My project will focus on the neighborhood of Hovsjö in the city of Södertälje, located in the south of Stockholm county. Through this project I will examine aspects of this neighborhood’s isolation from the rest of the city. Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches, I explore the nature of this isolation and question how much of this segregation is a result of its spatial orientation, as well as various cultural and social factors. As Hovsjö is an area with a high concentration of members of the Assyrian/Syriac immigrant community, it has natural affinities to surrounding immigrant neighborhoods, but its spatial arrangement inhibits this affinity. Furthermore, Hovsjö is also isolated from its surrounding environs; I will explain how it is cut off from its immediate neighbor to its south and west, Lake Måsnaren, a nature area with many recreational amenities. I show in my research that the lake is not well used by the residents of Hovsjö, despite their proximity to it. Investigating the physical structure and the layout of the area between Hovsjö and Måsnaren, I will show that this separation is due to physical factors as well as an inappropriate programming of the green spaces. Using this research, I will to suggest a series of interventions with will break down both types of isolation and thereby fully integrate Lake Måsnaren into Hovsjö, and Hovsjö into the rest of Södertälje. This integration will lead to the creation new cultural landmarks for both the city of Södertälje as a whole as well as its Assyrian/Syriac immigrant community in particular, and the results will link Hovsjö more deeply into Södertälje’s urban fabric and end its isolation.

No description available.

In this study, a new edition is provided of the Middle Assyrian tablet VAT 5385, which was published in the first volume of the series “Vorderasiatische Schriftdenkmäler” as no. 105. The tablet has been identified from the start as a letter, although the obverse and reverse were displaced. Additionally, the previous copy in VS 1, 105 misses out one line completely, while a full edition of the text has never been presented. Following our revised edition of the tablet, VS 1, 105 is a letter order, written by a high official to his subordinates, ordering them to bring barley from the otherwise unknown geographical places of Ḫirdiš and Sammalūnu. While the archaeological context and the addressee, as well as the recipients of the letter, are not preserved, an attempt is made to connect the tablet to the individual Adad-šar-nišē, who is mentioned on two occasions in the text.

<p>The key purpose of this research has been trying to understand, and study how assyrian/syriac youth create their identity under the influence of two or several different cultures. We have also looked upon how different factors such as history, religion, language, family and school play a role in the youths identity development.</p><p>We have used a qualitative method in our study where we have interviewed six assyrian/syriac youth. Because of their Christian faith the assyrian/syriac group has been forced to migrate from their countries to different parts around the world. In the new countries the group has been forced to create and live in a diasporaculture. The city Södertälje in Sweden has developed to become a metropole for this ethnic group where they have founded a substantial diasporaculture. In the new countries the assyrian/syriac youth have developed an attitude towards the new country and its culture, which is a mixture of their home culture and the majority communitys. Having to integrate and adjust to two different cultures, while at the same time trying to create ones own identity can sometimes lead to conflicts within the own ethnic group and the majority community. It appeared in the study that the assyrian/syriac youth felt like a duality between the home culture and the culture of the majority community, which felt like living a dual life.</p>

The key purpose of this research has been trying to understand, and study how assyrian/syriac youth create their identity under the influence of two or several different cultures. We have also looked upon how different factors such as history, religion, language, family and school play a role in the youths identity development. We have used a qualitative method in our study where we have interviewed six assyrian/syriac youth. Because of their Christian faith the assyrian/syriac group has been forced to migrate from their countries to different parts around the world. In the new countries the group has been forced to create and live in a diasporaculture. The city Södertälje in Sweden has developed to become a metropole for this ethnic group where they have founded a substantial diasporaculture. In the new countries the assyrian/syriac youth have developed an attitude towards the new country and its culture, which is a mixture of their home culture and the majority communitys. Having to integrate and adjust to two different cultures, while at the same time trying to create ones own identity can sometimes lead to conflicts within the own ethnic group and the majority community. It appeared in the study that the assyrian/syriac youth felt like a duality between the home culture and the culture of the majority community, which felt like living a dual life.

The purpose of the current sequential mixed-methods study is to bring further knowledge to the field of psychology of religion concerning the role of religion for Assyrians/Syrians in Sweden. Guiding the current study are theories concerning enculturation, acculturation, ego-identity, ritualization and communitas. The central research question is: What role does religiosity have for Assyrians/Syrians in Sweden, concerning the development of ego-identity and the practice of ritualization, within a process of enculturation and acculturation? The quantitative phase of the sequential mixed-methods study uses a sample of 244 participants that were part of a previously conducted study. Descriptive statistics, comparing means, correlations, t-tests, and ANOVA are applied to analyze the data retrieved from the questionnaires. The qualitative phase uses a sample of 12 informants collected by a purposive and snowball sampling technique. The methods of data collection are semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. The data collected are analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The results of the quantitative phase show that there is no statistically significant relationship between religiosity and self-perception of ethnicity or self- perception of being a part of the Swedish society. The results, however, show several significant correlations and differences between males and females as well as between generations. Among others, the results show a medium, positive correlation between self-perception of being Assyrian/Syrian and degrees of using the language Suryoyo with friends and family, where a greater degree of self-perception as Assyrian/Syrian is associated with a greater frequency in using the language Suryoyo with friends and family. The results show that there is a negative, medium correlation between perceived discrimination and the perception of being a part of the Swedish society as well as the perceptions concerning the degree that Swedes perceive the participants as being a part of the Swedish society where greater degrees of perceived discrimination are associated with lesser degrees of perception of being a part of the Swedish society. The results show that there is a statistically significant difference between the age groups concerning Mass attendance as well as the degree of self-perception of being religious/spiritual. The results show a statistically significant difference between males and females concerning Mass attendance, frequency of fasting, and self-perception as religious/spiritual; where females have a higher mean score than males on all measures. The results of the data analysis in the qualitative phase indicate that religiosity helps the individual to create and maintain a feeling of being a unique and separate individual either by providing a context for the individual’s identity or by being an object from which the informant differentiates. Religiosity provides the individual with the means of learning his or her first culture. The analysis identifies language to be an important component of ego-identity, enculturation, and acculturation. Discrimination, whether within the group Assyrian/Syrian or from outside the group, is seen as an involuntarily differentiation where the informant experiences attempts by others to differentiate him- or herself from the Swedish population. Indications of ritual components and certain life stages are highlighted among the informants. The implications of the study are discussed. / Syftet med följande sekventiella mixed-methods studie är att bidra med ytterligare kunskap till det religionspsykologiska fältet angående religionens betydelse för assyrier/syrianer i Sverige. Studien vägleds av teorier om ackulturation, enkulturation, ego-identitet, ritualisering och communitas. Den centrala forskningsfrågan lyder: Vilken roll har religiositet för assyrier/syrianer i Sverige i en process av enkulturation och ackulturation? Den kvantitativa fasen i studien använder sig av ett urval av 244 deltagare från en tidigare genomförd studie. Deskriptiv statistik, jämförelse av medelvärde, korrelation, t-test och ANOVA används för att analysera data i den kvantitativa fasen. Den kvalitativa fasen i studien använder sig av ett urval av tolv deltagare. Deltagarna rekryteras genom ändamålsenlig insamling och snöbollsinsamling. Deltagarna intervjuas med semi-strukturerade intervjuer och en fokusgruppintervju. Insamlat material från intervjuerna analyseras med kvalitativa innehållsanalys. Resultat från den kvantitativa fasen visar att det inte fanns ett statistiskt signifikant samband mellan religiositet, självbild etnicitet och självbild av att vara en del av det svenska samhället. Den kvantitativa fasen visar statistiska signifikanta förhållanden mellan självbild etnicitet och grad av suryoyoanvändning där större grad av självbild etnicitet är associerat med större grad av suryoyoanvändning. Ett statistiskt negativt samband visar sig mellan upplevd diskriminering och självbilden av att vara en del av det svenska samhället där större grad av upplevd diskriminering är associerat med mindre grad av självbild av att vara en del av det svenska samhället. En statistiskt signifikant relation hittas mellan åldersgrupper angående grad av deltagande i gudstjänster och självbild av att vara religiös eller andlig. En statistisk signifikant relation hittas även mellan kvinnor och män angående att delta i gudstjänster, frekvens av att fasta och självbild av att vara religiös eller andlig. Kvinnor visar sig ha ett högre medelvärde än män på dessa mått. Resultat från den kvalitativa fasen indikerar att religiositet hjälper individen att skapa och bibehålla en känsla av att vara en unik och separat individ antingen genom att erbjuda en kontext för individens identitet eller genom att vara ett objekt som individen kan differentiera sig ifrån. Religiositet förser individen med medel att lära sig sin första kultur. Den kvalitativa analysen visar även att språk är en viktig komponent av ego-identitet, enkulturation och ackulturation. Diskriminering ses som en ofrivillig differentiering av individen från den svenska befolkningen. Rituella komponenter och utvecklingsstadier identifieras bland deltagarna i den kvalitativa fasen. Studiens inverkan diskuteras. Föräldrarna rekommenderas även att sträva efter en mångfaldig uppväxt som dels inkluderar assyrisk/syrianska, dels svenska traditioner. Föräldrar bör även sträva efter att introducera sitt modersmål för barnen i syfte att premiera flerspråkighet. Flerspråkighet underlättar integration i kulturer. Föräldrar bör också stödja sina barns erfarenheter som etniska minoriteter, t.ex. diskriminering, fördomar, men även barnets vilja att vistas och integreras i det svenska samhället. Institutioner, t.ex. den svenska skolan och den syrisk ortodoxa kyrkan, bör underlätta individens integration i dess etniska och svenska traditioner. Utbildningsmässigt innebär detta att erbjuda språkkurser is individens modersmål, eller första språk. Det svenska språket bör läras ut tillsammans med svenskar för att undvika en åtskillnad. Skolor måste vara öppna för möjligheten att individer kan identifiera sig utifrån etniciteter i jämförelse med nationaliteter.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:20:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mairolet Vega.pdf: 380112 bytes, checksum: a99843e12068cf8bf0872f6c7eeeaaa6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-05-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present thesis pretends to analyze the message transmitted from Yahweh to the prophet Isaiah in the context of the siro-efraimita war (734 to 732 b.C.), in times of the King Ahaz. The first part of this research presents a general and historical panorama, either international or national, of the situation faced by Judah. In the midst of wars, invasions, desolations and increased taxes, Yahweh decided to be side by side with the people. Through an oracle He shows a way for changing an unjust political system that came out as a result of the sins practiced by Israel. To Regard Yahweh as holy, according to the text, is the unique way of avoiding destruction. To Regard Yahweh as holy has to do with preservation of life, mainly the life of those who were unprotected; which means to be for a new social political an economical order able to provide security and dignity for every one. The goal of this thesis is to understand how the concept of sanctification pointed out by Isaiah can help us to overcome our daily life problems and give us new ethic postures for facing life, that s to say, a concept of sanctification that implies an active engagement with people, specifically with defenseless ones. By studying phrases and words, and through an exegetical work, we bring out insights to understand the passage of Is 8,11-15 and our present-day realities and problems. Through this work we hope to contribute to the Popular Reading of the Bible that several groups are realizing today in order to find new horizons, hopes, dreams, and utopias to go on in the midst of a world in crises.(AU) / Esta pesquisa visa analisar a mensagem de Javé transmitida através do profeta Isaías em meio à guerra siro-efraimita (734-732 a.C.), no tempo do rei Acaz. A primeira parte deste trabalho fornece uma panorâmica histórica da situação tanto internacional quanto nacional da nação de Judá. No meio de sinais de guerras, invasões estrangeiras, desolação e aumento de tributos que acarretam maior insegurança para os setores mais empobrecidos, Javé faz sua aposta pela vida de Israel. Através do oráculo profético mo stra um caminho que pode chegar a subverter a ordem de um injusto sistema político advindo do próprio pecado da nação de Israel. Neste texto, santificar a Javé é a trilha que pode livrar-lhes da queda e da destruição. Santificar a Javé significa cuidar e preservar a vida, especialmente dos mais desprotegidos. Isto implica optar conscientemente por uma nova ordem que garanta uma existência digna para todos e todas. O objetivo desta pesquisa é entender como o conceito de santificação salientado pelo profeta Isaías, na perícope (Is 8,11-15), pode ajudar-nos a superar os problemas cotidianos e fornecer-nos novas posturas éticas para enfrentar a vida, isto é um conceito de santificação que requer do engajamento com o povo, fundamentalmente com a população mais carente e necessitada atualmente. Por meio do trabalho exegético tentamos encontrar respostas escondidas entre palavras, termos e frases, procurando entender o texto em diálogo com a vida cotidiana de seu tempo e do nosso. Este estudo pretende providenciar subsídios para a leitura popular da Bíblia que está sendo realizada por muitos grupos nas igrejas e comunidades cristãs, que buscam novos caminhos, horizontes, sonhos e utopias para continuar a viver em meio de sociedades em crises e de tempos difíceis.(AU)

No description available.

This study discusses the history of the Arabs of north Arabia in later pre-Islamic times. This study provides an in-depth discussion of Arab ethnicity, which contributes to the improvement of our knowledge regarding this controversial issue. This study argues that the Arab nation is, in fact, a very old one of great importance, but the Arabs themselves had no consciousness of their unity and did not leave inscriptions proclaiming their identity as Arabs or claim to be the rightful proprietors of specific territories. An examination is made of the reasons behind the emergence of kingship in different communities through the course of history, in order to determine the general features of kingship. This study demonstrates that kingship in north Arabia had almost every feature of kingship as it appeared in other places. Particular attention is paid in the study to delivering a full and coherent account of the history of Qedar. Although, some scholars have tried to write the history of Qedar, their works remain fragmentary or inconsistent. Basing the examination not merely on most of the previous works, we subject those works to a comparison with the Assyrian inscriptions. By so doing, it has proved possible to critique the previous works and clarify many ambiguous issues in Qedarite history. Moreover, this study contributes to the improvement of our knowledge regarding Nebaioth and Na-ba-a-a-ti and their relationship with the Nabataeans. This study finds that the Nebaioth and Nabataeans were different, contemporary groups living during the sixth century BCE, even though the first direct and uncontested evidence of the Nabataeans of Petra comes from the late fourth century BCE, when the Nabataeans made their first clear appearance in Diodorus Siculus in connection with the expansion of the Seleucid Empire (312 BCE). The main settlement centres in north Arabia are discussed in depth in Chapter Five. This study traces the history of Tayma, Adummatu and Dedan, establishing the importance of those oases and their relationship with Mesopotamia. The discussion of those oases produces useful results, which contribute to improving our knowledge and assist in our understanding of issues relating to the history of those sites.

This thesis explored the potential patterns and connections which could be uncovered through careful analysis of the royal inscriptions mentioning horses as a form of plunder or tribute, dedicated to the kings of the Neo-Assyrian empire. This was accomplished by analysing all royal inscriptions attributed to Neo-Assyrian kings found within the RINAP and RIAo projects for passages that meet said criterium. Once all the relevant texts had been tabulated, the results were sorted into larger categories and then compared to each other. This resulted in certain patterns emerging. It became clear that during the first half Neo-Assyrian period, before the great expansion of the empire started under Tiglath-Pileser III, the mountains to the north of Assyria, which for the purposes of this thesis have been designated ‘the Caucasus’, was a major source of horses through looting and extracting tribute. It was not the region which was attacked the most, that honour falls to the mountains to the east, designated as ‘Persia’ for the purposes of this thesis. Towards the end of the Neo-Assyrian period, the importance of the Caucasus as a source of horses was severely diminished, while the importance of Persia grew. Exact numbers of horses are very rarely given, making the few instances they are mentioned stand out. Because of this, no reliable numbers or estimates can be given.