Understanding what constitutes typical adult processing of infant cues and the potential individual variations associated with it is an important early step in comprehending how caregiving practices arise. By adopting a multi-method approach, the present work aimed to enrich the knowledge on adults’ cognitive and electrophysiological responses to infant cues, by focusing on the role of the adults’ sex, the perceived quality of early care from caregivers, and the actual involvement in childcare. Four studies were presented to cover different perspectives on adults’ responses to infant cues, from cognition to electrophysiology and parental behaviors. Methodologies encompassed cognitive experimental tasks, EEG, standardized observations, and self-reported measures. Samples included non-parents, different-sex parents, and same-sex parents. Overall, the present work responded to the recent interest in understanding adults’ responses to infant cues going beyond a heteronormative perspective. Our findings reinforced the argument that differences between males and females, if present in the response to infant stimuli, might not always be biologically determined, but reinforced by societal norms. In addition, we supported the relevance of accounting for both past and current experiences of care when investigating the adults’ cognitive and electrophysiological responses to infant cues. Eventually, we started to gain some knowledge on the neurophysiological correlates of sensitive caregiving in different family contexts. On the whole, considering the complexity of plural family models, we hopefully contributed to socializing the idea that there are different ways of conceiving and understanding parenting nowadays.

Matching clients and therapist based on demographic variables might enhance therapeutic outcomes. Even so, research in this field is still inconclusive and not much is known about same-gender client therapist dyads in the context of cognitive behavioral (CBT) and psychodynamic methods. For this purpose, we studied the therapy outcomes of N = 1.212 participants that had received therapy (3 months–6 years) in Germany. The results showed a trend for same-gender client therapist dyads in terms of symptom reduction and quality of life specific to psychodynamic approaches. The latter applied specifically to female client-therapist dyads. On the other hand, this trend was not fully evident for CBT-based therapies. In conclusion, despite the robust sample and observed trends, it is not clear whether matching same gender dyads is advantageous with regards to symptom reduction and quality of life. Regardless, these results are preliminary and further studies are needed in order to find out whether same gender client-therapist dyads enhance therapy outcomes or not.

Text in Afrikaans. / Die definisie van 'n huwelik tref 'n onderskeid tussen heteroseksuele en homoseksuele lewensmetgeselle ten opsigte van die bevoegdheid om te trou. Hierdie onderskeid op grond van seksuele georiënteerdheid mag moontlik ongrondwetlik wees. Voorts is daar 'n menigte regte en verpligtinge wat outomaties uit huweliksluiting spruit, maar nie outomaties op lewensverhoudings van toepassing is nie. Hierdie onderskeid op grond van huwelikstaat mag eweneens moontlik teen die bepalings van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 1996 indruis. Hierdie studie is gevolglik daarop toegespits om ondersoek in te stel na die grondwetlikheid van hierdie twee onderskeide. Die ondersoek word geloods met verwysing na relevante wetgewing en regspraak. 'n Bondige oorsig van fundamentele regte word as agtergrond verskaf. Na afhandeling van die ondersoek word daar aandag geskenk aan die huidige en voorgestelde toekomstige erkenning en regulering van lewensverhoudings in die Suid-Afrikaanse reg, waarna die bevindings saamgevat en krities beoordeel word. SUMMARY The definition of marriage differentiates between heterosexual and homosexual life partners with regard to the capacity to marry. This differentiation on account of sexual orientation may possibly be unconstitutional. Furthermore there are a multitude of rights and obligations that automatically flow from marriage, which are not automatically applicable to life partnerships. This differentiation on account of marital status may also violate the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Accordingly this study is aimed at investigating the constitutionality of these two differentiations. The investigation is conducted with reference to relevant legislation and case law. A concise overview of fundamental rights is provided as background. In conclusion of the investigation, attention is paid to the present recognition and regulation of domestic partnerships in South African law, after which the findings are summarised and evaluated critically. / Jurisprudence / LL.M.

This paper investigates three questions; how an exegetically sound basis for a biblical ethics concerning same-sex sexual acts might be construed, what role the Bible, and other sources of ethical insight, should play in construing Christian ethics, and what a Christian ethic founded on the answers to those questions would say concerning same-sex sexual acts today. To perform these investigations, the hermeneutical issue regarding biblical texts, as well as the relation between revelatory and non-revelatory ethical sources within Christian ethics, is discussed, and the construed Christian ethics concerning same-sex sexual acts and sexuality of Lisa Sowle Cahill, Samuel W. Kunhiyop, Richard B. Hays, and Peter Coleman are evaluated before a suggestion is presented. That suggestion states that a sound exegetical basis demands a historical-critical reading that aims at understanding the language agreement between first recipients and author(s). It also claims that it is the perspective of the text that should be in focus in forming biblical ethics. Further, it is suggested that the Bible should be considered as having a unique role in Christian ethics by means of supplying a unique perspective on other sources for ethics, as well as on the insights of Scripture itself. This perspective is based on revelation, and should be formed from the central Scriptural notion of imitatio Dei/Christi. The Bible should also be recognized as a unique source of Christian ethical insight. However, an awareness of the impossibility of perfect understanding of Scripture opens the need for a dialog with other sources of ethical insight, such as experience, tradition, and secular reason, through which they are able to play a role in construing Christian ethics. Finally, the Christian ethics concerning same-sex sexual acts holds such acts to be in need of a discriminating division between good and bad; those that are performed within a loving and caring relationship and those that are not. The former are tentatively commended based on an understanding of the clearly encouraged homosocial love they might result of, as well as positive human experience, while the latter are vehemently condemned because of their damaging nature to one or both of the people involved. / Uppsatsen undersöker tre frågor; hur en god exegetisk grund för en biblisk etik angående samkönade sexuella handlingar kan utformas, vilken roll Bibeln och andra källor till etisk insikt ska ha i utformandet av kristen etik, och hur en kristen etik baserad på svaren på dessa två frågor skulle se på samkönade sexuella handlingar idag. För att undersöka dessa frågor kommer hermeneutiska frågor angående bibeltexter likväl som relationen mellan uppenbarelsebaserade och icke-uppenbarelsebaserade källor till etisk insikt inom kristen etik att diskuteras. De konstruktioner av kristen etik angående samkönad sexualitet som gjorts av Lisa Sowle Cahill, Samuel W. Kunhiyop, Richard B. Hays och Peter Coleman utvärderas också innan ett eget förslag presenteras. Det förslag som sedan presenteras menar att en god exegetisk grund kräver en historisk-kritisk läsning som söker förstå den språkliga överenskommelse som fanns mellan ursprunglig(a) mottagare och författare. Förslaget menat också att det är textens perspektiv som ska vara i fokus i utformandet av en biblisk etik. Vidare föreslås det att Bibeln ska anses ha en unik roll i utformandet av kristen etik genom att den erbjuder ett unikt perspektiv på andra etiska källor och på Skriten själv. Detta perspektiv är baserat på uppenbarelse, och bör utformas utifrån den i Skriften centrala idén om imitatio Dei/Christi. Bibeln bör också erkännas som en unik källa till kristen etisk insikt. En medvetenhet om det omöjliga i att nå perfekt förståelse av Skriften öppnar dock upp för behovet av en dialog med andra källor till etisk insikt, källor såsom erfarenhet, tradition, och sekulärt förnuft, genom vilken dessa källor kan spela en roll i konstruktionen av kristen etik.Den kristna etiken angående samkönade sexuella handlingar menar slutligen att det måste göras en skarp skillnad mellan bra och dåliga handlingar av det slaget; de som utförs inom en kärleksfull relation, och de som inte utförs inom en sådan. De förstnämnda är försiktigt lovordade i egenskap av att resultera från en klart uppmuntrad homosocial kärlek, liksom till följd av positiva mänskliga erfarenheter, medan de senare är kraftfullt fördömda på grund av deras skadliga natur i relation till en av de, eller båda, inblandade

I dag är det vanligt att EU-medborgare företar en gränsöverskridning med sin familj inom EU. Samkönade par har möjlighet att ingå äktenskap i fem medlemsstater, men eftersom äktenskapet inte erkänns i övriga 22 medlemsstater riskerar det samkönade paret att mottagarstaten ser äktenskapet som ogiltigt i rättslig mening vid en gränsöverskridning inom EU. Samkönade par som redan är gifta kan dock erhålla visst skydd för de fall en medlemsstat föreskriver samkönat registrerat partnerskap. EU-rätten föreskriver inga minimikrav för hur registrerat partnerskap bör utformas i medlemsstaters nationella rättssystem. Det har i sin tur vilket lett till att rättskyddet för samkönat registrerat partnerskap ser olika ut bland medlemsstaterna. Samkönade civilstånd är därför rättsosäkert vid gränsöverskridningar sett ur ett helhetsperspektiv. Familjerätten är ett rättsområde där medlemsstaterna har suveränitet. Medlemsstaterna har därför själva rätten att besluta hur familjerätten utformas i det nationella rättssystemet, men det finns vissa restriktioner. Medlemsstaternas utövande av sin suveränitet måste ske i konformitet med etablerade EU-principer och annan relevant EU-rätt. Kommissionen har kommit med ett förslag om ett automatiskt erkännande av civilståndshandlingar och uppsatsens syfte är därför att utreda om ett automatiskt erkännande är kompatibelt med gällande EU-rätt. För att besvara syftet i uppsatsen utreds gällande EU-rätt med direkt eller indirekt inverkan på samkönade relationer. Vidare utreds förslaget om ett automatiskt erkännande av civilståndshandlingar i kommissionens grönbok om minskad byråkrati för medborgarna tillsammans med de yttranden som grönboken mottagit från olika organisationer. Genom att ställa ett automatiskt erkännande av civilståndshandlingar mot gällande EU-rätt leder slutsatsen fram till vilka hinder och möjligheter som föreligger vid genomförandet av förslaget. De hinder och möjligheter som föreligger talar för att ett automatiskt erkännande av civilståndshandlingar är genomförbart. EU-rätten ställer vissa krav på medlemsstaterna även om medlemsstaterna har suveränitet inom familjerätten. Följden blir att EU måste samarbeta med medlemsstaterna för att säkerställa rättssäkerheten av civilståndshandlingar när EU-medborgare vidtar gränsöverskridningar inom EU. / Today it’s common for EU-citizens to move across borders with their families within the EU. Same-sex couples have access to marriage in five Member States, but because their marriage is not recognized in the other 22 Member States the same-sex marriage might be void in a legal sense in another Member State. Same-sex couples who are already married may benefit from some protection in the event that a Member State provides same-sex registered partnership. EU law does not provide a minimum requirement when Member States develop legal protection for same-sex couples through registered partnership in their legal system. This in turn has led to the differences among the Member States when it comes to same-sex registered partnership. Therefore, a same-sex civil status doesn’t provide a legal certainty in cross-border situations when looked upon from a broader perspective. Family law is an area of law where Member States have sovereignty. Therefore, the Member States have the right to shape the family law themselves in their national legal system, although there are some restrictions. When Member States exercise their sovereignty they must still exercise it in conformity with established EU principals and other relevant EU law. The Commission has now proposed an automatic recognition of civil status records and the purpose for this thesis is therefore to analyze whether an automatic recognition of civil status record are compatible with existing EU law. In order to answer the purpose in the thesis, EU law with direct or indirect impact on same-sex relationships is analyzed. Furthermore, the proposal of an automatic recognition of civil status records in the Commissions Green Paper on less bureaucracy for citizens is analyzed together with the opinions the Green Paper received from different organizations. When looking at the compatibility of an automatic recognition of civil status records and existing EU law, the conclusion highlights the obstacles and opportunities that exist with the implementation of the proposal. The obstacles and opportunities that exist suggest that an automatic recognition of civil status records is achievable. EU law imposes certain requirements on Member States, although Member States have sovereignty over their national family law. The previous suggests that the EU must work together with the Member States in order to ensure the legal certainty of civil status records when EU-citizens cross the borders within the EU.

Text in Afrikaans. / Die definisie van 'n huwelik tref 'n onderskeid tussen heteroseksuele en homoseksuele lewensmetgeselle ten opsigte van die bevoegdheid om te trou. Hierdie onderskeid op grond van seksuele georiënteerdheid mag moontlik ongrondwetlik wees. Voorts is daar 'n menigte regte en verpligtinge wat outomaties uit huweliksluiting spruit, maar nie outomaties op lewensverhoudings van toepassing is nie. Hierdie onderskeid op grond van huwelikstaat mag eweneens moontlik teen die bepalings van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 1996 indruis. Hierdie studie is gevolglik daarop toegespits om ondersoek in te stel na die grondwetlikheid van hierdie twee onderskeide. Die ondersoek word geloods met verwysing na relevante wetgewing en regspraak. 'n Bondige oorsig van fundamentele regte word as agtergrond verskaf. Na afhandeling van die ondersoek word daar aandag geskenk aan die huidige en voorgestelde toekomstige erkenning en regulering van lewensverhoudings in die Suid-Afrikaanse reg, waarna die bevindings saamgevat en krities beoordeel word. SUMMARY The definition of marriage differentiates between heterosexual and homosexual life partners with regard to the capacity to marry. This differentiation on account of sexual orientation may possibly be unconstitutional. Furthermore there are a multitude of rights and obligations that automatically flow from marriage, which are not automatically applicable to life partnerships. This differentiation on account of marital status may also violate the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Accordingly this study is aimed at investigating the constitutionality of these two differentiations. The investigation is conducted with reference to relevant legislation and case law. A concise overview of fundamental rights is provided as background. In conclusion of the investigation, attention is paid to the present recognition and regulation of domestic partnerships in South African law, after which the findings are summarised and evaluated critically. / Jurisprudence / LL.M.

Religious and cultural discourses shape relationships/marriages. The constructed nature of relationships/marriages opens the possibility for alternative relational realities. Positioning relationships/marriages in alternative discourses assisted the couples to construct a preferred relationship narrative. Three couples embarked on this feminist participatory action research journey - a couple from the Jehovah's Witnesses tradition,' a couple from the Dutch Reformed Church and a couple from a Gay Refonned Church. Conversations with the participating couples deconstructed their relationships. It also enabled the couples to co-author alternative, preferred realities of their relationships/marriages and to provide rich descriptions of these. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

The legislation relating to equal remuneration claims is an area of law which is nuanced and consequently poorly understood. It has posed an unattainable mountain for many claimants who came before the South African courts. This is as a direct result of the lack of an adequate legal framework providing for same in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998. The case law recognises two causes of action relating to equal remuneration. The first cause of action is equal remuneration for the same/similar work. The second is equal remuneration for work of equal value. The former is easily understood by both claimants and courts but the latter is poorly understood and poses many difficulties. The aim of this dissertation is fourfold. Firstly, the problems and criticisms regarding equal remuneration claims will be briefly highlighted. Secondly, a comprehensive analysis of the current legal framework will be set out together with the inadequacies. Thirdly, an analysis of international law and the law of the United Kingdom relating to equal remuneration claims will be undertaken. Fourthly, this dissertation will conclude by proposing recommendations to rectify the inadequacies. / Mercantile Law / LL.M. (Labour law)

Options and possibilities for lesbian parents have changed fundamentally since the turn of the millennium. A legal change in 2003 enabled a same-sex couple  to share legal parenthood of the same child. An additional legal change, in 2005, gave lesbian couples access to fertility treatment within public healthcare in Sweden. The present thesis focuses on families where two women share legal parenthood of their children. It aims to provide knowledge about lesbian parenting couples and their children, and to focus on the interplay between family members within lesbian families, and between family members and their surroundings. Furthermore, the thesis aims to visualize and analyse notions of heteronormativity and homonormativity in contemporary Sweden. The thesis draws on interviews with 118 parents in 61 families, and 12 children in 11 families. The participants’ stories, descriptions, reflections and discourses have been analysed using discursive psychology and thematic analysis. The thesis includes five empirical papers. Paper I focuses on encounters with healthcare professionals prior to and during pregnancy, at childbirth and during the early stages of parenthood. Paper II deals with the participants’ experiences of second-parent adoption processes. Paper III focuses on equality in parenting relations. Paper IV focuses on encounters with fertility clinics within public healthcare. Paper V highlights the children’s reflections and shows how the children talk about fathers and donors. / För lesbiska par har förutsättningarna för föräldraskap förändrats i grunden sedan millennieskiftet. År 2003 möjliggjorde en lagändring att ett barn kan ha två rättsliga föräldrar av samma kön. Ytterligare en lagändring öppnade år 2005 möjligheten för lesbiska par att få barn genom assisterad befruktning inom svensk sjukvård. I avhandlingen fokuseras familjer där två kvinnor delar det rättsliga föräldraskapet om sina gemensamma barn. Studien syftar till att bredda kunskaper om lesbiska familjeliv och fokuserar samspelet mellan familjemedlemmar såväl som samspelet mellan familjen och dess omgivning. Vidare syftar studien till att synliggöra och analysera uttryck för heteronormativitet och homonormativitet i dagens Sverige. Studien bygger på intervjuer med 118 föräldrar i 61 familjer och 12 barn i 11 familjer. Deltagarnas berättelser, beskrivningar, reflektioner och diskurser analyseras med diskursiv psykologi och tematisk analys. Avhandlingen består av fem empiriska artiklar och en kappa. I Artikel I analyseras föräldrarnas berättelser om att möta sjukvården i samband med graviditet och förlossning. Artikel II belyser deltagarnas berättelser om att genomgå en närståendeadoption. I Artikel III fokuseras hur föräldrarna pratar om jämställdhet i sina föräldraroller. Artikel IV analyserar intervjuer med föräldrar som vänt sig till svensk sjukvård för fertilitetsbehandling. I Artikel V, är det barnen som står i fokus. Studien bygger på intervjuer med tolv barn som var mellan 5 och 8 år gamla och växte upp i familjer med två mammor. I artikeln analyseras barnens beskrivningar av pappor och spermadonatorer.

面為基階段在視覺處理歷程中扮演重要角色，面表徵是高於視網膜影像的視覺表徵，本研究目的在於探討以「面表徵」為選擇基礎之注意力運作。參考過去研究者所採用的面材料，本研究改為同時呈現二個交叉斜面並進行線索提示作業，以同面優勢效果作為面為基注意力運作之指標。 本研究分成四項實驗，每項實驗皆由兩個子實驗構成，此二個子實驗分別使用「外因性線索提示作業」與「內因性線索提示作業」探討面為基注意力的運作。實驗一利用上述「面」的設計及兩種提示作業，得同面優勢效果，反映面為基注意力的運作參與其中。實驗二目的在於排除注意力根據「可能目標的斜度」進行選擇之混淆，因此將面改為擁有相同斜度且互相平行的二個斜面。注意力若根據可能目標的斜度進行選擇，則無法得同面優勢效果。結果顯示在實驗二的兩種提示作業中，仍得同面優勢效果。實驗三目的在於排除可能目標因空間排列而形成簡單的知覺組織，繼而影響注意力分配之可能性。結果顯示在外因性線索提示作業下，仍得同面優勢效果；在內因性線索提示作業下，SOA需延長至500毫秒，才展現同面優勢效果。實驗四則進一步確認在不同SOA下，面為基注意力的運作情況，結果發現：在外因性線索提示作業下，SOA為500毫秒展現同面優勢效果；內因性線索提示作業下， SOA為1000毫秒下展現同面優勢效果。 綜合而言，在外因性線索提示作業與內因性線索提示作業下皆得到同面優勢效果。當可能目標難以群聚後，在長SOA時距下，依然展現同面優勢效果。因此本研究的結果，對於面為基注意力提供了直接的支持證據。 / Surface-based stage plays an important role in visual information process. Surface representation means the representation that goes beyond 2-D image representation. The purpose of this study is on the exploration of attentional selection which is based on surface representation. Referring to the surface material used before, this study adopted two interlacing slant surfaces structured by random-dot stereogram to test the effect of “same-surface advantage”. There are four experiments and each experiment includes two sub-experiments which are exogenous cuing task and endogenous cuing task, respectively. In Experiment 1, the same-surface advantage was revealed. In Experiment 2, the confounding of “slant” was ruled out and the same-surface advantage was still kept. In Experiment 3, we reduced the possibility that candidate targets group together to form simple perceptual organization and then influence the allocation of attention. After rearrange the spatial positions of candidate targets, attention cannot select the simple perceptual organization easily. In exogenous cuing task, same-surface advantage was still revealed. In endogenous cuing task, SOA should be prolonged to 500ms, and it shows same-surface advantage. Furthermore, in Experiment 4, we manipulate three kinds of SOA and confirm the operation of surface-based attention. We found that in exogenous cuing task, SOA should be prolonged to 500ms, and it shows same-surface advantage.In endogenous cuing task, SOA should be prolonged to 1000ms, and it shows same-surface advantage. In conclusion, it shows same-surface advantage in exogenous cuing task and endogenous cuing task. When candidate cannot group together to be selected easily, SOA should be prolonged to longer, and it still shows same-surface advantage. The results provide the direct support evidences of surface-based attention.