This study investigates in what respects Celtic mythology influenced J. R. R. Tolkien when writing the sagas incorporated in the mythopoeic compilation of The Silmarillion. Through narrative and comparative analysis, stories from the Irish prose collection Lebor Gabála Érenn, as well as the Welsh medieval manuscript Mabinogion, are collated to the tales of The Silmarillion in order to illuminate possible influences.

This thesis examines how marketing by secondhand apps affects young adult women's consumption habits, investigating whether these platforms promote or counteract overconsumption. While the secondhand market is considered more sustainable than buying new, these apps may still encourage overconsumption. The study focuses on the marketing strategies of three major secondhand apps in Sweden: Tradera, Sellpy, and Vinted, analyzing their impact on consumer behavior using the AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action). Based on qualitative interviews with eleven women aged 20-27 and the authors observations of the apps marketing activities, the study finds that secondhand apps often emphasize environmental benefits and makes secondhand shopping accessible and appealing. However, the marketing tactics used by these apps, including frequent push notifications, targeted advertisements, and influencer collaborations, may lead to increased consumption. Overconsumption causes significant environmental damage, and while the secondhand market can mitigate these effects by extending the lifecycle of items, the emphasis on convenience end environmental benefits can inadvertently encourage more consumption. The study concludes that secondhand apps play a complex role in consumer behavior, balancing the potential for sustainability with the risk of promoting overconsumption.

This thesis examines the power of developing countries within the World Trade Organization (WTO). The research question is if there is a change in the power relations between developing countries and developed countries from the establishment of the WTO in 1995 and until mid 2006, and if so, why this change is taking place? The thesis has its theoretical starting-point within regime theory and views it from a critical theoretical perspective. A multidimensional why of dealing with the concept of power is being used to answer if there is a change in the power relations? The conclusion is that there is a small change in the power relations and that the developing countries are gaining more, but limited power.

Skärgårdsstiftelsen, which is responsible for several of the archipelago islands in Stockholm, has chosen to explore the possibilities for more sustainable heating systems in buildings on the islands in collaboration with KTH. A reduction of energy use and improving the efficiency of existing heating systems are included as part of the environmental work. This report studies the island of Grinda, which is located outside the area of Vaxholm in Stockholm. The study area consists of a guesthouse consisting of a restaurant as well as conference facilities and four neighboring cottages used for overnighting. The cottages now run solely on direct electricity, both for heating and hot water.

With the expansion onto the international market almost a decade ago, Swedish energy corporation Vattenfall began it's breaking and burning of coal on German soil. Criticism aimed at Vattenfall peaked in the mid 2000s with the revelation of large quantities of carbon dioxide emissions and the re-location of villages and graveyards in German states Brandenburg and Saxony. The purpose of this thesis is to show where the responsibility for these activities lie. By analyzing the history of, and the political debate surrounding, Vattenfall, I will show that the prevailing policies of right- as well as left-wing parties in the 20th century were all, regarding this matter, market oriented. I will also show that these market promoting policies made possible a situation where the transparancy of, and state control over, Vattenfall were close to eliminated.

Syftet med arbetet är att beskriva kunskapsledningspraktikers definition av kunskapsdelning och hur de värderar det. Två artiklar innehållande sammanlagt 7 personers uttalanden analyseras. En huvudsaklig kunskapsledningsdiskurs har hittats, även en vetenskapsdiskurs och en marknadsdiskurs har hittats som verkar påverka kunskapsledningspraktikernas definition och värdering av kunskapsdelning.Kunskapsdelning framstår från resultaten att definieras som naturligt existerande i alla organisationer med någon social interaktion, men att det krävs näring och styrning för att öka värdet för organisationen..

I samarbete med Veidekke Skåne har vi gjort en studie om företagets internkommunikation. Veidekke Skåne har sitt huvudkontor i Lund och ingår i den norska byggkoncernen Veidekke ASA. Företaget har funnits i Skåne i fem år och växer hela tiden. Vår intention har varit att kartlägga intern- kommunikationen och ta reda på hur den fungerar. Vi har också velat belysa på vilket sätt villkoren ändras för internkommunikationen när företaget expanderar.

In modern society globalisation is a fact within all industries, the textile industry included. Due to improvement in areas such as logistics and communication international trade have developed fast. As changes occur rapidly on the global market and companies must adjust and revise their processes in order to stay competitive.Because of the global price reduction consumers around the world expect low-price products, which mean that the companies have to find new ways to produce in a cost-efficient way. To maximize profit most of the textile production is situated in low-cost countries due to its labour-intensive character. It is crucial for fashion companies to allocate their activities in their value-chain effectively in order to reduce lead-times.

Med hjälp av diskursanalys och en konstruktivistisk syn på identitet analyserar vi Bushadministrationens uttalanden efter 9/11. Vår utgångspunkt är att identitet är föränderlig och att den politiska diskursen skapar den nationella identiteten. Av vår analys framgår det tydligt att de amerikanska värdena och myterna lyfts fram i diskursen, samtidigt som en onyanserad beskrivning av fienden hjälper till att stärka den amerikanska identiteten. Världen målas upp som antingen svart eller vit, och det är USA:s, frihetens främsta boning på jorden, uppgift att försvara allt som är gott i världen.Diskursanalysen tillför en viktig aspekt till analysen - maktfrågan. Makten ligger framförallt i att denna diskurs totalt dominerar och därför försvårar alternativa tolkningar av världen.

The climate change the earth today has to face is no longer a global problem when every individual has a responsibility to act. The residents in Sweden have no understanding how their energy consumption affects the environment, nor what measures can be taken to reduce the energy consumption.The use of the energy in new Buildings is considerably lower than in the older ones as conditions have improved and the requirements have been more stringent. As most of the buildings in the future have already been constructed it´s important to take every opportunity for energy efficiency and rebuilding of available buildings will become a significant act. Reconstruction of a building contributes generally to both a reduced individual and a reduced total energy use, while new constructions only keep a low individual energy use but a increase the total energy use. For this reason we present the opportunities for reconstruction, mainly to reach the standards for a passive house..

Den civilsamhälleliga arenan förknippas traditionellt med gräsrotsrörelser, och elitgruppers närvaro kan därmed förefalla vara ett kontraintuitivt och främmande inslag. Uppsatsens syfte är verifiera vår tes om att International Crisis Group är en aktör i det globala civilsamhället, och att globaliseringen av civilsamhället utgör den strukturella förutsättningen för detta aktörsskap. Genom en teorikonsumerande fallstudie med ett induktivt förhållningssätt har vi studerat organisationens aktörsskap i det globala civilsamhället. Det teoretiska ramverket består av aktör-strukturteori kombinerat med teorier om det globala civilsamhället, varur vi har konstruerat en analysmodell som bistår med ett nytt sätt att betrakta globalt aktörsskap. Globaliseringen av civilsamhället, som är en förutsättning för globala aktörer att verka, fordrade den strukturella förändringen som slutet på Kalla kriget bistod med.

Den teoretiska utgångspunkten för denna teoriutvecklande studie ligger iGaltungs resonemang om det utökade våldsbegreppet och det strukturella våldet.Vi utvecklar här en egen metod för mätning av strukturellt våld som vi sedan applicerar på alla stater för vilka det finns tillgänglig statistik. Det strukturella våldet i vår empiriska undersökning utgörs av en politisk, en ekonomisk och en kulturell del. Syftet med studien är att undersöka om det föreligger någonkoppling mellan strukturellt våld och intern väpnad konflikt och om det i så fall går att förutspå utbrott av inbördeskrig. Särskild vikt läggs vid de fall som i vår undersökning avviker från vår förförståelse om sociala orättvisor och inbördeskrig. Dessa fall leder oss fram till en slutsats om hur metoden kan vidareutvecklas för att bättre förklara samband mellan strukturellt våld och utbrott av inbördeskrig..

Citizenship and immigration policy are controversial aspects of the European integration project. Fourteen years ago Roger Brubaker stated that the vital differences between German and French citizenship policy were unthinkable to harmonise. This paper therefore seeks to investigate whether the old image of the two countries are accurate. By evaluating citizenship and immigration policies in today's context with the increasing influence of European Union policy I here present a more correct picture of the situation in both countries. Partly to see how the harmonisation has come this far.

This project was conducted on behalf of the organization SABO (Swedish Association of Public Housing Companies). The aim of this project was to investigate which relevant environmental aspects and indicators there are for housing companies to present in their sustainability report. The project consists of three main goals: to decide if there is a need for common guidelines when conducting a sustainability report, determine appropriate environmental indicators and to create a simple model of how the companies can present them. This was done by a literature study, analysis of 13 sustainability reports and interviews with seven housing companies. The result of the project suggests that there is a need for common guidelines to, among other things, make it easier to make a comparison with other companies.

There is an irregularity in the interregional migration in Sweden. An increasing proportion ofthe population is drawn to the metropolitan areas, which creates problems for the smallermunicipalities and towns when their population declines. At the same time, our whole societyis faced with a great challenge: we need to redirect towards a sustainable development, wherethe environmental issues are discussed and dealt with to secure that all present and futuregenerations are given equal opportunities to live a good life.The aim of this study is to, focusing mainly on the environmental dimension of thesustainability concept, examine the attractivity of housing with sustainability claims. Toanswer this, three research questions were used:? Was the migration motive to reduce their environmental impact a part of the decision tomove, among migrants who had moved to housing with sustainability claims?? If the motive was a part of the decision, how much impact did it have compared to othermigration motives?? Which factors in housing aiming at sustainability are considered important by peopleliving in housing with sustainability claims?The research questions have been answered using quantitative data, gained in the form of selfadministeredquestionnaires which were distributed in four different residential areas withsustainability claims in the county of Västra Götaland, Sweden.