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The influx of refugees and immigrants into Iceland continues to affect the society socially, culturally, and politically. Like many other European countries, Iceland has become home to many refugees and immigrants, including young adults. This influx has affected the education system, and many schools have developed different models to serve the diverse needs of the increasing number of immigrant children entering the system. In spite of the obstacles – which include cultural and linguistic differences, struggles with different school systems and academic programs, educational level, financial standing or country of origin, little education, and limited family income – many refugee and immigrant students are enthusiastic about learning, and are able to succeed both academically and socially in their new learning spaces. Research has shown that immigrant students drop out of school as a result of different factors, such as not valuing school and having poor relationships with teachers and peers (Makarova & Herzog, 2013) and that immigrant teens in some ethnic groups suffer a higher dropout rate than the national average (Morse, 2005). According to a study conducted by Grétarsdóttir (2007) on educational progress among youth whose heritage language is not Icelandic, more than half of the respondents either never attended upper secondary education – i.e., the three to four years after compulsory school, typically about ages 16-19 – or dropped out. Understanding these students’ academic and social engagement and success may be critical for addressing the high dropout rates among immigrant students. Thus, the purpose of this study is to answer the question: What academic, personal, and social experiences account for the success of young immigrants and refugees while in upper secondary schools in Iceland? This study aimed to understand young immigrants’ and refugee students’ experiences of academic and social success in upper secondary schools in Iceland. In this study, 27 academically and socially successful students participated in one-hour semi-structured interviews. In the interviews, young immigrant and refugee students were asked about their attitudes toward their culture of origin and Icelandic culture and society, their experience of belonging to different groups, their aspirations and future goals in those settings, different learning environments and practise, their expectation of the schools and curriculum, and their motivations and obstacles including their language backgrounds. The study applies different theories, including culturally responsive pedagogy and multicultural education, that incline toward providing all students, regardless of their background, culture, language, race and ethnicities with the knowledge, tools and skills necessary to function harmoniously both in their community and globally. These theories facilitate the academic and social success of young immigrant and refugee students and create equity in the education system. The theoretical background chosen for this study aims to support the research questions and capture the depth of the data. Theories of inclusion and safe zones are discussed as ways to value diversity among these groups of students regardless of their background, language, ethnicity and race, and they address equitable opportunities for these students and to bring about equal, just and democratic society (Banks & Banks, 2013; Gay, 2018; Grant & Sleeter, 2013; Nieto, 2010; Pratt, 1991, 2007). Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2013) is used to analyze the data. This method is useful when one is trying to find commonalities in meaning among the participants’ responses. Knowledge about the reasons for the academic and social success of these students is important for policymakers, teachers, and governmental organisations, both in terms of societal stability and for the sake of individual refugee and immigrant youths. Bringing young immigrants’ and refugees’ academic and social success to light may also be significant in counteracting xenophobia. The findings reveal that various internal and external factors determine academic and social success of the refugee and immigrant students, including their desire, passion, and strength, as well as their interest in education and their future goals. They were intrinsically motivated, exerted effort, and refused to give up despite the various challenges they faced. Immigrant and refugee students’ journeys of success were also shaped by a set of visible factors both structural (inside their schools) and social (outside their schools, at home and in their communities).

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) are multisystem diseases of small blood vessels, collectively known as the anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV). This study explores the patient’s perspective on the use of glucocorticoids, which are still a mainstay of treatment in AAV. Patients with AAV from the UK, USA, and Canada were interviewed, using purposive sampling to include a range of disease manifestations and demographics. The project steering committee, including patient partners, designed the interview prompts and cues about AAV, its treatment, and impact on health-related quality of life. Interviews were transcribed and analysed to establish themes grounded in the data. A treatment-related code was used to focus analysis of salient themes related to glucocorticoid therapy. Fifty interviews were conducted. Individual themes related to therapy with glucocorticoids emerged from the data and were analysed. Three overarching themes emerged: (1) Glucocorticoids are effective at the time of diagnosis and during relapse, and withdrawal can potentiate a flare, (2) glucocorticoids are associated with salient emotional, physical, and social effects (depression, anxiety, irritation, weight gain and change in appearance, diabetes mellitus, effect on family and work); and (3) patient perceptions of balancing the risks and benefits of glucocorticoids. Patients identified the positive aspects of treatment with glucocorticoids; they are fast-acting and effective, but, they voiced concerns about adverse effects and the uncertainty of the dose-reduction process. These results may be informative in the development of novel glucocorticoid-sparing regimens., Sponsored by University of Oxford and the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium, with support from the US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (U54 AR057319 and U01 AR51874), the National Center for Research Resources (U54 RR019497); and the Office of Rare Diseases Research. Additional support for the work of the OMERACT vasculitis working group was received by a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Pilot Project Grant, the Medical Research Fund, Oxford, and the Oxfordshire Health Services Research Committee. Dr. Robson and Professor Luqmani are supported in part by the National Institute for Health Research Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Oxford, UK. Dr. Milman was supported by a UCB/Canadian Rheumatology Association/Arthritis Society postgraduate rheumatology fellowship award and a research fellowship from the Department of Medicine at the Ottawa Hospital.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in talent management, but there is still considerable debate with regard to understanding of the meaning of talent. While talent management has been criticized for the lack of conceptual and intellectual foundation, this paper aimed at exploring the systematic approaches to talent management in Icelandic organizations. A qualitative study was performed and interviews were conducted with 10 human resources managers. The results indicated that there were positive attitudes towards the talent management. Also, the interviewees described talent management as a rather new phenomenon within Icelandic companies. Talent management was defined by the managers as a powerful tool to monitor, attract, and develop their employees’ skills and retain new talent.

Publisher's version (útgefin grein), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with risk-taking behaviors, poor self-control, and interpersonal difficulties. Affected individuals have an increased probability of involvement with the criminal justice system, contributing to a higher rate of arrest, and imprisonment compared with the general population; they are also inadequately treated once sentenced. Because prison staff play a central role in the identification of inmates with mental disorders, they could well be key to improving provision of care. There is however little knowledge of the conceptions, perceptions, and attitudes of prison staff toward ADHD. Such information could help to identify starting points for awareness training and further implementation of specific ADHD treatment. To bridge this gap, we undertook a study based on a qualitatively-driven mixed methods design, combining qualitative data collection in the form of narrative interviews with 19 prison staff from a Swiss correctional facility with quantitative data collection in the form of a survey that included the Attitudes toward Prisoners scale. The interviews were analyzed with QSR NVIVO 11 and a qualitative content analysis approach was used to evaluate findings. Prison staff were generally aware of ADHD and its symptomology, believing it to a be "real," but "fashionable" disorder and favoring hereditary-genetic or biological explanatory models for its development. They viewed inmates with ADHD rather negatively, as complicating correctional efforts, and perceived them as sticking out, as tying up more resources and as frequently being involved in confrontations. Our findings suggest that difficulties in pragmatic aspects of communication and language comprehension may be perceived "as not listening or following instructions," creating additional tensions. Consequently, inmates with ADHD are more often exposed to disciplinary sanctions, such as solitary confinement-an intervention deemed "necessary" by staff. Therefore, staff training on ADHD might need to cover evidence on adverse effects. Non-pharmacological interventions for treatment were preferred and considered to be highly efficacious. Skepticism toward pharmacological treatment prevailed, even when benefits from stimulant medication were described. Interestingly, this skepticism was not the result of negative experiences with the misuse and diversion of stimulants. Acceptance of multimodal treatment among prison staff may require customized strategies.

Publisher's version (útgefin grein), Background: The Ebola epidemic in West Africa caused global fear and stirred up worldwide preparedness activities in countries sharing borders with those affected, and in geographically far-away countries such as Iceland. Objective: To describe and analyse Ebola preparedness activities within the Icelandic healthcare system, and to explore the perspectives and experiences of managers and frontline health workers. Methods: A qualitative case study, based on semi-structured interviews with 21 staff members in the national Ebola Treatment Team, Emergency Room at Landspitali University Hospital, and managers of the response team. Results: Contextual factors such as culture and demography influenced preparedness, and contributed to the positive state of mind of participants, and ingenuity in using available resources for preparedness. While participants believed they were ready to take on the task of Ebola, they also had doubts about the chances of Ebola ever reaching Iceland. Yet, factors such as fear of Ebola and the perceived stigma associated with caring for a potentially infected Ebola patient, influenced the preparation process and resulted in plans for specific precautions by staff to secure the safety of their families. There were also concerns about the teamwork and lack of commitment by some during training. Being a ‘tiny’ nation was seen as both an asset and a weakness in the preparation process. Honest information sharing and scenario-based training contributed to increased confidence amongst participants in the response plans. Conclusions: Communication and training were important for preparedness of health staff in Iceland, in order to receive, admit, and treat a patient suspected of having Ebola, while doubts prevailed on staff capacity to properly do so. For optimal preparedness, likely scenarios for future global security health threats need to be repeatedly enacted, and areas plagued by poverty and fragile healthcare systems require global support., We are grateful to participating institutions for giving permission to conduct the study, but not the least, to the participants who contributed with their time and experience.

Social, political and technological developments bring about change in the global society. However, it is often argued that education does not develop as rapidly and in line with these changes. This study explores how school leaders perceive their roles, power, and agency when leading change at the upper secondary school level in Iceland. School leaders’ perceptions of the interactions between actors and social structures that may facilitate or constrain change are elucidated. The study also identifies what school leaders consider to be the most significant challenges regarding educational change. Twenty-one school leaders in nine upper secondary schools in Iceland were interviewed. Two or three school leaders were selected to be interviewed in each school in relation to the management structure the school. Schools had been selected through stratified sampling based on the school types. The data is discussed in the light of theories on institutions and organisations, institutional and organisational leadership, different response categories for macro-level demands for change, and policy enactment. The findings show complex patterns of interactions between various actors and social structures that impact change across system boundaries of the upper secondary school level in Iceland. The predominant governing culture of upper secondary schooling fell within the institutional characteristics of education. Most of the actors were seen to protect the traditions, values, and norms in the field of education although some of them were seen to support change. The institutional governance plays a significant role in constraining change. Nevertheless, some macro-level and meso-level actors trickled the processes of deinstitutionalisation after external or internal crisis or because of other innovative ideas generated within or between the selected upper secondary schools. In this way, new ideas often travelled horizontally throughout the organisational field of the upper secondary education. The most significant challenge identified by the school leaders when leading change was directly related to the content of academic subjects. School leaders only had partial agency and limited power to promote change in subject content. In contrast, they claimed to have considerable pedagogical leadership in relation to teaching and assessment methods. The nine participating schools enacted the policy in the 2008 legislation and the 2011 national curriculum differently, and it is evident that many self-sustained subunits were seen to be operating within the schools. The most explicit resistance to change was reported to arise from faculty members of traditional academic subjects, in particular mathematics. The school leaders usually responded either as institutional or organisational leaders depending on the issues at stake, the operating dynamics in their respective schools, or the pressure from the macro actors. The apparent isomorphism among education systems worldwide suggests that lessons from Iceland may be valuable for the global school community, both as theoretical and practical contribution., Á alheimsvísu einkennir mikil og hröð þróun samtímann, stjórnmálin og tæknina. Í tengslum við það færa margir rök fyrir því að menntakerfið þróist hægt og alls ekki í takti við aðrar breytingar. Þetta doktorsverkefni varpar ljósi á hvernig skólastjórnendur í íslenskum framhaldsskólum upplifa hlutverk sitt, völd og getu til aðgerða við innleiðingu breytinga. Sýn skólastjórnenda á samspil ólíkra einstaklinga, hópa og félagskerfa sem letja eða hvetja breytingar er einnig skoðuð. Rannsóknin fjallar jafnframt um hvað skólastjórnendur mátu sem sína mestu áskorunina við innleiðingu menntabreytinga. Tekin voru viðtöl við 21 stjórnanda í níu framhaldsskólum víðs vegar um landið. Skólarnir og stjórnendur voru valdir með lagskiptu tilviljanaúrtaki meðal annars út frá tegund skóla, stærð og staðsetningu. Tveir eða þrír skólastjórnendur voru valdir í hverjum skóla út frá stjórnkerfi hvers skóla. Viðtölin eru rædd í ljósi kenninga um stofnanir og skipulagsheildir, kenninga um leiðtoga stofnana annars vegar og skipulagsheilda hins vegar, kenninga um ólík viðbrögð skóla við ytri kröfum um breytingar og kenninga sem varpa ljósi á það hvort breytingar nái í gegn eða ekki. Niðurstöðurnar sýna flókið mynstur gagnkvæmra áhrifa á breytingar, milli ólíkra einstaklinga, hópa og félagskerfa, þvert á mörk framhaldsskólastigsins á Íslandi. Sú menning sem stýrir framhaldsskólastiginu fellur undir einkenni stofnana. Viðmælendur komu með dæmi sem sýndu að flestir áhrifahópar verja þær hefðir sem þar hafa skapast ásamt viðteknum gildum og viðmiðum innan menntunar, á meðan aðrir hópar studdu breytingar. Þessi stofnanastýring er sterkt afl sem á stóran þátt í að hægja á og jafnvel hindra breytingar í framhaldsskólum. Einstaka hópar úr ytra umhverfi skóla sem og innan þeirra komu af stað ferli breytinga í kjölfar ytri eða innri kreppu eða vegna hugmynda um nýbreytni. Með þessum hætti bárust nýjar hugmyndir milli framhaldsskóla. Mesta áskorunin sem skólastjórnendur fjölluðu um við innleiðingu menntabreytinga tengdist inntaki bóknámsáfanga. Þeir lýstu því yfir að þeir gætu lítil áhrif haft á inntak náms og sögðust hafa takmörkuð völd til að ýta undir breytingar á inntaki. Þeir lýstu því aftur á móti hvernig þeir hefðu umtalsverða möguleika til forystu þegar kemur að kennsluháttum og námsmati. Þeir níu framhaldsskólar sem tóku þátt í rannsókninni virkjuðu með ólíkum hætti þá stefnu sem boðuð var með lögunum 2008 og aðalnámskrá 2011. Afar skýrt kemur fram í gögnunum að margar sjálfstætt starfandi einingar voru ráðandi innan skólanna. Skólastjórnendur töldu mesta viðnámið gegn breytingum vera í fagdeildum hefðbundins bóknáms, einkum í stærðfræði. Þeir lýstu dæmum um það hvernig þeir brugðust við sem féllu ýmist undir hugmyndir um leiðtogar stofnana eða leiðtogar skipulagsheilda eftir því hvaða viðfangsefni þeir voru að fást við hverju sinni, ráðandi menningu innan skólans eða vegna utanaðkomandi þrýstings.

Í greininni er greint frá helstu niðurstöðum úr tveimur eigindlegum rannsóknum þar sem viðtökur við brotum úr skáldsögum Vigdísar Grímsdóttur voru kannaðar og þá einkum tilfinningaviðbrögð fólks og samlíðan. Í hinni fyrri var brot úr Þögninni (2000) lagt fyrir 20 manna hóp, annars vegar tíu einstaklinga sem menntaðir voru í tónlist, hins vegar 10 manns sem ekki höfðu tónlistarnám í farteskinu. Í ljós kom að bakgrunnur tónlistarmannanna hafði önnur áhrif á viðbrögð þeirra við textanum en gert hafði verið ráð fyrir. Því var ákveðið að kanna viðbrögð 10 myndlistarmanna með því að leggja fyrir þá brot úr skáldsögunni Þegar stjarna hrapar (2003) og bera saman við viðbrögð 10 einstaklinga sem ekki eru menntaðir í myndlist. Textarnir úr sögunum tveimur eiga það sameiginlegt að í þeim er fjallað um ákveðið listform, tónlistina í Þögninni en myndlistina í Þegar stjarna hrapar. Með hliðsjón af hugrænum fræðum, einkum skemakenningunni, verður rætt um hvernig bakgrunnur þátttakenda markar viðbrögð þeirra og hvaða vísbendingar eigindlegar rannsóknir af þessu tagi kunna að gefa um aðra þætti en þá sem bókstaflega er spurt um., This article presents findings from two qualitative research studies on readers’ emotional reactions and empathy towards literary texts. Participants were presented with two fragments from novels by Vigdís Grímsdóttir and then asked about their reactions. In the first study, 20 participants were asked to read a fragment from the novel Þögnin(2000) and half of the participants had some kind of a musical education and the other half with no background in music. Interestingly, having a musical background impacted reactions differently than what was expected. As a result, a second study was carried out where the reactions of visual artists (10) were compared to non-artists (10) to a fragment from the novel Þegar stjarna hrapar (2003). Both novels contain information specific to music (Þögnin) or visual arts (Þegar stjarna hrapar). Cognitive science methods, such as the schema theory, will be used to explain how readers of diverse backgrounds react differently to the same text. This approach also illustrates how useful qualitative methods can be in studying topics beyond only the content of the text.

Objective: The antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAVs) are multisystem diseases of the small blood vessels. Patients experience irreversible damage and psychological effects from AAV and its treatment. An international collaboration was created to investigate the impact of AAV on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and develop a disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure to assess outcomes of importance to patients. Methods: Patients with AAV from the UK, USA, and Canada were interviewed to identify salient aspects of HRQoL affected by AAV. The study was overseen by a steering committee including four patient research partners. Purposive sampling of interviewees ensured representation of a range of disease manifestations and demographics. Inductive analysis was used to identify themes of importance to patients; these were further confirmed by a free-listing exercise in the US. Individual themes were recast into candidate items, which were scrutinized by patients, piloted through cognitive interviews and received a linguistic and translatability evaluation. Results: Fifty interviews, conducted to saturation, with patients from the UK, USA, and Canada, identified 55 individual themes of interest within seven broad domains: general health perceptions, impact on function, psychological perceptions, social perceptions, social contact, social role, and symptoms. Individual themes were constructed into >100 candidate questionnaire items, which were then reduced and refined to 35 candidate items. Conclusion: This is the largest international qualitative analysis of HRQoL in AAV to date, and the results have underpinned the development of 35 candidate items for a disease-specific, patient-reported outcome questionnaire., Sponsored by the University of Oxford, the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium and the University of Ottawa. With support from the Medical Research Fund, Oxford, the Oxfordshire Health Services Research Committee (Ref 1098), the US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (U54 AR057319 and U01 AR51874), the National Center for Research Resources (U54 RR019497), and the Office of Rare Diseases Research. Oxford University Innovation funded the translatability exercise. Additional support received by a Patient-Centred Outcomes Research Institute Pilot Project Grant.

Börnum sem geta ekki dvalið hjá foreldrum sínum vegna erfiðra aðstæðna er jafnan komið í fóstur á einkaheimili fyrir tilstilli barnaverndarnefnda. Markmiðið er að búa barninu tímabundið tryggar uppeldisaðstæður eða að koma því varanlega fyrir þegar ekki þykir unnt að bæta aðstæður þess með öðrum hætti. Til fósturráðstöfunar er því einkum gripið þegar talið er að líkamlegri eða andlegri heilsu barnsins eða þroska þess sé hætta búin vegna framferðis foreldra eða vegna hegðunar barnsins. Rannsóknir staðfesta að námsgengi fósturbarna er oft slæmt, óstöðugleiki í fóstri hefur neikvæð áhrif og samráði við börn um ákvarðanir í málum er oft áfátt. Þessi grein fjallar um rannsókn á fóstri barna og skólagöngu. Markmiðið var að athuga reynslu viðmælenda af fósturdvöl og skólagöngu, m.a. hvort þeir teldu að haft hefði verið samráð við þá um ákvarðanir. Um var að ræða viðtalsathugun með þátttöku- og barnmiðuðu sniði, þar sem reynt var að veita viðmælendum talsvert sjálfdæmi um tilhögun viðtala. Rætt var við fjóra unglinga á aldrinum 14 til 16 ára. Sumir höfðu dvalið á víxl í fóstri eða hjá foreldrum. Í niðurstöðum vöktu áföll og tíð skipti um skóla einna mesta athygli og það beindi meðal annars athygli að óstöðugleika fóstursins. Hvert barn hafði sótt 4–5 skóla. Á þeim tíma þegar rannsóknin var gerð höfðu börnin alls skipt um skóla 26 sinnum og lent í ýmsum vanda, t.d. einelti og óréttmætum ásökunum. Reynsla fósturbarnanna af skólagöngu var með ýmsu móti. Samvinna var nokkur milli skólans og barnaverndarnefndar sveitarfélagsins en samráð við börnin lítið og vinnuaðferðir virtust ekki efla þau nema að litlu leyti. Erfitt reyndist að finna börn til að ræða við og strandaði þar mest á milliliðum sem þurfa að leyfa slíkt. Rannsóknin náði til fárra og var markmiðið því ekki að alhæfa um niðurstöður. Í ljósi þeirra má þó álykta að barnaverndarnefndir og skólar þurfi, a.m.k. stundum, að skilgreina betur frumkvæði, tryggja fósturbörnum meira öryggi og treysta betur námsgengi þeirra. Þess er vænst að niðurstöðurnar geti nýst til að efla menntun fósturbarna., Child protection committees place children in foster care due to difficult conditions in their parental home. The goal of this measure is to safeguard children’s situation and upbringing, either temporarily or permanently, when other special measures do not suffice. Foster care placements are used by child protection authorities if a child may be physically or mentally endangered by the parent’s situation or by the child’s own behaviour. Research generally shows poorer educational outcomes for children in foster care than for other learners. Findings also confirm that placement disruption and breakdown negatively affects children’s well- being and schooling. Studies of case handling in child protection show lack of children’s participation in decision making which goes against the participation principle in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This paper reports on a study of children’s own experiences on foster care and schooling. It aimed in particular at exploring whether the children under study had been consulted and empowered by child protection and educational professionals who handled their matters. The sample was recruited through child protection authorities. Finding interviewees proved to be time consuming and complicated, mostly due to lack of assistance and because gatekeepers were reluctant to grant access. The research was conducted by using child-focused interview methods. Open questions were used to enable the children to talk freely and adjust the interviews to a certain extent. Pictures, signs and conversation cards were applied to encourage the children to participate actively in dialogues. Four foster children were interviewed; two boys and two girls, all 14-16 years of age. Questions mainly concerned well-being in foster care, albeit some were retrospective in order to contextualise the accounts. The children stayed temporarily or permanently in foster care while attending primary school. They had earlier lived in various parts of Iceland and had to attend school geographically far away from their homes, parents and families. Their case handling was under the jurisdiction of various child protection authorities in different regions of the country. Some children moved temporarily from the foster home to the parental home and returned later to the same or another placement. The number of attended schools was a significant issue. During years of primary school each child had changed school 4 – 11 times and in total the children had attended seventeen schools. The children’s experiences varied, both in temporarily and permanent foster care. For instance, one boy in permanent care, where stability and good daily care dominated, was reported as being content and comfortable, while one girl where placements were disrupted was repeatedly sexually abused. The children had learning difficulties, physical and behavioural problems, were mobbed by peers and some met with unreasonable accusations. There had been some cooperation between the schools and the child protection authorities, but none of the children were consulted which deprived them of the opportunity to influence their own situation. Those who faced problems did not obtain a spokesman who could listen and explain the reasons behind foster arrangements or other practicalities. For instance, one girl’s request for a spokesman, a service to which she was entitled according to the Icelandic Child Protection Act, was repeatedly denied. This study was based on a small sample which provided no ground for generalization and limits definite conclusions. However, the experiences of the interviewees on foster care and schooling enable deeper understanding of the issue, in particular as it is under-researched in Iceland. The findings indicate that schools should enhance safeguarding measures of children in foster care. Professionals also need to attend more carefully to educational needs of children in foster care. Furthermore, clear goals need to be introduced in regard to cooperation of educational and child protection authorities and the same is true for procedures concerning school attendance of children placed in foster care. According to this study and other research referred to in the article, these recommendations may be important preconditions for coping effectively in adult life.

Karlar eru í yfirgnæfandi meirihluta meðal lögreglumanna. Í greininni er fjallað um birtingarmyndir karlmennskuhugmynda í vinnumenningu lögreglunnar og þátt þeirra í að móta rými lögreglukarla til tilfinningaúrvinnslu, húmor og einelti. Greinin byggir á niðurstöðum eigindlegrar rannsóknar sem unnin var í samvinnu við embætti ríkislögreglustjóra og hafði það að markmiði að fá innsýn í upplifun viðmælenda af vinnumenningu lögreglunnar. Tekin voru 10 viðtöl við jafn marga karla í ýmsum starfsstigum lögreglunnar. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að hugmyndir um karlmennsku eigi þátt í að takmarka rými lögreglukarla til tilfinningaúrvinnslu eftir streituvekjandi atvik í starfi. Svartur húmor er gjarnan nýttur til tilfinningaúrvinnslu og þau úrræði sem eru til staðar innan lögreglunnar til slíkrar úrvinnslu eru ekki nýtt sem skyldi. Viðtekinn svartur húmor og þröngt skilgreindar hugmyndir um ásættanlega karlmennsku og kvenleika virðast ýta undir einelti í vinnumenningu lögreglunnar., Men are in an overwhelming majority within the Icelandic police. The article discusses masculinity in the work culture of the police and its role in shaping policemen’s space to emotional processing, humour, and bullying. The article is based on the results of a qualitative research which was carried out in cooperation with the National Commissioner with the main aim of gaining insight into the interviewee’s experience of the work culture in the police. Ten interviews, with as many men, within various positions in the Icelandic police, were carried out. The results indicate that ideas of masculinity contribute to limiting policemen’s leeway to emotional processing following stress inducing incidents at work. Dark and sarcastic humour is often used for emotional processing and the resources that are available within the police to such processing are not used as intended. Accepted humour and narrowly defined ideas of masculinity and femininity seem to contribute to bullying in the work culture of the police.

This study is an enquiry into young children’s learning processes as they participate in preschool groups. The aims of the study are two‐fold: to explore the multiple factors affecting children’s learning processes while participating in two different early childhood curricular contexts; and to give a detailed description of how children are learning in their daily lives. The two participating preschools both have built their practice on the Icelandic National Curriculum Guide, but adopt very different approaches in their day‐to‐day curriculum and pedagogy. One school works in the spirit of Reggio Emilia (Malaguzzi, 1998), with the main aims being for children to develop their ideas and hypotheses, to co‐construct meaning both individually and in collaboration with others, and to support children in being creative when working on projects. The other preschool, Lava Ledge, uses the Hjalli approach, a relatively new Icelandic curricular approach where the main goals are to support children in learning to follow rules, engaging in positive thinking and independence, and actively cultivating attributes that are typically considered to be strengths in the opposite gender, an aim that is advanced by means of single‐sex groups. The underpinning theories of learning and teaching in this study are broadly sociocultural, emphasizing the importance of the social context with regard to children’s learning, where learning is seen as the product of interaction between two main factors, the social context and individual personal qualities (Rogoff, 2003; Vygotsky, 1978; Wells & Claxton, 2002). Rogoff’s (2003) account of participation in sociocultural milieus is referred to, and in order to provide a perspective that may help to focus on the various ways children learn within different cultural contexts, attention is specifically devoted to guided participation. Guided participation builds on the child being active in learning where adults’ support can take many forms, such as explicit verbal and non‐verbal guidance, as one example. Other main ideas supporting this study are influenced by ‘sociology of childhood’ focusing on children as competent learners and active agents (Mayall, 2003) in the creation of meaning through their interactions with adults and other children. Another idea influencing the study is related to children as participants in peer groups, producing their own cultural values which can be different from the preschool’s cultural values (Corsaro, 2015). Furthermore, pedagogy, play, and power relations between teachers and children are seen as being among the factors influencing children’s learning processes (Bae, 2009; Bernstein, 1977). The study uses a qualitative approach influenced by ethnography, describing cases in two preschools with the aim of capturing the complexity of children´s learning processes within the preschool context. Ethical issues were connected to the study’s approach, such as the need for the researcher to be as non‐judgmental as possible through the datageneration process, and to be open to the different meanings, experiences, and emotions of the various participants. The method used had the aim to capture the complexity of children’s learning processes within the preschools. The researcher constructed children’s stories (“learning stories” in New Zealand) from a cumulative series of stories told by written narratives, photos, or videos of individual children participating in preschool activities. The analysis process included reflecting on the data‐set when constructing children’s stories (written by the researcher), and later to discuss children’s participation in their preschool groups, and finally analyze children’s participation in terms of learning dispositions. Children’s participation is discussed in light of three dispositional lenses: communication and involvement; well‐being and belonging; and contribution and taking responsibility. The analysis of the data revealed in what ways the children’s learning processes were supported, as well as what was similar and what was different in the pedagogy of the two preschools. Furthermore, the children’s stories, constructed from the observations, gave a detailed description of how the children were learning in their daily lives in the preschool. The findings suggest that the two preschools demonstrate a different power balance between teachers and children in their pedagogies, as well as fostering different levels of participation, especially during group times. Despite these differences, the evidence of the children’s participation and their learning dispositions is surprisingly similar in both preschools. Observations from both preschools reveal how the children collaborate in highly developed play, especially during their free time and in choice time, which involves planning, communicating, solving problems and negotiating peer relationships. In both preschools, the children were frequently provided with the freedom to play, interact, and find solutions within their peer groups, sometimes with the preschool teachers’ intervention, but most of the time without. In both preschools, the peer culture played a large part in the pedagogy; children shared experiences, and often attempted to gain control in preschool groups. The power balance within the peer groups reflected very different participation for children, within the different situations children’s experiences could reveal friendship, togetherness, or belonging, but some children also faced social exclusion or marginalization. The findings suggest that the children’s daily experience in play‐based activities within their peer groups may be more influential for their learning processes than the specific curricular strategies employed in each preschool. Implications from the study inform both global and Icelandic discussion on provisions for five‐year‐old children, and suggest that schooling for this age group might gain from providing children with ample opportunities to play and to express their ideas, interests, and views., Rannsókn þessari er ætlað að varpa ljósi á þátttöku barna í leikskóla. Markmið rannsóknarinnar er tvíþætt: að kanna ýmsa þætti sem hafa áhrif á námsferli ungra barna í tveimur ólíkum leikskólum; og að lýsa því af nákvæmni hvernig börn læra með þátttöku í daglegu lífi leikskóla síns. Litið er svo á að þegar börn og kennarar byggi upp þekkingu í sameiningu eigi sér stað námsferli þar sem börn öðlast kunnáttu og þróa skilning og félagslega færni. Þegar börn taka þátt í samskiptum í leikskóla eiga sér stað gagnvirk samskipti milli barns og umhverfis, sem birtist í námsferlum þar sem börn þroskast og læra (nám barna og þroski á sér stað/birtist) (Rogoff, 1990; Vygotsk y, 1978). Í rannsókninni tóku þátt börn og leikskólakennarar í tveimur leikskólum sem byggja starf sitt á aðalnámskrá leikskóla en jafnframt á ólíkum hugmyndum og aðferðum sem stuðst er við í daglegu starfi. Annar skólinn starfar í anda leikskóla í borginni Reggio Emilia á Ítalíu (Malaguzzi, 1998) en hinn styðst við nýlega íslenska leikskólastefnu, Hjallastefnuna. Meginmarkmið Seaside, Reggio Emilia‐leikskólans, eru að börnin móti og þrói eigin hugmyndir og tilgátur og byggi upp sameiginlega þekkingu, bæði sem einstaklingar og í samvinnu við aðra. Jafnframt fer fram verkefnavinna þar sem stutt er við skapandi starf með börnum. Meginmarkmið Lava Ledge, Hjallastefnuleikskólans, eru að börn læri að fylgja reglum, tileinki sér jákvæða hugsun og sjálfstæði og samkvæmt kynjaðri námskrá þjálfi þau færni sem að öllu jöfnu er talin styrkleiki gagnstæðs kyns. Byggt er á félagsmenningarkenningu, þar sem lögð er áhersla á mikilvægi félagslegslegra þátta í námi barna, og að nám fari fram með víxlverkan tveggja meginþátta, félagslegs samhengis og eiginleika einstaklingsins (Rogoff, 2003; Vygotsky, 1978; Wells & Claxton, 2002). Til að varpa ljósi á þann margbreytileika í námsferlum barna sem birtist í leikskólastarfi er stuðst við hugtak Rogoff, þátttaka (e. participation) í félagslegu umhverfi, með sérstaka áherslu á varðaða þátttöku (e. guided participation). Vörðuð þátttaka vísar til virkni barnsins í eigin námi þar sem stuðningur fullorðinna getur haft margar birtingarmyndir, svo sem tjáningu með eða án orða. Fræðilegur grunnur rannsóknarinnar er jafnframt undir áhrifum „félagsfræði barnæsku“ (e. sociology of childhood), en samkvæmt þeim hugmyndum er litið á börn sem virka einstaklinga sem eru hæfir til að beita áhrifamætti (e. agency) sínum (Mayall, 2003) þegar þau skapa merkingu í samskiptum við fullorðna og önnur börn. Með þátttöku í félagahópum (e. peer groups) byggja börn upp eigin menningarleg gildi, sem geta verið önnur en þau gildi sem lögð er áhersla á í leikskólanum (Corsaro, 2015). Auk þess er litið svo á að uppeldis‐ og kennslufræði, leikur og valdatengsl milli leikskólakennara og barna séu meðal þeirra þátta sem hafi áhrif á námsferli barna (Bae, 2009; Bernstein, 1977). Beitt er eigindlegri rannsóknaraðferð og leitað til aðferða þjóðfræði (e ethnography), þar sem tilvikum (e. cases) úr tveimur leikskólum er lýst, með það að markmiði að fanga flókna þætti sem koma fram í námsferlum barna í leikskólum. Fjallað er um siðferðilega þætti sem tengjast rannsóknaraðferðinni, svo sem nauðsyn þess að rannsakandinn sé eins fordómalaus og mögulegt er meðan á rannsókninni stendur, og sé auk þess opinn fyrir ólíkum skilningi, reynslu og tilfinningum þátttakenda í rannsókninni. Fjölbreytt rannsóknargögn voru greind (sögur skráðar með skriflegri skráningu, ljósmyndum og myndbandsupptökum), með það að markmiði að fanga flókin námsferli barna. Með nákvæmri skoðun og greiningu gagnasafnsins byggði rannsakandi upp sögur einstakra barna (e. children’s stories) og greindi þátttöku þeirra í barnahópnum. Í lok greiningarferlisins er þátttaka barnanna rædd út frá þremur sjónarhornum hneigð til náms (e. learning dispositions): samskiptum og þátttöku; vellíðan og að tilheyra; og að hafa áhrif og taka ábyrgð á aðstæðum. Greining gagna leiddi í ljós hvernig stutt var við námsferli barnanna og hvernig kennsluaðferðir og nám barnanna birtist, í senn með líkum og ólíkum hætti, í leikskólunum tveimur. Í sögum barnanna (sem rannsakandi mótaði og byggði á athugunum) birtist nákvæm lýsing á því hvernig börnin læra í daglegu starfi leikskólans. Niðurstöður benda til þess að í leikskólunum tveimur séu valdatengsl í samskiptum leikskólakennara og barna ólík, auk þess að þátttaka barnanna sé á ólíku stigi, sérstaklega í hópatímum. Þrátt fyrir þennan mun sýna gögnin að þátttaka barnanna og hneigð þeirra til náms sé ótrúlega lík í leikskólunum. Í báðum leikskólunum sýna athuganir hvernig börnin vinna saman í afar þróuðum leik, sérstaklega á þeim tímum dagsins þegar þau geta valið viðfangsefni sín, sem felst í því að skipuleggja, eiga samskipti, finna lausnir og eiga samningaviðræður við önnur börn. Í báðum leikskólum kom fram að í barnahópnum fengu börnin næg tækifæri til að taka þátt í leik og samskiptum og finna lausnir í ýmsum aðstæðum, stundum með inngripi leikskólakennaranna en oftast án þeirra afskipta. Í báðum leikskólum hafði félagamenning barnanna (e. peer culture) mikil áhrif á nám og kennslu; börnin deildu reynslu sinni og reyndu að ná völdum innan barnahópsins. Þátttaka barnanna reyndist vera mjög ólík þegar valdatengsl félagahópsins voru skoðuð, reynsla þeirra birtist á ólíkan hátt í mismundandi aðstæðum og gat endurspeglað annars vegar vináttu barna, samveru, og að þau virtust finna að þau tilheyrðu hópnum, eða hins vegar virtust börn stundum upplifa félagslega útilokun (e. exclusion) eða að vera jaðarsett í hópnum (e. marginalization). Niðurstöður benda til þess að dagleg reynsla barnanna þar sem þau fá tækifæri til að leika sér í barnahópnum hafi meiri áhrif á nám þeirra en sértækar aðferðir sem tengjast ólíkum skólanámskrám leikskólanna. Nýta má niðurstöðurnar á íslenskum og alþjóðlegum vettvangi í umræðu um það hvernig skóli fyrir fimm ára börn ætti að vera. Draga má þá ályktun af rannsóknarniðurstöðunum að ákjósanlegt sé fyrir þennan aldurshóp að vera í skóla sem sér börnunum fyrir nægum tækifærum til að leika sér og þar sem jafnframt er beitt sérstökum aðferðum til að tryggja börnunum tækifæri til að tjá hugmyndir sínar og skoðanir.

The rationale for this study is that drama was included in the national curriculum framework in Iceland for the first time in 2013. As a result, there were considerable tensions connected with how Icelandic schools could or should embrace this newcomer to the curriculum, whether the necessary competence existed to teach the subject and what kind of status drama could achieve among the other subjects in school. The overarching research question is: How is drama as a subject implemented in Icelandic compulsory education? Within a socio-cultural framework of understanding, an ethnographic study of the culture and the context for the implementation of drama was carried out. The ethnographic account is based on thick descriptions and thematic narrative analyses summed up as a cultural portrait of the drama teaching practices in Hillcrest (grade 5) and Mountain-line (grade 6) schools, respectively. The teaching practices of the drama teachers are described and interpreted from four perspectives, representing different curricular levels according to John Goodlad. The theory of practice architectures by Stephen Kemmis and Peter Grootenboer is used to interpret the findings. In this practice theory, practice is defined as a nexus of sayings, doings and relatings, dependent on the arrangements in the practice architectures. Enabling and constraining arrangements in the practice architectures connected to the implementation of drama as a subject in compulsory education are identified and discussed. An ecology model is suggested as a theoretical contribution and as an interpretive tool when analyzing how the classroom arena inhabited by teachers and students interacts with the different curriculum levels and the societal arena and culture. A dialectical tension is illustrated by a response loop influencing what can be achieved from the learning, including the influence of what Elliot Eisner calls an invisible curriculum. The study calls for changes in opportunities for the professional development of drama teachers. Further, it calls for a reconceptualization of how a drama teacher’s learning trajectory could be designed in order to support the drama teacher and his or her resilience and motivation to transform the teaching for the benefit of the learning of the students., Bakgrunnur þessarar rannsóknar er sá að árið 2013 kom út ný aðalnámskrá grunnskóla greinarsvið og var leiklist skilgreind sem sérstakt listfag í fyrsta skipti. Í kjölfarið myndaðist töluverð spenna um það hvort skólarnir gætu kennt þetta nýja fag, hvort hæfir kennarar fengust til starfa og hvort leiklistin næði styrkri fótfestu. Viðfangsefni og rannsóknarspurning verkefnisins er eftirfarandi: Hvernig er staðið að innleiðingu leiklistar í grunnskólum á Íslandi? Rannsóknin byggir á eigindlegri rannsóknarhefð og fellur undir etnógrafíska rannsókn á grunni félags- og menningarkenningar. Markmið etnógrafíunnar er að leitast við að skoða og skilja sjónarhorn þeirra sem rannsakaðir eru. Veturinn 2013-2014 heimsótti ég tvo skóla í Reykjavík, Hillcrest skóla (5. bekkur) og Mountain-line skóla (6. bekkur), og fylgdist þar með tveimur kennurum kenna leiklist. Með menningarlegu portretti, þykkum lýsingum og í gegnum narratívu eru niðurstöðurnar kynntar. Ég hef leitað að þemum út frá fjórum mismunandi sjónarhornum í greiningu minni út frá kenningum John Goodlad. Kenningar Stephen Kemmis og Peter Grootenboer „practice architectures“ eru hafðar að leiðarljósi í rannsóknarvinnunni. Ég hef grandskoðað menningu skólanna með tilliti til kenninga Stephen Kemmis um arkitektúr og vistfræði starfshátta. Kemmis o.fl. (2014) líkja starfsháttum við skipulagða samsetta pakka af orðatiltækjum, verkferlum og tengingum sem fléttast saman í verknaði þar sem verknaðurinn sjálfur er megintilgangur starfsháttarins sem skapar þeim samstöðu. Einn afrakstur rannsóknarinnar var Vistfræðimódel sem þróað var til að greina og túlka samskipti í kennslu á milli kennara og nemenda á mismunandi stigum námskrárinnar í tengslum við menningu og samfélagið. Með vistfræðimódelinu er mögulegt að bera kennsl á ýmsar útfærslur á þemum með stöðugum endurgjafarlykkjum milli kennslunnar og arkitektúr starfshátta og það sem Elliot Eisner kallar ósýnilega námskrá. Rannsóknin kallar á breytingar í faglegri þróun leiklistarkennarans. Ennfremur kallar rannsóknin á endurskilgreiningu á hvernig hægt er að styðja við starfsþróun leiklistarkennarans og hvernig hægt er að breyta kennsluháttum kennarans, nemendum til góða.

Fjölgun nemenda í háskólanámi frá árinu 2002 og breyttar áherslur í kennslufræði hafa leitt til nýrrar stefnu í háskólakennslu með áherslu á fjölbreytta kennsluhætti. Hér er greint frá rannsókn tveggja kennara á eigin kennslu í fjölmennu meistaranámskeiði í eigindlegum rannsóknaraðferðum. Námskeiðið byggðist á vendikennslu og var nemendum skipt í fimm umræðuhópa. Strax í byrjun misseris upplifðu kennarar mikinn mun á milli hópanna. Gagnasöfnun var því hafin með það að markmiði að reyna að skilja betur í hverju munurinn lægi og geta með því bætt kennsluna þannig að hún næði til ólíkra hópa. Niðurstöður benda til þess að þó að flestir nemendur hafi vitað að ætlast væri til djúpnálgunar hafi sumir þeirra upplifað óöryggi sem leiddi til yfirborðsnálgunar. Aðrir nemendur voru mjög gagnrýnir á eigindlegar rannsóknaraðferðir og þetta tvennt gerði það að verkum að kennurunum fannst kennslan erfiðari en í þeim hópum þar sem nemendur voru jákvæðir gagnvart námsefninu og kennsluaðferðunum., Changes have taken place within the university, not least with regard to teaching methods. Apart from an increase in the number of students, they also have a more diverse background than before. This makes teaching more challenging and calls for new teaching methods. This article discusses the case of a qualitative research course taught in the autumn of 2014 at the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Iceland. This is a course with over 130 students in which the teachers have started to use the flip-teaching method, where students listen to a lecture at home and come to the university for a weekly discussion lesson. The class of 2014 was split into five discussion groups, and each one was taught identical material. Early in the semester the teachers started noticing a difference between the groups. However, they were unable to pinpoint what this difference entailed, exactly. The main research question put forward in this article is, therefore: How can teachers better live up to the needs of different groups of students with regard to the build-up and implemention of the course? To be able to answer this research question it was necessary to gain a better insight into the subquestion: Why are there different attitudes between the student groups? To be able to answer these questions, the teachers wrote down their impressions of each group on a weekly basis and students were asked to fill out a survey about different types of learning approaches. They also examined the mid-semester teaching survey outcomes. The analysis revealed three themes: insecurity among students, demanding teaching from the perspective of the teachers, and student learning approaches. Some students seemed uncomfortable with the way in which qualitative research methods were taught, causing feelings of insecurity among them; they wanted more standard descriptions on how to conduct interviews, on how to analyse data, or on how many codes they were supposed to identify. Some groups were sensitive to any critique on their work, and took such comments as a sign to throw in the towel, while other groups were rather looking for confirmation that they were on the right track. Interestingly, the amount of effort that went into encouraging students to actively participate in the lessons, rather than the students’ insecurity, made the teaching feel demanding. While some groups were skeptical towards qualitative research methods, other groups tended to be largely outcome-orientated, focusing on grades and fulfilling the course requirements without showing real interest in the course material. The results show that insecurity and skepticism towards qualitative research methods partially account for the differences between the groups. Encouraging students to use a deep-learning approach by means of assignments did not engender the success we aimed for. While our data show the students are aware that they are supposed to use a deep learning approach, feelings of insecurity and lack of time seem to prevent them from really doing so. In addition, the term flip-teaching may be wrongly connected to the notion of an “easy” course. While it can be convenient to listen to short recorded lectures in one’s own time, it does not mean that flip-teaching also results in less demanding course requirements with regard to assignment work. In the autumn of 2015 the teachers made a number of changes to the course. The discussion participation grade was removed from the course assessment, and assignment work was initiated right from the start of the semester. Future research will be aimed at examining the flip-teaching methodology in more detail; that is, whether it matters when students seek the course material and watch the recordings., Ritrýnt tímarit

Play as a learning practice increasingly is under challenge as a valued component of early childhood education. Views held in parallel include confirmation of the place of play in early childhood education and, at the same time, a denigration of the role of play in favor for more teacher-structured and formal activities. As a consequence, pedagogical approaches towards play, the curriculum activities that constitute play, and the appropriateness of play in educational settings, have come under scrutiny in recent years. In this context, this study investigates children’s perspectives of play and how they understand the role of play and learning in their everyday activities. This article reports on an Australian study where teacher-researchers investigated child-led insights into what counts as play in their everyday classroom activities. Children (aged 3–4 years) described play as an activity that involved their active participation in “doing” something, being with peers, and having agency and ownership of ideas. Children did not always characterize their activities as “play”, and not all activities in the preschool program were described as play. The article highlights that play and learning are complex concepts that may be easily dismissed as separate, when rather they are deeply intertwined. The findings of this study generate opportunities for educators and academics to consider what counts as “play” for children, and to prompt further consideration of the role of play as an antidote to adult centric views of play., Lady Gowrie QLD Health Wellbeing and Happiness Program of QUT’s Children and Youth Research Centre

Í þessari grein fæst ég við þrjár meginspurningar. Í fyrsta lagi: Hvernig birtast siðferðileg álitamál í eigindlegum rannsóknum? Í öðru lagi: Eru þau að einhverju leyti frábrugðin siðferðilegum álitamálum við íhlutunarrannsóknir í læknisfræði? Og í þriðja lagi: Getur núverandi regluverk í siðfræði rannsókna á Íslandi gilt um allar eigindlegar rannsóknir á fólki? Í íslenskri löggjöf er einungis gert ráð fyrir að rannsóknaráætlanir á heilbrigðissviði skuli metnar af siðanefnd áður en þeim er hrint í framkvæmd. Þær reglur sem siðanefndir vinna eftir við siðferðilegt mat slíkra áætlana hafa einkum þróast sem andsvar við þeirri áhættu sem þátttakandi getur verið útsettur fyrir í íhlutunarrannsóknum innan læknisfræði. Í greininni lýsi ég þeim siðferðilegu álitamálum sem vakna í eigindlegum rannsóknum og nefni dæmi um hvernig þau geta skorið sig frá þeim álitamálum sem glíma þarf við þegar til dæmis eru gerðar lyfjarannsóknir eða aðrar íhlutunarrannsóknir á fólki innan heilbrigðisvísinda. Með því að draga fram þann mun, sem er á þessum tveimur rannsóknaraðferðum, vakna alvarlegar efasemdir um að núverandi vinnureglur um siðfræði rannsókna á fólki geti þjónað ákveðnum tegundum eigindlegra rannsókna sem skildi., My experience in reviewing and participating in social science research projects and being a member of various institutional review boards (IRBs) in the health sciences has alerted me to the fact that the current framework for research ethics in Iceland may not be sensitive enough to the special moral issues that arise in the social sciences. The type of research that particularly concerns me is qualitative research. I refer in this article to examples from children’s research and disability research and to methodologies like inclusive research, life history research and action research. Such research is often based on close collaboration between the researcher and the participant. I believe that the relationship that develops in these kinds of research studies may be of an ethically different kind than that which develops between a researcher and participant in, for instance, drug trials in the health sciences. In Iceland, the current ethical framework and regulations regarding research on human subjects is mainly based on the latter model of researcher/participant relationship. I therefore wonder whether there is not a real danger that the ethical issues linked with the use of qualitative methods will be overlooked or not responded to in the right manner. In this article, I address three main questions: First, what types of ethical concerns do arise in qualitative research? Second, are these ethical concerns different from ethical issues that arise in intervention studies, such as clinical trials in medicine? And third, could existing regulation in research ethics in Iceland serve adequately all types of qualitative research on human subjects? To approach these questions, I begin by outlining the historical roots and main principles in research ethics. I briefly describe the international agreements and laws which the Icelandic Bioethics committee – the only IRB in Iceland based in Icelandic law – draws on in its work. To analyze whether these regulations are likely to be helpful and sufficient when reviewing research on humans in social sciences, I look especially into the nature of the relationship between researchers and participants in different research traditions. My suggestion is that the nature of these relationships and different research aims can impact the ethical issues that may arise during the course of the research. Hence, I compare two types of methodology in research: first, medical research, e.g. pharmacological clinical trials, and second, qualitative research, and I analyze the difference of the relationships in these research traditions. I further look specifically into the primary ethical concerns and nuances of qualitative research. To do so, I concentrate on issues regarding both the balance between responsibility and duties, as well as on the aim of the research. I analyze these issues by looking especially at protection of the participant, the relationship between the researcher and the participant and the tension between social justice and the methodological validity of the research. In evaluating these issues, I refer to basic ethical values in science: autonomy and respect for the participant, welfare of participants and society as well as justice and true or valid knowledge. This gives rise to ethical questions that are in many ways different from those asked within traditional research on human subjects in medicine. My conclusion is that these questions have not been addressed properly in the current regulations governing research ethics., Ritrýnd grein