The covid-19-pandemic has affected many companies and businesses in society, the retail business being one of them. The pandemic has caused a decrease in sales and many stores have had to make staff reductions. The responsibility of managing the store, as well as managing the changing work conditions, lands in the hands of the store managers. Previous research shows that the middle management position is a vulnerable position where they constantly have to adapt to and handle different interests, particularly during a time full of change. The purpose of the study is to contribute to knowledge about how the covid-19-pandemic affect the store managers work role and leadership, focusing on the conflicting demands and expectations that are integral parts of the middle management position. The empiric material has been gathered through qualitative interviews with store managers in retail, specifically within clothing,cosmetics and shoe retail. The basis for the analysis of the data is a collective theoretical framework regarding sociological ambivalence and sociological coping. The result of the studyshows that the pandemic has resulted in changed work conditions mainly due to temporary and permanent staff reductions. The changed work conditions has led to intensified conflicting demands for the store managers causing them to experience a role conflict, a conflict of values, and conflict between goals and means. Moreover, the study shows that the store managers have handled the conflicting demands and expectations by switching between roles, accepting the intensified demands, seeking support from upper management and co-workers, and to some extent by attempting to make change and set boundaries. The study indicates that the storemanagers work involves incompatible demands and expectations that they are attempting to meet, as a result the store managers feel that they are stretched to their limit. / Den rådande covid-19-pandemin har påverkat många företag och branscher i samhället, däribland handelsbranschen. Pandemin har resulterat i minskad försäljning och många butiker har behövt göra personalneddragningar. Ansvaret för att driva butiken och hantera de förändrade arbetsförhållandena hamnar i knät på butikscheferna. Tidigare forskning visar att mellanchefspositionen är en utsatt position där de ständigt måste förhålla sig till och hantera olika intressen, särskilt under en tid av förändring. Studien syftar därmed till att bidra med kunskap om hur covid-19-pandemin påverkar butikschefens yrkesroll och ledarskap, med ett fokus på de motstridiga krav och förväntningar som inbegrips i mellanchefspositionen. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom kvalitativa intervjuer med butikschefer inom sällanköpshandeln. Grunden för analysen av datamaterialet är ett samlat teoretiskt ramverk om sociologisk ambivalens och sociologisk coping. Studiens resultat visar att pandemin har resulterat i förändrade arbetsförhållanden främst i form av permitteringar och personalneddragningar. De förändrade arbetsförhållandena har lett till en intensifiering av motstridiga krav och förväntningar på butikscheferna vilket gör att de upplever rollkonflikt, värderingskonflikt och konflikt mellan mål och medel. Vidare visar resultatet att butikscheferna hanterat motstridiga krav och förväntningar genom att växla mellanrollfunktioner, acceptera intensifieringen av kraven, söka stöd från ledning och kollegor samt till viss del försöka förändra och sätta gränser. Studien indikerar att butikschefernas arbete präglas av yttre inkompatibla krav och förväntningar som de försöker möta, vilket resulterar i butikschefernas upplevelse av att de vänder ut och in på sig själva.

The social, revolutionary upheavals that frequently exploded on the American scene during the past ten years provided a contemporary, if not sophisticated, framework for the teaching of English history to secondary students. The insights gained from this relational approach emphasized two specific issues during the eras in which England developed into a modern nation: (1) historical events set the stage for social dissatisfaction; and, (2) parliamentary actions reflected the awareness levels that gradually seeped into the social consciousness of the English politic. In isolation, five of these societal insurrections, the Peasant Revolt of 1381, the Ket Uprising in 1549, the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 and the Jacobin Revolt of 1715 not only focused attention on the prevailing conditions in England at five particular periods of history, but insured a sufficient span of time, 369 years, for a more accurate analysis of revolutionary activity, of changes in legal practices and of an evolution in social consciousness.

The purpose of this study was to consolidate the myriad theories of crime and create a comprehensive list of reasons a person may violate the law. This thesis aimed to accurately identify and categorize the general criminal motivations of sentenced inmates at Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center (GHRC). By administering a survey to sentenced inmates this study supported the research hypothesis that all of the participants would agree that they had committed their illegal act due exclusively to one or more of the nine reasons discussed.

Outdoor recreation on national forests near large urban centers is changing and diversifying as users of many ethnic and racial backgrounds increasingly choose urban-proximate forests as recreation sites. These changes are particularly evident on the national forests of Southern California where large numbers of individuals of Hispanic origins are utilizing dispersed, relatively undeveloped sites for day-use recreation activities including picnicking, barbecuing, and swimming. This usage is the focus of the study. Previous studies of outdoor recreation participation have treated ethnic group membership as a unidimensional, categorical variable. Using a social structural model, this study more fully explores inter- and intra-ethnic differences by examining the role of ancestry, generational status, and acculturation in influencing recreation experiences. Additionally, the study attempts a more holistic exploration of recreation experiences, including their meaning and significance as a way of more fully understanding the experience from the visitor's point of view. The study uses a combination of quantitative (on-site, self-administered surveys) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews and observations) methods to accomplish these objectives. From the results of the study it appears that Hispanic visitors to the study sites vary in terms of their structural characteristics. Certain forest sites are visited primarily by relatively unacculturated immigrants to the United States, with few Anglos or more acculturated Hispanic present. Other areas are composed of more acculturated individuals of longer generational tenure. In addition to structural variation in the study site's Hispanic visitors, there is also variation in meanings and preferences related to the recreation experience. Among the variables examined were past use history, social group composition, primary reason for the visit, what respecting the forest means, and place attachment. The largest differences among the study's respondents in the above questions were found between those of Anglo and Central American descent. Among the study's findings are that those of Anglo descent come to the sites more frequently and had been doing so for a longer time, are in smaller groups, and are less attached to the sites than those of Hispanic descent. Considerable structural differences between the two primarily Hispanic ancestral groups were revealed. The Central American response group contained more individuals born outside the United States and of lower acculturation levels. Hispanic participants born outside the United States were more dissimilar to Anglos in their responses to the questions related to recreation experiences than those born in the United States. / M.S.

Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology in Environmental Management In the Faculty of Applied Sciences Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Rivers, lakes and streams are the only way people encounter water sources in urban areas. Human endeavours have consequently deteriorated the environmental quality provided by river systems thus rivers are supporting a fraction of their original biodiversity and abundance. Urban streams are highly valuable and sensitive systems which, can be assessed by means of impacts of urban catchment and pathway influences. Many of the problems associated with environmental quality and management of urban watercourses are as a result of poor public perception. Advances in river assessment and management has come about through the recognition that water resource problems involve biological, physical and chemical components and more recently the addition of social and economic aspects. Social public participation is therefore achieved by studying and acting on people’s values, behaviours and perceptions of environmental quality. The main aim of this research was to identify whether a difference in socio-economic status is an influential factor in people’s perception of environmental quality. The objectives of the research were to determine whether the Elsieskraal River has a perceived low environmental relevance and quality (health and aesthetics), to determine what sensitizes people about issues relating to the natural environment and to identify people’s uses and perceptions of the Elsieskraal River corridor and its importance to the enjoyment as a recreational space. The study used a qualitative approach to obtain the data using the focus group technique. The purposive sample of participants from Pinelands and Thornton were the population that this study sought to investigate. Two focus group discussions; one in each study area was conducted. The results of this study found both similarities and differences in people’s perceptions of the Elsieskraal River between the two different socioeconomic urban communities. The perceived observation that the Elsieskraal River was a canal and not a river set the foundation for the envisaged low environmental quality the river so acquired. The majority overall environmental quality scores for the attributes of aquatic life, vegetation and water quality were found to be lower than they were scientifically found to be. Two clear avenues concerning environmental information sourcing and sensitization to the public was found. Politicians and government officials were unreliable to relay environmental information of a trustworthy nature. Community newspapers were a useful tool to present theevidence of information concerning the status of the natural environment especially at a local level. Three themes namely safety, maintenance and facilities and community attachment emerged on the importance of the Elsieskraal River as a recreational space. It is recommended that further studies should examine the perceptions of other similar rivers in the urban environment, both natural and canalised within Cape Town and the greater South Africa. The findings can assist environmental managers, planners and educators identify the gaps between the scientific environmental conditions and what people’s perceived awareness and knowledge about environmental quality are (factual versus perceived). It is also recommended that emphasis and support from local authorities must be given to non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) and adjacent property owners to aid in mobilising people into “ownership of rivers” within their communities to enhance their value and utilisation.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if formal early childhood education was related to the likelihood of later criminal activity. The secondary data analysis within this study did support inferences for four specific crime factors. This study found that preschool attendance lessened the incurrence of future criminal activity in crime categories of total numbers of damage offenses, total numbers of theft offenses, total numbers of damage alone offenses, and total numbers of injury and theft offenses.

In an age of biomedicine, technologies, drugs, and treatments are expanding in new and diverse ways. Especially relevant to biomedicalization and this research is how such information is conveyed to the public through the media. Medical information is omnipresent in the media through direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising and regular coverage of health topics in the news. The accessibility and proliferation of medical information provides an important opportunity to examine the ways in which these topics are framed in the media. This research specifically examines the framing of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil in the mass media. In this study, I explore how Gardasil was framed, how gender and sexuality were utilized within such frames, and what groups influenced these frames. I employ frame analysis to examine the presentation of Gardasil in the mass media. Due to the vaccine's intricate connection to gender and sexuality, I examine how these dimensions are utilized and reproduced in such frames. Gardasil was originally approved only for women, making gender a salient aspect of the vaccine. The current body of research examining Gardasil in the media presents data from the time the vaccine was only available to women. Now that the HPV vaccine is approved for men, this research seeks to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how Gardasil was framed in the media now that it is available to men and women. And given that Gardasil prevents a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in men and women, it is uniquely tied to issues of sexuality. To analyze Gardasil in the media, I examine newspaper articles, magazine articles, and media representations from stakeholder groups, including DTC advertising, official statements, and group websites. Analysis of key sources indicates that Merck dominated the framing of the vaccine in DTC advertisements and the news media, illustrating the power of the pharmaceutical industry. Findings indicate that the initial marketing of Gardasil constructed the vaccine as uniquely tied to femininity and later, women's empowerment. However, once the drug was approved for men, messages were reframed to appeal to a wider audience. Overall, the media continued to frame the vaccine specifically for women, further constructing HPV as a "woman's disease." The dominant focus on women concomitantly silenced the sexual health of men and sexual minorities. In conclusion, the marketing, discourse, and structural elements of Gardasil make it less accessible to those most in need, therefore contributing to the ongoing problem of cervical cancer and HPV.

Today, raising children under the best of circumstances represents a daunting endeavor as any parent and a growing body of research confirm. When a single parent is on active duty in one of the U.S. armed forces, there are additional challenges involved that may not exist among civilian counterparts. The phenomenon of single parents on active duty with its unique difficulties associated both with single parenting and with military service was the basis of this study. The purpose of the research was twofold: to describe the experiences of Air Force single parents as related to social support and work-life theory in the context of bureaucracy and to use that understanding to identify needed improvements in support services. The specific aim of this study was to gain an understanding of single parents in the military through a phenomenological approach. Purposive sampling was utilized to identify the 13 participants. The central question for the study was the following: What are the experiences of single parents serving on active duty in the United States Air Force? The seven themes that were identified as part of the single parent experience were: (a) transition to single parent in the Air Force, (b) better life (c) parental responsibilities, (d) work responsibilities, (e) support provided by the work organizations, (f) informal social supports, and (g) work-life conflict. Major findings include the importance of family-friendly supervisors that alleviated work-family conflict. Participants also noted the military family as being significant to their adjustment and acceptance of military life. Finally, participants were seeking a better life for themselves and their children by either joining as a single parent or deciding to stay as a single parent. This study offers an opportunity to change policy and practice to enhance and encourage the retention of single parents. One application of study findings is the reexamination of the Family Care Plan to alleviate work-family conflict. Another area identified for practice enhancement is the education and training of family-friendly supervisors.

Esta dissertação pretende compreender a analítica proposta pelo filósofo francês Michel Foucault no curso realizado no Collège de France intitulado Nascimento da Biopolítica (1978-79) a respeito da arte de governar neoliberal. Buscamos apreender a relação entre a análise do neoliberalismo e outros momentos e conceitos da produção bibliográfica foucaultiana, tais como as noções de biopolítica, de governamentalidade e de poder disciplinar. Para tal, realizamos uma incursão em diversas obras do filósofo, como As palavras e as coisas (1966), Vigiar e Punir (1975), História da Sexualidade I A vontade de saber (1976), além dos cursos Em defesa da sociedade (1975-1976) e Segurança, Território, População (1977-78). Por fim, o texto também se propõe a realizar contribuições ao estudo do neoliberalismo como um todo, explicitando as veredas abertas pela teoria de Foucault e apontando para além de um exercício de exegese teórica da experiência filosófica foucaultiana. / This dissertation aims to comprehend the analytics carried out by the French philosopher Michel Foucault in his lectures at the Collège de France entitled The Birth of Biopolitics (1978-79) regarding the neoliberal art of government. We seek to apprehend the relation between the analyses of Neoliberalism and other moments and concepts of the foucauldian bibliographical production, such as the notions of biopolitics, governmentality and disciplinary power. In order to accomplish such task, we approach several works written by Foucault, such as The order of things (1966), Discipline and punish (1975), The History of sexuality volume 1 The will to knowledge (1976), as well as the lectures Society must be defended (1975-76) and Security, Territory, Population (1977-78). To conclude, this text also contributes to the study of Neoliberalism as a whole, emphasizing the paths opened by Foucaults theory and pointing beyond an exercise of theoretical exegesis of the foucauldian philosophical experience.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the development of preservice teachers' beliefs in regard to diversity concepts and issues. The current study finds a positive development in preservice teacher candidates' professional beliefs about diversity as shown through observations, interviews, and document analysis at the beginning and end of upper division coursework in an elementary education degree program that infuses diversity throughout the program. Reflection is at the core of the goals of the college of education in which this program resides. Findings from this study revealed that through reflection and discourse, a majority of the senior students did show development in their professional beliefs about diversity concepts and issues. These findings may add to literature on program evaluation in the study of diversity concepts and infusion throughout upper division coursework. This study was limited due to an extremely low response rate and other spurious factors. / by Cynthia R. Schaub. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.