This study aims to explore and describe the experiences of significant others during the coming out process of two lesbian individuals. The study gathered more detail regarding how various individuals experience the coming out process in the hope of contributing to the theoretical base of literature concerning lesbian studies in South Africa. The literature review provides a survey of the coming out process as well as a discussion regarding significant others (family and friends). Some factors and experiences involved in the coming out process are also discussed. The qualitative case study is approached from the interpretive paradigm and systems theory was utilised as a theoretical framework throughout the study. Data was generated primarily through unstructured interactive/in-depth interviews and secondarily through stories, field texts, photographs and a research diary. Six individuals participated in the research study, the two lesbian individuals and four significant others as identified by them - two mothers, a father and a close friend. The data analysis led to both commonalities in experiences and unique experiences identified by participants. The results of the study indicated that some form of suspicion or awareness was present in the significant others before the act of disclosure; emotional reactions from involved participants can be placed in a continuum ranging from positive to negative and the act of disclosure was viewed and experienced as both a crisis and as progressive by different participants. Various factors could influence the experience of the coming out process for significant others as well as the reactions to the act of disclosure. However more research is needed to investigate what these factors might be. Participants also mentioned various stages towards acceptance (individuals fall in a continuum and can move forward and backward). Both common and unique experiences were present and can assist others in understanding the coming out process from different perspectives. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

In this qualitative study excessive weight gain in men is placed in the context of a life course trajectory with its characteristic stages. A combination of symbolic interactionism and life course perspectives was deemed appropriate for studying obesity as their basic assumptions complement each other to create a holistic view of the phenomenon. Both the life course and symbolic interactionism perspectives stress the interaction between individuals and their social environment, an observation particularly evident when viewed as a micro-level experience. The chosen approach emphasises the social creation of meanings about life transitions and individual development. The obese man cannot be seen as an isolated unit as, like all people, he is a social being forming part of a network of relationships. Theoretically those with whom he is socialising can be classified as significant others, general others and reference group others. It is their influence that is important in his personal development and experience of the self. While the symbolic interactionism perspective accentuates the development of the self in interaction with others, the life course perspective gives clarity on the way the individual handles transition experiences in order to regain balance after a time of disequilibrium resulting from different trajectories. The theory of cognitive appraisal used in this study enhanced understanding of the obese man‟s passion for food, and the emotion of joy experienced when busy with food-related activities. Cognitive appraisal takes place in each situation when the obese man needs to make a decision or take action in terms of food and life style behaviour. The strategy of enquiry for this research followed a phenomenological and qualitative approach. The unit of analysis was a white man who was obese. The inclusion criteria for the sample were: being older than 21; and complying with the acknowledged criterion for obesity of having a BMI greater than 30kg/m². A purposive sampling technique was employed with each of the 14 participants being interviewed on more than one occasion. Participants were expected to, and were able to describe their experiences of being obese retrospectively. The researcher made almost exclusive use of lengthy, individual, in-depth, unstructured interviews. Three themes emerged from the data namely the meaning of food, the sadness of obesity and coping with obesity. The findings from this study show that, as a social object, the obese man‟s eating habits and the meaning that food has for him are influenced by, and learnt from others such as his family during childhood and adolescence, and his married partner and work colleagues in young adulthood. Essentially, indulgence in eating is for the anticipated pleasure it brings. Thus several factors like marriage, friends and career influence the food trajectory of the obese man. The obese man‟s food trajectories affect his weight trajectory and have a negative impact on his experience of self. His overweight body gives rise to distressing physical constraints and causes emotional experiences of sadness. He is unable to make peace with his obese state and needs to consciously address the situation. Coping strategies used by the obese participants were critical in their handling of their obesity. In the process of self-appraisal they needed confirmation that they could handle the problem so that it did not influence the way they experienced their physical and inner selves. Regardless of all the coping strategies adopted, the participants were not totally able to handle their plight. It actually got worse and impacted extremely negatively on their well-being. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2014 / Consumer Science / unrestricted

Sjuksköterskeyrket innebär möten med patienter såväl som närstående tillpatienterna. Sjukdom och dödsfall är inte något som bara drabbar den enskildapersonen utan händelsen kan vara lika svår eller svårare för den drabbades familjoch närstående. Det är viktigt för sjuksköterskan att ha insikt i de närståendesupplevelser och behov för att bättre kunna möta dessa. Denna studies syfte är attbeskriva upplevelser och behov hos närstående till kritiskt sjuka patienter samt attbeskriva hur sjuksköterskan kan möta dessa behov. Genom en litteraturstudie harkvalitativa och kvantitativa vetenskapliga artiklar granskats. Studienshuvudresultat visar att de närstående är i behov av information, tillförsikt, närhet,familjens stöd och bekvämlighet. Studiens slutsats är att sjuksköterskan behöverkunskap och insikt beträffande dessa resultat för att på ett bra sätt möta denärståendes behov. / When working with critical ill patients the nurse also get in contact withsignificant others related to the patient. Illness and accidents don’t strike only atthe patient it also strikes just as hard or harder at the significant others of thepatient. It’s important that the nurse has knowledge about the related person’sexperiences and needs in these situations, to better be able to meet these needs.This study aimed to describe experiences and needs of significant others whenthey have a critical ill person hospitalized. It also aimed to describe how the nursecan meet these needs. Through a literature review has both quantitative andqualitative scientific articles been reviewed. The study’s main results show thatthe needs of the related are information, assurance, proximity, family support andcomfort. The study concludes that the nurse needs knowledge and understandingsregarding these results to in a good way meet the relative’s needs.

Bakgrund: Att vårdas hemma vid livets slut blir allt vanligare. De senaste 10-15 åren har behovet av avancerade vårdinsatser i hemmet alltjämt ökat och möjligheterna att vårda patienter med komplicerade sjukdomstillstånd har blivit mer möjliga. Detta har medfört att kraven på de såväl medicinska som de specifikt omvårdnadsmässiga åtgärderna har växt. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att belysa ASIH- sjuksköterskors upplevelse av att vårda patienter i hemmet vid livets slut. Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ och deskriptiv ansats. Två sjuksköterskor från en ASIH:enhet i Stockholm intervjuades. En innehållsanalys gjordes sedan för att analysera det insamlade materialet. Resultat: Tretton subkategorier kunde urskiljas ur dessa bildades fem kategorier. Kunskap och erfarenhet grund till god omvårdnad, Närståendes betydelse i vården, Kommunikation och förståelse mellan patient och sjuksköterska, Ta seden dit man kommer och Personal cost of caring. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskan inom ASIH bär ett stort ansvar då det gäller symtomlindring. Det kan gälla smärta såväl som oro och ångest. Vikten av att ha en helhetssyn som innefattar både patient och närstående beskrevs som viktiga. Ett fungerande samspel mellan sjuksköterska, patient och närstående är en förutsättning för god omvårdnad. / Background: To be cared for at home at the end of life is becoming more common. The last 10-15 years, the need for advanced care in the home has increased and the possibility to treat patients with complex medical conditions has become more possible. This has led to higher medical demands and to higher demands concerning specific nursing activities. Aim/Objective: The purpose of this study was to illuminate the ASIH-nurses' experience of treating patients at home at the end of life. Design: The study has a qualitative and descriptive approach. Two nurses from one ASIH unit in Stockholm were interviewed. A content analysis was then used to analyze the material. Result: Thirteen subcategories could be distinguished those formed five categories. Knowledge and experience due to good care, Significant others and their part in the caringprocess, Communication and understanding between patient and nurse, To adapt to customs and Personal cost of caring. Findings: The nurse within the advanced homecare facility bears a great responsibility when it comes to symptom relief. It may be relief of pain as well as anxiety. The importance of having a holistic approach that includes both patient and relatives were described as important. A good interaction between nurses, patients and relatives is a prerequisite for good care.

Var tredje person i Sverige kan under sin livstid drabbas av en cancersjukdom. När en familjmedlem får diagnosen cancer påverkar detta oftast livet för dem som är närstående. Forskning visar att de närstående upplever olika förändringar i livet. Det uppstår oftast känslor som ångest, hjälplöshet och maktlöshet. Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt var att beskriva hur närstående till personer med cancer upplever sin förändrade livssituation. Informationskällor använda i analysen är 13 artiklar som beskriver närståendes upplevelser. Resultatet presenteras i fyra olika huvudteman med tillhörande underteman. Dessa fyra teman är Förändrad livssituation, Maktlöshet och hjälplöshet, Stöd är betydelsefullt och Behov av information. I resultatet framgår att relationer mellan familjmedlemmar antingen fördjupas eller försämras. Behovet av information och stöd visar sig vara stort hos den närstående. Det är av betydelse att resultatet används i vården så att sjuksköterskor samt annan vårdpersonal blir uppmärksamma på närståendes upplevelse. Dessa kunskaper kan hjälpa sjuksköterskor och annan vårdpersonal att erbjuda bättre stöd till dessa närstående. / Every third person in Sweden can be afflicted by cancer during a life course.  When a family member gets the cancer diagnosis this most often influences the lives of those who are closest to them. Research shows that family caregivers experience various changes through life. These changes are often accompanied by feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and powerlessness. The purpose with this literature review was to describe how caregivers of persons with cancer experience their changed situation of life. The sources of information used in analysis are 13 articles who describe the experiences of caregivers. The result is presented in four main themes with sub themes. These four themes are Changed life situation, Powerlessness and helplessness, Support is important and Need for information. In the presented result it is clear that relations between family members is either deepened or worsen. The need for information and support has showed itself to be of great value for family members. It is of importance to implement the result in healthcare so that registered nurses and other staff can be attentive to the experiences of the relatives. This knowledge can help nurses and other personnel to offer better opportunities to give support to these relatives.

<p> </p><p>Var tredje person i Sverige kan under sin livstid drabbas av en cancersjukdom. När en familjmedlem får diagnosen cancer påverkar detta oftast livet för dem som är närstående. Forskning visar att de närstående upplever olika förändringar i livet. Det uppstår oftast känslor som ångest, hjälplöshet och maktlöshet. Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt var att beskriva hur närstående till personer med cancer upplever sin förändrade livssituation. Informationskällor använda i analysen är 13 artiklar som beskriver närståendes upplevelser. Resultatet presenteras i fyra olika huvudteman med tillhörande underteman. Dessa fyra teman är <em>Förändrad livssituation</em>, <em>Maktlöshet och hjälplöshet, Stöd är betydelsefullt</em> och <em>Behov av information</em>. I resultatet framgår att relationer mellan familjmedlemmar antingen fördjupas eller försämras. Behovet av information och stöd visar sig vara stort hos den närstående. Det är av betydelse att resultatet används i vården så att sjuksköterskor samt annan vårdpersonal blir uppmärksamma på närståendes upplevelse. Dessa kunskaper kan hjälpa sjuksköterskor och annan vårdpersonal att erbjuda bättre stöd till dessa närstående.</p> / <p> </p><p>Every third person in Sweden can be afflicted by cancer during a life course.  When a family member gets the cancer diagnosis this most often influences the lives of those who are closest to them. Research shows that family caregivers experience various changes through life. These changes are often accompanied by feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and powerlessness. The purpose with this literature review was to describe how caregivers of persons with cancer experience their changed situation of life. The sources of information used in analysis are 13 articles who describe the experiences of caregivers. The result is presented in four main themes with sub themes. These four themes are Changed <em>life situation, Powerlessness and helplessness, Support is important</em> and <em>Need for information</em>. In the presented result it is clear that relations between family members is either deepened or worsen. The need for information and support has showed itself to be of great value for family members. It is of importance to implement the result in healthcare so that registered nurses and other staff can be attentive to the experiences of the relatives. This knowledge can help nurses and other personnel to offer better opportunities to give support to these relatives.</p>

This study explores the relationship between ideals of motherhood and heterosexual normativity, from the perspective of women at the margins of these discourses. The title, In the shadow of Motherhood, illustrates the overriding power of the image of motherhood to marginalise alternative experiences. The concept of motherhood, like that of Family, has traditionally signalled the reproduction of the normative; it does not usually encompass the critical scrutiny that would allow for diverse experiences of mothering. Theoretically, the study is located within the fields of feminist sociology and inclusive family studies in productive dialogue with queer notions of gender and sexuality. Methodologically, it is inspired by narrative analysis and consists of in-depth interviews with eight lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual women grappling with different experiences of motherhood and mothering practices. Some of them identify as mothers while others do not, but by not being biogenetic mothers within a heterosexual relationship they share the position of being outside of what is often considered normal, natural and desirable. The analysis reveals a considerable variation in the positions, experiences and identities of the participants, particularly in regards to changes over time, which cannot be reduced to binary categories such as heterosexual/lesbian, biological/non-biological, mother/childless or voluntary/involuntary childlessness. The analysis also exposes a deep tension between ideologies of motherhood and lived experiences of care practices. Furthermore, from the perspective of the participants, the boundaries between inclusion and exclusion reinforce and challenge each other, creating spaces of both individual and collective resistance. The study illuminates the need to shift the location of these experiences from the margins to the centre not only in sociological research of family and gender, but also within feminist sociology.

The main goal of this disertation is to update knowledge about common activities of parents and adolescents in the context of family education (Gillern, 2009), which could help current counseling practices and expansion of knowledge about educational interactions in the family. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of the effects of common realized interests of parents and adolescents, and to find out under what conditions and circumstances they occur. The theoretical part of this thesis consists of three chapters. First chapter deals with important adults during adolescence, the second chapter focuses on family upbringing while the third chapter deals with common activities during free time. The research part presents the results of quantitative research, supplemented by semi- structured interviews with several students. Adolescents were asked what activities they do in their free time, with whom they perform them, and how the actual implementation differs from their wishes. Current parenting styles according to the nine-field model were also examined. At the end of the work, the results of the research part are discussed and the findings of the research survey are summarized. Keywords Significant others, adolescents, parenting styles, common activities, free time

Bakgrund Närstående till anhöriga som vårdas vid livets slutskede har önskemål att vården kan ges i hemmet. Detta kan väcka känslor och leda till förändring i den närståendes livssituation. De närstående blir ofta en vårdare. Det är vikigt att sjuksköterskan uppmärksammar närståendes situation, för att kunna ge stöd så att närstående inte hamnar i ett långvarigt sorgeförlopp. Syfte Syftet är att beskriva närståendes erfarenheter vid vård av anhöriga i hemmet vid livets slutskede. Metod Studien genomfördes som en litteraturöversikt. Resultatet baserades på sexton artiklar från åtta länder. Kvalitativa, kvantitativa och blandmetod studier ingår. Resultat Litteraturöversiktens resulterade i fem kategorier; Omvårdnad i hemmiljö, Närståendeskänslor, Närståendes sorgbearbetning, Samverkan och kommunikation med hälso- och sjukvården samt stöd till närstående från hälso- och sjukvård. Resultat visar att vård av anhöriga i livets slutskede i hemmet var utmanande både psykiskt, innefattande ilska och långvarigt sorgeförlopp, och fysiskt i form av trötthet. Närstående beskrev också positiva erfarenheter som att kunna vara nära och ge god vård utan att inte behöva åka till sjukhuset. Slutsats Bra kommunikation mellan alla aktörer, tydlig information, personalens empati, engagemang och stöd var viktigt för närstående. Sjuksköterskans närvaro och stöd bidrog till att närstående fick stöd vid vårdandet. / Background Significant others who care for family members at the end of life want to care for the sickat home. This can arouse emotions and lead to changes in life situation. Significant others often become carers. It is important that the nurse pays attention to the situation of significant others in order to be able to provide support to them so that they do not end up in a long-term grief process. Aim The purpose is to describe the significant others experiences in caring for relatives at home in the end of life care. Method The study was conducted as a literature review. The result were based on sixteen articles from eight countries. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed studies were included. Results The literature review resulted in five categories; Nursing in the home environment, significant others emotions, significant others grief process, collaboration- communication and support to the significant others from health care. Results show that caring for relatives at the end of life at home was challenging mentally; anger and long-term grief and physically in the form of fatigue. Significant others also described positive experiences of being close and being able to provide good care without having to go to the hospital. Conclusions Good communication among all parties, clear information, staff empathy, commitment and support were important for significant others. The nurse's presence and support contributed to the relatives receiving support in the care.

No description available.