This study aims to examine power, control, resistance, and the relationalconsequences of leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses. The analysis focused on eightnarratives from the internet forum reddit.com, /r/exjw, where authors describeprocesses in which they challenge their belonging to the organization. The materialhas been analysed using qualitative content analysis, Bromley’s theory of thedisaffiliation process and Raven and French’s theory of power/interaction andinterpersonal influence. The findings point to four tendencies about how certainmembers Jehovah’s Witnesses tried to exert control over (former) members whowant to leave the organization; by controlling resources and social relationships,inflicting harm, engaging in emotional manipulation, and surveillance. None ofthese activities led to increased engagement among those who were the target, butthese actions could slow down the exit process. The study also show thatindividual's resistance was expressed in different ways, through protest, reducedcommitment, intellectual exploration, engagement in new social networks, selfassertion and by disaffiliation. Acts of resistance that were openly expressed tendedto lead to increased control by members of the religious community. The socialconsequences for individuals who (wanted to) leave the organization weredescribed as conflicts, neglect, and rejection.

Samfundet Jehovas vittnen avsäger sig blodtransfusion på grund av sin religiösa tro. Sjukvården ställs inför etiska problem när det uppstår en situation då patienten behöver blodprodukter. För vårdaren uppstår etiska konflikter mellan viljan att rädda liv, medicinska och juridiska aspekter samt patientens autonomi. Syftet med vår uppsats är att belysa de etiska problem som vårdaren kan möta i sjukvårdspraxis. Metoden som använts är en kvalitativ litteraturstudie och bygger på fyra vetenskapliga artiklar och en avhandling. I resultatet framgick det att det är en konfliktfylld situation då patienten nekar blodtransfusion och vårdaren har en roll att rädda liv men då går emot patientens självbestämmanderätt. De olika företrädarna för professionerna har olika syn på hälsa. Sjuksköterskan försätts i en konflikt mellan att respektera patientens autonomi eller att utföra läkarordinationen. För vårdpersonalen uppstår ytterligare ett problem när patienten är medvetslös och inte kan ge sin aktuella ståndpunkt gällande behandling. I resultatdiskussionen belyser vi att det inte finns några konkreta lösningar på de etiska problemen och att sjukvårdarna är dåligt förberedda på att hantera situationer som dessa. Vårdpersonal bör vara medveten om vilken inverkan kultur och religion har på människors liv och hur man ser på hälsa och sjukdom. Utbildning inom etik menar vi är en förutsättning för att kunna hantera de etiska problem som uppstår när patienten tillhörande Jehovas vittne avsäger sig blodtransfusion. Bristande kunskap i sjukvårdspraxis finns och därför behövs det vidare forskning och utbildning inom området för att kunna hantera dessa etiska problem. / Program: Sjuksköterskeutbildning

The following study examines the conflicting discourses between the swedish school system andthe Christian denomination of Jehovah’s witnesses on the swedish upper secondary schoolcurriculum and its subject content. The purpose has been to identify if the discourses present avalue conflict with school interests and discuss both how these are different and why they constitutea conflict. This has been achieved by examining the religious body’s recent publications on thesubject through a discourse analysis method.The study shows that there are several themes in the swedish upper secondary schoolcurriculum and subject content in which Jehovah’s witnesses have discourses conflicting with theschool’s own, possibly constituting practical issues in the day to day education of students. Themain conflicts lies within the areas of social integration of students, the non-denominationalcharacter of the school system, sex education, the stance of religious pluralism taken in the subjectof religious studies, historical method and the subject content of natural science primarilyconcerning evolutionary biology. The study also concludes that there is a wide gap and lack ofinformation surrounding these conflicts and how teachers and other school staff should approach oravoid them. This ultimately derives from a lack of research around the subject and deficientguidelines from the Swedish National Agency for Education surrounding not only how to approachstudents that are Jehovah’s witnesses but religious discourses surrounding the curriculum andschool subjects in general.

Submitted by Geandra Rodrigues (geandrar@gmail.com) on 2018-04-26T15:23:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 edsondasilvacaldas.pdf: 968411 bytes, checksum: b6ab2a2cfc023dd90cbd0ea77b5f6a58 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-05-09T12:08:23Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 edsondasilvacaldas.pdf: 968411 bytes, checksum: b6ab2a2cfc023dd90cbd0ea77b5f6a58 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-09T12:08:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 edsondasilvacaldas.pdf: 968411 bytes, checksum: b6ab2a2cfc023dd90cbd0ea77b5f6a58 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-26 / Religião e cidadania são termos carregados de significado em nossa sociedade. Neste sentido, este trabalho tem por objetivo compreender a concepção de cidadania das Testemunhas de Jeová, um grupo religioso que a partir de uma visão de mundo peculiar, além de fazer distinção entre os integrantes da Organização de Jeová e os demais membros da sociedade, considera que as normas vigentes na primeira são superiores às leis que vigem na segunda. Deste modo, todas as escolhas feitas pelos integrantes dessa organização ocorrem em função desse entendimento, o que resulta em um exercício de cidadania moldado por convicções religiosas, tal como por ela concebido, em consequência de interpretações bíblicas peculiares. Para atender ao proposto, inicialmente são feitas algumas considerações sobre a história do movimento, seguidas por uma abordagem sobre alguns aspectos relativos à visão de mundo, ponderações sobre o processo de formação de cidadãos do Reino de Deus e finalmente algumas considerações sobre a concepção de cidadania desses religiosos. / Religion and citizenship are terms full of meanings in our society. In this direction, this work has as an aim to comprehend the conception of citizenship of Jehovah’s Witnesses’, a religious group that from a peculiar view of world, besides making a distinction between the members of Jehovah’s Organization and the other members of the society, it considers that the current rules in the first one are superior to the laws that are held in the second one. So, all the choices made by the members of this organization occur from this understanding, which results in an exercise of citizenship, framed by religious convictions, such as conceived by it, in consequence of peculiar biblical comprehension. In order to attend the proposed study, some considerations about the history of the movement are initially made, followed by an approach about some aspects related to the view of world, deliberations about the process of formation of Kingdom of God's citizens and at last, some considerations about the conception of citizenship of these religious people.

This study examines young Jehovah’s Witnesses’ experiences of others’ conceptions of their religion in media and through real-life encounters, and how they think it affects their everyday life. To get an insight into their subjective experiences, this research applied a qualitative approach with an interpretivist epistemological standpoint and constructionism as an ontological position. The data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews through Zoom. The participants consisted of eight Jehovah’s Witnesses living in Belgium, in the age range 14 to 18. The data was analysed using thematic analysis while employing an inductive approach. Goffman’s (1990; 1967) theories of self-presentation and face-work is discussed in relation to the main the findings. Findings showed that young Jehovah’s Witnesses encountered portrayals of child abuse, blood transfusion, and negative humour, and portrayals that invoked positive emotions, and neutral and correct information, although some had never seen any kind of portrayals of their religion in the media. All of them had come across what they classed as misconceptions about non-celebrations and prohibitions, cultism, and refusal of medical treatments, which they perceived as inaccurate or partially inaccurate. Some positive conceptions they came across were that Jehovah’s Witnesses were perceived as kind, helpful, and respectful. They believed others’ conceptions of their religion to be a result of word of mouth and partially through media portrayals, rather than first-hand experiences. Furthermore, they believed that inaccurate information and misconceptions about their religion were widespread due to lack of knowledge and misguided or spiteful former Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were self-aware of how and where they express their religious beliefs in different social contexts. They employed various coping strategies, e.g., sharing their experiences with fellow believers, relying on their religious beliefs,trying to think differently about a negative situation to maintain their well-being or avoiding negative content on media.

This study focuses on the previous beliefs of persons who are active in Jehovas Witnesses. It also focuses on the circumstances which made the person enter the organisation. Seven persons, four women and three men were subjects for my question in this study. The question formulations are as follows: How does the person’s previous beliefs look like? Are there any circumstances which may have made the person enter Jehovas Witnesses? How does the membership in the organisation give the person meaning?  The persons are all living in the area of Småland, in south of Sweden. The conclusion is that all of the informants have in some way expressed some sort of faith, weather it consists of a believe in God, a guardian angel or something else.

<p>The purpose of this thesis is to study the personal problems that can occur when defecting from a destructive cult, and what kind of support you may need from social authorities. The aim is to develop guidelines for social workers who are in contact with sect defectors. It’s a qualitative study based on interviews with six defectors from Jehovah’s witnesses. The results shows that all the defectors that have been interviewed have had anxiety problems, lost contact with friends and relatives, low level of education, and low self esteem when defecting or after. Most respondents have reported that they have had thoughts of suicide. It also occurs that respondents have had eating disorders, psychosomatic problems, drug abuse, lack of knowledge about society and have felt threatened and harassed in connection with the defection. These psychosocial problems that have been ascertained to constitute areas where social authorities should aid sect defectors. In accordance with the purpose of this thesis, guidelines are formed for social workers.</p> / <p>Syftet med undersökningen är att undersöka den personliga problematik som kan uppstå vid avhopp från en destruktiv sekt och de behov av stöd och hjälp man kan behöva ha från sociala myndigheter. Avsikten med studien är att försöka utveckla vägledande anvisningar för socialarbetare som kommer i kontakt med avhoppare. Det är en kvalitativ studie baserad på intervjuer med sex avhoppare från Jehovas vittnen. Resultatet visar att alla de avhoppare som intervjuats hade haft ångestproblematik, förlorat kontakt med vänner och familj, låg utbildningsnivå samt svag självkänsla i samband med avhoppet eller där efter. De flesta respondenterna sagt sig ha haft självmordstankar. Det förekommer även att respondenter säger sig ha haft ätstörningar, psykosomatisk problematik, narkotikamissbruk, bristande kunskap om samhället samt känt sig hotade och trakasserade i samband med avhoppet. De psykosociala problem som intervjupersonerna berättar om liknar det som tidigare studier funnit och som utgör områden där sociala myndigheter bör bistå sektavhoppare. I enlighet med syftet är slutligen vägledande anvisningar utformade för socialarbetare.</p>

The purpose of this thesis is to study the personal problems that can occur when defecting from a destructive cult, and what kind of support you may need from social authorities. The aim is to develop guidelines for social workers who are in contact with sect defectors. It’s a qualitative study based on interviews with six defectors from Jehovah’s witnesses. The results shows that all the defectors that have been interviewed have had anxiety problems, lost contact with friends and relatives, low level of education, and low self esteem when defecting or after. Most respondents have reported that they have had thoughts of suicide. It also occurs that respondents have had eating disorders, psychosomatic problems, drug abuse, lack of knowledge about society and have felt threatened and harassed in connection with the defection. These psychosocial problems that have been ascertained to constitute areas where social authorities should aid sect defectors. In accordance with the purpose of this thesis, guidelines are formed for social workers. / Syftet med undersökningen är att undersöka den personliga problematik som kan uppstå vid avhopp från en destruktiv sekt och de behov av stöd och hjälp man kan behöva ha från sociala myndigheter. Avsikten med studien är att försöka utveckla vägledande anvisningar för socialarbetare som kommer i kontakt med avhoppare. Det är en kvalitativ studie baserad på intervjuer med sex avhoppare från Jehovas vittnen. Resultatet visar att alla de avhoppare som intervjuats hade haft ångestproblematik, förlorat kontakt med vänner och familj, låg utbildningsnivå samt svag självkänsla i samband med avhoppet eller där efter. De flesta respondenterna sagt sig ha haft självmordstankar. Det förekommer även att respondenter säger sig ha haft ätstörningar, psykosomatisk problematik, narkotikamissbruk, bristande kunskap om samhället samt känt sig hotade och trakasserade i samband med avhoppet. De psykosociala problem som intervjupersonerna berättar om liknar det som tidigare studier funnit och som utgör områden där sociala myndigheter bör bistå sektavhoppare. I enlighet med syftet är slutligen vägledande anvisningar utformade för socialarbetare.

Because of the recent ban on a Bible translation, in part because of the renderingof God’s name as Jehovah, this thesis analyses what can be learned on the topic of the attitude in Russia towards that name from a historic viewpoint. Early occurrences of the name within the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as examples of prominent authors’ usage of the name in the secular literary sphere, are being discussed. Particular interest is paid to the literature of the 19th century, in an attempt to determine what knowledge the authors had access to, as well as to establish how familiar this rendering of the name was to the society. The analysis continues with literary examples from the 20th century, searching for indications that could reveal the time and possible reason for the altered connotations to the name. My interest is the cultural and historical perspective on the awareness of the name, whether it was a natural part of the cultural and religious heritage or not. And if it was – when and why was the general public deprived of that heritage?I believe that this interdisciplinary approach can provide a valuable picture, impossible to gain if the discussion would have been solely about religiousminorities’ rights.