The purpose of the study has been, by adopting a view of life and a learning perspective, to reach an understanding of the way in which cancer patients in a palliative care context understand and cope with their existential life situation. I asked the following questions: 1) How does their personal view of life influence the patients’ understanding and coping with the illness and existential life situation? 2) What existential questions are central to the patients? 3) What is personal learning all about? 4) What prerequisites are important for fostering the patients’ personal learning? Interviews focusing on narratives were conducted with ten patients who have an incurable cancer disease. The interviews were taped and transcribed into texts. A hermeneutic method was applied to understand the content and import of the patients’ narratives. The results show that the patients achieve closure, which involves them making reassessments, adapting their life to the illness, being reconciled with themselves and with their relation to their surroundings. It is also about them wishing to bequeath a legacy and hand down desirable qualities, values and merits for future generations. Taking this view of life as their basis, the patients interpret their illness, existential questions and life situation, and structure their existence so as to make it comprehensible and meaningful. Life narratives can serve as a tool in enabling caregivers to identify patients’ existential questions, view of life, learning requirements and the way they make sense of things (”meaning-making”). By means of view of life support counselling caregivers can identify the patients’ personal ideas, values and support their needs. The patients can reach an awareness of their personal view of life. Reappraising and developing this can be viewed as a form of perspective shift or learning.

I slutet av 1960-talet uppstod den djupekologiska rörelsen där bland annat filosofen Arne Næss genom boken Økologi, samfunn og livsstil: utkast till en økosofi (1973) gav upphov till namnet ekosofi, en ekologisk filosofi som skulle kunna vända den negativa trenden av miljöförstörelse. Ekosofin har senare kommit att benämnas som en livsåskådning vid sidan av andra livsåskådningar så som existentialism och humanism. I det gymnasiegemensamma ämnet religionskunskap ska undervisningen beröra världsreligionerna, etik och icke-religiösa livsåskådningar. Denna uppsats syfte är att med en innehållslig idéanalys analysera hur Næss ekosofi T förhåller sig till Anders Jeffners teorier om livsåskådning samt att diskutera i vilken mån ekosofi T kan användas som en icke-religiös livsåskådning i gymnasieskolans religionskunskapsundervisning. Det framkommer att Næss genom sina resonemang uppfyller Jeffners terminologi för vad en livsåskådning bör innehålla där en ekologisk och vetenskaplig materiell världsbild utgör grunden för ekosofi T som en icke-religiös livsåskådning. Likväl framkommer det att livsåskådningsbegreppet kan användas som ett analytiskt verktyg i undervisningen för att elever ska ges goda förutsättningar att jämföra och analysera livsåskådningar så som ekosofi T utifrån läroplanens mål och riktlinjer.

In the school subject religious education in Sweden, there is a term which easily becomes overlooked, the concept »view of life« (in Swedish: livsåskådning). The concept includes both religious and non-religious world views and is a wider term than religion. Swedish scholars have different approaches to what a view of life can be, which have resulted in a range of interpretations and an uncertainty regarding how teachers should approach the concept in their teaching. In this student thesis I attempt to structure a teaching model, which takes its starting point out of Anders Jeffner’s theories and understanding of the essence of the concept and implement his definition in a teaching situation. The teaching model connects both to the students’ own personal standpoints as well as to more established and collective views of life. This teaching model is being tested and observed as a case study in upper secondary school in order to gather research material and discuss how the students face and understand content and function related to the concept. Furthermore I intend to discuss if Jeffner’s definition is a functioning way to adress views of life in religious education. The result of this thesis is that the students notice a wide range of perspectives of what a view of life can consist of in terms of suppositions and values, as well as its functional effects on an individual and a collective level. However, there is a challenge in translating theoretical concepts and adapting content to a student level.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur präster och diakoner genom sin yrkesutövning upplever att döende och sörjande människors reflekterar och känner kring döden. För att svara an på syftet användes en kvalitativ metod i form av en tematisk analys. Datainsamlingen gjordes genom sju intervjuer, där en semistrukturerad intervjuguide användes. Kriterierna för deltagarna var att ha en yrkesroll som präst eller diakon och att ha erfarenhet med döende och/eller sörjande människor. Den tematiska analysen genererade sju teman för att besvara de två frågeställningarna. Temat Livsåskådning och dödsprocessen beskriver hur reflektion kring livet och mötet med döden naturligt uppstår för de flesta människor, men ger sig till uttryck på olika sätt.   Känsloregistret hos döende ger en bild av hur olika situationer och livssituationer betingar olika känslor, men även här finns det sammanfallande känslouttryck. Dödsacceptans beskriver i vilken grad respondenterna upplever att de döende kommer till en acceptans eller ej.  Betydelsen av relationer framhäver hur essentiellt det är att ha byggt goda relationer i livet, och visar hur detta påverkar dödsprocessen. Den sista fasen in i döden beskriver hur människor växlar mellan liv och död i det sista skedet. Rädsla för att prata om döden handlar om hur många människor undviker att prata om och förhålla sig till döden och döende. Sörjandes sorgeprocess beskriver reflektioner, reaktioner och känslor som respondenterna ser och upplever hos sörjande människor. Resultatet visar att reflektioner och känslor hos döende människor i hög grad är situationsbetingade. Dock finns det ett tydligt sammanhang mellan hur man levt livet och hur man möter döden. När det gäller sörjandes sorgeprocess är tomhetskänslor centralt, men även en upplevd närvaro av den döde. / The purpose of the study was to explore how the clergy, represented by priests and deacons, experience the reflections and emotions of dying and grieving people. A qualitative method was then applied in the form of a thematic analysis. The data collection was conducted through seven interviews, using a semi structured interview guide. The criteria for the participants were being in a work role as a priest or a deacon and having experience with dying and/or grieving people. The thematic analysis generated seven themes as a response to the two research questions. The theme Outlook on life and the death process describes how reflecting on life and death naturally occurs within most dying people, but that it is being expressed in different ways. The range of emotions gives an impression of how different life situations presupposes different emotions, but that it is also possible to see emotional patterns. Death acceptance describes to what extent the respondents perceive that dying people come to an acceptance of their own death. The significance of relationships highlights the importance of building relationships through life and indicates how this affects the death process. The last phase into death describes how people move back and forth between life and death in the final phase. Fear of talking about death concerns the fear many people have of talking about and relating to death and dying people. The grieving process describes the reflections, reactions and emotions that the respondents see and experience in grieving people. The results show that the reflections and emotions of dying people significantly depends on their situation. However, there is a clear connection between how people lived their lives and their death process. For grieving people, a feeling of emptiness is prevalent, and a perceived presence of the dead.

This thesis aims to examine students and teachers’ attitudes towards the use of fiction film in religious studies in upper secondary schools in the province of Scania in Sweden. The thesis has a particular focus on the use of film in order to facilitate understanding of different religions and views of life and what students report gaining from viewing film in the classroom. For this purpose, two research questions were formulated: “How do teachers of religious studies in upper secondary school view the use of fiction film as a teaching resource for the purpose of facilitating understanding of different views of life and religions?” and “How do students view the use of fiction film as a learning resource in religious studies and what do they gain from watching fiction film during religious education?” In order to answer these research questions, ethnographic empirical material was collected from surveys of students as well as a survey of religious education teachers in upper secondary schools in Scania. These surveys were combined with three interviews with upper secondary religious education teachers from two different schools in Scania. This material was later analysed from a hermeneutical perspective with a grounding in previous research in the use of film as a teaching resource. The research found that teachers in upper secondary schools who responded to the survey and were interviewed had a generally positive view on the use of fiction film in religious studies and were positive towards the use of film to facilitate understanding of different views of life and religions. However, teachers showed a bit more trepidation towards the use of fiction films to show how people live their religions. Teachers also expressed that lack of time was a main factor in avoiding the use of fiction film in their teaching. Students were mostly favourable towards the use of film as an educational tool in religious education, however not as big of a majority as the teachers. They also showed a propensity towards wanting to watch fiction films in combination with discussions and group work.

Making it possible for persons with Alzheimer‟s disease (AD) to retain a sense of identity and personal worth during the process of the disease poses a great challenge to caregivers. The objective of the study was to investigate if the view of life of persons with AD could be understood in the frame of their life story and to elucidate the role of view of life in connection to their sense of identity. The view of life of an individual is defined as a conception of reality, a central system of values and a basic emotional attitude.Twenty-one persons with mild to moderate stages of AD were interviewed about their life story and their view of life. The narratives were interpreted using a phenomenological hermeneutic method.Despite their cognitive deterioration it was possible to understand the view of life of the participants in the frame of their life story. Their view of life was not erased by the disease. No exceptional characteristics that could be traced to AD were found in the participants‟ view of life. Their view of life seemed to guide them towards selecting mainly emotionally powerful and value-oriented memories. The origins of their present central values and basic emotional attitude were interpreted to have been established already in early life. A sense of meaningfulness and continuity when looking back on life was also expressed. Despite progressive memory loss and cognitive deterioration, the participants‟ view of life was interpreted as a vital aspect of their sense of identity.The study implicates that knowledge of the view of life of persons with AD is valuable for confirming and supporting their sense of identity.

Text in Afrikaans / Die ontstaan en verloop van Christelik-nasionale onderwys as die histories-geworde onderwysideaal van die Afrikaner word in hierdie studie ondersoek en evalueer ten einde die moontlike toekomstige voortbestaan daarvan in Suid-Afrika te kan aantoon. Die verband tussen lewensbeskouing en onderwys is allereers aangetoon, met besondere verwysing na die ontstaan en wese van die Christelik-nasionale lewensbeskouing en onderwysleer. In die terugskou is die verloop en posisie van Christelik-nasionale onderwys vanaf 1652 tot en met 1997 van nader beskou. Aandag is aan die volgende onderwysfasette gegee: onderwysdoelstellinge, onderwysbeheer, onderwysinhoud (met spesiale verwysing na godsdiensonderrig) en medium van onderrig. Ten slotte is bevindinge en 'n gevolgtrekking rakende Christelik-nasionale onderwys in Suid-Afrika verwoord. Enkele aanbevelings vir die voortbestaan van Christelik-nasionale onderwys is ook gemaak. / In this study, the genesis and course of Christian National Education, as historic cultivated educational ideal of the Afrikander, are examined and assessed in order to be able to predict its future in times to come. First of all, the relation between view of life and education is indicated, with special reference to the genesis and nature of the Christian National view of life and doctrine of education. In the historical survey the course and position of Christian National Education from 1652 to 1997 are indicated. Attention is focused on the following educational aspects: aim of education, governance of education, content of education (with special reference to religious instruction) and medium of instruction. Finally, findings and a conclusion regarding Christian National Education in South Africa are expressed. Some recommendations for its continued existence are also provided / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde)

Text in Afrikaans / Die ontstaan en verloop van Christelik-nasionale onderwys as die histories-geworde onderwysideaal van die Afrikaner word in hierdie studie ondersoek en evalueer ten einde die moontlike toekomstige voortbestaan daarvan in Suid-Afrika te kan aantoon. Die verband tussen lewensbeskouing en onderwys is allereers aangetoon, met besondere verwysing na die ontstaan en wese van die Christelik-nasionale lewensbeskouing en onderwysleer. In die terugskou is die verloop en posisie van Christelik-nasionale onderwys vanaf 1652 tot en met 1997 van nader beskou. Aandag is aan die volgende onderwysfasette gegee: onderwysdoelstellinge, onderwysbeheer, onderwysinhoud (met spesiale verwysing na godsdiensonderrig) en medium van onderrig. Ten slotte is bevindinge en 'n gevolgtrekking rakende Christelik-nasionale onderwys in Suid-Afrika verwoord. Enkele aanbevelings vir die voortbestaan van Christelik-nasionale onderwys is ook gemaak. / In this study, the genesis and course of Christian National Education, as historic cultivated educational ideal of the Afrikander, are examined and assessed in order to be able to predict its future in times to come. First of all, the relation between view of life and education is indicated, with special reference to the genesis and nature of the Christian National view of life and doctrine of education. In the historical survey the course and position of Christian National Education from 1652 to 1997 are indicated. Attention is focused on the following educational aspects: aim of education, governance of education, content of education (with special reference to religious instruction) and medium of instruction. Finally, findings and a conclusion regarding Christian National Education in South Africa are expressed. Some recommendations for its continued existence are also provided / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde)