The aim of this master thesis is to analyze how and why Scandinavian-American history has been used in exhibitions in both Scandinavia and the United States after the end of the Great Migration. More specifically, the thesis deals with the Swedish and American exhibitions of the controversial Kensington Rune Stone, discovered in Minnesota in 1898. Despite the fact that its authenticity has been disputed by academic expertise, it has been displayed by many prominent actors. The Rune Stone is one of many purportedly pre-Columbian artifacts found in the United States. Moreover, it is an identity marker, harboring many kinds of identity constructions. The thesis therefore focuses on the meanings that the Rune Stone has been charged with since its discovery, as historical culture and in specific exhibits, on how it has been displayed, and on why it has been exhibited at  national museums in both Sweden and the United States. The principal source materials are five exhibitions of the Kensington Rune Stone.

The aim of this thesis has been to analyze and interpret several different discourses in Japan and from the findings see how the Ainu people and their existence in Japan have been defined in today's Japan and in who's interest it is to keep it this way. My findings was that the Japanese nation in all channels of society are reinforcing and perpetuating the belief that it constitutes an ethnically homogenous nation and that there exists no ethnic problems in the country. I found that schoolbooks don?t give adequate information about the Ainu people and its history, and the Japanese press is reinforcing the status quo by their selective silence and limited coverage on issues concerning the Ainu. The government has defined and legitimized the problem of Ainu within the framework of culture and tradition.

The present MA thesis analyzes how body and blood functions as historical and narrative elements in Yu Hua's novel Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (1995). In the novel, the story and the plot can not be regarded as disparate items; the two levels of the text are tightly interwoven by what the thesis introduces as a sangvinolent narration. The term conceptualizes the use of blood as a structural element and the thrust of the text, in this case how the ability to sell blood is a prerequisite for the story and the plot.Close readings reveal the structural correlations between the blood-selling main-character Xu Sanguan in the plot on the one hand, and in the story on the other, which can be detected to have, inter alia, an effect on the temporality of the narrative. Themes linked to identity, belonging and survival (performativity, mimicry, reification and alienation) permeate the text. In the novel the body and bodily fluids are sacrificed in order to form and enforce perceptions of identity and societal roles.The rhetorical use of ?blood and tears? (Ch.

The purpose of this paper is to study how the TV program Border Security: Australia?s FrontLine (Gränsbevakarna Australien) can be seen to reproduce networks of human and non-human actors. The aim is thus to investigate how boundaries between nations are upheld and how people, as a consequence, are discoursively categorized and what preconditions this create for people?sidentity- and meaning-making practices.The theoretical and methodical framework is built upon Bruno Latour?s work on Actor-Network-Theory, and discourse analysis inspired by Michel Foucault. The empirical material consists of two episodes of the TV program.

The aim of this essay was to investigate how teachers in the preschool class work with literacy. How do they justify the methods used to develop children's literacy abilities? I also wanted to know to what extent teachers enable multimodal approaches within written language practices. My study considers the impact teachers' professional identity has on working methods in the preschool class. I hope this essay will help teachers reflect on their learning approach. I gathered information by interviewing three preschool teachers and one compulsory school teacher for the early years working in three different preschool classes in three different schools.

In December 2004 the Jewish congregation Judiska Församlingen i Malmö wrote to Lund University regarding the cranium of a Jewish man, which had been in the University's possession ever since he committed suicide while in custody in Lund in 1879. The congregation requested that the remains be given to them and buried according to Jewish custom. In February of 2005 Lund University decided to appease the request. This essay examines the debate which followed.The main focus of the study is on which kinds of arguments were used in the debate, who participated and which aspects of the human remains were considered important by the debaters.The study has shown that clear differences exist regarding the types of arguments used by those in favour of the repatriation and by those who opposed it. There were also differences in who took a stand in favour of it and who was against it.

The aim of this study is to examine the language, used in parts of The day care report of 1968 (?1968 års Barnstugeutredning?). The day care report of 1968 was a public investigation appointed by the cabinet intended to prepare new policies on the part of the Swedish state.  I focus on the change, which can be assumed to have occurred, when replacing the names ?day care? (?dagis/daghem?) and ?kindergarten? (?lekskola?) with the name ?preschool? (?förskola?).

The aim of this study is to examine how preschools contribute to the forming of identity in children, with a specific focus on the quiet and socially withdrawn child. How do the teachers describe the quiet child and the socially withdrawn child? Are there any opportunities for children to be quiet/withdrawn in preschools? These questions have also been analysed from a gender perspective. The method chosen is qualitative method. Nine preschool teachers from two Swedish preschools have been interviewed.

Abstract The purpose of the essay was to investigate how you can work with conflict management through drama, to promote the meeting with children from many different cultures. I also wanted to see how the work may be different in a heterogeneous or homogeneous group of children.In the background I lift up what a conflict can be, what kind of conflict management methods there are, how to work with drama education as well as what ethnic conflicts can be.The literature studies have shown that there are different types of conflicts and that the conflict management methods are many. In an attempt to get answers to my questions I?ve had drama lessons focusing on conflicts in a heterogeneous and homogeneous group of children in grades 3.My study has shown that conflict management through drama can increase the understanding of other cultures and promote the meeting between children. Just as the literature describes conflicts, they can be difficult to solve and it is important to find a method that suits the class you work with.Key- words: conflict, conflict management, drama, homogeneous, heterogeneous..

This masters thesis investigates the relation between China and the Information Society as it is manifested in the UN conference the World Summit on the Information Society WSIS. The first phase of this two-phase conference took place in Geneva 10-12 December 2003, with two documents, Declaration of principles DP and Plan of action PA, as main results. The information policy is central to an authoritarian rule in its efforts to keep control over the national identity. The thesis investigates the impact that the information revolution and Internet might have on the Chinese national identity through the acceptance of DP and PA in various aspects. With the use of the information science theories by Manuel Castells and Frank Webster, the vision of WSIS was compared with the Chinese information policy.

The purpose of this study was to assess which basic principles collide when home care service users have requests about how their help is going to be performed. The requests involve gender and ethnicity of the personnel. The study is based on the experiences and reflections of the managers regarding this issue.As the study is focused on the reflections of the managers, I have used a qualitative research method based on interviews. I have also used two case examples as a compliment (vignettes).I was interested to explore how the managers reasoned and argued about gender and ethnicity of the personnel, and their importance in home care situations. I have investigated whether it is considered to be appropriate that the service users chose if a man or a woman helps them in intimate situations (such as showers), and if they are entitled to refuse to receive home care services from people with a different ethnic background.

North Western Kungsholmen in Stockholm is confronting big changes and Stockholmsstad is planning that the area will be an extended part of the existing structure in centralStockholm. Dwellings and offi ces are built and the population increase heavily. Th isresult in a need to look at how public green areas can develop and be designed. Th epurpose is to design a proposal for a master plan of S:t Göranområdets public greenareas. Exploateringskontoret, Stockholm stad, who has initialized the task, claim thatthere is a need of clarifying and shield the qualities in the green areas of today and howto create new green structure.The problem formulations which are current in this master thesis are:? Is there a need of a distinct identity for the green areas of S:t Göransområdet? If so,how is this created?? How can the green parks and nature areas inside S:t Göransområdet be improved anddevelop?? How can the connections between the green areas inside S:t Göransområdet beclarifi ed and how can they connect to the surroundings?To get inspiration and information for the design this thesis include a study of theincluding parts in the design process.

North Western Kungsholmen in Stockholm is confronting big changes and Stockholmsstad is planning that the area will be an extended part of the existing structure in centralStockholm. Dwellings and offi ces are built and the population increase heavily. Th isresult in a need to look at how public green areas can develop and be designed. Th epurpose is to design a proposal for a master plan of S:t Göranområdets public greenareas. Exploateringskontoret, Stockholm stad, who has initialized the task, claim thatthere is a need of clarifying and shield the qualities in the green areas of today and howto create new green structure.The problem formulations which are current in this master thesis are:? Is there a need of a distinct identity for the green areas of S:t Göransområdet? If so,how is this created?? How can the green parks and nature areas inside S:t Göransområdet be improved anddevelop?? How can the connections between the green areas inside S:t Göransområdet beclarifi ed and how can they connect to the surroundings?To get inspiration and information for the design this thesis include a study of theincluding parts in the design process.

This essay was written in order to elucidate how the priests-to-be and working priests experience the preparation for preaching during their training and if their identity as preachers depends on their preaching; how they refer to rhetoric and what the preparation training looks like.There is no Swedish research within this field, and even the existing international studies concentrate mostly on writing preparation within other occupations, e.g. economics, health care and public sectors. These studies also show that there are several discrepancies between the university preparation for professional writing and speaking and the professional discourse.In order to carry out the investigation the author has interviewed priests-to-be and working priests and examined the syllabi for homiletics and rhetoric. The result of this analysis offers a better insight into the nature of the training in preparing sermons that Swedish priests obtain during their professional education. The author refers to the results of other scientific investigations concerning preparation for professional writing and speaking and concludes that there are similar difficulties within the priest training, e.g.

In this essay I reflect on what makes a good preschool teacher today. I discuss the importance of education, the importance of experience and practical knowledge, but also the importance of capacity for self-reflection and listening. I bring up examples from my workplace, where some think more about their limitations than on what and how much they actually can. Others are more satisfied by what they can and see less of their limits. Some are also lack of the will to see differently and to do changes.