ABSTRACTThe aim for this study is to examine how relatives to children who participated/participate in Youth and family team Sputnik-group, oriented towards support groups for children of substance abusing parents, perceive the work done by the organization. On the basis of this aim three questions were formulated: do the relatives perceive a change in the communication with the child as an effect of the child?s participation in Sputnik?s activities, do the relatives perceive a change in their relationship with the child as an effect of the child?s participation in Sputnik?s activities, do the relatives think that their awareness of substance abuse have changed following the child?s participation in Sputnik?s activities. Previous research, Mead?s perspective, the concept of ?groups? and support groups for children, were used to interpret the results.

This paper examines if European integration has had an impact on national political parties by looking at the stances of the Swedish Green Party and the Left Party on the issue of the European Community and the European Union over time. With the development of the European Community and the European Union, national political parties face the challenge of an emerging political arena. European integration research has recently become more involved with what is called europeanization and political integration within the member states them self, this paper aims to provide further leverage to the thesis that national political actors undergo some degree of europeanization and are politically integrated in the EU, by examining manifestos of two historically eurosceptic Swedish political parties. The theoretical framework provided by neo-functional integration theory as well as europeanization is used to examine the empirical material in order to see if the political parties at the focal point of this study can be said to have undergone a change in political policy regarding the EC and EU, both in quantity and content. The analysis show that indeed both parties has undergone a change and what might be considered a europeanization, considering that the presence of the EU as a political issue seem to have risen in prominence and importance in the examined manifestos.

In recent years it has become more and more evident that man has contributed to much of the climate changes that have taken place during the last century. A major challenge today is to reduce emissions and energy usage at the same time as the global population is growing. To contribute to a better environment, Stockholms Stad has set at target of becoming fossil fuel free by the year of 2050. The construction of new districts is done with this goal in mind; energy efficiency and renewable energy sources are examples of methods to achieve this.Solar energy is considered to be a sustainable energy source and the most common techniques to harvest solar energy in Sweden are solar cells and solar collectors which produce electricity and heat respectively. This report aims to investigate whether an investment in any of these systems would prove to be economically beneficial at Kvarnholmen, a district under construction in eastern Nacka, Stockholm.Since the finished blueprints only cover a small portion of Kvarnholmen, the report examines the possibilities for a house where construction has already begun, Nya Kvarnen.

Soil properties affect the chemical composition of soil water. When studying transport of chemical substances through a basin, it is therefore important to know from which soil layer the main part of the runoff is generated. The aim of this study is to develop an HBV/PULSE model with merged soil moisture and response routines, which generates good approximations of groundwater levels. It should be possible to extend the model to simulate transport of substances and take into account which soil layer the groundwater level is currently in. The hydrological version of HBV/PULSE is used since there is no need to account for pH or alcalinity at this stage.

The aim of this thesis is to study discursive change in the Swedish environmental political discourse between 1987-2005. The text of three Swedish budget propositions are analysed for this purpose.The results from the analysis are related to a few relevant theoretical perspectives that hold partly different views on what constitutes ?sustainable development? and ?ecological modernization?. Through these theories the thesis continues the discussion around the two central but somewhat blurry terms sustainable development and ecological modernization. The aim of this discussion is to conclude whether the discursive change in Swedish environmental politics can be said to go more in the direction of sustainable development or ecological modernization, or if elements of both perspectives can be found.The analysis shows that the Swedish environmental discourse has come to include more and more political fields such as general welfare politics, during the period.

The purpose of this master thesis is to describe and analyse Gerda Meyerson's educational project for young working-class women in Stockholm between 1898 and 1923. In 1898 Meyerson founded a home for young working-class women where her project could be implemented. It is the educational practises at this home and Meyerson's own words about working womens way of life thats in focus of this investigation. From a class and gender perspective the thesis examines the problems, the solutions and finally the goals of Meyerson's intentions for the young women. The problems were mainly the womens lack of self-esteem and bad moral reputation in society.

Syfte: Syftet har varit att finna ett verktyg för att lyfta fram egenskaper som bör reflekteras och beaktas vid förändringsarbete för att optimera och anpassa uppgradering av t.ex. ett dokumenthanteringssystem. Metod: En ny metod (COMBO-metoden) har utvecklats i syftet att finna ett nytt verktyg som kan lyfta fram egenskaper som bör identifieras och beaktas för att säkerställa arbetssätt samt optimera och anpassa uppgradering av t.ex. ett dokumenthanteringssystem. Metoden bygger på teori, en empirisk fallstudie och befintliga metoder. Insamling av data baseras på både sekundärdata och primärdata.

The means to political participation at the local level in Sweden are changing and this change is analyzed through a case study. The first aim is to explore the forms of public political participation in Swedish municipal Älvkarleby, namely public question time in local government, citizen motions and open meetings. A part of this is also to analyze he every day contact between citizens and representatives. The second aim concerns the reasons why politicians decide to support these means to participationThe empirical material consists mainly of semi structured interviews with local politicians, civil servants, participating citizens and local press. Official documents such as public minutes are also used in the process of creating an image of local participation.Local political participation is found to be limited but yet having the potential to strengthen democracy, provided that public decision-makers are open to a dialogue with the participants.Using Kjell Arne Røvik's theories of organisational change, the changes in local democracy can be explained as being partly rational, partly symbolic and partly identity shaping political decisions..

This study was made in an attempt to give the forest research centre Mógilsá a producedtetratherm map and a better understanding of how topography and temperature influencethe growth of two tree species. The digital tetratherm map model, covering the northernpart of Iceland, was developed to investigate the correlation between tetratherm and thegrowth of Picea sitchensis and Larix (sukaczewii + sibirica). The study confirms theusefulness of digital terrain models in providing data for a lot of different factors and forthe tetratherm model. Hopefully will this tetratherm map be used in future studies.Secondly, investigations were made correlating the growth of the two species againsttopographic factors representing height above sea level, distance to the sea, slope andtopex. Thirdly, investigations were made comparing the aspect and the ground shape tothe growth.The growth rate of Larix had strong significant correlations to the tetratherm and thedistance to the sea- factors.

Most of my 16 students show a negative attitude towards mathematics and have difficulty understanding why they need mathematics to work as cooks. Their lack of knowledge has a negative effect on their work in the kitchen because they cannot master relatively simple mathematical solutions. The purpose of this study is to examine if an integrated working method of the subjects mathematics and cooking can change students? attitude towards mathematics and increase their understanding of the value of it in restaurant work. An integrated working method means to integrate the core subjects with programme specific subjects and that teaching is directed towards the main features of the vocational programme in order to create a holistic view.A theory of action research has been applied in this study, aiming to change something perceived as problematic through combining theory and practice in the cooking subject.

Development of morphs within European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus), might be considered as a beginning of a sympatric speciation process. Unpublished data suggests that presence of the keystone piscivore northern pike (Esox lucius) is the main driver of sympatric divergence in European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus). Using introduced whitefish populations as controlled experiments, it is possible to determine when different characters diverge in the speciation process. In this study, I analysed age and growth within European whitefish populations of different age to assess if these characters change over time in absence of pike. With using otoliths from whitefish populations of different age, I was possible to determine individual age, and by measuring the length of the fish, growth was calculated.

The bank market for farmers in Sweden is dominated by Swedbank and Landshypotek. One of the most aggressive challengers is Länsförsäkringar Bank, which in 2009 had seven per cent of the Swedish bank market for farmers, but 57 per cent of all new lending. This paper deals with the problem of new banks to break into the bank market where farmers are slow in terms of change in their attitudes and loyal to their banks. The study has been carried out in cooperation with Länsförsäkringar Gävleborg which is a new actor in the banking market and thus eager to take part in the outcome of the study. This essay thus seeks to examine the attitudes farmers have against bank switching and the factors that influence their choice of bank.

På uppdrag av SWECO Management AB utreds möjligheten till att kunna se korrelationer mellan åtgärder på en fastighet eller i dess omgivning och ett förändrat fastighetsvärde. Denna information skall vara SWECO till gagn i upphandlingssituationer, för att lättare kunna visa för beställaren om att tjänsten i fråga kan leda till ett ökat fastighetsvärde. Med utgångspunkt i den begränsade litteraturen, har information främst samlats genom en intervjuprocess med representanter från fastighetsbranschen. För att få ett brett perspektiv i ämnet, har representanter med olika befattningar, olika lång erfarenhet och med varierande utbildningar intervjuats. I studien görs avgränsningar om makrofaktorer, såsom konjunktursvängningar, ränteförändringar, finanskriser, låneinstitutens förändrade låneregler etc.

The purpose of this thesis is to ascertain the main determinable factors of Swedish SMEs capital structure decisions and to investigate whether existing capital structure theories are applicable on Swedish SME financing. We have used panel data to run regressions of various capital structure determinants on three measures of capital structure; short- term debt, long-term debt and total debt. We found that growth opportunities, profitability and age are the most important capitalstructures determinants for our sample. Firm size shows a small explanatory result but the effective tax rate and the asset tangibility do not seem to explain the capital structure at all. Thematurity matching principle is considered significant..

Effects of fishery closure on perch was detected as female perch was on average 5 cm longer in closed areas compared to non-closed areas. This could be a result of larger individuals surviving as an effect of reduced fishing. No effect was detected on the reproduction rate of YOY (young of the year) perch.A zooplankton survey revealed less amounts of the most important plankton groups for YOY perch in areas with failed reproduction, though the difference was statistically insignificant.The distribution of YOY perch and YOY/adult stickleback differed completely in this study with no area where the two species are both present. It is sketchy to draw any conclusions from this data but it remains a field for further investigation.The reproduction problem is concentrated to the outer parts of the archipelago which confirms previous studies of the geographic extension..