The aim of this study was to examine how social workers perceive and interpret the term ?barnets bästa? (?The best for the child?), within the framework of investigatory work and enforcement of Swedish law, which is carried out by the Social Services. We wanted to investigate if the interpretation of the term had any causal effects on the work carried out by social workers. Seven social workers from two municipalities participated in this study in which we used qualitative semi-structured interviews based around two vignettes. We focused on age, experience, legislation, and external circumstances to gain insight into how these factors alter social workers? perception of the term ?barnets bästa?. Our theoretical approach was based on two theories on social constructivism.

 This essay is about how the educators can use the play as a tool to develop childrens social skills with eachother. The work is based on a qualitative study using a survey, where the educators can tell how they work within the play. I chose to use five different participants in my essay. All of them work in the same preschool, south of Stockholm.In this essay I have two questions. These two are:What do the educators tell about the importance of play for children's interaction?How do the educators tell how they work with the play to develop the children?s social interaction?Previous research shows that play gives the children opportunity to develop socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically.

Denna uppsats är en kvalitativ intervjustudie med ett symboliskt interaktionistiskt perspektiv och avser undersöka identitetsuppfattningen hos personer som är uppväxta inom Jehovas vittnen och lämnat den. Informanterna är alla deltagare i FROM-projektet, i frivillig organisationen Hjälpkällans regi.  Syftet med uppsatsen är att få en bredare förståelse hur informanterna uppfattar och beskriver sin identitet nu och då, samt vilken roll Hjälpkällan och FROM-projektet har haft i identitetsformationen. Två män och fyra kvinnor deltog i studien. Intervjuerna gjordes face-to-face, via Skype och telefon. Den teoretiska referensramen är symbolisk interaktionism med olika begrepp relaterade till identitet samt några stödbegrepp.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and to bring attention to the phenomenon of violence in young relationships and to highlight the differences between adolescent and adult partner violence. Through semi-structured interviews with three school counsellors and three professionals who work with either adolescents or partner violence, gotten an insight into how they work with partner violence in adolescent relationships. The focus in the interviews was to get their perspective and experience on questions about the differences between adult and adolescent partner violence and the hardships that come with that. I concluded that youth exercise a lot of control and jealousy over each other, and that this has become normalized because of social media and different norms that are developing in the younger generations. It was also found that there are a lot of difficulties in the work with adolescent partner violence since it is hard to identify the expressions of violence in young relationships..

The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the dominating discourse in the preliminary work of the Sex Purchase Act. In order to achieve the aim of this study we selected preliminary work of the Sex Purchase Act that was produced between 1977 and 1999. The selection is based on the fact that prostitution began to be recognized as a social problem and a gender equality issue between men and women in society. The ongoing debate during the chosen years resulted in the Sex Purchase Act, which was passed in 1999. By using discourse analysis as a methodological and theoretical approach, we have empirically studied and theoretically analyzed the dominating discourse in the preliminary work of the Sex Purchase Act.

The purpose of this study was to examine social workers working process in social assistance with focus on the child´s perspective. We were interested in learning about the existence of variations in approach and attitude between two municipalities. Question to be answered about what methods and approaches used by social workers to include the child´s perspective in the process of social assistance. Another question to be answered about what the manner in which social workers took into account the child´s perspective when the families apply for social assistance in relation to the operations and requirement. To fulfill the purpose, qualitative methods were used.

This essay aims to examine and compare Swedish and Norwegian social work with children. It is a comparative study between two social welfare offices, in districts with similar population and problems, one located in Stockholm and one in Oslo. The main questions were; how is the work organized and carried out, what type of help and assistance is available and what kind of discretion and powers do the social workers have. In our essay we used qualitative methods mostly based on interviews, vignette questionnaires and documents, but also written research. In our analysis we used modern organisation theory and street level bureaucracy to seek explanations.The two welfare offices have similarities and differences.

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.

Previous research shows that women who are victims of intimate partner violence and also have asubstance abuse have difficulties getting access to services to aid with their experience of violence.This study has examined social workers experiences of working with women with these problems,what types of services are provided and how their service needs are assessed. The study has ahermeneutical approach and the data consists of interviews with nine social workers in lines ofwork that come into contact with women in the previously described client group. The data hasbeen analyzed using content analysis. The result of the study indicates that women who are victimsof intimate partner violence and also have a substance abuse do not get their needs provided forthrough the current services in the field of social work. These women are described as havingcomplex problems and are therefore in need of more and other services than those currentlyprovided.

Japan is the first industrialized country that is experiencing the threat of a rapidly declining and aging population. This has shifted the focus and the limelight is now on the matter that for a long time has been ignored. That is, the Japanese women?s situation in the society. This thesis seeks to point out the relevance of gender in the construction of leadership in order to get a deeper understanding of the Japanese women?s situation today.

Every year a great amount of unaccompanied children flee their homelands without their parents or guardians. This means a journey filled with danger and difficulties. The difficulties don?t only exist during the road ahead but also when the children arrive to the new country. Even if Sweden?s work in receiving refugees is one of the best in the world, it still exist problems.

This essay examines how a group of five youths? self identities are affected by unemploy-ment, contact with the social services and by labour market interventions. In Sweden youth employment has been regarded as a social problem. Arbetslinjen that could be translated into the work model or the work line influences and is a necessity for the Swedish welfare system. With a hermeneutic scientific philosophical position the method used to examine this has been to interview the youths, in the age of 18-25, individually.

Title: ?When The Line Between Transmitter and Receiver Blurs? ? A Study of how organizations look at social media as part of their external communication and how they respond to the environment in the new media toolNumber of pages: 49 (51 including enclosures)Author: Ida Hansson KällTutor: Cecilia StrandCourse: Media and Communication Studies D 30hpPeriod: Spring 2010University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Informatics and Media,Uppsala UniversityPurpose/Aim: The aim of this essay is to study how five organizations look at social media as part of their external communication and how they respond to the environment in the new media tool.Material/Method: A qualitative method has been used. Five interviews as primary sources have been conducted with representatives from each organization.Main results: The main results of the study is that organizations have to integrate social media as part of their external communication plans in order to face and respond to their surroundings in a new interaction and multi-way communicative platform. Results also show that organizations are well aware of the importance of making use and participate in social media.Keywords: blogs, external communication, facebook, respond to the environment, social media.

The purpose of this study is to use a qualitative approach to get an understanding of what is expected of social workers targeted towards women managers in social services. Nine social workers were interviewed. The empirical data was then analyzed on the basis of gender theory. Respondents did not see their supervisor as a manager but more as a social worker with special tasks. Our empirical data indicates that there is a strong belief that men and women possess different properties.

The aim of this study was to investigate the production of knowledge that can emerge in the use of Practice Research by Mirror method. This by finding out what it is in the practical work that leads to the production of knowledge and how knowledge production takes form. The empirical data that form the basis for this study is recorded group within the Mirror method discussions and a focus group interview with social workers who participated in the discussions. Those who have participated are social workers with experience from working with financial aid support and only real cases have been used in the discussions. The results have been analyzed according to Lipsky's theory of street-level bureaucracy and their discretion and Fook and Gardner´s theory of critical reflection.