Bachelor essay in political science by Marie Åberg, autumn 2011. ?Harm or benefit? A critical view of the theoretical grounds of the international development aid?. Supervisor: Professor Mats Lindberg. The first of the dual purpose of this essay is to present international aid policy ideas and the theoretical grounds of international development aid.

This study treats cultural policy, it´s view of the value of literature, and how this view varies within different fields of cultural policy. The aim of the essay is to find different competing approaches through an investigation of texts from three different fields within cultural policy. The fields investigated are: The publishing subsidy of the National Council for Cultural Affairs, which values above all quality literature. En bok för alla, concentrates on spreading quality literature to new groups in society. Centrum för lättläst, which values that the contents of a text are successfully delivered to, and understood by, the reader.

The purpose of this study was to illustrate a parental perspective of children´s participation and quality of live through personal assistance. Important aspects of parents' experiences were highlighted based on how they experienced participation and quality of life for their children. We chose to use a qualitative approach in the form of four individual interviews with parents from different municipalities in central Sweden. The study was conducted with a narrative approach in which we used a holistic perspective. Parents' experiences were highlighted over time to create a complete picture.

The purpose of this Master?s thesis is to investigate how public library users consider the knowledge of the librarians and to examine what the users expect from the librarians. To begin with, we contemplate our own view of the librarians, their knowledge and what help we expect at the library. Realising that we do not expect particularly much from librarians, although we have studied to become librarians for two years, we assume that the regular library user does not expect much either. This assumption resulted in our decision to investigate this particular question.

Religious congregations and social work have long been a neglected field of research. Although the number of studies have increased during the last twenty years. With a starting point in the situation in this field of research and in the current public debate in Sweden the focus of this study will be on how Christian and Muslim congregations view cooperating with the municipalities, organizations, the religious community to whom which the congregation belongs and how the congregations view cooperating with other religious communities. Qualitative method of research was used. Representatives of four religious congregations was interviewed; a deacon in a congregation in the Swedish Lutheran Church, a pastor in a congregation belonging to the Mission Covenent Church of Sweden, the chairman in a the board of a Muslim congregation and volunteerleader in another Muslim congregation.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how students in a Swedishjunior high school (grade 7-9) view their possibility to participate in thecollection management of their school library, and how the schoollibrary works to involve the students when purchasing media. The studyhas resulted in a model for easy and effective involvement of studentsin the collection development.To achieve this aim both quantitative and qualitative methods are used.A survey in three classes in the school, observations at the schoollibrary and a qualitative interview with the library assistant have beenperformed. The collection management at the school library isdescribed using the School Library Taxonomies developed by DavidLoertscher and two models for participation developed by Roger A Hartand Harry Shier. In the survey, the students are asked about their libraryand reading habits, their perception of their own participation in thecollection management of the library and their opinions of theimportance of student participation in the library.The results show that all students view the possibility of participation as something important, but not all of the students are willing to be active themselves. The proposed model for effective involvement of students in the library focuses on simplicity, voluntariness, distinct information and visible results..

The state of health in Sweden demonstrates a high average length of life at the same time as diseases, due to luxurious living, grew into more and more widespread public health problems. Finding out that information is not enough to get man to live healthy has been conducive to a pedagogic based health education. An illustration of such an education is Public health pedagogy at the University of Kristianstad. The question is, does this education correspond to the new claims that society lays to health work? Our purpose was to throw light upon how individuals, qualified as public health pedagogues, look upon their work on one hand and how different clusters of thought from their study programme are conceived as activated in their professional exercise on the other.

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent LS ? a standard screening test for dyslexia ?is also relevant for the purpose of finding second language students with dyslexia. Starting with an overview of recent studies in the field, I have analyzed texts from parts of the chosen material. After a brief presentation of the test, I have presented it from a second language point of view. Furthermore, I have analyzed the way in which the test measures phonological awareness, lexical accessibility and correctness in language.

Background: When firms grow through acquisitions it is commonly debated whether the two entities ought to be better off as standalone companies rather than as a merged company. This thesis aims at discussing this issue of M&As advantages and disadvantages in terms of source of synergies from the perspective of resource allocation. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyze to what extent pre-M&A differences (against similarities) in resource allocation and corporate culture between the acquiring and target firm have an impact on the post-M&A performance. Theoretical framework: Efficient market hypothesis, resource based view, strategic fit. Methodology: A longitudinal study is conducted on the EU market during 1992 to 2002 based on balance sheet and income statement data.

AbstractIn the literature on multiculturalism and group rights there is a strong tradition that sees diversity as something directly paradoxal to unity. In this tradition, scholars put forward a view of multiculturalism as a divisive and exclusionary process which breaks down the cohesion and unity of society. Related to this notion is that of a neutral and universally valid frame of reference in which political dilemmas can be solved; for example a neutral civil sphere where the ?true essence? of society lies. In this essay I attempt to criticise these two notions.

The purpose of this essay is to discover what Formative Assessment is used for in practice and also how teachers use the Curriculum for elementary school, preschool and after-school activity 2011 (Lgr 11) in their Formative Assessment work.The questions are as follows:What considerations do teachers take into account when assessing a student?How do teachers view assessment for learning?How do the teachers consider formative assessment works in relation to Lgr 11?I have used a qualitative research method to answer my questions. I have interviewed five teachers regarding their view on and experience with assessment. Using a hermeneutic approach I have tried to retrieve a deeper meaning from my interviewees regarding formative assessment. I have approached formative assessment using the socio-cultural perspective because I believe it to be the best fit.All of the informants believe formative assessment has made it easier to assess students and also that it works very well together with Lgr 11.

In this essay I have tried to describe the rich tradition of thoughts about the afterlife in Judaism. The first part contains litterary studies and the second part is based on interviews with religious representatives. The first part is a description of the progress of thought in history around the issue afterlife. The sources reveal a vast amount of intellectual work on the issue. I have tried to follow the path of thought, and how it developed, so that the reader can see how one thought leads to the other but also how each period?s way of thinking is influnced by its context.

The role of Islam in integrative work in Swedish societyThe main purpose of this report was to describe the role of Islam in integrative work in Swedish society. Questions connected to the purpose were: Is Islam a possibility or an obstacle to integration? Which arguments are used to describe Islam as a possibility or an obstacle? How are the different views on Islam expressed in integrative work? Which are the consequenses of such views?A qualitative method with an empirical research and a thematic analysis has been applied to the material. The empirical research consists of interviews.The results of this report describe Islam neither as a possibility nor as an obstacle from a political view. By muslims and researchers Islam can be regarded both as a possibility and as an obstacle in integrative work.

Author: Nilsson LindaTitle: Appraisal talk- new ideals and new formsThe purpose of this study was to examine the concept of the appraisal talk. More specifically its aim was to find out more about the function and the meaning of the appraisal talk, for the organization, managers and co-workers point of view, and if there was any specific method applied. Two of the central questions were: How did the managers and co-workers describe the function and the meaning of appraisal talks? Were there any differences or similarities of the respondent?s point of view, depended of their position in the organization? The method of analysis was qualitative with a critical reflective approach. The study was based on interviews with three managers and four co-workers, in the public service of elderly care in Kalmar municipality.

Author: Nilsson LindaTitle: Appraisal talk- new ideals and new formsThe purpose of this study was to examine the concept of the appraisal talk. More specifically its aim was to find out more about the function and the meaning of the appraisal talk, for the organization, managers and co-workers point of view, and if there was any specific method applied. Two of the central questions were: How did the managers and co-workers describe the function and the meaning of appraisal talks? Were there any differences or similarities of the respondent?s point of view, depended of their position in the organization? The method of analysis was qualitative with a critical reflective approach. The study was based on interviews with three managers and four co-workers, in the public service of elderly care in Kalmar municipality.