Det är många före oss som valt att intressera sig för sensemaking, meningsskapande, i och runt organisationer. Det finns även mycket forskning om hur man bör gå tillväga och arbeta med sin meningsskapande process när man ställs inför en krissituation. Vår studie skiljer sig från tidigare forskning genom att vi mitt i samhällskrisen, studerar den meningsskapande processen. Ofta studeras resultatet av sensemaking snarare än processen och vi vill genom vår kvalitativa studie av ett digitalt möte titta närmre på hur sensemaking ter sig i ett specifikt möte, för att kunna se hur man arbetar med meningsskapande under en krissituation som COVID-19. Genom att delta i det digitala mötet “Ledarskap och entreprenörskap i samhällskrisen” fick vi chansen att uppleva, tolka och analysera hur den meningsskapande processen såg ut, där och då, och vad man kom fram till, det vill säga vilken mening som skapades där. Det vi såg genom vår tolkning av det digitala mötet var att man använde sig mycket av sensegiving och sensetaking, samt att erfarenheter och interaktion mellan individer stod i fokus under den meningsskapande processen. Man skapade mening med hjälp av varandra och den mening som skapades handlade mycket om att reducera osäkerhet och skaffa sig kontroll i den svåra situationen.

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Under the influence of the Christian ecumenical movement, there has been a tendancy to reread the Western theological tradition through the lens of the Eastern idea of deification. The studies of the theology of John Calvin, who is a leading figure in the Reformation tradition, cannot avoid such a tendency, either. Not a few scholars have affirmed Calvin's doctrine of deification, in a way, akin to the Eastern doctrine of deification, by rereading him from the perspective of the Eastern Orthodoxy. However, with the objection to this interpretation by those who deny the presence of the idea of deification in Calvin, the question of deification in Calvin's theology has been a grave issue of an ongoing debate among Calvin scholars. The current debate on the question of deification in Calvin shows that the following three issues form the frame of reference for reasoning the question: Calvin's understanding of the communication of properties between Christ's two natures in the hypostatic union, the nature of his notion of union with Christ, and his idea of the nature of the salvific gift. The observations of Calvin's ideas about the three issues render incapacitate any attempt to find the idea of deification as participation in the intrinsic divine life in his theology. Calvin's rejection of the direct communication of properties from Christ's divinity to His humanity renders impossible the deification of Christ's humanity, which is marked as the basis of our deification by the interpreters who endorse his doctrine of deification as in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Calvin's idea of the spiritual and personal union with Christ, in which the ontological distinctiveness between Christ and us is guaranteed, disapproves the idea that the intrinsic divine life flows to us through the channel of Christ's humanity in our union with Him. Therefore it can be reasonably concluded that as far as deification is construed as the believers' participation in the intrinsic divine life, mediated by Christ's humanity in their union with Christ, it is hard to hold that Calvin teaches deification. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / PhD / Unrestricted

MSc (Zoology) / Department of Zoology / The adverse ecological effects of landscape modification by humans are well known and continue to be studied. Habitat disturbances arising from such modifications result in various levels of biodiversity loss. Amongst mammals, large carnivores are usually the first to disappear, leaving a gap in the trophic pyramid. However, ecologically adaptive small carnivores, free from the effects of intraguild predation can readily fill this gap (i.e. mesopredator release). In highly productive disturbed habitats, small mammals may thrive, reaching densities that can support an abundant and diverse suite of small carnivores. After frequent sightings of serval (Leptailurus serval) on the highly disturbed Sasol Synfuels Operations property, three camera trap surveys were conducted between 2014 and 2015 to study its ecology. The resulting data was subsequently used to study the site’s small carnivores. Multispecies occupancy modelling was used to determine detection (p) and occupancy (ψ) probabilities and estimate species richness across the study area. Site-specific covariates were then modelled against abundance values to identify any correlations. Out of 23 small carnivore species predicted to occur on the site, 11 were detected. Spatially, estimated species richness was highest in disturbed habitats, while it was slightly lower in Grassland possibly due to undersampling. Detection and occupancy probabilities were low (except for serval), with interspecies variations. It is suspected that this is the result of survey bias towards serval. The only covariate showing any significant effect was livestock presence, negatively affecting serval occupancy. Estimated species richness was used as a proxy to identify high- or low-predation areas. Within these areas, three vegetation treatments were selected (low, medium and high cover). Small mammal foraging behaviour under varying predation pressures within these treatments was then studied using the giving-up density (GUD) framework. Differences in GUDs were examined using generalised linear mixed models (GLMM). Small mammal trapping in the study area showed that four-striped grass mouse (Rhabdomys sp.; diurnal) and multimammate mouse (Mastomys sp.; nocturnal) were dominant. Nocturnal GUDs were lower than diurnal, which is interesting as four-striped grass mice are more abundant than multimammate mice. This indicates that density alone does not influence GUDs. Additionally, no significant difference in GUDs was observed between predation and vegetation treatments. I suggest that observed GUDs are linked to individual or combined impacts of interspecific differences in foraging behaviour, metabolic requirements or temporal variations in perceived predation pressure. GUDs also varied between surveys, being lower in mid- compared to early winter. This might be attributable to decreased availability of food and greater metabolic requirements in mid-winter. The results show that modified landscapes (such as the study site) can contribute to biodiversity conservation, especially of small carnivores, the adaptability of which allows them to flourish in disturbed habitats. Under favourable conditions, ecologically flexible small mammal species seem to be unaffected by the risks associated with an abundance of small carnivores. While the processes governing the dynamics of predator and prey communities in disturbed systems are not entirely clear, the conservation potential of such areas cannot be ignored and deserves more attention from researchers. / NRF

The perception of increased predation risk by nocturnal mice and other small mammals has been shown to reduce activity levels, particularly in foraging effort. Various cues of predation risk have been used in previous studies, but few have assessed the potential interactions between different types of cues. I conducted field, laboratory, and enclosure experiments using predator scents, artificial light, and microhabitat variables to determine the effects of direct and indirect cues of predation risk on foraging behavior in wild nocturnal mice. Experimental foraging trays served as artificial resource patches, and giving-up densities were measured in order to test for foraging persistence in patches exposed to cues of predation risk. Cotton mice (Peromyscus gossypinus) were used in laboratory and enclosure trials, and were the most common mice present at the sites used for field trials. Although previous foraging studies have used other Peromyscus species, this species has not been tested, but ranges over densely populated areas of the United States where artificial light could potentially affect its behavior. In outdoor and laboratory enclosures, cotton mice showed no aversive response to bobcat urine, cloths rubbed on cats, or snake sheds, but did exhibit avoidance of cat fur and artificial light. In the field experiment, mice showed a strong preference for covered microhabitats, but did not avoid bobcat urine or artificial light. Foraging in artificial resource patches also increased throughout the duration of the field experiment, possibly coinciding with a reduction in naturally-available forage. Mice in this population appear to use cover as their primary means of avoiding detection or capture by predators, though they do avoid artificial light and at least one fur-derived odor when their available options for escape are reduced.

This thesis contributes to the knowledge of how computer-mediated communication and information sharing works in large groups and networks. In more detail, the research question put forward is: in large sharing networks, what concerns do end-users have regarding to whom to provide material? A theoretical framework of gift-giving was applied to identify, label and classify qualitative end-user concerns with provision. The data collection was performed through online ethnographical research methods in two large sharing networks, one music-oriented and one photo-oriented. The methods included forum message elicitation, online interviews, application use and observation. The result of the data collection was a total of 1360 relevant forum messages. A part from this there are also 27 informal interview logs, field notes and samples of user profiles and sharing policies. The qualitative analysis led up to a model of relationships based on the observation that many users experienced conflicts of interest between various groups of receivers and that these conflicts, or social dilemmas, evoked concerns regarding public and non-public provision of material. The groups of potential recipients were often at different relationship levels. The levels ranged from the individual (ego), to the small group of close peers (micro), to a larger network of acquaintances (meso) to the anonymous larger network (macro). It is argued that an important focal point for analysis of cooperation and conflict is situated in the relations between these levels. Deepened studies and analysis also revealed needs to address dynamic recipient groupings, the need to control the level of publicness of both digital material and its metadata (tags, contacts, comments and links to other networks) and that users often refrained from providing material unless they felt able to control its direction. A central conclusion is that public and non-public gifting need to co-emerge in large sharing networks and that non-public gifting might be an important factor for the support of continued provision of goods in sustainable networks and communities.

This study is an analysis of how the artworks Övermålning, God Giving a Fuck and Lesbisk häxhora by Carolina Falkholt can be interpreted and received by the surrounding society. To do this, the study uses a semiotic image analysis and a reception history analysis. The study has its base in a feminist perspective as well as in art sociology, to further deepen the analysis with different perspectives and in connection to the society and societal norms. The result of this study shows that there are multiple ways to interpret the motifs of the artworks by Carolina Falkholt. They can be seen as a political statement to shed light on feminist struggles and the beauty of the nude female body and the vagina, but also as actively provocative art where the female body is violated as a result of being displayed in a public setting. However, the study also discusses how the works of Carolina Falkholt have previously been renowned and praised by art institutions, and how her work continues to find success, with added inquiries of her work in public settings, despite regulations. Therefore, the study concludes that the artworks by Carolina Falkholt is qualified to be seen as art that advances and favor Swedish culture, regardless of the negative feedback the art has received.

Giving advice is an essential part of working as a teacher. However, advice-giving can be a sensitive topic depending on how the advice is delivered by the teacher. It remains to be seen what kind of approach teachers need to use to reach out and give advice to their students as successfully as possible. The present study aims to examine some different linguistic approaches teachers use to give advice to students. This was done by carrying out a Conversation Analysis on text extracts involving teacher and student interaction in an advising setting. The texts extracts were taken from The Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English. The results show that there were two main types of advice-giving strategies found in the data: direct and indirect advice giving. Both strategies seemed to be successful in that the students accepted the advice provided and did not argue with the teacher about its validity.

Despite more than $769 million in charitable gifts in 2013, U.S. nonprofit organizations lost $735 million in lapsed and reduced gifts. Donor attrition is a problem for most charitable organizations, and many are using the Internet to cultivate donors. Online communication has become an important part of fundraising for many charitable organizations. The online communication factors in the current study include trust, credibility, and satisfaction. These factors may affect donor loyalty. Donor loyalty may increase or decrease donor attrition. Reducing donor attrition is important to anyone who plays a role in the success of a nonprofit organization. The purpose of the current cross-sectional quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the communication factors and the loyalty among online donors. The theoretical foundation for this study includes Bandura's social cognitive theory and Luhmann's social systems theory. Data were collected online from a random sample of online donors aged 18 years or older in the United States. Spearman correlation was used to assess the correlation between the independent and dependent variables. The results indicated there is a correlation between communication factors and loyalty among online donors in the United States. This study may help organizations communicate better with donors in an online environment and reduce online donor attrition. Reducing attrition will increase funding to a charitable organization through repeat donations, thereby helping improve finances to support the organization's mission and positively influencing societal change.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This dissertation explores growth among American charities by examining 25 years of the Philanthropy 400, an annual ranking published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy of the 400 charities receiving the most donations. Data preparation for the Philanthropy 400’s first analysis remedied publication deadline constraints by aligning data by fiscal years and adding 310 charities omitted from the published rankings, resulting in a study population of 1,101 charities. Most studies of charity finance examine individual Forms 990. The Philanthropy 400 uses consolidated financial information from entire organizational networks, creating the same basis for charities filing a single Form 990, like the American Red Cross, and charities with affiliates filing more than 1,000 Forms 990, like Habitat for Humanity. Organizational ecology theory frames examination of aggregate changes in the Philanthropy 400. Two questions examine how age and dependence on donations as a percentage of total income affect persistence in the rankings. A third question examines the changing share of total U.S. giving received by ranked charities. Despite stability resulting from the same charities occupying 189 of the 400 ranking positions every year, the median age of ranked charities decreased. Younger charities generally climbed within the rankings, while older charities tended to decline or exit the rankings. Younger new entrants often persisted in the rankings, suggesting some donors embrace various new causes or solutions. Charities ranked only once or twice decreased in number with each successive ranking. Most charities ranked only once entered the rankings by receiving two or more times their typical amount of donations, suggesting that sustained fundraising programs regularly outperform charities that periodically experience years of extraordinarily high donations. The aggregate inflation-adjusted donations received by the Philanthropy 400 increased during the study period and increased as a percentage of total U.S. giving. As predicted by organizational ecology, the increasing percentage of total U.S. giving received by the Philanthropy 400 coincided with slowing growth in both the number of U.S. charities and total U.S. giving. If the Philanthropy 400 continues to increase its percentage of total U.S. giving, this could affect financing for smaller charities.