The purpose of this paper has been to examine various ethnic stereotypes in two Swedish film adaptations of Astrid Lindgren?s character Pippi Longstocking. I have used a semiotic content analysis and postcolonial theory to investigate: 1) how the ethnic groups are represented in the different materials, 2) if there is a hegemonic relationship between the foreign group and one?s own group, 3) whether there has been a "decolonization" during the twenty years that separate the two films. This study has shown that, in the 1949 adaptation, primarily Africans were produced in a negative light and as biologically inferior in relation to the whites.

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to investigate teachers? views on play as a method for developing pupil?s communication and interaction in schools for children with severe learning disabilities. I am interested in pupils with autism spectrum disorder and their opportunities for social interaction with peers in playful activities. I focus on the subject communication and the parts about speech, conversation and interaction. My study is based on a qualitative study.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine if users of digital music games may acquire skills from the games that may be of use in learning to play a real instrument, that is a non-digitally simulated instrument like an acoustic piano. We have used Gee?s theory regarding a possible interconnection between different semiotic domains, and how this connection may enable a transfer of skills between related domains. In this thesis we examine possible skill transfer between the domains ?digital games? and ?non-digital instruments?. To examine our question formulation we chose to conduct a pilot study from which we collected both quantitative and qualitative data.

The use of group contribution between consolidated firms is a common phenomenon in Sweden where taxation is not based on the return on the consolidated level but on the return on the individual firms. However, the process of handling the group contribution does not work without problems. This thesis analyzes three main issues where group contributions oppose the Swedish Companies Act. ? The Swedish Companies Act enacts the decision regarding group contributions to be made at a shareholder?s meeting.

During my practical training I have seen what after-school offers children. Large groups of children and little staff, often results in that the children had to play freely until they go home. Few activities are offered to the children and the staff is busy looking after the children and ensures that they are not fighting.The purpose of this study is to find out how children feel about their leisure activities and if they think they are being offered a meaningful leisure. The main research questions were:How do children experience their leisure-time?Do after-school offers children a meaningful leisure and is it the children's interests and needs that govern the activities and the environment?How do the number of children in the leisure group affect the leisure time?The methods to collect data in the study are observations and interviews.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine if users of digital music games may acquire skills from the games that may be of use in learning to play a real instrument, that is a non-digitally simulated instrument like an acoustic piano. We have used Gee?s theory regarding a possible interconnection between different semiotic domains, and how this connection may enable a transfer of skills between related domains. In this thesis we examine possible skill transfer between the domains ?digital games? and ?non-digital instruments?. To examine our question formulation we chose to conduct a pilot study from which we collected both quantitative and qualitative data.

AbstractAuthor: Sofie JakobssonCourse: Media and Communication Studies CUniversity: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala UniversityPeriod: Spring 2012Key words: Job ads, Professional Communicator, Public Relations Officer, Trait Theory, Five Factor Theory, Big Five, personal traits, work tasks.Title: The Independent Specialist. A study of requested personal types in Professional Communicators.Number of pages: 35Purpose/ Aim: The study aims to evaluate what kind of personality type that would make a good fit for a Professional Communicator. The study examines personal traits and work tasks that are presented in job ads for Professional Communicators in Sweden today. From this material the author wants to calculate what kind of personal type that characterize the profession with the help of the Big Five theory.Material/ Method: Quantitative research method based on job ads.Main results: The study shows that personal traits that employers look for in Professional Communicators today are mainly traits from the Conscientiousness group with characteristics such as independent, structured and planning. The second biggest personality group is Extraversion where personal traits like driving, outgoing and social were put.

The aim of this study is to look at the environmental effect on toddlers? social interactions during free play in two older and two newer preschools. Furthermore, we would like to investigate four preschool teachers? thoughts about the indoor environment when it comes to toddlers? interaction during free play.Qualitative methods containing interviews of the preschool teachers and observations of the children during their free playtime have been used to help us reach our conclusions. In addition, our theoretical conclusions have been derived from both the sociocultural perspective and the environmental psychology perspective.Our results have shown that variations in the preschool environment are of importance in the outcome of toddlers? different social interactions.

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to answer the following questions regarding confirmation: In what ways do children seek confirmation in preschool? What are children confirmed for and how do they react to the confirmation? How is confirmation used by teachers? What do children want to receive confirmation for?The starting point for this study is based on the unique theories of Skinner, Maslow and Bronfenbrenner. The main focus with regard to Skinner?s theory (in this study) lies in reinforcement. In Maslow?s theory, the concentration is on hierarchy of needs while in Bronfenbrenner?s theory, the study centers upon interaction.

Purpose This thesis tries to create an understanding of how male homosexual entrepreneurs, both as persons and as a concept, relates to the fact that entrepreneurship, as well as the society as a whole, is heteronormative. Moreover, it examines by what methods the male homosexual entrepreneurs cope with the seemingly paradox of a homosexual man who also is an entrepreneur. Method The method has been qualitative from a social construction-point of view. We have made semi-structured interviews with nine male homosexual entrepreneurs and structured the findings from the interviews with a computer programme and mind mapping techniques. We have compared the structured findings with theories, in an abducting manner, to find out an answer to the purpose of this thesis.

The aim of this study was to examine how children in the age of 5 are communicating in play at the preschool and how their fantasy games are different from each other. In this study, I have gained a greater insight on how to control children's imagination games.My approach has been the observation of three fun times where I also used me out of a voice recorder to record children's voices when their children are communicating with each other during the time of play at the preschool.The results of my study showed that children's fantasy games based on children's past experiences in which children use different themes and characters. The children's communication activities are different from each other. Children have different themes but the deck is based on imagination and communication.Fantasy games that children perform is rooted in the experiences that children get through to experience and see the reality.

Stock analysts have through the analyses they write a large impact on the expectations on the market and the direction of investors investments. This creates undesired fluctuations on the market that raises the level of uncertainty. The way that the analysts satisfy their need for information is connected to how their final analysis will be shaped. There is a large knowledge gap concerning the way that the analysts work and this gives unsatisfactory ways of communication. This thesis is set out to create a greater understanding of how optimal communication towards this target group should be brought out.

The objective of this qualitative study was to contribute to the understanding of how musical activities affect the participants' well-being and empowerment and to investigate which fac-tors contribute to that effect. Invitations were sent to 13 adult participants in a rock music school in the middle part of Sweden. 7 persons (4 men, 3 women) participated in the study. 4 themes were discussed in focus groups to highlight how informants were affected by the ac-tivity and what factors were important in the context. Results showed that music activities impact on participants' well-being and empowerment through several factors.Themes that appeared were: 1) focus on the present through music, 2) personal development, 3) meaningful leisure activity 4) the group properties.

The subject of this study is the ?work strategy? (arbetslinjen); the idea that work and active measures are preferred over cash benefits. The aim of the study is to investigate why the work strategy, which has been almost undisputed for nearly a century, has had widely changing contents over the years, what measures have been taken and which groups have been included. It also attempts to find out whether there is a correlation between unemployment rates, society and the different aspects of the work strategy. The study is conducted as an idea analysis, mainly of dissertations on the work strategy and public inquiries, and covers five time periods from the 1920?s until today.

The aim of our study has been to investigate what kind of space there is to exert influence for adult persons with mild intellectual disabilities who live on group housing. We wanted to investigate what kind of hindrance and possibilities there were to exert influence for people on group housing. Our study has been built on qualitative group discussions with 9 persons with mild intellectual disabilities and 6 care-keepers. We have analysed our discussions on the basis of the theory of empowerment. Our result indicates that there is different kind of factors that affect the possibilities for people with mild intellectual disabilities to increase their influence, and it does not always have to do with the disability how the persons can make their voices heard.