Vårt intresse för utemiljön uppstod då vi såg, genom erfarenheter av arbete på förskolor, att många förskolegårdar inte alltid tilltalade barnen. Några gårdar såg inte inspirerande ut och barnen visste inte vet vad de skulle göra. Syftet med studien är att skapa kunskap om hur barn utforskar sin förskolegård och vad som styr deras val av hur de placerar sig själva på gården när de leker. Utifrån en etnografisk, induktiv studie, vill vi lyfta fram vad barnen berättar om sin förskolegård. Vi har utgått från barndomsgeografi vilken ses inom forskningen som en del av barndomssociologin. Barndomen ses här som socialt konstruerad och frågor uppkommer om vilka platser som betraktas som bra för barn. Vi har sett utifrån våra samtalspromenader och observationer att barnen använder sig av olika rörelsestrategier såsom att klättra i träden, åka rutschkana och gunga samt att de använder sig av fysiska aktiviteter som till exempel att bygga kojor, samla naturmaterial och hoppar i lövhögar men att de även styrs av sin nyfikenhet och plötsligt kan stanna till för att titta på insekter etc. när de utforskar områden på gården. Resultaten av vår studie visar att rörelse är något som barnen ofta berättar om att de ägnar sig åt på sin förskolegård. / Our interest in the outdoor environment started when we discovered, through the experience of working in preschool, that many preschool centers are not always appealing to the children. Several outdoor environments is not inspiring for the children leading to that they feel lost and don’t know what to do. The purpose of the study is to give a better insight and understanding in how children explore their preschool yard and what determines their choices in how they position themselves in the preschool yard when they are playing. We wanted to highlight childrens experiences regarding their preschool yard based on an ethnographic and inductive study, that is, to analyze and draw conclusions from collected material. We have started from childhood geography which is seen in research as part of the childhood sociology. Childhood is here seen as socially constructed and questions arises about the places that are considered good for children. We have seen from our conversations walks and observations that children use different operating strategies, such as climbing trees, ride the slide and swing, and that the use of physical activities such as building huts, collect natural materials and jumping in leaf piles, but that they also is guided by their curiosity and suddenly can stop to have a look at insects, etc. as they explore areas of the preschool yard. The results of our study show the importance of movement, this is something that children often prioritize in their telling about their preschool yard.

Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: When twentieth century music composed specifically for children is discussed, Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and occasionally Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra are the two examples most often mentioned, as if they represent the sum total of works in this genre. It seems then that there is a general lack of awareness of the actual existence of a rich variety of twentieth century music for children. Consequently the conclusion seems justified that most music educators in South African primary schools do not include this music in their repertoire nor has it been specifically recommended for use in the 2005 or 2011 syllabi. The question that prompted the current study is whether this repertoire of contemporary children’s music can be exploited to a much larger extent in South African primary schools than has been the case up until now. In the educational system of 2005, where ‘subjects’ have been replaced by ‘learning areas’, the former subject, Class Music, has been integrated into a new learning area consisting of four components (music, drama, dance and visual arts). However, this more comprehensive learning area has been implemented without actually making provision for more time on the time table than was formerly allocated to Class Music. With the implementation of CAPS in the Foundation Phase (Gr R – 3) in 2011 and in the Intermediate Senior Phase (Gr 4 - 9) in 2013, extra time allocated proves to still be insufficient for continual, thorough teaching of music. Although strong concern had been expressed previously about the fragmentation of subject content and the low status of music education in South African schools, this concern was not really addressed in both the curricula of 2005 and 2011, and subject content within the components is still scaled down to compensate for lack of time. This has also had serious consequences for the training of teachers. Requirements of the curriculum are only given in the form of general guidelines and teachers with no musical education, who have to teach the musical component, have no clearly defined examples to go by. For that reason a catalogue is included in this study by which teachers can gain access to relevant examples of twentieth century music. In the main section of this study music for children is examined in its historical context, it is defined and categorised. Strategies by which composers attempt to find access to a child’s world are also examined. While it may be assumed that children are familiar with the tonal idiom of folk, sacred and popular songs, composers of twentieth century music see themselves challenged to introduce children to a modern musical idiom, not compromising accessibility and a child friendly approach. In addition to the general discussion of the extensive repertoire of twentieth century music for children, four examples are selected to examine more specifically how composers go about when composing such music. These are: Wir bauen eine Stadt (Paul Hindemith), l’Histoire de Babar (Francis Poulenc), Die Weihnachtsgeschichte (Carl Orff) and The little sweep (Benjamin Britten). (Die Weinachtsgeschichte was translated into the Griqua dialect by Prof Hans du Plessis especially for the purpose of this study). The educational potential of twentieth century music for children is vast. Even with minimal teaching time it can be an efficient and time saving medium of tuition that at the same time opens up an exciting contemporary sound world to the young learner. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wanneer daar oor twintigste-eeuse musiek vir kinders gepraat word, word daar dikwels spontaan na Sergei Prokofjef se Pieter en die Wolf en miskien na Benjamin Britten se The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra verwys, asof dit die ‘somtotaal’ van die genre uitmaak. Hieruit blyk dit dat daar oor die algemeen ‘n onbewustheid ten opsigte van die beskikbaarheid van ‘n ryke verskeidenheid van werke in hierdie genre bestaan. Dit blyk ook dat die meeste musiekopvoeders in Suid-Afrikaanse laerskole nie hierdie musiek by hul repertorium insluit nie en dat dit ook nie in die sillabusse van 2005 en 2011 spesifiek gepropageer word nie. Die vraag wat aanleiding gee tot die huidige ondersoek is of die pedagogiese waarde van sodanige eietydse musiek nie baie beter in Suid-Afrikaanse skole ontgin kan word as wat tans die geval is nie. Met die 2005-onderwysbedeling waar ‘vakke’ met ‘leerareas’ vervang is, is Klasmusiek in die vier-komponent-leerarea Kuns en Kultuur, met musiek, drama, dans en visuele kuns as spesialis-onderafdelings, geïntegreer. Die Kuns en Kultuur leerarea, wat inhoudsgewys meer omvattend as Klasmusiek was, is sonder ‘n ruimer tydstoekenning ingestel. Met die implementering van KABV in die Grondslagfase (Gr R-3) (2012), en in 2013 by die Intermediêre en Senior Fase (Gr 4 – 9) is die tydstoekenning marginaal verruim, maar steeds onvoldoende vir volgehoue, deeglike onderrig van musiek. Hoewel sterk kommer oor die dilemma van onder meer voortdurende fragmentasie van inhoude asook die lae, kwynende status van musiekopvoeding in Suid-Afrikaanse skole reeds voorheen uitgespreek is, is hierdie kommer nie werklik in die leerplanne van 2005 of 2011 aangespreek nie. In teendeel, die vakinhoud binne die onderskeie komponente is steeds ontoereikend, omdat daar nie genoeg tyd beskikbaar is om werksinhoud deeglik te onderrig nie. Die nuwe bedeling hou verder ook implikasies vir die opleiding van opvoeders in, deurdat vereistes binne die skoolkurrikulum uit breë riglyne ten opsigte van vakinhoud bestaan. Die dilemma van ‘n opvoeder sonder musiekopleiding wat die musiekkomponent moet aanbied, is dus duidelik. Daarom word, as hulpmiddel vir opvoeders, ‘n katalogus by hierdie studie ingesluit om die leemtes in die kurrikulum te help ondervang. In die hoofdeel van hierdie studie word musiek vir kinders in ‘n historiese konteks geplaas, gedefinieer en gekategoriseer. Verder word die middele ondersoek waarmee komponiste van hierdie musiek toegang tot die leefwêreld van die kind probeer verkry. Terwyl aanvaar kan word dat kinders vandag vertroud is met die tonale idioom soos dit in volks-, gewyde of populêre liedere voorkom, kom komponiste van twintigste-eeuse musiek voor die uitdaging te staan om kinders met die moderne musiektaal vertroud te maak sonder om toeganklikheid en kindervriendelikheid prys te gee. Bykomstig tot die algemene bespreking van die omvangryke repertoire van twintigste eeuse musiek vir kinders word vier werke gekies om meer spesifiek te bepaal hoe komponiste te werk gaan wanneer hulle sodanige musiek komponeer, te wete Wir bauen eine Stadt (Paul Hindemith), l’Histoire de Babar (Francis Poulenc), Die Weihnachtsgeschichte (Carl Orff) en The little sweep (Benjamin Britten). (Vir hierdie studie is Die Weihnachtsgeschichte spesiaal deur Prof Hans du Plessis in die Griekwa-dialek vertaal). Twintigste-eeuse musiek vir kinders het veelsydige gebruiksmoontlikhede. Met minimale onderrigtyd kan dit ’n doeltreffende, tydsbesparende medium van onderrig wees, en terselftertyd ’n opwindende, eietydse klankwêreld vir kinders oopsluit.

The purpose of this two years master´s thesis in Archive, Library and Information Museum science is to examine the ideas about children and childhood which have an influence on the storytime at public libraries. The material on which this thesis is based, is a methodbook which is aimed to develop the storytimes and those picture books that are recommend in the methodbook. The theoretical points of departure are discourse analysis and childhood sociology. The concepts of being and becoming are frequently used when analyzing the methodbook. Other theoretical points of departure are the combination of narratologi, semiotics and hermeneutics, which are also used when analyzing the picture books. The result indicates that the storytime, recommended in the methodbook, is based on the idea of a timeless culture of childhood - where the "modern child" including the media used today - is left out. Concepts as nostalgia and pedagogy are tightly connected. The childhood as it appears in the storytime is a locked pedagogical room.

This thesis examined the extent to which South Africa has domesticated the international provisions protecting foreign migrant children. The thesis further investigated procedural gaps and makes recommendations in respect of law and procedure to ensure the adequate protection of the rights of undocumented foreign migrant children in South Africa.

The aim of the study is to examine characters in books for children through a gender perspective. Partly I want to examine how female and male gender are constructed, partly how gender norms reproduce and/or challenges. This study proceeds from the following questions: ● How are female and male characters described in the books? ● What actions do female and male characters perform? ● How do the characters act towards characters of the opposite gender? The investigation is based on text analysis and the material consists of seven books for children. The theoretical basis is based on Butlers theory “gender performativity”, Hirdmans gender theory and Nikolajevas scheme of qualities of gender stereotypes. The result showed that the characters often seem to have gender stereotypical qualities. Female characters are more likely to behave as both male and female gender performativity and the male gender performativity and qualities of gender stereotypes are considered more valuable than female. To challenge gender norms we need to study and discuss literature, otherwise the gender norms will be maintained.

This study examined the relationship among the factors of parental stress, marital adjustment, life event stress, and behavior problems of children and whether the sources and levels of parental stress, marital adjustment, and life event stress differed among families of children with . behavior problems and families whose children did not experience behavior problems. The subjects for this study were 60 mothers and their children from the North Texas metropolitan area chosen from two populations. Group I was composed of mothers of 30 children referred to a university related counseling center for behavior problems. Group II was composed of 30 mothers of children identified as not experiencing difficulty. Each mother completed the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), Short Marital Adjustment Test (SMAT), and Social Readjustment Rating Questionnaire (SRRQ). Hotellings T tests were used to determine whether the groups differed on sources and levels of parenting stress, marital adjustment, and life event stress. The groups differed significantly on the variables of sources and levels of parenting stress but not on marital adjustment or life event stress. The multiple regression technique was used to determine which variable or combination of variables would predict group membership. Parenting stress was found to be the best predictor of group membership. Based on this study, mothers who have a child with behavior problems do have an increased level of parenting stress. This increased level of stress is related to characteristics of their child and to their own personal characteristics. Those mothers who experience increased levels of parenting stress do not experience significantly less satisfaction in their marriages nor do their children experience more stressful life events than other children.

The value of proper concepts and an adjustable or adaptable personality are teaching factors to be considered in present-day education. The education for richer living must be through the main institutions of learning, the schools.

In this thesis, gender in children's literature is the focus. The purpose is to analyze the gender balance and how the characters affecting the storyline are portrayed. Are the characters portrayed with gender stereotyped characteristics? This study also aims to investigate what educators think of the study's selected books. The books selected for this study are popular children’s books in Sweden that are often used while teaching. The text provides information as to whether educators show awareness of the gender perspective in the study’s chosen books. Do they make conscious decisions and are they aware of what the literature contains? To obtain this, both a questionnaire and a literature analysis will be conducted. The literature analysis creates a deeper picture of which values ​​the literature conveys while the questionnaire is to expand the knowledge of the teachers' views on the books that the study process. The result shows factors that educators have taken into consideration when choosing children's literature and general opinions on specific literature. The result of the literature analysis shows a stereotypical gender distribution among all the children's books, but the main characters was not stereotypically portrayed. / I detta examensarbete är genus i barnlitteratur i fokus. Syftet är att analysera genusbalansen och hur huvudkaraktär och deras motspelare framställts. Har karaktärerna könsstereotypa egenskaper? Studien syftar också till att undersöka vad pedagoger tycker om studiens utvalda böcker. Böckerna som blir utvalda för studien är populära böcker i Sverige som ofta används i undervisning. Texten ger information huruvida om pedagoger visar medvetenhet om genus i dessa populära böcker. Gör de medvetna val och vet de vad litteraturen innehåller? För att få dessa resultat genomförs både en enkät och en litteraturanalys. Litteraturanalysen skapar en djupare bild av de värderingar litteraturen förmedlar medan enkäten är för att utöka kunskapen om pedagogernas syn på böckerna som studien behandlar. I resultatet framkommer faktorer som pedagoger har tagit hänsyn till när de väljer barnlitteratur och överskådliga åsikter gällande specifik litteratur. Resultatet av litteraturanalysen visar en stereotyp könsfördelning i barnböckerna men huvudsakligen ingen stereotyp framställning av litteraturens huvudkaraktärer.

A participação infantil tem se constituído como importante área de investigação por discutir a inserção e as possibilidades de ações das crianças nos espaços por elas vivenciados. A compreensão mais difundida da participação infantil refere-se ao direito de a criança expressar suas opiniões e intervir nas decisões a respeito de todos os serviços que têm algum impacto sobre elas. No presente trabalho, de maneira alinhada à perspectiva teórico-metodológica da Rede de Significações, ampliamos tal compreensão ao considerar que, nas interações sociais, necessariamente ocorre a participação de todas as pessoas envolvidas, mesmo que estas assumam ou que lhes sejam atribuídas posições que poderíamos chamar de mais passivas. A participação, nessa perspectiva, apresenta-se como uma característica das interações contrapondo-se a uma polarização frequentemente encontrada em estudos sobre o tema, que classificam as relações infantis como participativas ou não participativas. O objetivo da presente pesquisa consiste em compreender as formas de participação cotidiana de crianças de sete a dez anos de um Assentamento rural vinculado ao Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra MST e de periferia urbana, ressaltando as possibilidades e limitações de ação em suas interações, bem como compreender algumas das significações construídas pelas crianças sobre suas possibilidades de ação nos contextos. Os instrumentos de pesquisa foram: (1) diário de campo; (2) questionário socioeconômico; (3) fotografias realizadas pelas crianças sobre seu cotidiano; (4) entrevistas individuais baseadas nas fotos. A partir dos relatos das ações cotidianas das crianças nos diversos espaços em que circulam, notadamente a família, a escola e a comunidade, identificamos cinco formas de participação: (1) Colaboração, (2) Acompanhamento, (3) Influência, (4) Submissão e (5) Resistência. Cada uma dessas formas de participação materializa-se nas interações e atividades desenvolvidas pelas crianças com abrangências particulares. As atividades realizadas evidenciam a importância da criança na organização e estruturação de seus grupos, principalmente na família e na escola. Já nas relações estabelecidas destaca-se a complexidade dessas relações, que ora se configuram como espaços de consideração e de escuta da criança, ora como momentos de imposição da vontade do outro sobre elas, como em situações em que sofrem violências. Além disso, foi possível compreender a posição central assumida, muitas vezes, pelas crianças ao resolverem conflitos com outras crianças, ou ao resistirem a situações com as quais não concordam ou em que têm seus direitos violados. Os relatos sobre a participação cotidiana das crianças nos possibilitam compreender sua inserção social como um processo complexo e multifacetado, problematizando abordagens sobre o tema que reduzem esse conceito à promoção de espaços e atividades de escuta e de consideração das crianças. / Childrens participation has become an important research area by discussing childrens insertion and their possibilities of action in spaces where they live. The most widespread comprehension of childrens participation refers to the childrens right to express their opinions and to interfere in decisions related to all services that have any impact on them. In this work, aligned to the theoretical and methodological perspective of the Net of Meanings, we extend such comprehension considering that, in social interactions, the participation of all the people involved necessarily occurs, even if these people assume or when positions that we could call more passive are attributed to them. Participation, in this perspective, appears as a characteristic of interactions, in contrast with a polarization often found in studies on the subject that classify childrens relations as participative or non-participative. The objective of this research consists in comprehending the forms of everyday participation of 7-10 year old children from a rural Settlement linked to the Landless rural Workers Movement (MST) and from urban suburbs, highlighting the possibilities and limitations of action in their interactions, as well as comprehending some of the meanings constructed by children about their possibilities of action in the contexts. The research instruments were: (1) field diary, (2) socioeconomic questionnaire, (3) photos taken by children about their everyday lives and (4) individual interviews based on the pictures. From the reports of children about their everyday actions in the various spaces where they circulate, especially family, school and community, we identified five forms of participation: (1) Collaboration, (2) Monitoring, (3) Influence, (4) Submission and (5) Resistance. Each one of these forms of participation materializes in interactions and activities, with particular ranges, developed by children. The activities carried out by children evidence the importance of the child in the organization and structuration of their groups, principally of family and school. The complexity of the established relationships is emphasized. These relationships are sometimes configured as spaces of consideration and of listening to the children, and sometimes as moments of imposition of others wills upon them, as in situations in which they suffer violence. Furthermore, it was possible to understand the central position frequently assumed by children when they solve conflicts with other children, or when they resist to situations with which they do not agree or have their rights violated. The reports about childrens everyday participation enable us to understand their social insertion as a complex and multifaceted process, problematizing approaches to the theme that normally reduce this concept to the promotion of spaces and activities of listening and consideration of children.

É de conhecimento geral o fato de que os contos de fada transmitem importantes mensagens carregadas de ideologia que, às vezes, diferem de maneira significativa. Isso ocorre em razão da época ou localidade em que a produção é contextualizada, como podemos bem ver nas variações do conto Chapeuzinho Vermelho, seja aqueles da tradição oral medieval, os adaptados por Perrault ou pelos Irmãos Grimm, ou mesmo as versões da contemporaneidade. Traçando um percurso histórico das transformações dos contos de fada de origem popular partindo da França, percorrendo Alemanha, Portugal e culminando no Brasil o presente estudo busca verificar as transformações ocorridas nessas sociedades, mostrando como elas foram representadas nos contos e quais mensagens transmitem. Para o presente estudo, serão utilizados o Comparatismo Literário e elementos de Teoria Literária por meio de um olhar sociológico e histórico. Após a definição do quadro teórico-metodológico e da base conceitual, partiremos para uma breve análise de algumas sociedades e como sua prática social pode, de certo modo, ser representada nos contos de fada. / It is of general knowledge that the fairy tales transmit important messages filled with ideology that, sometimes, differ significantly from one another. This happens due to the time or place where the production is contextualized, as it is possible to be seen in the variation of the Little Red Riding Hood tale, those from the medieval oral tradition, to those adapted by Perrault or brothers Grimm, and even the contemporary versions. Tracing a historic profile of the changes in the fairy tales of popular origin starting in France, passing through Germany, Portugal and culminating in Brazil the present study aims to verify the transformations that happened in these societies, showing how they were represented in the tales and what messages they pass on. For the present study, Literary Comparatism and elements of Literary Theory will be used through a sociological and historical look. After the definition of a theoretical-methodological picture and a conceptual basis, we will move on to a brief analysis of the different societies and how their social practice can, in a certain way, be represented in the fairy tales.