<p>As the postmodern view on local perspectives and situated knowledge is becoming increasingly more important, educational issues regarding ethnic minority groups and multicultural aspects of learning are rapidly turning into a major focus throughout the international educational world. Distinct minority cultures and languages are rarely given enough attention within formal school settings. Instead national languages and curriculum are mandatory, leaving minority students confused and at a disadvantage. The Akha people of Northern Thailand find themselves sharing these minority struggles and this paper sets out to explore issues of continuity and change within Akha discourses from an educational perspective.</p><p>Eight semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with individuals from the Akha minority group in regards to their views on education. The aim was to analyze how their educational discourses were constructed and what perceptions they carried, primarily in relationship to knowledge and learning.</p><p>When analyzing the interview material it became evident that the informants’ discourses about education constructed two completely different worlds. Their descriptions of traditional Akha learning in a community setting was distinctly different from how they depicted the mandatory Thai schooling. Conflicts between continuity and change also emerged in the interview material. At the same time as a strong wish for continuity of traditional Akha culture was clearly visible, the interviewees also expressed the necessity to change and adapt to the outside world. This paper, therefore aims to discuss these conflicting discourses in relation to four different aspects of life where education seems to play an essential role for the informants in promoting and preventing changes and continuity: knowledge and learning, social structures, morals and ethics, and cultural identity. It will also be discussed how these discourses construct and impact reality, as well as how perceptions are constructed and reproduced. Furthermore, this paper will also consider how the different issues and conflicts mentioned above could be addressed by a formal Akha school setting.</p>

Sammanfattning Syftet med denna uppsats var att redogöra för fem romers erfarenheter av utbildning under perioden 1970–2000-talet. För att uppfylla detta syfte genomfördes en kvalitativ intervjustudie med fem romer som bor i Sverige och som har gått i skola någon gång under perioden 1970–2000-talet. Dessa fem respondenter gav svar på följande frågeställningar: Vilka erfarenheter har romer av skolan, vilka erfarenheter har respondentens föräldrar av skolan och hur anser romer att allas rätt till en likvärdig utbildning bättre kan omfatta alla? Respondenternas svar på dessa frågeställningar analyserades utifrån Pierre Bourdieus begreppsteori, vilken inkluderar habitus, fält, kapital och symboliskt våld. Därigenom gavs en tydligare bild av romers erfarenheter av utbildning under perioden 1970–2000-talet.Sammanfattningsvis framkom att de respondenter som hade haft bra förebilder och som fått stöd och hjälp från skolan, hade klarat skolan bättre och hade även genomgått en längre utbildning. De respondenter som saknade bra förebilder och som inte fick stöd och hjälp från skolan och hemifrån, klarade däremot inte skolan lika bra, vilket resulterade i att de avslutade grundskolan tidigare än de andra barnen. Det fanns dels skolor som försökte hjälpa respondenterna och ge dem det stöd de behövde, dels fanns det skolor som ignorerade respondenternas önskan om stöd och hjälp i skolan. För att förhindra den strukturella diskrimineringen som pågick – och fortfarande pågår – i såväl skolan som i samhället, behövs utbildning för både elever och föräldrar. Uppsatsens slutsatser var följande: ingen vill särskiljas och betraktas som annorlunda; alla behöver bli bekräftade, inklusive romer; det behövs utbildning för både barn och föräldrar för att förhindra strukturell diskriminering, och stöd och hjälp behöver ges till elever som inte får det hemifrån. Begrepp: nationell minoritetsgrupp, romer, diskriminering, respekt, bemötande, utbildning och acceptans. / Abstract The purpose of this paper was to account for Roma experiences of education during the period 1970–2000. Thus, a qualitative interview study was used with five Roma who live in Sweden and who have gone to school sometime during the period 1970–2000. These five respondents provided answers to the following questions: What experiences do Roma have of the school, what experiences did the parents have of the school and how can the education be more including and equal according to Romani people? The respondents answers to these questions were analyzed based on Pierre Bourdieu’s conceptual theory, wich includes concepts such as habitus, field, capital and symbolic violence. This gave a clearer picture of Roma experiences of education in relation to the formal reforms. In summary, the respondents who had good role models, support and help from the school, managed school better and also had a longer education. On the contrary, those repsondents who lacked good role models, support and help from school and from home, did not cope as well, which resulted in them finishing primary school earlier than other children. There were schools that tried to help the respondents and give them the support they needed. However, there were also schools that ignored respondents’ desire for support and help at school. Finally, education for both students and parents was needed to prevent the structural discrimination that was present – and is still present – in both school and in society. The conclusion of this essay was as follows: no one wants to be distinguished as and considered different; everyone needs to be affirmed, including Roma; education was needed for both children and parents to prevent structural discrimination; and support and assistance was also needed for students who did not get it from home. Concepts; national minority group: Roma, discrimination, respect, treatment, education and acceptance.

No description available.

Cultural anthropology as a scientific field studying diverse cultures has been incorporated into the field of nursery and it helps medical professionals to acquire specific cultural information enabling them to provide appropriate, efficient, individually-based care, support in health as well as in illness to the individuals and communities from a different cultural environment. The Czech Republic carried out investigation of diverse ethnic groups but did not implement investigation of the specific needs of the Polish minority group. The objective was focusing on mapping the approach of the Polish nationals to their health, on identification of their lifestyle, their approach to prevention, their attitude to home care and the specifics in the approach to dying. Hypotheses: H1 Statistically, the Polish minority group population with higher education shows better results in their approach to their health than the Polish minority group population with elementary education. H2 Younger women of the Polish minority group population with elementary education are more prone to agree with the statement on importance of attending preventive examinations by gynecologist than older women. H3 Based on the statistical assessment the Polish minority group population with higher education gives higher preferences for preparation of meals and catering based on both cuisines (Czech and Polish) than with elementary education. H4 Men of the Polish minority group population occasionally consuming alcohol are statistically significantly prevailing over women of the Polish minority group population occasionally consuming alcohol. H5 The older Polish minority group population has higher frequency of activities with the family than the younger Polish minority group population. H6 The confession of faith of the Polish minority group population significantly affects their approach to abortion compared to the nonbelieving population. H7 Older women of the Polish minority group population give more frequent preference to home care services than men of the Polish minority group population. H8 Women of the Polish minority group population more frequently require attendance of family members when dying than men. Methodology: The research part of the work was carried out by the method of quantitative research investigation. The selected set consisted of 277 persons. The results: 94,90 % of the respondents agree that they take care of their health. However, H1 regarding approach to health was not confirmed. By comparing the results of the investigation we found out that more than 75 % of the respondents take proper prevention in all cases. H2 focusing on prevention was confirmed. The level of consummation of vegetable and fruit in case of the Polish national minority group is higher than the level of the Czech population. H3 was confirmed by testing. H4 connected with consummation of alcohol was not confirmed. This was confirmed in the research investigation; however, H5 was not confirmed. The result of 88.40 % respondents who confessed their faith has not impacted the result of H6 which was not confirmed. The objective of the work included also identification of the attitude and experience with home care agency which was indicated by 46.60 % respondents. H7 was not confirmed. We were surprised by the identified attitude of the respondents to their faith in live after death, to attendance of family members or a priest in case of dying when in all cases more than 20% respondents responded that they did not know. H8 was not confirmed by testing. Conclusion: The thesis gives a summary of information on the Polish national minority group living in the Těšín region of Silesia. The final thesis outlines a proposal for a Standard of nursery care of the Polish national minority group. The results of the research investigation will be also presented at conferences. This thesis may be used by students of the nursery field as a teaching material.

Sverigefinnar är en av Sveriges nationella minoritetsgrupper. Under en lång historisk period har de varit föremål för diskriminering och assimilering, men de senaste åren har deras status höjts och de har idag särskilda lagstadgade rättigheter. Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka hur samhälleliga faktorer påverkar sverigefinnars relation till sin etniska bakgrund och hur det har påverkat deras identitetsprocess. För att analysera detta användes Goffmans teorier om stigma. Metoden som valts för denna uppsats är en tematisk innehållsanalys av tre delvis självbiografiska böcker. En av böckerna är en antologi och totalt har tio texter skrivna av sverigefinnar analyserats. Studiens resultat visar att Sverigefinnarna betraktades som avvikande grupp under deras barndom. Det medförde att de kände skam över sin sverigefinska identitet och bidrog till en upplevelse av att deras etniska identitet är mindre värd. Det var även vanligt att många försökt att dölja sin finska bakgrund för att kunna passera som svensk och betraktas som normal. Resultatet visar även att klasstillhörigheten och det finska språket påverkat deras relation till sin etniska identitet. Idag, när de samhälleliga faktorerna och synen på sverigefinnar förändrats, hade skamkänslorna över den sverigefinska identiteten i större utsträckning bytts ut mot stolthet. Men erfarenheterna från barndomen hade trots det en stor påverkan på deras relation till sin etniska identitet, och en komplicerad relation till den etniska identiteten var fortfarande närvarande. / The Sweden-Finns is one of the national minority groups. Sweden-Finns have been subjected to discrimination and assimilation in Sweden for a long period, but during the latest years their status have been raised and today they have statutory rights. The aim of this essay was, by using Goffmans theories about Stigma, to examine how social factors have affected the Sweden-Finns attitude towards their ethnic identity and which influence these factors had on their identity process. The method chosen for this study was a qualitative approach and a thematic analysis of three partly autobiographical books written by Sweden-Finns. Since one of the books is an anthology, a total of ten authors texts have been used. The result showed that the Sweden-Finns have been viewed as strangers during their childhood. It led to shame over their ethnic identity, and it was common to try to hide the Swedish-Finnish identity so that they would be viewed as normal. The social factors also led to a feeling that they had less dignity because of their ethnic identity. Their economical class identity and the Finnish language was also linked to feeling about being different. Today, when the status of Sweden-Finns has improved, the feeling of shame over the ethnic identity was lower and feelings of pride were more common. But the social factors during their childhood have had a big impact of their identity process, and an ambivalent feeling towards their ethnic identity was still present.

with the emergence of multiculturalism and the opening up of schools to all races in South Africa, the education system is undergoing enormous changes. Educators and pupils are faced with unfamiliar cultures, languages and backgrounds. This diversity has resulted in a need for schools to evolve I with the changing circumstances. The complexities associated with racial integration necessitates an educational programme suitable to meet the I needs of our culturally diverse society. A change strategy is necessary to provide teachers with a multicultural approach to education which is ultimately aimed at providing pupils o e cultures with equal opportunities to learn and succeed in a multicultural society. It is the concern of this dissertation to examine the role and function of the school guidance counsellor in attempting to meet the needs of educators, and pupils coming from different cultural, ethnic, racial and socio-economic backgrounds. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Ancrée dans les méthodes de la sociolinguistique critique, cette thèse fait état des questions de légitimité, d’inclusion et d’exclusion, d’ancrage et de mobilité au sein de la collectivité francophone de la province du Manitoba, une minorité linguistique de langue officielle au Canada. Par l’entremise d’un travail de terrain ethnographique et d’entretiens semi-dirigées, cette étude cherche à sonder les questions de la redéfinition de la francité manitobaine, la reproduction des frontières de différenciation du groupe depuis les années 1960. Cette thèse se penche également sur la formation d’une élite en émergence au Manitoba français durant les années 1960 et le phénomène de migration et de mobilité d’une partie de ce groupe. En posant d’emblée une question importante, ‘Qui décide pour qui’, cette thèse se propose de naviguer à travers les questions légitimité sociale, linguistique et identitaire au Manitoba depuis les années 1960. / This research discusses the legitimizing forces that comprise what it means to be francophone in French speaking parts of Manitoba, an official language minority group in Canada. The researcher has through the lens of critical sociolinguistic analysis and ethnographic fieldwork, used participant observation, open ended interviews and discourse analysis to uncover themes of legitimacy, belonging and elite-building in 1960s Franco-Manitoba and how these themes resonate today. The research attempts to answer the conundrum, “who decides for whom” in matters of the right to francophone recognition. The current issues of migration and the dynamic tension between anchoring of the perceived centre and an ever-shifting periphery of linguistic and “ethnic” boundaries underscore the research.

with the emergence of multiculturalism and the opening up of schools to all races in South Africa, the education system is undergoing enormous changes. Educators and pupils are faced with unfamiliar cultures, languages and backgrounds. This diversity has resulted in a need for schools to evolve I with the changing circumstances. The complexities associated with racial integration necessitates an educational programme suitable to meet the I needs of our culturally diverse society. A change strategy is necessary to provide teachers with a multicultural approach to education which is ultimately aimed at providing pupils o e cultures with equal opportunities to learn and succeed in a multicultural society. It is the concern of this dissertation to examine the role and function of the school guidance counsellor in attempting to meet the needs of educators, and pupils coming from different cultural, ethnic, racial and socio-economic backgrounds. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Legalised desegregation through the implementation of the South African Schools law (Law no. 84 of 1996) sparked the hope of an opportunity to promote integration between learners and more than that, that the former would also extend to the larger community. The media has however indicated that racial-integration in schools is not necessarily experienced as positive by all the role players and that the process does not present itself as being problem-free. The goal of this study was to investigate the experiences of racial minority groups within majority school contexts; the challenges that are posed to them within the contexts; the factors that may play a role in their adjustment and functioning within the context; the negotiation of racial-ethnicity and social identity that accompanies it, and the possible relationship that exists between the former and their emotional intelligence (EI). These goals were realised through the launch of a theoretical, as well as an empirical investigation of aforementioned aspects related to the life worlds of racial minority groups in a majority school context. The empirical investigation was conducted from an INTERPRETIVISTIC-positivistic paradigm. Two schools where white and black learners are respectively in the minority were involved in the study. All the learners (grade 9-12) that were regarded as part of the racial minority group in the involved schools, were asked to complete an EI-questionnaire, the EQ-i:YV, after which six participants (three males and three females) from each school were selected on the basis of their scores achieved on the previously mentioned questionnaire. Afterwards qualitative techniques (focus groups, semi-structured interviews, observations and reflection) were implemented to investigate the (racial and social) identity negotiation, adjustment and functioning of the participants in their respective school contexts. The former was also related to their EI. Triangulation and crystallisation were implemented to verify the findings. Racism was identified as the biggest stumbling block to successful integration in the white school context, whereas language appeared to be the biggest stumbling block of the white participants’ adjustment and functioning within their black school context. Social categorisation emerged as a reality in both school contexts and white learners appeared to be evaluated as the higher-status group in both schools. From the results it appears that no relationship worth mentioning exists between the white participants’ EI and their identity negotiation within a black school context, whilst it appears as if a small relationship exists between the black participants’ EI and their identity-negotiation within a white school context. It appears however that a strong relationship exists between participants’ EI and their adjustment and functioning within their majority school context. The following additional factors (that are not applicable to EI) that can play a possible role in the adjustment and functioning of racial minority groups in majority school contexts have also been identified: home circumstances, faith, recognition of sport and/or cultural achievement and the support of one or more parents. AFRIKAANS : Daar is met die wettiging van desegregasie deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet (Wet no. 84 van 1996) gehoop dat die geleentheid geskep sou word om integrasie tussen leerders te bevorder en dat voorgenoemde na die breër gemeenskap sou uitkring. Uit die media blyk dit egter dat rasse-integrasie in skole allermins positief deur al die rolspelers beleef word en dat die proses nie sonder probleme verloop nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel na rasseminderheidsgroepe se belewenis van meerderheidskoolkontekste; die uitdagings wat binne hierdie kontekste aan hulle gestel word; die faktore wat moontlik ‘n rol in hulle aanpassing en funksionering in hierdie kontekste speel; die onderhandeling van ras-etniese en sosiale identiteit wat daarmee gepaard gaan, en die moontlike verband wat tussen voorgenoemde en hul emosionele intelligensie (EI) bestaan. Hierdie doelstellings is gerealiseer deur ‘n teoretiese, sowel as ‘n empiriese ondersoek na voorgenoemde aspekte van die leefwêrelde van rasseminderheidsgroepe in meerderheidskoolkontekste te loods. Die empiriese ondersoek is vanuit ‘n INTERPRETIVISTIES-positivistiese paradigma onderneem. Twee skole waar wit en swart leerders onderskeidelik in die minderheid is, is by die studie betrek. Al die leerders (graad 9-12) wat as deel van die rasseminderheidsgroep in die betrokke skole beskou kon word, is gevra om ‘n EI-vraelys, die EQ-i:YV, te voltooi, waarna ses deelnemers (drie seuns en drie dogters) op grond van die tellings wat hulle op voorgenoemde vraelys behaal het, geselekteer is. Kwalitatiewe tegnieke (fokusgroepe, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudvoering, observasie en refleksie) is daarna geïmplementeer om die (ras-etniese en sosiale) identiteitsonderhandeling, aanpassing en funksionering van die deelnemers in hul onderskeie skoolkontekste te ondersoek. Voorgenoemde is ook met hul EI in verband gebring. Triangulasie en kristallisasie is geïmplementeer om bevindinge te verifieer. Rassisme is as die grootste struikelblok tot suksesvolle integrasie in die wit skoolkonteks geïdentifiseer, terwyl taalprobleme die grootste struikelblok in die wit deelnemers se aanpassing en funksionering in hul swart skoolkonteks blyk te wees. Sosiale kategorisering blyk in albei skoolkontekste ’n realiteit te wees en wit leerders blyk in albei skole as die hoëstatusgroep geëvalueer te word. Uit die resultate blyk dit dat daar geen noemenswaardige verband tussen die wit deelnemers se EI en hulle identiteitsonderhandeling binne ’n swart skoolkonteks bestaan nie, terwyl dit blyk of daar ’n geringe verband tussen die swart deelnemers se EI en hulle identiteitsonderhandeling binne ’n wit skoolkonteks bestaan. Daar blyk egter ’n sterk verband tussen deelnemers se EI en hulle aanpassing en funksionering binne hul meerderheidskoolkontekste te bestaan. Die volgende addisionele faktore (wat nie op EI betrekking het nie) wat moontlik ’n rol in die aanpassing en funksionering van rasseminderheidsgroepe in meerderheidskoolkontekste kan speel, is ook geïdentifiseer: huislike omstandighede, geloof, prestasie op sport en/of kulturele gebied en die ondersteuning van een of meer ouers. Copyright / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Political tolerance is defined as the willingness to tolerate political ideas, actions, or practices of others that one disapproves of or finds objectionable. Tolerance is considered an indispensable democratic virtue. Contemporary debate in liberal, pluralistic societies covers a variety of controversies regarding tolerance as a concept, its exact meaning as well as its practical boundaries. Other factors such as different perceived threats by the majority group lower tolerance towards minority groups even in democratically stable countries. Sweden as a state rest on a strong liberal democratic foundation with emphasis on individual freedom and dignity as well as to the idea of political equality. Meanwhile, Sweden is confronted with increasing intolerant attitudes and public expressions of intolerance towards immigrants as well as other minority groups. Another consequence is hesitation among citizens to publicly express their opinions and a sense of self-censorship. Thus, the state fails to guarantee all individuals their equal right to political freedom and self-determination.  Although previous research has recognized the challenge of balancing political tolerance with other democratic values such as equality and autonomy, no such study has yet been conducted. This thesis is a contribution to the field of research. The aim is to empirically study how tolerance is expressed from a liberal democratic perspective on freedom of expression and thought towards three minority groups in Sweden: Jews, the Saami people, and Muslims. Applying a qualitative, comparative method, the thesis analyses how tolerance is expressed in media based on three liberal democratic core values: participation, autonomy, and equality. The chosen method provides a deeper understanding of how toleration is expressed towards each minority group. It also shows how the minority groups equal right to freedom of expression and thought is perceived. The results show that each minority group provides a different perceived threat in which toleration towards them are affected. The results therefore questions if there is an indication of a difference in the perception of citizens equal right to freedom of expression and thought in Sweden as a liberal democratic, pluralistic state.