addition to pointing out their unique status within their respective traditions. A comparison of priests and acaryas will show mediation in living images. Priests become "as if" Christ through their ordination, and are seen to embody him particularly in specific ritual acts. The acarya functions in much the same way as Aṇṭaḷ/Sri, mediating between God and the believer as an aṁsa or partial incarnation. / Different theological conceptions of God and incarnation result in the different understandings of mediation and the different ways that the two traditions deal with the dialectic of presence and absence. Images in both traditions also bring to light an "as if" conception in the mind of the believer; saints and priests function "as if" Christ and the various images in Srivaiṣṇaavism appear "as if" material or "as if" human, thus allowing them to mediate the divine presence to the community.

Religious groups are societies, which aims to transcendental realities, but are realized among particular people and in particular time and society. It is interesting to study the relationship between society as a whole and these sub societies. One way of how the main society expresses its relationship towards religious groups, in a broader sense, is the registration of these groups as a state recognized religion. This status is desired and appreciated by the religious groups as it can change their position in public eyes. This thesis is a reflection about how difficult, and maybe even deceptive, is looking for criterions for registration or not registration. It is simply about describing borders between the terms ``sect{\crqq} and ``church{\crqq}. Intuitively, this border is something quite clear, but when we need to decide for or against registration, intuitive criterions by themselves are not enough.

O gênero Baccharis L. inclui plantas herbáceas perenes, subarbustos, arbustos, arbustos escandentes e pequenas árvores e apresenta ca. de 360 espécies com ocorrência restrita ao continente Americano. Com uma classificação infragenérica não totalmente definida, o gênero está dividido em aproximadamente 25 seções, sendo que Baccharis sect. Caulopterae inclui 34 táxons. Este estudo trata da revisão taxonômica de Baccharis sect. Caulopterae para o Brasil e está estruturado em três capítulos: 1. Revisão taxonômica de Baccharis L. sect. Caulopterae DC. (Asteraceae: Astereae) no Brasil. São apresentadas 25 espécies ocorrentes no Brasil, sendo quatro novas para a ciência. Inclui chave para identificação, descrições, ilustrações, sinonímia atualizada, dados de distribuição geográfica e comentários sobre as espécies. 2. Micromorfologia das cipselas de Baccharis L. sect. Caulopterae DC. (Asteraceae: Astereae) no Brasil. Neste capítulo é apresentada e discutida a micromorfologia das cipselas das espécies, com a utilização da microscopia eletrônica de varredura. 3. Estudo molecular com espécies do complexo Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. Neste capítulo são apresentados resultados da análise molecular utilizando marcadores ISSR para o complexo Baccharis trimera, colaborando na delimitação das espécies. / The genus Baccharis L. includes perennials herbaceous, subshrubs, shrubs, vines and small trees. Presents above 360 species with ocurrence restrict to American continent. The infrageneric classification is not fully defined and is divided into approximately 25 sections, where Baccharis sect. Caulopterae includes 34 taxa. This study treats about the taxonomic review of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae to Brazil and is structured in three chapters: 1. Taxonomic review of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae (Asteraceae: Astereae) to Brazil. The 25 Brazilian species are presented, are being four new species for the science. Includes identification key, descriptions, illustrations, up-to-date synonymy, geographic distribution data and comments about the species. 2. Micromorphology of cipsela of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae (Asteraceae: Astereae) to Brazil. In this chapter are presented and discussed the micromorphology of the cypselae, using the Scanning Electron Microscopy. 3. Molecular study with Baccharis trimera (Less.) species complex. In this chapter are presented the results of molecular analyses using the ISSR markers collaborating in the delimitation of the species.

O gênero Baccharis L. inclui plantas herbáceas perenes, subarbustos, arbustos, arbustos escandentes e pequenas árvores e apresenta ca. de 360 espécies com ocorrência restrita ao continente Americano. Com uma classificação infragenérica não totalmente definida, o gênero está dividido em aproximadamente 25 seções, sendo que Baccharis sect. Caulopterae inclui 34 táxons. Este estudo trata da revisão taxonômica de Baccharis sect. Caulopterae para o Brasil e está estruturado em três capítulos: 1. Revisão taxonômica de Baccharis L. sect. Caulopterae DC. (Asteraceae: Astereae) no Brasil. São apresentadas 25 espécies ocorrentes no Brasil, sendo quatro novas para a ciência. Inclui chave para identificação, descrições, ilustrações, sinonímia atualizada, dados de distribuição geográfica e comentários sobre as espécies. 2. Micromorfologia das cipselas de Baccharis L. sect. Caulopterae DC. (Asteraceae: Astereae) no Brasil. Neste capítulo é apresentada e discutida a micromorfologia das cipselas das espécies, com a utilização da microscopia eletrônica de varredura. 3. Estudo molecular com espécies do complexo Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. Neste capítulo são apresentados resultados da análise molecular utilizando marcadores ISSR para o complexo Baccharis trimera, colaborando na delimitação das espécies. / The genus Baccharis L. includes perennials herbaceous, subshrubs, shrubs, vines and small trees. Presents above 360 species with ocurrence restrict to American continent. The infrageneric classification is not fully defined and is divided into approximately 25 sections, where Baccharis sect. Caulopterae includes 34 taxa. This study treats about the taxonomic review of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae to Brazil and is structured in three chapters: 1. Taxonomic review of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae (Asteraceae: Astereae) to Brazil. The 25 Brazilian species are presented, are being four new species for the science. Includes identification key, descriptions, illustrations, up-to-date synonymy, geographic distribution data and comments about the species. 2. Micromorphology of cipsela of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae (Asteraceae: Astereae) to Brazil. In this chapter are presented and discussed the micromorphology of the cypselae, using the Scanning Electron Microscopy. 3. Molecular study with Baccharis trimera (Less.) species complex. In this chapter are presented the results of molecular analyses using the ISSR markers collaborating in the delimitation of the species.

O gênero Baccharis L. inclui plantas herbáceas perenes, subarbustos, arbustos, arbustos escandentes e pequenas árvores e apresenta ca. de 360 espécies com ocorrência restrita ao continente Americano. Com uma classificação infragenérica não totalmente definida, o gênero está dividido em aproximadamente 25 seções, sendo que Baccharis sect. Caulopterae inclui 34 táxons. Este estudo trata da revisão taxonômica de Baccharis sect. Caulopterae para o Brasil e está estruturado em três capítulos: 1. Revisão taxonômica de Baccharis L. sect. Caulopterae DC. (Asteraceae: Astereae) no Brasil. São apresentadas 25 espécies ocorrentes no Brasil, sendo quatro novas para a ciência. Inclui chave para identificação, descrições, ilustrações, sinonímia atualizada, dados de distribuição geográfica e comentários sobre as espécies. 2. Micromorfologia das cipselas de Baccharis L. sect. Caulopterae DC. (Asteraceae: Astereae) no Brasil. Neste capítulo é apresentada e discutida a micromorfologia das cipselas das espécies, com a utilização da microscopia eletrônica de varredura. 3. Estudo molecular com espécies do complexo Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. Neste capítulo são apresentados resultados da análise molecular utilizando marcadores ISSR para o complexo Baccharis trimera, colaborando na delimitação das espécies. / The genus Baccharis L. includes perennials herbaceous, subshrubs, shrubs, vines and small trees. Presents above 360 species with ocurrence restrict to American continent. The infrageneric classification is not fully defined and is divided into approximately 25 sections, where Baccharis sect. Caulopterae includes 34 taxa. This study treats about the taxonomic review of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae to Brazil and is structured in three chapters: 1. Taxonomic review of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae (Asteraceae: Astereae) to Brazil. The 25 Brazilian species are presented, are being four new species for the science. Includes identification key, descriptions, illustrations, up-to-date synonymy, geographic distribution data and comments about the species. 2. Micromorphology of cipsela of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae (Asteraceae: Astereae) to Brazil. In this chapter are presented and discussed the micromorphology of the cypselae, using the Scanning Electron Microscopy. 3. Molecular study with Baccharis trimera (Less.) species complex. In this chapter are presented the results of molecular analyses using the ISSR markers collaborating in the delimitation of the species.