The institution of sport has an extensive history of heterosexism, and homophobia, making sport a problematic and unsafe space for gay-identified males. The lack of representation of gay athletes in professional sports highlights the risks associated with openly identifying one’s sexual identity within athletic settings, as gay-identified players often are faced with discrimination and harassment. As a result, gay-identified athletes may choose not to be open about their sexual identity or leave sports altogether as a way to avoid being subjected to discrimination and marginalization within athletics. Grounded in queer theory, and engaging in phenomenology and arts-informed inquiry, this study seeks to explore the ways in which gay-identified males involved in sport negotiate their identies and masculinities. After each participant was interviewed, he wrote a letter to his past self as a way to share what he had come to learn about his process of coming into his own identity and negotiating masculinity. The study interrogates how gay males experience team-based competitive sports differently than individually-based sports and personal fitness activities. Additionally, it explores the personal process of defining and embracing masculinity. Deconstructing the definition of hegemonic masculinity, this study explores how masculinity can be understood in multiple ways. Changing the heterosexist and homophobic discourse that informs the organization of sport on multiple levels creates more opportunities for gay-identified athletes to be welcomed into the arena of sport and safely access the benefits associated with competitive sports and healthy active living activities. This study brings light to the emotional and psychosocial consequences that stem from homophobia and heterosexism’s dominance in our society. The perpetual discrimination and marginalization faced by those who identify as gay males highlights the need for social work’s involvement in justice-oriented research and practice as a way to bring greater equality and equity into our communities. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

In pieces I wanted to create a design solution inspired by traditional wooden furnitures. Furnitures, like the kitchen sofa with built in storage and a place to sleep or the lockable free-standing linen cabinet that held hand crafted treasures safe and clean inside. Furnitures that are large in size and can be hard to fit into smaller homes today but that holds a huge sentimental value to the owner and are often handed down through generations as heirlooms.   So what if I could weave in a piece of my own family history into a design solution that can fit in smaller living spaces while still be an attractive choice for larger ones?  Pieces resulted in two wooden cabinets that tell part of my family history through the repetitative, organic shapes that I have implemented into them. They are a tribute to my grandmother Aino and her three year younger sister Hanna and my way of symbolically reclaiming their right to the land, forests and lakes around their childhood home that the two sisters didn´t get to share with their siblings in the inheritance after my great grandparents.  The methods I have used in my research are surveys, workshops, in-depth interviews and my own observations. Major design decisions have been based on the input from my research process with the goal to display two full scale cabinets at Konstfack's spring exhibition in May 2023.

Thesis (LL.M. (Labour Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The aim of this research is to determine the laws that regulate affirmative action in the workplace and the impact Covid-19 has on affirmative action. This research focuses on the history of affirmative action in South Africa and the United States of America. Both countries have a similar history of discrimination and racial segregation. The United States of America is one of the most progressive countries on the issue of affirmative action. The comparison of South Africa with the United States of America will enhance the applicability and effectiveness of affirmative action. Past discrimination is a huge contributing factor to the imbalances and inequalities experienced in the workplace. A measure in a form of affirmative action was established to redress past injustices, however, there are many controversies around the topic and its effectiveness. The Covid-19 pandemic has made matters worse in that many people have been laid off, resulting in the retrenchments and the regress of affirmative action and its purpose. The findings of this research conclude that Covid-19 has negatively affected the process of affirmative action. As such, employers during this trying time prefer only individuals who are fully qualified and experienced as the employees have been reduced. As long as affirmative action applies to individuals or a group of individuals with certain skin colour or sex regardless of their past privileges this racial tension might never be relieved. In order to effectively implement affirmative action, South Africa has to focus on the institutions that cause the problem rather than dealing with the final results

La maitrise de l’écrit est importante et nous savons que celle-ci est loin d’être assurée par l’ensemble des scripteurs du français, au Québec comme ailleurs. À titre d’exemple, les performances des élèves du secondaire québécois en écriture (Ministère de l’Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur, 2019), et plus particulièrement en orthographe grammaticale, se conforment peu aux attentes sociales. Pour soutenir l’apprentissage des élèves dans ce domaine, dans une perspective de différenciation pédagogique, l’établissement d’un diagnostic initial permettant de cibler les forces et les faiblesses des apprenants s’avère une étape primordiale. Pour ce faire, les enseignants doivent disposer d’outils d’évaluation diagnostique adéquats qui permettent de brosser le portrait des difficultés rencontrées par leurs élèves. La présente recherche doctorale vise à répondre à ce besoin en développant un dispositif d’évaluation diagnostique qui cible, par l’analyse des erreurs commises et selon une approche cognitive, les difficultés rencontrées par les élèves de la fin du 1er cycle du secondaire avec l’accord du verbe et des participes passés. Les objectifs spécifiques de cette recherche consistent en la conception, la réalisation, la mise à l’essai et la finalisation de ce dispositif en suivant le cadre méthodologique général de Harvey et Loiselle (2009). La validation du dispositif et de la démarche employée pour l’élaborer se réalise de diverses façons : par l’emploi d’une approche « fondée sur des preuves » (Mislevy, Steinberg, et Almond, 2003) pour la conception du dispositif, par le recours à des experts de contenu pour valider les bases conceptuelles du dispositif, par un questionnaire aux enseignants (n= 4) et deux entrevues semi-dirigées menées avec eux à la suite des mises à l’essai empiriques (auprès de 360 élèves de 2e secondaire) pour vérifier la convivialité du dispositif et son adéquation aux besoins dégagés et, finalement, par l’analyse psychométrique des items des deux tests composant le dispositif créé. Des critères de scientificité sont aussi établis et respectés pour s’assurer que la recherche-développement réalisée comporte les caractéristiques attendues d’un tel type de recherche. L’objet résultant de cette recherche-développement, le dispositif nommé DIAgramm, est un outil d’évaluation diagnostique informatisé et accessible en ligne, composé de deux tests visant des niveaux de diagnostic différents (niveaux constat et recherche des causes, voir B. Rey, 2016) et générant des rapports de résultats complets et précis pour les enseignants. Le niveau constat de DIAgramm vise à cerner les configurations syntaxiques qui posent problème aux élèves alors que le niveau recherche des causes vise à identifier la cause des erreurs commises. Les résultats de cette recherche-développement nous laissent penser que DIAgramm répond tout à fait aux besoins éprouvés par les enseignants, tant en ce qui concerne la qualité des portraits diagnostiques brossés que la convivialité de l’instrument lui-même (administration facile, clarté des rapports de résultats fournis, etc.). / Proficiency in writing is important and we know that this skill is far from being mastered by all French writers, in Quebec as elsewhere. Indeed, the writing abilities of Quebec high school students, and more specifically in grammatical spelling, does not meet social expectations (Ministère de l'Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur, 2019). To support students' learning in this area, it is crucial to conduct an initial diagnosis of learners' strengths and weaknesses. To do this, teachers must have adequate diagnostic assessment tools that allow them to draw a picture of students’ writing difficulties. This doctoral research aims to address this need by developing a diagnostic assessment device that targets, through the analysis of errors made and according to a cognitive approach, the difficulties pertaining to the agreement of verbs and past participles encountered by students at the end of the first cycle of secondary school. The specific objectives of this research and development project are to design, implement, test, and finalize this device following Harvey and Loiselle’s (2009) methodological framework. The device and the method used to create it were validated in various ways: by adopting an evidence-based approach (Mislevy, Steinberg, et al., 2003) for the design of the device, by enlisting content experts to validate the conceptual foundations of the device, by surveying teachers and conducting two semi-structured interviews with them after the empirical trials (involving 360 secondary 2 students) to verify the device's usability and its relevance to the identified needs, and finally by psychometrically analyzing the items of the two tests comprising the created device. Scientific criteria were also established and adhered to in order to ensure that the carried out research and development has the expected characteristics for this type of research. The resulting product from this research and development is DIAgramm, an online, computerized diagnostic assessment tool consisting of two tests aiming at different levels of diagnosis (the observation (constat) level and the cause-finding (recherche des causes) level, see B. Rey, 2016). The diagnostic devide further generates complete and accurate results reports for the teachers. The observation level of DIAgramm aims to identify syntactic configurations that are problematic for students, while the cause-finding level aims to identify the cause of the errors made. The results of this research and development suggest that DIAgramm meets the needs of teachers, both in terms of the quality of the diagnostic portraits provided and the user-friendliness of the instrument itself (easy administration, clarity of the results reports provided, etc.).

No description available.

Mergers and acquisitions(M&A) are strategic route for companies to grow inorganically. Despite its complex nature and higher failure rate, companies continue to pursue this route. A plethora of research is available on mergers and acquisitions. However, most of them are either quantitative studies focused on financial aspects, or some qualitative studies done to explore the aftermath of post-merger integration (PMI). This qualitative case study aims to explore the motivations for companies to choose M&A as a strategic route for growth, and also highlight the key lessons derived from previous experiences of both pre- and post- acquisition phases. While doing so, it also sheds light on Human Resource Management (HRM) technology market where currently M&A is a dominant strategy for growth. The literature review is divided into two parts: motivations and M&A process which covers both pre- and post-acquisition phase. The case study is conducted in an organization that continues to pursue this route and has significant experience of M&A. People from senior leadership, management were interviewed, and a data-driven thematic analysis was conducted. The findings were discussed in relation to the existing theory as well as three dimensions: strategic logic, organizational behavior, and finance. These dimensions are used as a theoretical guidance to interpret the motivations and lessons with regards to the M&A performance. Some of the findings resulted in association with more than one dimension, highlighting the multi-dimensional nature of M&A and that its success or failures should be viewed in combination of these dimensions rather than only focusing on one aspect. In addition to it, the findings also reveal the opportunities and potential for M&A in the HRM technology market emphasizing on the need for more studies of M&A in this field.

Using the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS), this paper identifies factors contributing to women’s individual risk of being victimized by their current intimate partner. Additionally, this analysis examines the overlap of physical and sexual violence within intimate relationships. Past research into IPV has identified a numerous predictor variables. Adapting nine such variables (controlling behaviours, male heavy drinking, female only income, female past marriage, female past IPV, respondents’ age, relationship duration, relationship status and violence outside the home) to the IVAWS dataset, a framework identifying risk patterns for physical and sexual violence was developed. The results identify a number of variables that performed as expected and increased a women’s risk of being a victim of IPV; however, some variables decreased women’s risk and therefore acted as protective factors. These findings suggest that IPV at the country level is more complex and requires additional research to fully explain the variation observed.

Using the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS), this paper identifies factors contributing to women’s individual risk of being victimized by their current intimate partner. Additionally, this analysis examines the overlap of physical and sexual violence within intimate relationships. Past research into IPV has identified a numerous predictor variables. Adapting nine such variables (controlling behaviours, male heavy drinking, female only income, female past marriage, female past IPV, respondents’ age, relationship duration, relationship status and violence outside the home) to the IVAWS dataset, a framework identifying risk patterns for physical and sexual violence was developed. The results identify a number of variables that performed as expected and increased a women’s risk of being a victim of IPV; however, some variables decreased women’s risk and therefore acted as protective factors. These findings suggest that IPV at the country level is more complex and requires additional research to fully explain the variation observed.

Using the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS), this paper identifies factors contributing to women’s individual risk of being victimized by their current intimate partner. Additionally, this analysis examines the overlap of physical and sexual violence within intimate relationships. Past research into IPV has identified a numerous predictor variables. Adapting nine such variables (controlling behaviours, male heavy drinking, female only income, female past marriage, female past IPV, respondents’ age, relationship duration, relationship status and violence outside the home) to the IVAWS dataset, a framework identifying risk patterns for physical and sexual violence was developed. The results identify a number of variables that performed as expected and increased a women’s risk of being a victim of IPV; however, some variables decreased women’s risk and therefore acted as protective factors. These findings suggest that IPV at the country level is more complex and requires additional research to fully explain the variation observed.

Using the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS), this paper identifies factors contributing to women’s individual risk of being victimized by their current intimate partner. Additionally, this analysis examines the overlap of physical and sexual violence within intimate relationships. Past research into IPV has identified a numerous predictor variables. Adapting nine such variables (controlling behaviours, male heavy drinking, female only income, female past marriage, female past IPV, respondents’ age, relationship duration, relationship status and violence outside the home) to the IVAWS dataset, a framework identifying risk patterns for physical and sexual violence was developed. The results identify a number of variables that performed as expected and increased a women’s risk of being a victim of IPV; however, some variables decreased women’s risk and therefore acted as protective factors. These findings suggest that IPV at the country level is more complex and requires additional research to fully explain the variation observed.