Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T17:27:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Evandro Oliveira de Brito.pdf: 1543996 bytes, checksum: cccc072c2cbdc0314293f7946a776aac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-04-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This thesis aims to compare two of Brentano‟s formulations regarding the notion of moral values and analyze them from the philosophy of the mind that serves as their base. I will explain in this way, how the reformulation of the notion of moral values arose from the development of descriptions of the activity of consciousness, presented (or assumed) by Brentano in the first stage of his intellectual development (1874-1892). I will explain, therefore, that moral values, as it was formulated by Brentano in the work Psychology from an empirical standpoint(1874), was the result of an Aristotelian-thomist solution aimed at solving a problem of modern epistemology. As such, the moral value would be only a moral sentiment. I will explain, however, that in The origin of the knowledge of right and wrong (1889) Brentano reformulated this notion by proposing a non-subjectivist moral epistemology, that guided by the works that made up the Descriptive psychology (1888-1892), considered the moral value analogous to a evident judgment. This thesis is supported by the assumption that the theory of moral knowledge, formulated by Franz Brentano in 1889, resulted from two specific changes. On one hand, this theory led to the concept of intentional object being abandoned, taken as the Archimedean point in the formulation of Psychology from an empirical standpoint. On the other hand, it resulted in the formulation of the concept of intentional act, presented in the context of the formulation of Descriptive psychology. The justification of this interpretive hypothesis will be presented through the following arguments: (1) I will present the Brentano‟s theory of moral knowledge, published in 1889 in the work The origin of the knowledge of right and wrong, and (2) I will describe the basic epistemological assumptions of Descriptive psychology who hold this theory of moral knowledge, characterized as conceptual reformulations made by Brentano in Psychology from an empirical standpoint. (3) This hypothesis will be supported by interpretive presentation of the incompatibility between the ethics of moral sentiment and ethics of moral knowledge. This incompatibility also will be supported by comparing the descriptions of Brentano‟s psychic act of moral feeling, present in Psychology from an empirical standpoint, and of Brentano‟s psychic act of moral knowledge characterized as preference, present in The origin of the knowledge of right and wrong. (4) My analysis will lead to the following conclusion. By abandoning the assumptions of the Psychology from an empirical standpoint, Brentano‟s theory of moral knowledge was based on the assumption that the notion of intentional act established an intrinsic and immediate relationship called the consciousness of moral‟s preference, or, the psychic phenomenon of preference. Author: Evandro Oliveira de Brito / Esta tese de doutorado tem como propósito comparar duas formulações brentanianas da noção de valor moral e analisá-las a partir da filosofia do psíquico que lhes serve de base. Explicitaremos, desta maneira, o modo como as reformulações da noção de valor moral decorreram do desenvolvimento das descrições da atividade da consciência, apresentadas (ou pressuposta) por Brentano na primeira etapa de seu desenvolvimento intelectual (1874-1892). Explicitaremos, assim, que valor moral‟, tal como foi apresentada por Brentano na obra Psicologia do ponto de vista empírico (1874), seria o resultado de uma solução aristotélico-tomista que visava resolver um problema epistemológico moderno. Como tal, o valor moral seria exclusivamente um sentimento. Explicitaremos, no entanto, que na obra Origem do conhecimento moral (1889) Brentano reformulou tal noção ao propor uma epistemologia moral não subjetivista que, orientada pelos trabalhos que compuseram a Psicologia descritiva (1888-1892), considerava o valor moral um conhecimento análogo ao juízo evidente. Esta tese está sustentada sobre a hipótese de que a teoria do conhecimento moral, formulada por Franz Brentano em 1889, resultou de duas mudanças específica. Por um lado, esta teoria resultou do abandono do conceito de objeto intencional, tomado como ponto arquimediano na formulação da Psicologia do ponto de vista empírico. Por outro lado, ela resultou da formulação do conceito de ato intencional, apresentado no contexto da formulação da Psicologia descritiva. A justificação desta hipótese interpretativa será apresentada por meio dos seguintes passos argumentativos. (1) Apresentaremos a teoria brentaniana do conhecimento moral publicada em 1889, na obra Origem do conhecimento moral, e (2) descreveremos os pressupostos epistemológicos fundamentais da Psicologia descritiva que sustentam esta teoria do conhecimento moral, caracterizados como reformulações conceituais efetuadas por Brentano na Psicologia do ponto de vista empírico. (3) Esta hipótese interpretativa será corroborada pela apresentação da incompatibilidade entre a ética do sentimento moral e a ética do conhecimento moral. Esta incompatibilidade, ainda, será evidenciada por meio da comparação entre as descrições brentanianas do ato psíquico de sentimento moral, vigente na Psicologia do ponto de vista empírico, e do ato psíquico de conhecimento moral caracterizado como preferência, vigente na Origem conhecimento moral. (4) Nossa análise implicará a seguinte conclusão. Ao abandonar os pressupostos da Psicologia do ponto de vista empírico, a teoria brentaniana do conhecimento moral baseou-se no pressuposto de que a noção de ato intencional estabelecia uma relação intrínseca e imediata chamada de consciência da preferência

Neste trabalho, um novo método grafo-algébrico para o projeto de ilhamento intencional é proposto. O ilhamento intencional é um dos últimos recursos utilizados pelos operadores para evitar um colapso total do sistema elétrico. Ele objetiva dividir um sistema elétrico em dois ou mais subsistemas estáveis quando não é possível garantir a estabilidade do sistema interligado. O método desenvolvido é uma extensão de um método grafo-algébrico, baseado na fatoração da matriz incidência ramo-nó e que foi desenvolvido para a identificação de ilhamento não intencional, para o problema de projeto de ilhamento intencional. A aplicação da fatoração da matriz incidência ramo-nó no problema de projeto de ilhamento é contribuição inédita deste trabalho. O método proposto identifica os conjuntos de corte, compostos por linhas de transmissão/transformadores (ramos), aptos a dividir um sistema elétrico de potência conexo em dois ou mais subsistemas (ilhas), sob a condição de um número mínimo, previamente estabelecido, de ramos interrompidos ou uma interrupção mínima de fluxo de potência ativa. A identificação dos conjuntos de cortes é realizada por meio de uma fatoração ordenada da matriz incidência nó-ramo e por um processo de regularização de cortes. O método foi testado com resultados promissores em alguns sistemas elétricos de pequeno e médio porte. Apresentou boas características que sugerem que o mesmo seja adequado para aplicações em tempo real. O método fornece a informação das barras que formam cada ilha, adapta-se facilmente a mudanças na topologia e pode ser facilmente implementado com rotinas já existentes nos programas de computador comumente utilizados para análise de sistemas elétricos de potência. Trabalhos futuros são necessários para testar a metodologia em sistemas de maior porte, para avaliar a eficiência computacional do método e comparar com a eficiência de outros métodos relatados na literatura. / In this work , a new graph-algebraic method for the design of intentional islanding is proposed. Intentional islanding is one of the last resources used by the Power Electrical System Operators to avoid a total collapse of the electrical system. It aims to divide a power system into two or more stable subsystems when it is not possible to guarantee the stability of the interconnected system. The developed method is an extension of a graph-algebraic method, which is based on a factorization of the branch-node incidence matrix and which was developed to identify unintended islanding, to the problem of intended. The unprecedented contribution of this work is the application of the factorization of the incidence branch-node matrix in the design of islanding control. The proposed method identifies the cutsets, composed of transmission lines / transformers (branches) , able to divide a connected Electrical Power System in two or more subsystems (islands), under the constraint of a minimum number of interrupted branches or minimal interruption of power flow. The identification of cutsets are made through an ordered factorization of the incidence branch node matrix and a regularization process of cutsets. The method has been tested with promising results in some electrical systems of small and medium size. It has shown good characteristics which suggests that it is suitable for real-time applications. The method automatically provides the set of buses that form each island, it easily adapts to changes in topology and can be easily implemented with routines that are already developed in existing computer programs commonly used for analysis of electric power systems. Further work is needed to test the methodology in larger systems to evaluate the computational efficiency of the method and compare with the efficiency of other methods reported in the literature.

Ce travail étudie l’impact de la cyberlangue, induite par le développement des technologies de l’InfoCom, sur les situations de communication médiatisée, jusqu’à la ritualisation des interactions sur les dispositifs sociotechniques.Ce travail mobilise un pluralisme théorique et méthodologique, une approche quantitative et typologique. Il s’appuie sur un terrain de données nativement numériques sur un forum de discussion en ligne, dans le domaine de la téléréalité. En appui sur les concepts de langue et langage, réduction de l’incertitude, cyberlangue, dispositif, communauté, réseau, rites et ritualités, et sur les théories de la conversation, du lien social, du lien rituel, de la «posture intentionnelle » et les rites d’interaction en ligne, une étude exploratoire permet d’identifier des procédés d’écriture élaborés et créatifs et d’établir une typologie enrichie des marqueurs de la cyberlangue.Dans une enquête, la confrontation des usages aux représentations permet de comprendre la perception de la cyberlangue par les internautes. Dans les micro-communautés identifiées par la mesure des interactions, la présence des interacteurs, le poids et la concentration des marqueurs cyberlangue et la polarité du discours interactionnel, l’étude de situations rituelles permet d’identifier une typologie de rites d’interaction associés à certains marqueurs cyberlangue et de corréler les potentialités de pacification de la cyberlangue aux intentionnalités de distanciation et de compensation des interacteurs, dans une dynamique de coconstruction pour le maintien du lien social. / This study examines the impact of cyberlanguage, induced by the development of InfoCom technologies, on mediated communication situations, up to the ritualization of interactions on socio-technical devices. This work mobilizes a theoretical and methodological pluralism, a quantitative and typological approach. It relies on a native digital data field on an online discussion forum, in the field of reality show. In support of the concepts of language, reduction of uncertainty, cyber-language, device, community, network, rites and rituals, and the theories of conversation, social bond, ritual bond, "intentional posture" and online interaction rites, an exploratory study identifies elaborate and creative writing processes and establishes an enriched typology of cyberlanguage markers.In a survey, the confrontation of uses with representations makes it possible to understand the perception of the cyberlanguage by Internet users. In the micro-communities identified by the interactions measurements, the presence of interactors, the weight and concentration of cyberlanguage markers and the polarity of the interactional discourse, the study of ritual situations makes it possible to identify a typology of associated interaction rituals to certain cyberlanguage markers and to correlate the pacification potential of the cyberlanguage with the intentional distancing and compensation of the interactors, in a dynamics of coconstruction for the maintenance of the social bond.

[pt] Jogos educacionais vêm sendo propostos no ensino de ciências da computação, e também no ensino de a engenharia de software. Neste trabalho, apresentamos uma abordagem de modelagem intencional apoiada em conceitos de transparência para a implementação do jogo educacional SimulES. SimulES é um jogo para apoiar o ensino de engenharia de software. A abordagem é inovadora neste contexto. Acreditamos que a modelagem intencional é pertinente para modelar jogos, já que ela permite representar a interação e colaboração entre os atores, além de apoiar conceitos de transparência. Essa modelagem foi usada no desenvolvimento do software SimulES-W que implementa o jogo num ambiente Web. / [en] Educational games have been proposed for teaching computer science, and software engineering as well. This work presents an approach for intentional modeling supported by concepts of transparency towards the implementation of the educational game SimulES. SimulES is a game for helping software engineering teaching. The approach is innovative in that context. We believe that intentional modeling is akin to game modeling, since it allows us to represent the interaction and collaboration among the actors as well concepts of transparency. The intentional model we produced was used to develop the software that implements SimulES-W, a Web based version of the game.

Lesões autoprovocadas por autointoxicação intencional por medicamento (AIM) e óbitos por suicídio são passíveis de prevenção e representam grave problema de saúde pública mundial. Este estudo investigou lesões autoprovocadas e suas recorrências por AIM e fatores sociodemográficos, clínicos e farmacológicos associados, bem como óbitos por suicídio por AIM e fatores sociodemográficos, clínicos e farmacológicos associados. Trata-se de estudo quantitativo, transversal, analítico e documental. Foi realizado a partir de dados secundários de bancos de dados do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação e do Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade da Secretaria de Estado de Saúde de Mato Grosso, Brasil. Foram incluídos no estudo todos os casos registrados de lesões autoprovocadas e os óbitos por suicídio de pessoas acima de nove anos de idade, no período de 1º de julho de 2015 a 31 de dezembro de 2017, em todos os municípios do estado de Mato Grosso. Para análise dos dados foram elaborados modelos de regressão logística com efeitos aleatórios, pertencentes à classe dos modelos Generalized Estimating Equations, utilizando-se o software Statistical Analysis System 9.2. O estudo foi aprovado por Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa. Constatou-se que, no período em estudo, foram notificadas 1.507 lesões autoprovocadas, sendo 27,34% delas por AIM, com destaque para utilização de medicamentos que atuam no Sistema Nervoso. O modelo de regressão logística constatou maior chance de lesão autoprovocada por AIM entre pessoas com idade de 10 a 19 anos e de 20 a 59 anos, quando comparadas àquelas com mais de 60 anos, mulheres comparadas aos homens, de raça branca em relação às de outras raças, ocorrência em zona urbana comparada a não urbana e ocorrência em residência comparada a outros locais. Observou-se menor chance de lesão autoprovocada por AIM entre pessoas com suspeita de uso de álcool quando comparadas àquelas sem tal suspeita. Das 381 pessoas com lesões autoprovocadas por AIM na primeira notificação, nove pessoas tiveram mais de uma lesão autoprovocada por esse método, com destaque para utilização de medicamentos que atuam no Sistema Nervoso. No modelo de regressão logística para analisar os fatores associados às recorrências de lesões autoprovocadas por AIM, nenhuma das variáveis contribuiu significativamente. Dos 412 casos de lesões autoprovocadas por AIM, 13 pessoas foram a óbito por suicídio por AIM. Em 11 desses casos não havia informações sobre o medicamento e em dois casos foram utilizados medicamentos que atuam no Sistema Nervoso. No modelo de regressão logística, para analisar os fatores associados aos óbitos por suicídio por AIM, houve menor chance de óbito por suicídio por AIM entre pessoas com idade de 10 a 19 anos e de 20 a 59 anos, quando comparadas àquelas com mais de 60 anos. Os achados deste estudo fornecem importantes subsídios para estratégias direcionadas à prevenção do suicídio e de lesões autoprovocadas por AIM, bem como para a qualificação da assistência de enfermagem / Self-injuries by intentional drug self-poisoning and suicide deaths are preventable and represent a serious public health problem worldwide. This study investigated selfinjuries and their recurrences by intentional drug self-poisoning and associated sociodemographic, clinical and pharmacological factors, as well as suicide deaths by intentional drug self-poisoning and associated sociodemographic, clinical and pharmacological factors. It is a quantitative, cross-sectional, analytical and documentary study. It was carried out from secondary databases of the Notification of Injury Information System and Mortality Information System of the Health Secretariat of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. This study included all registered cases of selfinjuries and suicide deaths of people aged above nine years, from July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017, in all municipalities of the state of Mato Grosso. For data analysis, logistic regression models with random effects, based on Generalized Estimating Equations models, were developed using the software Statistical Analysis System 9.2. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. It was found that, during the study period, 1,507 self-injuries were reported, of which 27.34% were by intentional drug self-poisoning, with emphasis on the use of drugs that act on the Nervous System. The logistic regression model found a greater chance of self-injuries by intentional drug self-poisoning among people aged from 10 to 19 years and from 20 to 59 years, when compared to those over 60 years, women compared to men, white category compared to all other race categories, occurrence in urban areas compared to non-urban areas and occurrence at home compared to other places. It was observed a lower chance of self-injury by intentional drug self-poisoning among people suspected of using alcohol when compared to those without such suspicion. Of the 381 people with self-injuries by intentional drug self-poisoning in the first notification, nine of them had more than one self-injury by this method, with emphasis on the use of drugs that act on the Nervous System. In the logistic regression model to analyze the factors associated with recurrences of self-injury by intentional drug self-poisoning, none of the variables contributed significantly. Of the 412 cases of self-injury by intentional drug selfpoisoning, 13 people died by suicide by intentional drug self-poisoning. In 11 of these cases, there was no information about the drug and, in two cases were used drugs that act on the Nervous System. In the logistic regression model, to analyze the factors associated with death by suicide by intentional drug self-poisoning, there was a lower chance of death by suicide by intentional drug self-poisoning among people aged from 10 to 19 years and from 20 to 59 years, when compared to those over 60 years old. These findings provide important subsidies for strategies aimed at suicide prevention and self-injuries by intentional drug self-poisoning, as well as for the qualification of nursing care

<h2>SYFTE</h2><p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera hur kommunikations- och samspelsförmåga uttrycks över tid när en ung man på tidig utvecklingsnivå och med autism deltar i en dyad i sherbornebehandling. Frågeställningar:</p><ol><li>Hur utvecklas kommunikations- och samspelsförmåga över tid i behandlingssituationen? </li><li>Hur utvecklas kommunikations- och samspelsförmåga i hemmet respektive skolan under samma tidsperiod? </li></ol><h1> </h1><h2>METOD</h2><p>Denna pre-experimentella fallstudie rör en 18-årig man som under drygt ett år kom till habiliteringen för att delta i arton sherbornebehandlingar med en sjukgymnast med mångårig erfarenhet av sherbornemetodik. Sherborne är en rörelsemetodik där rörelser används för att utveckla rums- och kroppsmedvetenhet och skapa relationer till andra. Samtliga arton behandlingar videofilmades och data insamlades via observation. En detaljerad nedteckning av händelseförloppet i en videoinspelning i början av behandlingsperioden och en i slutet gjordes. Under arbetet med att analysera kommunikation och samspel i videoinspelningarna uppkom behovet av att komplettera Sherbornes samspelsskala med ett bedömningsmaterial för att kunna analysera kommunikation och samspel i detalj<em> </em>med <em>personer på tidig nivå</em>, ”Brandquists & Althoffs Samspelsskala: Analys av samspel med personer på tidig utvecklingsnivå - Sherborne”, bilaga 7. För att öka tillförlitligheten i resultatet inhämtades dels kommentarer från deltagande sjukgymnast och mannens förälder under det att de såg de båda videofilmerna, dels gjordes en översiktlig analys av tio övriga videoinspelningar från sherborneperioden. Förälder och lärare intervjuades före och efter behandlingsperioden om den unge mannens kommunikation och samspelsförmåga i hemmet och på skolan.</p><h2>RESULTAT</h2><p>Resultat visar på en positiv effekt på den unge mannens förmåga till kommunikation och samspel. Under sherborneperioden framkommer gradvis en förändring av hur mannen riktade sin uppmärksamhet: från att blicken var ”tom” eller att blicken svepte över rummet till att han allteftersom kroppsligen riktade sig mot sjukgymnasten och sökte blickkontakt. Sjukgymnasten anpassade sitt förhållningssätt för att få till stånd ett så bra samspel som möjligt. Från att hon i början var mer inlyssnande och använde beröring för att bekräfta hans reaktioner, till användandet av ett ökat verbalt inslag mot slutet. I slutet av perioden började den unge mannen ta egna initiativ till samspel genom att rikta sin hand mot sjukgymnasten. Även i hem och skola ökade hans intresse för omgivningen. Han tog initiativ till kommunikation (ett ökat antal handlingssekvenser) och var på gång att utveckla delad uppmärksamhet. Han började säga ifrån mer genom att använda sin röst. Det självskadande beteendet minskade både under sherbornebehandlingen och i hemmet. I övrigt märkte både förälder och sjukgymnast en ökad balans och stabilitet i hans kropp och en förbättrad rörelseförmåga i hans svaga högersida.</p><p> </p><h2>SLUTSATSER</h2><p>Fallstudien tyder på att sherbornemetodik kan ha bidragit till en positiv effekt på såväl kommunikation och samspelsförmåga som rörelseförmåga hos denne unge man på tidig utvecklingsnivå och med autism.</p> / <h2>INTRODUCTION</h2><p>Caregivers perceive many of difficulties in interaction with persons at a presymbolic stage. In Sherborne Developmental Movement the theoretical issue is that movement experiences developing body and spatial awareness contribute to awareness of self. This gaining of body mastery is fundamental to the awareness of others, the ability to relate to others.</p><p> </p><p>The aim of this study is to analyse how communication and interaction is expressed over a period of time as a young man in an early stage of language development (pre-intentional communication) and with autism participates in a dyad in SDM sessions. Research questions:1. How do communication and interaction skills develop over time in the SDM sessions? 2. How do communication and interaction skills develop at home and school during the same period?</p><h2>METHOD</h2><p>In this pre-experimental case study an 18-year-old man with profound autism spectrum disorder, a right-sided motor disorder and a severe language impairment is participating. Giving no responses in communication, caregivers rarely perceived successful interaction. He suddenly burst out in aggressive acts. Lasting over a year he participated in an intervention consisting of eighteen SDM sessions in a dyad with a physiotherapist, skilled in SDM, at Habilitation Centre. Sessions were based on a “caring” SDM-relationship and treatment focused on basic movements. All sessions were videotaped. Communication and interaction skills were thoroughly assessed at the first and last session. In the process of analysing data the SDM scale of type of relation had to be supplemented by scales showing abilities of communication and interaction of the leader and the participant. This scale named "Brandquists & Althoff Interaction Scale: Analysis of the interaction with individuals at an early stage of development - Sherborne”, was used in reporting the data obtained in the study.</p><p>To increase the reliability of the data, comments from the participating physiotherapist and the father of the young man were registered while they individually watched the two video recordings. A somewhat simplified examination of ten of the video recordings was also made. Communication and interaction skills were also investigated at home and school through interviews and questionnaires before and after the SDM treatment. These data were then to be compare to the data of the SDM sessions.</p><p> </p><h2>RESULTS</h2><p>Results show a positive effect on communication and interaction skills of the young man. During the period of sessions he gradually changed the way of directing attention. Initially his eyes were "empty" or his gaze swept across the room to him. Later he focused on the hands of the physiotherapist while rocking his leg and eventually he physically directed himself to the physiotherapist and searched eye contact. The physiotherapist was sensitive to his physical reactions adapting her approach in order to making him feel secure and achieve trust. In the beginning she used tactile methods in her communication, but seeing he felt more secure she introduced more verbal confirming towards the end.  At the end of the period he began to take communicative initiatives by approaching his hand and “pointing” at the physiotherapist.</p><p> </p><p>At home and school caregivers reported an increasing interest in the environment. He used more initiative for communication (an increased number of action sequences) and was on his way to develop joint attention. He started to use his voice to protest. The number of self-destructive behaviours decreased during the Sherborne sessions and at home. Successively he gained greater stability and balance in his body and the mobility of the weak side improved. The data obtained in interviews with caregivers confirmed the results achieved in the study and strengthened the reliability of the results of SDM.</p><h2>CONCLUSIONS</h2><p>The result of the study implies that SDM may have contributed to a positive effect on the communication and interaction skills of this young man.</p>

<p>This study highlights how pre-school teachers in a monocultural Swedish district looks at the concept of multiculturalism and what multiculturalism and /or intercultural approaches means in their pre-schools. The study takes its starting point in Johannes Lunneblads thesis "Förskolan och mångfalden" (2006) and Lpfö-98 (2006). The present study is a qualitative study in the form of interviews and the study have an intercultural and intentional perspective. The study shows that preschool teachers in the area perceive multicultural work as a compensatory education for children with non-European background. An analysis of the interviews on a deeper level shows that there is a broader understanding of multiculturalism that includes the class, sexuality and everyone of the children's "home culture”. About the pre-school teachers in this study can be said that there is an intercultural attitude in certain situations.</p>

<p>As the interest in intentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI) increases, so does the need of a suitable antenna which endures those demanding conditions. The ultrawideband (UWB) technology provides an elegant way of generating high-voltage UWB pulses which can be used for IEMI. One UWB antenna, invented solely for the purpose of radiating pulses, is the impulse radiating antenna (IRA). In the course of this master thesis work, a suitable geometry of the IRA is suggested, and modelled, for the high-voltage application of 90 kV.</p>

Previous research in environmental education and learning has mainly concerned students’ understanding of natural scientific knowledge, whereas research on the influence of other knowledge in learning environmental issues is marginal. Also, the interest in most studies investigating students’ natural scientific knowledge has been to capture constraints in students’ understanding, hence investigations of students’ meaning making are rare. The main objective of this thesis was to explore individual students’ reasoning regarding climate change, and the influence of knowledge on their reasoning. In Study I, students’ conceptions of the enhanced greenhouse effect (EGHE) were investigated. The results showed that students incorporated different pieces of information from different problem areas into the conceptualization of the EGHE. Setting up causal links between diversely different pieces of information seems to be a way to make meaning, and thus a necessary step in the learning process. Study II is an investigation of students’ solutions to climate change. The results indicated that students contextualized problems and solutions by addressing the individual(s), where the individual(s) was either “myself” or “someone else”. The different notions of the individual(s) became crucial as the students’ views of the environment, as well as society, changed according to the different contexts.  To further study students’ conceptions of “me” and “others”, Study III examined students’ conceptualized solutions to the dilemma between economic development and mitigating climate change. The findings suggested that students’ conceptualized nature as a “box” of resources, and that economic development would sustain and improve nature. Therefore, the dilemma between economic development and mitigating climate change or dealing with environmental problems did not exist. Results from all three studies were discussed with respect to theoretical implications. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.

This study highlights how pre-school teachers in a monocultural Swedish district looks at the concept of multiculturalism and what multiculturalism and /or intercultural approaches means in their pre-schools. The study takes its starting point in Johannes Lunneblads thesis "Förskolan och mångfalden" (2006) and Lpfö-98 (2006). The present study is a qualitative study in the form of interviews and the study have an intercultural and intentional perspective. The study shows that preschool teachers in the area perceive multicultural work as a compensatory education for children with non-European background. An analysis of the interviews on a deeper level shows that there is a broader understanding of multiculturalism that includes the class, sexuality and everyone of the children's "home culture”. About the pre-school teachers in this study can be said that there is an intercultural attitude in certain situations.