Discussions about the democratic deficit of the European Union have gotten more intense and the criticism usually points towards a great gap between the citizens and the EU politics. In this study the political communication policy is being put under the scope to investigate to what extent the policy is designed to counter the democratic deficit, supported by the theory of deliberative democracy. The analysis examines three aspects of the deficit ? decentralization, participation and the distribution of information ? and makes research into the communicative measures that have been implemented. The importance for EU to make deliberation possible is stressed throughout the essay and in the conclusion I argue that improvements still need to be made.  .

A growing need to strengthen ones position on the market, even as a city in competition with other cities, has resulted in an increasing number of municipalities developing brand platforms. When the city of Umeå developed their platform, they identified decision makers and investors as one of four important target groups.The aim of this study is to explore the portrayed image of the city of Umeå in two Swedish trade journals which addresses the specific target group decition makers and investors in both public and private sector. The aim is also to compare the image of Umeå in the two papers, to the ambition of the municipality, expressed in the brand platform.In order to make the observations as firmly established as possible, the method of the study is a combination of a quantitative content analysis and a qualitative text analysis. The study draws on the theories of Eli Avraham and Philip Kotler, concerning how to improve city images and how to market a specific city among others. The study shows that the city of Umeå in large extent is portrayed in accordance to the ambition which the municipality expressed in the brand platform.Umeå is displayed as an expanding city.

A growing need to strengthen ones position on the market, even as a city in competition with other cities, has resulted in an increasing number of municipalities developing brand platforms. When the city of Umeå developed their platform, they identified decision makers and investors as one of four important target groups.The aim of this study is to explore the portrayed image of the city of Umeå in two Swedish trade journals which addresses the specific target group decition makers and investors in both public and private sector. The aim is also to compare the image of Umeå in the two papers, to the ambition of the municipality, expressed in the brand platform.In order to make the observations as firmly established as possible, the method of the study is a combination of a quantitative content analysis and a qualitative text analysis. The study draws on the theories of Eli Avraham and Philip Kotler, concerning how to improve city images and how to market a specific city among others. The study shows that the city of Umeå in large extent is portrayed in accordance to the ambition which the municipality expressed in the brand platform.Umeå is displayed as an expanding city.

The swedish rule concerning the treatment of employee stock-options have changed and the new wording of the rule will be applicable for the first time in 2010. The previous wording of the rule stated that the employee shall be taxed for the stock-option when moving abroad, even if the option is not exercised. The Swedish Skatteverket and Regeringsrätten have found that this rule is in conflict with the free movement of persons within the European Union. The new wording of the rule states that the employee shall be taxed when the option is excercised, no matter where the employee is situated. A state`s right of taxation of a stock-option determines wheter and to what extent the employee stock-otion derives from that state..

A group of companies that only recently has caught the attention of Swedish designers, enterprises and media are the so -called "furniture pirates". In Sweden it?s mainly two companies that have ended up in the spotlight. The online stores Ikon M and Designers Revolt are two companies which currently sell replicas of famous Swedish and foreign designers. Although the designs sold are copyright protected in Sweden, and most other European countries, the right holders can only stand by and watch as more or less exact copies are sold for a fraction of the price of the originals.The business model - to exploit the EU?s free movement of goods and the UK's short term of copyright protection in matter of mass-produced art (industrial design) - has proven successful for the companies that practice it.

A group of companies that only recently has caught the attention of Swedish designers, enterprises and media are the so -called "furniture pirates". In Sweden it?s mainly two companies that have ended up in the spotlight. The online stores Ikon M and Designers Revolt are two companies which currently sell replicas of famous Swedish and foreign designers. Although the designs sold are copyright protected in Sweden, and most other European countries, the right holders can only stand by and watch as more or less exact copies are sold for a fraction of the price of the originals.The business model - to exploit the EU?s free movement of goods and the UK's short term of copyright protection in matter of mass-produced art (industrial design) - has proven successful for the companies that practice it.

One special feature in the Swedish nature, mainly in the county of Uppland is one distinctive kind of dip, which can be distinguished from its fast and unaccounted drainage. These dips are called ?glupar? and can mainly be found in coarse-grained pebbled moraine under the highest shoreline (HK). During spring, and particularly when snowmelting occur, the wateramliptude fluctuates a lot until late summer or the beginning of fall comes; these dips are then often almost fully drained. During winter however, the waterlevel stands high.

The essay deals with the patterns of storytelling in Selma Lagerlöfs novel "Körkarlen". The focus is on the relationship between idea and form. Selma Lagerlöf tries to show how the drinker David Holm comes to insight about his own shortcomings and faults without knowing that he is in fact educated by his old friend. The author of this essay tries to show that Selma Lagerlöf use the same method in relation to the reader of the novel. Selma Lagerlöf wants to enlighten the reader without actually preaching.

Outdoor advertising is not very often discussed within city planning even though the commercial messages occupy much of public space. The advertising signs affects not only the physical environment but also social life. In this report I would like to acknowledge and question the presence of advertising in our everyday environment. Outdoor advertising is not a new phenomena, technical progress however, results constantly in new expansions in the environment. Today advertising occurs in all sorts of shapes in the cities, both as free standing signs and as signs attached to facades, incorporated in city furniture such as bus shelters and on vehicles moving along the city streets. Grouping advertising into two categories; local and national, reveals that the different categories have different impact on public space.

This study is grounded in an interest in the Swedish Upper Secondary Schools? role as an educator of democratic citizens, with a specific interest in the moral and cognitive development of Upper Secondary School students. Development in these two areas is treated as results of citizenship education.The purpose of the study is to examine moral and cognitive development of students in Upper Secondary School to see if there are any structural differences to be found between the Upper Secondary School programs that are vocationally oriented and the programs that are preparing for further studies on higher levels ? since these differences have been both theoretically and empirically implied. The study is based on an enhanced version of Lawrence Kohlberg?s stages of moral development (with teachers? evaluations of students? capacity as a reference point of the students? actual level of moral development) as well as on Kieran Egan?s theory of development through the use of cognitive tools (as seen in five different ?shapes of understanding?).

This thesis puts focus on Maria Aarts method "Marte meo" (on one's own strength). With the video camera as a principal tool, the purpose of the method is to be a practical working tool to support developmental processes on specific target groups, for example parents and their children. The aim of the thesis was to describe Swedish Marte meo Therapists and Marte meo Supervisors personal- and working experiences of the method, which was introduced in Sweden year 1991. Central questions were: How does Marte meo Therapists describe the essence of the method, it's establishment, development, and future in Swedish social services and psychotherapeutic treatment work? Which are Marte meo Therapists opinions of the methods relation to general problems and issues within social services and psychotherapeutic treatment work, such as the anchorage of theory and practice and the general claim for more research in social services interventions? In order to achieve the aim of the thesis a qualitative study was performed containing semi structured interviews with three Marte meo Therapists (two of them also titled Marte meo Supervisors).

Background: Various follow-up studies show that there are deficiencies in the care of patients affected by stroke. In order to provide good care according to the National Board of health and welfare and national guidelines for stroke care systematic quality audits need to be carried out.Purpose: To investigate if the local guidelines for stroke care in Örebro County are followed and to explore how people with stroke experience care and rehabilitation in hospital, primary care and community.Method: Primary health care records were reviewed using quality indicators in the local stroke guidelines. Samples of patients were obtained from the County´s three hospitals. Differences between men and women, younger and older, were analysed with chi-squared test. Eleven people were interviewed about their experiences of care, rehabilitation, support and participation.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the Swedish Institute of public health care uses paternalistic information in their alcohol publications. My intention has also been to examine to what extent the paternalistic information is being used. This is determined simply by how frequently paternalistic information is found in the publications. I chose to analyse five publications that contain alcohol related information and had a clear motive. My results show that all five publications use paternalistic methods with the intention to change readers, or people in their surroundings, alcoholic behaviour. Though this is quite a small essay, I have suggested extended research of the subject ? preferably of all 176 alcoholic publications presented by the Institute of public health care..

This is a result of a diploma work in construction engineering. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the nature of the productivity in a given project and how the Skanska productivity tools were used in this project.Interviews were held among workers and management to get some answers on what affected the work and its productivity. The result of the thesis showed that the productivity tools as propulsion analysis and ?goal cards?, were not used to a wide extent in this project. Furthermore there was almost no feedback for the one who made the calculation and the offer for the project, which might affect the results on projects negatively in the future.Within the project there was a lot of waiting time which affected the productivity.

MPC is the company Exova Metech?s operating system that contains all the information needed for the company's objectives and guidelines to permeate the company. How changes in the MPC should be communicated with the company's employees can be seen as problematic. Routines that have been changed in practice, the process owners do not always update in the MPC, it leads to that the employees can not ensure that duties are performed properly. It is therefore important that management takes its responsibility by providing updated information.