Diskussionen om att akademisera polisutbildningen i Sverige har under en tid förekommit främst på regeringsnivå. Ett förslag angående att införa en kandidatexamen på polisutbildningen har även framförts av Polisförbundet, där de uttrycker ett positivt förhållningssätt till akademiseringen. Till följd av detta har ett kvalitativt förhållningssätt tagits för att erhålla en fördjupad bild kring ämnet ur ett polisiärt perspektiv. Studien syftar således till att undersöka vilka uppfattningar, i form av möjligheter och begränsningar, som yrkesverksamma poliser och polisstudenter har kring en akademisering av polisutbildningen. Vidare har även eventuella likheter och skillnader mellan dessa undersökts. Studien baseras på elva fokuserade intervjuer där materialet illustrerar flertalet möjligheter och begränsningar samt likheter och skillnader. Materialet har analyserats tematiskt och resulterade i två teman där ett behandlar polisutbildningen och det andra berör det efterföljande yrkeslivet. Resultatet berör möjligheter och begränsningar samt likheter och skillnader gällande de sökande till utbildningen, utbildningens innehåll, den teoretiska och praktiska kunskapen som erbjuds under utbildningen samt den kandidatexamen som diskuteras att införas. Dessutom berör resultatet även de yrkesroller och arbetssätt som förekommer inom Polismyndigheten, forskning inom det polisiära arbetet samt allmänhetens tilltro till polisen. Sammantaget visar resultatet att den polisiära yrkesutövningen upplevs främst som praktiskt, men där teoretiska ämnen och inriktningar även anses vara väsentliga för både utbildning och yrkesutövning. En kandidatexamen kan vara fördelaktig för vissa yrkesroller och för dem med teoretiskt eller akademiskt intresse, men har samtidigt ansetts kunna bidra med flera problematiska aspekter. Exempelvis lyfts en farhåga för att det praktiska ska åsidosättas eller att praktiska individer avstår att söka utbildningen. Trots att flera möjligheter belyses anses en akademisering av polisutbildningen på programnivå vara omotiverad, där andra förslag på alternativa vägar lyfts som bättre alternativ. / An academic police education in Sweden has been discussed on the state level. Polisförbundet has proposed to implement a bachelor’s thesis in police education where they express a positive approach to an academic police education. This study has a qualitative approach to obtain a deeper understanding from a police perspective. The study aims to investigate the perceptions of possibilities and limitations that working officers and police students experience regarding a police education with a bachelor. It also investigates potential similarities and variations between these. This study is based on eleven focused interviews where many possibilities and limitations, but also similarities and variations, are illustrated. The material has been analyzed thematically and resulted in two overarching themes where one processes police education and the other refers to the upcoming life of work. The results refer to possibilities and limitations, and also similarities and variations, regarding the applicants, the content of the education, the theoretical and practical knowledge during the education, and also the potential bachelor’s degree. The results also refer to the professional roles and working methods in Polismyndigheten, research on police work and the public’s trust in the police. All together the result shows that the police practice is experienced as practical, but theoretical subjects are also essential for the education and police practice. A bachelor’s degree can be favorable for some professional roles and for those who have more theoretical and academic interest. It has also been considered to contribute with problematic aspects with concerns that practical aspects were being set aside or that fewer practical individuals will apply. Even though there are several possibilities, an academic police education including a bachelor thesis is considered unmotivated. Other alternative educational routes are suggested to be a better option.

El logro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) requiere la adopción de acciones estratégicas, cuya identificación depende, entre otras cosas, del compromiso de la comunidad y el aprendizaje social. El objetivo de este trabajo fue desarrollar herramientas educativas y mejorar los procesos pedagógicos que mejoran el aprendizaje social, con especial atención al cumplimiento de los ODS 2 y 13 (acciones de seguridad alimentaria y cambio climático). Esta disertación acumulativa presenta cuatro artículos revisados por pares. El trabajo se completó en tres fases metodológicas complementarias y la investigación de campo se basa en tres proyectos internacionales en América Latina y África. Las principales conclusiones se resumen a continuación: El marco pedagógico constructivista es apropiado para la puesta en práctica de una herramienta educativa para mejorar el aprendizaje social en los proyectos de los ODS. Este hallazgo no solo contribuye a comprender mejor los mecanismos que mejoran el aprendizaje social, sino que también representa un avance en los vínculos teóricos entre el aprendizaje social y las teorías de Habermas y Freire. El proceso de aprendizaje social es posible siguiendo tres pasos principales. El primer paso pedagógico para los procesos de aprendizaje social en los proyectos de los ODS es identificar y reconocer con precisión el conocimiento de la comunidad y los esquemas mentales (artículos 1 y 2). Luego, el segundo paso pedagógico se refiere al desarrollo de soluciones locales por parte de los miembros de la comunidad sobre la base de una comprensión crítica de sus propias condiciones de vida (proceso de Codificación y Decodificación basado en la transformación de esquemas mentales). Por lo tanto, a través de un proceso de Concientización, se puede crear un replanteamiento del futuro de la comunidad, lo que podría aumentar la apropiación (artículo 3). Finalmente, un tercer paso para promover proyectos de ODS que mejoren el aprendizaje social es comparar las percepciones de la comunidad y los expertos en investigación con respecto a las estrategias de los ODS. Estos son complementos para evaluar los efectos potenciales de las estrategias del proyecto que mejoran el carácter deliberativo del aprendizaje social (artículo 4). / Die Erreichung der Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung (SDGs) erfordert strategische Maßnahmen, deren Identifizierung von anderen abhängt, gesellschaftliches Engagement und soziales Lernen. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, pädagogische Werkzeuge zu entwickeln und pädagogische Prozesse zu verbessern, die das soziale Lernen verbessern, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Verwirklichung der SDGs 2 und 13. Diese kumulative Dissertation präsentiert vier von Experten begutachtete Artikel. Die Arbeit wurde in drei komplementären methodischen Phasen abgeschlossen. Die wichtigsten Schlussfolgerungen sind wie folgt zusammengefasst: Der konstruktivistische pädagogische Rahmen ist geeignet, ein pädagogisches Instrument zur Verbesserung des sozialen Lernens in SDG-Projekten zu operationalisieren. Dieser Befund trägt nicht nur zu einem besseren Verständnis von Mechanismen bei, die soziales Lernen fördern, sondern stellt auch einen Fortschritt in den theoretischen Verbindungen zwischen sozialem Lernen und den Theorien von Habermas und Freire dar. Der soziale Lernprozess ist nach drei Hauptschritten möglich. Der primäre pädagogische Schritt für soziale Lernprozesse in SDG-Projekten besteht darin, dieses gemeinschaftliche Wissen und mentale Systeme genau zu identifizieren und zu erkennen (Publikation 1 und 2). Der zweite pädagogische Schritt betrifft dann die Entwicklung lokaler Lösungen durch die Mitglieder der Gemeinschaft auf der Grundlage eines kritischen Verständnisses ihrer eigenen Lebensbedingungen (Kodifikations- und Dekodifizierungsprozess, der auf der Transformation von mentalen Schemata) (Publikation 3). Ein dritter Schritt zur Förderung von SDG-Projekten, die soziales Lernen fördern, ist der Vergleich der Wahrnehmungen der Gemeinschaft und der Forschungsexperten zu SDG-Strategien. Dies sind Ergänzungen, um mögliche Auswirkungen von Projektstrategien zu bewerten, die den deliberativen Charakter des sozialen Lernens verbessern (Publikation 4). / Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires taking strategic actions, the identification of which depends, among others, on community engagement, and social learning. The objective of this work was to develop educational tools and improve pedagogical processes that enhance social learning, with particular regard to realizing SDGs 2 and 13 (food security and climate change actions). This cumulative dissertation presents four peer-reviewed articles. The work was completed across three complementary methodological phases, and the field research was embedded in three international projects in Latin America and Africa. The main conclusions are summarized as follows: The constructivist pedagogical frame is appropriate for operationalizing an educational tool to enhance social learning in SDGs projects. This finding not only contributes to better understand the mechanisms that enhance social learning, but also represents an advance in the theoretical links between social learning and the Habermas and Freire theories. The social learning process is possible following three main steps. The primary pedagogical step for social learning processes in SDGs projects is to identify and recognize this community knowledge and mental schemes accurately (article 1 and 2). Then, the second pedagogical step concerns the development of local solutions by community members based on a critical understanding of their own life conditions (Codification and Decodification process based on mental schemes transformation). Therefore, through a process Conscientization, a reframing of the community’s future can be created, potentially increasing ownership (article 3). Finally, a third step to promote SDGs projects enhancing social learning is to compare the perceptions of the community and research experts regarding SDG strategies. These are complements to evaluate potential effects of project strategies enhancing the deliberative character of social learning (article 4).

In response to the main federal K-12 law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the teacher education program standards, teacher education programs have tried to address social and emotional learning (SEL) content in their curricula. Adding information on SEL alone may not be enough to overcome the shortenings of many existing early childhood programs. The current study attempted to address these shortenings through the inclusion of specialized SEL strategies and sample activities in addition to traditional content on social-emotional learning and development. This study was organized within a quasi-experimental design framework. One hundred thirty-nine preservice teachers were divided between control and treatment groups. The treatment group was exposed to the intervention (i.e. additional/special SEL strategies and activities) in the modified Nurturing Children's Social Competence class, while the control group was in the traditional version of the same class (i.e. traditional instruction with no additional/special SEL strategies and activities). All students were surveyed using the SEL Beliefs Scale for Preservice Teachers and the SEL Knowledge and Attitudes Scales for Preservice Teachers. The surveys were conducted at the beginning and at the end of the semester. An exploratory factor analysis, MANOVA, and descriptive discriminant analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that preservice teachers in the treatment group gained greater knowledge about (a) SEL in general, (b) the development of SEL skills in young children, and (c) implementation of the SEL strategies in the classroom. In addition, preservice teachers in the treatment group developed more positive attitudes toward implementation of SEL strategies and the importance of teaching social and emotional skills to young children. Even though SEL beliefs did not predict treatment / control group differences, there were statistically significant differences in the development of SEL beliefs within each group. Preservice teachers in both groups highly believed that creating a SEL environment in the classroom and schoolwide is essential.

Research reveals that disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEPs) are growing at an alarming rate. What are schools doing to ensure success for those students who are placed in a DAEP? In this descriptive qualitative research study, I examined how DAEPs can operate at a more effective level in order to provide a restorative environment, resulting in a decreased recidivism rate for troubled youth. In order to achieve this overall objective, the following research questions framed this study RQ1: What are the qualities in a disciplinary alternative education program setting that lead to either success or failure of a DAEP program? RQ2: Why do students continue to commit offenses which lead to multiple assignments in a disciplinary alternative education program? RQ3: How does a disciplinary alternative education program provide a restorative environment for troubled youth in order to decrease recidivism? RQ4: What resources are available to reduce the amount of repeat student assignments to DAEP? Participants were 12 North Texas secondary school students with multiple assignments to DAEPs and 12 North Texas secondary counselors who provide emotional and behavioral supports to these students. The findings indicate there is a high need for the implementation of transitional supports, a high need for consistent and targeted counselor support and resources, a high need to change student behavior, a high need to build positive relationships, and a high need to address the environmental (social) factors that influence behavior.

Text in Afrikaans / In the light of two literature studies, the nature, origin and consequences of early perceptions of marriage, the form of identities and frames of reference, as well as the resultant origin of an internalized marriage have been explored. An empirical survey was undertaken, with the aid of a specially formulated questionnaire, to investigate the influence of early perceptions of marriage, and thus marriage expectations, on a person's own marriage. The research outcomes show that children do internalize aspects of their parents' marriage and transfer these to their own marriage. There seems to be an important similarity between pattern of communication and conflict management in the original family of questioned subjects and their marriage. Although some subjects have denied the influence of their original family on their marriage, there seems to be a transfer of patterns nevertheless. / Educational studies / M.Ed.(Voorligting)

South Africa is currently experiencing rapid social change with socio-economic deprivation, influencing the future orientation of adolescents. Research indicates that a lack of future expectations affects present behaviour−diminishing the possibility of socialisation and productivity in adulthood. The objective of this study is to assess the future perceptions of indigent adolescents. The Gestalt paradigm provided the framework for defining the study. This empirical study uses a mixed methodology design combining both the quantitative and the qualitative approaches. A crosssectional survey provided the groundwork in terms of ascertaining the degree of awareness in respect of the future orientation of indigent, urban adolescents whilst a qualitative, semi-structured, one-on-one interview provided an in-depth contextualisation of the problem. The empirical study demonstrated that, although socio-economic deprivations and pervasive social issues do influence the future orientation of adolescents in South Africa, these influences have not eradicated the indigent adolescents’ motivational striving toward a positive and productive future. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This study analyses the impact of land registration and certification scheme on sustainable use of farmlands in Debre Mawi and Densa Bahta rural kebeles of Amhara region in northwestern Ethiopia, with a view to contributing to the theoretical debate on tenure security and more realistic policy advocacy on the sustainable use of farmlands. Within the framework of qualitative research methodology, the case study approach helps to observe and understand the relationship between land titling and sustainable use of farmlands in Densa Bahta and Debre Mawi kebeles of the Amhara region in Ethiopia. Specific methods employed were focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and observation, complemented by context analyses of relevant documents. It was found that land titling has contributed to a high perception of security of land tenure among study respondents. However, results show that land titling has both positive and negative impacts on sustainable use of farmlands. The positive impact of land titling is ascribed to its assurance effect and legal obligation imposed on farmers to adopt proper land management practices. The negative impact of land titling arises from its failure to address the existing inequality in possession of farmlands among the village communities. Failure of farmers’ high perceptions of their security of land tenure to translate into sustainable land use practices has implications for the relative importance of productive asset endowments, self-efficacy and risk perception on the sustainable use of farmlands in the Amhara region. Interviewees that follow unsustainable farming practices were endowed with relatively lower pieces of farmland and disadvantaged in possession of other productive assets. They also demonstrated a low level of self-efficacy and a risk-averse attitude to adopting conservation technologies, as they possessed smaller sizes of farmland compared with the village and regional average. The study urges a holistic approach and comprehensive analytical framework to understand the synergy of several factors that affect the sustainable use of farmlands. / Environmental Sciences / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

The study examined and explored the psychological significance of shaving hair as a ritual during mourning within the Ndebele culture in Mamelodi, Pretoria. The focus was on rituals performed or conducted during the mourning process that will be useful in an attempt to reach a state of healing and restoration. The study explored what meaning the participants attach to the rituals. Through this exploration; a deeper understanding of the value of rituals was developed. The qualitative research method, particularly Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used. Snowball sampling was used to identify participants who had lost their loved and who had gone through mourning for more than six months. In total, ten participants were interviewed for this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the mother tongue of the participants in order to allow them to express themselves in the most ultimate way they know and understand. Thematic content analysis was used to extract themes that were dominant across participants. The study was useful as it could be incorporated into the study of psychology specifically from the African epistemological standpoint. Even though the rituals might be practiced amongst the black African community, there is not much literature that focuses mainly on the specific rituals and their significance. This study could also be useful in terms of exposing this knowledge to persons who might not be exposed to this specific ritual of shaving hair due to cultural differences. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mentoring as a professional development strategy forms an integral part of the Advanced Certificate: School leadership that was introduced in 2007 by the National Education department as an entry qualification in the school principalship. The Advanced Certificate in Education: School Leadership is aimed at capacitating school leaders to address the challenges experienced by school principals. The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether the mentorship component of the course is experienced as a form of social learning by the candidates. To achieve this goal, open-ended questions were prepared and administered during semi-structured interviews with the school principals who have been mentored within the ACE programme. The interviews were conducted to ten (10) participants including principals, deputy principals and heads of departments (school level) within the Gert Sibande District (Mpumalanga Province). The investigation highlighted that principals do indeed experience mentoring as a form of social learning. This was confirmed by the statements given by the interviewed principals that their learning was based on learning from each other through observation and engagement as well as through their mentors. This learning is confirmed by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (1977) which suggests that learning takes place through observation and positive behaviour of the mentor. Based on the findings, the main recommendations were that mentorship, as social learning, should be extended to all school leaders and ultimately to school educators, that a mentoring unit should be based at each district office, that the selection of mentors should be carried out carefully so that protégés could benefit maximally and that the period of mentoring should go beyond merely being a component of an academic course. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mentorskap as ‘n professionele ontwikkelingstrategie vorm ‘n integrale deel van die Gevorderde Onderwyssertifikaat: Skoolleierskap wat in 2007 deur die Nasionale Onderwysdepartement as ‘n toetree-kwalifikasie vir skoolhoofde ingestel is. Die Gevorderde Onderwyssertifikaat: Skooleierskap is gerig op die kapasitering van skoolleiers om die uitdagings wat die posisie van Skoolhoof meebring aan te spreek. Die primêre doelwit van die studie was om vas te stel of die mentorskapkomponent van die kursus deur kandidate as ‘n vorm van sosiale leer ervaar word. Om die doel te bereik is oopvrae voorberei en geadministreer tydens semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met skoolhoofde wat as deel van die Gevorderde Sertifikaat: Skoolleierskapkursus gementor is. Die onderhoude is gevoer met tien skoolhoofde, adjunkhoofde en departementshoofde van die Gert Sibande distrik (Mpumalanga). Die ondersoek het aan die lig gebring dat skoolhoofde wel die mentorskapproses as ‘n vorm van sosiale leer ervaar. Hierdie aspek is bevestig deur die respons van skoolleiers dat hulle van mekaar geleer het deur observasie en braadslaging asook deur die modelering van mentors. Diè vorm van leer strook met Bandura se Teorie van Sosiale Leer (2007) wat die idée onderskryf dat leer plaasvind deur observasie en modelering van positiewe gedrag van die mentor. Gebaseer op die bevindinge is die hoof aanbevelings wat in die studie gemaak word dat mentorskap, as sosiale leer, uitgebrei behoort te word na alle skoolleiers en uiteindelik na alle onderwysers, dat ‘n mentorskapeenheid by elke distrik gebaseer behoort te word, dat die keuring van mentors omsigtig moet geskied sodat protégés maksimaal voordeel trek en dat mentorskap verder moet strek as bloot ‘n komponent van ‘n akademiese kursus.

Chez l'être humain, le pouvoir d'influence peut être accordé volontairement aux individus qui se démarquent par leurs habiletés exceptionnelles. Dans cette étude, deux théories issues de la perspective évolutionniste sur ce type de pouvoir sont confrontées : celle de la transmission sociale de l'information (Henrich et Gil-White 2001) et celle de l'échange social (Chapais 2012). Cinq hypothèses principales sont extraites et mises à l'épreuve : 1) la compétence supérieure de certains individus leur permet d'acquérir un statut supérieur; 2) la compétence d'un individu est évaluée par comparaison sociale et par l'intermédiaire de mécanismes psychosociaux; 3) les experts sont utiles à autrui puisqu'ils sont de meilleurs modèles à imiter et de meilleurs partenaires de coopération; 4) ces experts reçoivent de la déférence de leurs admirateurs en échange d'un partenariat avec eux ; 5) conséquemment, une compétition pour l'acquisition d'un statut supérieur émerge via la démonstration publique de la compétence et la recherche d'une réputation favorable. Ces prévisions sont testées par une analyse comparative de la littérature ethnographique portant sur dix sociétés de chasseurs-cueilleurs relativement égalitaires en utilisant la base de données du eHRAF of World Cultures. Les résultats appuient très fortement toutes les prévisions et indiquent que des asymétries de statut sont omniprésentes chez tous les peuples de l'échantillon, ce qui refléterait l'universalité des propensions psychosociales qui sous-tendent ces inégalités. / In humans, influence power can be freely given to highly skilled individuals. In this study, two evolutionary theories on the origin of this type of power are considered: the information goods theory (Henrich and Gil-White 2001), and the social exchange theory (Chapais 2012). Based on this theoretical framework, five main hypotheses were extracted and tested: 1) individuals with higher competence in specific domains of activities have a superior status; 2) an individual's higher competence is evaluated through social comparison; 3) highly skilled individuals are useful to others because they constitute better models to imitate and better partners to cooperate with; 4) followers defer to experts in exchange for their partnership ; 5) as a result, individuals compete for status by exhibiting their competence and attempting to improve their reputation. Those predictions were tested by using the eHRAF of World Cultures database and analysing the data relating to ten relatively egalitarian hunter-gatherer societies. The results strongly support all predictions and indicate that status asymmetries are ubiquitous in the sampled societies. This suggests that the underlying psychosocial mechanisms constitute human universals.