An Insecure Base? Nerves, Violence and Step-Parents in Norwegian Children’s Literature

Central issues represented in four recent Norwegian books for children are children's resistance to step-parents, children's attempts to cope with family violence, and inverted relationships where children take responsibility for mentally unstable parents. The literary texts I have chosen as examples are three novels: Ingeborg Arvola's Blod, snørr og tårer (2000) (Blood, Snot and Tears); Kristin A. Sandberg's Verdens ondeste stemor (2004) (The World's Worst Stepmother); Endre Lund Eriksen's Pitbull-Terje går amok (2002) (Pitbull Terrier Runs Amok); and Gro Dahle and Svein Nyhus's picture book Sinna mann (2003) (Angry Man) My aim in this article is to explore how problems and survival strategies of children in troubled families are described and developed in these texts, and what stylistic devices and narrative techniques are employed. My analysis of the representations of nerves, violence and step-parents in four children's books draws on arguments from theories about philosophy and literature in general, children's literature, narrative analysis and attachment theories in child psychology

Relative mortality among criminals in Norway and the relation to drug and alcohol related offenses

BACKGROUND: Registered offenders are known to have a higher mortality rate, but given the high proportion of offenders with drug-addiction, particularly among offenders with a custodial sentence, higher mortality is expected. While the level of overall mortality compared to the non-criminal population is of interest in itself, we also estimate the risk of death by criminal records related to substance abuse and other types of criminal acts, and separate between those who receive a prison sentence or not. METHODS: Age-adjusted relative risks of death for 2000-2008 were studied in a population based dataset. Our dataset comprise the total Norwegian population of 2.9 million individuals aged 15-69 years old in 1999, of whom 10% had a criminal record in the 1992-1999 period. RESULTS: Individuals with a criminal record have twice the relative risk (RR) of death of the control group (no-offenders). Males with a record of use/possession of drugs and a prison record have an 11.9 RR (females, 15.6); males with a drug record but no prison record have a 6.9 RR (females 10.5). Males imprisoned for driving under the influence of substances have a 4.4 RR (females 5.6); males with a record of driving under the influence but no prison sentence have a 3.2 RR (female 6.5). Other male offenders with a prison record have a 2.8 RR (females 3.7); other male offenders with no prison record have a 1.7 RR (females 2.3). CONCLUSION: Significantly higher mortality was found for people with a criminal record, also for those without any record of drug use. Mortality is much higher for those convicted of substance-related crimes: more so for drug- than for alcohol-related crimes and for women

Tracking changes in the fjord environment over a winter season using ice bulk salinity and δ18O

Ice that forms in the fjords of northern Norway often undergoes temperature fluctuations, rising above and below freezing, throughout winter and experiences variable conditions at the ice-ocean interface due to changes in freshwater runoff from surrounding land. Conditions at the interface can be difficult to track throughout the season without consistent measurement, resultantly limiting understanding of how freshwater runoff from land may impact a fjord throughout winter. Ice samples gathered from fjords, however, offer a unique opportunity to examine the connection between bulk ice properties like salinity and δ18O and environmental conditions including growth rate and the composition of water at the interface. Using relationships from the literature, a method was developed to invert bulk ice salinity and δ18O simultaneously to determine the history of growth rate and interface water composition of ice samples gathered in March 2018 from six fjords located in northern Norway. Quantitative results depend on knowledge of salinity and δ18O of both the seawater and freshwater leading into the fjord. It was found that five of the six investigated sites had ice grown from a brackish layer with 0 to 40% seawater content, while one site had ice grown from water with 50 to 90% seawater content. The brine volume fraction of the ice from four out of the six fjords was partly or entirely below 5% which is too low to allow for efficient brine transport. It is additionally shown that at ice temperatures between − 2 and 0 ◦C, ice grown from water having a composition of up to 30% seawater at the ice ocean interface will fall below the 5% brine volume fraction, depending on growth rate. Through use of this method, an improved understanding was obtained of fluctuations in the composition of water at the ice-ocean interface in a sub-arctic coastal environment and, when ice growth rate is considered, the substantial influence on ice bulk properties

From above and standing atop- two views of Norwegian fjord ice

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Latent class analysis was accurate but sensitive in data simulations

Objectives: Latent class methods are increasingly being used in analysis of developmental trajectories. A recent simulation study by Twisk and Hoekstra (2012) suggested caution in use of these methods because they failed to accurately identify developmental patterns that had been artificially imposed on a real data set. This article tests whether existing developmental patterns within the data set used might have obscured the imposed patterns.<p></p> Study Design and Setting: Data were simulated to match the latent class pattern in the previous article, but with varying levels of randomly generated variance, rather than variance carried over from a real data set. Latent class analysis (LCA) was then used to see if the latent class structure could be accurately identified.<p></p> Results: LCA performed very well at identifying the simulated latent class structure, even when the level of variance was similar to that reported in the previous study, although misclassification began to be more problematic with considerably higher levels of variance.<p></p> Conclusion: The failure of LCA to replicate the imposed patterns in the previous study may have been because it was sensitive enough to detect residual patterns of population heterogeneity within the altered data. LCA performs well at classifying developmental trajectories.<p></p&gt

From above and standing atop- two views of Norwegian fjord ice

Poster presentation at the online CIRFA Annual Conference, 12.10.2020 - 14.10.2020 (https://cirfa.uit.no/welcome-to-the-cirfa-annual-conference-2020/), arranged by CIRFA: https://cirfa.uit.no/. In O’Sadnick et al. (2020), estimations of ice extent along the coast of Norway since 2001 determined from MODIS imagery are presented. From our findings, it is evident that the amount of ice in one fjord over time often varies and shows little consistency leading to the next question of ‘Why’? The study continues to relate freezing degree days, rainfall plus snowmelt, and snowfall to values of ice area to determine if significant correlations exist when fjords are grouped into regions. Six out of the ten regions were significantly postiviely correlated to freezing degree days (p < 0.05). Ice area in two regions was positively correlated to daily new snowfall, and in one region negatively correlated to rainfall plus snowmelt. Please see the publication for further description of methods and findings

Ice conditions in northern Norwegian fjords: Observations and measurements from three winter seasons, 2017–2020

Freshwater provided by rivers beginning deep within the mountains, feeds into fjords along the coast of Norway, often forming a brackish surface layer that will change in its salinity, thickness, and extent throughout the year. As temperature drops below freezing, ice can form from this layer along the entire coastline from 71° N down to 58° N. The influence of freshwater combined with changing weather and oceanographic conditions, can lead to ice that varies not only in its thickness and extent but its properties including crystal fabric, bulk salinity, and pore structure. Resultantly, how ice interacts with the surrounding environment including communities that use the ice for winter activities, boats transiting through fjords, pollutants like oil, and the biota living within the ice and fjord waters, will be impacted. To enhance understanding of the drivers of ice formation and resultant properties in Norwegian fjords, seven fjords located in northern Norway were monitored over three winter seasons between 2017 and 2020. Measurements of ice thickness, stratigraphy, bulk salinity, and δ18O were gathered along with measurements of ocean salinity, temperature, and δ18O of both snow and river water. Ice thickness ranged from non-existent up to 0.8 m with the proportion of congelation to granular ice changing between seasons and fjords. While ocean salinities directly below the ice on the day of measurement were primarily above 31 psu, ice bulk salinity varied from 0 psu to 5.6 psu with values of δ18O between - 13.3 ‰ and 0.2 ‰, indicating ice frozen from fresh water as well as seawater. Findings support that ice conditions in a single fjord or in a geographic region should not be generalized, with substantial variations measured between years and locations. We examine openly accessible interpolated weather and runoff data obtained through seNorge for possible causes for the variable ice conditions observed. Results reveal freezing degree days are not a dependable predictor of ice thickness when applied to Norwegian fjords, and substantial consideration of the date of onset of ice formation and snow cover are needed. Freshwater runoff and snowfall as well as the timing of weather and oceanic conditions throughout the three winter seasons are also presented to highlight their potential to influence ice formation considerably.Ice conditions in northern Norwegian fjords: Observations and measurements from three winter seasons, 2017–2020publishedVersio

Ice Formation in Norwegian Fjords – Findings from the 2018 - 2019 Field Season

Understanding ice conditions in fjords is imperative to ensure safe operations and to protect the surrounding environment. Seven fjords in northern Norway were visited in March 2019, six with significant ice cover. In each location, measurements of ocean temperature and salinity, and δ18O for ocean water and river water leading into the fjords were gathered. In addition, where ice was present, measurements of ice bulk salinity and δ18O were obtained along with an extra core to examine ice stratigraphy and pore structure. Results show ice of low bulk salinity, < 1.5 psu, and δ18O, < -7.67 ‰, in five fjords holding ice with maximum ice thickness being upwards of 0.46 m. This result combined with examination of stratigraphy cores reveals ice closely resembling freshwater ice in structure despite lying atop an ocean of average salinity 32 – 33.5 (psu). Ice salinity profiles elude to varying environmental conditions impacting ice formation throughout the winter season. Due to the impact of significant freshwater flux, ice properties differed significantly from sea ice forming in the open ocean, an important characteristic when considered in application to coastal operations.publishedVersio

Universitetsuddannelsens relevans i samfundsvidenskabelige studerendes perspektiv

Det seneste årti har oplevet et stærkt fokus fra politikernes side på den praktiske relevans af universitetsuddannelser, og dette fokus har ofte været baseret på en snæver forståelse af 'praktisk relevans’ som jobspecifikke kompetencer. Men et svar på spørgsmålet om, hvad der udgør jobspecifikke kompetencer, forudsætter en evne til at se ind i fremtiden og se, hvad det fremtidige arbejdsmarked vil kræve af studerende. Imidlertid tyder nyere uddannelsesforskning på, at de relevante, jobspecifikke kompetencer rettet mod behovene på arbejdsmarkedet bør fokusere på 'eksistentiel uddannelse’ snarere end jobspecifikke og snævert skræddersyede færdigheder. På baggrund af kvalitative interviews med sociologi- og antropologistuderende undersøger vi de studerendes opfattelser af forholdet mellem deres universitetsstudier og det fremtidige arbejdsmarked. Især ser vi på hvilke elementer af deres uddannelse, de studerende opfatter som relevante, herunder hvilken form for læring, de tror, vil være nyttig med hensyn til mulige jobfunktioner, de vil komme til at udfylde på et fremtidigt arbejdsmarked. In the past decade politicians have emphasized the importance of practical relevance in university programmes. This focus has often hinged on a narrow understanding of 'practical relevance' as job-specific competencies. Defining job-specific competencies is, however, more complex than it may first seem, since it requires an ability to look beyond current requirements and see what the future labour market will demand of students. Recent educational research suggests that relevant job-specific competences tailored to the needs of the labour market should focus on 'existential training', rather than job-specific and narrowly tailored skills. Using the outcomes of qualitative interviews with sociology and anthropology students, we examine the students’ perceptions of the relationship between their university studies and the future labour market. In particular, we look at what elements of their education the students understand to be relevant, including the type of learning they believe will be useful for possible job functions after leaving education