What role should science play in democracy? Political scientists often assume that it is possible to demarcate between ?instrumental? and ?moral? knowledge, and argue that citizens and/or politicians should use their moral knowledge to agree upon political goals and then apply the instrumental knowledge of scientists to achieve them. This straightforward view is challenged by writers in science studies, who identify three major problems in the use of science in democracy: uncertainty, risk and hidden values. They suggest that these problems could be solved through citizen participation.In this essay I perform an analysis of the internal logic of their suggestion. Is it likely that citizen participation enhances the democratic decision making process so as to reduce the problems? The internal analysis shows that it is rational to advocate citizen participation by reasons of legitimacy.

The representative democracy has become weakened during the last decades. At the same time the United Nations declared at the Rio de Janeiro meeting in 1992 that environmental problems can best be solved by involvement of all concerned citizens in decision-making. The main purpose of this study has been to examine if citizens panels is a possible way to involve citizens in environmental decision-making and what the outcomes can be. Furthermore the study has investigated what the participation has contributed to environmental politics and how representative the results have been. This has been carried out by investigating the Piteåpanel in the municipality of Piteå by conducting interviews.The result of the study shows that the involvement of the citizens in the decision-making influenced the environmental politics of the municipality.

In focus of this study lie students of an upper secondary school in a multicultural district, where more than 60 % of the students fail to reach the national goals for education. Since this particularly exposed group of students receives little attention during my studies in the Special Educational Teacher Programme, I have felt an ever growing urge to examine this group closer. As a basis for this study stands theories on how children and youths, in particular those of immigrant background, need holistic consistency and continuity in order to be able to build a positive development of identity. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibilities of developing parent cooperation in a multicultural district, through finding out what teachers and parents expect and desire from parent cooperation. I also want to find out how parents and teachers think that a working parent cooperation affects the student.

In 1974 the three municipalities of Åsele, Dorotea and Fredrika were amalgamated despite of hunger strikes, mass protests and a serious threat of violence. But after six years the marriage shattered as Dorotea left the other two after years of continued struggle. In 2005 the idea of an amalgamation of Åsele, Dorotea and Vilhelmina municipalities was brought to life by an older and ever declining population.By creating a democratic ideal type consisting of the three variables ? legitimacy, participation and identity ? this study assesses what impact an amalgamation of the three municipalities might have on local democracy.Combining a qualitative and a quantitative approach this study concludes that amalgamating the municipalities today could create a democratic unit lacking legitimacy, having a weak identity and impeding participation. But the study also brings forth that the impact of an amalgamation upon the variables of the ideal type as defined is not written in stone.

A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON THE EXPERIENCE OF ESCORT SERVICE UNDER THE ACT (SFS 1993:387) SUPPORT AND SERVICE FOR THE DISABLED The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of escort service under the Act (SFS 1993:387) concerning Support and Service for the disabled (LSS) for self-determination, participation and equality of living conditions. In the results of this study appears that the escort service fulfills its role in breaking the isolation of persons with disabilities. It gives a picture of the escort service is much more than to break the isolation of people with disabilities. The aspects that emerges is that escort service gives persons with disabilities the opportunity to develop their independence, increase their self-esteem and broaden their frames of reference through increased participation in community life. All users report that they experience autonomy in the choice and order of activities within their grant initiatives.

Background: Young adults undergo a phase in life when they try to become independent individuals and are expected to take responsibility. The transition to adult life, cause hardship for all young adults, but with concurrent mental illness this transition can be more complicated. The young adults may need support from their parents in connection with care.Aim: The aim of this study was to describe nurses' perceptions of parental participation in the care of young adults with mental illness.Method: To describe the perceptions of a phenomenon, qualitative interviews with a phenomenographic approach were conducted. The interview texts were analyzed into five description categories and 10 perceptions. In the study, eight nurses were interviewed.Results: The result shows that parental participation in the care is based on the young adult's decision.

The aim with this study was to illustrate communicative meetings between people that are visiting and working in two different associations for people with intellectual disabilities. The method we used was interviews. To find out the meaning of the associations for the members creating of identity, participation and self esteem we asked them if they felt stigmatized and if they thought that the associations reduced that feeling and how the pedagogy cooperation between them selves and the coaches were working. The results of the study showed that the members of the association experienced that it had a positive influence according to their creating of identity, participation and self esteem. The members felt that coaching and the pedagogy cooperation had both positive and negative aspects but mostly it worked well..

Clients with dual diagnosis have difficulties to recover and have a tendancy to fall between two stools. Among other things this is due to the fact that caregivers have different approaches, values and focus. The purpose of this study is to compare how clients, therapists and socialworkers look upon the aim of the treatment, its form, residential care, the conception of goalfulfillment and participation. In our study we have applied the theories of Aaron Antonovsky, Howard Becker and Erving Goffman. The paper consists mainly of qualitative interviews with clients, therapists and socialworkers.

Background: A patient undergoing surgery will meet many caregivers in different settings pre-, intra- and postoperative in the surgical pathway. Lack of communication is a common digression and the handoff is such an occasion. The purpose is to describe current knowledge about the patients´ right to safe care perioperative. The study is a systematic review (pilot). Result: The handoff was informal, unstructured and inconsistent.

It seems like Swedish municipalities are dominated by beliefs that all citizen participation is good for the development of local democracy. A critic of this certainty is rising among Swedish scholars of political science. However, a critic with an ambition of such generalization is harsh. Different democratic projects contents different qualities and thereby diverse problems in the democratic process. If these democratic problems within the process can be recognized, a deeper understanding can be found and in the prolongation a strengthening of the democracy.This essay examines the democratic process of Lomma municipality's democratic project of citizen participation.

The function of budgetary controls is to control the resource allocation within companies. It can also be an instrument for measure and control subordinates and/or business units? performance (Van der Stede 2001). This paper concerns the latter; when the budgetary control function is used to measure and control subordinates performance based on budget. Previous research in this area has not yet accomplished to explain the effects of tight budgetary control which Hartman (2000) considers as the main issue to be concerned about in management accounting research.Previous research has presented contradictory findings regarding tight budgetary control explained by positive effects as well as negative effects during the last decades.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether and how nine teachers of special education for older students, primarily at Upper secondary school, consider the smartphone an appropriate pedagogical means of assistance to improve participation and to support students with special education needs within and outside the school environment. Theory: The theoretical framework for the study is the sociocultural perspective on learning. The sociocultural perspective is related to the relational perspective and sociocultural learning theory involves learning and participation in school. It views the human being as socially active within a certain historical and cultural context which actively influences the way we act, how we learn and develop through interaction with others in the social, everyday practice. The latter is of vital importance here.

This paper examines how the ideal of manhood is portrayed and constructed and how the participation of Swedish soldier volunteers are motivated and legitimatized. The purpose of this examination is to gain understanding and knowledge about the Swedish soldiers in the Swedish brigade, how they legitimatize and motivate their participation and how the ideal of manhood is portrayed and constructed. The study is based on material from the war archive in Stockholm. The empirical material is composed by letters and propaganda material. In the analysis of the empirical study, there have been two theories used which are Eric Hobsbawms historical method and theory about invented traditions and Peter Aronssons historical method and theory about ?historiebruk? and legitimacy.

ABSTRACTThe aim for this study is to examine how relatives to children who participated/participate in Youth and family team Sputnik-group, oriented towards support groups for children of substance abusing parents, perceive the work done by the organization. On the basis of this aim three questions were formulated: do the relatives perceive a change in the communication with the child as an effect of the child?s participation in Sputnik?s activities, do the relatives perceive a change in their relationship with the child as an effect of the child?s participation in Sputnik?s activities, do the relatives think that their awareness of substance abuse have changed following the child?s participation in Sputnik?s activities. Previous research, Mead?s perspective, the concept of ?groups? and support groups for children, were used to interpret the results.

The aim of this study was to reach a deeper understanding of the process that occurs within the social services after receiving a notification according to Chapter 14, section 1, The Social Services Act. More specifically the focus of this study was to illustrate how social secretaries reason about children?s participation in the process, as well as to examine whether the legislative change, Chapter 11, section 1 a, The Social Services Act, has affected the process in any way. The study?s results reflect interviews with five social secretaries who are active in four different municipalities in southern Sweden.