Lectio praecursoria : Muutoksen johtaminen suomalaisessa yliopistouudistuksessa rehtoreiden näkökulmasta

HTT Virpi Jupon julkisjohtamisen alaan kuuluva väitöskirja "Muutoksen johtaminen suomalaisessa yliopistouudistuksessa rehtoreiden näkökulmasta" tarkastettiin 11.2.2011 Vaasan yliopistossa.

Taivaan aine ja henki

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Vanha ja vireä

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Kerjäämisestä, köyhyydestä, auttamisesta

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Defending behavior in bullying situations

In order to encourage children and adolescents to defend and support their victimized peers, it is important to identify factors that either maximize or minimize the probability that students will engage in such behaviors. This thesis is composed of four studies designed to elucidate how a variety of factors work in conjunction to explain why some children defend their victimized classmates, whereas others remain passive or reinforce the bully. The conceptual framework of this thesis is drawn from several theoretical considerations, including social cognitive learning theory, the expectancy-value framework as well as the literature emphasizing the importance of empathy in motivating behaviors. Also the child-by-environment perspective and the socialecological perspective influenced this research. Accordingly, several intra- and interpersonal characteristics (e.g., social cognitions, empathy, and social status) as well as group-level factors (e.g., norms) that may either enhance or reduce the probability that students defend their victimized peers are investigated. In Studies I and II, the focus is on social cognitions, and special attention is paid to take into account the domain-specificity of cognition-behavior processes. Self-efficacy for defending is still an interest of study III, but the role of affective empathy on defending is also investigated. Also social status variables (preference and perceived popularity) are evaluated as possible moderators of links between intrapersonal factors and defending. In Study IV, the focus is expanded further by concentrating on characteristics of children’s proximal environments (i.e., classroom). Bullying norms and collective perceptions (i.e., connectedness among the students and the teachers’ ability to deal with bullying situations) are examined. Data are drawn from two research projects: the Kaarina Cohort Study (consisting of fourth and eighth graders) and the randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effects of the KiVa antibullying program (consisting of third to fifth graders). The results of the thesis suggest that defending the victims of bullying is influenced by a variety of individual level motivational characteristics, such as social cognitions and affective empathy. Also, both perceived popularity and social preference play a role in defending, and the findings support the conceptualization that behavior results from the interplay between the characteristics of an individual child and their social-relational environment. Classroom context further influences students’ defending behavior. Thus, antibullying efforts targeting peer bystanders should aim to influence intra- and interpersonal characteristics of children and adolescents as well as their social environment.

Lectio praecursoria : Käsittämätöntä! : mielekkyyden luomisen keinot ja funktiot työyhteisön kertomuksissa

HTT Virpi Tökkärin hallintotieteen alaan kuuluva väitöskirja Käsittämätöntä! : mielekkyyden luomisen keinot ja funktiot työyhteisön kertomuksissa tarkastettiin 11.5.2012 Lapin yliopistossa.