In Sweden the voluntary socialwork is a complement to the public authorities. The voluntary organisations has become more important considered helping people in different situations of need. The aim of this study has been to examine the voluntary organisations meaning for individuals. The aim was reached through interviews by five guests from different organisations. We have also interviewed two employees from the different organisations to find out if there is any differences in their way of work. This study indicates that the organisations means a lot for the individuals. The social network, something to do during the day, a kind treatment but also the milieu are factors that seems important for the individuals. The organisations even creates a feeling of connection and satisfy other kind of needs. .

In Sweden the voluntary socialwork is a complement to the public authorities. The voluntary organisations has become more important considered helping people in different situations of need.The aim of this study has been to examine the voluntary organisations meaning for individuals.The aim was reached through interviews by five guests from different organisations. We have also interviewed two employees from the different organisations to find out if there is any differences in their way of work.This study indicates that the organisations means a lot for the individuals. The social network, something to do during the day, a kind treatment but also the milieu are factors that seems important for the individuals. The organisations even creates a feeling of connection and satisfy other kind of needs.

AbstractMatchmaking on an organisational level? about co-operation between municipal introduction-units and voluntary organisationsEssay in Political Science D, by Rebecka Johansson, spring 2006The aim of this study is to examine co-operation between municipal introduction-units, which work to integrate newly arrived immigrants and refuges, and voluntary organisations in Sweden. The essay is a comparative case study which examines three local authorities and the main questions are;- Do voluntary organisations constitute a functioning co-operation partner to the municipal introduction-units? Are there conditions for future co-operation?The answer to the questions is that there are no, or rarely any, co-operation between voluntary organisations and municipal introduction-units. It is difficult to judge whether there are conditions for future co-operation.

This thesis examine if Social voluntary organisations are independent or if they are being regulated by the public sector. We ask how free the organisations are since they get so much support and funding from the municipality. This is examined by looking at the homogenisation pressure, which means that organisations are being exposed by a pressure to become more similar. The control that the municipality has over the organisations is another aspect in this paper. The study focuses on the relation between the municipality of Linköping and three Social voluntary organisations and their characteristics.

This paper attempts to illustrate a gap when it comes to the knowledge about unpaid volunteers in Swedish organisations. The person-oriented explanations of individual preferences when choosing an orientation in which to volunteer does not suffice to explain and enlighten the fact that there is a gender-based division that orientates women towards voluntary work within organisations with a social direction, while men tend to choose sports-oriented voluntary tasks. This illustrates a pattern that is common in society in general. Eight interviews including four women volunteering in socially oriented organisations and four men in sports-oriented organisations have been conducted. An attempt has been made to explain results from earlier research as well as the respondents reasoning about their voluntary work with gender related theories.

The purpose of this research has been to investigate possible reasons for why honour related oppression exist in Sweden as well as to find out how some voluntary organisations work to change honour oppression related attitudes. The questions that the reserachers were trying to answer were (1) What are the possible causes for honour related oppression in Sweden? (2) How can honour related oppression be identified? (3) What are the voluntary organisations doing to change these attitudes? To answer these questions a qualitative method was used. The reserachers examined what leading researchers in this area thought were the reasons to why honour related oppression exist and then carried out interviews with participants from four voluntary organisations. A social constructional approached were chosen as the theoretical framework for this research and the results were also analysed from several perspectives.

Title: Voluntary workers thoughts of their role in a voluntary organisation (Väntjänst). Written in Swedish, 28 pages.Authors: Cecilia Andersson and Elisabet Aronsson Pivac, Department of Health Sciences, Social Care Program ? Elderly and disability.Supervisor: Yvonne JohanssonDate: 2006-05-26The purpose of the research was to visualize the voluntary workers thoughts of their role in the voluntary organization, and to understand why they have chosen to be engaged in voluntary work.To recover the answers to our questions we have undertaken an empirically based study using the qualitative method. The data collection comprised of interviews with six voluntary workers from three different municipalities. We found that the voluntary workers take big pride and joy in their engagement and that they have no intention of ending it..

This study examines the connection between social capital and involvement within voluntary associations; involvement is defined either as being a member in an association or a member who has some kind of assignment in an association. The study also examines if there is a difference between two social economic groups regarding the attainment and transformation of social capital through being involved in a voluntary association.Social capital is defined as social trust and the willingness of collective action.The result of the research shows there is a slight connection between the involvement in voluntary associations and social capital. It shows that people who are members of a voluntary association often have higher social capital than those who are not members of any voluntary association at all. The study also shows that there is a difference in attainment of social capital between those who have some kind of assignment in a voluntary association and general members.When studying social capital and involvement in voluntary associations it is also of interest to take social class into the analysis, because the study shows that people with a lower education had increased social capital when they were members in an association compared to the members with a higher education..

In the beginning of the nineties there was a change in how the voluntary sector was perceived, and the significance of their work became reevaluated and more acknowledged. As a result, this sector gained a new and higher interest. The changes and downsizing in the welfare state with economic crises, due to political cutback, made the politicians look fore new solutions. One solution is to encourage cooperation between the public sector and the voluntary sector in order to handle the different needs of individuals.Uppsala community and the voluntary sector are working closely together within a project called ?God Livsmiljö?.

This thesis focuses on the motives and incitements for voluntary work. The main question for this thesis is why people get involved in voluntary work. What are the motives and incitements for voluntary commitment and what do people gain from this kind of commitment? The thesis is based upon qualitative research methods at Frivilligcentralen in Norrköping. The theoretical perspectives are a community commitment, satisfaction of being part of a meaningful context, altruistic and self-interest and an increased pace of social changes.

The aim of this study was to reach a better understanding of voluntary work and its possible influence on the work role. Based on a phenomenological approach, five voluntary workers from the leisure field were interviewed. The interpretation of the empirical data was based on the Humanistic psychology and its theories about personality, self-realization, motivation and emotion. The results show that the motive behind the voluntary engagement varied amongst the participants and all of them stated more than one motive. However, social motives, wanting to learn more and develop their skills and also wanting to help others, were the most frequent motives among the participants. In the light of the theoretical background for this study, these motives can be understood as being due to the need of self-realization and appreciation from others, and also a wish to reach an ideal self.

ABSTRACT Poverty, and in particular child poverty, is a serious social problem. Statistics show that the number of children living in poverty has increased over the last ten years. Earlier research shows that there are huge gaps in our knowledge of how the actors in civil society handle child poverty. With this study we hope to help fill this gap. The aim of our study is to look at how four different organisations working in the civil society in Uppsala perceive and handle child poverty.

The aim of this study was to reach a better understanding of voluntary work and its possible influence on the work role. Based on a phenomenological approach, five voluntary workers from the leisure field were interviewed. The interpretation of the empirical data was based on the Humanistic psychology and its theories about personality, self-realization, motivation and emotion. The results show that the motive behind the voluntary engagement varied amongst the participants and all of them stated more than one motive. However, social motives, wanting to learn more and develop their skills and also wanting to help others, were the most frequent motives among the participants.

The two most controversial ends of life decisions are those in which physicians help patients take their lives and when the physician deliberately and directly intervenes to end the patients? life upon his request. These are often referred to as voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. Voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide have continued to be controversial public issues. This controversy has agitated the minds of great thinkers including ethicians, physicians, psychologists, moralists, philosophers even the patient himself.

ABSTRACT Poverty, and in particular child poverty, is a serious social problem. Statistics show that the number of children living in poverty has increased over the last ten years. Earlier research shows that there are huge gaps in our knowledge of how the actors in civil society handle child poverty. With this study we hope to help fill this gap. The aim of our study is to look at how four different organisations working in the civil society in Uppsala perceive and handle child poverty.