Deliberative democracy theory has been prominent within political science research since the early 1990?s, often applied in studies on postnational democratic constellations, in particular the European Union. Of the main institutions of the union, the European Parliament stands out as somewhat understudied from this point of view, which is why the main aim of this thesis is to study the conditions for deliberative democracy in the European Parliament.From deliberative democratic theory four criteria have been selected to function as methodological framework in analysing the institutional structure and proceedings of the parliament. Each of the criteria is applied separately to the practice and function of the plenary sessions, the parliamentary committees and the political groups. The analysis shows that the conditions for deliberative democracy differ between the three fora, as do their respective roles in parliament, but all in all they supplement each other.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate how the use of the IT-personnelsystem influences human resources and the new challenges and future requirements that may occur, while IT-personnelsystem is used more extensively in the HR-function.Previous research referred to in this study, has focused on how the HR-transformation has contributed to the development of an IT-personnelsystem, which has been used with increasing frequency. This use has created a significant change in the HR-function. This thesis focuses on investigating, describing and analyzing how the practice and development of the IT-personnelsystem meets the needs of the HR-transformation.This study uses qualitative research methods to investigate sixteen users? experiences and our understanding and conclusion is based on both semi-structured interviews and webb surveys. Initially deductive, later on our study took a more abductive approach.The result indicated a variety of uses for a specific IT-personnelsystem dependent on the users? function and positions and also how HR-activity was organized within the business.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate how the use of the IT-personnelsystem influences human resources and the new challenges and future requirements that may occur, while IT-personnelsystem is used more extensively in the HR-function.Previous research referred to in this study, has focused on how the HR-transformation has contributed to the development of an IT-personnelsystem, which has been used with increasing frequency. This use has created a significant change in the HR-function. This thesis focuses on investigating, describing and analyzing how the practice and development of the IT-personnelsystem meets the needs of the HR-transformation.This study uses qualitative research methods to investigate sixteen users? experiences and our understanding and conclusion is based on both semi-structured interviews and webb surveys. Initially deductive, later on our study took a more abductive approach.The result indicated a variety of uses for a specific IT-personnelsystem dependent on the users? function and positions and also how HR-activity was organized within the business.

In the era of urbanization and globalization, many small, rural and post-industrialcities struggle for growth. The competition for citizens and visitors is intense, andone commonly used strategy is to promote the city to a target audience. Placemarketing, however, is homogenized to a great extent. Marketing thus seems likea useless approach, yet almost every city does it.By using discourse analysis and institutional theory, this essay aims to explainwhy the city of Kramfors markets itself. There are several problems arising due tothe marketing of places, especially concerning the discrepancy between the city?simage and identity.

Syftet med uppsatsen var att studera vilka idéer som ligger till grund för 2009 års Kulturutredning och om den genomsyras av de idéer som inför de administrativa förändringar som kopplas till New Public Management. Detta undersöktes genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av Kulturutredningens betänkande. New Public Management (NPM) är en uppsättning idéer om hur man organiserar och styr offentlig verksamhet och har påverkat verksamheter inom bland annat vård, omsorg och skola de senaste decennierna. Dessa idéer innebär ökat fokus på uppföljning och utvärdering samt att kvalitet kopplas till kostnadseffektivitet. Man sätter upp mål, operationaliserar dem till mätbara prestationer som kopplas till finansiering.

AbstractAt the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 the nations stated that traditional environmental policies were not sufficient to handle the multidimensional challenges posed by sustainable development. Governments needed to broaden their political decision making procedures in order to coordinate and integrate environmental, social and economic policies. Therefore a new tool was introduced in Agenda 21, National Strategies for Sustainable Development (NSDS). The aim of an NSDS would be to bring together actors from all parts of society to jointly reach a consensus on how to work towards the vision of a sustainable society. An NSDS would be seen as a strategic tool to help focus national policies for SD.

Denna uppsats har sin utgångspunkt i hållbar stadsutveckling - med särskild inriktning på social hållbarhet - och studerar konsekvenser av den segregerade staden Malmö. I fokus står bostadsområdet Almgården och dess betydelse som kontext för barns identitetsarbete och socialisering. Med utgångspunkt i teorier om socialt hållbar stadsutveckling, boendesegregation, grannskapseffekter, samt barns socialisering och identitetsarbete ges en förståelse för bostadsområdets betydelse för barns uppväxtvillkor. Uppsatsen innehåller en nulägesbeskrivning och hållbarhetsanalys av Almgården som kontext, baserad huvudsakligen på intervjuer med boende och olika företrädare för den kommunala verksamheten i området. Sammantaget indikerar situationen på Almgården sämre förutsättningar för god hälsa och välfärd och medför faktorer som kan påverka barns uppväxtvillkor negativt.

Depression in young adults is a serious condition causing serious suffering for the victim. By finding risk factors for depression the opportunity for early preventive action is increased, which, in turn, may prevent a negative course. Two risk factors which have been shown to be related to depression are shame and rejection. Therefore this study examined the relationship between shameproneness, rejection sensitivity, shame-related events and depressive symptoms. The self-report questionnaires used were TOSCA, RSQ, Shaming index and BDI-II.

This thesis examines the possibility of Bolivian indigenous women?s social movements? getting their demands of a gender equal society fulfilled in the new state which was initiated in 2005 when Evo Morales became the first president representing the indigenous people of the country. By using a qualitative method I have showed that although the Bolivian indigenous women?s social movements? historically has been significant political actors for social change in the country, with representation at both regional and national level, Bolivian women are still subordinated in the social and political sphere. By applying a feminist intersectional perspective which takes its point of departure in a understanding of power as multidimensional, where gender, ethnicity and class are constitutive principals, multiculturalism theories and a social movements theory framework, I have found that even if institutional changes, that opened the system increased the indigenous women?s social movements political participation in Bolivia, power structures based on gender limited their possibilities to influence both socially and politically.

The purpose of this research is to examine some historical aspects of Robert Putnam?s thesisabout voluntary associations and social capital. According to a micro perspective theory ofsocial capital the trust and reciprocity required and created by associations is important toexplain the disparity between institutional performance and socioeconomic development ofsocieties. The social patterns governing this therefore set a precedent for the future. Using themutual sickness benefit societies in Sweden as variable for voluntary associations around1884, the essay discusses the possible links between social capital, associations and long termeconomic development.

The dialogical plait in individual vocal educationThesis in Music Education by Jannike Huss. Part of the work for the master´s degree. Studies from School of Music, Theatre, and Art, University of Örebro, 2010. Available from Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden. Original in Swedish.This thesis treats the value of communication for individual vocal education on a higher level.

AbstractOil rich states all over the world share a common feature. They are less likely than other states, depending on other resources, to be ruled democratically. In this essay Saudi Arabia has been studied with the purpose of trying to find which mechanisms that lie behind why oil rich states do not have institutions or institutional change that promotes democracy.Saudi Arabia has the world's largest known reservoir of oil. The oil brings huge revenue each year to the Saudi Arabian government. Why have Saudi Arabia not developed democratically when their economic growth suggests that to be a natural step? Under the framework of historical institutionalism and path dependency theory, I have used process tracing trying to track the mechanisms behind Saudi Arabia's authoritarian rule down.

The drama of Kristina Lugn?s Kvinnorna vid Svansjön (The women by the Swan Lake) takes place in the dialogue and language; the same ambiguous language that is found in Lugn?s poetry. In this essay I examine how meaning and dramatic tension is created in the dialogue of Kvinnorna vid Svansjön.I describe the play, using concepts from various drama theories. However, the most important concepts of classical drama theory such as "story" and "plot" are not really applicable. This is because of the contradictory information given in the dialogue.

Sweden has had laws protecting nature for about a hundred years. In this paper the views of nature and the values that serve as a rationale for protective measures are analyzed as results of a social process characterized by the dialectic relationship between institutions and discourse. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is used to study this relationship and the discursive practices used by institutions, which reproduce or reshape views of nature that define the relationship between society and nature. Institutional design contributes to shaping discourse in the field of nature protection, while being originally shaped by discourse. In Sweden, the national park is an institution that reproduces a view of nature as the wild and untamed opposite of society, and the natural reserves reproduce a view of nature as holder of a multi-faceted set of values intertwined with society.

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.