Magister Educationis - MEd / Literacy development in South African higher education is increasingly challenged by several issues in dialogue and language of tuition. Despite the widening of access to South African universities, research shows that a large majority of entry-level university students are still failing in their chosen programme of studies. Almost all universities in the democratic South Africa incorporate academic development programs in first-year modules as an awareness raising attempt to scaffold novice students into the vocabulary of their various disciplines. However, these development programs sometimes fail to address the language needs of some of the students who have had more than seven years of schooling in their first languages (IsiXhosa and Afrikaans). My study seeks to explore how additional language IsiXhosa and Afrikaans students understand and construct written knowledge in one literacy development course using English medium of instruction. I further explore lecturers’ and tutors’ perspectives of the demand of sounding a scholarly voice in academic writing by entry-level students in their new roles as scholars in the University of the Western Cape (UWC).Literature indicated gaps when it comes to students’ and lectures’ perceptions on the construction of voice in academic writing in a language that the students are not comfortable in.

Honor-related violence and oppression (HRVO) became a public and state concern in Sweden in the late 1990´s. The murders of three young girls in the name of “honor” sparked a vigorous scholarly and public debate on the causes of honor-related violence (HRV). Two main conflicting explanations emerged, and the phenomenon was constructed to have either cultural roots or seen as a form of patriarchal violence against women. Since then the debate has continued to raise much polemic in the Swedish society. The aim of this study was to gain deeper understanding of how social workers perceive and manage the conflicting discourses on HRVO in Sweden. The study is based on qualitative interviews with 12 key agents working with HRVO. The in-depth interviews were thematically analyzed. The inductive approach used resulted in nuanced findings that show that a cultural reductionism narrative is perceived as dominant regarding how HRVO is explained and tackled. This and the lack of consensus between conflicting perspectives on how HRVO should be explained has greatly affected the social practice with people that experience HRVO. The findings of this study also indicate that a more inclusive and nuanced framework needs to be utilized to address HRVO.

The aim of this thesis is to explore medical librarians information practice in a pedagogical context. The empirical material was produced by 6 semi-structured interviews at 5 different hospital libraries during April and March 2023. A practice-oriented approach was used by the theoretical lens of Social Practice by Shove, Pantzar and Watson. In the analysis it was thematised by the practice elements material, competences and meanings. The findings show that medical librarians informationpractice in a pedagogical context work with many different materials and have competences that are of importance for students, hospital staff and researchers. They adapt their teaching and guidance for the user and their level. The different meanings that the medical libraries user and organization put on the medical library and their services has an impact on their ability to reach more of their users and their development.

Consumption of everyday products is an unintentional behavior most individuals act out without thinking of it. These products can end up as litter discarded in nature. Littering is an important field to study in order to achieve a sustainable future. Littering has large consequences on the environment, animals, and humans as it contributes to pollution, biodiversity loss and unsafe environments. Municipalities in Sweden have large expenses from cleaning up wrongfully placed litter. It is illegal to litter in Sweden and despite this, many municipalities struggle with high amounts of litter. Strängnäs municipality, Sweden, have acknowledged this problem and are looking for new strategies to change the current behaviors of their residents. Residents in Strängnäs answered a questionnaire regarding their current littering behaviors, their attitudes towards the field and how communication can influence their behaviors to understand which influences are important regarding littering. The aim of this study was to understand what behaviors individuals currently have, what influences these behaviors and how Strängnäs municipality can work more with communication towards the residents. The background and theoretical approach provided and understanding of previous studies on littering, but also the importance of social norms and social environment. The theories used in this study was Social Practice Theory and Cognitive Dissonance Theory. The results from this study were that social norms influence the respondents’ behaviors; however, their current social environment did not tend to have the same influence as their upbringing. Younger residents also tended to litter more than older. The key results were that the individuals who participated in the study were very unhappy with the current situation and the work that Strängnäs municipality currently are doing regarding littering. The respondents thought the city center to be very littered and unsafe, and there was a norm not to tell others not to litter if seen. However, many of the participants did not know what strategies the municipality already used which implies that the communication from the municipality could be improved. This study highlights the importance of communication and information and how these affect individuals littering behaviors through social norms.

Many citizens living in Old Havana, Cuba, do not have regular access to potable water in their homes. As a result, this thesis explores how the water infrastructure in Old Havana shapes the everyday lives of local residents. The empirical material in this study was collected during two months of minor field studies in Havana mainly through the qualitative research methods of interviews and diaries but also through observations. The results were analyzed through four main theoretical concepts: the social practice approach in technology, hydraulic citizenship, social practice theory and feminist theory. Results revealed that the local water infrastructure produces and reproduces social inequalities and domestic do-it-yourself practices. It was also revealed that women carry out most of the domestic water activities, largely due to prevailing machismo ideals and traditional gender norms. Consequently, women in Old Havana are generally more affected by water supply irregularities and malfunctioning infrastructure than men.

This thesis departs from an understanding that humanity stands on the cusp of a global crisis, caused to a large degree by the lifestyle choices of humans. Therefore, posing the argument that it is changes in human action, behaviour and lifestyles that are needed to ensure that the development doesn’t continue on its current path. This thesis therefore aimed to explore the new green wave lifestyle, which pertains to people who are choosing to face these challenges head on by actively changing and adopting a self-sustainable lifestyle. To explore this aim, the study utilised a theoretical framework consisting of two main concepts, social practice theory and the concept of lifestyles. The thesis used semi-structured interviews to gather data from individuals who actively made the active choice to change their way of living and adopt a self- sustainable lifestyle. The results show that the new green wavers rely heavily on inspiration from others to make their lifestyle change. This meant that being able to see and be inspired by other people’s alternative ways of living was integral for them to even comprehend the possibility of living a different lifestyle. The results also show that in enacting their new green wave lifestyle the participants chose to partake in alternative practices or enacting practices in a different way compared to how they conventionally might be enacted. Additionally, the results show that the new green wavers encounter challenges in enacting their lifestyle, which relates to a lack of available knowledge of how alternative practices are to be enacted but also the challenges posed by society in terms of legislation and bureaucracy.

Sedan början på 2000-talet har det skett en förvandling i detaljhandelslandskapet. Flera företag har valt att övergå från fysisk butik till att istället bedriva e-handel. I samband med smartphonens ökade användning har detaljhandelslandskapet förändrats ytterligare, där tekniken möjliggjort ett nytt sätt för konsumenter att förhålla sig till shopping. Smartphonen har alltså blivit ett verktyg som tillämpas i konsumenters vardag och tillkommer i flera shoppingrelaterade syften. Tidigare forskning kring mobilshopping kan delas in i två fält; forskning som fokuserar på acceptans, motiv och incitament, och sedan forskning som fokuserar på praktiker och handlingar. Med tanke på att det sistnämnda fältet är så pass outforskat, har denna studie antagit ett praktikteoretiskt perspektiv för att på ett djupare plan kunna analysera hur mobilshopping fungerar i praktiken. Syfte Syftet med vår studie är att få en bredare insikt i hur mobilshopping fungerar i praktiken genom att analysera hur konsumenter använder sin smartphone på olika sätt för att shoppa. Detta genom att anta en praktikteoretisk ansats för att analysera fenomenet mobilshopping. Metod Studien utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsmetod där 15 semistrukturerade intervjuer ligger till grund för datainsamlingen. Ytterligare har studien antagit ett praktikteoretiskt perspektiv, där sekundärdata samlats in kring praktikteori som fenomen, både praktikteori kopplat till konsumtion samt praktikteori kopplat till mobilshopping. Uppsatsen utgår således från ett urval som baseras på livssituationen hos de olika deltagarna för att på så sätt kunna se hur dessa skiljer sig åt i deras mobilshopping. Slutsats Uppsatsen visar att en praktik kan se olika ut beroende på vem som utför den då individer är unika i sitt sätt att utföra praktiken. Trots vetskapen kring detta fann vi att det finns vissa likheter mellan vissa grupper med olika livssituation, då vissa hade liknande bakomliggande meningar, brukade samma material och hade jämlik kompetensnivå i sin mobilshopping. Det resulterade i tre olika sätt att utföra mobilshopping på bland våra fem grupper, det vill säga ett målinriktat, strategiskt och vanemässigt sätt. Slutligen kan resultatet i vår studie framöver bidra till en ökad förståelse för mobilshopping som praktik. Studien ger inte bara ökad förståelse inom fältet konsumentbeteende, utan även för detaljhandlare. / Since the beginning of the 2000s, there has been a transformation in the retail landscape. Several companies have chosen to switch from a physical store to e-commerce. As the usability of the smartphone is increasing, the retail landscape is also under development, whereas technology has made it possible for a new way for consumers to pursue their shopping. Therefore, smartphones have become a tool in consumers' everyday lives and are used for several shopping-related purposes. Previous research on mobile shopping can be divided into two fields; research that focuses on acceptance, motives and incentives, and research that focuses on practices and actions. Given that the latter field is rather unexplored, this study has adopted a practice-theoretical perspective in order to be able to analyze on a deeper level how mobile shopping works in practice. Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to gain a broader insight into how mobile shopping works in practice by analyzing how consumers use their smartphone in different ways to shop. This is done by adopting a practical theoretical approach to analyzing the phenomenon of mobile shopping. Method The thesis is based on a qualitative research method where 15 semi-structured interviews form the basis of our data collection. Furthermore, the study has also inducted a practice theory perspective, where secondary data is collected on practice theory as a phenomenon, practice theory linked to consumption and finally practice theory in relation to mobile shopping. The essay is thus based on a selection based on the life circumstances of the various participants and how they differ in their mobile shopping. Conclusion The thesis shows that mobile shopping as a practice can look different depending on who performs it, as individuals are unique in their way of performing the practice. Nevertheless, we found that there are certain similarities between certain groups with different life circumstances. Each group had similar underlying meanings, used the same material and had equal levels of competence in their mobile shopping practices. This resulted in three different ways of performing mobile shopping among our five groups, i.e, goal-oriented, strategic and habitual way. To sum up, the results of our study in the future can contribute to an increased understanding of mobile shopping as a practice. As well as provides increased understanding in the field of consumer behavior and thereby contribute with a clearer approach for retailers. This thesis is written in Swedish.

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Various researches across the world have established that graffiti writing is a universal social practice. The actual occurrence or manifestation of graffiti is however far from being universal cross-culturally. It varies based on a wide array of social variables. This research therefore set out to interrogate the occurrence of graffiti writing as a unique social practice in Zimbabwean urban areas. Three Zimbabwean urban areas (Harare, Chitungwiza and Gweru) were specifically sampled for the collection of graffiti inscriptions on various surfaces which included toilet walls, durawalls as well as road signs. Graffiti data collected from the various surfaces was complemented by reader feedback contributions from The Herald and Newsday. Focus group discussions provided a third tier of data aimed at establishing participants’ multiple reactions towards the practice of graffiti. Analysis of data was done based on three significant sections of participants’ attitudes towards graffiti, urban street protest graffiti as well as educational graffiti collected from various toilet surfaces in urban areas. Participants’ attitudes towards graffiti revealed varied reactions towards the practice of graffiti. The reactions were partly influenced by the participants’ ages as well as levels of education and maturity. Age and maturity proved to be predictors of the extent to which participants were willing to be pragmatic in so far as the appreciation of graffiti writing is concerned. Older and more experienced and mature participants were thus willing to look past the ‘deviant’ nature of graffiti writing to consider the various pressures that force writers to take to the wall. Urban street protest graffiti is a term coined in this research to capture the unique type of graffiti that is written on various surfaces along streets in urban areas. This highly textual graffiti is drastically different from the post-graffiti commonly found in Western urban cities and is aptly referred to as street art. Urban street protest mainly manifested itself in Zimbabwean urban areas in two main themes of protest inscriptions directed towards the operations of Zimbabwe’s electrical energy supplier (commonly referred to by its former name of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority - ZESA) as well as through political inscriptions. Political inscriptions expose a high degree of nuances that have not been hitherto discussed in literature on political graffiti inscriptions. The research analysed how graffiti writing can be employed for both pro-hegemonic and anti-hegemonic purposes. Inscriptions in high schools and tertiary institutions highlighted a differential construction of discourse on a gendered basis. Inscriptions in female toilets indicated a tendency of graffiti writers to perpetuate dominant educational, health, traditional and religious discourses which assert male dominance. The inscriptions show a major preoccupation with restricting or policing of female sexuality by fellow students mainly through the discursive usages of social corrective Shona labels such as hure (prostitute) and gaba ([big] tin). These are labels that are virtually absent in graffiti inscriptions in male toilets which is suggestive of a situation whereby female inscriptions are conservative. A consequence of such conservatism in inscriptions in female toilets is that no new sexualities are reconstructed and negotiated through discourses in discursive spaces provided by the inherently private nature of toilets in general. Thus, cultural and religious normative expectations are regarded as still weighing heavily on female high school writers in the construction and negotiation of sexuality and gendered behaviours, attitudes, norms and values through discourses constructed through graffiti. In contrast, male inscriptions highlight a major subversion of dominant discourses on abstinence and responsible sexual behaviours and attitudes. Corrective social labels such as ngochani (gay person) are mainly employed to pressure males into indulging and engaging in heterosexual behaviours. Discourses constructed through graffiti inscriptions in male toilets also demonstrate how sexuality is constructed through debate on the appropriateness of marginalised sexualities such as masturbation and homosexuality. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

Faisant émerger de nouveaux objets et de nouveaux acteurs, les pratiques spatiales des artistes sont une entrée féconde pour repenser les dynamiques rurales actuelles. En les considérant comme partie prenante des rapports sociaux et bien sûr des espaces géographiques qu’elles contribuent à produire, notre thèse analyse la place des artistes en milieu rural sur un fond de mutation sociale et institutionnelle caractéristique des espaces ruraux contemporains. Car si la culture y apparaît comme un argument de distinction dans un contexte de compétition territoriale, elle croise une logique résidentielle et d’ouverture de la part des acteurs ruraux, susceptibles de favoriser l’installation d’artistes et de divers professionnels. Ceux-ci sont à la recherche de nouveaux espaces de vie et de travail et croisent en retour les nombreuses pratiques associatives et amateurs qui irriguent l’espace rural. Aussi, à l’inverse d’une approche sectorielle, nous abordons ce sujet par la question de la pratique des lieux, afin de comprendre comment les artistes distinguent les espaces dans leur argumentaire et comment en retour ils contribuent à un renouvellement des espaces vécus. Afin de dépasser les frontières habituelles du développement local, ce travail considère les ancrages et les circulations individuelles qui articulent différentes échelles de ruralité. L’approche biographique permet en effet de penser le local dans ses interfaces, ses réseaux et ses mobilités ; et ce retour aux lieux montre les incidences que les artistes peuvent avoir sur la définition de la ruralité, engageant par là une réflexion plus large sur le statut de l’espace rural dans la société. Ainsi, l’originalité de cette thèse consiste à utiliser une méthode qualitative centrée sur les parcours d’artistes pour analyser leur positionnement et leur stratégie, en s’intéressant aux transformations contemporaines des savoirs, des espaces et des pratiques créatives en milieu rural. Grâce à une approche qui croise les échelles d’analyse, cette thèse montre le rôle des espaces de l’art dans la fabrique du rural, et la manière dont les artistes contribuent à l’émergence de nouvelles articulations entre l’espace rural et la ville métropolisée. / By drawing attention to new objects and actors, artistic practices are a fruitful entry point for rethinking current dynamics of French rural life. This thesis interrogates cultural development in relation to recent social and institutional changes in rural areas, without isolating such areas from social relations or the geographical spaces that underlie them. If culture appears as a distinction argument in a context of territorial competition, it intersects with a residential logic and an openness of rural actors to the cultural field. This, in turn, can initiate dynamic interactions with artists and various professionals. Such “creatives,” always on the search for new living and working spaces, are increasingly moving to rural areas, where they cooperate with the latter’s respective associations and amateur practices. Thus, contrary to a sectoral methodology, we consider this topic with a multipolar approach of culture, in order to understand how artistic actors distinguish territories, and how these territories become, in return, renewed living spaces. To overcome the usual boundaries of local development, we have chosen to put forward the multiple scales of rurality by considering artists as actors in motion, who play with various territorial resources. The microsocial approach makes here possible to think the local in its interfaces, its networks and its mobilities. And this return to the site shows the impact that artists can have on the definition of rurality itself, thus engaging to a broader reflection on the status of rural space in society. One of the originalities of this thesis is to use a qualitative method centered on artists’ analyses of their own positioning and strategies, vis- à-vis contemporary transformations of knowledge, spaces and creative practices in rural areas. Through an approach that correlates rural contexts and scales of analysis, this thesis shows the role of art spaces in the rural fabric and the way they contribute to the emergence of new articulations between rural areas and metropoles.