The main objective of this study is to analyze the dislocation of power and alienation through the use of dramatic violence in Edward Albee&rsquo / s The Zoo Story, Eugene Ionesco&rsquo / s The Lesson and Sarah Kane&rsquo / s Blasted. To illustrate the idea of dislocation in the plays mentioned, this dissertation primarily concentrates on the theoretical backgound of two distinctive themes / power and alienation. After this, the idea of violence and language are examined in relation to the development of power and alienation. The thesis then provides brief information about the absurdist tradition to which the plays The Zoo Story and The Lesson belong. After the analysis of the dislocation of power and alienation with the use of dramatic violence in these two plays, it presents brief information about &ldquo / in-yer-face&rdquo / theatre and the paralellism between this theatre and the absurd tradition. Finally, the idea of dislocation of power and alienation in Blasted, which belongs to a later period, is illustrated to show the actuality of the theme violence and its effects in Western drama.

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Vår tanke med att skriva en essä är att reflektera över oss själva i vår roll som fritidslärare. Vi har varsin egenupplevd berättelse där vi båda forskar i bägges berättelser parallellt i essän. Syftet är att undersöka hur sättet vi pratar om elever påverkar sättet vi pratar med elever och om detta då även påverkar hur vi pratar om och med kollegor. Vi har en föreställning om att en negativ samtalskultur om elever skapar en negativ bild av elever, vilket i sin tur skapar negativa elever som leder till en negativ verksamhet. Undersökningens temaområden är språk, ansvar och reflektionen som verktyg. Vi lyfter upp hur språket skapar och formar bilder, uppfattningar och innebörder som påverkar hur vi ser på det vi benämnt. Vi tar upp metaforens betydelse, fördomens positiva sida och hur kulturen kring positivt och negativt kan påverka våra handlingar. Ansvaret vi fritidslärare ständigt har, ser vi som en viktig del i den värld vi är med och skapar. Många av våra val kräver vårt ansvarstagande. Vi kan inte skylla på någon annan. Vi alla har ansvaret. Hur vi gör påverkar, oavsett hur vi gör. Hela essän tar upp och problematiserar våra tankar genom reflektionen som verktyg. Reflektion anser vi ger oss bredare syn, insikter och förståelse av hur vi tillsammans kommer vidare i vår utveckling som fritidslärare. / Our intention with this essay is to reflect on our role as leisure-time pedagogues. Our research has its starting points in two separate but similar stories from our workplaces. The purpose of this research is to investigate how the manner in which we talk about pupils effects the manner in which we talk with pupils. We believe a negative culture of talking about pupils creates a negative picture of pupils. This creates negatively minded pupils which leads to a negative work environment. The theme of this essay contains concepts such as speech, responsibility and reflection as a tool. We show how speech manufactures images, views and meanings of things which effects how we perceive them. We write about the use and abuse of metaphor, the negative side but also the neglected positive side of prejudice as well as the negative aspects of a positive conversation-culture and the positive aspects of a negative conversation-culture. We see the constant responsibility we as leisure-time pedagogues have as a crucial part in the world we are a part of and at the same time create. We can not blame anyone else for our actions. We are all accountable. What we do effects, always. The essay has an undertone of the urge and need for reflection. We feel reflection gives a wider view and greater understanding of how we can progress in our development as leisure-time pedagogues.

The breakthrough of the concept of economic growth in economics marks a paradigm shift in thinking about the economy and its place in 'reality.' This thesis analyzes the 20th century discourse of economic growth, focusing its unlimited connotations. The thesis consists of four case studies, two introductory parts and a concluding dis­cussion. Part II first gives an etymological outline of how the concept 'growth' transformed: from signifying natural processes, to become crucial within economics. The main focus is on the historiography around Adam Smith and the classical economists as 'fathers of growth.' It is argued that though Smith introduced new ideas on eco­nomic prosperity, it is anachronistic to view him as 'father of growth' in terms of modern economic discourse. The difference between conception of economic progress in classical economics - with a 'stationary state' - and the post-war concept of economic growth - without absolute limits - is interpreted by sketching four periods in economics regarding the issue of limits. Finally the label 'dismal,' often used for classical economics, is reinter­preted. The neoclassical 'Self and classical 'Other' is seen as a useful construction for legitimizing the growth discourse. Part III deals with economic thought at the turn of the century 1900. There were different ideas on what relative priority to address to individuals and communities as the basis of economy, as well as disagreements over how to organize economic policy to solve the 'social issue.' However, these differences did not result in different views on economic expansion per se. Neither to left- nor right-wing advocates was economic expansion an objective. Rather, economic expansion was a means to construct and manage a welfare state, and thus solve the social issue. If welfare could be distributed by expanding the total, there would be no sacrifices. The way economic growth was perceived in the early development discourse is studied in Part IV. The idea of unlimited growth is framed within a Western understanding of development and progress, and it is shown that hegemony on economic growth formed. Development economics made use of new and fashionable growth models, and thereby gained influence in policy. Development was reduced to economic development, which was reduced to economic growth. With a few modifications, this version of development and progress was to be implemented globally - 'no limits' became a master narrative. Part V analyzes the debate on economic growth in the 1960s and 70s. The environmental issue gave rise to thoughts on ecological limits, and thus had a key role in designating economic growth and growth ideology as a scapegoat within a longer tradition of civilization critique. As a response, professional economists put up a uni­ted defense for growth, and a polarized debate followed. Different basic assumptions underlying the polarized positions are analyzed, and the concept modernist economic ethos is introduced to explain the polarization at a fundamental level. In the dominant discourse, critics were called pessimists, and advocates were optimists. It is argued that these value-laden labels reveal the power of language and point at a trap of discourse. Economic growth and ecological sustainable development is analyzed in Part VI, and the focus is on crisis responsive economists. Two different conceptions of the economic system are found among these. The first is the economy as free-floating, which by technical inventions is minimally restricted by ecological boundaries. The second is the economy as a dependent subsystem restricted by fundamental ecological limits. Conception of the system is conclusive for understanding economic growth and its environmental effects. The free-floating approach allows the concept of 'sustainable growth,' while the subsystem approach makes it contradictory. Part VI includes a continued discussion on the power of language, and the dichotomy of pessimism and optimism. 'Optimism' is a eulogy, and works normatively. The pessimist label has functioned, at best, as a 'discourse trap;' at worst, as a means of exclusion. In Part VII results from the case studies are summarized, and general results with implications are presented. The post-war discourse on economic growth is connected to 'ecomodernism.' Three explanations for the intro­duction and strong appeal of the discourse of unlimited economic growth are introduced: the internal cause (economic theory), the external cause (context), and the professionalization cause (connecting the internal and external). The thesis ends in a discussion on growth, language and power in the context of modernism and progress. / digitalisering@umu

Language can create realities, and the totalitarian pigs in George Orwell’s Animal Farm tend to use language in order to control the oppressed animals’ minds and world view. Orwell’s dystopian fable Animal Farm repeatedly deals with manipulative language, and so an analysis of the animal characters’ language may help upper secondary students to understand themes such as the power of language and truth. Moreover, for students to understand the power of language and truth in Animal Farm more easily I, in this essay, argue that logic and epistemology might help. This logical and epistemological perspective can be seen as a philosophical perspective for English teachers and students when they discuss language and truth on the farm. Finally, this philosophical analysis of Animal Farm may also improve students’ logical reasoning skills and critical thinking.

This diploma thesis deals with the power of language and the relation between language and thought, perception and experience. The topic is viewed through the "Respektovat a být respektován" (To Respect and To Be Respected) educational method. The main assumption of this method is that the way the parent communicates with the child affects educational success as well as the behaviour of the child and the values and attitude he or she will have as an adult. This premise is empirically tested by interviews with parents and observations in families, which show how the specific way of communication (which is based on particular grammatical and pragmatic rules) influences the behaviour and experience of both the child and the parent.