Icelandic Research Research Articles

Kosningar, lýðræði og fatlað fólk

Kosningaréttur er grundvallarréttur þegna í lýðræðisríkjum og þátttaka í kosningum álitin ein af mikilvægustu athöfnum borgaranna. Þó að þessi réttindi skuli tryggð öllum þegnum sýna alþjóðlegar rannsóknir að fatlað fólk er víða útilokað frá þátttöku í kosningum. Fatlað fólk er síður líklegt til að kjósa en ófatlað fólk og mætir iðulega ýmsum hindrunum ef það reynir að taka þátt í kosningum. Þessi grein fjallar um kosningaþátttöku fatlaðs fólks með hliðsjón af niðurstöðum alþjóðlegra rannsókna. Í upphafi eru raktar helstu hindranir í vegi kosningaþátttöku fatlaðs fólks og leitast við að svara hvaða áhrif þessar hindranir hafi, ekki aðeins fyrir fatlaða borgara, heldur jafnframt hvað það þýði fyrir heilbrigði lýðræðis og lýðræðislegra stofnana þegar hluti þegnanna mætir alvarlegum hindrunum varðandi borgaraleg grundvallarréttindi. Íslenskar rannsóknir á þessu sviði eru ekki fyrir hendi og engin skipuleg tölfræðileg gögn eru til varðandi þátttöku fatlaðs fólks í kosningum eða stjórnmálum hér á landi. Byggt á gögnum sem aflað var hjá tveimur fjölmennustu heildarsamtökum fatlaðs fólks hér á landi er rýnt í reynslu, aðstæður og möguleika fatlaðs fólks til þátttöku í kosningum á Íslandi, lagasetningar þar að lútandi og skyldur ríkisins til að stuðla að og tryggja þátttöku fatlaðs fólks í stjórnmálum og opinberu lífi, ekki síst í ljósi þess að Samningur Sameinuðu þjóðanna (SÞ) um réttindi fatlaðs fólks (SRFF) hefur verið fullgiltur hér á landi.

Science diplomacy for stronger bilateral relations? The role of Arctic science in Iceland’s relations with Japan and China

ABSTRACT The aurora borealis research carried out by China and Japan in the Arctic state of Iceland has been received very differently both in Iceland and abroad. While the Japanese research has gone almost unnoticed for decades, the Chinese research has been received with much scepticism and negative media coverage, including talk of a possible security threat. This paper presents a comparative study which explores the history of the two research projects, as well as their execution and reception. Through the lens of the aurora research, the paper also explores the broader implications of Arctic and science diplomacy on bilateral relations between Iceland and the two Asian powerhouses. As the aurora research in Iceland has so far received limited academic attention outside the natural sciences, the paper is largely based on primary research, including thirteen in-depth interviews with key individuals closely connected to the projects. The paper demonstrates the different reception of the two projects in Iceland and discusses both organisational issues, such as differences in scale and capacity, and underlying factors related to international politics. Furthermore, the research demonstrates that the Japanese case is a purely science-focused collaboration devoid of science diplomacy, while in the Chinese case, science has been used as a tool to facilitate more strategic diplomatic goals – most importantly the bilateral Free Trade Agreement between China and Iceland.

Navigating towards justice and sustainability? syncretic encounters and stakeholder-sourced solutions in Arctic cruise Tourism Governance

ABSTRACTCruise tourism has a dubious reputation for conspicuous consumption and associated environmental harm. Cruises to the Arctic promise passengers pristine landscapes and authentic and engaging experiences interacting with local and Indigenous communities. Yet, these very environments and communities are under existential threat amidst the climate crisis, provoking the question of how to reconcile the ever-expanding Arctic cruise industry’s conflict with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). To answer this question, the article proposes a novel approach that fuses concepts and methodologies from normative global governance research and critical tourism studies. Based on extensive empirical research in Norway, Canada and Iceland, the article presents stakeholder-sourced solutions that address a variety of justice conundrums associated with the expanding cruise tourism sector in the region. On the basis of the approach developed in the article, our research is able to inform public and policy discourse towards a just and sustainable transition of the polar cruise tourism industry in light of UN SDGs by highlighting the importance of creating ‘syncretic encounters’ based on four dimensions: authentic storytelling, decompressing spatial and temporal resources, just working conditions, and attention towards the built environment.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health and substance use up to March, 2022, in Iceland: a repeated, cross-sectional, population-based study.

Poor mental health in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic has been well documented in adolescents; however, less is known about the longer-term effect of the pandemic. We aimed to examine adolescent mental health and substance use as well as covariates associated with these outcomes 1 year or more into the pandemic. A nationwide sample of adolescents aged 13-18 years enrolled in school in Iceland were invited to complete surveys administered during October-November or February-March, 2018, October-November, 2020, February-March or October-November, 2021, and February-March 2022. The survey was in Icelandic for all administrations and offered to adolescents aged 13-15 years in English in 2020 and 2022 and in Polish in 2022. Surveys assessed depressive symptoms (Symptom Checklist-90); mental wellbeing (Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale); and the frequency of cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use, and alcohol intoxication. Covariates comprised age, gender, and migration status as determined by language spoken at home, level of social restrictions based on residency, parental social support, and sleep duration (≥8 h nightly). Weighted mixed-effect models were used to determine the effect of time and the covariates on mental health and substance use. The main outcomes were assessed in all participants with more than 80% of the necessary data, and multiple imputation was used to handle missing data. Bonferroni corrections were used to adjust for multiple testing and analyses were considered significant at a p value of <0·0017. 64 071 responses were submitted and analysed between 2018 and 2022. Elevated depressive symptoms and worsened mental wellbeing across girls and boys aged 13-18 years were observed to have been maintained up to 2 years into the pandemic (p>0·0017). Alcohol intoxication initially decreased during the pandemic but increased again as social restrictions eased (p<0·0001). No changes were observed in cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher levels of parental social support and an average sleep duration of 8 h or more per night were associated with mental health better outcomes and less substance use (p<0·0001). Social restrictions and migration background were inconsistently associated with the outcomes. Population-level prevention targeting adolescent depressive symptoms should be prioritised in health policy in the wake of COVID-19. Icelandic Research Fund.

Cardiovascular disease and subsequent risk of psychiatric disorders: a nationwide sibling-controlled study.

The association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and selected psychiatric disorders has frequently been suggested while the potential role of familial factors and comorbidities in such association has rarely been investigated. We identified 869,056 patients newly diagnosed with CVD from 1987 to 2016 in Sweden with no history of psychiatric disorders, and 910,178 full siblings of these patients as well as 10 individually age- and sex-matched unrelated population controls (N = 8,690,560). Adjusting for multiple comorbid conditions, we used flexible parametric models and Cox models to estimate the association of CVD with risk of all subsequent psychiatric disorders, comparing rates of first incident psychiatric disorder among CVD patients with rates among unaffected full siblings and population controls. The median age at diagnosis was 60 years for patients with CVD and 59.2% were male. During up to 30 years of follow-up, the crude incidence rates of psychiatric disorder were 7.1, 4.6, and 4.0 per 1000 person-years for patients with CVD, their siblings and population controls. In the sibling comparison, we observed an increased risk of psychiatric disorder during the first year after CVD diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR], 2.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.62-2.87) and thereafter (1.45; 95% CI, 1.42-1.48). Increased risks were observed for all types of psychiatric disorders and among all diagnoses of CVD. We observed similar associations in the population comparison. CVD patients who developed a comorbid psychiatric disorder during the first year after diagnosis were at elevated risk of subsequent CVD death compared to patients without such comorbidity (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.44-1.67). Patients diagnosed with CVD are at an elevated risk for subsequent psychiatric disorders independent of shared familial factors and comorbid conditions. Comorbid psychiatric disorders in patients with CVD are associated with higher risk of cardiovascular mortality suggesting that surveillance and treatment of psychiatric comorbidities should be considered as an integral part of clinical management of newly diagnosed CVD patients. This work was supported by the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action Grant (CoMorMent, grant no. 847776 to UV, PFS, and FF), Grant of Excellence, Icelandic Research Fund (grant no. 163362-051 to UV), ERC Consolidator Grant (StressGene, grant no. 726413 to UV), Swedish Research Council (grant no. D0886501 to PFS), and US NIMH R01 MH123724 (to PFS).

Association of stress-related disorders with subsequent risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality: A population-based and sibling-controlled cohort study.

SummaryBackgroundPrior research provides suggestive evidence on an association between stress-related disorders and mortality. No previous study has however addressed the role of familial confounding on such association.MethodsWe conducted a nationwide cohort study of 189,757 individuals with a first-onset stress-related disorder between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 2016 in Sweden (i.e., exposed patients), 1,896,352 matched unexposed individuals, and 207,479 unaffected full siblings of the exposed patients. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.FindingsDuring a mean follow-up of 9.42 years, an elevated risk of all-cause mortality was observed during the entire follow-up among patients with stress-related disorders, compared with either unexposed individuals or their unaffected full siblings. Such excess risk was most pronounced within the first year after diagnosis of stress-related disorders (HR, 3.19 [95% CI, 2.87-3.54] in population-based comparison; HR, 3.21 [95% CI, 2.56-4.02] in sibling-based comparison). The excess risk decreased but remained statistically significant thereafter (HR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.60-1.67] in population-based comparison; HR, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.54-1.68] in sibling-based comparison). An increased risk was observed for almost all cause-specific mortality, with greater risk increase for deaths from unnatural causes, especially suicide, and potentially avoidable causes.InterpretationStress-related disorders were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and multiple cause-specific mortality, and the risk elevation was independent of familial confounding. The excess mortality attributable to unnatural causes and potentially avoidable causes highlights the importance of clinical surveillance of major health hazards among patients with stress-related disorders.FundingEU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action Grant, 1.3.5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence at West China Hospital of Sichuan University, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Icelandic Research Fund (Grant of Excellence), ERC Consolidator Grant, and Swedish Research Council.

Adverse childhood experiences and resilience among adult women: A population-based study.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have consistently been associated with elevated risk of multiple adverse health outcomes, yet their contribution to coping ability and psychiatric resilience in adulthood is unclear. Cross-sectional data were derived from the ongoing Stress-And-Gene-Analysis cohort, representing 30% of the Icelandic nationwide female population, 18-69 years. Participants in the current study were 26,198 women with data on 13 ACEs measured with the ACE-International Questionnaire. Self-reported coping ability was measured with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and psychiatric resilience was operationalized as absence of psychiatric morbidity. Generalized linear regression assuming normal or Poisson distribution were used to assess the associations of ACEs with coping ability and psychiatric resilience controlling for multiple confounders. Number of ACEs was inversely associated with adult resilience in a dose-dependent manner; every 1SD unit increase in ACE scores was associated with both lower levels of coping ability (β = -0.14; 95% CI-0.15,-0.13) and lower psychiatric resilience (β = -0.28; 95% CI-0.29,-0.27) in adulthood. Compared to women with 0 ACEs, women with ≥5 ACEs had 36% lower prevalence of high coping ability (PR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.59,0.70) and 58% lower prevalence of high psychiatric resilience (PR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.39,0.45). Specific ACEs including emotional neglect, bullying, sexual abuse and mental illness of household member were consistently associated with reduced adult resilience. We observed only slightly attenuated associations after controlling for adult socioeconomic factors and social support in adulthood. Cumulative ACE exposure is associated with lower adult resilience among women, independent of adult socioeconomic factors and social support, indicating that adult resilience may be largely determined in childhood. This work was supported by the European Research Council (Consolidator grant; UAV, grant number 726413), and the Icelandic Center for Research (Grant of excellence; UAV, grant number 163362-051). HBD was supported by a doctoral grant from the University of Iceland Research Fund.

Depressive symptoms, mental wellbeing, and substance use among adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland: a longitudinal, population-based study

Adolescence represents a crucial developmental period in shaping mental health trajectories. In this study, we investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and substance use during this sensitive developmental stage. In this longitudinal, population-based study, surveys were administered to a nationwide sample of 13-18-year-olds in Iceland in October or February in 2016 and 2018, and in October, 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic). The surveys assessed depressive symptoms with the Symptom Checklist-90, mental wellbeing with the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, and the frequency of cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use, and alcohol intoxication. Demographic data were collected, which included language spoken at home although not ethnicity data. We used mixed effects models to study the effect of gender, age, and survey year on trends in mental health outcomes. 59 701 survey responses were included; response rates ranged from 63% to 86%. An increase in depressive symptoms (β 0·57, 95% CI 0·53 to 0·60) and worsened mental wellbeing (β -0·46, 95% CI -0·49 to -0·42) were observed across all age groups during the pandemic compared with same-aged peers before COVID-19. These outcomes were significantly worse in adolescent girls compared with boys (β 4·16, 95% CI 4·05 to 4·28, and β -1·13, 95% CI -1·23 to -1·03, respectively). Cigarette smoking (OR 2·61, 95% CI 2·59 to 2·66), e-cigarette use (OR 2·61, 95% CI 2·59 to 2·64), and alcohol intoxication (OR 2·59, 95% CI 2·56 to 2·64) declined among 15-18-year-olds during COVID-19, with no similar gender differences. Our results suggest that COVID-19 has significantly impaired adolescent mental health. However, the decrease observed in substance use during the pandemic might be an unintended benefit of isolation, and might serve as a protective factor against future substance use disorders and dependence. Population-level prevention efforts, especially for girls, are warranted. Icelandic Research Fund. For the Icelandic translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

„Bara ekki mínar týpur!“ Sjálfsmyndarsköpun, félagsleg aðgreining og framhaldsskólaval

Á síðustu áratugum hefur töluvert verið rætt um skólavalsstefnur, þar sem árangur á afmörkuðu sviði ræður alfarið aðgengi nemenda að bóknámsbrautum í tilteknum skólum. Skólinn hefur á síðustu áratugum orðið mikilvægur liður í félags- og menningarlegri aðgreiningu milli hópa samfara auknu aðgengi að framhaldsskóla, vaxandi samkeppni og stéttaskiptingu í samfélögum. Allir geta nú sótt framhaldsskóla en ekki hvaða framhaldsskóla sem er. Í rannsókninni er byggt á hugtökum Bourdieu um samspil veruháttar, vettvangs og auðs þegar rætt er um stéttarstöðu, sjálfsmynd og aðgreiningu og hvernig val nemenda á námi til stúdentsprófs mótast af þessu samspili. Hér er sjónum beint að framhaldsskólavali bóknámsnemenda á höfuðborgarsvæðinu; hvernig þeir skilgreina skólana í hinu félagslega stigveldi. Sérstök áhersla er á að skoða val og gildi nemenda með veruhátt rótgróinnar millistéttar, sem samkvæmt Bourdieu er talinn samsvara best menningu og áherslum hefðbundins bóknáms.Tekin voru viðtöl við 19 nemendur sem töldust ná góðum árangri í sínum skóla og voru á fjórða námsári. Skólarnir fjórir voru valdir út frá háu eða lágu höfnunarhlutfalli við inntöku nemenda á síðustu fimm árum. Ljóst er á orðum viðmælenda að skólaval er mikilvægur farvegur sjálfsmyndarsköpunar og aðgreiningar. Hjá þeim sem eiga sér menntauppruna aftur í ættir kemur skýrast fram að það er ekki aðeins vilji nemenda eða einlægur áhugi sem stýrir valinu heldur einnig þrýstingur frá fjölskyldumeðlimum og óorðaðar væntingar frá samferðafólki sem eiga þátt í þessu ferli. Ástæður vals eru oft óljósar þangað til hefðbundnum valmöguleikum er ógnað. Það er ekki fyrr en nemendur af rótgróinni millistétt fara út fyrir upprunavettvang sinn sem þeir upplifa misgengi milli veruháttar og vettvangs. Meðvitund um forréttindi, félagslegan ójöfnuð og stéttastöðu er almennt takmörkuð en skapaðist hjá þeim tveimur nemendum úr rótgróinni millistétt sem höfðu farið út fyrir upprunavettvang sinn.

Fish for grain? Archaeoentomological research and emerging patterns of exchange

A novel pathway for understanding exchange is via what might be termed historical autecology, in particular, trying to assess introductions and invasive insect species in the environments under investigation. Invertebrates can provide very detailed information on this front, as they inevitably accompany any trading or raiding activities, in ships, either in ballast, dunnage or goods, and overland in packing or commodity. Grain was widely shipped to the north from southern Baltic and North Sea ports, and archaeoentomological research in northern Norway and Iceland has demonstrated that exotic pests for these parts of the world, which rely on the warmth of the storerooms for their survival, arrived as part of the exchange process of fish or skins for grain; a range of other species were transported in dunnage and ballast. This paper discusses insect results and mechanisms for insect pest introductions from a range of sites relevant to the Hanseatic trade, including North Atlantic ones, to show the potential of this research and to provide a framework for future research.

Understanding the politics of inclusion, the ‘refugee’ and nation: analysis of public policies and teacher narratives in Iceland

ABSTRACT Even though Iceland is yet to host as many refugees as other European countries, the number of young refugees seeking resettlement is growing rapidly. Little Icelandic research has been devoted to refugee youth and their social or educational inclusion to date. This study focuses on how young refugees are represented in the Icelandic context in relation to often-conflicting ideological perspectives of advanced neo-liberal discourses and ‘liberal’ multicultural approaches of inclusion. We analyse policy documents which address refugee integration, alongside teachers’ perspectives on current challenges facing refugee youth to account for these conflicts. We are interested in how these documents and perspectives respond to Hannah Arendt's concern over statelessness – the condition of not being recognised as a citizen within a host state. Findings indicate that outside of policy directly aimed at refugees there is general legislative and regulatory silence on refugee youth. Within the two documents analysed, we argue that normative multicultural frameworks are being drawn upon as an ‘integration practice’ which emphasise sameness and equality in contrast to diversity and equity. Such practices reinforce normative understandings of citizenship and national metaphors of inclusion whilst simultaneously undermining what Arendt refers to as the ‘promise of politics’ in education policy and practice.

Gendered inequalities in competitive grant funding: an overlooked dimension of gendered power relations in academia

ABSTRACTResearch grant funding influences the organisation of academic work and academic careers. We problematise general approaches to gender bias in research grant funding and argue that it fails to include the wider structures of inequality and the unequal gendered power relations in academia. Approaching the subject with gender budgeting we challenge assumed gender-neutral practices. The objective is to illuminate how the gendered funding system and (the previous and subsequent) gendered structures of academia are maintained. The whole grants scheme is assessed, drawing on statistical data collected on the whole population of a medium-size, comprehensive research and educational institution in Iceland, and two types of competitive grants. The data is measured against the pool of applicants and comparisons within and between fields and ranks are made. By including the structures of inequality and the gendered power relations, the results show how the funding system is biased not only in favour of men, but towards the male-dominated and culturally masculine positions and fields. This approach illustrates the need to address the whole academic system in order to challenge the norms that maintain and reproduce gender inequalities.

Water-Soluble Polymeric Carbon Nitride Colloidal Nanoparticles for Highly Selective Quasi-Homogeneous Photocatalysis.

Heptazine‐based polymeric carbon nitrides (PCN) are promising photocatalysts for light‐driven redox transformations. However, their activity is hampered by low surface area resulting in low concentration of accessible active sites. Herein, we report a bottom‐up preparation of PCN nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (ca. 10±3 nm), which are fully soluble in water showing no gelation or precipitation over several months. They allow photocatalysis to be carried out under quasi‐homogeneous conditions. The superior performance of water‐soluble PCN, compared to conventional solid PCN, is shown in photocatalytic H2O2 production via reduction of oxygen accompanied by highly selective photooxidation of 4‐methoxybenzyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol or lignocellulose‐derived feedstock (ethanol, glycerol, glucose). The dissolved photocatalyst can be easily recovered and re‐dissolved by simple modulation of the ionic strength of the medium, without any loss of activity and selectivity.

Opinber stefna, skólakerfið og hlutverk kennara: Viðbragðsbúnaður skólans

Undanfarna áratugi hefur alþjóðleg umræða í velferðarsamfélögum beinst að vægi skólans sem undirstöðu velsældar einstaklings og samfélags. Hér er kannað hvernig þessi umræða hefur þroskast við íslenskar aðstæður. Markmið greinarinnar afmarkast við að bregða upp mynd af áhrifum opinberrar skólastefnu á Íslandi á stöðu skólans, kennara og nemenda í nútímasamfélagi. Aðferðin sem hér er notuð er að setja fram sögulegt ágrip af þróun skólamála og yfirlit um niðurstöður nýlegra íslenskra rannsókna um aðstæður og margvíslegar þarfir nemenda og um viðbragðsbúnað skólans gagnvart þeim. Í því sambandi er vikið að vandasamri stöðu kennarans við að sinna kennslu og uppeldishlutverki jafnframt því að láta sig varða velferð hvers barns, einkum innan grunnskólans. Einnig er athygli beint að rökum sérfræðinga fyrir þverfaglegu starfi innan skólans og kerfasamstarfi milli skóla, heilbrigðisþjónustu og félagsþjónustu. Rökin varða einkum börn sem eru tilfinningalega berskjölduð vegna áfalla eða félagslegrar jaðarstöðu. Á grundvelli þeirrar vitneskju sem fengist hefur á þessu sviði er sú niðurstaða rökstudd að aukið fagafl innan skólans ásamt kerfasamstarfi kringum barn í vanda og fjölskyldu þess sé forsenda þess að draga úr álagi á kennara og koma í veg fyrir að kröftum þeirra sé dreift. Aukinheldur hafi slíkt samstarf á grunnskólastigi forvarnargildi fyrir framtíðarstöðu ungs fólks á vinnumarkaði, sem getur falið í sér þjóðhagslegan ávinning. Ræddar eru lausnaleiðir í átt að betri árangri, meðal annars með endurskoðun laga, stjórnskipulags og framkvæmdar stefnu sem mótuð hefur verið.

Sensing Asymmetries in Other-than-human Forms

This essay is an examination of how sensing capacities can draw in, and from, other-than-human entities—both animate and inanimate. Based upon ethnographic field research in Iceland, it describes sensory encounters that are realizable through the bodies, sensations, and ontological status shifts of other beings and entities, namely, in bears and ice and earth. As anthropogenic impacts deepen, the essay argues, sensing ought to be practiced as a collaborative effort among human and other-than-human entities. Sensing by other means entails sensing through others’ means and beyond the human sensorium.

Stafrænt sambýli íslensku og ensku

Markmið öndvegisverkefnisins Greining á málfræðilegum afleiðingum stafræns málsambýlis, sem lýst er í þessari grein, er að kanna stöðu íslensku á tímum mikilla samfélags- og tæknibreytinga, með sérstöku tilliti til hugsanlegra áhrifa ensku, einkum í gegnum stafræna miðla. Í fyrsta lagi er reynt að komast að því hversu mikið mállegt ílag eða máláreiti málnotendur fá, bæði á íslensku og ensku. Í öðru lagi er viðhorf málnotenda kannað, bæði til íslensku og ensku. Í þriðja lagi er orðaforði þátttakenda kannaður, bæði íslenskur og enskur. Í fjórða lagi eru þátttakendur beðnir að leggja mat á ýmis málfræðileg atriði, t.d. beðnir að dæma margvíslegar setningar, og þannig reynt að komast að því hvort aukin enskunotkun í íslensku málsamfélagi nú til dags valdi breytingum á íslensku eða hraði málbreytingum sem hafnar voru fyrir daga snjalltækjabyltingarinnar.Þessi atriði eru könnuð með fernu móti: Í fyrsta lagi með ítarlegri vefkönnun sem send var til 5.000 manna lagskipts handahófskennds úrtaks Íslendinga á aldrinum 3?98 ára. Í öðru lagi með frekari könnunum og viðtölum við 400 manna sérvalið úrtak úr fyrrnefnda hópnum. Í þriðja lagi verður vefkönnunin opnuð öllum sem vilja og reynt með hjálp samfélagsmiðla að fá allt að 10% landsmanna til þátttöku. Í fjórða lagi eru svo rýnihópar og viðtöl við kennara.Vefkönnuninni er lokið og verið er að vinna úr niðurstöðum hennar. Fyrstu niðurstöður benda til þess að verulegur munur sé á aldurshópum hvað varðar alla þá meginþætti sem kannaðir voru — ílag, viðhorf, orðaforða og mat á setningum. Nú er unnið að úrvinnslu gagna þannig að unnt verði að gera ítarlega grein fyrir ýmsum þáttum niðurstaðnanna og skoða hugsanlega fylgni milli þátta, t.d. milli ílags, viðhorfa og ýmissa mállegra þátta. Í þessari grein er fjallað um meginmarkmið verkefnisins, rannsóknaraðferðir og niðurstöður úr vefkönnun um skjá- og netnotkun barna, svo og um virka og óvirka enskunotkun þeirra.

„Að þreifa sig áfram í myrkrinu“: Ríkjandi stefnur og straumar um ungt flóttafólk í íslensku grunn- og framhaldsskólakerfi

Þrátt fyrir að Ísland taki ekki á móti flóttafólki í jafn ríkum mæli og aðrar Evrópuþjóðir fer ungu flóttafólki hérlendis engu að síður fjölgandi í kjölfar alþjóðlegra og þvingaðra fólksflutninga. Á sama tíma má greina átakameiri umræðu um gildi fjölmenningar í aðlögun innflytjenda. Rannsóknir er varða nemendur af erlendum uppruna og skóla án aðgreiningar hérlendis hafa þó ekki beinst sérstaklega að stöðu ungs flóttafólks. Markmið þessarar rannsóknar er að kanna hvers konar menntastefna er við lýði um ungt flóttafólk á Íslandi með tilliti til menntunar og félagslegrar aðlögunar. Í anda gagnrýnna menntastefnufræða voru greind tvö opinber stefnuskjöl er snúa að móttöku og þjónustu við flóttafólk og fimm rýnihópaviðtöl við fjórtán grunn- og framhaldsskólakennara. Niðurstöður benda til að stefna um ungt flóttafólk sé takmörkuð þar sem hún beinist aðallega að jöfnum rétti einstaklinga til aðgengis frekar en að leggja áherslu á gildi og inntak menntunar. Þá endurspeglar stefnan orðræðu nýsamlögunar (e. neo-assimilation) þar sem áhersla er lögð á ábyrgð einstaklinga á eigin námi og framtíðarmöguleikum í gegnum val, virkni og íslenskufærni fremur en samþætta og samfélagslega nálgun. Orðræða kennara bar vott um aukið álag í starfi þar sem þeir „þreifa sig áfram í myrkrinu“ og fá lítinn kerfislægan stuðning. Skortur á slíkum stuðningi sem og heildarstefnumótun gerði þeim oft erfitt um vik að taka siðferðislega faglegar ákvarðanir og ögra viðteknum og stöðluðum hugmyndum um margbreytileika og menntun.

Aerosol Concentrations in Relationship to Local Atmospheric Conditions on James Ross Island, Antarctica

This work was in part funded by the Icelandic Research Fund (Rannis) Grant No. 152248-051; by the Czech Science Foundation project GC16-14122J and projects no. LM2015078, CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_013/0001708; and the Masaryk University project MUNI/A/1251/2017. The LOAC instruments were funded by the French Labex VOLTAIRE. Field work was carried out with help of staff of the Johann Gregor Mendel Station.

Kennsla og stuðningur í íslenskum háskólum - Reynsla innflytjenda

Í kjölfar aukinna fólksf lutninga síðustu áratugi hefur innf lytjendum fjölgað í háskólum á Íslandi. Þessi grein er byggð á niðurstöðum rannsóknarverkefnisins Væntingar og tækifæri innf lytjenda a? I?slandi til ha?sko?lamenntunar og áskoranir henni tengdar (2016-2018) sem styrkt er af Ranni?s. Meginmarkmið rannsóknarverkefnisins er að öðlast skilning á upplifunum, reynslu, áskorunum og stuðningi við innf lytjendur í háskólanámi hérlendis. Í þessari grein eru kynntar helstu niðurstöður úr eigindlegri rannsókn með innf lytjendum sem eru núverandi og fyrrverandi háskólanemar á Íslandi. Gagna var af lað í rýnihópaviðtölum og einstaklingsviðtölum við alls 41 nemanda í þrem háskólum á Íslandi. Markmið rannsóknarinnar sem greinin fjallar um er að öðlast skilning á reynslu og upplifun innf lytjenda af kennsluaðferðum, áskorunum og stuðningi í þremur stærstu háskólunum á Íslandi, Háskóla Íslands, Háskólanum í Reykjavík og Háskólanum á Akureyri. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að f lestir þátttakendur upplifi að kennsluaðferðir í háskólunum séu nútímalegar. Þeir nefna hagnýtar kennsluaðferðir, svo sem umræðutíma og hópavinnu, og að byggt sé á þekkingu þeirra og reynslu. Skoðanir á þessum kennsluaðferðum eru þó mismunandi. Sumir þátttakendur telja hópavinnu vera góða, en aðrir upplifa hana sem tímasóun. Sumir sækjast eftir akademísku námi, á meðan aðrir vilja frekar læra eitthvað hagnýtt, sem þeir geti notað í framtíðarvinnu. Þá telja þátttakendur að jafnræði ríki milli nemenda og kennara í háskólunum, en það hafa þeir ekki alltaf upplifað í heimalöndum sínum. Niðurstöðurnar sýna einnig að nemendurnir eru langf lestir jákvæðir gagnvart kennslu og stuðningi í íslenskum háskólum en þeir glíma við ýmiss konar áskoranir. Fram kemur að þeir leita eftir mismunandi stuðningi, bæði formlegum og óformlegum, svo sem betra aðgengi að formlegum upplýsingum fyrir innf lytjendur á innra neti og á vefsíðum háskólanna. Óformlegur stuðningur, svo sem frá íslenskum samnemendum, t.d. við nemendur sem hafa lítið tengslanet hér á landi, virðist heldur ekki mikill. Þátttakendur glíma einnig við ýmiss konar vandamál, einkum tungumálaerfiðleika, en einnig samskiptavandamál og skort á upplýsingum. Þátttakendur frá löndum utan EES/ES glíma við erfiðleika tengda dvalarleyfi sem geta haft mikil áhrif á nám og líðan. Þessi rannsókn getur nýst háskólum við að bregðast við aukinni fjölbreytni meðal háskólanema.

Trading autonomy for services: Perceptions of users and providers of services for disabled people in Iceland

This paper adopts a critical theory perspective, aligning itself with a growing body of critical disability research in Iceland. It draws attention to the importance of ensuring that the rights of disabled people to autonomy and independence enshrined in the CRPD are respected and upheld in the implementation of all service models, including “traditional” services. The paper draws on 22 interviews with disabled people and service providers in Iceland. Both groups reveal that they perceive there to be a limit to the autonomy of the user embedded in the concept of services provided by public authorities. The findings are examined in a theoretical context, concluding that the concept of services must be redefined to fully include the perspectives of disabled people if the autonomy and independence envisioned in the CRPD is to be achieved, particularly until such time that personalized services are realized for all.