New forms of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become more influential in development contexts. The concept of ?The Digital Divide? points at a large division between rich and poor countries regarding access to ICTs. Critics say that the debate concerning this topic for far too long has focused mainly on the technology itself rather than social factors which impact social inclusion and development. Scholars agree that ICTs holds a tremendous potential, but how is this implemented in development contexts and how can it be used with more sensitivity towards local preconditions and social aspects?This paper aims to examine how ICTs are being used in the context of development within an India based organisation for women called SEWA (Self Employed Women?s Association).

This thesis investigates the possibilities offered to a working landscape architect by anincreased and altered use of digital 3D environments. A basic assumption is that increased useof digital three-dimensional environments promotes the creative processes and presentationoptions of landscape architects.The thesis is based on literature studies and communication with working landscapearchitects, and includes an investigation of the visualization methods available in the Blender3D modelling software. The thesis provides a thorough survey of what it means to model inthree dimensions, as well as of what modelling methods are feasible for a landscape architectto use. As landscape architects, we work with human and unique processes, and thus it isdifficult to develop standardized and automatic software for our profession. One possiblesolution is to turn to open source development, where software and models are shared andanyone can contribute.

Under två terminer har vi medverkat i en forskningscirkel på en grundskola som behandlat historieundervisning i en mångkulturell miljö. Forskningscirkeln startades i samband med att den aktuella skolan fick ett stort tillskott av elever med invandrarbakgrund. Det ena syftet med detta examensarbete är att synliggöra lärarnas syn på rollfördelningen inom den aktuella forskningscirkeln. Den rollfördelning vi syftar på är framförallt den mellan forskarna och lärarna, inte lärarna emellan. Det andra syftet är att se hur lärarna upplever att de påverkats av att medverka i forskningscirkeln, och då med fokus på historieundervisning i en mångkulturell miljö.

Changes in the climate and the environment are largely consequences of human influences. Resources are given to teach adults about the environment. However, there are problems in focusing on adults because it is difficult to influence people when they already have created a lifestyle. We have instead chosen to focus on teaching children about changes in the climate and the consequences of this.Many of the toys available on the market today encourage children to consume. Luxury cars and dolls with hundreds of accessories are often made of materials that has have a negative effect on the environment.Another problem we often encountered during the year is the declining interest in technology and science.

Bakgrund: En ökad medveten närvaro kring måltiden och ätandet genom mindful eating har i ny forskning visat sig vara en effektiv metod för att minska en rad olika sjukdomar och hälsorelaterade problem samt bidra till gynnsamma hälsoeffekter. Trots detta finns få studier genomförda i en svensk kontext.Syfte: Undersöka och beskriva graden av mindful eating hos en grupp individer på sociala medier i förhållande till Body Mass Index och demografiska variabler.Metod: Deskriptiv tvärsnittsstudie med en kvantitativ ansats. Ett tidigare utvecklat instrument, Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ), översattes och distribuerades som en webbaserad enkätundersökning. Respondenterna rekryterades under en veckas tid genom ett snöbollsurval på det sociala nätverket Facebook. Inklusionskriterierna var att deltagarna skulle behärska det svenska språket, vara mellan 20-65 år och användare av Facebook.

The interaction between the driver, the car and the road is essential for the road safety. This case study focuses on the road condition and its effect regarding road safety issues. By studying and isolating the road condition aspect and its contributing role to the accident occurrence, the aim is to explore their relationship, as well as highlight the road parameters that are commonly associated with accident occurrence. This result will be used to develop and increase awareness of the impact of poor road alignment and poor road surface conditions on traffic safety, in order to prevent these accidents from occurring. The road parameters chosen for this study include side friction, cross slope and rut bottom cross slope, road texture, curvature, drainage gradient and rutting.The case study was limited to lv 360 in Va?sterbotten, where all accidents with an unclear cause of the accident were studied, between 2003 and 2012 were carefully studied and assessed based on the condition of the road at the time of the accident.

Can the need for inclusion result in certain social norms remain unchallenged, and over time become hard to identify? To ?fit in? and be accepted in different social contexts we have to behave according to the dominating rules and conventions. We accept characteristics and make use of attributes specific for the group we want to be a part of. When we accept these attributes we contribute to keep the concept of them alive. Further on these attributes will be picked up by the next person who wants to become a part of that specific context.

This thesis investigates the possibilities offered to a working landscape architect by anincreased and altered use of digital 3D environments. A basic assumption is that increased useof digital three-dimensional environments promotes the creative processes and presentationoptions of landscape architects.The thesis is based on literature studies and communication with working landscapearchitects, and includes an investigation of the visualization methods available in the Blender3D modelling software. The thesis provides a thorough survey of what it means to model inthree dimensions, as well as of what modelling methods are feasible for a landscape architectto use. As landscape architects, we work with human and unique processes, and thus it isdifficult to develop standardized and automatic software for our profession. One possiblesolution is to turn to open source development, where software and models are shared andanyone can contribute.

The construction and real estate industry represents a significant part of Sweden's total impact on the environment and mainly affects the following national environmental objectives: reduced climate impact, a good built environment and a non-toxic environment. By establishing internal rules, companies within the industry can reduce their environmental impact. SMT (AB Sandvik Materials Technology), a part of the industrial group Sandvik AB, has set a target that during 2014 develop a guiding document with special consider to the environmental impact during construction of office buildings, that they establish at the Swedish regional capital Sandviken, for both internal and external tenants. This study therefore aims to clarify which environmental aspects that the construction and real estate sector mainly are responsible for, and therefore should be part of a guiding document for a company for establishing office buildings, and to present arguments regarding the use of such a document. The study is based on literature studies and personal contact with other companies, in the form of e-mail conversations and a telephone interview.

All new households were to be constructed with "near zero energy house standards" (NZE-house) by the year of 2020. The ambition to construct energy-efficient buildings had to increase rapidly in the spring of 2013.The purpose of this report was to increase the interest for building contractors to construct apartment buildings with passive house standards. By locating and evaluating experiences from an existing passive house a case study including interviews, field visits and document analysis was made. Research of literature regarding other passive houses in Sweden also helped to answer the following questions:- What positive and negative experiences have the study of the passive house meant to the involved stakeholders and residents?- What improvements can be made based on identified experiences?- How can an apartment building be designed as a passive house based on possible improvements?By collecting good and bad experiences, as well as improvements and potential design proposals, a diagram was created designed as a tool for developers when constructing apartment buildings with passive house standards.

The consumer today is affected by a considerably larger number of world surrounding factors than she used to be, borders between different cultures and other consumer differences are being erased to a growing extent. The consumer can easily get its inspiration from many different directions which become clear in the common life. We eat sushi for lunch, we?re driving German cars and we?re having dinner with international business partners. The community also exposes the consumer for a more intense noise from offers, impact and marketing.

In the Swedish governing document for the mandatory school (Lpo94) it is laid down that The school shall strive for being a living social community that gives safety and the will and desire to learn. The social community and the social relations in the school everyday existence are thereby without hesitation very important for the students' learning. The teacher always wants to engage the students and create order, comfort and a good work environment. In this essay, the relationship between students' work climates, matter interests and average grades is studied. This gives understanding and awareness in these important parts of the schools´ daily activity.

My essay is about me and my colleagues who have come to realize that maybe we are stuck in old habits when it comes to preschool indoor environment from a gender perspective. The insight has enabled us now face the challenge of how to deal with and move forward with gender issues and the indoor environment. The reviews between us educators differ greatly, making it difficult start of a process of change, or development, of previous work in the preschool. The difficulties of working with gender in preschool is that we do not know how teachers influence or shape the children. We educators controls many times the children, both consciously and unconsciously and sometimes benevolence tend to instead become a takeover.

The aim of the present thesis is to find deeper knowledge about women?s experiences of sexuality, desire and pleasure during childbirth. In this thesis there are statements of women?s different kinds of pleasurable and sexual feelings and experiences during birth. Furthermore, factors that may influence some women?s feelings and experiences of a sexual kind are discussed in relation to the common notion that women above all feel fear and pain when giving birth.

To build high-rise buildings made of timber has for long been limited by national laws, due to the lack of knowledge in engineering solutions. Frame structures made of wood has for a long time been associated with major fire hazards and consequently lower safety and this connection is still being made today. The increased environmental awareness in recent years has contributed to the exploitation of indigenous building materials, including wood from our own Swedish forests and has become increasingly common. Increased knowledge about how structures behave in fire and how they can be protected in order to achieve safe timber structures has resulted in a growing interest in these structures in the construction industry. Research in the area is constantly updated and new laws allow any number of storeys in wooden buildings in Sweden as long as the performance requirements are fulfilled.The main part of this work has involved calculations of the fire resistance and load bearing capacity of floor and wall constructions.