<p>Domfors, Lars-Åke (2000): Döfstumlärare – specialpedagog – lärare för döva och hörselskadade. En lärarutbildnings innehåll och rationalitetsförskjutningar</p><p> (Teacher of the Deaf-Mute – Teacher of Special Education – Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The Content and Rationality Changes of a Teacher Education Program).</p><p>Örebro Studies in Education 1, 304 pp. Örebro ISBN 91-7668-252-8.</p><p>This dissertation is a study of some aspects of Teachers of the Deaf (ToD) education programs using the theoretical perspectives of symbolic interactionism and concepts of rationalitites. Changes in Swedish ToD teacher education from 1873 to the 1990s are examined through the text analysis of documents such as government regulations and syllabi and other texts such as education journals. It is argued that, parallel with the dominant rationality of the period, strands of other rationalities are to be found. In an ongoing struggle for power, one dominant rationality is challenged and gradually replaced by another. The research indicates the dominance of a patriarchal values-rationality in the decades following 1873, an instrumentaltechnical rationality during the 1930s to the 1960s and a communicative rationality from the 1970s.</p><p>Research was carried out at the National Upper Secondary School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in order to understand what characterizes Deaf education and the ToDs’ work, and what kind of professional skills are therefore required. The research was based on teacher interviews, student questionnaires and teaching observations in classes. Learning processes within a ToD teacher education course, as perceived by ToD students, are analysed by a study of written reflections, seminar observations and transcipts from tape-recorded seminars. ToD teacher education programs at universities in Washington D.C. and Edinburgh are also analysed.</p><p>A model for ToD education is discussed. It is argued that even if the dimension of essentialism stressing ToD basic skills and knowledge is important, the main theories for understanding the ToD education process are communicative rationality and interactionism. </p><p>It is further argued that, at societal level, the dominance of different rationalities implies different meanings of the ToD socialisation process, mediated through different historical and cultural contexts.</p><p><i>Keywords:</i> Teacher of the Deaf, educational history, research on teacher education, rationalities, symbolic interactionism.</p><p><i>Lars-Åke Domfors, Department of Education, Örebro University,</i></p><p><i>SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden</i></p>

Advertising, as an industry, reflects contemporary values whilst creating new symbols and changing both behaviour and public opinion. In the last hundred years, advertising has pervaded most areas of life, and spaces that are commer-cial free are becoming rare. The aim of this dissertation is to explore and map various social objects that create the perception of morality that exists within an advertising agency. The approach can be described as qualitative, descriptive, analytical and constructionist. The study belongs within a research field that borders on business economics/business ethics and philosophy/descriptive eth-ics. Fundamental to my study is the exploration of stories told by different key advertising practitioners. Using a symbolic interactionist approach I iden-tify important meaning carriers that together create and identify the social object “morality”. The empirical material is based on a total of 36 inter-views conducted 1998-2000 with advertising practitioners from 15 Swedish advertising agencies. In addition to the interviews, an observational study was conducted for eight months in 1998 along with a literature study. In my analysis two related areas for morality emerged; one area focusing mo-rality related to clients/consumers, and one area focusing morality within the agency/branch. Two models illustrating the results were constructed. Ethics, economics and aesthetics often find themselves on opposing sides in various situations and at different levels in the work process at the agency. The need for profit gives precedence to the economic aspect mak-ing it superior to the other two aspects, ethics and aesthetics. However, advertising practitioners that prioritise the aesthetic aspects may find them-selves be awarded a golden egg at some yearly gala. Hence, to stretch a little on morality and sin with refinement may be quite rewarding. The dissertation was preceded by and builds on a licentiate dissertation in busi-ness economics by Larsson-Eklund (2002) - “Med skaparkraft som etiskt argu-ment. En explorativ studie om moral och yrkesetik inom reklambranschen ur ett internt relationsperspektiv” (enclosed in appendix 6).

The raison d¡¦&#x00EA;tre for non-profit organizations (NPO) is to promote its ideas in hoping to change the society. NPOs pursue the goals that benefit the public, and communicate and market its missions through various channels, thus can be considered as a branch of ¡¥social marketing.¡¦ However, as a member of the mundane world, however supreme its ideals may be, from the perspective of symbolic interactionism and Irving Goffman¡¦s dramaturgy, NPOs inevitably face the same reality like any other organizations ¡V the gap between ideas and practices, the contrast between front-stage and back-stage, and the seemingly irrelevance but virtually two sides of one coin between seriousness and ludicrousness. This study uses two small NPOs as the context for research and the field for participant observation. The research adopts ethnographically-oriented participant observation as its methodology approach. Taking ¡¥social marketing¡¦ as a contrast, it uses dramaturgy, social representation theory, and symbolic interactionism to sneak into the process of human interaction under the sacred umbrella of NPOs¡¦ missions. The results indicate the following points: 1.During the process of idea practicing, ideals have to compromise with practices, and a balance between the two has to be met; 2.Although the participants of NPOs¡¦ activities appear to be supportive to NPOs, they may actually be attracted by the activities itself (not the ¡¥mission¡¦), or even worse ¡V they do not really care about what NPOs intend to do; 3.It appears that volunteers come forward to help marketing activities because they identify with the NPOs; however, very often they are being attracted by their own interest and/or ¡¥guan-xi¡¦; 4.Full-time workers are responsible for daily operation of the NPOs, and therefore have more knowledge about the organization. Although they are on behalf of their organizations and thus their ideals, they still need to practically make their livings while also look for opportunities for self-fulfilling. 5.Under the guidance of their missions, NPOs also face challenge to survive, and have to interact and communicate with the public under the framework of daily life.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2001. / Typescript. Bibliographical references: leaf 287-297.

The aim of this study was to investigate what empathy means to Swedish social workers and to discover in which ways empathy may be used within social work practice in Sweden. The phenomenon of empathy has already been investigated in several areas such as; social science, psychology and neuroscience and it remains as a growing subject in academic research. In this study, the subject of empathy was investigated within the context of Swedish social work practice. A qualitative study was conducted by using the methodology of a phenomenological approach. The research questions were formed to obtain substantial information about the description of empathy, as well as to discover how empathy has been used by a sample of Swedish social workers when working with people from vulnerable groups. The chosen theory in this study was symbolic interactionism and it was employed in the analysis along with different previous research. The results in this study indicated that the respondents found it important to show empathy towards the clients as a part of being a professional social worker. Empathy still appeared to be a contextually dependent phenomenon and the positive outcomes of showing empathy may be affected negatively due to distressful factors.    Key words: social work, empathy, symbolic interactionism

Every so often, education is marked by critical events that invoke profound changes in both teachers and students. This study proposes that the “Boscars” -Brockton Oscars- a local presentation of student film and dance is a critical event for those involved. In contrast to conventional routine processes and accumulation of learning, these events represent a flashpoint in our educational lives. Critical events pertain to deep personal meaning and agency. This research investigates the Boscars. This retrospective study is one of interactive ethnography which has strong affinity with symbolic interactionism using a range of qualitative techniques on an event in the recent past. The work was collaborative. Teachers, pupils and other critical agents worked with the researcher to reconstruct and analyse the event with the general purpose of informing and improving local educational practice. It is a celebratory account focused on expressive outcomes, drawing in large measure on teacher and pupil articulations. Respondent validation was important within the context of other tests of validity. One of these tests is the ability of the research to strengthen the participants in their work and to influence other practitioners – in other words for the research to share the criticality of the event. These criteria apply to the extent to which the account facilitates the drawing of inferences that may have application in other contexts or situations. For the student and teacher authors in this research it is an exercise in writing historical memory.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Peter Sawchuk.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-06, Section: A, page: 2350. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-151).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Acadia University, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-136). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

abstract: An understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS) remains a fundamental goal of science education in the Unites States. A developed understanding of NOS provides a framework in which to situate science knowledge. Secondary science teachers play a critical role in providing students with an introduction to understanding NOS. Unfortunately, due to the high turnover rates of secondary science teachers in the United States, this critical role is often filled by relatively novice teachers. These beginning secondary science teachers make instructional decisions regarding science that are drawn from their emerging knowledge base, including a tentative understanding of NOS. This tentative knowledge can be affected by environment and culture of the classroom, school, and district in which beginning teachers find themselves. When examining NOS among preservice and beginning teachers the background and demographics of the teachers are often ignored. These teachers are treated as a homogenous block in terms of their initial understanding of NOS. This oversight potentially ignores interactions that may happen over time as teachers cross the border from college students, preservice teachers, and scientists into the classroom environment. Through Symbolic Interactionism we can explain how teachers change in order to adapt to their new surroundings and how this adaptation may be detrimental to their understanding of NOS and ultimately to their practice. 63 teachers drawn from a larger National Science Foundation (NSF) funded study were interviewed about their understanding of NOS over three years. Several demographic factors including college major, preservice program, number of History and Philosophy of Science classes, and highest academic degree achieve were shown to have an affect on the understanding of NOS over time. In addition, over time, the teachers tended to 'converge' in their understanding of NOS regardless of preservice experiences or induction support. Both the affect of different demographics amongst teachers and the 'converging' aspect of their understanding of NOS provide much needed insight for teacher trainers, mentors, and researchers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2011