This thesis is a comprehensive re-examination of Maritime Southeast Asia's (or the Nusantara's) Islamic conversion history between the late thirteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Traditionally, academia has attributed this event to Muslim traders and/or Sufis from either India and/or the Middle East. During the late twentieth century, however, a number of scholars began to consider the possibility of Chinese Muslim involvement. The resulting discussions focused on a re-evaluation of Javanese history in the context of attempts to re-conceptualise pre-modern Nusantara trade (considered the catalyst for Islamisation) as fundamentally orientated towards Southern China, where Muslims played a significant commercial role from the seventh through to the early fifteenth centuries. Despite the intrinsic merits of these efforts, however, they have all been limited by an overwhelming focus on Java and a tendency to examine the relevant issues over only a very narrow time span. This thesis seeks to rectify these problems. First, it will evaluate the validity of the new commercial framework over a much longer period – from the rise of Śrīvijaya in the seventh century CE to the establishment of the early seventeenth-century European trade monopolies. This longue dureé view will provide a much stronger basis for both conclusively re-orientating pre-modern Nusantaran trade towards China and also positing it as the catalyst for conversion, with Chinese Muslims at its heart. Second, the thesis will look beyond Java to examine the conversion histories of several other important Nusantara locations (Samudera-Pasai, Melaka and Brunei), as accessed through early written texts (indigenous, European and Chinese) and archaeology. The thesis then, and thirdly, couples this examination with a consideration of the Islamic influences which came to bear on the Nusantara’s early intellectual and architectural expressions of Islam. Ultimately, by taking this broad chronological, geographical and cultural approach, the thesis aims to more reliably assess the possibility that Chinese Muslims influenced the Nusantara’s initial Islamisation process.

This thesis contains a critical edition, translation and study of the Amanaska, which is a medieval Sanskrit yoga text of one hundred and ninety-eight verses in two chapters (adhyāya). Seventy-five manuscripts have been consulted for this edition and thirty-two were selected for the full collation on the basis of stemmatic analysis on a sample collation of all the manuscripts. The critical apparatus contains references to parallel verses in other works and the notes to the translation provide further information on the content, terminology and obscure passages of the text by citing other Sanskrit works, in particular, earlier Tantras and medieval yoga texts, as well as a Nepalese commentary on the Amanaska. The first part of the Introduction contains a summary of the text and an examination of the colophons of all the available manuscripts in order to establish the proper titles of the text and each of the chapters. Unlike previous editors, I have adopted the title Amanaska because it is found in the great majority of manuscript colophons. The title of previous printed editions, Amanaskayoga, appears to derive from nineteenth-century manuscript catalogues. The authorship of the text has been discussed in light of the claim made in recent Indian scholarship that it was written by Gorakṣanātha, the pupil of Matysendranātha. I conclude that the author is unknown. Discrepancies between the chapters, in particular, various incongruities in content and differences in the limits of dating, strongly suggest that both chapters were originally composed as separate works. Unlike previous editions, this one is based on the north-Indian recension. There is evidence that the north-Indian recension has preserved a more coherent version of the first chapter. The additional verses of the south-Indian recension have been edited and included separately in appendix A. The first part of the Introduction also includes fourteen sections on the content of the Amanaska. The first six of these sections are on absorption (laya), the practice of eliminating reality levels (tattva) and Layayoga, and the following sections cover yogic powers (siddhi), Śāmbhavī Mudrā, the term amanaska and the Amanaska's known sources for verses on the no-mind state. The final section called, 'Amanaska: the Effortless Leap to Liberation' examines the salient teachings of the Amanaska in light of previous ascetic, yogic and tantric traditions, in an attempt to answer questions about whom its intended audience may have been and its place within India's history of yoga. The first part of the Introduction concludes with a discussion of yoga texts which have been either directly or indirectly influenced by the Amanaska. Seeing that many of these texts have not been critically edited or translated, I have discussed their date of composition and their content in addition to the material that derives from the Amanaska. The second part of the Introduction provides essential details on the seventy-four manuscripts consulted for this edition, brief comments on the shortcomings of the previous printed editions and an explanation of the editing methodology. The recensions of the text are discussed in this section as well as my editorial policy. The critical edition and translation of the Amanaska are presented together. Each Sanskrit verse is followed by the translation and its critical apparatus is at the bottom of the page. The endnotes to each verse are located at the end of its respective chapter. Appendices B-E include four stemmatic diagrams along with brief descriptions of each hyparchetype, a list of symbols and abbreviations and an outline of the conventions used in the critical apparatus.

Bakgrund:​ Barnhälsovården har ett stort ansvar att upptäcka och stödja barn som misstänks fara illa. Barnavårdscentral (BVC) sjuksköterskans främsta uppgift är att främja barns hälsa och utveckling, tidigt identifiera problem, förebygga ohälsa hos barn samt ge föräldrastöd. ​Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva BVC sjuksköterskors erfarenheter och reflektioner av att arbeta med barn som misstänks fara illa. Metod: En induktiv kvalitativ ansats med beskrivande design användes. Datainsamlingen genomfördes via semistrukturerade intervjuer med nio BVC sjuksköterskor. Materialet analyserades sedan med hjälp av kvalitativ innehållsanalys. ​ Huvudresultat:​ Att som BVC sjuksköterska möta och upptäcka barn som misstänks fara illa beskrevs som en tung och svår balansgång. Detta uttrycktes i form av oroskänslor som aktiverades såsom ansvarskänsla, svårigheter att hantera barn som misstänks fara illa samt olika hinder för orosanmälan. Vidare framkom behov av kollegialt stöd och värdet av att ha en bra relation till familjen för att underlätta en orosanmälan. BVC sjuksköterskorna uppgav organisatoriska hinder i samarbetet med socialtjänsten och förslag gavs som kunde avdramatisera anmälningsprocessen. Slutsats: BVC sjuksköterskan har en långt ifrån enkel uppgift när misstanke finns om att barn far illa och trots anmälningsplikt är det inte alla gånger en självklarhet att orosanmäla. Orsaker som olika svårigheter, oro, ansvarskänsla, hinder men också brist på stöd uppgavs. Samarbetet med socialtjänsten upplevdes som besvärlig men samtidigt sågs potential till en förbättring. Denna kunskap kan öka förutsättningarna för en tidigare upptäckt och förbättra omvårdnaden av barn som misstänks fara illa och i bästa fall stärka beslutsprocessen vid orosanmälan.

With the increase and popularity of the use of internet, hate speech has reached wider dimensions in societies. This thesis will provide empirical examples to show the relation between speech and actions. This paper will use speech-act theory and social movement theory to portray the relation between hate speech on social media and domestic terrorism inspired by far right extremist. Even though, there has been a lot of work for counter terrorism, domestic terrorism is still overlooked. Empirical sources say that domestic terrorism poses a threat as much as international terrorism. This thesis will bring light over the connections of hate speech and domestic terrorism inspired by far right extremists. It will conclude that there is an evident relation that hate speech on social media is contributing to domestic terrorism actions encouraged by far right extremism.

Othering is central in the rhetoric of both Abu Bakr Naji and Anders Breivik throughout their works. Both authors use it as a device to drive a psychological wedge between the groups of ‘us’ and ‘them’. In the case of Naji, the in group is made up of violence oriented takfiris such as Al Qaeda, but Breivik hoped to appeal to other violence oriented far right groups and individuals, disillusioned with what he perceived to be a slow erosion of ‘traditional’ European life by the far left, feminism and other forces. My research question will revolve around how a use of othering by the authors can reveal what they regard as the major threat to their groups. Superficially, there seem to be many similarities in how each author uses othering to alienate and dehumanise different groups. However, closer inspection reveals entirely different priorities and different methods of othering in play. By examining how othering is used throughout the works, it is possible to see which outside groups are perceived to present the biggest threat to the inside groups and the results are perhaps surprising. Given that The Management of Savagery has been seen as the ISIS strategic manual and the key message throughout the work is try and bring the USA and her allies into a catastrophic war of attrition from which the violence oriented takfiris would rise, I had assumed that the USA, or the ‘Far’ enemy would take the brunt of Naji’s othering drive. Instead, the Shia and all Muslims who are unaligned with Al Qaeda, plus those Muslims closely aligned with the West or Western ideals are the key target for Naji. Likewise, I had expected most of the vitriol from Breivik’s right wing ‘manifesto’ to be directed at Muslim immigrants to Europe. However, his key concern, as evidenced by the othering used throughout his work, is in fact with what he terms ‘cultural Marxists’ – left leaning groups and political parties, which he sees as weakening Europe and allowing outsiders to take over.

Hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck (HRV) drabbar barn som lever i en hederskultur. Idag lever minst 5 % av Sveriges skolbarn under HRV. Skolsköterskor har en central roll i att identifiera barn som är utsatta. I rollen ligger ett ansvar att lindra lidande, och att arbeta hälsofrämjande och förebyggande. Enligt vår kännedom finns inga tidigare studier i ämnet men angränsande studier ger kunskap om skolsköterskors viktiga roll. HRV leder till att barn blir begränsade i sina rättigheter och friheter. Studiens syfte är att belysa skolsköterskors erfarenheter av att möta barn som utsätts för HRV. Data samlades in via semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio skolsköterskor och analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys enligt Graneheim och Lundman. Resultatet belyser skolsköterskans erfarenhet av att möta barn som utsätts för HRV i tre kategorier, relationens betydelse med det utsatta barnet, samverkans betydelse för skolsköterskorna kring det utsatta barnet och erfarenheten och kunskapens betydelse för skolsköterskornas agerande. Varje kategori inkluderar två till fyra underkategorier. I resultatet framkommer vikten av att tidigt identifiera barn som utsätts, att se tecken och att skapa en förtroendefull relation där det vårdande samtalet får ta plats. Även vikten av samverkan synliggörs. Det framkommer att brister i arbetet leder till osäkerhet hos skolsköterskorna. Slutsatsen är att skolsköterskors osäkerhet leder till att barn inte alltid får det stöd och hjälp som de behöver. Att möta komplexiteten vid HRV kräver mod, adekvat kunskap och kompetens. HRV behöver motverkas på samhällets alla nivåer.

Au cours des dernières années, les groupes d’extrême droite ont gagné une visibilité grandissante dans l’espace public au Canada comme ailleurs. Alors que chercheurs comme journalistes tentent de mieux comprendre cette mouvance diverse et évolutive, la littérature scientifique disponible demeure avant tout axé sur les groupes et les tendances plus que les mécanismes et les trajectoires individuelles. Ainsi peu de recherches sont venues s’intéresser aux processus dynamiques qui amènent les individus à rejoindre ou à quitter ces groupes. La présente recherche appréhende les trajectoires de désengagement de treize anciens membres de groupes extrémistes de droite canadiens et met en lumière leur point de vue sur ce vécu. À partir d’une méthodologie de récits de vie, nous mettons en perspective l’engagement et le désengagement de ces individus hors de différents groupes d’extrême droite et explorons le rôle du soutien social dans leurs parcours. Alors que les chercheurs tentent de comprendre le désengagement de l’extrémisme en puisant dans les connaissances sur les thématiques de désistance et désaffiliation de groupes criminels, ou encore le désengagement de groupes marginaux, les thèmes abordés par nos sondés nous ont amenés à prendre un pas de côté et mobiliser plutôt la littérature sur le soutien social l’autodéveloppement (mutual aid and self-help). Développée autour des groupes d’entraide entre pairs de type Alcoolique Anonymes (AA), cette littérature nous permet de toucher du doigt des éléments jusqu’à présent peu explorés des trajectoires de désengagement, c’est-à-dire les différentes composantes du soutien social : le soutien affectif, l’intégration sociale (ou le soutien du réseau), le soutien à l’estime de soi, l’aide tangible, le soutien informatif et l’opportunité d’aider les autres (Cutrona & Russel, 1990). Bien que largement idiosyncrasiques, les résultats de cette recherche démontrent que les trajectoires de sorties de l’extrémisme de droite sont parsemées de points de convergence. L’importance du soutien apporté par les proches (parents, conjointes, ami-e-s), la mise en valeur du savoir expérientiel via l’utilisation du modelage et l’opportunité d’aider les autres comme une façon de s’aider soi-même, sont quelques facteurs facilitant le désengagement qui sont explorés dans ce mémoire. / In recent years, far-right groups have gained increased visibility in Canada and elsewhere. While researchers and journalists alike are trying to better understand this diverse and evolving movement, scientific literature remains primarily focused on groups and trends rather than individual mechanisms and trajectories. As a result, little research has been done on the dynamic processes that lead individuals to join or leave these groups. This research examines the disengagement trajectories of former members of right-wing extremist groups in Canada and highlights their perspectives on this experience. Based on the life stories of thirteen former members, our paper will put into perspective their engagement and disengagement out of different far-right groups, and will explore the role of social support in their journeys. While researchers are trying to understand disengagement from extremism by drawing on knowledge about disengagement and disaffiliation from criminal groups, or disengagement from marginal groups, the themes addressed by our respondents led us to take a step aside and instead mobilize the literature on mutual aid and self-help. Developed around peer support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), this literature allows us to highlight elements of disengagement trajectories that have so far been little explored, that is to say social support components: emotional support, social integration, self-esteem support, tangible aid, informative support and opportunity for nurturance (Cutrona & Russel, 1990). Although largely idiosyncratic, the results of this research show that exit trajectories from extremism are dotted with points of convergence. The importance of support from close ones (parents, spouses, friends), the value of experiential knowledge through the use of modelling and the opportunity to help others as a way of helping oneself, are some of the facilitating factors explored in this thesis.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the constructed vision of social reality that the Sweden Democrats define and thus defend and legitimizes through their climate and environmental policy. With a focus on the power relations that are constitutive of the Sweden Democrats' definition of social reality, the intention is to clarify the Sweden Democrats' position on the issue of climate change and to make visible what underlies their actions concerning the ratification of the Paris Agreement. To achieve the purpose, critical discourse analysis is used as a method where political documents concerning the Sweden Democrats' climate, environment, and energy policy during the period 2018-2021 constitute the empirical material. The results show that the Sweden Democrats' definition of climate change is both ambiguous and ambivalent, where Sweden's self-image and Swedish interests are prioritized over climate measures. The result also shows that the Sweden Democrats' definition of climate change is constituted by underlying power relations to preserve the power of the nation-state and the subordinate position of developing countries. One conclusion that can be drawn is to reduce the Sweden Democrats to just being climate change deniers is to simplify because their attitude to climate change is characterized by ambivalence and self-interest rather than skepticism and denial. Another conclusion is that the Sweden Democrats' attitude to climate change is more about defending and preserving existing power relations and less about questioning the existence of climate change. A third conclusion that can be drawn is that the Sweden Democrats' action regarding the Paris Agreement is more about opposing a social change that entails increased equality and about legitimizing the nation state's continued relevance in a globalized world, and less about opposing the content and implementation of the Paris Agreement.

This study deals with the current demographic situation of the Russian Far East and tries to assess the main patterns of migration in the region. The work is structured in five chapters. The first chapter aims at defining the Russian Far East geographically and concentrates on the most important features of its economy. The second chapter is devoted to region's rapid depopulation since the beginning of 1990s. This part analyses the dominant demographic trends within the district and tries to describe the prevalent patterns of migration on its territory. The third chapter presents a brief historical overview of the colonization and resettlement policies towards the Russian Far East. The main goal of this part is to evaluate the overall effectivity of both tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union in their efforts to populate their easternmost periphery and secure the border with China. The fourth chapter deals with the problem of Chinese migration to the Russian Far East. The emphasis is put on the myth of China's "demographic expansion" and also on the question of possible benefits of drawing in more Chinese workforce in the foreseeable future. The last chapter analyses the current state program designed to attract large numbers of ethnic Russians from abroad and settle them in regions considered as...

This diploma thesis deals with different ways of grayscale image processing of veins in a finger of human hand. The process consists of vein structure extraction, and then this structure is compared with collection of provided snapshots. First of all we introduced problem of biometric systems and image processing. There are presented also some commercial solutions from the same field. Within the detailed description of image processing we suggested different modifications in adaptive thresholding algorithm, feature extraction, which continues into comparison of vein structures. Thesis is closed by testing and final review.