The purpose of this study was to examine experienced family counselors view regarding the concept of conflict avoidance in couple relationships. Twelve family counselors working in different parts of Sweden was interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. They were asked to reflect on the following: their description of the concept of conflict avoidance, the consequences of conflict avoidance in couple relationship, gender differences and their own view on how to create conditions for constructive, therapeutic work in this respect.The result shows that the fear of conflicts, difficulty in expressing needs, different perceptions and expectations together with a difficulty to negotiate about differences, creates a lack of emotional and physical contact together with an absence of dialogue. The consequences of this in the long-term, a majority of the respondents perceived, are feelings of anger, resignation, powerlessness and unhappiness..

Competition is keen in the fashion industry of today. Homogenous products and prices aredriving competition and most firms are struggling hard to attract customers. Brands havebecome one of the most important assets for success and are often critical for the choices of theconsumers. A strong brand is often considered as a substantial value in the eyes of the consumerand gives the individual firm a competitive advantage in the marketplace. To build a strongbrand it takes that the brand identity not is in conflict with the brand image of a firm or a product.Sometimes one of these conflicts exit and sometimes the firms are not even aware of it.In this thesis we study how two firms, Lindex and Prada, perceive their own image and then wecompare how the images of the firms are perceived by the customers.

Purpose/Aim: The purpose of this paper is to describe how a number of strategically selected employees at the Swedish Institute, with the purpose to promote Sweden in the world, look at the challenges facing Sweden concerning nation branding in the new era of cooperation within the European Union. I examine how these people look upon the work of public diplomacy and nation branding in order to actively participate and influence the EU's common communications platform.Material/Method: The method used in this thesis is qualitative interviews. The reason why I chose this method is because I consider it to be the most appropriate in order to collect information about how these selected employees at the Swedish institute regard the challenges that lay ahead in terms of nation branding within the European Union.Main results: On the basis of the results I have gained by dint of the analysis, it can be concluded that it is of utmost importance to take the societal changes, which are a result both of the worldwide globalization and the EU cooperation, into consideration when designing a future communication strategy for the Swedish Institute. The nation-state continues to play an important role in Sweden, but its importance is declining as the EU cooperation is progressing. The citizens? identity plays a crucial role in designing a nation?s communications strategy, and from the analysis I conclude that we move not from a Swedish to a European identity, but towards a pluralistic union where multiple identities meet under one umbrella; the EU..

The writer has attempted to discuss the distinction between the necessary and the contingent. It begins with a criticism against the possibility for a so-called ?a possible worlds realism? to give a ?philosophical explanation? of this distinction. The writer argues that this is impossible, since it requires that a notion of this distinction be already accepted (more precisely that the necessity of such a theory is already accepted).After this specific criticism, the writer intends to show that this is a more general problem that follows any explanation of the contingent/necessary distinction.The writer then discusses the counter-argument that the requirements placed on these explanations are set to high, therefore the writer shows in theory the problem can be solved and sketches a more specific way how to explain and show the basis for this distinction..

Problem: How is Lean, a production-focused model being applied to non-productive focused industries.Purpose: To examine how Lean has been applied to the department of Turbuhaler-Kvalitetskontroll and which parts have been successfully applied.Problem statement: How does the implementation of Lean?s basic concept, which originated in the car industry, differentiate itself from the implementation of Lean in the pharmaceutical industry, in this case the department of Turbuhaler-Kvalitetskontroll at AstraZeneca.Conclusions: The department has had success in its implementation of lean. They have developed and modified the basic concept in order to apply it and excluded the parts they did not consider necessary. Through their work they have accomplished numerous improvements in, among other things, the reduction of lead time. .

This thesis has been made in cooperation with the forestry machinery producerEco-Log in Söderhamn. The focus of the thesis has been to find a cheaper wayto open the large engine hood of the company?s harvesters. The goal was tofind a solution that could increase the value for the customers by being saferand simpler to use, or, at the least, keep these values at an equal level comparedto the previous solution.In order to make it possible to CE-mark the new solution, it was importantMachinery Directive that came into effect from the beginning of 2010.To begin with, a specification of requirements was set up. Thereafter, anumber of different basic concepts was retrieved and evaluated.

Background: Within palliative care setting persons with terminal illness is cared for. The aim of the care is to enhance the quality of life for the patient through a holistic approach. The disease can lead to major suffering and require the person to handle the situation. If the person´s ability and capacity to do so is insufficient the identity may be perceived as threatened and quality of life diminished. Self-care can help a person to cope with loss of identity, enhance independence and improve quality of life.Aim: The aim of this study is to explore self-care strategies of patients within palliative care setting.

This essay investigates the function of fictional space and thematics in Line Knutzon?s dramatic works.My main theoretical concept is thematic unity, factors that unite several plays by one author.I have found three major themes: the encounter, identity and childhood, which I study in five of Knutzon?s plays: The Splint In The Heart, The Latest Thing, First You?re Born, The Air Others Breathe and The Time Will Soon Come.I study three aspects of space: fictive space, where the play is set, the characters? inner space and exterior space, that which is outside fictive space: society. Fictive space is shown mainly via dialogue and context.It is evident that the themes, most clearly visible in the five chosen plays, are very important in Line Knutzon?s dramatic works. Most typical is the way she portrays childhood memories, in monologues showing that her characters exist in a ?hole?, in the void between childhood and adulthood.My investigation leads to the conclusion that Knutzon deals with existential matters: there is a kind of constant chaos, within her characters, expressed in actions and thoughts.

A radical change is taking place in the world today: some former colonies are now booming economically while several former colonizers are suffering from economic crisis. Postcolonial theory states that old structures from the colonization are keeping the South poor and the North rich. Today there?s a shift in these structures as former colonizers Spain and Portugal are forced to ask for economical support from their former colonies.The colonial discourse separated white from black and depicted the population in the colonies as the absolute antithesis of the Europeans. In Portugal circulated also lusotropicalism, an ideology that claimed Portugal as absolutely free of racism, a statement with great influence in the postcolonial Portugal.On the basis of semi-structured focus groups I will in this paper do a discourse analysis of young, university educated Portuguese identity/ies in relation to the former colonies and the changing relations to these countries.

This degree project is on 15 university points which correspond to 10 weeks full time studies. The work has been carried out during autumn term 2007 and spring term 2008. This degree project has been carried out with the cooperation of Etac Supply Center AB who is located in Anderstorp.It?s been Etac interest to develop a solution which helps the user of the wheelchair over obstacles. My task has been to develop a concept that solves the problem according to the requirement specification.In the rapport the reader can follow the development from an idea to a finished concept.

In this essay I analyze the way my collection of poetry relates to the concept cyclic. What is cyclic and what different interpretations are there concerning the concept? Which other related concepts are there regarding things that seem to reoccur regularly? How does the cyclical, the circular, relate to the linear in regard, for example, to the perception of time? Life often creates the sense that different phenomena and experiences repeat themselves. Different processes are conducted according to regular or irregular cyclical phases, situations seem familiar and events can be relived.         Starting from my writing project Sinnligt kviller, a collection of poems, I discuss these questions in themselves and the impact they have had on my collection. I describe the phenomenon cyclic as a result of the emotions and moods this term creates in a more or less decisive way.         The intention with this paper is to show how Sinnligt kviller offers different perspectives of and reflections upon the various feelings provoked by the cyclic in our lives, feelings that are given my own voice in the literary text under study..

The aim of this master's thesis is to investigate and to explain the concept of folksonomy in the perspective of knowledge organisation. By creating a conceptual explanation and defining what folksonomy as a concept consists of, the intent is to establish a basis for evaluating folksonomy and to discuss what relevance folksonomy may have in the field of knowledge organisation. By applying a qualitative content analysis a review is performed on how folksonomy is perceived and discussed in a selection of articles written on the subject. Employing the theory of classification, subject indexing and bibliographic retrieval, folksonomy as a method for knowledge organisation is analysed. The practice of tagging in existing systems is also studied.

The aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of how some people aged between 20-35 years? experience Facebook in relation to identity creation, communication and stress. The analysis is drawn from seven semi-structured interviews with a sample of Facebook members, four women and three men aged 20-35 years and during the interviews respondents answered questions based by the following topics. Does Facebook allow changing identities? In what way is Facebook a communication tool for enabling relationships? How can Facebook be related to stress and coping? The results showed that respondents perceived Facebook as an easy means of communication and maintaining relationships.

Information overload is by no means a new concept, but has come to prominence the last decade. A generally accepted definition of the phenomenon does not exist. The main question in this master thesis is how to define information overload in order to create a connotative concept for information science. This thesis reviews the nature and causes of information overload, and considers possible solutions, both individual and technical, and their relevance to the information professional. The review of the results shows that researchers seldom or never give a legible definition of what the concept information holds.

During the recent years the interest in entrepreneurial education has increased both in terms of research being made in the subject, but also in the extent of entrepreneurial courses in Swedish secondary schools, where as the concept Junior Achievement (JA) is particularly being used. A common goal of the entrepreneurial education is apart from teaching the students how to start and run a business, to develop the students? entrepreneurial skills and competences. The main purpose of the essay is to describe and illustrate the role of the teacher in the entrepreneurial pedagogy being used in courses with the JA concept and to investigate which entrepreneurial skills are being developed by the students participating in these courses. There is also the purpose of investigate what the characteristics are of this entrepreneurial pedagogy being used in the courses using the JA concept.