<p>The purpose of this study is to examine discussions held by politicians and experts concerning the concepts Christian ethics and western humanism. I will examine the argumentation for and against the concepts Christian ethics and western humanism, which finally ended in a resolution of using these concepts in the curriculum Lpo/Lpf 94. In this study I am using a qualitative method to examine how different opinions and views are expressed in two different committee reports, initiated by the Ministry of Education, as well as protocols from the debate in the Swedish Parliament.</p><p>I will attempt to elucidate the political views of these concepts, which will become an integral part of the base of values in the curriculum. Results show that the politicians are unanimous regarding the content itself, but disagree of the thought of establishing the base of values in Christian ethics. But the discussion is ambiguous because the opinion of the politicians is that the concepts, especially Christian ethics, stand for general human values. That is why they can agree to use the concept Christian ethics and western humanism in the base of values, because it is historically established in Sweden. Therefore they also can agree using these concepts together with the regulation that education is to be non-confessional.</p>

The purpose of this study is to examine discussions held by politicians and experts concerning the concepts Christian ethics and western humanism. I will examine the argumentation for and against the concepts Christian ethics and western humanism, which finally ended in a resolution of using these concepts in the curriculum Lpo/Lpf 94. In this study I am using a qualitative method to examine how different opinions and views are expressed in two different committee reports, initiated by the Ministry of Education, as well as protocols from the debate in the Swedish Parliament. I will attempt to elucidate the political views of these concepts, which will become an integral part of the base of values in the curriculum. Results show that the politicians are unanimous regarding the content itself, but disagree of the thought of establishing the base of values in Christian ethics. But the discussion is ambiguous because the opinion of the politicians is that the concepts, especially Christian ethics, stand for general human values. That is why they can agree to use the concept Christian ethics and western humanism in the base of values, because it is historically established in Sweden. Therefore they also can agree using these concepts together with the regulation that education is to be non-confessional.

The study assessed the Emotional Intelligence/Ubuntu understanding in sixteen learners aged 11-14 from both the Low SES and High SES levels, which includes the peri- urban/disadvantaged/informal settlements and the urban/privileged areas. The research motivated towards the conception that an inclusive Eurocentric and African approach towards education could benefit South African adolescent learners emotionally, socially and academically. Notwithstanding, providing an Emotional Intelligence framework that includes tenets of the African Philosophical paradigm of Ubuntu could enable adolescent learners to feel more empowered when confronting their socio- economic challenges. Hence, the purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the lack of formal EI/Ubuntu skills training in schools leaves learners without the competences to surmount the many challenges adolescents face during the turbulent phase of early adolescence. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of EI in a sample of adolescents from both SES levels. Qualitative methods were used in order to ascertain the impact of Western and Ubuntu epistemologies/worldviews on the adolescent learners’ Emotional Intelligence. This study also sought to determine the impact of education and role models on this sample of adolescent learners' EI/Ubuntu levels. This research also investigated how the merged EI/Ubuntu concepts can be incorporated into a life skills programme aimed at enhancing EI/Ubuntu in South African adolescent learners. In this study both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using the convergent parallel mixed method study and the paradigms that informed the study includes pragmatism, interpretivism, positivism and post-positivism. The objectives of this study includes identifying the emotional needs and EI status of adolescent learners and to investigate to what extent these are being met in the current educational system in South Africa. The research noted the contextual factors that influence EI in adolescent learners. The research explored how adolescents align their behaviour with the values and virtues of EI and Ubuntu. The following tools were used to accomplish the aforementioned objectives; a short introduction to Ubuntu, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire - Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF) questionnaire was utilised to obtain a measure of the individual learner’s EI. A biographical questionnaire was given to all learners in order to establish what contextual factors impact on EI/Ubuntu consciousness. An Ubuntu style 10-item questionnaire to obtain insight into individual learners’ conceptualisation of EI. A short paragraph of approximately 300 words allowed for the narrative of each learner to be explored and a 22-item semi-structured parent/teacher interview from both SES groups. Role-playing scenarios were enacted to assess the depth of EI through the identification and understanding that took place between the players and draw a person diagrams (DAP) were utilised and assessed for EI aspects such as self-esteem, levels of confidence and awareness of self. The most pertinent aspects that were revealed by this study was that Low SES learners, especially those that lived in corrugated housing felt a sense of helplessness, fear and social alienation when challenged by their extreme living conditions. The study also revealed that the High SES group struggled at forming meaningful relationships and felt panicked and stressed regarding their academic responsibilities and outcomes. Hence as both groups struggled socially, they relied on technology and Western materialism to fill the void. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)