Departing from Fred Dretske?s groundbreaking article, this essay explore the epistemic closure principle: the principle that states that knowledge is closed under known implication. It also explores the relationship to skepticism, various attempts to challenge and defend the principle, as well as developing a new perspective where the skeptical premise is seen as an a priori justified tautology that can be overriden by a posteriori experience. I argue that Dretske?s illuminating example makes it clear that there is an unescapable choice between either rejecting a skeptical premise ? however intuitive it may seem ? or inextricably having to admit a skeptical conclusion. .

Determinants of Small Housing Prices in Stockholm 1993-2009, is an econometric study. Regression analysis is used to identify and measure the dominant factors that determine small house prices in Stockholm. Economical fundamenta and neo-liberal varaibles are in use to explain nominal overprices in the house market, as well as the steady development of real house prices in the region..

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the satellite states of the former Communist bloc immediately departed on a journey towards democracy and market capitalism. Among the many tasks of the newly elected governments, one was to transform the paternalist Communist welfare state into a social system that would decrease the oversized role of the state, at the same time as protecting the citizens from the hardships ensued from the transition.I have studied the evolution of new welfare systems in the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, three countries generally agreed as the most similar and most successfull transition countries of the Eastern bloc. Gøsta Esping-Andersen's prominent typology of welfare regimes, consisting of the liberal, corporatist and social democratic regime-types, has constituted the theoretical basis of the analysis. Simultaneously, applying new cases to the typology implies an element of theory testing.The study shows that 40 years of Communism and partial isolation from the West has not prevented these three countries from developing welfare states fully compatible with those of Western Europe and the Anglo-Saxon nations and that all three of them in fact fall within the scope of the corporatist regime-type..

This study draws from Zygmunt Bauman´s theory that a governmental policy of values can reduce the personal responsibility and moral choices for employees, to focus only on maintaining the government?s internal rules and regulations. The apparent risk with this type of moral attenuation is that the employee is deprived of the possibility to react morally on conduct of the government?s external misuse of power. In this study, this theory is connected to the Swedish Armed Forces? policy of values, as these values do not include a critical standpoint for officers and soldiers.

I denna studie undersöks Uppsala universitets kommunikationsstrategier från mitten av 2000-talet till och med 2010. Kommunikationsstrategierna undersöks utifrån ett nyinstitutionellt perspektiv, för att studera hur institutionellt tryck som marknadisering kommit att påverka dessa. Marknadiseringsprocessen undersöks i sin tur utifrån den institutionella omgivningen i form av politiska initiativ, för att studera den institutionaliserade processen. Utifrån nyinstitutionell teori om organisationers tendenser till formaliserade strukturer, jämförs vad som kommit till uttryck i kommunikationsstrategiska dokument med hur det externa kommunikationsarbetet i praktiken har utvecklats under denna tidsperiod..

This is an art-remix project that focuses on a dream about art and music remixed and made within a context of nonviolence. The goal is to create temporary (and in the long term hopefully stabile) spaces of peace. It will be done within places where change needs to come, where it needs to be heard/seen/experienced. Weapon exports from Sweden are increasing even though there is research showing that nonviolent resistance in conflict is more effective. In this essay I discuss nonviolence and how I can implement that in my work to find a meaningful work for both me and my neighbours.

Studies of networks, fields and of communicative circulations complement each other. This master thesis is a biographical study of an author and journalist, Gustaf Montgomery GM, his network in Sweden of the early 19th century, and a study of his authorship and literary career. The starting-point of the study is GM:s change of field from the conservative to the liberal in 1832. The aim is to give explanations to this change and to describe how the change in turn effected the network. The method used is critical of sources.

Archbishop KG Hammar has attracted attention for his liberal position in theology. His view on the role of language and communication is central in several books and articles he has published as leader of the Church of Sweden. One of his main theses is the fact that meaning is created in the encounter between text and reader. He often reiterates: God is relation. This non-traditional dynamic stance has a broad impact not only on theology.

The X-Files (svensk titel Arkiv X) är en TV-serie som producerades mellan 1993-2002. Serien har gått till historien för att fånga tidsandan och dess postmoderna misstro mot myndigheter och intresse för nyandlighet. I ett flertal avsnitt kommer huvudpersonerna i kontakt med den kristna religionen. Uppsatsen undersöker hur olika former av kristendom gestaltas i The X-Files. Frågeställningen berör de bikaraktärer som dyker upp i serien och som kan beskrivas som representationer av kristendomar.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate, analyse and interpret the educational ideals of the ABF (Workers Educational Association) as they are understood by five members within ABF. The paper also examines how the educational ideals are represented in the national guidelines and statues of the ABF. The basic theoretical perspectives are intercultural theory and theories about Bildung and adult liberal education in a multi-cultural pedagogical environment presented by Bernt Gustavsson and Hans Lorentz respectively.The empirical study consists of five semi-structured interviews and a text study of the official documents of the ABF. The data is interpreted with hermeneutic and semiotic tools. Organisational theory focusing on organizational culture has also contributed to the study.The result of the study, when analysed in accordance to the methods, shows mainly four things.

Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka de normativa utrymmen som det finns i dagens internationella samhälle för förebyggande interventioner. Interventioner definieras som ett medel i en större politisk strategi som sker inom en suverän stats gränser mot dess officiella vilja. Vidare skiljer sig förebyggande interventioner från icke-förebyggande genom dess preventiva karaktär. Utifrån en begreppsanalys studeras olika interventionsformer och argument för interventionspolitikens legitimerande. I den följande normativa analysen diskuteras och ställs olika argument om interventioners legitimerande emot varandra, och det normativa utrymmet för interventioner undersöks.

Försvarsmakten skall kunna bistå det svenska samhället vid svåra påfrestningar i fred. Vilket i förlängningen kan innebära attFörsvarsmaktens resurser skall kunna utnyttjas av en annan myndighet vid en insats, för att stödja det svenska samhället viden påfrestning. Polisen har till uppgift att förbereda, planera och säkerställa en god förmåga att med kort varsel kunna hanteraen svår påfrestning på samhället i fred. Ett effektivt samutnyttjande av resurser med andra myndigheter är viktigt, främst setttill den gemensamma samhällsnyttan som skapas. Men även till de ekonomiska fördelar som kan uppnås vid en samverkanmellan myndigheterna.Båda organisationerna har vid en första anblick ett antal likheter, exempelvis båda får använda det yttersta våldsmedlet för attlösa sina uppgifter, de är hierarkiska organisationer, personalen bär uniform och de är statliga instanser.Min avsikt är att beskriva samverkan mellan Mellersta Militärdistriktet och Polismyndigheten i Stockholms Län på ennationell regional nivå.

The globalization of political and economic processes is a growing moral concern for theologians and political philosophers alike. My thesis aims to outline, analyze, and compare church studies of globalization with global theories of justice.To do this, I draw upon recent studies of globalization made by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The WCC and LWF are two global reaching church organizations. They have a common aim of uniting churches for ecumenical dialogue and are involved in social, economic, political, and ecological questions. The WCC and LWF analyze globalization by applying biblical and theological principles from the Christian tradition.

The globalization of political and economic processes is a growing moral concern for theologians and political philosophers alike. My thesis aims to outline, analyze, and compare church studies of globalization with global theories of justice.To do this, I draw upon recent studies of globalization made by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The WCC and LWF are two global reaching church organizations. They have a common aim of uniting churches for ecumenical dialogue and are involved in social, economic, political, and ecological questions. The WCC and LWF analyze globalization by applying biblical and theological principles from the Christian tradition.

Introduction: The current research shows that cannabis use is increasing, while alcohol use is decreasing in many countries. The reason for the increase is considered to be the increased availability and that adolescents attitudes towards cannabis has become more liberal. Aim: This qualitative study aimed to examine adolescents attitudes and knowledge about cannabis. Methods: Data has been collected from focus group interviews with adolescents aged 15-18 years, in a west Swedish municipality. Participants were recruited through visits to secondary and upper secondary schools.