Esta dissertação teve por objetivo investigar variáveis cognitivas e emocionais em meninas vítimas de abuso sexual infantil (ASI), observando as relações entre ASI, Transtorno de Estresse Pós-Traumático (TEPT) e desempenho em funções cognitivas. Para isso, foram organizados três artigos, sendo um teórico e dois empíricos. O primeiro estudo apresenta uma revisão teórica sobre as relações entre ASI, TEPT e disfunção cognitiva. O segundo estudo avaliou o funcionamento cognitivo (memória, atenção e flexibilidade cognitiva/funções executivas) em um grupo de meninas vítimas de ASI (n=12) e comparou-o a um grupo controle (n=16). O terceiro estudo investigou a presença de sintomas emocionais e comportamentais em 16 meninas vítimas de ASI, bem como indicadores de risco à ocorrência do ASI nas famílias destas participantes. Foi observada uma alta manifestação de TEPT e um maior número de erros na tarefa de atenção visual concentrada, no grupo de vítimas de ASI, quando comparado ao grupo controle. Estes resultados ressaltam a importância de intervenções psicoterapêuticas e neuropsicológicas junto a esta população. / The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the cognitive and emotional variables in girls, victims of child sexual abuse (CSA), observing relationships between CSA, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and performance in cognitive functions. For that, three papers were organized, one theoretical paper and two empirical papers. The first study shows a theoretical review about relationships between CSA, PTSD and cognitive dysfunction. The second study evaluated the cognitive functioning (memory, attention and cognitive flexibility/executive function) in a group of girls (n=12), victims of CSA and their performance was compared with a control group (n=16). The third study investigated the presence of emotional and behavioral symptoms and CSA risk factors in the family in 16 girls, victims of CSA. A high manifestation of PTSD and high number of errors on concentrated visual attention test was observed in the group of victims of CSA, when was compared to the control group. These results highlight the importance of psychotherapeutic and neuropsychological interventions with this population.

Magister Public Health - MPH / This was a descriptive qualitative study. Eight people living with HIV, four of which had disclosed their status, were individually interviewed. Two focus group discussions (each comprising 6 participants) were also conducted with health workers. The study was based at an urban TB hospital which is currently providing a range of HIV-related services including HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing, case management and treatment. / South Africa

Magister Public Health - MPH / Background: Alcohol consumption among adolescents is increasing due to the general availability of alcohol in many community settings. Binge drinking (defined as drinking 5 or more drinks per occasion) (Parry, 2000) is considered the most common type of harmful alcohol consumption among young people. The United States Youth Risk Behaviour Surveillance report proposes that patterns of health risk behaviours are established during youth (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention,2006). The abovementioned report highlights behaviours such as alcohol misuse, drug use and risky sexual behaviour that have the potential to undermine the health and development of youth. Adolescent developmental theories recognise risk behaviours as central to normal adolescent development but there are complex predisposing risk factors that can cause these behaviours to compromise the healthy development of our youth. In order to design and implement effective intervention schemes, we need to understand the dynamics of alcohol use among local youth better, as these play out in their specific social environmental and personal contexts.Aim: The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of what influences the patterns of alcohol use among adolescents in a peri-urban historically disadvantaged community in the Western Cape. The study identified some of the factors that promote and inhibit drinking within the study community from the perspective of the adolescents themselves and a few of the adults who work with adolescents. The study also determined some of the harmful consequences to drinking as described by the adolescents.Method: This was an exploratory study using qualitative research methods. Four focus group discussions were conducted with adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years that were both attending and not attending school. Three key informant interviews with adults who were involved with the youth were conducted.Convenience sampling was used for the non-school attending participants and snowball sampling was used for the school attending youth. The adults in the study were purposively sampled. The study was conducted within the study setting during March and April 2009. Thematic and content analysis was used to interpret the data.The descriptive data was coded and categorised according to themes that emerged during analysis.Results: In general the youth of this study are drinking on weekends. They spend their time on the streets and access alcohol from the many illegal taverns in their neighbourhood. Some of the reasons why adolescents drink include just for the fun of it and because their friends drink and to cope with stress or boredom (risk factors for problem behaviour). Those who don’t drink generally have strong parental role models, have observed some of the harmful effects of alcohol use and seem able to resist peer pressure (protective factors for problem behaviour). There were no significant differences between the perceptions of male and female adolescents regarding alcohol consumption. The black adolescents in general appeared to be more affected by poverty than the coloured adolescents, a factor that influenced their choices around alcohol use. Risky sexual behaviour, rape and fighting seem to be some of the harmful consequences to drinking that are described by the youth of this study. The social environment in which the adolescents of this study live seemed to play a significant role in their attitudes toward drinking. Factors such as a lack of infrastructure for leisure, poverty and a tolerance for public drunkenness are community factors that affect these adolescents but over which they have little or no control.Conclusion: The potential for problem behaviour as perceived by the participants is determined by the balance of risk and protective factors that emanate from their social environment, the community itself and their own personality. Those fortunate enough to have cohesive families with interested adults around them are more likely to be protected from problem behaviour due to drinking.Recommendations: Recommendations from this study include engaging with the youth directly when designing intervention programmes; using peer-led programmes to effect change and to help adolescents to clarify their values; equip them with skills to plan for the future in order to develop their self-efficacy to make the right choices when it comes to alcohol consumption. It is also recommended that intervention programmes address relationships within the community itself such as strengthening parent-child communication; building positive adult role models and empowering community members to challenge issues such as illegal tavern owners serving alcohol to minors.

The European Commission has declared 2012 The European year for active aging and solidarity between generations. This issue calls each society to analyze the process of population aging and it's social and economic consequences. Currently active aging can be the key to solve the demographic trends, because Europe is the continent with the slowest population growth. The present study follows the issue of seniors from a demographic and socio-economic point of view, as well as social attitudes towards seniors. Process of demographic aging in the Czech Republic is characterized by using literature and statistical sources, as well as the position of society to activity of the post-productive population in the labor market, to health, social security and pension, as well as the relationship within the family and society. Attention is given to life satisfaction and quality of life of older people. The submitted diploma thesis has a theoretical-empirical nature. The theoretical part consists of five chapters. The first chapter defines the basic concepts associated with the process of aging. The following chapters are dealing with life satisfaction and quality of life of older people, as well as with social and intergenerational relationships in the family and in society as a whole. The socio-economic impact of demographic aging on society and the measures needed to deal with the unfavorable consequences are also presented. The thesis also includes a questionnaire and evaluation of life satisfaction and quality of life of seniors, addressed to two groups of people at retirement age. The aim of work is reflecting the period of old age and life satisfaction of the elderly. Another aim of this thesis is to characterize the evolution of aging in the Czech Republic, highlighting its likely future development. The results are dedicated for those who seek to understand this issue of the elderly in our society.

La survie de nos ancêtres dépendait grandement de leurs relations sociales. Selon une approche évolutionniste, la fonction de la honte est de réduire les risques de perdre en valeur sociale. Cependant, d’autres théories maintiennent que la honte n’est pas fonctionnelle : elle est liée à un mauvais ajustement psychologique (ex., dépression et agressivité). Il est supposé que les deux théories puissent être réconciliées sous un acompte fonctionnel : être honteux peut être avantageux dans certains contextes (quand une transgression est commise), et peut être couteux dans d’autres (en absence de transgression). Les participants (n = 294, Mâge = 42, ÉT = 13.423) sont assignés au hasard à une vignette décrivant soit un acteur commettant une transgression (ex., voler de l’argent ou insulter un collègue) ou aucune transgression, puis ils voient une photo de l’acteur montrant soit de la honte ou aucune émotion. Ensuite ils évaluent l’acteur sur 17 items incluant des traits désirables (amical) et des traits indésirables (égoïste). Suite à une analyse factorielle exploratoire, les items sont regroupés sous deux dimensions (évaluation bénigne et absence de traits indésirables) afin de simplifier les analyses statistiques. L’hypothèse n’est pas soutenue : les acteurs honteux reçoivent des scores plus bas sur l’évaluation bénigne et l’absence de traits indésirables indépendamment de la présence ou absence d’une transgression. Cependant, des analyses supplémentaires suggèrent que les conséquences de montrer de la honte sont plus complexes. Davantage de recherches sont nécessaire afin d’examiner si exprimer de la honte est encore fonctionnel aujourd’hui. / Our ancestors’ survival greatly depended on their social relationships. According to an evolutionary perspective, shame’s function is to reduce the likelihood of losing social value in the eyes of fellow group members; however, certain accounts hold that shame may not be functional: it is related to psychological maladjustment (ex., depression and aggression). It is hypothesized that the two views are not conflicting; they can be reunited under a functional account. In other words, being shameful is beneficial under certain conditions (when a transgression is known to others) and costly under other conditions (when no transgression has been committed). Participants (n = 294, Mage = 42, SD = 13.423) were randomly assigned to read a vignette describing a transgression (stealing money or insulting a colleague) or no transgression, then exposed to a photo of an actor displaying either shame or no emotion, and then they rated the actor on 17 items including desirable traits (ex., friendly) and undesirable traits (ex., selfish). Through an exploratory factorial analysis, items were grouped into two factors (benign evaluations and absence of undesirable traits) in order to simplify statistical analyses. The hypothesis was not supported: shameful actors received lower scores on benign evaluations and absence of undesirable traits regardless of the presence or absence of a transgression. However, further analyses indicate that the consequences of displaying shame are more complex. These results suggest more research is necessary to examine whether the shame display remains functional today.

Cette thèse est articulée en trois chapitres et s’inscrit dans le domaine de la recherche empirique en comptabilité financière. Elle examine les déterminants et les conséquences de la communication des entreprises. Le premier chapitre étudie les effets réels de la communication financière sur les dépenses de publicité des entreprises. Le deuxième chapitre, co-écrit avec Thomas Bourveau et Vedran Capkun, étudie les conséquences réelles de la communication des résultats de recherche médicale sur les marchés financiers et sur la société. Le troisième chapitre, co-écrit avec Vedran Capkun et Yun Lou, analyse l’influence de l’information propriétaire communiquée par des concurrents d’une entreprise sur leurs produits sur la décision de cette entreprise de communication de ses propres informations propriétaires. / This dissertation is composed of three chapters investigating the antecedents and consequences of corporate disclosure in the domain of empirical-archival financial accounting. The first chapter examines the real effects of firm disclosure and its timing on firm advertising investment. The second chapter, joint work with Thomas Bourveau and Vedran Capkun, documents the real consequences of pharmaceutical firms’ clinical trial disclosure in financial markets and on broader society. The third chapter presents a joint project with Vedran Capkun and Yun Lou, exploring intra-industry peer disclosure of proprietary information as antecedents of corporate disclosure decision at product level.

Hur barn förhåller sig till regler har belysts i forskning som visat att barnen lägger stor vikt vid moralrelaterade regler. Hur barnen accepterar konventionella regler beror på vilken funktion regeln upplevs fylla. Det som saknas i forskningen är ett dynamiskt perspektiv som tar hänsyn till interagerande aktörers ömsesidiga inflytande över varandra när förutsättningarna förändras och hur detta i sin tur skapar nya förutsättningar. För att belysa detta utgår studien från Giddens struktureringsteori som stipulerar att människors sociala handlingar både formar och formas av de strukturella förutsättningarna till skillnad från ett mer strukturalistiskt perspektiv där aktörerna ses som underkastade den struktur som de verkar inom. Struktureringsteorin möjliggör också för underordnade aktörer att utöva kontroll över de med mera makt. Datainsamlingen har genomförts genom deltagande observationer på en skola. Observationsobjektet har varit incidenter där eleverna agerat på ett sätt som inte är förenligt med verksamhetens konventioner. Fokus har legat på elevernas utnyttjande av resurser i form av material och lokaler. Resultatet visar att inbyggda motsättningar i de strukturella förutsättningarna öppnar en möjlighet för eleverna att ta kontroll över de resurser som personalen försöker reglera. När personalen försöker återta kontrollen resulterar det i oavsiktliga konsekvenser på grund av faktorer som inte uppmärksammats vilket i regel förskjuter problematiken och upprätthåller det olovliga resursutnyttjandet. / How children relate to rules has been highlighted in research in which children attach great importance to moral-related rules. How children accept conventional rules depends on what function the rule is perceived to fulfill. What is missing from the research is a dynamic perspective that considers how interacting actors influence each other when conditions change and how this in turn creates new conditions. To illuminate this, the study is based on Gidden's theory of structuration which stipulates that people's social actions both shape and are shaped by the structural conditions as opposed to a more structuralist perspective where the actors are seen as subjects to the structure in which they operate. The theory of structuration also enables subordinate actors to exercise control over those with more power. The data collection was carried out through participant observations at one school. The object of observation has been incidents where the students acted in a manner incompatible with the conventions of the school. The focus has been on students' utilization of resources in the form of materials and premises. The result shows that built-in contradictions in the structural conditions open opportunities for students to take control of the resources that the staff is trying to regulate. When staff try to regain control, it results in unintended consequences due to factors that have not been recognized, which usually offsets the problem and maintains the unwanted utilization of resources.

Social dumpning innebär att kommuner får personer som är i behov av ekonomiskt bistånd att flytta till andra kommuner. Syftet med studien var att undersöka olika professioners upplevelse av vilka konsekvenser social dumpning kan ha för individer som utsätts för detta. Forskningsansatsen var kvalitativ och intervjuer genomfördes med sju personer med olika professioner. Intervjupersonerna upplevde att social dumpning medför många negativa konsekvenser för de utsatta, däribland boendesegregation med boende i undermåliga bostäder, förlust av sociala nätverk och dåliga utsikter att ta sig in på arbetsmarknaden. Empirin analyserades utifrån teorier om stigma samt makt och resultatet visade att de som utsätts för social dumpning ofta blir stigmatiserade och socialt exkluderade. Det framkom även att kommunerna, genom att utsätta personer för social dumpning, i många fall går emot socialtjänstlagen. Dessutom fråntas de drabbade personerna rätten till tillfredsställande levnadsförhållanden och andra mänskliga rättigheter som anges i FN:s konventioner. / Social dumping refers to the actions of local authorities that cause people in need of financial assistance to move to other local authorities. This study investigates how different professions experience the consequences of social dumping on affected individuals. The research approach was qualitative and seven people with different professions were interviewed. The interviewees observed that social dumping had a range of negative consequences for vulnerable individuals, including housing segregation caused by housing individuals in substandard accommodation, loss of social networks and poor employment prospects. The empirical data was analysed according to stigma and power theories and the results showed that social dumping often causesstigmatisationand social exclusion. It was also observed that social dumping often occurs in conjunction with local authorities disregarding the Social Services Act. Victims are often deprived of their right to a satisfactory standard of living and other human rights in UN conventions.

This thesis investigates young bank customer (YBC) perceptions of loyalty in the context of mobile bank applications (MBAs), including loyalty antecedents and the consequences of loyalty. A first study investigates the relationships between cognitive, affective, and conative antecedents, on one hand, and loyalty, on the other. A second study investigates the relationships between usability, responsiveness and reliability, and customer satisfaction, on one hand, and loyalty, on the other. The thesis employs a theoretical framework describing customer loyalty in the MBA context. An electronic questionnaire was sent to 500 YBCs in the Mid Sweden region (146 completed questionnaires were received), and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were employed to test and develop a measurement model from the responses. Synthesizing the results of the studies performed suggests a model of MBA loyalty from the YBC perspective. The model indicates that cognitive and usability antecedents are significantly related to customer satisfaction, which in turn is significantly related to attitudinal and behavioural loyalty. Despite some limitations, the thesis has novel implications for theory and practice regarding YBC perceptions of MBAs. / <p>Vid tidpunkten för framläggningen av avhandlingen var följande delarbeten opublicerade: delarbete 1 (accepterat), delarbete 2 (accepterat).</p><p>At the time of the defence the following papers were unpublished: paper 1 (accepted), paper 2 (accepted).</p>

The guiding questions of this thesis aim to target particularities of ‘call out’ or ‘cancel’ culture - an internet phenomenon primarily dominant through social media - and fill in gaps within the literature pertaining to such online culture. Although adhering to the digital sphere, its repercussions beyond the screen are observed through the ‘dramageddon’ of 2019, the cancellation events of YouTuber influencer James Charles. This thesis seeks out to apply participatory culture and symbolic interaction theories as well as accompanying concepts through a qualitative approach. The data collected consists of a blend of media content analysis of Twitter posts known as ‘receipts’ and interviews with three YouTubers as well as a Social Media expert. The results depict cancel culture to be associated with expected themes of justice, resentment, drama or entertainment value and group mentality as well as the offline ramifications. Unexpected themes also surface during data collection and will be further explored. Concluding remarks of this essay concern a summary of discussed implications of cancel culture from the view of netizens as well as suggestions for future prevention of such events.