Black Lives Matter protests and rallies erupted in the summer of 2020 following several cases of police brutality in the US, including the death of George Floyd after video of him being killed by a police officer were shared in the media. These protests quickly spread internationally and pushed countries to face their own histories and structurally embedded racism, including Sweden. The aim of this thesis was to examine how the global spread of #BlackLivesMatter in 2020 helped mobilize a nationally relevant movement in Sweden via Facebook, despite its cultural history of disregarding the concept of race and the implications that has had on today. This is achieved through the exploration of interpreting information on social media and the construction of reality in media spheres, with the help of digitally networked action and transnationalism. This framework is accompanied by an inductive thematic analysis of the Black Lives Matter Facebook page in their first 30 days on the platform (June 3-July 3), which is where the organization based itself upon creation, ultimately leading to a sample of 52 posts. The main results of the study yielded three themes: US References, Nationally Relevant Issues (which produced three subthemes), and Action & Organizing. In conclusion, with regard to the research focus, the thesis reveals that this is achieved by a few choices. The organization's ability to use elements that greatly influence the US movement is balanced with factors that are more culturally specific to Sweden and the Black and brown communities here using a connective action frame in which users were able to seamlessly support and participate online and spread the message further. The conclusions implicate that the avoidance of discussing race/racism in Sweden clearly hasn’t helped or prevented Black and brown communities from being negatively impacted and that further research could potentially help guide future policies to solidify Sweden’s image of inclusion and equality.

This study examines The Guardian’s portrayal of intersectional feminism, with a focus on gender and race, analysing how social movements, particularly Black Lives Matter, influence its political coverage. Arising from Kimberlé Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality, which recognizes the interconnected nature of various forms of oppression and privilege, the research employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse 647 political articles. Quantitative methods, including topic modeling and keyword frequency analysis, provide the structural framework of the thesis. Topic modeling reveals twenty topics, and keyword frequency analysis emphasizes in nine keywords related to intersectional feminism and their prevalence. Qualitative methods, such as collocation analysis and close reading, examine particularly “gender” and “race”. Close reading is used for a deeper examination at every step of the analysis. Despite theme variations, certain subjects like the gender gap and gender identity consistently underscore their enduring significance. Discussions related to Black Lives Matter show spikes in coverage post – 2020, indicating an increased emphasis on diversity and racial justice themes. However, the infrequent use of the term “intersectionality” suggests a potential disparity between the conceptual framework and its direct representation in The Guardian’s political articles.

This study explores the intergenerational transmission of neighborhoods for the 1981 cohort of the Swedish population, focusing on the impact of parental neighborhoods on the neighborhood outcomes of young adults. Using Swedish register-based longitudinal data, the research traces the life courses of parents and their children through their neighborhood trajectories. The findings reveal that despite an overall low rate of immobility, there is a noticeable similarity in neighborhoods across generations. Residential mobility from parental neighborhoods often occurs within adjacent neighborhood poverty rankings. However, non-European migrants exhibit higher rates of neighborhood immobility and lower upward mobility compared to their European and Swedish counterparts, highlighting the influence of migrant background. Moreover, higher parental socioeconomic status mitigates the negative effects of growing up in disadvantaged neighborhoods, whereas reliance on social benefits exacerbates these effects, particularly for individuals with non-European backgrounds. Thus, despite a general trend of residential mobility, the combined impact of economic vulnerability and migrant background continues to contribute to socioeconomic residential segregation in Sweden.

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how Virginia counselors engage in social issues advocacy, specifically advocacy for Black/African American clients/students. Racial Identity (Helms, 1993) and Multicultural Social Justice Counseling Competencies (Ratts, Singh, Nassar-McMillan, Butler, and McCullough, 2016) are used as the framework. The researcher examined whether the work setting of a counselor impacts the amount and type of involvement with race-specific advocacy and how counselors are supported as advocates in that setting. Data was collected via information questionnaires including demographic and professional background, attitudes and beliefs captured by the Social Issues Advocacy Scale, and race-specific advocacy activity. The sample included Masters-holding professional counselors practicing in Virginia and who are members of professional organizations based in Virginia. Results indicate reasons for advocating, when applicable, with or on behalf of Black/African American clients/students and a relationship with workplace setting type. Findings show that counselors feel supported by their workplace to advocate on the basis of race, however the type of advocacy varies. / Ph. D. / The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how Virginia counselors engage in social issues advocacy, specifically advocacy for Black/African American clients/students. The researcher examined whether the work setting of a counselor impacts the amount and type of involvement with race-specific advocacy and how counselors are supported as advocates in that setting. Data was collected using questionnaires. The sample included Masters-holding professional counselors practicing in Virginia and who are members of professional organizations based in Virginia. Results indicate reasons for advocating, when applicable, with or on behalf of Black/African American clients/students and a relationship with workplace setting type. Findings show that counselors feel supported by their workplace to advocate on the basis of race, however the type of advocacy varies.

Ortho-Fluorazobenzole stellen eine der interessantesten Familien von Azobenzolen dar, die mit sichtbarem Licht geschaltet werden können. Seit ihrer ersten Erwähnung durch unsere Gruppe im Jahr 2012 wurden sie aufgrund ihrer hervorragenden photo/elektrochemischen Eigenschaften intensiv auf molekularer Ebene, für biologische Anwendungen und in Volumenmaterialien untersucht. Typischerweise können ortho-fluorierte Azobenzole in beide Richtungen mit sichtbarem Licht und hohem Photoumsatz geschaltet werden. Außerdem weisen die Z-Isomere überlegene thermische Halbwertszeiten (bis zu 2 Jahre) auf. In dieser Arbeit werden zwei Projekte vorgestellt, die auf unseren kürzlich erworbenen Kenntnissen über fluorierte Azobenzole basieren. Zunächst wurde ein gemischtes Azobenzoldimer dargestellt, welches komplementäre Absorptionsprofile sowie die leichte elektrochemische Isomerisierung ausnutzt und dadurch dessen vier Schaltzustände orthogonal adressiert werden können. Dieses wurde bezüglich seiner Photoisomerisierung, thermischen Relaxation und seines elektrochemischen Schaltverhaltens untersucht. Anschließend haben wir ein 3D-Polymernetzwerk durch kovalente Vernetzung einer polyethylenglykol(PEG)-basierten Vorstufe mit einem fluorierten Azobenzol hergestellt, was zur Bildung eines photoempfindlichen Hydrogels führte. Als Folge davon konnten die mechanischen Eigenschaften des Gels durch Bestrahlung mit sichtbarem Licht und der dadurch ausgelösten Azobenzol-Isomerisierung reversibel beeinflusst werden. / Ortho-fluoroazobenzenes represent one of the most interesting family of visible-light-responsive azobenzenes. Since the first report by our group in 2012, they have been intensively studied at the molecular level, for biological applications, and in bulk materials, due to their outstanding photo/electrochemical properties. Typically, ortho-fluorinated azobenzenes can isomerize in both directions using visible light with high photo-conversions, and the Z-isomers exhibit superior thermal half-lives (up to 2 years). In this work, two projects based on our recently acquired knowledge of fluorinated azobenzenes are presented. First, exploiting complementary absorption profiles and ease of electrochemical isomerization, a mixed azobenzene dimer, whose four isomers can be orthogonally addressed was prepared. It was investigated from its photo-isomerization, thermal relaxation, and electrochemical isomerization aspects. Second, we prepared a photo-responsive hydrogel via covalently cross-linking a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based precursor with a fluorinated azobenzene forming a 3D polymer network. As a result, the gel’s mechanical properties could be tuned reversibly due to the azobenzenes’ isomerization triggered by visible light irradiation.

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Tsonga / This study aimed at exploring the role of student-teacher relationships in the educational, social and emotional lives of Form 5 students in Masvingo District. Student-teacher relationship is an important factor in educational research within pre-school settings and primary education, but remains largely neglected in secondary schools. The study was informed by a qualitative and instrumental case study design within the constructivist paradigm. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis and reflective journals were used to collect data. General teachers, Guidance and Counselling teachers, educational psychologists and students were purposively sampled. The data were analysed using the thematic content analysis approach. Findings indicate that a decisive understanding of the complex nature of student-teacher relationships is not easy as the field is under-explored in Zimbabwe and multifarious. The participants described student-teacher relationships according to two dimensions, namely a democratic and egalitarian dimension and an authority figure within a subordinate student-teacher dimension. The study further revealed that the personal characteristics of the teachers and students, the educational environment, teaching methods and the schooling community have a direct impact on the quality and nature of student-teacher relationships. In addition, the study established that a democratic and egalitarian relationship between the teacher and students results in positive educational, social and emotional outcomes in the lives of Form 5 students. Likewise, an authority figure within a subordinate student-teacher relationship negatively affects the educational, social and emotional outcomes of students. Lastly, the study revealed that child-centred approaches, reciprocal power-sharing, the positive personal characteristics of the participants and positive labelling can help to improve student-teacher relationships in secondary schools. The study recommends that in order to enhance the educational, social and emotional lives of students, the teacher and students could share the learning environment. In this sense, students’ voices in the selection and development of teaching and learning activities are important and could promote a democratic classroom environment. / Hierdie studie is gerig op die verkenning van die rol van student-onderwyser-verhoudings in die opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele lewens van Klas 5-studente in die Masvingo-distrik. Student-onderwyser-verhoudings is ʼn belangrike faktor in opvoedkundige navorsing in voorskoolse omgewings en primêre onderwys, maar word grootliks in sekondêre skole verwaarloos. Die studie is gebaseer op ’n kwalitatiewe en instrumentele gevallestudieontwerp in die konstruktivistiese paradigma. Indringende onderhoude, fokusgroepbesprekings, dokumentontleding en reflektiewe vaktydskrifte is gebruik om data in te samel. Gewone onderwysers, beroepsleiding- en voorligtingsonderwysers, opvoedkundige sielkundiges en studente is doeldienend bestudeer. Die data is ontleed deur gebruikmaking van die benadering van tematieseinhoudontleding. Bevindings dui daarop dat ’n deurslaggewende begrip van die komplekse aard van student-onderwyser-verhoudings nie maklik is nie, aangesien die terrein veelsoortig is en in Zimbabwe onderverken is.Die deelnemers het student-onderwyser-verhoudings volgens twee dimensies beskryf, naamlik ’n demokratiese en egalitêre dimensie aan die een kant en ʼn gesagsfiguur in ’n ondergeskikte student-onderwyser-dimensie aan die ander kant. Die studie het verder aan die lig gebring dat die persoonlike eienskappe van die onderwysers en studente, die opvoedkundige omgewing, onderrigmetodes en die skoolgemeenskap ’n regstreekse uitwerking op die gehalte en aard van student-onderwyser-verhoudings het. Daarbenewens het die studie vasgestel dat ’n demokratiese en egalitêre verhouding tussen die onderwyser en studente positiewe opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele uitkomste in die lewens van Klas 5-studente tot gevolg het. Eweneens beïnvloed ʼn gesagsfiguur in ’n ondergeskikte student-onderwyser-verhouding die opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele uitkomste van studente negatief. Laastens het die studie aan die lig gebring dat kindgesentreerde benaderings, wederkerige magsdeling, persoonlike eienskappe van die deelnemers en positiewe etikettering kan help om student-onderwyser-verhoudings in sekondêre skole te verbeter. Die studie beveel aan dat die onderwyser en studente die leeromgewing deel ten einde die opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele lewens van studente te bevorder. In hierdie verband is studente se stemme in die seleksie en ontwikkeling van onderrig- en leeraktiwiteite belangrik, aangesien dit ’n demokratiese klaskameromgewing kan bevorder. / Ndzavisiso lowu wu naxikongomelo xo kambela vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na mudyondzisi eka vutomi bya swa dyondzo, vuxakelani bya vanhu na ntlhaveko emoyeni eka machudeni ya Form 5 eka Distriki ya Masvingo, eZimbabwe Vuxaka bya muchudeni na mudyondzisi i nchumu wa nkoka eka rhiseche ya swa dyondza eka swiyimo swa dyondzo ya xiyenge xa khreshe, dyondzo ya prayimari, kambe i nchumu lowu wu honisiwaka swinene eka swikolo swa sekondari. Ndzavisiso lowu wu seketeriwe hi ndzavisiso wo tirhisa fambiselo ra qualitative na dizayini ya case study eka paradayimi ya constructivist. Ku endla tiinthavyu to enta, mimburisano na mintlawa yo kongomisa mbulu, ku xopaxopa tidokumente na ku tirhisa ti-reflective journals swi tirhisiwe ku hlengeleta datara. Ku endliwe sampuli hi mathicara ya tidyondzo to nava (general teachers) mathicara ya tidyondzo ta swiletelo hi mintirho, tisayikholojisti ta swa dyondzo na machudeni. Datara yi xopaxopiwe hi ku tirhisa fambiselo leri vuriwaka thematic content analysis kumbe ku xopaxopa hi ku landza tinhlokomhaka to karhi. Vuyelo byi kombisa leswo ku twisisa ku enta hi ku nonon'hwa na ku sohana-sohana ka vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na mudyondzisi a hi nchumu wo olova, hikuva xiyenge lexi a xi si lavisisiwa kahle eka swiyenge swo tala eZimbabwe. Lava va nga na va xiavo va hlamusele vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na thicara hi tindlela timbirhi, leti ku nga leswo thicara i munhu wa fambiselo ra xidimokrasi na ndzinganano, na ndlela ya munhu loyi a nga munhu wa matimba na vutivi eka vuxaka bya muchudeni na thicara. Ndzavisiso wu tlhele wu humelerisa na leswo swihlawulekisi swa muchudeni na mudyondzi hi xiviri, mbangu wa dyondzo, maendlelo yo dyondzisa, na vaaki eka ndhawu ya xikolo swi na vuyelo eka khwaliti na muxaka wa vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na thicara. Na le henhla ka swona, dyondzo yi kume leswo vuxaka bya xidimokrasi na ndzinganano exikarhi ka thicara na machudeni byi na vuyelo lebyinene eka swa dyondzo, vuxakelani bya vanhu na ntlhaveko eka swa moya eka vutomi bya machudeni ya Form 5. Kasi na swona, vuxaka bya ku tirhisa matimba ka thicara (authority figure) na ku vonela machudeni ehansi, swi na vuyelo lebyi nga ri ku lebyinene eka swa dyondzo, vuxakelani na ntlhaveko eka moya eka machudeni. Xo hetelela, dyondzo yi humelerise na leswo maendlelo yo tshikilela ku pfuneta eka n'wana, ku avelana matimba, na swihlawulekisi leswinene swa lava nga na xiavo, na ku nyiketa tilebule letinene eka vana, swi nga pfuneta ku antswisa vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na thicara eswikolweni swa sekondari. Ndzavisiso wu bumabumela leswo ku antswisa swa dyondzo, vuxakelani na ntlhaveko vi emoyeni eka vutomi bya machudeni, thicara na vadyondzi va nga avelana hi ku dyondza eka mbangu wa ku dyondza. Hi ndlela leyi marito ya machudeni eka nhlawulo na nhluvuko eka migingiriko ya ku dyondzisa na ku dyondza i swa nkoka na swona swi nga promota mbangu wa klasi ya xidimokrasi. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Consider life testing of J-component series systems that are subjected to stress levels that are steeper than that at normal usage condition. The objective of performing such life tests, commonly known as Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) in the literature, is to collect observations on system failure times within a limited time frame. The accelerated observations are then used to infer on the component and system reliability metrics at usage stress. In this thesis, the existing literature is first extended by considering the general case of K stress variables, as opposed to the usual consideration of a single stress variable. Next, a general model assuming that the component log-lifetimes belong to an arbitrary location-scale family of distributions, is formulated. The location parameters are assumed to depend on the stress variables through a general stress translation function, while the scale parameters are assumed to be independent of the stress variables. This formulation covers the standard lifetime distributions as well as well-known stress translation functions as special cases. Bayesian methodologies are then developed for four special cases of the proposed general model, viz., exponentials, Weibulls with equal shape parameter, Weibulls with distinct shape parameters and log-normals with distinct scale parameters. For exponential and Weibull models, the priors on lifetime parameters are assumed to be log-concave and independent of each other. The resulting univariate conditional posterior of each lifetime parameter given the rest, is shown to be log-concave. This facilitates Gibbs sampling from the joint posterior of lifetime parameters. Propriety of the joint posteriors with Laplacian uniform priors on stress coefficients are also proved under a suitable set of sufficient conditions. For the log-normal model, the observed data is first augmented with log-lifetimes of un-failed components to form complete data. A Gibbs sampling scheme is then developed to generate observations from the joint posterior of lifetime parameters, through the augmented data and a conjugate prior for the complete data. In all four cases, Bayesian predictive inference techniques are used to study component and system reliability metrics at usage stress. Though this thesis mainly deals with Bayesian inference of accelerated data of series systems, maximum likelihood analysis for the log-normal component lifetimes is also performed via an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and bootstrap, which are not available in the literature. The last part of this thesis deals with construction of optimal Bayesian designs for accelerated life tests of J-component series systems under Type-I censoring scheme. Optimal ALT plans for a single stress variable are obtained using two different Bayesian D-optimality criteria for exponentially distributed component lives. A detailed sensitivity analysis is carried out to investigate the effect of different planning inputs on the optimal designs as well.

Can we consider Plutarch's Parallel Lives a historical work? Can we read them as a unitary series? These are the initial questions that this thesis poses and that are investigated in the Introduction, five main Chapters, and the Conclusion. In the Introduction, a preliminary status quaestionis about ancient biography is presented before clarifying the methodology adopted for reading the Parallel Lives as a unitary historical work and the reasons for choosing the Lives of Lycurgus, Lysander, and Agesilaus as the case studies to examine in detail. Chapter 1 discusses the historiographical principles that emerge from the De sera numinis vindicta: for Plutarch history is primarily the history of individuals and cities, based on the interpretation of historical events. Chapter 2 tries to verify the hypothesis that the Parallel Lives correspond to the historical project delineated in the De sera numinis vindicta. This Chapter, moreover, reassesses the literary form of the Parallel Lives by employing the concepts of 'open macrotext' and 'cross-complementarity' between the Lives. Chapter 3 analyses the Life of Lycurgus, focusing on the formation of the cultural identity and the political model of Sparta. In the Life of Lycurgus, Plutarch indicates already the intrinsic weaknesses of Sparta and the probable causes of Spartan decline in the fourth century BC. Chapter 4 is devoted to the Life of Lysander, where Plutarch narrates how after the Peloponnesian War Sparta established its hegemony over the Greeks and, simultaneously, began its rapid moral and political decline into decadence. Plutarch also seems to suggest that in this historical period of extraordinary changes not only Sparta and Lysander but all the Greeks were guilty of distorting moral values. Chapter 5 concentrates on Agesilaus, who could have led Sparta and the Greeks to great success against the Persians, but, instead, had to save Sparta from complete destruction after the Battle of Leuctra. The Conclusion recapitulates the main points of the thesis and proposes possible arguments for future research on Plutarch’s Parallel Lives.

Résumé Our thesis deals with topic a space of a small town in Czech literature. Why the authors of various generations write about a small town, what is changing in a small / provincial town, what remains the same - these are the basic questions to answer. When creating our contribution we have used language and literature publications, dictionaries, anthologies and works of selected authors Jan Neruda, Karel Poláček, Jan Drda, Bohumil Hrabal. We have found that historical factors affect both the choice of subject and method of writing and readers' perception. In difficult periods of life writers and readers return to certainties, even idealized, which childhood time brings. The small town is presented as a space where everything has its own order, there are typical and similar characters (leaders, figurines, individuals). We can discover two faces of a small town society. The atmosphere of a small town in a specific period is made of spoken language, speech and dialogues of characters too. In our work we mentioned films based on stories of our selected authors. This thesis could be beneficial for students of secondary schools or reading audience that finds pleasure in literature with small / provincial town theme.

Cette étude traite des représentations littéraires du « démon de la fornication » et des notions avoisinantes du tabou et de la transgression dans la société tardo-antique de l’Orient chrétien à travers la lecture des Vies de saints. Elle focalise sur les « Vies de saintes prostituées » et celles « de saintes adultères », qui concrétisent les perceptions de l’homme tardo-antique autour de la question de la transgression des tabous sexuels. Mais à côté de la représentation littéraire de la transgression réelle (d’ordre principalement sexuelle) de normes sociales, nous serons étonnés de trouver d’autres formes de transgression, tantôt imaginaire tantôt réelle. Pour cette raison nous avons examiné d’autres cas « marginaux » de saints, dont les Vies nous fournissent des indices précieux sur toute la gamme de normes sociales et de prescriptions taboues de la société tardo-antique : la fuite du mariage, le refus du travail, l’homosexualité, la contestation du pouvoir (paternel et politique), la mendicité, le vagabondage, la folie et le rire n’étant que les plus importants. Pourtant, la seule énumération de ces sujets pose un autre problème éminemment plus important que la représentation littéraire, celui de la place des marginaux dans cette société. Quelle était la place, alors, de tous ceux qui étaient considérés comme des « rejetés » sociaux dans la société de l’Antiquité tardive, quelle était la place des prostituées, des adultères, des homosexuels, des fous, des clochards, des chômeurs, des vagabonds et quelles étaient les attitudes vis-à-vis d’eux et quelles répercussions sociales et psychologiques affrontaient-ils ? En essayant de répondre, nous avons essayé de mettre en avant l’hypothèse de l’existence d’une catégorie particulière de Vies de saints qui traiterait toutes ces questions taboues : les « Vies de saints populaires » dont les principales caractéristiques nous avons essayé d’établir et d’interpréter dans une synthèse historique qui conclue cette étude. / This study treats the literary representations of the “demon of fornication” and the adjacent notions of taboo and transgression in the late-antique society of Christian East through a close reading of the Lives of Saints. It focuses on the “Lives of Holy Harlots” and those of “Holy Adulteresses”, which materialize the late-antique man’s perceptions about the question of the transgression of the sexual taboos. But just along with the literary representations of social norms’ real transgression, mostly sexual, we can also find other forms of transgression, either real or imaginary. For this reason we have examined other cases of “border-line” saints, whose Lives provide us with precious indications about the whole range of social norms and the taboo limitations of the late-antique society: the denial of marriage and work, the homosexuality, the contesting of the paternal and political power, the begging, the wandering, the madness and the laughter, only being the most important. However, the simple enumeration of such subjects evokes the question of the position of the outcasts in this society. Which was the place of all those who were considered as social “rejections” in the late-antique society, which was the place of prostitutes, of adulteresses, of homosexuals, of foolish people, of the wandering or begging workless people, and which were the attitudes towards them or the social and psychological repercussions that they were obliged to confront? Upon trying to answer to these questions, we’ve stumbled upon the existence of a distinct category of Lives of Saints which treats all those taboo subjects: the “Lives of popular Saints” (or the “Popular Lives of Saints”), whose main characteristics we have tried to establish and to interpret in an historical synthesis that concludes this study.