Dreams and Nightmares in First Nations Fiction

The dissertation describes an Indigenous dream framework that underscores the significance of dreams as a mirror of trauma and a way that leads back to Indigenous knowledges. Significant differences of Western and Indigenous epistemology are exemplified by juxtaposing Western and Indigenous dream discourses. The selected prose fiction allows for a dream categorization that emphasizes the significance and meaning of dreams as a metaphorical as well as narrative device. Nightmares/Anxiety dreams are often the result of the devastating effects of colonization and especially Residential School. Nightmares in the texts are often exact replicas of the abuse suffered in the boarding schools. They are discussed in the context of Robert Arthur Alexie’s novel Porcupines and China Dolls (2001/2009) represents dreams and traumatic nightmares and deals with the fictional Blue People First Nation. The community’s collective intergenerational trauma of Residential School experience keeps them stuck in dysfunctional dynamics dominated by suicides, sexual and physical abuse, drug and sex addictions. Telling dreams, categorized as “instructing dreams,” and “announcing dreams,” teach the dreamer what will happen in the future. They are discussed in the context of Richard Van Camp’s short stories “On the Wings of this Prayer” and “The Fleshing” (Godless but Loyal to Heaven, 2012), which represent the category of the ecological nightmare as well as of telling dreams. Ecological nightmares display environmentally destructive effects of capitalist globalization that have come to “infect” the world. The Windigo figure in the stories serves as a manifestation of resource and in particular petro-capitalism and Western society’s constant need to subjugate nature. Ecological dreams hence call for ecological vigilance and establish Indigenous knowledges as a source of resurgence and restoration. Existential dreams function as decolonizing tools that facilitate liberation. The thesis provides a literary analysis of Richard Wagamese’ novel Ragged Company (2008) and Cherie Dimaline’s short story “room 414” (Red Rooms, 2007) where homelessness is postulated as the manifestation of individual and tribal/communal disjointedness and isolation. Through existential dreaming, the urban lives of most of the characters dwelling in the shadows and margins of society are existentially transformed and healing seems possible. Paternalistic colonial mindsets continue to patronize Indigenous knowledges (as unreliable and unscientific) until Western “discoveries” prove what has been known for decades. The thesis underscores dreams as an essential part of Indigenous Knowledges, i.e. as knowledge sources. Surmounting Western dream perceptions and instead valorizing Indigenous knowledges, the characters in the texts discussed in my thesis, unremittingly follow their dreams’ instruction and eventually achieve reconciliation and healing. In the fictional texts discussed, nightmares represent homelessness, trauma, stagnation, and a disconnection to one’s (Native) background, whereas dreams represent continuity through the restoration of identity, finding home, and a sense of belonging. The notion of a dream reality and a waking reality influencing and informing each other relies on sharing dreams with the community, eventually leading to an enactment of the dream or vision. Dreaming and identity are significantly linked and foster processes of intellectual self-determination. The characters’ inability to externalize their internal wishes, desires, and needs results in further denial and consequential bitterness that feed into the spiral of alcohol and drug abuse as well as metaphorical and literal homelessness. The dreams’ semantic field strongly alludes to ceremonial traditions and provides the prospect of a rooted Indigeneity. At the turning points in the lives of the characters, when dreams and visions start to appear, they are lost in translation. The characters’ own illiteracy towards Native epistemology and spirituality has them trapped in the inability to read and act on their dream messages. Strong (often female) Indigenous presences that go hand in hand with the appearance of dreams provide the protagonists with guidance and lead the way back to the “Old Ways.” Through dreaming, the spiral of colonialism is disrupted and replaced by the circle of reconciliation and relationality.Die Dissertation beschreibt einen Rahmen indigener Traumkonzeptionen, der die Bedeutung von Träumen als Spiegel des Traumas unterstreicht und einen Weg aufzeigt, der auf indigenes Wissen zurückführt. Signifikante Unterschiede zwischen westlicher und indigener Epistemologie werden durch die Gegenüberstellung westlicher und indigener Traumdiskurse verdeutlicht. Die ausgewählten Prosawerke ermöglichen eine Traumkategorisierung, welche die Bedeutung von Träumen als metaphorisches sowie narratives Mittel betont. Albträume/Angstträume sind dabei oft Resultat der verheerenden Auswirkungen der Kolonisation und der Residential Schools. Robert Arthur Alexie’s Roman Porcupines and China Dolls (2001/2009) repräsentiert Träume sowie traumatische Albträume und handelt von der fiktiven Blue People First Nation. Das kollektive intergenerationelle Trauma der „community“ hält sie in einer dysfunktionalen Dynamik gefangen, die von Selbstmorden, sexuellem und körperlichem Missbrauch, Drogen- und Sexsucht dominiert wird. Die Kategorie der „telling dreams“ und ihre Unterkategorien der „instructing dreams“ und „announcing dreams“ lehren den Träumer, was in der Zukunft geschehen wird. Richard Van Camp’s Kurzgeschichten “On the Wings of this Prayer” und “The Fleshing” (Godless but Loyal to Heaven, 2012) repräsentieren die Kategorie des „ecological nightmares“ sowie des „telling dreams.“ „Ecological nightmares“ zeigen ökologisch destruktive Auswirkungen der kapitalistischen Globalisierung, die die Welt "infizieren". Die Windigo-Figur in den Geschichten dient als Manifestation der Ressourcenerschöpfung, insbesondere des Petrokapitalismus’ und des ständigen Bedürfnisses der westlichen Gesellschaft, die Natur zu unterwerfen. „Ecological dreams“ rufen daher zu ökologischer Wachsamkeit auf und etablieren indigenes Wissen als Quelle des indigenen Wiederauflebens und der Wiederherstellung indigener Episteme. „Existential dreams“ fungieren als dekolonisierende Werkzeuge, die zu einer Befreiung von kolonial gestützter Systeme und Strukturen führen. Die Dissertation liefert eine literarische Analyse von Richard Wagamese’ Roman Ragged Company (2008) und Cherie Dimaline’s Kurzgeschichte "room 414" (Red Rooms, 2007), in denen Obdachlosigkeit als Manifestation individueller und „tribal“/kommunaler Zerrissenheit und Isolation postuliert wird. Durch „existential dreaming“ wird das urbane Leben der meisten Charaktere, die im Schatten und am Rande der Gesellschaft leben, existentiell transformiert und Heilung scheint erstmals möglich. Paternalistische koloniale Denkweisen marginalisieren weiterhin indigenes Wissen (als unzuverlässig und unwissenschaftlich), bis westliche "Entdeckungen" beweisen, was seit Jahrzehnten bekannt ist. Die Dissertation unterstreicht Träume als wesentlichen Bestandteil indigenen Wissens, d.h. als Wissensquellen. Die Charaktere in den Texten folgen unablässig den Anweisungen ihrer Träume und erreichen schließlich Versöhnung und Heilung. In den diskutierten fiktionalen Texten stehen Alpträume für Obdachlosigkeit, Trauma, Stagnation und die Isolation von einem indigenen Hintergrund, während Träume für Kontinuität durch die Wiederherstellung von Identität, Heimatfindung und Zugehörigkeitsgefühl stehen. Die Vorstellung von einer Traumrealität und einer „Wachrealität,“ die sich gegenseitig beeinflussen und informieren, beruht darauf, Träume mit der Gemeinschaft/„community“ zu teilen, was letztendlich zu einer Verwirklichung des Traums oder der Vision führt. Träume und Identität sind signifikant miteinander verknüpft und fördern Prozesse der intellektuellen Selbstbestimmung. Die Unfähigkeit der Protagonisten, ihre inneren Wünsche und Bedürfnisse zu externalisieren, führt zu weiterer Verdrängung und daraus resultierender Bitterkeit, die sich in die Spirale von Alkohol- und Drogenmissbrauch sowie metaphorischer und buchstäblicher Obdachlosigkeit einfügt. Das semantische Feld der Träume spielt stark auf zeremonielle Traditionen an und bietet die Aussicht auf eine verwurzelte Indigenität. An den Wendepunkten im Leben der Charaktere, wenn zeitgleich Träume und Visionen auftauchen, gehen diese oft in der Übersetzung westlicher und indigener Epistemologien verloren. Das Unwissen der Charaktere über indigene Epistemologien und Spiritualität hält sie in der Unfähigkeit gefangen, ihre Traumbotschaften zu lesen und umzusetzen. Starke (oft weibliche) indigene Charaktere, die mit dem Erscheinen von Träumen einhergehen, geben den Protagonisten Orientierung und weisen den Weg zurück zu den „Old Ways“. Durch das Träumen wird die Spirale des Kolonialismus durchbrochen und durch den Kreis der Versöhnung und der Relationalität ersetzt

To lead, or not to lead: That is the question. An exploration of understandings of leadership in the context of the deputy principal in the Lutheran secondary school

Twenty first century Lutheran secondary schools operate in a complex and demanding social, historical and theological environment. Leadership needs to be conceptualized in a manner which is appropriate for a fluid, dynamic learning community. Contemporary thinking about school leadership explores concepts such as teacher leadership, shared and distributed leadership. Successful school leadership is also perceived to impact positively on student educational outcomes. The leadership of the deputy principal in many school sectors has traditionally been structured on the basis of a bureaucratic, hierarchical model. Such models are increasingly perceived as unhelpful in the school context, yet in response, little has changed for deputy principals. The purpose of the current study was to consider the situation in Lutheran secondary schools. It explored the understandings about leadership embedded in the current role of the deputy principals. This was achieved by comparison of the participants' perceptions with historical leadership narratives. The key finding of this research is that in Lutheran schools, the leadership role of the deputy is often not as fully developed as would be appropriate in the existing climate, where schools and principals are expected to provide ever expanding services and fulfil multiple purposes. In many schools, the leadership role of the deputy does not provide sufficient training for succession to the principalship. Deputy principals are seen to focus on activity which supports educational leadership, but leaves them on the fringe of it. Deputies are often not involved in major teaching and learning strategic planning, vision and change management. This hinders their preparation for a future role as principal, but also deprives the school of a potentially significant source of leadership activity.;Deputy principals are seen to model the Christian ethos of the school through the way they interact with staff and students and their involvement in the devotional life of the school. However, in-depth involvement in ongoing dialogue about Lutheran identity and the church in the school is usually dependent on the interest and passion of the individual deputies, not inherently demanded by the role. There is also a limited understanding of servant leadership influencing the practice of deputy principals in the schools. In order to maximise the effectiveness of the leadership role of the deputy principals in Lutheran secondary schools, it would be timely to draw together key doctrinal statements, leadership theory and Luther's reflections on vocation, into a cohesive and practical understanding of leadership. This could form the basis for further development of distributed leadership in Lutheran secondary schools and help to ensure that they continue to successfully meet the needs of their communities

Emulsion Stabilization with Lignosulfonates

Lignosulfonates are biobased surfactants and specialty chemicals. Due to their amphiphilic nature, they can be utilized in many technical applications, such as plasticizers, dispersants, stabilizers, and agrochemical formulations. Here, their ability to stabilize emulsions plays an important role. This chapter hence explains the fundamentals of emulsion stabilization with lignosulfonates. First, basic concepts are introduced along with the production and chemical make-up of lignosulfonates. Second, the interfacial activity is discussed. Parameters that affect interfacial activity and emulsion stabilization efficiency of lignosulfonates are furthermore treated. Such parameters may include salinity, pH, the presence of cosolvents and cosurfactants. Third, the underlying mechanisms of emulsion stabilization are outlined. The goal of this chapter is to introduce the reader to important fundamentals, and to draw the link between basic research and industrial practice

Navigation and content on university home pages

The home page is the most visible online representation of a university's style, activities and reputation. We studied the home pages of 68 universities in Australia, Canada, the United States of America, south-east Asia and Europe, looking for emerging industry standards and opportunities for improving our home page's quality and usability.2-6 July 200

Transparency and credibility: presenting corporate publications online

Corporate publications are an important marketing tool for a university, particularly in a national environment of increasing competition for non-government funding sources. Corporate publications such as strategic plans and annual reports can demonstrate an organisation's stability, prospects for growth and overall quality. Nevertheless, a comparative study in June 2004 found that most Australian universities do a poor job of presenting their strategic plans, annual reports and other corporate publications online. The study comprised a literature review followed by visits to 40 Australian university web sites

Inhibitor-Wax Interactions and Wax Crystallization: New Experimental Approaches and Techniques

Issues related to wax crystallization are one of the major challenges faced during crude oil production. Wax inhibitors and pour point depressants (PPD) are in common use for wax prevention, as they can delay gelling and ensure low enough crude oil viscosity even after wax precipitation. Understanding underlying phenomena is therefore paramount for successful wax control. This thesis has consequently been dedicated to (i) new procedures and techniques for investigating wax crystallization and inhibition, and (ii) application of these for a better understanding of inhibitor‑wax interactions. Extensive experimental work was performed to introduce or improve methodologies that enable: (1) More accurate assessment of WAT from experimental data. (2) Expanding research on inhibitor‑wax interactions via the use of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and gas chromatography (GC). (3) Fractionation of asphaltenes or wax inhibitors into groups with more distinct properties. Results indicate that ITC technique is suitable for qualitative studies only, but procedures developed for NMR and GC could reflect inhibitor efficiency to some extent. The effect of asphaltene or inhibitor characteristics on wax crystallization was studied via fractionation procedures, but corresponding procedures could also be used for other applications. The results in this thesis match the common perception that inhibitors act by affecting wax nucleation, wax crystal morphology, and wax solubility. In addition, wax inhibitors were shown to differ in interaction strength and to influence wax precipitation, compositional changes, and liquid wax mobility

Managing Emergencies at a Children`s clinic : An interview study

Bakgrund: När ett barn blir svårt sjukt är förloppet hastigt och kräver snabba insatser från personalen. Det ställs stora krav på sjuksköterskorna i barnsjukvården för att tillgodose patientens och föräldrars behov. Vid akuta händelser kan det vara svårt att tillgodose behoven.    Motiv: Forskning visar att sjuksköterskor kan uppleva akuta händelser som drabbar barn som traumatiskt. Kunskap om sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att vårda barn som har drabbats av en akut händelse är viktigt för att förbättra vården av det drabbade barnet och barnets säkerhet.    Syfte: Syftet med studien var att belysa sjuksköterskors erfarenhet av att i en akut situation vårda svårt sjuka eller skadade barn på barnklinik.  Metod: Kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med fem grundutbildade sjuksköterskor och fem specialistsjuksköterskor inom barn och ungdom på två medelstora sjukhus i Sverige. Intervjuerna genomfördes via Zoom och samtalen spelades in med mobiltelefon. Intervjuerna transkriberades och analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys enligt beskrivning av (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004).   Resultat: Analysen av intervjuerna resulterade i tre kategorier som i sin tur baserades på sex subkategorier. Kategorin ”Att vara förberedd” innehöll subkategorierna ”erfarenhet som kunskap” samt ”träning och prioritering”. Kategorin ”Att Agera” innehöll subkategorierna ”hinder och möjligheter i samarbetet” samt ”hinder och förutsättningar i kommunikationen”. Den sista kategorin ”Att reflektera och behöva stöd” baserades på subkategorierna ”utmanande känslor” och ”bearbetning”.   Konklusion: Studien bidrar till kunskap om att vårda barn i en akut situation på barnklinik och kan bidra till förståelse hur personalen utvecklas med händelser de erfar. Studien skulle också kunna öppna upp för att arbetet med svårt sjuka eller skadade barn består av en helhet med lika viktiga delar. Om organisationen tog hänsyn till alla delarna skulle detta kunna bidra till att stressen och sjukskrivningarna minskade. Background: When a child becomes seriously ill, the process is rapid and requires quick action from the staff. Great demands are placed on the nurses in pediatric care to meet the needs of the patient and parents. In the event of an emergency, it can be difficult to meet this needs.   Motive: Research shows that nurses can experience emergencies that affect children as traumatic. Knowledge of nurses' experiences of caring for children who have been affected by an emergency is important to improve the care of the affected child and its safety.   Aim: The aim of this study was to shed light on nurses' experiences of caring for seriously ill or injured children in a pediatric clinic in emergencies.   Methods: Qualitative method with semi-structured interviews was conducted with five undergraduate nurses and five specialist nurses in children and adolescents at two medium-sized hospitals in Sweden. The interviews were conducted via Zoom and the conversations were recorded with a mobile phone. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed with qualitative content analysis as described by (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004).   Result: The analysis of interviews resulted in three categories which were based on six subcategories. The category "To be prepared" contained subcategories "experience as knowledge" and "train and prioritize". The category "Acting" contained subcategories "obstacles and opportunities in cooperation" and "obstacles and conditions in communication". The last category "Reflecting and needing support" was based on subcategories "challenging emotions" and "processing".   Conclusion: The study contributes to knowledge about caring for children in emergencies at pediatric clinic’s and can contribute to an understanding of how staff develop with events they experience. The study also claims that working with seriously ill or injured children consists of equally important parts that together creates a whole. If the organization took the parts into account, this could help to reduce stress and burnouts.

Managing Emergencies at a Children`s clinic : An interview study

Bakgrund: När ett barn blir svårt sjukt är förloppet hastigt och kräver snabba insatser från personalen. Det ställs stora krav på sjuksköterskorna i barnsjukvården för att tillgodose patientens och föräldrars behov. Vid akuta händelser kan det vara svårt att tillgodose behoven.    Motiv: Forskning visar att sjuksköterskor kan uppleva akuta händelser som drabbar barn som traumatiskt. Kunskap om sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att vårda barn som har drabbats av en akut händelse är viktigt för att förbättra vården av det drabbade barnet och barnets säkerhet.    Syfte: Syftet med studien var att belysa sjuksköterskors erfarenhet av att i en akut situation vårda svårt sjuka eller skadade barn på barnklinik.  Metod: Kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med fem grundutbildade sjuksköterskor och fem specialistsjuksköterskor inom barn och ungdom på två medelstora sjukhus i Sverige. Intervjuerna genomfördes via Zoom och samtalen spelades in med mobiltelefon. Intervjuerna transkriberades och analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys enligt beskrivning av (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004).   Resultat: Analysen av intervjuerna resulterade i tre kategorier som i sin tur baserades på sex subkategorier. Kategorin ”Att vara förberedd” innehöll subkategorierna ”erfarenhet som kunskap” samt ”träning och prioritering”. Kategorin ”Att Agera” innehöll subkategorierna ”hinder och möjligheter i samarbetet” samt ”hinder och förutsättningar i kommunikationen”. Den sista kategorin ”Att reflektera och behöva stöd” baserades på subkategorierna ”utmanande känslor” och ”bearbetning”.   Konklusion: Studien bidrar till kunskap om att vårda barn i en akut situation på barnklinik och kan bidra till förståelse hur personalen utvecklas med händelser de erfar. Studien skulle också kunna öppna upp för att arbetet med svårt sjuka eller skadade barn består av en helhet med lika viktiga delar. Om organisationen tog hänsyn till alla delarna skulle detta kunna bidra till att stressen och sjukskrivningarna minskade. Background: When a child becomes seriously ill, the process is rapid and requires quick action from the staff. Great demands are placed on the nurses in pediatric care to meet the needs of the patient and parents. In the event of an emergency, it can be difficult to meet this needs.   Motive: Research shows that nurses can experience emergencies that affect children as traumatic. Knowledge of nurses' experiences of caring for children who have been affected by an emergency is important to improve the care of the affected child and its safety.   Aim: The aim of this study was to shed light on nurses' experiences of caring for seriously ill or injured children in a pediatric clinic in emergencies.   Methods: Qualitative method with semi-structured interviews was conducted with five undergraduate nurses and five specialist nurses in children and adolescents at two medium-sized hospitals in Sweden. The interviews were conducted via Zoom and the conversations were recorded with a mobile phone. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed with qualitative content analysis as described by (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004).   Result: The analysis of interviews resulted in three categories which were based on six subcategories. The category "To be prepared" contained subcategories "experience as knowledge" and "train and prioritize". The category "Acting" contained subcategories "obstacles and opportunities in cooperation" and "obstacles and conditions in communication". The last category "Reflecting and needing support" was based on subcategories "challenging emotions" and "processing".   Conclusion: The study contributes to knowledge about caring for children in emergencies at pediatric clinic’s and can contribute to an understanding of how staff develop with events they experience. The study also claims that working with seriously ill or injured children consists of equally important parts that together creates a whole. If the organization took the parts into account, this could help to reduce stress and burnouts.

Institutional vs Generic Web Search: A Results-centric Comparison

July 200

Effect of Low-Molecular-Weight Alcohols on Emulsion Stabilization with Lignosulfonates

Lignosulfonates are biobased surfactants and specialty chemicals, which are described as water-soluble polyelectrolyte macromolecules that are generated during the sulfite pulping of lignocellulose biomass. Due to their amphiphilic nature, lignosulfonates have made their way into various applications, such as plasticizers, dispersants, and suspension or emulsion stabilizer. The stabilization efficiency for oil-in-water emulsions is affected, among other aspects, by the presence of alcohols. Low-molecular-weight alcohols can improve the performance of lignosulfonates; however, the effects of such additive have not yet been fully explored. In this article, we hence studied emulsion stability in dependence of alcohol concentration and other parameters, such as salinity. One or two regions of improved stability were found, which occurred at approximately 0.001–0.01 M alcohol in water, and in some cases additionally at 1–3 M. The four lignosulfonate samples responded distinctly to the alcohol additives. Little difference was found for varying lignosulfonate concentration or the alcohol type, that is, methanol, ethanol, or 2-propanol. Adding ethanol at high salinity (720 mM NaCl) showed a destabilizing effect. A decrease in interfacial tension was noted when adding 1 M ethanol or more, but the surface pressure of lignosulfonates decreased progressively at 0.3 M ethanol and above. These effects are counteracting, which could explain why increasing alcohol concentration would either enhance or impair stability. Overall, emulsion stability was affected by concentration effects and not cosurfactant action of the alcohols. Composition changes can influence the dielectric properties of the bulk solvent, further affecting the anionic functional groups, which was evidenced by alcohol addition affecting the lignosulfonates with lower hydrophobicity more strongly and by ethanol exhibiting the destabilizing effect at high salinity. In conclusion, adding low-molecular-weight alcohols may hence influence the behavior of lignosulfonates and render them more accessible for interactions with hydrophobic interfaces