During the battles for East Prussia in the final year of the Second World War, the ruthless conduct of German troops resulted in vast material and personal damage. By focusing on the besieged ‘Festung Königsberg’ in the spring of 1945, this dissertation argues that the violence that transpired in Germany in 1945 can only be understood by devoting sustained attention to local actors and factors. By combining social history and military history approaches, the research restores agency to the German army, the Wehrmacht, as an active participant in the radicalisation of the German home front. This case study demonstrates that due to the fragmentation of Germany, the decisions and orders of Wehrmacht commanders had a disproportionately large impact at a local level. The radical nature of these decisions was the direct result of the commanders’ violent experiences during the preceding years, while the barbarised mindset of the rank-and-file encouraged the rigorous enforcement of military authority. The dissertation’s findings contribute to four themes within the historiography of the Second World War. First, it contributes to the recent debate surrounding the German Volksgemeinschaft by drawing attention to the limits of loyalty to the regime, and the actors and events that prompted this fidelity to shift. Secondly, by analysing a large number of unused archival sources, it provides the first in-depth urban history of everyday life in Königsberg during its 1945 siege. Thirdly, it challenges the conventional historiographical view in which fanatical Party officials were the main perpetrators of late-war violence by emphasising the significance of the Wehrmacht as a key actor. Even though large numbers of German troops operated in close proximity to German civilians, their conduct has hardly been considered as an explanation of the events of 1945. Lastly, this dissertation combines and transcends the different perspectives on German domestic and martial law, suggesting that the two were ever more closely intertwined as the war progressed, resulting in a shift of behavioural patterns. The focus on Königsberg and its immediate surroundings has allowed for a re-examination of late-war society, being the first to focus attention on the triadic relationship of Wehrmacht, Party, and civilian population.

The supreme aim of pastoral counselling is to facilitate the process of spiritual growth, sanctification and spiritual maturity in order for the counselee (in this instance a woman) to fulfil her purpose for which she has been created. For the co-dependent woman believer, dysfunctional and sinful behavioural patterns form a hindrance in this spiritual process. The central theoretical argument of this study is that pastoral counselling can be used effectively to guide women believers who experience co-dependent spiritual and emotional problems, to healing, transformation and spiritual growth. The aim is to determine the effect of co-dependency on the spiritual dimension of the woman believer and to establish pastoral guidelines for her spiritual growth and maturity. With a view to a better understanding of the nature and the extent of co-dependency, this study moved from the context to the text and the first objective was to explore related disciplines before biblical perspectives on co-dependency could be revealed. According to this meta-theoretical research, co-dependency mainly originates from dysfunctional families and entails one or more addictive conditions. These behavioural patterns mostly result in developing a false identity and is characterised by denial, worthlessness, unhealthy boundaries, defective self-assertion and dependence on others for acceptance to the detriment of self. Women believers often incorrectly justify their co-dependent behaviour from Scripture, which is indicative of a distorted understanding of God and possible pathology of belief. The second objective was to establish Scriptural perspectives with regard to co-dependency and subsequent influences on the spiritual dimension of women believers. Co-dependency appears intergenerationally and is rooted in sinful behavioural patterns. According to the Bible this sinful behaviour indicates an independency from God which is part of the effect of the fall of man. The family of David is a good example of the influence of the sin of parents on their children to the third and succeeding generations. For the purpose of this study the co-dependent behaviour of the women descendants of Sara were explored, The results of the empirical study confirmed the basic and meta-theoretical research which established that co-dependency negatively affects the spiritual dimension of women believers. The third objective was attained with the integration of the basic and meta-theoretical information in a hermeneutical way, in order to establish, among others, the following pastoral guidelines for the counselling of co-dependent women believers: - to identify intergenerational co-dependence behavioural patterns, distorted concepts of God and pathology of belief; - to establish healthy boundaries; and - to establish their new identity in Christ Jesus. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The supreme aim of pastoral counselling is to facilitate the process of spiritual growth, sanctification and spiritual maturity in order for the counselee (in this instance a woman) to fulfil her purpose for which she has been created. For the co-dependent woman believer, dysfunctional and sinful behavioural patterns form a hindrance in this spiritual process. The central theoretical argument of this study is that pastoral counselling can be used effectively to guide women believers who experience co-dependent spiritual and emotional problems, to healing, transformation and spiritual growth. The aim is to determine the effect of co-dependency on the spiritual dimension of the woman believer and to establish pastoral guidelines for her spiritual growth and maturity. With a view to a better understanding of the nature and the extent of co-dependency, this study moved from the context to the text and the first objective was to explore related disciplines before biblical perspectives on co-dependency could be revealed. According to this meta-theoretical research, co-dependency mainly originates from dysfunctional families and entails one or more addictive conditions. These behavioural patterns mostly result in developing a false identity and is characterised by denial, worthlessness, unhealthy boundaries, defective self-assertion and dependence on others for acceptance to the detriment of self. Women believers often incorrectly justify their co-dependent behaviour from Scripture, which is indicative of a distorted understanding of God and possible pathology of belief. The second objective was to establish Scriptural perspectives with regard to co-dependency and subsequent influences on the spiritual dimension of women believers. Co-dependency appears intergenerationally and is rooted in sinful behavioural patterns. According to the Bible this sinful behaviour indicates an independency from God which is part of the effect of the fall of man. The family of David is a good example of the influence of the sin of parents on their children to the third and succeeding generations. For the purpose of this study the co-dependent behaviour of the women descendants of Sara were explored, The results of the empirical study confirmed the basic and meta-theoretical research which established that co-dependency negatively affects the spiritual dimension of women believers. The third objective was attained with the integration of the basic and meta-theoretical information in a hermeneutical way, in order to establish, among others, the following pastoral guidelines for the counselling of co-dependent women believers: - to identify intergenerational co-dependence behavioural patterns, distorted concepts of God and pathology of belief; - to establish healthy boundaries; and - to establish their new identity in Christ Jesus. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This study explores an experimental design methodology to circumvent issues with gathering behavioural data through serious games in citizen science. Public transportation research is used as a case, as it offers a complex problem for the game to solve. Four players were interviewed and observed playing a prototype of a serious game intended on gathering data on public transportation use in Gothenburg. Alongside this, a definition of different types of behaviours in games was developed to examine whether the players were playing rationally with regards to the game context (the magic circle) and the real world. The results show promise for the simplified real world mechanics utilized, to enable engaging serious game experiences. However, many issues and challenges were also observed, revolving around the players tendency to fluctuate between different types of behaviours. The implications of these challenges and the usefulness of the experimental design are discussed at the end.

The diploma thesis analyses the impact of online behaviour on a real life. It is divided into a theoretical (chapters 1 to 3) and practical part (chapters 4 to 7). The first chapter introduces the current trends and generally the topic of social networks, the internet, online communication and relationships. The second chapter describes main forms of cyber antisocial behaviour. The third chapter is focused on the process of socialization and growing up from the point of view of developmental psychology. It also shows individual mental and behavioural frames of the cyber reality which penetrates the real world. The practical part deals in four chapters with different forms of a research which aim was to verify outlined hypotheses and facts mentioned in the theoretical part. The selected methods are quantitative research among high school students distributed through questionnaires, the qualitative interviews among high school teachers and the quantitative analysis of the educational journal. The fourth chapter describes theoretically the methodology of the research. The last three chapters document each part of the research, partially verify the outlined hypothesis and interpret the results.