Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilken uppfattning elever i årskurs nio har om hälsa. Ämnet Idrott och hälsa bedrivs på olika sätt och syftet med studien är även att få en klarare bild över hur eleverna upplever att de arbetar med hälsa i undervisningen. Genom intervjuer vill vi höra elevernas tankar och erfarenheter om hälsa och vad de skulle vilja lära sig mer om. Vi vill även veta vad de tycker är viktigt för att kunna påverka sin framtida hälsa.

The aim of this study was to investigate, at first, why students in upper secondary school in Sweden participate or not in Physical education and health (PEH) and also find out what changes the subject need that can affect their participation. To get answers out of the in-vestigation, we formulated questions about what preconceptions the students of an specific group have about participation and non-participation in PEH and what changes the subject need, according to the students, to become a subject for all students. The study was based on a qualitative method, by using interviews of ten students from Swedish upper secondary school. The students were from two schools in a mediumsized region and from different programmes.

The results of the study shows clearly that the content and the grades in PEH affects the student’s participation, which was crucial to whether they felt they wanted to participate actively in the lessons or not. The grades were considered as important and affected the participation even though some of the students were not interested in the content, but they still did the things that the teacher demanded. Despite this, the attitudes towards the subject were positive among the interviewed students. The factors the students think can change the participation to more actively is implement more activities as dance, individual training but also, delimit ballsports. It seems like the interviewed students are searching for meaningfulness in the lessons of the subject with a link between the curriculum and grading criteria.

Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att belysa behandlares uppfattningar om syskon och partners upplevelser av att ha en nära person med en ätstörning, samt betydelsen av att involvera dem i den drabbades behandling. Studien genomfördes med en kvalitativ metod där semistrukturerade intervjuer utfördes med 6 behandlare på olika ätstörningsverksamheter i Sverige. Resultat och slutsats visade att syskon och partners, samt andra närstående, är betydelsefulla för patientens tillfriskande. Det är viktigt att syskon och partners involveras i behandling, och att de får information om sjukdom och behandling. Syskon ska inte anta en ansvarsroll, medan partner behöver ta ett visst ansvar i vardagen. Ätstörningar har en tydlig påverkan på partners och syskon, samt på närstående i allmänhet. Närstående bör få goda verktyg till hur de kan vara ett stöd på bästa sätt till den drabbade. Behandlaren ska bemöta närstående med förståelse, respekt och ingen skuldbeläggning. Det är väsentligt för patientens motivation och tillfrisknande att det finns en god och nära relation till de närstående som är involverade i behandlingen. Det finns en brist på forskning inom detta område. Vidare forskning krävs för att stärka studiens resultat och slutsats.

The aim of this paper is to examine how the Swedish political parties the Sweden Democrats (SD), Social Democrats (S), and the Moderates (M) relate to the principle of freedom of expression and the burning of the Quran, which has sparked a Koran crisis as well as a security crisis in Sweden in 2023. The analysis methodology applied in this study is a descriptive idea analysis, which aims to identify values, descriptions, and prescriptions conveyed by the parties during their speeches and debates. The paper also applies three theoretical perspectives:Sociological institutionalism, rational choice institutionalism and John Stuart Mill's harm principle, to explain and evaluate the parties' arguments and positions through institutional factors, rational choice, and moral principles. The study reveals noteworthy disparities in the perspectives of the parties concerning the significance of freedom of expression, the causes and consequences of the Koran burnings, and the appropriate measures to deal with the situation. This research facilitates comprehension of the political discourse and the course of action associated with a contentious and delicate topic that impacts the democracy and security of Sweden.

Socialstyrelsen (2021) reports that 8300 children and young people in Sweden were placed on a so called HVB during 2020. HVB stands for hem för vård eller boende which in english terms is equal to a home for care or housing. HVB was during 2020 the second most common form of placement for children and adolescents. Socialstyrelsen (2018) reports that social workers working within HVB are responsible for meeting young people's care needs in the form of various treatments. Research done by Mattson (2010) suggests that HVB is a closed environment, which can result in social workers that are active in these care homes become identification objects for the young people who are placed in these care homes. 

 Treatment staff in HVB homes work with adolescents who are in need of support and help. Social workers are expected to work gender-consciously to meet the individual needs of adolescents. Previous research shows that HVB is a complex environment that requires flexibility on the part of treatment staff and that interventions do not always lead to the best results. Newly graduated social workers are expected to possess knowledge as critical awareness of how gender affects treatment work.

We have chosen to investigate how newly graduated social workers who are active in HVB homes reflect about the fact that gender is done in treatment work and how they act with adolescents as gender awareness is part of the newly graduated social workers' education. The results of the study showed that the reflections of newly graduated social workers confirm previous research's explanation that gender is made in the treatment work with adolescents and which in turn affects how the staff's treatment work is designed. The result highlights that norms, stereotypes and gender perceptions that society produces affect the treatment work despite the social workers' gender awareness through education. Through the study, we also see the desire to counteract these gender notions and its ability to influence treatment work but that it is difficult.

This comparative analysis is based on two theoretical frameworks, called implementation theory and agenda-setting theory, which aims to investigate how the reception of refugees from the year 2015 in Sweden differs in comparison to the reception of refugees in year 2022 as well as looks into how this has affected the Swedish society. The implementation theory focuses on how the reception of refugees is handled within political decisions and changes while the agenda-setting theory centers around how the reception of refugees in the media affected the population further analyzing how these two cases have affected the Swedish society as a whole. The material used for this analysis mostly derives from Swedish government websites and relevant articles that are applied to the chosen theories. With this, the study concludes that the reception of refugees in 2015 shows a case of failure, in relation to the implementation theory, while the reception of refugees in 2022 shows a case of success. In addition to this the reception of refugees portrayed in the media differs in 2015 compared to 2022 which resulted in immigrants from 2015 having a harder time in society as opposed to the immigrants in 2022 being more welcomed and supported in the community in accordance with the agenda-setting theory. From this the Swedish society was affected in negative ways dividing people in 2015 but changing in 2022 because of unity that influenced the community in more positive ways.

The Traditional Islamic Approach is rooted in Islamic teachings and principles, emphasizing the importance of justice, compassion, and dialogue as mean to achieve peace. In contrast, the Islamic Iranian Counterpoise Approach is a more contemporary approach that reflects the Iranian government’s national interest and aims to counteract the influence of Western Powers in the region. This study will make a comparative analysis that will examine the traditional Islamic and Islamic Iranian counterpoise approaches towards regional peace. The study also examines the similarities and differences between these two approaches, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses under the umbrella of Islamic republic of Iran. The analysis explores from the theoretical foundations of both approaches previously used by the scholars in both historical and cultural contexts, as well as their practical applications in the Middle East. The findings suggest that while both approaches have their merits, the traditional Islamic approach offers a more sustainable and inclusive approach to regional peace. This approach prioritizes peaceful conflict resolution, dialogue, and mutual respect, that is a key to fostering long-term stability and harmony in the region. In contrast, the Islamic Iranian counterpoise approach, while effective in countering external influence, may lead to increased tensions and conflicts in the region. Overall, the analysis contributes to the on-going debate on approaches to regional peace in the Middle East, providing insights into the historical and contemporary factors that shape these approaches and their implications for regional security and stability.

A history of fragility and conflicts in Somalia has had severe impact on the security of citizens, most notably children. Different non-state actors and armed militias have appeared in Somalia’s timeline impacting the region’s, neighboring and global security. The prevalence of child soldiers in Somalia is alarming and so is the presence of armed groups that regularly recruit them. This paper focuses on studying the causes of child recruitment from a human security lens, examining the impact of fragility in Somalia and the ways by which one particular group; al- Shabaab exploits the fragile environment to recruit children. Qualitative data from different online sources is analyzed indicating that the instability in Somalia and the recruitment of children remain closely interlinked, and human security and development in the region are compromised by corruption, poor governance, societal division, ongoing conflicts and displacement.

This work is a study of a project related to soccer for girls at Araby, a segregated district in Växjö. Girls can come there and play soccer under conditions acceptable for all, i. e. doors closed, no spectators and no men are allowed access. The initiative has been ongoing for a decade. Semi structured interviews of some 20 participating girls plus a few parents and brothers, show a high appreciation by the girls. The two most pronounced positive factors were the opportunity to get additional friends and a faster development of the girls’ knowledge of the Swedish language. The mothers were positive as well, n. b. sometimes after carefully investigation of the venue. It is worth noticing that mothers appear to have been decision makers within the families. The interviewed fathers were likewise in general positive. Among the brothers there were acceptance of their sisters playing soccer, respecting the decision made by the mother. It appears that the strongest resistance to the girl’s participation was indeed among boys/young men. The well-being and self-esteem of the girls appear to have been strengthen very positively by their participation. The theoretical framework is based on the concepts of acculturation and integration as outlined by Berry. 

Syftet med detta självständiga arbete är att studera hur barn i en interkulturell förskola använder multimodala sätt att kommunicera med digitala och analoga spel för att skapa mening. Mer ingående handlar det om att bidra med kunskap om hur tecken inom lärande kan visas genom hur barnen använder och omskapar analoga samt digitala material utifrån sina egna intressen. Studien har inspiration från etnografi och metoden som har använts för att samla in material har genomförts med deltagande observationer i form av fältanteckningar. Analysen utgår från ett designorienterat perspektiv som används för att visa hur barn och förskollärare kommunicerar med olika teckensystem och uttryckssätt vid användning av en digital platta och analoga brickspel. Resultatet visar hur barnen skapar mening genom att titta, peka och tala, hur de använder analoga bilder för att transformera sin förståelse av siffror och antal och hur de ändrar sitt meningserbjudande. 

According to the World Bank’s (2019) latest Migration and Development Brief, remittances to low and middle-income countries reached a record high in 2018. This study examines Swedish migrants’ motives behind remittances and their experience with the social and economic impact of sending remittances. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to a research-based study on Swedish-migrants’ remittances practice since Sweden lacks research about remittances. We have conducted eight semi-structured interviews with Somali and Iraqi migrants to understand their motives and experience with remittances. The results are analyzed with theories such as Lucas and Stark’s altruism, self-interest, and tempered altruism, or enlightened self-interest, as well as transnationalism. We have also analyzed the results with the social exclusion concept to understand the migrants' experience in the host country in relation to remittances. In our study, we found that the respondents’ social and cultural resources were limited. Our interviewees were socially and economically impacted by sending remittances. They are in a state where their economy is limited because of sending remittances, which makes it hard for them to maintain a certain social presence in the host country, due to their lack of free time. They do not have the same opportunities as non-migrants in Swedish society, because they prioritize work and providing for their families in Sweden and the homeland. The respondents are living in two worlds where they are keeping their transnational ties with the origin country and therefore, they are comparing their living standards with families and relatives in the home country. This prevents them from seeing or identifying themselves as socially excluded individuals of the host country. They perceive themselves as socially excluded when it comes to their economic situation, however, in general, they see themselves as socially included as they learned the language, got an education, work, provide for their families, etc. 

The purpose of this study is to gain increased understanding of professional social workers experiences of emotional work. This is done through research questions that strive to find out what kind of emotions social workers experience in meeting with clients of domestic violence. Totally five professional social workers' participated in this qualitative interview study. In the meeting between people, emotions can arise that are not always considered appropriate to illustrate in front of a client, that is called emotional (paid) work and is characterized as a physical meeting with people that takes place face to face. Social workers who works with cases of domestic violence have to deal with different emotional experiences. They need to relate to their professional role versus themselves. It is considered important to distinguish between their own emotions and the emotions that are aroused in the professional role in order to avoid emotional strain. For example, it is common for social workers to feel sympathy because the work includes meetings with people who are exposed to domestic violence. The study showed that social workers who work with investigations with cases of domestic violence are at big risk off suffering from burnout. However this can be avoided if social worker have understanding manager and the the support of their colleagues. The data material is analyzed from emotions sociology with the help of Hochschild's theory and concepts throughout this study. Her theory contributes with an understanding of the emotional work and its meaning. 

A review written by Dagens Nyheter displays that in Sweden in 2021, patients are allowed to choose a doctor and a dentist based on their ethnicity and skin color. This occurs systematically throughout the country.

The purpose of the thesis is that with the method qualitative case study, Jan Jämte’s general review of racism as a theoretical framework and supporting material on guidelines and laws in the field, analyze whether the case regarding patients being able to choose a doctor and a dentist with only Swedish origin are counted as racism or not. Moreover, the purpose is to analyze which form (s) this case is based on. The thesis’ intention is also to analyze whether the health center and dental care violate ethical guidelines and laws.

This study concludes that this case is a coexistence of purely biological and cultural racism. Moreover, the study concluded that healthcare and dentistry violated both laws and their own ethical guidelines.

The aim of this paper was to study what impact sports participation has on young people and how nonprofit people and representatives of sports associations work to counter exclusion and how they contribute to inclusion. We investigated if, and if so how, participation in sports and physical activities can generate inclusion and counteract exclusion for young people. In this study we have completed six qualitative interviews with non-profit persons and representatives of sports associations. We interviewed two people who work voluntarily in sports and four people who have a leadership role in sports associations in a specific municipality. This selection was made in order for us to get a broader picture of how the strategies of non-profit and associations might differ in practice regarding exclusion and inclusion for young people. Based on our respondents' answers from the interviews, we have identified four main themes; expectations and demands, the socialization arena, working methods and the negative and positive factors of sports. We analyzed these themes based on previous research and theory sections and to our purpose and issues. The main conclusion we made was that sport contributes to community, belonging, joy, exercise, reduced risk of physical and mental illnesses and facilitates the integration of newly immigrated youth. Our conclusion regarding negative factors with sports are that young people might develop some form of eating disorder, overload their bodies if they exercise too much and that the risks of getting physical injuries might increase if they participate in sports too much. In response to our last research question, it emerges that economy might be an exclusive factor that sport associations try to prevent in different ways. The associations and the working methods of the non-profit people differ in terms of generating inclusion and counteracting exclusion.

The idea of this study is based on the legislative process of the Swedish temporary asylum law. Due to an increasing number of request for asylum in 2015, the parliament appointed a temporary asylum law to create a more restrictive migration policy. This measure was criticized by several parliamentary committees which were emphasising different negative aspects that could possibly affect the refugees. The government responded to the critics by referring to the EU minimum level and by comparison with other EU countries. In 2019 the parliament decided to extend the temporary law even though the number of asylum seekers had decreased. The main argument for this extension was to prevent an increasing amount of asylum seekers as soon as the migration policy in Sweden were to become more generous again. Previous research has shown that not long after the first proposition of the temporary asylum law the law was implemented, indicating a rushed decision made by the Swedish parliament.

Thus is our purpose with this study to examine the political negotiations of the legislative process regarding the temporary asylum law and its extension. In addition to that the aim of the study is also to research if the extension of the law contributed to different discourses. Through a critical discourse analysis our main conclusion is that the underlying negotiations of the legislative process cover four main areas: economy and resources, EU, the asylum system and consequences. Within each field we discovered discourses that could be applicable in both the legislative process of 2016 and in the process of extension 2019. Nevertheless the result of the analysis also presented two discourses that became important parts in relation to the extension. These discourses were convention on the rights of the child and EU. Even though these discourses could be found in the first legislative process, they reach a remarkably higher state of importance in the extension of the asylum law and therefore are appointed as new since they did not held the same level of relevance before.

​​A massive challenge presents for host countries to manage and integrate incoming displaced people. East Africa is one of the sub-Saharan African regions experiencing an enormous refugee influx. Somalis and South Sudan refugees are a majority and are estimated to represent 80% of the refugees in Kenya; the Somali refugee crisis in Kenya is a significant problem, housing more than 200 000 Somali refugees in camps and cities. This field study aims to comprehend the integrating experience of urban Somali refugees within the scope of durable solutions. The study seeks to understand how various individual, family, and clan ties and characteristics aid urban Somali refugee integration. The theories chosen to guide this research is Sen's capability approach along with the social capital theory. This thesis has been delimited to only focus on the Urban Somali refugees living in East Leigh, Nairobi neighborhood. According to recent research, urban Somali refugees often need help with obtaining the necessary documentation to live freely and fully in their host countries. This lack of official documentation can pose significant barriers to accessing necessities such as housing and employment, making it challenging for refugees to integrate fully into their new communities. Additionally, refugees face discrimination and xenophobia, which can further impede their integration efforts. Interestingly, the study found that clan affiliation was crucial in facilitating integration, even more so than factors such as gender or social class.

The intention of this essay was to conduct two comparative analytical units called, “Most Similar System Design" (MSSD). The first unit is Somalia and the other is Iraq. The main purpose of the essay is to study deeper in Somalia and Iraq’s democratization process and also to analyse the deference’s between these two countries based on democratization-process. The essay's key questions are: How did Iraq get further into the democratization-process compared to Somalia? Why couldn't Somalia make a successful democratization process like Iraq? The essay is implemented by Dankwart A. Rustows democratization factors. The results indicated that: (i) Somalia failed in its democratization-process, due to the absence of national unity and a rapid transition. One of the main obstacles was Puntland and Somaliland which hindered the national unity of Somalia. (ii) On the other hand, Iraq was different in its democratization- process. With the support of the United States, Iraq achieved great success in the unification of Iraqi civil society the embodiment of smooth transition. (iii) Finally, the conclusion indicates that: national unity, societal norms and a rapid transition were the decisive variables.

The aim of this study was to examine the concept of “integration” within residential care homes for unaccompanied children. More specifically its aim was to find out how the social workers themselves within residential care homes for unaccompanied children understand the concept of integration and how they work for it. The study was based on a qualitative semi-structured interviews with seven social workers within four residential care homes for unaccompanied children. Six themes were identified that seemed to play a role in the discussions about integration: development-acceptance, learning process, communication & relationships, process, personality and common sense. The analysis was based on previous research in the field and the theory of action by Pierre Bourdieu called practical reason. As a conclusion the first three themes can be seen as an understanding of the concept of “integration”. The last three themes exemplify the practical integration work. Despite the lack of regulatory documents, the social workers show a common understanding of the concept and a similar implementation which can be explained by a dominant implicit doxa within the field.

Syftet med denna studie var att få en inblick och förståelse för personalens uppfattningar om och upplevelser av ungdomars aggressiva beteenden som befinner sig på en SiS-institution. Dessutom har personalens bemötande gentemot dessa ungdomar belysts från svaren och resultaten av frågeställningarna. En kvalitativ forskningsmetod med utgångspunkt från hermeneutiken användes för att utföra studien tillsammans med semistrukturerade intervjuer med ett antal respondenter från en SiS-institution. von Wrights (2000) relationella och punktuella perspektiv användes som teoretisk utgångspunkt till studien. Resultatet redovisar att respondenterna uppfattade, upplevde och erfarar att ungdomarna som placeras vid institutionen minst någon gång under vistelsen uppvisar ett aggressivt beteende. Det kan även ses i resultatet att personalen upplever att dessa ungdomar i de flesta fall har många av de faktorer som orsakar ett aggressivt beteende med sig till institutionen från deras bakgrund och familjesituation.

This studie explores how a promotive youth movement that aims to activate adolescents in economically and socially exposed areas, can affect the youth’s participation in society and oppose their experience of stigmatization. The youth movement, whom is being studied, uses urban art expressions as a mean to engage and motivate the adolescents. The empirism has mostly been collected by a limited participatory observation, and through qualitative interviews with staff and adolescents in the movement. The result has been analyzed through Pierre Bourdieus field theory. To summarise, field theory consists in the hypothesis that the individual is socialized in to his or her way of thinking and being (habitus), based on in which circumstances the individual is raised (in which field). Habitus affects the choices the individual makes throughout life. An individuals habitus is affected by three types of capital, which Bourdieu has named economical-, social-, and cultural capital. This essay analyzes how the promotive youth movement contributes to the adolescent’s social- and cultural capital. I have found that this largely happens by giving the adolescents different types of tools to be seen and heard, based on the concept of hip hop as a political instrument. The most prominent tool in the everyday activities is the opportunity to record music in a professional studio. Other tools that are used are the opportunity to host the movements own radio show, participate in the arranging of different types of events, and such. I have also found that the support from an extra adult and the connection within the movement are central providers of social capital.

The purpose of the study is to increase knowledge about leisure leaders' experiences of and opportunities to counteract exclusion and crime among young people in socially disadvantaged suburban areas, and what risk and protection factors they perceive to be important for exclusion and crime. The study is of a qualitative method based on hermeneutic theory of science. Four interviews were conducted with leisure leaders divided into three leisure centers. The correspondents consisted of three men and a woman of different ages and with varying work experience and varying ethnicities. The intention with the correspondents and the choice of a semi-structured interview guide was to gain an increased perspective on the chosen topic. The results indicate that the various systems in Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory have a strong impact on young people in socially disadvantaged areas. The different system theories have protective and risk factors for the youth.

The way the news media portray their subject can easily alter a person´s perception. They can for example affect whether criminals will be hated or be seen as a victim by society. The purpose of the study was to examine how women who were convicted of murder in Sweden during the 2000 century, are portrayed in Swedish newspapers. The sample consisted of 11 identified women and each of them had 15 written articles about them that were randomly selected. The themes of the articles were examined with a qualitative content analysis, that in turn were based on the chivalry thesis and the ideal victim/perpetrator. The result of the analysis showed that the majority of the articles had a harsher portrayal, and the women were more likely to be seen as 'bad' or 'mad'. While a smaller portion of the articles had a more gentle portrayal, and the women were in turn more likely to be seen as a good person or as being less responsible for their crimes. Althrough we did not find any support that the women were sexualised by the newspapers, as some of the previous studies have snown.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilken uppfattning vårdnadshavare och lärare i fritidshem har angående obligatorisk läxhjälp på fritidshemmet samt om fritidshemmets verksamhet får några konsekvenser om obligatorisk läxhjälp införs. Studiens metod bygger på en kvalitativ enkätundersökning med 38 vårdnadshavare samt kvalitativa personliga intervjuer med 5 olika lärare i fritidshem från 5 olika skolor. Resultatet visar att uppfattningarna som vårdnadshavare har angående obligatorisk läxhjälp på fritidshemmet var både positiv och negativ. En del anser att läxhjälp på fritidshemmet är bra eftersom många barn har långa dagar på skolan och fritidshemmet. Andra anser tvärtom att läxhjälp är skolans ansvar och inte ska förekomma på fritidshemmet. Det framkommer även att lärare i fritidshem är överens med vårdnadshavare. Argument som förs fram är rättvisa och andra menar att fritidshemmet är ett komplement till skolan inte deras förlängda arm. Fritidshemmets verksamhet påverkas enligt vårdnadshavare och lärare i fritidshem på olika sätt. Det framkommer att läxhjälp ett par gånger i veckan inte inverkar på verksamheten, dock behövs det mer personal i så fall. Medan andra menar att utevistelse och annat påverkas. 

Studien behandlar hur begreppet genus uppfattas och uttrycks utifrån pedagogernas synvinkel, pedagogernas sätt att bemöta barnen, hur de formar lokalerna, vilket material som erbjuds och på vilket sätt det påverkar barnen utifrån ett genusperspektiv. Studien uppmärksammar även på vilket sätt pedagogerna arbetar för att uppfylla de önskemål de har för hur de vill att genus uttrycks i verksamheten. Metoden som används för studien är intervju med ljudinspelning och tretton respondenter har deltagit.

Studien visar att pedagogerna uppfattar genus som mer än hur man förhåller sig till könen. De uppfattar att begreppets innebörd även innefattar till exempel individens bakgrund, etnicitet och religion. De arbetar medvetet med att inte göra skillnad mellan könen, utan utgår istället från individens intressen och erfarenheter. Dock kan detta variera vid olika aktiviteter och situationer i förskolans vardag.

Majoriteten av de tillfrågade pedagogerna har en tanke för hur de väljer att forma lokalerna utifrån ett genusperspektiv. Pedagogerna anser att det finns genusifierat material men att detta inte behöver ha någon betydelse för vilka som väljer det. Det handlar om på vilket sätt pedagogerna presenterar det och samtalar om det med barnen. 

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur gymnasielärare i idrott och hälsa arbetar med digitala verktyg och vilka utmaningar och möjligheter detta skapar för inkluderingsarbetet. Studien genomfördes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med 7 lärare, varav en lärare deltog genom att svara på några av frågorna över e-mejl. Intervjuerna analyserades därefter dels utifrån Nilholm och Göranssons (2013) nivåfördelning av begreppet inkludering, dels utifrån det teoretiska ramverket Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Resultaten visade att inkludering handlar främst om att öka deltagande och skapa goda sociala relationer. I inkluderingssyfte har de digitala verktygen främst använts i syfte att skapa förutsättningar för elever som annars har haft det svårt genom bland annat mer tillgänglig information. Det har varit en utmaning för lärare att hitta lämpliga verktyg och att identifiera hur dessa kan användas och anpassas till undervisningen. Den främsta anledningen till att detta varit en utmaning är att det krävs en god kunskap om verktygen för att lärarna ska känna sig trygga i att använda dem. I dagsläget används digitala verktyg mestadels i teoretiska sammanhang och som medel för att göra undervisningen mer inkluderande genom att göra dess innehåll mer tillgängligt för eleverna. Huruvida de digitala verktygen hjälpt undervisningen att bli mer inkluderande är lärarna emellertid osäkra om.

Africa’s agricultural productivity is the lowest in the world. At the same time the largest proportion of poor people live in rural areas where they are dependent upon agriculture for their survival. Agriculture is thus an essential to consider when fighting poverty. Women make up 70-80 % of the labour force in the agricultural sector and produce about 80% of the food for the household. Women are at the same time dependent upon their husbands for access to agricultural land and financial resources. Despite the important role of agriculture for poverty reduction, the sector continues to lack attention from both governments and international organizations, and the fact that gender discrimination is a cause of poverty is rarely raised.

This thesis aims to investigate, through a field study in Zambia, which conditions and circumstances that create low agricultural productivity, based on how the peasants themselves perceive it. The paper aims to problematize the question of low agricultural productivity by looking at the issue of land access and gender equality. This thesis takes its methodological point of departure in a qualitative ethnographic field study with semi-structured interviews. In order to analyze the peasants situation Sustainable Rural Livelihood has been used as an analytical framework.

The result of this thesis shows that peasants’ productivity mainly is hampered by the fact that they lack access to productive and financial resources. The overall difficult macro-economic situation in Zambia, together with the fact that investments from the government in the agricultural sector and in rural development is small, contributes to a situation that hinders peasants’ opportunities to increase productivity with other means than just working harder. Furthermore, the result shows that women experience gender discrimination in accessing land, credits and education. The difference between men and women is structural and is the result of unequal access to resources, which have given men more power and influence. Hence, women have become dependent upon their husbands to gain access to land and financial resources, implying that women become both vulnerable and isolated. Access to land would strengthen women’s economical dependency and give them the possibility to control the income and investment made in agriculture.

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine if female interests have been included in different levels of water governance in Cuamba municipality, Mozambique in order to understand if gender equality and women empowerment is being addressed at the grassroots level. In Sub-Saharan Africa women generally have the responsibility of fetching water and are therefore directly affected by the quality and accessibility of water and sanitation services. Though gender mainstreaming and policies addressing gender equality has been adopted in Mozambique, the actual difference that these measures have made to the lives of women in Mozambique is questionable.  A qualitative single case study has been conducted, by interviewing government institutions, the private sector and civil society actors at district and municipality level in Cuamba. The findings reveal that it is the municipality government, FIPAG and the traditional leaders that are the main actors with the power over the distribution of water in Cuamba and through a joint effort the water situation has improved a lot in recent years. The interest in water among women was mainly focused to having a water source while the main interests among men was to have a shorter distance as well as shorter queues to the water source. An abductive method of the analytical framework consisting of four dimensions of water governance and rethinking em(power)ment, gender and development has been used to guide the analysis of the findings in a more comprehensive manner thus investigating the power structures in each dimension of water governance with a focus on women empowerment. The result indicates that women living in the urban areas were more empowered in all notions of power due to better access to information and education thus giving them more time and individual knowledge to collectively and individually demand power over the distribution of water. Due to lack of empowerment among women living in the rural areas, these women demanded less regarding the distribution of water and had less individual understanding of water governance. Furthermore the interests among women living in the rural areas were mostly included in the decision-making processes as it generally concerned having access to a clean water source. As the women in the urban areas demanded more and had more interests in water governance it became clear that the female interests in the urban areas were not included in decision-making. By including more women in decision-making bodies in water governance and putting more emphasis on education for women these issues could be addressed.

After conducting the current situation analysis, we were able to find that there was a need and a desire of the teachers to develop the teaching with digital tools. Thus, the development-oriented project aimed to develop the teaching with digital tools and contribute to the students' and teachers' konwledge through digital tools. The work was founded on the action-model in planning, action, observation and reflection. The starting point of the work is to take into account the interests of the students and the teachers in how each action was carried out, in order to gain a meaningful and motivation in carrying out the task. The results of the actions varied depending on the students' content in the films. Content in music videos, for example, could culminate in a learning linked to dance and collaboration, while content in lego building showed abstract skills as patience. The teachers' projects differed somewhat from the students'. The teachers put more focus on filmmaking and that the content would be adapted accordingly, while the students' focus was based on the content. After the interviews, the teachers showed a developed competence in the area as well as a newfound will to work with digital tools. Based on the result, such a project with specific filmmaking can develop teaching from the teachers 'perspective and contribute to students' learning through motivation and meaningfulness.

Med stöd i aktionsforskning genomfördes utvecklingsarbetet på ett fritidshem som

vände sig till F-klass och årskurs- 1 och 2. Utvecklingsarbetets fokus var att sätta

elevinflytande och delaktighet i centrum, främst genom gruppsamtal och samlingar

tillsammans med elever. Förändringsarbetet dokumenterades via loggbok, fotografier

och film. Intervjuer och gruppsamtal var också instrument som användes för att

synliggöra resultatet av aktionen. I utvecklingsarbetets nulägesanalys framhävs

avsaknaden av pedagogledda aktiviteter och elevers inflytande och delaktighet. Den

tidigare verksamheten utgick i stora delar från fri lek och resulterade ofta i en oro i

elevgruppen. Med hjälp av framförallt dagliga samlingar och teman, strävades det efter

en tydligare struktur i verksamheten. Resultatet visar att samtliga elever var nöjda med

något av de teman som erbjöds och framhåller att de idag vet vad de ska göra när de

kommer till fritidshemmet. Utifrån elevernas agerande går att utläsa att den nya

strukturen i fritidshemmets inomhusmiljö har blivit lugnare. Flera av eleverna upplever

inflytande och delaktighet i verksamhetens utformning, till skillnad från före detta

utvecklingsarbete påbörjades.

Syftet med studien är att ta reda på några förskollärares erfarenheter och åsikter gällande TAKK (tecken som alternativ och kompletterande kommunikation). Frågeställningen i studien utgår från vilka erfarenheter och åsikter förskollärare och resurspersonal uttrycker angående: TAKK´s påverkan på kommunikation barn/vuxen och hur de uppfattar kommunikationen mellan barn/barn? Personalens förhållningssätt till metoden TAKK? Användningen av TAKK i vardagen? Upplevelse av fördelar och nackdelar angående användandet av TAKK? Studien är baserad på intervjuer. Resultatet visar att TAKK upplevs som positivt för språkutvecklingen av de intervjuade förskollärarna. Fördelar som bland annat uppkommit i intervjuerna är att det alltid finns tillgängligt konkret för förskolläraren och barnet. En nackdel som framkom utifrån förskollärarnas erfarenheter är tidsbristen till att lära sig. Utifrån förskollärarnas erfarenheter upplevs TAKK som en bra metod som fungerar för alla barn oavsett om de kan tala eller inte. Det har framkommit i resultatet att metoden TAKK stimulerar barnets språk och samspel genom att barnet kan göra sig förstådd genom tecken, tal och kroppspråk. Utifrån styrdokumenten för förskolan ska förskolläraren arbeta efter att främja barnets språk- och kommunikationsutveckling, vilket de intervjuade anser är betydelsefullt eftersom en vuxen behövs för att barnet ska lära sig TAKK. Det kan ta tid för barnet att uppfatta, använda och förstå tecknets innebörd. Därför bör barnet finna mening med teckenanvändning när tecken återkommer i vardagliga situationer. Enligt förskollärarnas erfarenheter och åsikter och litteraturens argument argumenteras TAKK som en bra metod för barnets språkutveckling.

The aim of this thesis was to examine the 1970s democratisation and antidemocratisation processes in Thailand, more specifically the 1973 Thai popular uprising and the 6 October 1976 massacre. Its point of departure was Erica Chenoweth’s 2023 research on how societal pillars, if incentivised by activists, can realise democratisation and the research gap on media reports affecting people’s perception of protesters which she also addressed.  It also investigated the fine line between uncontroversial and controversial subjects in the context of protests and how to overthrow a régime using its weaknesses.

The methods which have been used are a combination of a qualitative research approach, a congruence method, process-tracing and a case study. Popovic and Miller’s method of choosing an uncontroversial subject when protesting and Sharp’s ideas about the Achilles’ heels of a régime were used as supplementary analytical frameworks.

The 1973 case resulted in democratisation taking place, partially due to the protesting students having King Bhumibol’s full support, partially due to the disunity of the Royal Thai Armed Forces (henceforth RTARF) and partially due to the ruling military junta’s failed attempts to, through media, manipulate the masses into turning their backs on the students.

The 1976 case, on the other hand, led to antidemocratisation, because of the general dissatisfaction with the achievements of democracy, King Bhumibol’s support of authoritarianism, the influence of right-wing media on its consumers and the police, military and paramilitary alliance crushing the pro-democratic demonstration at the Thammasat University campus and the Village Scouts’ subsequent antigovernment protest.  

The subject of environmentally displaced persons (EDPs) has not received much attention yet. However, the amount of EDPs will increase significantly in the future as a consequence of climate change. This increase could be prevented if developed countries would take adaptation measures, however at the moment they do not take any action.

This desk study looks at the current situation of no action through the Basic Explanatory Framework developed by Scharpf. This framework uses game theory and provides an explanation for the lack of action concerning EDPs, namely the free-rider effect and the prediction that there will be no action. Furthermore, this thesis contains a comparison of the case of EDPs with the case of climate change and the Kyoto Protocol. Both cases show many similarities but there has been action concerning climate change namely the Kyoto Protocol.

The comparison enforces the prediction that has been made concerning EDPs. Both in the climate change case and the EDPs case, countries will act as free-riders. The Kyoto Protocol has only symbolic value and thus, developed countries have also free-rid in the case of climate change. Furthermore, eight policy options are provided in this thesis that could increase the incentives for developed countries to take action concerning EDPs: increase incentives, issue linkages, transfers, increase willingness to pay among voters, consensus treaty, coalitions, setting deadlines and supranational organisations. 

The overall aim of this study is to gain knowledge of how the transitions to and from preschool class are described and understood by children. Previous research has indicated that transitions between different school forms can be seen as both problematic and threatening. Transitions should be facilitated and "smooth", something that indicates that continuity is important. Of interest for this study is to gain knowledge of children's perspective of continuities: which continuities and discontinuities children express intransitions.

Transitions are theoretically considered as social processes that are constructed, shared and reconstructed together with others. In these processes, children mark and construct borders through speech and action. Their border markings (for example, expression of differences and/or similarities between different communities and between different school forms) also become part of a child's identity constructions.

The thesis is based upon the research described in three articles. The empirical data underlying these studies was constructed in a longitudinal ethnographic inspired field work where children have been observed in two transitions between three different school forms: preschool, preschool class and compulsory school.

Results suggest that from children’s perspectives the transitions between different school forms contain challenges, opportunities, limitations, changes and preservation. However, the transitions also involve expressions concerning security, risk-taking and include visual markings between the different school forms.

One of the conclusions that can be drawn from this work is that it isn’t enough to turn to policy level, such as curricula or even teachers’ aims or aspirations to facilitate these transitions. The child’s perspectives need to be taken into account. Through children's narratives, we have gained knowledge about the opportunities transitions can offer, but also how transitions can be considered as threats or be difficult to interpret for children. This study has also increased our understanding of the importance of continuity as well as discontinuity to mark borders between different school forms.

I denna essä diskuteras lärarprofessionens gränser. Bakgrunden hämtas ifrån att allt fler larmrapporter om sjukskrivna lärare, den hotande lärarbristen och lärares upplevt minskade  handlingsutrymme  når  oss.  Lärare  har  fått  ett  utsträckt  uppdrag  och  diskussioner förs om hur professionen kan avlastas. I essän jämförs exempel från den svenska  skolan  med  exempel  från  den  franska.  Avsikten  är  föra  en  kontrasterande  och  teoretisk  diskussion  om  lärarprofessionens  gränser.  I  beskrivningarna  används  teorier  om  communitas  och  structure  som  förklaringsmodeller  för  skolan  som  system. Inom communitas betraktas alla individer för vilka de är; här faller rang, titlar och formalia bort. Communitas baseras istället på närhet, intimitet och känslor. Alla har huvudrollen och är lika viktiga. Inom structure är förhållandet det motsatta. Här uppträder människorna i förhållande till och i enlighet med regler och rutiner på en spelplan.  Inom  structure  synliggörs  skillnader  och  hierarkier  och  man  uppträder  formellt och i överensstämmelse med olika roller, vilka har väldefinierade positioner på spelplanen. Det är värt att reflektera över hur de olika teoretiska strukturerna kan inspireras  av  varandra  i  syfte  att  avlasta  lärarna  en  del  av  det  utsträckta  uppdraget.  Vad händer om man tydligare skiljer på spelplanerna hem och skola samt rollerna elev, lärare  och vårdnadshavare?  Avslutningsvis  förs  en  diskussion  om  ifall  stärkta  gränser  skulle kunna leda till avlastning av lärare, och möjligen också till ökad auktoritet och professionalitet.

Most research about transition in educational settings describes how children enter into new contexts, especially transition from preschool to school. However, the overall research focus in this article is to gain knowledge about how the transition process can be characterized at the end of the preschool period prior to the actual transition. The data reported in this article was generated through visits to preschool class which have the intention to prepare children prior to the transition. The results support the conclusion that the transition process can be characterized as circular rather than linear, or maybe a spiral process that loops back and forth. The children in this study engage in a number of border encounters and border crossings between preschool and preschool class during the spring semester prior to the actual entering. After each border crossing they return to preschool and seem to reconstruct their experiences and expectations of preschool class. This looping movement highlights the identity deconstructions as a social learning process over time. It is shown that children enter the transitions process long before they actually (physically) enter or visit school. The results also propose that the transition is a period when the constructing of identities as ex preschool children may be important. In this process, the teachers in preschool have an important role in order to facilitate the children’s disengagement from preschool. The study also implies the need for teacher collaboration in order to make the transition transparent and explicit for the children.

In this article, the play used in preschool class education is discussed. On the one hand, research has shown that there seems to be a positional shift towards a more academic and schoolpreparatory positioning of the preschool class education. On the other hand, this is still a voluntary school form that shall be based on preschool traditions and play. In addition, research has shown that there actually is a weak emphasis on care provision and play in this educational practice. There is also a lack of knowledge about how play is used and conditioned. The purpose for this study is therefore to analyze the play used in preschool class education. Data for the study is extracted from an 11 months ethnographic case study and the original empirical material consists of 1013 minutes of recorded film in addition to 224 A4-pages of field notes constructed during one year in one preschool class. Examples of common, ordinary and recurring play situations during the school year were selected from this material. Inspired by qualitative content analysis the selected play situations were joined together in three different categories: 1) The optional play, 1) The cultural play, and 3) The educational play. In line with previous research, the results show that play in preschool classes never is “free”. Rather, it is conditioned and framed by the teachers (present or not present); children are committed to play in a certain way and a certain time. In addition, there is a future perspective in the use of play. Playing activities seems often to be closely linked to educational goals.

Research topic

Most research about transition describes children’s entering into new contexts, especially transition from preschool to school. However, the overall research focus in this study is to describe how the transition process can be characterized at the end of the preschool period.

Theoretical and Methodology framework

The study aims to approach the children’s perspectives of transition, and the data is constructed through both observations and conversations with children. The theoretical framework providing the basis for this study includes theories of transition, borderland theories and theories of identity constructions. The study adopts the theoretical position that children pass through certain institutional borders in transition from preschool to the preschool class. Transition is a phase in which individuals start to re-define their perception of who they are as they enter new social contexts. One assumption is that children themselves can influence, challenge and stretch those borders, or even create their own borders.

Main findings

The results support the conclusion that transition is a circular process rather than linear, or maybe as a spiral that loops back and forth. It is shown that children enter the transitions process long before they actually enter or visit school, but it is also shown that the transition process isn’t all clear for all children. The study also proposes that transition is a period when the constructing of identities as Ex preschool children is important.

Relevance for Nordic Educational Research

The transition from preschool to school is managed in different ways and at different times in children’s life across the world. This study puts the spotlight on the Swedish preschool class that is placed at the crossroads, in the borderland, between preschool and primary school.

Research topic: Research suggests a tension around transitions in the early years: while borders between school forms have become more clearly marked, there are also ambitions that transitions between them should be “soft” – that is, not posing potential threats for children. The overall purpose of the research is to gain knowledge of how transitions to and from preschool class can be understood from children’s perspectives in terms of border crossings, identities and continuities. Theoretical and Methodology framework: The study aims to approach the children’s perspectives of transition, and the data is constructed through both observations and conversations with children. The theoretical framework providing the basis for this study includes theories of transition, borderland theories and theories of identity constructions. The study adopts the theoretical position that children pass through certain institutional borders in transition from preschool to the preschool class. Transition is a phase in which individuals start to re-define their perception of who they are as they enter new social contexts. One assumption is that children themselves can influence, challenge and stretch those borders, or even create their own borders. Main findings: The results show that transitions between school forms can be considered as threats for children in terms of social discontinuity. The results also show that a smooth transition appears to be a spiral process in which children have the opportunity to commute back and forth across borders between different school forms, and engage in different communities in different arenas. In addition, the results show that children desire educational continuity. However, this appears to be difficult to construct in preschool class as the educational landscape is changing and preschool and school is moving closer to each other in terms of content and focus. Relevance for Nordic Educational Research: Children’s transitions from preschool to school are managed differently across the world. This study puts the spotlight on the Swedish preschool class that is placed in the borderland between preschool and primary school.

This article reports findings from research on children’s perspectives of the transitions from preschool to compulsory school via the preschool class. In this article transitions as possible threats, continuity and ‘smooth transition’ and are discussed. As in many countries around the world, there are indications that preschool and school in Sweden are moving closer together in terms of assignments and content - movements that are likely to affect even the youngest children. The results highlight the complexity of transitions and its implications for educational practice, but also shed light on the organizational conditions which children have to cope with in transitions.

This study focuses on how children's transitions to and from preschool classes are organized in different schools. Principal’s arguments for this organization were sought via a web-based survey and analyzed using the frame factor theory in addition to theories of practical sense and the concept of continuity. The results show that children tend to make more transitions between social communities the younger they are. The distribution of the principal’s answers show that the majority of them, because of external conditions, split the preschool groups to new classes in the transition to preschool class. However, the same movements are not indicated in the transition to first grade. The results show how the work of organizing chidren’s transitions represent a complex web of external actual conditions as the number of children and the recruitment area of the school, the internal logics and ideas about what is best for children and best for continued learning as well as the school's own traditions of working with transitions.

In this paper, teachers’ work with the newly introduced assessment of six-year-old children in Sweden is illustrated using the neoinstitutional theory. The results show how teachers are guided by coexisting mix of logics, which are based on different values and lead to different assessment practices. The results show that more assessment implies less teaching, and the policy reform vision, to better support children in continuing education, is at risk of being lost when transformed to pedagogical practice. The formative focus on the assessments is reduced to a technical practice with focus on delivering results. Thus, the neoliberal focus and performativity is prominent.

This article reports how teachers in Swedish school-age educare (SAEC) evaluate their practice. The study was conducted within a research- and development programme and is based on 47 teachers’ written reflections about performing evaluations. The reflections have been analysed using various neo-institutional logics. The results indicate that the teachers’ focus, regarding both the children and the practice, is directed differently when they are guided by different logics. When guided by the market logic, teachers focus on customer preferences and customer satisfaction. Guided by the professional logic, teachers focus the collective as well as the activities and the organisation around them. Guided by the bureaucratic and state logics, the teachers focus on the formal teaching, the individual child, and the school-age educare goal fulfilment. The results also show issues and contradictions concerning how to evaluate, what to evaluate, and when to evaluate. One possible claim is that the learning processes at the school-age educare are broad and complex, and thus difficult to “mould” to fit into evaluation schemes.