This master thesis concerns the relation between law and the theory of the conceptual metaphor which has developed within cognitive linguistics. Although its main focus is abstract thinking, it also covers a wide range of aspects within cognitive linguistics, such as the prototype theory and radial categories. In order to address this relation, three questions will be dealt with. Firstly, does the theory of the conceptual metaphor have relevance to interpretation of legal rules and contracts? Secondly, can the same theory explain why a legal rule or a contractual term has been interpreted outside of its most given area of application? Thirdly, when an interpretation is not predictable from a legal viewpoint, can such an explanation answer to that fact? Answering the first question will require a descriptive analysis of the conceptual metaphor and cognitive linguistics.

I studiens primära del försöker vi närma oss supermakten och klassificeringen av den samma i termer av resurser och ´role theory´. På en lägre abstraktionsgrad är vi intresserade av fallet Kina och att utreda i vilken mån supermaktsbegreppet kan appliceras på staten. I en andra del argumenterar vi för ett unilateralt agerande utifrån Kinas givna position i det internationella systemet.Detta gör vi genom att exemplifiera deras politiska strategi i biståndspolitiken gentemot Afrika.Genom främst ´role theory förmår vi attribuera Kina supermaktsstatus och i vår neorealistiska ansats kan vi sedan se hur de smyger fram i det internationella systemet utan direkta konfrontationer i sin strävan efter ett multipolärt system..

Problem: Is the free cash flow a value relevant accounting measure in relation to the Swedish stock market?Objective: The aim is that by using an investment strategy to examine whether the free cash flow is an accounting measure that could be perceived as value relevant in relation to the Swedish stock market.Method: The paper is based on a quantitative survey of empirical evidence that has been collected from companies listed on the Large and Mid-Cap lists of the Swedish stock market.Theoretical Frame of reference: value relevance, cash flow, portfolio theory, drive theoryResults: It was concluded that the study results conform to the Finnish survey results. The portfolio shows higher returns than the OMX index..

Studien handlar om svenska gymnasieelevers motivation för att studera matematikämnet. Den teoretiska grunden hämtas ifrån Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur väl gymnasieelevers egen uppfattning om sin motivationsnivå kan prediceras genom de fyra ingående motivationsorienteringarna i Self-Determination Theory: (1) external regulation; (2) introjected regulation; (3) identified regulation; och (4) intrinsic motivation. Deltagarna (n = 132), 44 pojkar, 84 flickor och fyra som valde att inte specificera kön, studerar vid två gymnasieskolor i Falu kommun. Deltagarna fick via en webbsida besvara en enkät som mätte variablerna: upplevd motivationsnivå, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation och intrinsic motivation.

Objective: The objective is to examine if long terms of payment are created because of a perceived zero-sum game in the cash-to-cash cycles between companies. The study will also examine if dependence effects the dependent companies Cash-to-Cash-cycle because of long terms of payment. Scientific method: The study uses a qualitative and a quantitative method, where primary data is collected from semi-structured interviews. Additional primary data is collected from an unstructured interview with an expert in the field of which is examined. Additional data has been collected from the studied companies? annual reports.Theoretical references: The primary theory has been Game theory, where the researchers have used this theory to analyze the behaviors of the companies.

Vid regeringsskiftet 2006 kom det att bli förändringar inom skolpolitiken och det blev startskottet för denna undersökning. Skolverket fick i uppdrag att utforma nya kunskapsmål att uppnå i ämnena matematik, svenska samt svenska som andra språk. Detta föregick införandet av nationella prov i årskurs tre. Syftet med undersökningen är att ta reda på grundskolelärares inställning till hur proven kan komma att påverka det pedagogiska uppdraget.Insamlandet av material har skett genom en enkät bestående av fasta svarsalternativ och det har getts möjligheten för skriftliga kommentarer.Resultatet visar att lärare anser att de nya problemformuleringarna är en vinst för elevernas kunskapsutveckling och inte proven i sig. De nationella proven ses som redskap att synliggöra elevernas kunskaper och till viss del kan de komma att ligga till grund för bedömningar av elevernas kunskapsutveckling..

Vid regeringsskiftet 2006 kom det att bli förändringar inom skolpolitiken och det blev startskottet för denna undersökning. Skolverket fick i uppdrag att utforma nya kunskapsmål att uppnå i ämnena matematik, svenska samt svenska som andra språk. Detta föregick införandet av nationella prov i årskurs tre. Syftet med undersökningen är att ta reda på grundskolelärares inställning till hur proven kan komma att påverka det pedagogiska uppdraget.Insamlandet av material har skett genom en enkät bestående av fasta svarsalternativ och det har getts möjligheten för skriftliga kommentarer.Resultatet visar att lärare anser att de nya problemformuleringarna är en vinst för elevernas kunskapsutveckling och inte proven i sig. De nationella proven ses som redskap att synliggöra elevernas kunskaper och till viss del kan de komma att ligga till grund för bedömningar av elevernas kunskapsutveckling..

Purpose/Aim: The aim of this thesis was to study the construction of gender and to compare Media?s portrayal of male and female athletes.Material/Method: 140 articles covering seven famous Swedish male and female athletes were selected from two Swedish newspapers (Aftonbladet and Expressen). The articles has been analysed within the frames of Norman Faircloughs Critical Discourse Analysis.Main results: Male athletes are often described in powerful ways and are framed as being strong and successful. Skills and strengths of women athletes are often devalued in comparison to standards of hegemonic masculinity and self-control. They are often framed as women and girlfriends in advantage of the fact that they are athletes..

The study has got three aims. The first purpose is to implement the Newman et al.s rampage theory (2004) in a more dominant European context. In this way, the theory?s strengths and weaknesses can be exposed. The second objective is to look at the motive.

This study is about how videogamecompanies and Swedish newspapers represent masculinity and femininity in the covers of the games Assassins Creed 3, Grand Theft Auto 5, Bayonetta and Tomb Raider along with the reviews being done in conjunction with the game. The reviews has been published in the following newspapers: Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet, Expressen and Göteborgsposten. The image that is formed in our society about how a man and a woman should be and behave will be the basics of this study. The covers of the games often represent what the game itself is about and what it contains and the reviews also conveys what the consumer who buys the game gets. The video game industry has grown in recent years to become one of the largest entertainmentindustries, but despite this, there has not been many studies on how this media represents masculinity and femininity.

This paper treats George Dickies institutional theory of how to define art. Some alternative theories and their originators are also introduced. According to Dickie something is art because it has been created against a background of an already existing artworld. Dickie has formulated his theory in two different versions, ?the earlier? and ?the later?, which differ somewhat in their design.

The purpose of this study in the psychology of religion is to explore the process of an individual?s shift in orienting system, from a religious to an atheistic. The materials used are autobiographical accounts obtained from two books. One that has been used as a primary source and one as a secondary. By using Rambo?s process oriented theory of religious conversion relevant themes and categories were chosen and later subjected to further analysis using Pargament?s theory of religion and coping.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka huruvida Self-Determination Theory kan appliceras som förklaringsmodell för motivationen hos de anställda på Företaget X. Enligt Self-Determination Theory råder ett samband mellan tillfredsställelsen av basbehoven; autonomi, kompetens och släktskap i arbetsmiljön och motivationstypen hos individen. Tillfredsställelse av basbehoven främjar autonom motivation framför kontrollerad motivation och genererar antingen internalisering av yttre motivation och/eller bibehållande av den inre motivationen. För att undersöka sambandet mellan variablerna genomfördes en enkätundersökning med både anställda i ledande och icke-ledande position. Enkätens resultat visar att basbehoven är tillfredsställda och att motivationstypen är av karaktären inre motivation respektive hög grad av internaliserad motivation.

This essay examines the process of fair value accounting of financial assets in a Swedish commercial bank, in contrast to the theoretical approach stated by IASB. The theoretical background contains a review of the academic standpoint on fair value accounting and historical cost accounting, a detailed description of fair value accounting according to current and future IASB regulation and on the American FAS 157 regulation. The empirical case study describes the process of valuing and classifying financial assets into level 1 and level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The analysis describes how the legal requirements for classification are interpreted and applied in practice when valuing bonds and derivatives. The authors provide an explanation as to why the majority of financial assets are valued mark to model rather than mark to market as well as a suggestion on how the share of market valued assets can be increased..

Why participate? Many studies focus on explaning non-participation in politics. The political parties are loosing members and the particiaption of young people are given extra attention. This thesis is about young people who do participate in party politics. The question is how they experience their participation and how they feel that they can have a politcal influence by being a member of the youth section of a political party.