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ABSTRACT When it comes to school governance, the concept of "local control" endures as a powerful social construct in some regions of the United States. In New England states, where traditional town meetings and small school districts still exist as important local institutions, the idea of local control is still an important element of policy considerations, despite increasing state and federal regulation of education in recent years. With its small school districts and myriad governance structures, Vermont represents an extreme case example of the intersection between participatory democracy and the local control of schools. With nearly 285 school boards composed of over 1,400 school board members for a statewide k-12 population of just over 88,000 students, Vermont has the most board members per pupil in the nation. In addition, the state's patchwork of local districts, supervisory unions, unified districts, and other governance entities make up the most complex school governance system in the country. Following the passage of Act 46 in 2015, Vermont school districts began new voluntary merger negotiations and restructuring through the process known as "unification". This qualitative case study of Vermont school governance examined the question of local control as a social construct across four school districts which, taken together, represent a range of attributes as defined by geography, demographics, and governance structures. Extended structured interviews comprised of image-based prompts and open-ended questions with 19 school board members provided the principal source of data. A review of state and local documents and interviews with 11 superintendents and policymakers allowed for triangulation of the data. Results suggested these principal findings: 1) multiple meanings of local control coexist, 2) statutory requirements and limited local resources curtail the exercise of local control in practice, and 3) school boards are starting to take a broader view of governance by emphasizing stewardship over micromanagement and redefining local communities beyond town boundaries.

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Diploma thesis "The Intensive Motherhood in the Czech Society" deals with the motherhood. It focuses on finding the forms of motherhood in two different social environments in the Czech Republic reflecting the Ideology of Intensive Mothering. In response to identified information from secondary sources in this thesis I consider motherhood a social construct that is proved by the analysis of primary data too. The qualitative research strategy was chosen to achieve defined goals. Outcomes of analysis of the Problem-Centered Interviews, realized with mothers of young children from different social backgrounds, show two different realities of motherhood. This distinction also proves that The Intensive Mothering is not accepted by all mothers. Although the cited authors present it like dominant model, it can't be automatically considered the dominant model in practice.

Race is a concept that is often avoided in Sweden, and many try to detach present day racism from the antiquated racial biology by not discussing race. To Talk About Race: A Discourse Analysis of the concept of race in present day Swedish daily press aims to investigate how ”race” (in Swedish: ”ras”) is articulated in Swedish daily press within the debate about whether the word “race” should be used or not. The study focuses on looking into which arguments are presented in articles that are in favour of using the word “race” in Sweden as well as which power relations are made visible or invisible through the language that is used within the debate. The empirical material is discursively analysed with guidance from theoretical framework consisting of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s discourse theory as well as postcolonial theory. The results of the study show that the writers of the articles distinctively disagree with earlier discourses of race as racial biology, and instead articulate a discourse of race as a social construct. The use of the word “race” in Swedish daily press is often argued for with reference to the existence of biological racism in Sweden and how discussing the concept of race and using the word “race” can enable to talk about and counteract those problems. In the articles power relations such as those between white and non-white people can be see, as well as between Swedish people and non-white non-Westerners.

В выпускной квалификационной работе анализируется образ инвалида, транслируемый телеканалами «Первый канал» и «ОТВ» за 2017-2018гг. Выявляются основные механизмы конструирования образа, а также изучается степень его влияния на отношение аудитории средств массовой информации к инвалидам. Результаты социологического исследования показывают необходимость формирования положительного образа инвалида в средствах массовой информации, который напрямую отразится на массовом сознании. Это будет способствовать ликвидации стереотипов и толерантному отношению к данной социальной группе. / In the final qualifying work, the image of the disabled person broadcast by the First Channel and OTV channel for 2017-2018 is analyzed. The main mechanisms of image construction are revealed, and the degree of its influence on the attitude of the media audience to the disabled is studied. The results of a sociological study show the need to create a positive image of a disabled person in the media, which will directly affect the mass consciousness. This will contribute to the elimination of stereotypes and a tolerant attitude towards this social group.

Through the examination of four different burial sites located on the island of Öland this essay identifies and interprets different socially constructed age groups present in iron age communities based on the graves of children from the period. This is done mainly by studying the placements, constructions and contents of the graves, as well as the relationships between the graves on the burial sites.

This essay uses social constructionism and intersectionality to argue that the narrator in The Woman Warrior is experiencing feelings of identity confusion due to the different stereotypes of femininity that American and Chinese culture hold. The experiences are caused mainly by Chinese society, American society, her mother, and the talk-stories told in the book. She also establishes her identity through all four of these categories and comes to the conclusion that the concept of femininity is a stereotype and should not be adhered to as it furthers the patriarchal view of women.

Master of Visual Arts / This thesis is an exploration into the ether of the digital aesthetic. It attempts to capture a segment of the continually morphing space then deconstruct and analyse it through electronic and new media art. Herein you will find a questioning of technology and control within electronic and new media art as an investigation into better understanding the current media image and visual culture that so powerfully influences the modern social construct. By nature this argument has existed for some years but only now with advancements in technology and more affordable realisation of ideas by media artists, the topic of the digital aesethetic, technology and control has become relevant for popular debate. As war lingers in our minds, terrorism hits headlines, and experiements in cloning human DNA take place, the technology that society demands can only necessarily be seen as a major contributing factor to today's strange times. However, strange or not, the questions I wish to discuss; Does technology determine contemporary society or do we determine technology? Where does the control exist?

Studien belyser hur kvinnor upplever ungt moderskap och möjligheter till att fullfölja gymnasiestudier. Intervjuer har genomförts med fyra kvinnor som blivit föräldrar under sin tid i grundskolan/kring 15/16 års ålder. Undersökningen bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer i form av gruppintervju samt individuell intervju som metod. Resultaten visar att kvinnorna upplever att ansvaret moderskapet medfört har bidragit till att de blivit motiverade till att få ordning på sitt liv och att barnet blivit en symbol för mognad som i flera fall stärkt självbilden. Självkänslan har dock påverkats negativt om man inte lever upp till förväntningarna på sig själv som mamma, vilket dock inte kan kopplas direkt till kvinnornas ålder. En negativ påverkan på självbilden är också om det sociala nätverket kännetecknas av instabila relationer. Resultatet visar att ingen av de intervjuade kvinnorna har fullföljt sina gymnasiestudier. Det har framkommit att den främsta anledningen till avhopp är den ekonomiska situationen. Kvinnornas sociala nätverk som omfattas av både familjemedlemmar, samt aktörer inom utbildningsväsendet möjliggjorde gymnasiestudier för den tid de hade möjlighet att gå. Unikt i denna studie är att mammorna återger att skolorna har anpassats för dem. Vidare har vi analyserat materialet och tolkat att de unga mammorna har skapat sig strategier till hur de förhåller sig till först sina egna föreställningar om andras åsikter och sedan samhällets och omgivningens faktiska åsikter om ungt moderskap. / In this study we examined how Swedish women experience young motherhood in relation to their perceived ability to complete their gymnasium studies. We have interviewed 4 women who became mothers around 15-16 years of age.  The investigation is based mainly on qualitative group and individual interviews. None of the women interviewed had completed their studies, despite that three of the women expressed desire to do so, and the acknowledgement of the existence of a social network of family and community actors making this goal achievable.  Unique to this study’s findings was the perception among the women that the schools themselves had been adapted for them and thus did not present a barrier.  Rather, economic difficulties were cited to be the most common reason for dropping out, with mental health and class identity also cited as complicating factors. We then provide an analysis from feminist and normative perspectives in order to provide a framework for understanding how social norms of gender, age, motherhood can constitute perceived barriers for young mothers who wish to complete their gymnasium education. In particular, this study highlights the importance of further investigation of how economic factors can complicate young parenthood.