The primary purpose of this essay is to study and describe what student?s self experiences of the media coverage of social work. The theoretical perspectives applied to analyse the empirical data are Social Constructionism, roles, and construction. The method of this study is qualitative and based on ten personal interviews. The material has been analysed by condensed meaning units and three themes have been used, the media coverage of social work, the relationship between social workers and media and the influence media coverage has on the students.The results given from these interviews show that the majority of the interviewed group considers the media coverage of social work as negative.

With the increasing number of adoptees in Sweden, so has the amount of literature regarding different aspects of adoption. The aim of this study is to explore the construction of adoptees in children's literature. It takes on a Social Constructionism view, by regarding language as a narrative tool in which human beings construct versions of different phenomenon. By exploring the different discourses in the data within the context adoption, we can identify different versions of "the adopted child" and their needs as it is constructed in the literature. Also, by putting them in a bigger context, we are allowed to see the social structures and the discursive conditions that allow a certain child perspective of "the adopted child" to take place.

The purpose of this essay was to examine municipal guidelines regarding the administration of the social assistance, collected from 18 municipalities in the Stockholm-area to achieve a greater understanding on how they were constructed in respect to the legislation and how the language mediated their contents. The legal aspects of the social assistance was studied through a jurisprudential method in which the legislative history, texts of laws and case laws were examined. The empirical aspect of this essay was studied through a hermeneutical method and analyzed through theories of Social Constructionism and legal pluralism. The results from the jurisprudential study were also used to understand how the municipal guidelines were constructed in relation to the law. The results of this essay corresponded well with previous studies in this field where considerable divergences in the approval of social assistance have been established.

This thesis examines young people's thoughts about their presence on social media. With asocial constructive approach the study focused on how young people think and act on socialmedia in relation to constructions of gender and normality. The analysis is based on fourgroup interviews with 13-year old boys and girls. The theoretical approach is based partly onSocial Constructionism where discourses and ideas of normality are identified and analyzed.Erving Goffman's theory of social interaction was central to illustrate how young peoplepresents themselves based on the prevailing discourses. It is clear that they adjust theirrepresentations of themselves depending on the context.

This study is a critical discourse analysis of Swedish newspaper articles about prostitution. The purpose of the study is to investigate which discourse/discourses about prostitution that is/are adressed in the articles and identify the power relations and meanings that are constructed by the different subject posititions in the articles. Apart from critical discourse analysis Social Constructionism and a discussion about gender are applied in the analysis. The results supports findings in earlier research about prostitutionin Sweden; that the debate is focused around prostitution as sexual domination or prostitution regarded as a voluntary choice which rises demands of human rights for sexworkers. No prostitutes or buyers of sex where given the opportunity to comment on the matter, only journalists, politicians, social workers and policemen.

The purpose of this study has been to examine how the image of the gambler is described by studying a report published by Folkhälsoinstituet [FHI] and a number of chosen articles from the Swedish Evening Press. Discourse theory has been used both as theory, together with Social Constructionism, and as a research method. The main conclusions of the study are that three different discourses can be identified: the normal gambler, the professional gambler and the problem gambler. The image of the problem gambler is described as a deviant and problematic minority characterized by loss of control, irrational thoughts and dissociative behaviour. The construction of the problem gambler fills three possible purposes for the state: As a solvable problem to handle criticism against negative consequences of gambling, as an argument to avoid competition on the market and as an individual characterized by loss of control in order to legitimize and make the construction of the normal gambler possible..

Based upon theories founded on Social Constructionism, and criticism raised against these theories, this study aims to present a more complex perspective on non-heterosexuality from what has earlier been presented in Swedish lesbian, gay, bisexuality and transsexuality research. Fourteen semi-structured interviews with non-heterosexual women were analyzed using a discourse analytic approach. Four discourses about sexuality were described: "definition, preferably as either-or (heterosexual or homo-sexual)", "normality", "sexuality as constant and unchangeable", "sexuality as homogenous". Different ways of relating to and challenging the positions offered through these discourses were discussed. In conclusion, the study discussed which implications these findings have for psychologists working with non-heterosexual women, and how discursive positioning can be understood from within a psychological framework..

Critique regarding religious practices has become more and more apparent in today's society.Sans magazine has become a voice in the Swedish debate regarding religions undertakings and have received opposition from various directions. As Sans magazine, issue no.1, is accused of being islamophobic, the critique is focused on the internal discourse within the atheist and agnostic society. As Sans issue no.2 came out, it did not focus on Islam or any of the abrahamic religions but instead it discussed New age and the nature of pseudoscience.I sought to evolve the didactic discource regarding ?truth? and ?reality? by finding if thediscourse within Sans is apparent and if so, what it is based upon. The analysis also focuses onthe terms used to describe new age and pseudoscience.

The purpose of this study was to examine the controversy surrounding the Swedish methadone assisted rehabilitation program over time. Which course has the Swedish methadone assisted rehabilitation program, and the controversy surrounding it, taken since the start? Which arguments have been for and which have been against a methadone assisted rehabilitation program in Sweden, and what are these arguments based on? We chose to write this thesis as a literature study to get a broad and in depth picture of the development of the program in Sweden. In our analysis we used Social Constructionism and a medical aspect on substance abuse as theories.It is clear that it has been, and still are, differences in opinions when it comes to the effects of the program. As early as in the 1980's the methadone assisted rehabilitation program was scientifically proved effective and approved by the Swedish Board of Health and Social Affairs.

The aim of this essay was to deepen the knowledge of how child-protection-work is illustrated by massmedia. The essay takes it stand in discourse analysis to explain what image is displayed of social work concerning child-protection that is published in news media during 2007 in one of Sweden?s most read evening-papers. The result of the study is that social workers involved in child-protection-work often are categorized as either too zealous or too uncommitted, in the media. The result reflected the current discourse concerning how social workers do their duties in the modern society..

In order to broaden the understanding of work motivation the aim of the study was to compare how three different teams within the same organization constructed motivation. The three teams consisted of post sorters, team leaders and mailmen. Three focus group interviews were conducted with three men and eight women. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed with QSR NUD*IST. The result showed both similarities and differences in the construction of work motivation in the three teams.

The purpose of this study is to examine young adults', 18-19 years old, attitudes towards corporal punishment and with the help of Social Constructionism, grid-group theory and relevant concepts analyze the results and compare it with previous research. The research questions introduce various factors such as gender, origin and personal experiences of corporal punishment that may affect the attitudes. In order to fulfill the purpose and answer the research questions, a quantitative research method has been selected. There was 118 participants in the survey. The study was conducted by means of surveys in high schools in Örebro. Social Constructionism made us realize how the community, perceptions and expectations might influence attitudes. Grid-group theory gave us an insight into how different family structures may explain why attitudes toward corporal punishment of children differ between individuals.

Abstract Author: Robert Andersson & Oskar KarlsjöTitle:?My first thought is a girl that cuts herself? ? A qualitative study about professionals in human service organizations description of self-injurious behavior.Supervisor: Ann OttengrimAssessor: Rickard Ulmestig The purpose of this study has been to understand how professionals in human service organizations (HSO) describe self-injuries behaviour, how they describe the individuals that self-harm and if the professionals describe any possible differences in how men and women self-harm as well as how professional?s knowledge concerning self-injurious behaviour is contructed. The study answers three questions;- What kind of actions do professionals in HSO describe as being self-injurious behaviour?- How is knowledge constructed by professionals in HSO concerning self-injurious behaviour?- How are people who engage in self-injurious behaviour being described?- How do professionals in human service organizations describe potential differences between men and women´s self-injurious behaviour? Qualitative interviews have been chosen as the method in this study to gather empirical data and the Social Constructionism theory has been implemented to analyse the empirical data.The result of this study shows that self-injurious behaviour is a complex and at the same time a dynamic phenomenon. There are a lot of different actions that are being describes as being self-injurious behaviour.

The purpose of this study was to examine the discourses that can be identified in medias representation of social services. To answer the purpose we made a critical discourse analysis using Faircloughs three-dimensional model. The choice to focus our study on a local newspaper was based on earlier research that found it possible that a local paper has a greater impact on readers than a national newspaper. Readers can more easily connect with what's happening in the immediate environment than what is written nationally. We used articles published in 2013 containing ?social services?.

Author: Jessica Liljekvist and Emmelie Wiss CedergrenTitle: A miserable wretch that you should feel sorry for ? If social workers see persons who prostitute themselves as victims or agents. [Translated title]Supervisor: Marie ErikssonAssessor: Anders GiertzOur purpose with this study was to examine if social workers see persons who prostitute themselves as victims or as agents. We also wanted to examine how social workers see male and female persons who prostitute themselves. This study is based on the qualitative method and the result was analyzed with Social Constructionism, postmodern feminism and labeling theory.