Drawing from literature on place, this dissertation studies place dynamics in relationships between people and a mixed amenity place. Using Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah, as a case study, I use a social constructionist approach to examine the sense of place held by those who live nearest to the lake. I analyze qualitative interview and focus group data as well as quantitative survey data to discern the meanings the lake holds for these nearest neighbors and to examine distinctions between people who see the lake differently. This study is relatively unique in its examination of relationships with a mixed amenity place, as prior place research has focused on high amenity places such as resort locations. A number of distinctions were found. Place attachment to GSL was less widespread than seen with high amenity places, and there were some residents for whom the lake held negative meanings. The lake held multiple meanings for many research participants, including combinations that appeared incongruous in mixing both positive and negative lake images. Some participants appeared to have no sense of the lake. Additionally, there was evidence of social stigma related to living near the lake. This study can help natural resource managers, community leaders and policy makers to better understand the relationships between local residents and GSL, which prior place research has shown to be a useful indicator of environmental concern, commitment to the place, and support for resource management. There were many things residents did not appear to know about the lake, including, for example, the natural workings of the lake ecosystem, the effect built features have had on this ecosystem, and the economic contributions to local communities, counties and the state from lake-related enterprises. Also of interest, these nearest neighbors talked about how changes related to the lake have affected them. This study provides justification for further work on people-place dynamics with mixed amenity places, as it revealed dynamics not be seen in research on higher amenity settings. The study also demonstrates the need for continued social science research on GSL, to provide further understanding of people's relationships with this important place.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Heavy alcohol drinking is a serious health concern in many African countries such as Namibia and South Africa. The heavy use of alcohol is mainly due to avoid coping with the realities of life. There is however, a paucity of research on heavy alcohol use amongst women, particularly in Oshana region of Namibia, where problem drinking is threatening the well-being of women and society. This study explored the psycho-social determinants of women who are heavy alcohol users in the Oshana region. The study design was explorative and descriptive within a qualitative approach. The social constructionist theory underpinned this study. Four participants were randomly selected from the Developmental Social Services caseload which led the researcher to snowball the other four participants for a total of eight participants in the study. Data was collected by means of semi-structured face-to-face interview with the aid of an interview guide. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and field notes were taken. Thematic analysis was used to analyse and interpret the data. The participants identified with coping with realities among women heavy drinking. They reported psychological and social factors affected the well- being of women drinking. These factors included poverty, unemployment, family pressure or influence, availability and accessibility of alcohol, expression, stress, low self-esteem, fear of loneliness and many others. Based on these results, some of the suggestions put forward by all the participants and the researcher concluded the study with a recommendation that an awareness can be created by service providers such as social workers working with women who are heavy drinkers to establish and improve alcohol programmes in Oshana Region and Namibia as a whole.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa dokumentstudie var att undersöka mediala konstruktioner i nyhetsartiklar av kvinnor inom narkotikarelaterad kriminalitet under åren 1990, 2000, 2010 samt 2020. För att besvara syftet har 112 artiklar från tre av Sveriges största nyhetstidningar analyserats och bearbetats med avseende på konstruktioner, drivkrafter och femininitet samt aktörskap. För att samla in nyhetsartiklar har olika sökord relaterade till syfte och frågeställningar använts för att sedan analyseras utifrån tematisk analys. Uppsatsen antar en socialkonstruktionistisk ansats samt utgår från genusteori, teorin om det ideala offret samt använder begreppen göra kön och normativ femininitet. Vår studie visar att det finns en viss skillnad i hur kvinnor konstrueras i media under de olika tidsperioderna. Resultatet visar att kvinnor konstrueras ha olika roller med olika mycket inflytande inom narkotikarelaterad kriminalitet. En del av kvinnorna konstrueras komma in i narkotikarelaterad kriminalitet via män, medan andra kvinnor skildras som ledare för stora organisationer. Ett annat resultat var att media lägger stor vikt vid kvinnors utseende, snarare än på deras roller inom den narkotikarelaterade kriminaliteten. Vidare fann vi att flertal artiklar framställer att kvinnorna befinner sig i olika former av utsatthet. Resultatet visade även att media gör kön, då kvinnor som är involverade i narkotikarelaterad kriminalitet skildras som något annorlunda än männen som är det samt att media fokuserar på att kvinnorna är mammor. De mediala konstruktionerna är i linje med samhälleliga föreställningar om kön och kan också tänkas ha inverkan på hur samhället ser på och behandlar dessa kvinnor, därav är det viktigt att belysa vilken inverkan mediala konstruktioner kan ha.

On January 1, 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources in the Department of Marine Resources of the Bahamas promulgated significant revisions to their sports-fishing regulations. While the new laws were designed to benefit the Bahamian fisheries, they caused a vociferous uproar among non-resident anglers who frequent the islands of the Bahamas to sports-fish. Of particular concern are the new regulations that limit the maximum weight and number of fish which non-resident anglers may keep on their boat. My research examines the claims-making activities made by American anglers on four different sports-fishermen/cruising forums. The analysis focuses on the motifs, rhetorical idioms, counterrhetorical strategies, and styles among sports-fishermen who fish the Bahamas.

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Minimal scientific research has been conducted regarding female sexual offenders within the South African context, despite its prevalence. This study explores behavioural and contextual characteristics of female sexual offenders to gain an understanding of the phenomenon. This qualitative study in the form of a systematic review, focuses on the findings of ten original international research articles published from 2002 to 2012 regarding the behavioural and contextual characteristics of female sexual offenders. The epistemological foundation of this study was postmodernism and social constructionism. Three main themes and various subthemes emerged from the data by applying the thematic content analysis. The aim of this study was to explore the similarities and differences between the findings of the research articles. Lacunas in the existing literature were explored in an attempt to extend scientific knowledge on female sexual offenders. Finally, recommendations for future scientific studies on female sexual offenders were discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Have South African women's lives become happier since the transition to democracy? If they are, could this be linked to gender equality? This is the central question of this study. This study explored a group of women’s subjective experiences of gender equality, by which I mean equality on the basis of gender; and happiness, which refers to women’s life satisfaction and their affective state. It further explores whether gender equality and happiness are linked. The study assumed that everything being equal, endeavours to liberate women from patriarchy and towards gender equality enhance women’s happiness. 1994 ushered in a democratic South Africa and numerous legislative and policy changes were introduced that affect women. Considerable gains have been made at the constitutional and political levels for women’s equality and gender justice. This is reflected in the rankings of South Africa on many different indices. Yet, we see numerous challenges facing women including poverty and gender-based violence. This study examined whether the presence of a range of policies as well as affirmative and protective measures for women have impacted on how they experience their lives. In particular, do they feel that they are happy and do they see happiness as linked to gender equality efforts? Given the research question, this study was grounded within a feminist framework. A mixed methods approach utilising both qualitative and quantitative methods was employed.

Minimal scientific research has been conducted regarding female sexual offenders within the South African context, despite its prevalence. This study explores behavioural and contextual characteristics of female sexual offenders to gain an understanding of the phenomenon. This qualitative study in the form of a systematic review, focuses on the findings of ten original international research articles published from 2002 to 2012 regarding the behavioural and contextual characteristics of female sexual offenders. The epistemological foundation of this study was postmodernism and social constructionism. Three main themes and various subthemes emerged from the data by applying the thematic content analysis. The aim of this study was to explore the similarities and differences between the findings of the research articles. Lacunas in the existing literature were explored in an attempt to extend scientific knowledge on female sexual offenders. Finally, recommendations for future scientific studies on female sexual offenders were discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This study offers the reader an opportunity to glimpse the world and narrative of a gay man recently come out of the closet and to be invited to participate in his search for improved understanding of his sense of identity. It is a study of autobiographical works in order to gain insight into the changes occurring in the author’s sense of identity but is also in itself an autobiographical work. It is a reflection on the author’s story and an interpretation of aspects of that story, using selected documents written by him over a period of time, in order to highlight specific changes that occur in his sense of identity. The aim of this study is to generate some insight into the sense of identity of a gay man, and optimistically other marginalised groups of people, with specific focus on the changes that have occurred over. This study will be approached from a social constructionist paradigm using qualitative and interpretative methods to analyse the various autobiographical works. This will provide information on the changes that occur over time in a gay man’s sense of identity. / Dissertation (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Psychology / MA / unrestricted

Syftet med studien var att analysera biståndsutredningar utifrån ett genusperspektiv för att undersöka om det finns några skillnader både språkligt och innehållsmässigt utifrån kön. Vårt gemensamma intresse för genusfrågor och socialt arbete för individer med funktionsnedsättningar är anledningen till valet av studiens inriktning. Karin Barrons teori om att kvinnor och män med funktionsnedsättningar inte tilldelas kön har inspirerat till studien. Med hjälp av socialkonstruktivism och ett genusperspektiv har empirin analyserats med en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Studiens empiri består av biståndsutredningar enligt Lagen om stöd och service för vissa funktionshindrade (SFS 1993:387) angående ansökan om personlig assistans. Utredningarna kommer ifrån en relativt stor kommun. Resultatet visar att språket i biståndsutredningarna synliggör kön och skapar olika bilder av kvinnor och män med funktionsnedsättningar. Utredningarna porträtterar mannen som drabbad av sin funktionsnedsättning, drabbad men fortfarande stark och kompetent. I samma sorts texter skildras kvinnan som att hon är, har eller har utvecklat sin funktionsnedsättning och som beroende av hjälpmedel och annat stöd / The purpose was to analyze needs assessment investigation to explore if there are differences in the linguistic and content regarding gender. We have common interest in both gender perspective and disability care. Therefore these areas were chosen for the study. Karin Barron and her theory about disabled people being declined their gender was the inspiration to the study.  A social constructionist and a gender perspective were used throughout this research and a qualitative content analyze were used to analyze and process the documents. The documents consisted by needs assessment investigation regarding applications about personal assistance. The applications are regulated by the Swedish law, Lagen om stöd och service för vissa funktionshindrade (SFS 1993:387). The data was collected from a relatively large municipality. The results show that in these documents gender is visible and creates different images of disabled men and women. The documents presented the men as victims of their disability, victims but still strong and abled and the women were presented as accountable of their disability and dependent of means