In Sweden, responsibility for the collection and recycling of packaging and newspapers lies with the producers. Therefore, the major producers created a jointcollection with 5800 recycling stations. The stations are the responsibility of a coordinating body, Förpacknings och Tidningsinsamlingen (FTI) which ensures Government regulations are adhered to by the producers.In 2006, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carried out an evaluation of the collection of packaging and newspapers. EPA´s research showedthat 80 percent of households were satisfied with the collection but that there were also shortcomings, including problems with littering at the recycling stations.We have tried to approach the litter issue from different angles in order to suggestpossible measures to reduce the problem. An important aspect proved to be uncertainties regarding the concept of operators.As there are currently many parties involved in the collection process this lead to the issue of who is legally considered as the operator of the recycling stations.

AbstractBachelor thesis in political science by Alexander Hassan, autumn 2008, ?Effects of external factors on a nations democratisation process during the transition from authoritarian to electoral democratic rule ? A categorical analysis?Supervisor: Tomas SedeliusIn recent years globalization has become a hot topic in understanding the world we live in today. Globalization has indeed had a great impact on international relations and with it a great influence on the domestic conditions that determine a nation?s possibilities. It is therefore rational to hold true that this also would apply to a nation?s democratic process.

The purpose of this study is to determine which approach preschool teachers from a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool and a traditional preschool have on children, knowledge, learning and their own role in children?s learning. The two pedagogical approaches have different basic visions; Reggio Emilia follows the thoughts of Lori Malaguzzi and the traditional preschool follows the Swedish curriculum Lpfö 98. The main research questions asked were:What view on children, learning and knowledge does the preschool teacher from a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool have in comparison with a traditional preschool?Which role does the teacher believe that they should take regarding children?s learning?What differences and similarities can be identified in the teachers' perceptions?To carry out this study, I used a qualitative research method.

Although Lean has received an increased amount of attention in the service context, research still has not established how successfully Lean manages to increase service productivity; since service productivity consists of both efficiency and quality. Research regarding productivity discusses the risk of a tradeoff between efficiency and quality in service production processes. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore if the tradeoff in a production setting with low variability in demand and low customer participation exists, after Lean has been implemented. With a qualitative approach, a case study has been conducted at Scandinavian Airlines Ground Handling to evaluate the effects of Lean in the baggage handling process. The result of the study shows that the tradeoff has not been overcome; efficiency has increased at the expense of quality.

There is a discrepancy between national school guidelines towards inclusive education, and the current political trend towards economic efficacy, that may be problematic for teachers. The aim of this contextual study is to formulate a contextual understanding of the participating teachers? perceptions of their effort to help all their students achieve the goals set forth by school curricula, and use this understanding for the purpose of suggesting points of entry for special needs educators´ guidance of teachers? practices towards more inclusive education.Information was gathered by sending an extensive web questionnaire to all teachers within a given headmaster´s administration, sending web questionnaires to a majority of third grade students taught by those teachers, conducting interviews with a few of the participating teachers as well as with the special needs educators, carrying out a classroom observation, and gathering additional information concerning working conditions and social interactions.The data gathered in this case study has been subjected to an analytical process comprising of an assessment of the degree of inclusive approach, using the Inclusive Approach through Participation as well as the Framework of Participation, technical triangulation of all data post the inclusive assessment, and analysis of context by the Ecology of Human Development/the Bioecological Theory.The analytical process has resulted in a contextual description that has enabled me to suggest possible points of entry to be used in special needs educators? guidance of teachers? practices towards inclusive education. The degree to which there exists a collegial sense of security, varied forms of teacher-student interactions, collegial cooperation, pedagogical discussions, a dialogue in search of mutual understanding, and consequent follow-ups appears, in the light of the limited selection of participants, as relevant to these teachers ability to help their students.Further research is needed to identify valid points of entry for special needs educators? guidance of teachers? practices towards inclusive education.

The trends in trade have been changing in the last few years. To offer a good product with agood price is not enough today, it?s also required that businesses create a good relationshipwith their customers and then do their best in maintaining it. It is now even more brandscompeting in the market, which indicates how a good relationship between the parties can bean important competitive advantage and also a significant variable.The goal and purpose of the study is to investigate and analyze the factors that influence thatthe supplier, in the sporting goods industry, is seen as a good supplier on the basis of theretailer's point of view. Then we want, from different sized companies, analyze and study howthey work with the key properties in creating a good customer relationship and hencecustomer satisfaction.

Men commit more suicide than women all over the world. They commit more violent crimes and are more inclined to alcohol abuse. There are studies that relate this behaviour to the hegemonic image of masculinity.My work focuses on Switzerland. The suicide rate in Switzerland is worrying, for men between 15 and 44 years suicide is the most common cause of death. There is no national suicide prevention and no information or prevention that highlights the connection bet- ween the hegemonic image of masculinity and the suicide rates.

Purpose?This study has examined the information behaviour and perception of information in a group ofinformation users who have a critical approach to the media and the information supply. Some of them call themselvesor are being called conspiracy theorists. The purpose was to examine how their information behaviour is influenced by the belief that the information is biased or inaccurate and what the information behaviour looks like when the user searches for discrepancies rather than a response to a question.Method?The study is based on transcribed interviews and email responses to interview questions.

The problem of separating a non-rectangular foreground image from a background image is a classical problem in image processing and analysis, known as matting or keying. A common example is a film frame where an actor is extracted from the background to later be placed on a different background. Compositing of these objects against a new background is one of the most common operations in the creation of visual effects. When the original background is of non-constant color the matting becomes an under determined problem, for which a unique solution cannot be found. This thesis describes a framework for computing mattes from images with backgrounds of non-constant color, using Bayesian statistics.

Recently, the IASB and the FASB initiated a joint project to determine which companies that could be defined as investment entities and thus subject to an exception from IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements. The first draft, ED/2011/4 Investment Entities, was published in 2011 and included six criteria that a company must meet in order to be classified as an investment entity. Based on academic theory, the fact that the IASB and the FASB published a joint proposal is interesting for several reasons. Traditional accounting theory tends to distinguish between two different approaches in standard setting: principles- and rules-based. The IASB is considered to have a principles-based approach, while the FASB is considered to have a rules-based approach.

The objective of this graduate work is to gain a better understanding in how pre-school educators are able to work with music in their pre-school activity to promote child development. We also want to enlighten possible factors for the development of children based on music and to form our own ideas of whether teachers choose to apply music in their didactic practice or not.The point of this essay has been to attempt answering on what importance music makes for children's development and learning in pre-school, and how teachers could work with music in pre-school in order to promote children?s development. Our data consists of six interviews and two observations realized at a pre-school in Södertälje.We took heed from the theories laid out by Lev Vygotsky's which describe four different levels of development that includes educational development in social interaction between teacher and child. Our choice of this theory is inspired by our seeking deeper understanding of Vygotsky's theory´s application to the aesthetic approach in the interaction in meaning making and learning.The result of our study confirms previous theory and research in that music as a form of expression has a major impact on children's development.

Earlier studies shows that democracy within the preschool is an important and on-going work, but could implicate certain consequences. For example that goals regarding democracy and influence in the preschool, rarely is done in practice but instead remains just words on a paper. It could also mean that the pedagogues lack education and knowledge within the area, but also how they react to the influence of children. Preschool is expected to be a place for all children, no matter what luggage the child is carrying. The luggage is filled with the life experience, the personality and in this case the needs that the child has. The needs could be anything from nearness to physical and psychological disorders that requires more pedagogical attention.

The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of the dynamics behind Chinese-Western buyer-supplier relationships. The study takes on a partially inductive approach by commencing with exploratory in-depth interviews. The main body of the study consists of a cross-sectional survey. Data has been collected through an on-line questionnaire. The theoretical review consists of industrial relationships with specific accounts on the role of adaptation, trust and commitment; a stream of literature in cross-cultural relationships deriving from Hofstede?s culturalist legacy with specific reference to Chinese-Western relationships, including studies on relationship bonding, and the role of guanxi.

In a press release from the Swedish church it says that the pressure from people who are in need is increasing on the deacons in Sweden and that it?s getting higher each year. This study contains the search of knowledge about the deacons of the Swedish church, if they actually feel an increasing pressure and in what way, how they are handling the possible pressure from people in need, if that pressure is too high and if the deacons feel that they can assist the people seeking their help. The study also aim to provide more knowledge about the deacons experiences of the opportunities and boundaries (or obstacles) they meet in their line of work and how they handle the boundaries when/if they can?t provide the help that the people need.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the degree of discipline in social services may be the reason why more children are evicted in one municipality in Stockholm, compared to another. Since our purpose was to study the degree of discipline in social services work with eviction cases where children are concerned, discipline is therefore a central part of the study. The interest in the subject arose from our prior understanding that social services approach to discipline may affect the extent of evictions. In order to answer the study?s question at issue, a qualitative interview was conducted to create an understanding of the discipline and a vignette study was conducted to compare the social workers assessments in two municipalities in Stockholm, Högstad and Lågby.