Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / This study focuses and draws on the fields of dance, psychology and the self-concept. Dance is seen as a powerful tool for expression of self. The Self-Concept is one of the most researched constructs in psychology. Previous research has focused on one element of the self-concept, such as self-esteem; this research considered the self-concept holistically, comprising of: self-image, self-esteem and ideal self. The theoretical framework of this research was the Self-Concept, and dance was employed as an intervention or method of researching the self-concept. The overall aim of this research was to explore the self-concept of a group of peer mentors prior to and after participating in a structured dance programme at a South African University. This research used a mixed-method approach with the primary method being qualitative. The quantitative research design was a quasi-experimental, one-group pre-test post-test design, using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The qualitative research design was ethnography. A seven session structured dance programme was conducted consisting of various aspects of dance. Non-probability sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used. Data was collected in four phases; quantitative pre-test data collection using the RSES scale; qualitative intervention data collection via observations (field notes and audio-visual recordings); quantitative post-test data collection using the RSES scale; and qualitative in-depth interviews. Informed consent was received through informed consent forms and information sessions prior to the dance programme. There were two steps of data analysis. First was to analyse the quantitative data from the RSES on IBM’s Statistical Software Package for Social Sciences, version 25 (SPSS v.25) and Microsoft Excel tools. Second was to analyse the data from the observations and interviews using thematic analysis.

Gängkriminaliteten i Sverige växer och innebär stora konsekvenser för individer, grupper och samhället i stort. Tidigare svenska studier har fokuserat på riskfaktorer avseende nyrekrytering, manlighet och anstaltsvistelser. Genom media och rapporter framträder en ensidig bild av kriminaliteten. Ändock är detta även individer som har enormt mycket psykisk ohälsa, som under sin kriminella livsstil utsätts för extremt våld och långvarig stress. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med verksamheter som arbetar med avhoppare kunde fem huvudteman identifieras: socialisering, våld, självbild, psykisk ohälsa och exitprocess. Utifrån teorier om stress, sårbarhet och resurser tydliggjordes den psykiska hälsan och självbilden, vilket visat sig utgöra en enorm sårbarhet hos kriminella individer. De huvudteman och delfaktorer som identifierats skapas inom miljöerna och upprätthåller även kriminella identiteter. Dessa fynd utgör ur ett processuellt perspektiv ett upprätthållande av kriminalitet. / Gang crime in Sweden is growing and creating major consequences for individuals, groups, and society at large. Previous Swedish studies has focused on risk factors relating to new recruitment, masculinity ad institutionalization. The media and reports present a one-sided picture of criminality. However, these are also individuals who have an enormous amount of mental illness, who during their criminal lifestyle are exposed to extreme violence and long-term stress. Five main themes were identified through semi-structured interviews with organizations working with defectors: socialization, violence, self-image, mental health and exit process. Based on theories of stress, vulnerability and resources, mental health and self-image were highlighted, which have been shown to be a huge vulnerability for criminal individuals. The main themes and sub-factors identified are created within the environments and also maintain criminal identities. From a processual perspective, these findings constitute a maintenance of criminality.

Kläder är inte bara ett funktionellt måste för oss människor, utan fungerar även som ett verktyg för att uttrycka vår identitet och självbild. Genom att konsumera kläder kan vi kommunicera personlighet, värderingar och känslor till omvärlden, och genom klädval kan vi skapa en känsla av samhörighet med andra som delar våra klädstilar och preferenser. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur unga män konsumerar kläder i relation till sin identitet och självbild, samt hur kläder kan användas som ett verktyg för identitetsskapande. För att besvara syftet formulerades två forskningsfrågor; “Hur använder och betraktar män i åldrarna 18-25 kläder som en del av sin självbild och identitetsskapande?” och “Hur påverkar detta deras konsumtion av kläder?”. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av en kvalitativ metod där 13 semi-strukturerade intervjuer utfördes. Det teoretiska ramverket som har lagt grunden för denna studie baserades främst på modellerna “Theory of Planned Behavior” (Ajzen 1991) och “Consumer Decision Model” (Bray 2008), samt boken Social Psychology of Dress (Lennon et. al 2017). Vidare har teoretiska perspektiv som Simmels "trickle-down-theory" (1904), Papyrina’s tankar om konformitet och distinktion (2012), Östberg och Graffman ´s bok om konsumtionssamhället och människans vilja att förbli unik (2018) samt González’s och Bovine’s idéer om assimilering och social distinktion (2012) använts vid genomförandet av studien. Resultatet visade att unga män konsumerar kläder med syftet att uppnå både konformitet och distinktion. Deras klädval påverkas av hur de vill bli uppfattade av omgivningen, samt deras egna känslor, där motiv som att vara trendig och se bekväm ut framträdde. En annan viktig faktor vid klädkonsumtion är att anpassa sig utifrån förändringar i ens identitet över tid, även om det ibland kan begränsas av hinder, däribland ekonomiska, etiska och tidsrelaterade. / Clothing is not only a functional necessity for us humans but also serves as a tool for expressing our identity and self-image. By consuming clothes, we can communicate personality, values, and emotions to the world, and through clothing choices, we can create a sense of belonging with others who share our clothing styles and preferences. The purpose of this study was to examine how young men consume clothing in relation to their identity and self-image, and how clothing can be used as a tool for identity formation. To answer the purpose, two research questions were formulated: "How do men between the ages 18-25 use and perceive clothing as part of their self-image and identity formation?" and "How does this affect their clothing consumption?" The study was conducted using a qualitative method, with 13 semi-structured interviews. The theoretical framework that has underpinned this study is primarily based on the models "Theory of Planned Behavior" (Ajzen 1991) and "Consumer Decision Model" (Bray 2008), as well as the book "Social Psychology of Dress" (Lennon et al. 2017). Furthermore, theoretical perspectives such as Simmel's "trickle-down theory" (1904), Papyrina's thoughts on conformity and distinction (2012), Östberg and Graffman's book on consumer society and the human desire to remain unique (2018), and González and Bovine's ideas about assimilation and social distinction (2012) were used in the implementation of the study. The results showed that young men consume clothing with the aim of both achieving conformity and distinction. Their clothing choices are influenced by how they want to be perceived by their environment, as well as their own feelings, with motives such as being trendy and feeling comfortable emerging. Another important factor in clothing consumption is adapting to changes in one's identity over time, although it can sometimes be limited by obstacles, including economic, ethical, and time-related constraints.

This study aims to investigate the effect, the social media app TikTok, has on the individual and what position of power the application has in that matter. By being the fastest growing social media app, TikTok offers the user an endless flow of content, personalized for the user by algorithms. In order to understand the impact TikTok has on the individual, several interviews have been conducted to increase understanding of if TikTok has the power to change people’s minds about themselves or topics of any kind. The study also aims to investigate whether the individual is aware of the impact of TikTok’s content or not. Through this, we are investigating if TikTok has the power in today's media society to influence people to think and feel things. The study focuses on talking to the respondents and letting them reflect on their use and the content they consume on TikTok. Based on previous research, we have studied algorithms and self-creation based on social media in order to be able to apply this to our own work. By supporting ourselves against previous research, we can fill a knowledge gap by discussing how social media has an impact on the individual and their awareness of this impact.   The dominant theme that emerged from the majority of the interviews was the awareness of the algorithms control, choosing what content the respondent would see. This included their own interests, but also the different ideals shown on the app and opinions expressed by content creators. What can be shown by the result was that the respondents got affected by different sorts of things. Talking about ideals, only half of the respondents felt affected by the content on TikTok and the other half choosed to ignore content of that kind. But when speaking about opinions and subjects, the respondents were more affected by the creators, talking about politics and trends. This shows that TikTok has a power to influence people on their thoughts, but there is an awareness of this impact which makes it a balanced power where both TikTok and the individual are working to be the ruler.

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I den digitala eran har sociala medier som Instagram blivit en central del i hur vi delar och konsumerar visuellt innehåll. Denna uppsats undersöker hur redigerade och filtrerade bilder på Instagram påverkar användarnas uppfattning av verklighetens utseendenormer och den egna kroppsbilden. Genom en blandning av kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder och med teoretiska ramverk som medialiseringsteorin, den kritiska bildvetenskapen, symbolisk interaktionism och självpresentationsteorin undersöker denna studie hur dessa redigerade bilder bidrar till att skapa och förstärka normer och ideal. Resultaten visar att redigerade bilder på Instagram ofta presenterar en orealistisk version av verkligheten. Som förslag till framtida forskning rekommenderas att ett större fokus läggs på att undersöka de långsiktiga effekterna hos användarna på sociala medieplattformar av exponering för redigerade bilder, samt effektiviteten av mediekunskapsprogram i att hjälpa unga användare att kritiskt granska och hantera denna sorts påverkan. Ambitionen med denna uppsats var att kunna bidra till en djupare förståelse av de komplexa förhållandena. / In the digital age, social media like Instagram has become a central part of how we share and consume visual content. This essay examines how edited and filtered images on Instagram affect users' perception of real-life appearance standards and their own body image. Through a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods and with theoretical frameworks such as medialization theory, critical image science, symbolic interactionism and self-presentation theory, this study examines how these edited images contribute to creating and reinforcing norms and ideals. The results show that edited photos on Instagram often present an unrealistic version of reality. As suggestions for future research, it is recommended that a greater focus be placed on examining the long-term effects on users of social media platforms of exposure to edited images, as well as the effectiveness of media literacy programs in helping young users critically examine and manage this kind of influence. The ambition of this essay was to be able to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex conditions.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of kunsterapie wei suksesvol aangewend kan word met die anorexia nervosa-lyer. Daar is spesifiek gefokus op die verbetering van die selfkonsep van die adolessent met anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa en kunsterapie is bespreek. Daar is aandag gegee aan die spesifieke kenmerke wat kuns geskik maak vir terapeutiese aanwending in die bebandeling van die anorexia nervosa-lyer. Die praktiese toepassing van kunsterapie is uiteengesit met die Jdem op kunsterapeutiese tegnieke wat fokus op die verbetering van die selfkonsep van die adolessent met anorexia nervosa. Twee adolessente wat met anorexia nervosa gediagnoseer is, is as proefpersone vir die studie gebruik. Die Adolessente-Selfkonsepskaal (ASKS) en die Sacks Sinsvoltooiingsmedium is as voor- en natoetse ingeskakel om die stand van die twee proetpersone se selfkonsep te bepaal. Kunsterapie is vir twaalf sessies met die proefpersone gedoen. Uit die navorsingsresultate is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat kunsterapie gelei het tot 'n verbetering rakende aspekte van die seltkonsep van die adolessent met anorexia nervosa. Kunsterapie is positief beleef deur die proefpersone. Gevoelens kon op 'n nie-bedreigende manier geeksploreer word en onopgeloste situasies kon met vrymoedigheid aangespreek word. / The aim of this study was to assess and describe the potential value of art therapy as an intervention strategy for the treatment of adolescents suffering from anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa was described and defined. Diagnostic criteria, the manifestation and contributory causes, as well as the treatment and the prognosis for recovery, were discussed. Art therapy, as well as specific therapeutic techniques suitable for the anorexia nervosa sufferer were explained. The specific objective of the study was to determine the influence of certain art therapy techniques on the self-concept of two adolescents suffering from anorexia nervosa. The results indicated that there were significant changes in the self-concept of the two adolescents. Art therapy can be an effective therapeutic intervention strategy for the adolescent suffering from anorexia nervosa and gives the client the opportunity to come to tenns with the self in a non-threatening way. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie studie word die effek van ouerlike begunstiging op die leefwereld van die adolessent aangespreek. Uit die literatuurstudie blyk dit dat die kwaliteit van die ouerkindverhouding, asook die verskil in 'n ouer se houding teenoor en behandeling van sy kinders daartoe bydra dat 'n kind begunstiging in die gesin beleef. Oorsake van ouerlike begunstiging setel in projektiewe identifikasie deur die ouer(s), persoonlike behoeftes en verwagtinge van die ouer(s), geboorte-orde, en die grootte en sarnestelling van die gesin. In die empiriese ondersoek is die leefwereld van adolessente wat ouerlike begunstiging beleef, verken. Volgens die resultate blyk dit dat van hierdie adolessente angs en minderwaardigheid beleef, 'n lae selfbeeld het en dat hul relasies problernaties is. / This study addresses the effect of parental favoritism on the life world of the adolescent. From the literature study it is evident that the quality of the parent-child relationship as well as. the difference in the parent's attitude and treatment of his children contributes to the fact that a child experiences favoritism in the family. Causes of parental favoritism reside in projective identification by the parent ( s) , parental needs and expectations, the birth order, and size and set up of the family. The empirical study investigates the life world of adolescents who experience parental favoritism. According to the results it seems that some of these adolescents experience anxiety and a sense of inferiority, have a low self-image and experience problematic relationships. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

本研究使用敘說研究方法，探討未婚成年女性多重戀情的心理歷程。從文獻與實務經驗中理解到，有些多重戀情者在其中有許多負向感受（女性尤其強烈），因此希望關注在歷程中時有負向感受的女性當事人身上，給予敘說的空間。採用立意取樣由熟識的人介紹受訪者小黛，訪談與分析詮釋後發現，在說出來的故事底下，還有許多難以被說出來的故事主軸。小黛雖然本著開朗釋懷的態度，看似不受外界影響與壓迫，但其實渴望被接納，也擔心被社會評價所批判，因此說得小心翼翼，不斷地解釋與抗辯污名，並且在多重戀情歷程中持續進行自我形象的整飾。社會的負向評價不僅在訪談當時影響著故事的敘說，更在故事發生當時就扮演了舉足輕重的角色，並且已經內化為女性多重戀情者的價值觀，讓當事人被污名所壓迫，「這不是一部變心與劈腿的故事，而是一部在自我形象與感情需求的拉扯下，尋求著被允許與被接納之生存空間的故事。」 最後，本研究對多重戀情現象、質性研究者與諮商員提出反思與建議。 / The study was based on narrative research approach exploring the females’s psychological process of an unmarried adult female who had more than one lover at the same time. According to the research and practical experience, some people, especially the females who had more than one lover at the same time would experience a lot of negative feelings. The participator Diane was introduced by a friend based on purposive sampling. After interviewing and interpreting the story, there are some important stories under what she had said. Although she looked like optimistic and didn’t care about external pressure, in fact, she wanted to be accepted and worried about the social judgment. Therefore, she told about her story carefully, and explained her behavior again and again. Besides, she regulated her self-image all the time when she falling in love with two men. Not only influencing the narration in the interview, the negative social judgment also played a key person from the beginning. It was internalized by the female who had more than one lover at the same time, and oppressed her through stigmatization. “This is not a story talking about unfaith; this is a story talking about a person who seek to be accepted, be permitted to survive under the struggle between the self-image and the need of love.” Finally, there were some discussion about the phenomenon that a person had more than one lover at the same time and some suggestions to the researchers and counselors.

The study focuses on the manners of representations of Czechs and other nations/ethnicities in the journalist work of Karel Havlíček Borovský before and after the 1848-9 revolution. Its methodology is based on concepts and approaches elaborated in the area of literary imagology. The theoretical part of the study deals with the issue of emergence of images, their stereotypical components and the mutual relations between self-image and hetero-image. It also describes the features, functions and the process of formation of national stereotypes. The following chapter describes the development of national-political tendencies emerging in the Czechs lands and corresponding to five different concepts of a nation (Austrianness, Germanness, Slavness, Bohemism and Czechness). The following chapter depicts the course of the revolution, where tensions between the individual national-political tendencies were increasing, and Havlíček's work before and during the revolution. The next chapter analyses the individual stereotypical character features of Czechs and other nations in Havlíček's journalist work in 1846-50. This imagological analysis shows that when constructing the Czech character, Havlíček uses older stereotypical qualities of Slavs (justice, peacefulness, their fundamental democratic nature,...