The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyse the consequences of being diagnosed with Asperger syndrome during adulthood. My ambition was to investigate the participants’ perspective on how the diagnosis affected their lives and relationships with their partners. To answer the purpose three questions were formulated: (1) How did the participants experience being diagnosed with Asperger syndrome? (2) What have the diagnosis meant to the participants’ self-image and self understanding? (3) Have the diagnosis influenced the participants’ understanding of their partners and have the diagnosis influenced the partners’ understanding of the participants? The study is based on qualitative interviews with two men and two women living in Stockholm, Sweden. The theoretical framework is Symbolic interactionism and Goffmans Stigma concept. The results show that the participants found the diagnosis positive because it provided an explanation and understanding of the difficulties they had experienced. In extension, the majority of the participants experienced a more positive self-image and a better understanding between themselves and their partners. Negative experiences were reported as well, mainly chock, bitterness and grief.

In this thesis the roles of the sexually preadtory male character in Jane Austen&#039 / s Sense and Sensibility, Charlotte Bronte&#039 / s Jane Eyre, Anne Bronte&#039 / s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Elisabeth Gaskell&#039 / s Ruth and Mary Barton are analyzed, based on the theory of psychiatrist Karen Horney and the reader-response theory of Wolfgang Iser. The hypothesis is that the male sexual predator represents a reflection of the pursued heroine&#039 / s idealized image, an unrealistically idealized and preferred self-image in Horney&#039 / s terms, and makes the education and vindication patterns of the novels possible.

<p>Den psykiska ohälsan bland unga kvinnor ökar i samhället idag.  Självskadebeteendet kan vara ett sätt för dem att lindra sin ångest. Tidigare forskning visar att sjuksköterskor upplever en vanmakt och osäkerhet inför denna patientgrupp. Syftet med denna studie är att, genom kvalitativ analys av fyra självbiografier, beskriva unga kvinnors upplevelser av självskadebeteende. Resultatet bygger på fyra huvudkategorier med vardera två subkategorier som illustreras och förtydligas med citat från författarna. Huvudkategorierna speglar fyra områden som har stor betydelse för utvecklingen av självskadebeteendet. Resultatet beskriver författarnas gemensamma erfarenheter av självförakt och utanförskap, samt deras olika uppväxtförhållanden och personligheter. Diskussionen betonar att vårdpersonalen bör närma sig lidandet bakom självskadebeteendet med förståelse och respekt, vilket kräver kunskap om patienter som skadar sig själva.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> / <p>The mental unhealthiness amongst young women is increasing in society today. Self-harm behaviour can be a way for them to alleviate their anxiety. Previous research shows that nurses perceive powerlessness and uncertainty for this population. The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of self-harm behaviour in young women through qualitative analysis of four autobiographies. The result is based on four major categories, each with two subcategories, illustrated and clarified with quotations from the authors. The major categories reflect four areas of key importance to the development of self-harm behaviour. The result describes the authors' common experience of self contempt and alienation, and their different growing conditions and personalities. The discussion emphasizes that health care providers should approach the suffering behind self-harm behaviour with understanding and respect, which requires knowledge of patients harming themselves.</p>

<p>Vi måste spegla oss och få bekräftelse av andra för att utvecklas. Tidigare forskning och litteratur inom socialpsykologi och pedagogik visar att genom att bli sedda med andras ögon får vi syn på oss själva. Hur vi speglas eller bekräftas påverkar den bild vi har av oss själva. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka vad lärare anser att bekräftelse innebär samt vad deras erfarenheter av bekräftelsens betydelse för elevers självbild är. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och studiens empiri utgörs av fyra enskilda intervjuer med lärare verksamma i klasser med elever i åldrarna sex till tretton år. I studiens resultat framkom att bekräftelse innebär att synliggöra elever. Lärarna arbetar aktivt med bekräftelse som ett verktyg för att bland annat lyfta elever, för att stärka tilltron till den egna förmågan och för att ge eleverna svar på vad som kan vara rätt och fel. Bekräftelse kan uttryckas verbalt, skriftligt och med kroppsspråk. Resultatet visar även att de motiv lärarna uppger sig ha för att bekräfta elever leder till att elevernas självbilder stärks. Slutsatsen är att lärare har en betydande roll i elevens utveckling. När lärare ger positiv bekräftelse, påverkas elevens självbild vilket i sin tur främjar elevens personlighetsutveckling.</p> / <p>We require reflection and affirmation from others to develop. Both litterature and previous researches within socialpsyhology and pedagogy makes clear, that we get sight of ourselves by seeing ourselves through the eyes of others. The way we are reflected or are affirmed has an effect on which image we have of ourselves. The purpose of this study was to examine what teachers consider affirmation is and also their experience of what impact affirmation has on a pupils' self-image. This study has a qualitative approach and the material of the study is the result of four individual interviews. The interviewees are teachers working in classes with pupils between the age of six and thirteen. This study's result showed that giving affirmation is to take notice to the pupils. The teachers are actively working with affirmation as a tool. The teachers use affirmation for exampel to raise pupils, to reinforce confidence in pupils' own ability and to give pupils answers of what can be right and wrong. Affirmation is expressed verbally, written or by bodylanguage. The result of this study also shows that the reasons the teachers are giving on why they affirm pupils, do lead to strengthening the pupils' self-image. The conclusion of this study is that teachers' role are of great importance in pupils development. When teachers affirm pupils, the pupil’s self-image are effected, which means that pupils personalitydevelopment is promoted.</p>

Abstrakt Introduktion: Graviditet är en tid som medför att kvinnornas kroppar omformas. Med ett klart formulerat kvinnoideal medför detta att de gravida kvinnorna evaluerar sin självbild till följd av att förändringen sker i motsats till samhällets utseende trend. Kvinnorna känner sig ful och oattraktiv, likväl får barnets hicka och sparkar i livmodern kvinnorna att känna fascination samt stolthet. Syfte: Syftet med examensarbetet är att belysa hur kvinnor beskriver sin självbild i samband med en graviditet. Metod: Sex kvinnor som var gravid i vecka 28-35 intervjuades med semi-strukturerade öppna frågor. Data har analyserats med inspiration från grundad teori. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i en huvudkategori, fyra kategorier och sexton underkategorier. De gravida kvinnorna har till följd av samhällets ideal en generellt dålig självbild. I takt med kvinnornas fysiska omformning upplevdes självbilden väldigt negativ, kvinnorna försökte aktivt sträva efter en positiv upplevelse genom att använda små hjälpmedel. Magen väcker oönskad uppmärksamhet, grad av uppmärksamhet styrs utifrån magen storlek. Kvinnorna uttryckte ett stort behov av stöd från partner, familj och vänner för att kunna acceptera samt hantera graviditetens påfrestningar. Barnmorskorna erbjöd god medicinsk kunskap men saknade den empatiska förmågan vilken medförde att kvinnorna upplevde sig nonchalerad. Slutsats: De gravida kvinnorna har till följd av samhällets ideal en generellt dålig självbild, utifrån de gravida kvinnornas relation till den egna kroppen, men tack vare små hjälpmedel kunde självbilden accepteras. Stöd från partner och familj var det viktigaste komponenterna som medverkade till en god anpassning till graviditeten. / Abstract Background: A pregnancy forces the female body to change. Today we can identify clearly defined feminine ideal, during the time of pregnancy the body change in the direct opposite direction to societal trends which causes the pregnant women to question their self-image. The pregnancy causes the women to feel ugly and unattractive. However, feeling the baby´s hiccups or kicks make women fascinated and full of pride. Objective: The aim of the present study was to illustrate how women describe their self-image during pregnancy Methods: Semi-structured open-ended interviews were conducted with a total of six women who were pregnant in week 28-35. Data were analyzed inspired of grounded theory. Results: The analysis presented one main code, four categories and sixteen subcategories. Pregnant women have in general a poor self-image as a result of the society's ideal about the female body. Despite the negative feelings towards the body the women actively tried to strive for a positive experience with help of small appliances. The women expressed a greater need for support from their partners, families and friends to accept and cope with the stressful mental strain that the pregnancy creates. The midwives had a good medical knowledge but lacked empathy, which caused the women to feel neglected. Conclusion: The pregnant women had in generally a poorer self-image as a result of the body ideal in society. Acceptance of the pregnant self-image could be accomplished with a good relation to their own body. Also support from partners and families were the main components for a good ability to adapt oneself to pregnancy.

Background: People diagnosed with psychosis are often described as introvert, isolated and with little or no ability to create and maintain social relationships. While every angle of a phenomena is valid and important, we believe that the first-person perspective provides the only direct access to the diagnosed persons’ feelings and experiences. Aims: The aim of this study is to explore how a few people diagnosed with psychosis describe their experiences of social interaction. Method: This study is conducted in a Grounded Theory manner. An analysis has been performed on interviews made with five individuals, all diagnosed with a psychosis diagnosis. Results: The main result of this study is that the self-image is a core factor in the individuals experiences of, and initiative to, social interaction. The social interactions are linked to the individuals own relation to their diagnosis in a dynamic process where all components affect each other in the creating of the self-image. Conclusion: This study concludes that people diagnosed with psychosis is no different than other people when it comes to dreaming and longing for functional social relationships, but that they have some difficulties in actually finding them due to both social stigma and a poor self-image.

Šiandieninė žiniasklaidos (spaudos, radijo, televizijos, interneto) formų gausa aktualizuoja žiniasklaidos vaidmens ir įtakos tyrimus. Vis didesnį poreikį ir reikšmingumą Lietuvoje įgauna moterų, šeimos reprezentacijos Lietuvos žiniasklaidoje tyrimai, kurių objektu tampa suaugusiųjų įvaizdžio reprezentacija žiniasklaidoje, lyties tapatumo, šeimos modelių, socialinės elgsenos aktualizacija ir pateikiamo įvaizdžio įtaka vaikų suvokimui apie kasdienybėje vykstančius reiškinius. Užsienio autorių atlikti vaiko įvaizdžio naudojimo, šeimos reprezentacijos, į vaikus orientuotose reklamose, tyrimai apima stereotipinio mergaičių vaizdavimo problematiką TV reklamoje, semiotinę šeimos vaizdinio vaikams skirtoje reklamoje analizę. Tuo tarpu Lietuvoje panašaus pobūdžio tyrimai, nagrinėjantys vaiko įvaizdžio reprezentaciją TV reklamoje, nėra atliekami. Siekiant atskleisti TV reklamoje pateikiamo vaiko įvaizdžio teorines interpretacijas ir vertinimo tendencijas vaiko teisių apsaugos kontekste, buvo apibendrintos reklamos sampratos bei pobūdžio teorinės prielaidos, išryškintos vaiko teisių ir teisėtų interesų apsaugos TV reklamoje galimybės, atlikta TV reklaminių klipų turinio analizė, leidusi suformuluoti šias išvadas: Lietuvoje sukurta vaiko teisių ir teisėtų interesų apsaugos žiniasklaidoje teisinė bazė yra pakankamai išsami bei atitinka tarptautinių teisės normų reikalavimus, tačiau vis dar skiriamas nepakankamas dėmesys vaiko įvaizdžio reprezentavimui reklamoje, kuomet žiniasklaidos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The variety of contemporary mass-media forms (press, radio, TV, internet etc.) actualizes media’s role and its influence researches. Such approaches as women, family representations within Lithuanian media researches take the main place and meaning that mostly focus on: a) adults’ self-image construction in the media; b) gender identity; c) family models; d) actualization of social behaviour; e) the influence of a given image for the children’s ability to recognize daily routine events. Many researches have been done on using child’s image within TV commercials and the main issues about using typical girlish view and semiotic family’s image, which is dedicated to children, analysis were set. Meanwhile such type of researches that analyzes children’s representations on TV commercials are not systematically organized yet in Lithuania. Thus, trying to reveal some theoretical interpretations and evaluating tendencies of children’s image usage on TV commercials in the context of their rights protection, the conceptions and manners of TV commercial were generalized. Also some possibilities of child’s rights and his/her legal interests’ protection on TV commercial were highlighted as well. Finally, the content analysis of some TV commercials’ clips has helped to make such conclusions as: a) even though the legal base of child rights and his/her interests’ protection within mass-media in Lithuania functions quite well, there is a lack of attention to a child’s image representations... [to full text]

This study sought to understand the lived experience of disengagement from formal schooling of five young Aboriginal women in a mid-Northern community. Using the qualitative methodology of narrative inquiry, and through a series of guided open-ended interviews, this research explored each participant’s experiences as a learner; informally and in school. Analysis of the personal histories of learning shared by the participants enabled the identification of attributes of best-remembered learning experiences and also elements that contributed to marginalization and dis-continuing of school. Key elements for each learner clustered around relationship and connectedness. Contexts of optimal learning as revealed in the narratives can be characterized as authentic, situated, experiential, guided, and often culturally-relevant. Marginalization and dis-continuing of school were related to: a sense of emotional insecurity in the school, the need for community and a sense of belonging, disrespectful treatment and relational bullying by teachers and/or peers, administrative policy related to placement and psycho-social needs, and restrictive curricular decisions. The participants’ desire to learn and continuing pursuit of learning goals, although out of school, is expressed in the title of this thesis by Participant A as she speaks for all in saying, “I’m still learning” (PA#1, p. 3). Recommendations for formal schooling are made based on the needs and preferences expressed by the participants and by the institutional circumstances revealed in the narratives that affected engagement and dis-engagement. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2007-08-09 15:48:56.987

In recent years, the internet has exploded of images. Not at least in the popular photo-sharing network Instagram as one of the fastest growing social network for the moment. Millions of people around the world share pictures and expose themself for friends and family. We were therefore interested in which experiences and attitudes users have towards their identities in relation to their self-image and self-presentation on Instagram. Furthermore, whether they in general have a primary interest in using Instagram as a tool to experiment with images to present their identity on Instagram, in which way they approach their Instagram follower’s expectations on how they present themselves on Instagram and if they are aware of any strategies in their self-presentation on Instagram. The result of this study is the fact that our respondents thinks that they do not intend to have a primary interest in experimenting with images on Instagram to present their identitiy, it is rather something that comes naturally in how they present themselves on Instagram. The primarily purpose of using Instagram do not appear to be for satisfying an experimental need in self-presentation on Instagram. It is rather to satisfy a social need. Following, it has emerged that they seems to have a varied self-awareness in terms of strategies and reasons for self-presentation and that they are significantly influenced by their followers expectations on their identity presentation.

Bakgrund Bröstcancer är känd som den klart vanligaste cancerformen hos kvinnor världen över och är en vanlig orsak till cancerrelaterad dödlighet. Med numera raffinerade behandlingar kan man i många fall bota sjukdomen. Ett sätt är med hjälp av kirurgiska åtgärder där mastektomi, avlägsnade av hela bröstet, är ett vanligt val. Ur både ett historiskt och kulturellt perspektiv har kvinnobröstet varit en utmärkande symbol för femininitet och det kvinnliga. Syfte Syftet med studien var att belysa kvinnors upplevelser av sina kroppar efter mastektomi. Metod Studien gjordes som en systematisk litteraturöversikt där tio kvalitativa vetenskapliga studier studerades och ett resultat sammanfattades utifrån det.  Resultat Att förlora ett bröst resulterade i en förändrad identitet och kroppsbild. Kvinnorna kände sig asymmetriska och i vissa fall stympade. De ansåg sig ha förlorat kvinnlighet och sexualitet. Detta ledde till känslor av förlust, främmandeskap och sorg. Ett behov av stöd fanns och det kunde hjälpa dem i återhämtningen. Att lära sig acceptera och leva med den nya kroppen var en lång process där kvinnorna använde sig av olika metoder för att hantera förlusten av sitt bröst. Ärret blev en symbol för både cancern och förlust av en kroppsdel men också av att sjukdomen var besegrad. Slutsats Att förlora ett bröst påverkar kvinnornas kroppsbild och därmed många andra domäner i deras liv. Sjuksköterskor som möter dessa kvinnor behöver öka sina kunskaper kring mastektomins effekter och på så vis öka sin förståelse för kvinnornas behov av stöd. Detta för att kunna hjälpa dem att bearbeta sina upplevelser och uppmuntra dem till att trivas med sina nya kroppar. / Background Breast cancer is known as the most common form of cancer among women around the world and is still a common cause of cancer-related death. However, with many advanced treatments now available, finding a cure is often a possibility. This is mostly achieved through surgical procedures where mastectomy, removal of the whole breast, is a common option. Seen through a historical and cultural perspective, the female breast has been a distinctive symbol of femininity. Aim The aim of this study was to shed some light over mastectomised women’s experiences of their bodies after the mastectomy. Method The study is a litterature review based on the findings of ten qualitative scientific studies. Results Losing a breast resulted in a change of identity and body image. The women felt asymmetric and in some cases mutilated. They claimed to have lost femininity and sexuality. This led to feelings of loss, strangeness and grief. There was a need for support which could help them on the path to recovery. Learning to accept and live with the new body was a time consuming process in which the women used different tactics in order to deal with the breast loss. The scar became a symbol for both the cancer and the loss of a body part but also that the desease was defeated. Conclusion Losing a breast affect women's body image and as a result, many other domains of their lives. Nurses who meet these women need to increase their knowledge about the effects of mastectomy and thus increase their understanding of women's need for support. This in order to help them process their experiences and encourage them to be happy with their new bodies.