This thesis explores communication with children affected by sickle cell disease about their condition from the perspectives of both children and parents. It includes three papers: A literature review, an empirical paper and a critical appraisal. Papers one and two have been prepared for submission to Social Science and Medicine and Qualitative Health Research, respectively. Paper one is a meta-synthesis of qualitative literature investigating experiences of communication from the perspective of children with sickle cell disease. A systematic literature search revealed nine relevant papers, which were synthesised by extracting findings related to communication about sickle cell disease. Children were found to receive inconsistent messages about their condition from different personal and professional groups. Communication about the prognosis of sickle cell disease and the social acceptability of the condition differed across the groups. The implications for children's understandings of their condition and their adjustment are discussed. Paper two presents an empirical study of parental communication experiences with children affected by sickle cell disease. Twelve interviews were conducted and subject to inductive thematic analysis which was applied within a contextualist epistemological framework. Parents described skills in 'coaching' their child to negotiate the various challenges associated with managing sickle cell disease. They also described ways in which they avoided challenging topics of communication such as inheritance, the risk of comorbid disease and the life-long nature of the condition. The findings suggest a need for healthcare professionals to support parents in overcoming barriers to talking about difficult topics. This may facilitate more consistent communication between parents and professionals, which has implications for improving child wellbeing and adjustment. Paper three is a reflective piece and is not intended for publication. It critically evaluates papers one and two and discusses the joint implications of the findings for research and clinical practice. Reflections on the experience of conducting a meta-synthesis and an empirical qualitative study are offered in the context of personal and professional development.

Crisis communication has been widely researched for an economic purpose, with the focus on preventing damage to a corporation’s reputation or the restoration of a politician’s image. Additionally, crisis communication also found its utility for natural hazards as well as for terrorist attacks. However, identified as being a research gap, this thesis focuses on studying the prepared crisis communication of mega-event and festival organizations in case of a serious incident. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the area of crisis communication in the way that it focuses on the process of preparing for a possible crisis with the creation of effective communication manuals, action plans, etc. rather than investigating the post-crisis communication. Through using the uncertainty reduction theory and the chaos theory, it is possible to investigate the internal crisis management processes of organizers that go beyond protecting its reputation, but focus more on saving human lives as uncertainty and chaos get reduced. A deductive approach was taken through conducting interviews and carrying out a thematic analysis of written documentary sources, such as manuals and action plans, as well as the transcripts. In general, one can say that the awareness about the importance of a crisis management and communication plan rises. Regular trainings and a constant collaboration with external partners, such as the blue light organizations, are seen as central to the emergency planning process. Moreover, to guarantee an effective crisis communication, often smaller task groups within the crisis management team are in charge of instructional crisis communication. Knowledge about different threat-scenarios and functions of external specialists reduces uncertainty and supports actions to reduce chaos. This thesis and its findings have a societal relevance, in the sense that it allows a wider and deeper understanding of crisis communication in an area of application that does not seem to be very common. Through insights into the crisis management process of the different event- and festival organizations, one can become active today and threats to human lives can be minimized or even avoided in the future.

Comparing to the aggressive growth of the Chinese student population on Canadian university campuses, their lived experience and identity issues deserve more attention that it already had. Using the theoretical framework combining social identity theory (Tajfel, 1974) and Ting-Toomey’s (1999, 2005) identity negotiation theory, this thesis investigated the identity construction and negotiation process of Chinese international students in Canadian universities. The study utilized a qualitative approach combining semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis to examine the intercultural experiences of sixteen Chinese students in the Ottawa area through their own voices. Six themes were uncovered and future implications for international education practice were further discussed.

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This study explores the views of children and young people and their perceptions of how secondary school staff promote pupil wellbeing. Previous research has predominately focused on measuring the wellbeing of children and young people, looking at wellbeing trends between gender and year group and identifying the key areas which children and young people view are central to their wellbeing. This study seeks to elicit, from the perspective of children and young people, their definition of the term wellbeing, the key areas which are important to their wellbeing, how their school staff provide support within these key areas, whether there are differences between self-reported wellbeing and levels of satisfaction and adequacy in their lives. Furthermore, this study aims to explore whether standardised questionnaires include key areas which are important to children and young people and therefore, whether they are valid tools to measure the wellbeing of children and young people. Thematic analysis of focus groups, of 16 participants, identified that participants viewed wellbeing to be a multifaceted concept which is likely to evolve over time. Participants expressed that there are 4 key areas which are important to their wellbeing; their relationships, having access to activities, having their basic needs met and having a positive outlook on life. Furthermore, male and female participants expressed different perceptions of the important key areas to their wellbeing. 40 participants completed a self-reported wellbeing questionnaire. Data analysis of the Children’s Worlds Wellbeing questionnaire found that there were no gender or year group differences in the levels of self-reported wellbeing. However, there was a significant difference between males and females in the levels of satisfaction with their local area, indicating that males are significantly more satisfied with where they live. The key areas elicited from the focus groups and the areas covered in the Children’s Worlds Wellbeing questionnaire were compared, finding that there were numerous overlaps between the two sources. However, there appeared to be significant gaps within the questionnaire which participants expressed were important to their wellbeing, suggesting that such tools may have limited validity with this sample. 8 participants participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified that overall, participants held positive perceptions of how their school staff support pupil wellbeing, regardless of their self-reported level of wellbeing. Additionally, participants expressed that their school staff provide support which spans across each of the four key areas identified as important to their wellbeing. Although participants acknowledge the valuable support which school staff currently provides, several areas where school staff may further improve provision to improve pupil wellbeing were identified. The implications of the study are considered for schools, educational psychologists and for future directions.

Purpose: This thesis aims to research how homophily affects followers/consumers’ attitudes towards Instagram fashion influencers. In particular, the purpose is to investigate if the perceived level of identification (evaluated according the homophily variables and types of identification) between followers/consumers and fashion influencers is one of the drivers behind followers/consumers’ engagement on Instagram. Additionally, consumption patterns on Instagram will be further investigated, paying special attention in determining if followers/consumers’ identification with fashion influencers have an impact on their purchase intention towards the fashion products the influencer endorses. Methodology: This thesis uses an abductive research approach, together with qualitative methods to fulfill its aim and answer the research questions. The empirical data were gathered through an in-depth interview which eight participants, sampled by purposive sampling ,answered. Subsequently, the interviews were transcribed, coded, and analysed using thematic analysis. The main limitations of the research are the facts that the participants live in the same area and are approximately the same age. Thusly, the transferability of the results mightbe complicated. Findings: The findings of the analysis point out that followers/consumers’ engage with fashion influencers at an interpersonal level, through realization of sharing similar interests and values. Participants have also shown a desire of becoming even more similar to their favourite influencers by altering the beliefs they have in common with them. From the perspective of the theory of Homophily-Heterophily, the engagement between followers and influencers is affected by both, value and status homophily. On the other hand, it has also been demonstrated that identification influences followers/consumers’ purchase intention towards the fashion products influencers endorse on Instagram. Contributions: This paper contributes to the academia by investigating followers/consumers’ purchase intention through the theories of Identification and Homophily-Heterophily. Additionally, the context of Instagram, as well as, the qualitative nature of this investigation are novelties on this field of study. Fashion companies and influencers can also benefit from the results of this research, since they would be able of creating better collaborations.

Enligt litteraturen är kursutvärdering något som görs vid de flesta universitet och i Sverige och England finns lagstadgat att kursutvärdering ska genomföras. Normalt är det en kvantitativ kursutvärdering som görs med kommentarer i form av fritextsvar. I detta kandidatarbete har i enlighet med Blandford (2013) genomförts semistrukturerade intervjuer som därefter följts av en tematisk analys för att ta fram teman för fritextsvar av kursutvärderingar vid Linköpings universitet. Fritextsvaren har analyserats genom formulering av huvudteman, delteman och i några fall underteman till dessa. Det har konstaterats att någon tydlig teoribildning inte gått att finna när det kommer till kvalitativa kursutvärderingar. Resultatet från arbetet är en beskrivning av en arbetsprocess för kursutvärdering och dess delmoment vid en utbildning på Linköpings Universitet samt framtagande av förbättringsmöjligheter i denna arbetsprocess. Slutsatserna i denna studie avser kursutvärdering vid en utbildning, men resultaten kan även anses vara applicerbara vid andra, då det är samma system och samma struktur för kursutvärderingar vid de andra utbildningarna vid Linköpings Universitet.

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This thesis explores the perspectives of people on psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). It is presented in three separate papers: a systematic literature review; an empirical research paper and a critical reflection of the research process as a whole. The systematic literature review aimed to provide a detailed understanding of stakeholder perspectives on PNES. A systematic search identified relevant studies that were subsequently synthesised using thematic analysis and the broader principles of narrative synthesis. Three broad themes relating to stakeholder perspectives were identified: the nature of PNES as a condition; diagnosis; and management and treatment issues. It was found that both patients and professionals experienced uncertainties in relation to understanding and managing the condition. This highlighted the need for further information and awareness of PNES and the development of clear treatment guidelines. Important differences in opinion were also identified between patients and professionals and consideration was given to how these may disrupt the development of effective partnerships in care. The research into patients' and families' perspectives was found to be lacking and further research was identified as being needed in this area. The empirical paper reports an exploratory qualitative study that aimed to provide an in-depth understanding of the perceived treatment needs of patients with PNES. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and findings were analysed inductively using the principles of thematic analysis. Four key themes were identified: return to normality; post-diagnostic limbo; uncertainty and apprehension about therapy; and need for validation. Patients with PNES described clear goals for their recovery and clear ideas about their treatment needs. However, following their diagnosis, many felt caught in 'limbo' due to uncertainties about their diagnosis and as a result of a lack of post-diagnostic support. Being in 'limbo' also linked to patients' uncertainties about psychology meeting their needs and for some there was apprehension about the potential negative consequences of therapy. The clinical implications of the research are discussed and recommendations for future research are made. The third paper is a critical reflection of the research process as a whole. It provides an overview and evaluation of the first two papers and personal reflections of the lead researcher are offered throughout. Implications for further research and clinical practice are offered and a summary of the research as a whole is offered.

There is an increasing population of students with ASD graduating from schools and entering adulthood. Post-school transition is particularly challenging for these young adults and they tend to exhibit unfavorable outcomes in various domains in life. The concept of self-determination has been identified to promote successful transition and adult outcomes. With its root stemming from Western ideologies, the conceptualizations and manifestations of self-determination have rarely been examined across cultures. The present study aims to examine the experiences of self-determination in young adults with ASD during their school-to-adulthood transition and directly compare their experiences across American and Chinese contexts. Individual interviews were conducted with 11 young adults with ASD in the United States and Hong Kong who exited high school within the past seven years. Results from thematic analysis revealed themes about participants’ experiences of self-determination in areas of autonomy, attainment of goals, psychological empowerment, and self-realization. Contextual factors in family, work, postsecondary education, community-based settings, and early school-age experiences were identified to influence participants’ development and expression of self-determination. Cross-cultural similarities and differences in self-determination among American and Chinese young adults with ASD were discussed in relation to various factors associated with their ecological systems. Implications of cultural-responsive understanding of self-determination for research and practice are discussed to promote better outcomes and quality of life in individuals with ASD transitioning from school to the adulthood.