This study shows how social workers reason about the concepts of gender, gender roles and equality and if these arguments reinforce heteronormativity that could affect the ability of same-sex couples to adopt children. The reasoning regarding equality indicates a difference between heterosexual couples and same-sex couples. What emerges in the study is that the social workers reasoning can be explained with that they have been imbued by heteronormativity. Heteronormativity becomes a contributing part of how same-sex couples are seen in the adoption process. Arguments for equality, which erase stereotypes, do not apply in the same way for same-sex couples as for heterosexual couples.

This qualitative study aims to highlight if there are any gender difference in social workers reasoning about a particular case. To achieve a deeper understanding we had to explain and understand our respondent?s answers, primarily from a gender perspective, but also from a power perspective. Our questions were: how does social worker reasoning about a particular case? How can we understand the social workers answer from a gender- and power perspective? The method consisted of a construct case and of semi-structured interviews.

Rules on parental leave have over the years been the subject of several gender debates. The big question has particularly been whether a further individualization of the days should be established. Sweden is a relatively equal country but differences still exist between men and women in the labor market, such as differences in wages. A fact that is considered encouraging for this is the uneven distribution of parental leave between men and women. It has now been nearly 40 years since the introduction of the first parental insurance but we have still not achieved gender equality in working life which was the main purpose.The main purpose of this essay is to study the motives for the proposal of individualized parental leave, and in addition examine how this change of rules could impact on gender equality in the work place.

In 1970 professional boxing became illegal in Sweden and in 2009 the prohibition was removed.Just before both of these changes in the law there were debates in media where people argued forand against ilegalization. In the later debate the focus has shifted from professional boxing toinclude Mixed Martial Arts(MMA) as well. MMA was governed and bound by the same law asprofessional boxing.This purpose of this paper is to compare the debate in 1968-1969 with the debate in 2006. The twodebates resulted in two different outcomes, ilegalization of professional boxing in 1970 and thenlegalization of it 2009. Are there any reason for these differences? What is the reasoning behindthis? By using hegemonic masculinity as a guidance when examining the debates this paper istrying to understand how the discourse have changed over time.

This composition deals with questions concerning the ongoing construction of gender among personnel in different project for young girls and young boys ( ages 14): its conditions and meanings and how personnel form and mediate gender experience. The aim of this essay is to investigate how gender is made in everyday practise in three projects which address to either young girls or young boys, and to examine how the formation of gender interplays between conceptions among personnel and the practise in the projects. Central questions are: How describes the practical work and the needs of girls and boys in the project? And does the gender-segregated work justified in the projects? Qualitative methods are used to answer these questions. We made qualitative interviews among personnel from three projects, Ellen, Allan and DISA.

Abstract The purpose of the study is to examine how children perceive the relation between play and sex and analyse it from a gender perspective. This by answering the questions: "Is the children?s choice of place, materials and company in play dependent on gender?" and "Is there a significant difference between the sexes and/or ages?" The study was done through twelve focusgroup interviews with three children in each group except two groups of two children in each. Eight boys and nine girls of six years old and nine boys and eight girls of nine years old were interviewed. Boys and girls were interviewed in separate groups and the questions were open ended and followed up.

The purpose of this Masters thesis is to examine how gender patterns are described in the modern picture book. Focus is on the description of men and women and their emotions and living conditions. Do the descriptions follow stereotypes in the form of binary opposites strong/weak, active/passive etc. in which one component of the pair, often associated with masculinity, is privileged or are there examples of breach of normative gender? The analysis is based upon forty of 149 picture books that are presented in a children's book catalogue published by The Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs Statens kulturråd, in the year of 2000.

Everyday life mobility of elderly people ? opportunities, restrictions and sustainable urban visions aim to examine and describe elderly people?s movement patterns, their opportunities and restrictions of reaching high mobility and accessibility, and their attitude towards various sustainable urban visions. This paper is based on an approach of time-space geography as it covers the topic of movements in time-space, explained and developed using the concepts of mobility and accessibility. To examine elderly people?s attitude towards sustainable urban visions, this paper also takes approach on theories such as New Urbanism, mixed-use and the compact city.The method used in the study is an interweaving of a time geographic diary and qualitative interviews, where the respondents are six retired people between 68 and 77 years old living in Gothenburg city.

Film is a tool frequently used by teachers, but it is often limited to showing students how historical time periods looked like, or as a way for students to search for historical inaccuracies. The aim of this essay is to study whether it is possible to use two films based on the legend of Robin Hood as a way to teach students how to contextualize gender history. Through the use of film analysis and gender analysis of two different versions of Robin Hood, The adventures of Robin Hood and Robin Hood: Prince of thieves were analyzed. The study has shown that it is indeed possible to use film as a source material for the study of gender history, and that film can tell us a lot about the contemporary view of gender, masculinity and femininity. The didactical analysis concluded that there was no theoretical objection of using film as a source material; however, there are some things that a teacher should be aware of. Although film may be a good way to create a varied study environment and benefit students with reading- and writing disabilities, there is a risk that time-constraints and lack of knowledge of film and its methodology on, behalf of both teachers and students, may make it hard to implement.

Scientists argue that gender affects foreign policy and security policy, that ideas of gender are inconstant and that there is a lack of feminist perspectives in International Relations. The changes seen in the global security context may have challenged the way politicians and scientists understand war and its impacts, and led to increased gender awareness.Using securitization theory and feminist international relations theory, the aim is to examine how women and men are being spoken of in the Swedish foreign policy discourse regarding participation in the UN-led stabilization mission Minusma in Mali. By applying a feminist perspective on the securitization process, the intention is to increase the knowledge of whether there is gender awareness in this context.The result shows that there is limited gender awareness. There is minor consideration for the conflict?s different implications on the situation for women and men.

Den här studien använder sig av en queerteoretisk utgångspunkt för att försöka reda ut vad som kan sägas om genuskonstruktionen i två välkända religiösa berättelser: den hinduiska Ramayana samt Ruts bok som återfinns i den hebreiska bibeln. Studien använder en hermeneutisk metod och en queerteori med teoretiska modeller av Judith Butler och Yvonne Hirdman. Det kan ses i båda berättelserna att genuset hos både manliga och kvinnliga karaktärer ändrar sig under berättelsens gång, flera gånger och i relation till varandra. Slutligen diskuteras resultaten och det visar sig att den teori som används i uppsatsen, queerteori, saknar en förståelse för det slags dynamiska genus som finns att se vid en läsning av Ruts bok och Ramayana..

When gender-related refugee claims was ratified in the Swedish asylum law the 31 of March this year (2006) it opened the door for women with this specific refugee status to receive asylum in Sweden. The aim of this thesis has been to investigate how these specific female refugees are represented and described in the asylum process. The focus has been the construction of identity concerning these women in the Officials discourse at the Immigration department. The theoretical framework has been a critical discourse analysis regarding the exercise of power and dominance connected to the construction of identity.An understanding of the women with gender-related refugee claims as the Others has been perceived through the Officials discourse. Female refugees which have been exposed to persecution that occur in our part of the world (rape, wife abuse, etc.) are treated differently and much more restrictive, compared to women exposed to so called culture specific oppression (e.g.

The essay deals with gender aspects on climate change adaption. The aspects consist of the fact that women in Sweden drive cars less than men, and that women in the developing world are more affected by natural disasters arising from global warming. This study was carried out in the municipality of Huddinge, a suburb to Stockholm, by interviewing one Agenda 21 coordinator, one planner and one student in genderstudies. I also attended a meeting in the Committee for built environment in the Huddinge Municipality, to ask the politicians questions and observe gender structures during the meeting. The results also consist of a search for gender-related words in the documents used in the essay.The results are analysed using ecofeminsim, a theory that connects woman subordination and environmental destruction.

The aim of the study has been to examine how young men from Stockholm construct "Masculinity". This has been done by examining what men think is an ?ideal man?, what "makes a man a man", which expectations they meet as men and how the life of a man differs from the life of a woman. This has been examined through three semi-structured group interviews with the total of ten men. The results have been analysed with Raewyn Connells Theory of Masculinities, the idea of ?Doing Gender? by Candace West and Don.

Women today feel that their urban surroundings are unsafe, and because of that they use different strategies to reduce the risk of being exposed to criminal acts towards them. The focus of this study is to develop an understanding of the insecure feeling that women feel and what that feeling might originate from. By using previous research and theories we have been able to incorporate a gender perspective on the study this because the gender role is central to understand women?s feelings of insecurity. The purpose of the study was to develop a deeper understanding of women?s sense of safety and insecurity.The central questions of the study are1.