1.
Nilsen, Åke
(författare)
En empirisk vetenskap om duet : Om Alfred Schutz bidrag till sociologin
2000
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
This dissertation examines Alfred Schutz's (1899-1959) approach to sociology, which early in his work he called an empirical science of the thou, with an emphasis on the sociological theory he worked out to strengthen interpretive sociology. Based on a methodological understanding about the possibility of being able to achieve scientific knowledge of the other's, the thou's, context within which meaning is created and action is based, Schutz further developed an interpretive approach which has its roots in Edmund Husserl's phenomenology. This dissertation highlights Schutz's contribution to sociology, both in terms of his own writing and the influence he has had on others, exemplified by Peter Berger & Thomas Luckman, Harold Garfinkel and Jürgen Habermas. The purpose of this critical analysis is to discern the positive contributions as well as deficiencies in Schutz's sociological theory, as well as locating Schutz's and his followers' perspectives in relation to sociology's methodological foundations. This dissertation primarily takes up two theory of science issues which are related to Schutz's and his followers' perspectives. The first issue revolves around the relationship between the theoretical development that Schutz undertakes through a phenomenological approach to analyzing the reality of everyday life and interpretive sociology's foundations. The second issue revolves around the relationship between Schutz's and his followers' approach and the methodological foundations of sociology. The dissertation is divided into three parts. Part I takes up Schutz's life and approach to sociology. Part II comprises of an analysis of Schutz's contribution to, and influence on, sociology with particular reference to his sociological theory. Part III takes up the issues of sociological theory and the methodological foundations of sociology.
2.
Kindblad, Christopher
(författare)
Gift and Exchange in the Reciprocal Regime of the Miskito on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, 20th Century
2001
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
This dissertation is a historical-comparative analysis of a conflict that has developed in the economic system of the Miskito in the 20th century, concerning the use of common property resources. The study is based on empirical material collected in a Miskito/Creole village on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua in the 1990s. During the enclave period (1860-1960) Miskito men earned money as wage labourers at foreign companies (lumber, mining and banana plantations), and sent home money and purchased goods to women, who worked in subsistence agriculture. At this time the communal resources were reserved mainly for subsistence and food gifts. This permitted a symbolic transformation of money and purchased goods, which were distributed in a wider network of kin-related women. There was a relatively stable coexistence of short-term exchange and long-term gift, which is referred to as a reciprocal regime. However, the transition to the commercial period (1960-) resulted in a commercial exploitation of communal resources, which seriously started to compete with subsistence and the custom of food gifts in the 1970s. A contradiction developed between short-term exchange and long-term gift, which stems from a double and contradictory coding of communal resources. This development was interrupted during the 1980s - the decade of the Sandinist revolution - but continued in the 1990s, although new aspects were added due to increasing population pressure, external exploitation and few opportunities for wage labour. In spite of instabilities in the reciprocal regime, the analysis suggests that there could be a conflictual coexistence of gift and exchange, which is potentially creative for the future.
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Kristén, Lars
(författare)
Possibilities offered by interventional sports programmes to children and adolescents with physical disabilities : an explorative and evaluative study
2003
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Today, sport is a topic that interests and engages many people. However, pursuing sporting activities and being a member of a sports club is not a matter of course for children and adolescents with physical disabilities. The overall aim of this thesis is to study the possibilities offered by interventional sports programmes to children and adolescents with physical disabilities and to describe in what way they can be offered meaningful physical activities as well as active participation in sport clubs, with a view to improving their health and socialisation through sport. The thesis includes three descriptive and one evaluative study. The results of the thesis rest on a combination of methods: practical- empirical experiences based on theoretical reasoning, interviews in line with a method inspired by phenomenography, and data from questionnaires analysed by descriptive and analytical statistics. The results are also based on a variety of data sources i.e. children, young people and parents as well as theory triangulation i.e. socialisation and health. According to the findings, sports programmes offered possibilities to children and adolescents with physical disabilities for improving their health and socialisation. An important component of the sports programmes were sports clubs that offered meaningful physical activities as well as active participation. Guidelines for co-operation in and the organisation of sports programme for children and adolescents with physical disabilities were of great importance and should involve the families as well as sports organisations and local authorities. The children and adolescents regarded sport as a form of social arena to enhance their participation in society and as a means for achieving better health. They also stressed the importance of knowledge and experiencing nature as factors that promote an active and healthy lifestyle. The parents regarded sport as a form of health education and as a means for their children to achieve increased participation in society. The parents also stressed the fact that the learning process was important for empowering the children to influence their life situation. The findings also illustrate the importance of building co-operation between the habilitation centre, sports clubs and families of children with physical disabilities by means of a working team, as well as the importance of the sports movement opening up its activities to children and adolescents with functional disabilities and each sports club appointing a contact person with special responsibility for this target group. Continued external support was regarded as necessary in order to assist the sports clubs in implementing permanent and well-functioning activities in partnership with a personal sport and health counsellor, who advises and supports the children and adolescents to participate in physical activity.
6.
Stenberg, Henrik
(författare)
Att bli konstnär : Om identitet, subjektivitet och konstnärskap i det senmoderna samhället
2002
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
This dissertation explore young peoples will to become artists. A group of artstudents have been interviewed and severel questions are raised. How do the students perceive their artistry and their role as artists? In what way is artistic creation meaningful to them? What does the relationship between the individual project of becoming an artist and their societal participation look like? As artists they examine different phenomena subjectively and they sometimes exceed personal and social boundaries. What may this look like and how may it be understod? In order to understand and interpret the art students’ work and reasons to become artists sociologically, I use Anthony Giddens analysis of the late-modern society and and the late-modern identity. Giddens creates a sociological understanding of the individual in society rather than an understanding of specific social groups. An understanding, which is well suited to highlight, the frequently individual life projects, created by the art students. However, Giddens theory is broad and opens for critisism. The art students, give their views of society and of themselves, which are not always in agreement with Giddens’ theory and therefore create different thoughts about the late-modern identity. When I develop Giddens’ theory, it is through an interaction between Giddens, the artstudents and other theories, between which I create a dialogue about identity, the exceedeing of social boundaries and the role of subjecticity in the late modern society.
