This research focuses on the transition of Bahraini students to a Western medical university which has been ‘transplanted’, with its values and context of practice, to the culture of Bahrain. A socio-cultural model of Communities of Practice was adopted as a theoretical framework in this research for it linked in well with the personal context of this study which suggested that students’ transition could be related to the practices in Bahraini schools associated with science and English education, as well as general school pedagogy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore how different participants perceive the role of school practices, as well as science and English education in transition. In order to explore these different understandings, a case study methodology was adopted and insights into the practices of students’ school and university community were gained through the use of focus group and individual interviews, as well as a descriptive questionnaire. The data from the qualitative investigation was analysed deductively under the three themes of science background knowledge, the English language and school pedagogy, while the questionnaire data was subject to univariate analysis based on mean responses. The key findings indicated high levels of confidence in students’ science base and approaches to study, which enabled the students to take a number of strategic actions in order to move through the educational outcomes of the university programme. In terms of the English language, a compromised foreign language (L2) proficiency caused by inadequate school practices was perceived not to play an important role in the transition process, which suggested a diminished role of L2 in transitions in the context of language change. As far as school pedagogy is concerned, whilst all participants at the secondary level agreed that general memorisation-based pedagogy in secondary schools could play a negative role in the transition, the participants at the university revealed that rote-based approaches to study formed in school could also be strategically used at university. Hence, the findings from this research have specific implications for the model of Communities of Practice and suggest future work within this theory regarding the role of students’ individual agency. These findings also suggest a new understanding of transitions in the context of language and culture change.

<p>This study aims to describe the conditions, of which some youths who live in a segregated area in Sweden, see as important for their development of an identity. The study have been conducted in a manner where we put the youths own words in focus. The youths are in charge of deciding what they regard as important for their own development of their own identity. In this study we assume certain contexts, of which we base the study. These contexts include the society, the urban districts, the school, the family, and the language. A central concept in this study’s technical framework is symbolic interaction, and ethnology. The data in this study comes from group discussions with students in a school in an urban district which has been, and is segregated. Theoretical concepts and the youths own concepts serve as tools in this study. The participants in this study describe them self as not being a part of the Swedish society. They are different. Even though almost everyone of the participants in this study are born in Sweden, none of them feel that they are Swedish. Their sense of feeling secure is connected to the urban district of which they live in, school, and family. The youths describes the possibility of social networking as an important part of being secure. They describe the Swedish society as being hostile towards them as a group. They experience that the Swedes defends Sweden against them. They feel that their language is different from the regular Swedish. The participants see both a positive and a negative side of their language. They feel that the Swedes does not accept their Swedish. At the same time they feel proud of their language. They mention it as being alive. Even though they experience the difficulties in the Swedish society, they feel hopeful about their future. They see themselves in a positive way. They have an positive view of their identity.</p>

This study aims to describe the conditions, of which some youths who live in a segregated area in Sweden, see as important for their development of an identity. The study have been conducted in a manner where we put the youths own words in focus. The youths are in charge of deciding what they regard as important for their own development of their own identity. In this study we assume certain contexts, of which we base the study. These contexts include the society, the urban districts, the school, the family, and the language. A central concept in this study’s technical framework is symbolic interaction, and ethnology. The data in this study comes from group discussions with students in a school in an urban district which has been, and is segregated. Theoretical concepts and the youths own concepts serve as tools in this study. The participants in this study describe them self as not being a part of the Swedish society. They are different. Even though almost everyone of the participants in this study are born in Sweden, none of them feel that they are Swedish. Their sense of feeling secure is connected to the urban district of which they live in, school, and family. The youths describes the possibility of social networking as an important part of being secure. They describe the Swedish society as being hostile towards them as a group. They experience that the Swedes defends Sweden against them. They feel that their language is different from the regular Swedish. The participants see both a positive and a negative side of their language. They feel that the Swedes does not accept their Swedish. At the same time they feel proud of their language. They mention it as being alive. Even though they experience the difficulties in the Swedish society, they feel hopeful about their future. They see themselves in a positive way. They have an positive view of their identity.

Les fichiers qui accompagnent mon document ont été réalisés avec les logiciels : STATA, SPSS et EXCEL. / Ce mémoire de maitrise porte sur l’étude de la relation entre les croyances religieuses, le développement économique et l’identité socioculturelle des libanais. Ce sujet est suscité par deux approches : une approche conceptuelle relatant le lien entre la religion et le développement économique, et une approche révélant le rapport entre les trois éléments du sujet et imposant une observation rigoureuse des libanais du Liban et des libanais de Montréal. Deux types d’études empiriques sont envisageables afin d’expliquer le rapprochement entre les trois éléments du sujet : des études visant à tester le lien entre la religion et le développement au Liban et à Montréal et des études traitant la problématique identitaire. Les analyses historiques, sociologiques et empiriques invoquées dans notre projet démontrent qu’en général il existe une corrélation entre la religion et le développement. Nos enquêtes soulignent que cette corrélation est tout de même vérifié chez les libanais. Les points de vue culturel et religieux attestent que la religion et la famille constituent deux éléments indissociables de l’identité socioculturelle des libanais. La religion est une valeur qui peut influencer le choix du consommateur libanais. En effet, une relation de réciprocité est établie entre ces deux éléments. Les études, menées au Liban et à Montréal, soulignent aussi que le degré de religiosité peut déterminer certains comportements sociaux; ceci crée un enchainement entre le comportement social d’un libanais, ses appartenances religieuses qui reflètent son identité, et le développement économique. Ainsi, Les croyances religieuses endoctrinent le développement économique au plan macroéconomique et au plan microéconomique. Une relation s’installe entre le spirituel et la science économique. / This thesis focuses on the study of the relationship between religious beliefs, economic development and socio-cultural identity of Lebanon. This topic is generated by two approaches: a conceptual approach to describing the relationship between religion and economic development, and an approach to revealing the relationship between the three elements of the subject and requiring strict adherence to the Lebanese in Lebanon and the Lebanese in Montreal. Two types of empirical studies are possible to explain the relation between the three elements of the subject: studies to test the link between religion and development in Lebanon and Montreal and studies dealing with the issue of identity. Historical, sociological and empirical analyses show that there is in general a correlation between religion and development. Our investigations point out that this correlation is still checked in Lebanon. The cultural and religious views show that religion and family are two inseparable elements of the socio-cultural identity of Lebanese. Religion is a value that can influence consumer choice Lebanese. Indeed, a reciprocal relationship is established between the two. Studies conducted in Lebanon and Montreal also highlight that the degree of religiosity may determine some social behaviors; this creates a chain between the social behavior of a Lebanese, his religious affiliations that reflect his identity, and economic development. Thus, religious beliefs indoctrinate economic development at the macroeconomic and microeconomic levels.

Ce mémoire de maitrise porte sur l’étude de la relation entre les croyances religieuses, le développement économique et l’identité socioculturelle des libanais. Ce sujet est suscité par deux approches : une approche conceptuelle relatant le lien entre la religion et le développement économique, et une approche révélant le rapport entre les trois éléments du sujet et imposant une observation rigoureuse des libanais du Liban et des libanais de Montréal. Deux types d’études empiriques sont envisageables afin d’expliquer le rapprochement entre les trois éléments du sujet : des études visant à tester le lien entre la religion et le développement au Liban et à Montréal et des études traitant la problématique identitaire. Les analyses historiques, sociologiques et empiriques invoquées dans notre projet démontrent qu’en général il existe une corrélation entre la religion et le développement. Nos enquêtes soulignent que cette corrélation est tout de même vérifié chez les libanais. Les points de vue culturel et religieux attestent que la religion et la famille constituent deux éléments indissociables de l’identité socioculturelle des libanais. La religion est une valeur qui peut influencer le choix du consommateur libanais. En effet, une relation de réciprocité est établie entre ces deux éléments. Les études, menées au Liban et à Montréal, soulignent aussi que le degré de religiosité peut déterminer certains comportements sociaux; ceci crée un enchainement entre le comportement social d’un libanais, ses appartenances religieuses qui reflètent son identité, et le développement économique. Ainsi, Les croyances religieuses endoctrinent le développement économique au plan macroéconomique et au plan microéconomique. Une relation s’installe entre le spirituel et la science économique. / This thesis focuses on the study of the relationship between religious beliefs, economic development and socio-cultural identity of Lebanon. This topic is generated by two approaches: a conceptual approach to describing the relationship between religion and economic development, and an approach to revealing the relationship between the three elements of the subject and requiring strict adherence to the Lebanese in Lebanon and the Lebanese in Montreal. Two types of empirical studies are possible to explain the relation between the three elements of the subject: studies to test the link between religion and development in Lebanon and Montreal and studies dealing with the issue of identity. Historical, sociological and empirical analyses show that there is in general a correlation between religion and development. Our investigations point out that this correlation is still checked in Lebanon. The cultural and religious views show that religion and family are two inseparable elements of the socio-cultural identity of Lebanese. Religion is a value that can influence consumer choice Lebanese. Indeed, a reciprocal relationship is established between the two. Studies conducted in Lebanon and Montreal also highlight that the degree of religiosity may determine some social behaviors; this creates a chain between the social behavior of a Lebanese, his religious affiliations that reflect his identity, and economic development. Thus, religious beliefs indoctrinate economic development at the macroeconomic and microeconomic levels. / Les fichiers qui accompagnent mon document ont été réalisés avec les logiciels : STATA, SPSS et EXCEL.

The problem statement mainly deals with the curtailment of the high function status of Afrikaans in South Africa since 1994 as this has a negative impact on the six million mother tongue speakers of Afrikaans as well as on non-mother tongue speakers for whom the language has an instrumental value. The question is raised as to whether myth making around Afrikaans can be held partly responsible for this loss in status. The term “myth” and the impact of myths are looked into. “Myth” is not used in this thesis as a “story without ground” (as in the dictionary definition), but, according to the work of Jung, Campbell, Leroux, Malan and others, as a story/narrative that gives voice to man’s search for meaning and significance. The main points of departure are: · The viewpoint of the well-known twentieth-century mythologist, Joseph Campbell, who states: “Myths are stories of our search through the ages for truth, for meaning, for significance (Campbell in Flowers 1988:5); and · The statement of Malan (1978:39) namely that myth has always been the way in which man has tried to explain the sense, significance and purpose of the cosmos by means of a simple narrative. Myth making within groups (Anderson 1991: “imagined communities”) is viewed and the role of of political myth making explicitly stated. In this regard the statement of Leonard Thompson is relevant. Thompson (1985:3) points to two kinds of myths, namely: 1) “conservative myths” (for example about the origins of a group); and 2) “radical myths” (that aim to discredit the regime of “the other”). In the discourse about myths around Afrikaans the point of departure is that the specific myth is regarded as positive or negative in terms of its impact on the status and position of Afrikaans in South Africa. The two “main” myths around Afrikaans are discussed by exemplification and by means of anecdotes and the impact of the said myths on Afrikaans is evaluated. The two myths are: · Afrikaans as mythical binding force in Afrikaner nationalism in (mainly) the first fifty years of the twentieth century; and · Afrikaans as metaphorical language of the oppressor, especially in the period of institutionalized apartheid. The impact of the above myths within various Afrikaans systems (among others the historiography and literature of Afrikaans and the school syllabi) is furthermore exemplified with the purpose of indicating how great this impact has been. Finally the question is asked: ”And now, Afrikaans?” (with acknowledgement to the title of a publication by Hans du Plessis, 1992: “En nou, Afrikaans?”). The conclusion is that the status of Afrikaans in the so-called high language functions is daily under more pressure as a result of the hegemony of English in the country. There should be rational and firm negotiations about this unconstitutional curtailment of the rights of Afrikaans. The speakers of Afrikaans can, however, help to preserve the language by: 1. Living with the myths around Afrikaans in the sense that they develop and demonstrate understanding and empathy for the myths of other groups; 2. Using Afrikaans daily for all functions, especially seeing that Afrikaans is indeed suitably developed to meet any need; and 3. Working towards new myth making around Afrikaans, by – among other things – pointing to the fact that Afrikaans, as a language of Africa, has a greater claim to national language status in South Africa than the international language, English. / Thesis (DLitt (Afrikaans))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Afrikaans / unrestricted