The aim of this study is to examine the language, used in parts of The day care report of 1968 (“1968 års Barnstugeutredning”). The day care report of 1968 was a public investigation appointed by the cabinet intended to prepare new policies on the part of the Swedish state.  I focus on the change, which can be assumed to have occurred, when replacing the names “day care” (“dagis/daghem”) and “kindergarten” (“lekskola”) with the name “preschool” (“förskola”). The basic questions mainly concern the language in the report, and specifically how its authors use the names “day care” and “preschool”. The study also involve the question of what intentions can be distinguished from the new use of the name “preschool” instead of the name “day nursery”. The method is based on a text analysis applied to chosen parts of The day care report of 1968. The study is focusing on what effects the authors had concerning the words and names they were using. The theory I have used is that about power and discourses, introduced by Michel Foucault. The result shows that existing discourses affected the use of language in The day care report of 1968. The conclusions show that one of the intentions was to create an identity for preschool distinct from the identity of school. It also shows that the development of the preschool was characterized by two conflicts. The first one concerning the relation between the preschool and the school, and the second one put the function of the preschool in question. Should the preschool focus on learning or care, or should it bring together those functions in order to find its basis of work? Finally, it seems like that question is still alive today.

The study presented here concerns how parents and children in a small Swedish town deal with the processes of child-rearing and socialization. Changes in family life and child care since the 1950s and especially the adjustment to women's work outside family, day-care, school and leisure are described and analyzed. Data was collected mainly through qualitative interviews with mothers, fathers and the 12-13-year old child in 31 families. Some additional data from archives concerning local family policy and support has also been used. The results illuminate important changes in the conditions of family life and childcare since the 1950s. Foundation is more clearly emotions, not material conditions. Motherhood and fatherhood have become relativly symmetrical. Domestic life is characterized on the one hand by a relatively flat hierarchy between parents and children and an emotional emphasis on nearness and intimacy, and on the other hand by demands on the children to take care of themselves, at least to some extent, as neither of the parents can or want to serve the family on a full-time basis. Another major change is in the way the families relate to other child- rearing agents (i.e. daycare/preschool, school and organized leisure activities). They have in varying ways adapted to and made use of that these can impart other qualities to the child than those of the family. However, the relations are by no means uncomplicated. It appears that school dovetails rather badly with both the parents' demands and the prerequisites for contemporary family life whereas daycare and leisure activities are fairly or quite compatible. The conceptions of children and parenthood which appear in the study are about individualism, the primacy of emotions and a relative equality between the sexes and generations. In the conceptions of child-rearing the emphasis is on security, stimulation and versatility. The child should be treated with respect, both for what it is and what it can become, i.e. account is taken of its own nature as well as its prospects for the future. The parent should be sensitive, supportive and also (more or less) active or driving. This was interpreted as the families' pedagogical discourse, comprising with some variation both the middle-class and working-class families in the subject group. / digitalisering@umu

Bakgrund: Sveriges befolkning lever allt längre och därmed ökar antalet äldre. Då den största riskfaktorn för att utveckla demenssjukdom är hög ålder, beräknas även antalet personer med demens att öka. Professionell omvårdnad anses idag vara den bästa behandlingen. Demensdagvård bedrivs inom kommunal demensvård och syftar till att erbjuda besökare social samvaro, struktur och meningsinnehåll. Reflektion möjliggör för omvårdnadspersonal att utbyta erfarenheter och utvecklas i sin yrkesroll. Syfte: Att beskriva och analysera ett reflekterande arbetssätt hos omvårdnadspersonal i demensdagvård. Metod: Kvalitativ intervjustudie, analyserad med stöd i kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Det reflekterande arbetssättet är konstruktivt och sker genom en regelbunden och öppen kommunikation, vilket leder till ett medvetet förhållningssätt till besökaren och sina egna handlingar. Ett reflekterande arbetsrätt bidrar till sammanhållning i arbetsgruppen och professionell utveckling inom omvårdnadsarbetet samt en mer individanpassad och följsam vård för besökarna. Genom det reflekterande arbetssättet bygger omvårdnadspersonalen goda vårdrelationer till besökarna. Slutsats: Det reflekterande arbetssättet är konstruktivt och sker genom en öppen kommunikation, vilket leder till att omvårdnadspersonalen kan förbättra vården och utvecklas i sin profession och därmed också utveckla innehållet i omvårdnaden. / Background: The Swedish population is living longer and this will increase the number of elderly. Since the greatest risk factor for developing dementia are old age, the number of persons with dementia will increase. Professional nursing is currently considered as the best treatment. Day Care for persons with dementia is conducted within municipal dementia care and aims at offering visitors social interaction, structure and meaningful content. Reflection enables health care staff to exchange experiences and developing their profession. Objective: To describe and analyze health care staffs´ reflective way of working within dementia day care. Method: Qualitative interview study, analyzed with support of qualitative content analysis. Results: Five categories were identified from analysis of the interviews; continuity, awareness, cohesion, professional development and ventilation. The result shows that the reflecting way of working isprovidedon a regular basis and has become a natural part of everyday work. The reflection creates a conscious attitude ofhealth care staff for their actions in different nursing situations. The reflective way of working strengthens the working group and contribute to cohesion. By reflection thehealth care staff is developing in their profession, through exchange of experiences. Conclusion: The reflective way of working contributes to unity in the working group and professional development within caring, and a more individual adapted accommodative care for the visitors. By the reflective way of working health care staff build good relations to the visitors.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 2001. / "A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the division of the social sciences in candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of History, by Deborah Ann Skok, Chicago, Illinois, August 2001." Includes bibliographical references (p. 470-486). Also available on the Internet.

This exploratory study focused on identifying the stuctural indicators of high quality childcare that are associated with high levels of caregiver sensitivity. The participants in the study were 318 caregivers employed in 234 Canadian childcare centres. Caregivers were observed in their centres and their sensitivity was rated using the Caregiver Interaction Scale (Arnett, 1989). Structural indicators of quality were identified through a Centre Questionnaire and a Staff Questionnaire developed for the You Bet I Care! study (Goelman et al. 2000) sent to centres prior to the observations. Using a median split, the caregivers' scores were divided into high and low scores and the structural indicators of the two groups were compared. The results were analysed first considering the scores of all observed caregivers together and then as two separate groups: caregivers of infants and toddlers and caregivers of children aged 3 to 6 years. The analysis revealed that certain features of the centre and characteristics of the caregiver were associated with higher levels of caregiver sensitivity. The features of the centre that were associated with caregiver sensitivity included financial issues (eg. wages), staff development, centre administration, and characteristics of the children in the centre. Characteristics of the caregivers that were associated with sensitivity were caregiver attitudes and beliefs, caregiver feelings about their work, and level of education. The results of this study suggest that caregiver sensitivity which is related to positive developmental outcomes for children may be enhanced through the active support of the larger community.

Introduction: the number of orphans world wide including Malawi, has increased greatly due to the Acquired Immune-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The increased number of orphans has led to the development of community based strategies for continuity of care to orphans. People in various communities offer themselves as volunteers to care for the orphans with an aim to providing the best care possible. Due to the increased number of orphans, the caretakers are challenged in the provision of care, to promote the health status of the children. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the knowledge and health information needs of caretakers in orphan care at the Mphatso day care centre in Lilongwe, Malawi. Methodology: A descriptive qualitative approach was used to determine the knowledge and health information needs of caretakers of orphans. Using a descriptive qualitative research method, the researcher interviewed eight participants working as volunteers at Mphatso Orphan Day Care Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi. Data analysis: In the study, a general content analysis approach was used. In this approach, the audio taped data were transcribed verbatim and translated from Chichewa to English soon after data collection prior to the next day of interview. Transcribing verbatim was done by listening to the tape recorded interviews several times until all the data were captured. Data were thereafter, displayed, reduced and organized into categories and sub categories. Results: Results generated from the study revealed that the caretakers benefit from training prior to the adoption of the caring role. The caretakers were also knowledgeable about the health challenges of the orphans, the concept of caring and health information needs that can help them provide the best care possible to the orphans. Conclusion: Children are facing the tragedy oflosing one or both parents to AIDS. Ifone parent is infected with HIV, there is a high probability that the other parent is also infected and so the entire family faces the threat of illness and later on death. Despite the death of these parents, the children left behind require the continuity of care. Volunteers shoulder the responsibility of caring for the children left by the deceased families. As such, there is need to support those who have dedicated their time to the orphans. Apart from material and financial resources, there is need to support the caretakers of orphans in institutions of care with health information relevant to orphan care. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Bakalauro darbo objektas- jaunesniųjų paauglių socialinių įgūdžių ugdymas. Tėvų emigracija, nedarbas, alkoholio vartojimas sparčiai didina gyvenimo sąlygų skirtumus tarp šeimų, išryškina silpnąsias šeimos vietas. Dėl to šeimai šiandien reikia, kur kas didesnio dėmesio ir paramos, padėti spręsti iškilusias problemas. Labiausiai socialinių įgūdžių pagalbos reikia vaikams iš socialinės rizikos šeimų. Būtent iš tokių šeimų ir ateina jaunesnieji paaugliai į vaikų dienos centrą.Tyrimu siekta ugdyti jaunesniųjų paauglių socialinius įgūdžius (programa) ir įvertinti socialinių įgūdžių dinamiką prieš ir po programos. Šiam tikslui pasiekti buvo sudaryta Socialinių įgūdžių programa, bei taikoma anketinė apklausa. Tiriamąją imtį sudarė 15 jaunesniųjų paauglių, lankančių vaikų dienos centrą. Teorinėje dalyje pateikiami jaunesniųjų paauglių psichosocialinės raidos ypatumai, pozityviosios socializacijos veiksniai ir galimi pavojai. Aprašoma jaunesniųjų paauglių , augančių socialinės rizikos šeimose, socialiniai įgūdžiai ir jų ugdymas. Taip pat aptariamos socialinių įgūdžių ugdymo programos Lietuvoje ir užsienio šalyse. / Subject of Bachelor Thesis “Development of Social Skills of the Younger Adolescents Attending Children Day Care Centre”: development of social skills of the younger adolescents. Emigration of parents, unemployment, alcohol abuse rapidly increase the differences between living conditions of families, highlight the weak points of a family. Therefore a contemporary family needs much more attention and support, provision of assistance in solving the occurring problems. Children form social risk families need most help in the sphere of social skills. The youngrt adolescents come to children day care centre exactly from such families.The aim of the research is development of social skills of the younger adolescents (program) and assessment of dynamics of social skills before and after the program. A Social Skills Program has been formed and a questionnaire survey has been applied in order to achieve the aforementioned aim. The research scope consisted of 15 younger adolescents who attended children day care centre. Peculiarities of psychosocial development of younger adolescents, positive socialisation factors, and possible hazards are provided in the theoretical part. Social skills of younger adolescents raised in social risk families as well as development thereof have been described. Programs for development of social skills in Lithuania and foreign countries have been discussed as well.

The purpose of this study was to identify parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum (goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods) in selected early childhood centers. The relationship between income level and educational background and parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum was also studied. Additionally, the relationship between parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum and the selection of early childhood centers was examined.The Parent Perception Questionnaire, developed by the researcher, was mailed to 16 licensed early childhood centers in central Indiana. Respondents included 215 parents of 4- and 5-year-old children. Income level for the total group of parents ranged from less than $16,000 to more than $48,000. The largest group of parents (26.5%) reported an educational background of 1 to 3 years of college followed by parents (26.0%) with an educational level of a high school diploma.Through the use of a Likert scale, parents rated items on goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods as very important, important, somewhat important, or not important. A section for additional comments was also provided for parents. Each participating center was observed one time by the researcher. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale was used to assess the developmental appropriateness of the participating centers' environment. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance at the .05 level of significance was used to test hypotheses I, II, and III. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was applied to test hypothesis IV.Results1. An interaction effect of income level and educational background on parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum (goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods) was found to be not significant. Hypothesis I was not rejected.2. The effect of income level on parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum (goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods) was found to be not significant. Hypothesis II was not rejected.3. The effect of educational background on parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum (goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods) was found to be significant. Hypothesis III was rejected.4. The relationship of parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum to the curriculum of selected early childhood centers was correlated (r = .25). / Department of Elementary Education

The overall aim of this thesis was to study elderly persons’ everyday life and the benefits of community-based day care rehabilitation (DCR). Further aims were to describe everyday life as experienced by elderly persons eligible for DCR and what they expected to gain from attending DCR. Participants in  study I and II were 22 prospective elderly day-care patients with physical disabilities. Interviews about their experiences of everyday life (study I) and their expectations of DCR (study II) were conducted and analysed according to a qualitative research approach called phenomenography. In study III 15 elderly persons were interviewed about changes in everyday life after having been discharged from DCR. A narrative approach was used for analysing the interviews. In Study IV occupational therapy patients’ records from 59 patients that had been discharged from DCR were analysed using deductive content analysis for describing individual treatment goals and level of goal attainment. The findings in study I, showed that cessation of activities and social contacts resulted in feelings of resignation and dejection for some participants. Participants also described how activities and social contacts continued, albeit in a different way, and that being active resulted in feelings of pleasure. In study II the findings described expectations of participating in physical training and socialisation with others at the DCR. The findings in study III, in the form of four case-stories, described positive changes in the participants’ everyday life such as improved occupational performance and heightened sense of wellbeing. The findings indicate that it was a combination of several events that together contributed to the changes. The findings in study IV showed that “Walking” was the category that contained the highest proportion of treatment goals. A majority of the treatment goals were either completely achieved or partially achieved. DCR could have a significant impact on elderly persons’ everyday life.

Employing institutional ethnography, this research is an examination of the everyday activities of mothers who provide licensed family child care in their homes in the southern region of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. From this standpoint, I map the work of being licensed to show how their activities, homes and families become articulated to the textual organization of an institutional matrix of regulation. While the institutional matrix is conceptually organized around ensuring the provision of quality child care, family child care providers’ descriptions of their work to maintain licensure illustrate how they find themselves acquiescing to and/ or challenging the ways in which their work is co-ordinated for the administrative purposes of legal compliance with minimum health and safety standards. / Graduate / 0626 / 0518 / 0630 / naomi.northstar@gmail.com