1.
Wahlin, Lottie
(författare)
Den rationella inbrottstjuven? : En studie om rationalitet och rationellt handlande i brott
1999
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Rationality as purposive action among burglars is the theme of this study. Various theories concerning rationality, Rational Choice Theory especially, are discussed. The first purpose of this thesis is to highlight the concept of rationality. Rationality is a complex concept and it is defined in various ways in the literature. The basic definition is to act in a purposive way towards a defined goal. The second purpose is to study the occurence of rational components in criminal behaviour among burglars. The action of burglary has been treated as a serie of actions, in which there are many decisions to make. Ethnographical studies and interviews have been conducted. The analyses and interpretations of the narratives render a picture of a situationally bounded rational action which also is contextually and culturally anchored. The necessity of further theoretical refinements for empirical studies covered by rationality, is emphasized. Concludingly, criminal behaviour seen through rationality as a general framwo rk has been acknowledge as being fruitful and relevant.
2.
Öberg, Peter, 1960-
(författare)
Livet som berättelse : Om biografi och åldrande
1997. - 3
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
This dissertation’s objective is twofold: (1) to show how the life lived is reflected in old age (the articles), and (2) to analyze how life-stories are presented and interpreted from the social constructivist perspective (the comprehensive summary). Article I is a critical discussion of two biographical methods of data collection: the “freely-told” life-story and the semistructured biographical interview. Article II addresses the thesis’ first aim. This article presents the data gathered through the qualitative biographical interviews conducted with elderly Finns, which resulted in a typology of six ways of life: The bitter life and Life as a trapping pit, which end up in a problematic old age; Life as a hurdle race, The devoted silenced life, Life as a job career and The sweet life, which describe different strategies for successful ageing. Article III is a study of Life as a hurdle race, where successful ageing is reached, despite previous difficulties in life. Article IV explains the paradox of the absent body in social gerontology, in light of the dualism of the Platonic-Christian tradition between body and soul. The comprehensive summary consists of critical methodological reflections on the conducted research. This summary acknowledges how the conclusions, reached at through analytic induction, where influenced by gerontology’s two myths (misery vs. success). The summary also treats the Renaissance of biographical social research, and the conducted research in relation to the theoretical debate on “the realist perspective” vs. “the story-focused, constructivist perspective.” From the latter perspective it is shown how emplotment shapes the life-story. Finally the summary addresses the generalizability and credibility of my results; results which by virtue of the life history perspective open up for a new qualitative understanding of ageing.
