This study focuses on the use of animals in social work from the perspective of social workers. The purpose of this study is to examine social workers? experiences of animal assisted social work and how social workers view the integration of animals in various fields of social work. The research is based on a qualitative method and four semi-structured interviews were conducted with social workers. The theories incorporated in the study are Attachment Theory and Sense of Coherence (SOC).The following results are presented: Social workers are considered to have a more comprehensive understanding of clients compared to their associates who do not hold a degree in Social Work.

Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för hur kvinnor på kvinnodominerade arbetsplatser upplever kritik. Studien kommer att vara en fältstudie vari man granskar kvinnor som är verksamma inom förskolan, då tidigare forskning visat på en klar majoritet av kvinnor inom denna yrkeskår.Avsikten med studien är inte att uppnå någon objektiv sanning av verkligheten, dock avser denna studie tolka eventuella fenomen som rör ämnet, samt skapa en förståelse för individens syn på begreppet.Informanterna har valts ut strategiskt, vidare präglas informanternas deltagande av självselektion. Man kommer inte att ta hänsyn till andra variabler än kön vad gäller urvalet.Teorier som studien vilar på är den symboliska interaktionismen där bland annat dess syn på rationalitet behandlas. Vidare tas Johan Asplunds teori om social responsivitet i beaktning och avslutningsvis Erving Goffmans teori om identitetsskapande.De slutsatser som kan dras i och med denna studie är att relationerna mellan individerna i en grupp verkar ha stor betydelse för hur man upplever kritik. För att undvika missförstånd kring det valda ämnet verkar allmän mening råda att "definitionen av situationen" är något man bör ta i beaktande, detta då kritik till en början upplevs som någonting negativt..

The aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of how some people aged between 20-35 years? experience Facebook in relation to identity creation, communication and stress. The analysis is drawn from seven semi-structured interviews with a sample of Facebook members, four women and three men aged 20-35 years and during the interviews respondents answered questions based by the following topics. Does Facebook allow changing identities? In what way is Facebook a communication tool for enabling relationships? How can Facebook be related to stress and coping? The results showed that respondents perceived Facebook as an easy means of communication and maintaining relationships.

The purpose of this essay is to examine the everyday beliefs about mental illness surrounding the disease and how these are expressed and affects the sick life and identity. The focus is on the sick perspective, where a concept of norms, normalization and taboo forms a basis in the use of materials, which here consists of qualitative interviews and Internet forums. This is analyzed and then discussed with the help from structuralism and poststructuralism approach, where I mainly refer to the social anthropologist Mary Douglas, ethnologist Lars-Eric Jönsson and philosopher Michael Foucault. In the discussion vented even historical aspects of the subject and how these might have followed in our time and how beliefs about mental illness is created and maintained by the norms within a society / culture including the sick..

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These are characterized by a chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. Living with chronic illness meant that life changed significantly. Quality of life was affected for these individuals and was stressful in their lives. Aim: The aim was to describe the experiences of living with inflammatory bowel disease. Method: A qualitative literature review was chosen to analyze articles that were related to the aim of this study. Results: Based on the chosen articles five themes were created; Commuting between hope and fear, symptoms of the disease and medication become everyday focus, struggling with  the new identity, desire to control the disease- do I control my illness or does it control me and social relationships are affected. Conclusion: Inflammatory bowel disease is a distressing disease and can cause limitations in social life due to lack of knowledge by others about the disease. The affected felt a loss of control in their life due to the difficulty in managing the symptoms.

The aim of this study is to understand the collaboration at a child investigation and the actions that may be encountered as a result of the investigation, based on the Social Secretaries experiences of collaboration with other agencies such as schools, police, health visitor and child psychiatry. In the study, eight social workers from different municipalities was interviewed at a total of six occasions. One of the occasions was a group interview with three social workers at the same time. Through the interviews, it appears that the collaboration has an important role in social work and the necessity is something that manifests itself in the social secretaries stories but also in the earlier research done in this area. The results show that social workers extensively want to interact but that the purpose of interaction varies depending on the nature of the matter.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to facilitate increased understanding of immigrant's experience of the meaning of work with focus on how that meaning can change as a part of the acculturation process. Participants (n=13) from eight countries answered an open question. The responses were analysed using Meaning Construction Analysis (MCA)-Minerva and the individual's life-worlds were made visible and discussed. The themes meaning of work, work, unemployment, education, adjustment, immigration, Sweden/country of origin, dreams, possibilities and self appeared as jointly shared important aspects. The results indicate that work is of central importance, and although the individuals share certain experiences, the meaning associated with the themes is of a complex and individual nature..

AbstractTitle: Brand identity vs. Brand image ? a study of Löfbergs Lila, ZOÉGAS and Classic.Number of pages: 38Author: Jessika Löwling HelmerskogTutor: Peder Hård af SegerstadCourse: Media and communication sciencePeriod: Spring semester 2010University: Informatics and media, media and communication science, Uppsala University.Aim: The aim is to study the brand identity as well as the brand image for each of the brands:Löfbergs Lila, ZOÉGAS and Classic. Furthermore the aim is to determine whether the brandsidentity comport with the brands image. Ultimately the study will establish whether or not thebrands can be considered as strong brands.Method/Material: This thesis will first and foremost explain a number of theories related tothe subject which will give a deeper understanding in the subject as well as providing thereader with necessary knowledge to fully understand the study.To create a broad and correct picture of each brand interviews have been made with both thepeople behind the brand as well as with the consumers.The interviews with the brand makers have been made by a questionnaire with questionsabout the brand and its identity.The interviews with the consumers have been made through focus group interviews; twogroups with four people in each group.

This study focuses on the use of animals in social work from the perspective of social workers. The purpose of this study is to examine social workers? experiences of animal assisted social work and how social workers view the integration of animals in various fields of social work. The research is based on a qualitative method and four semi-structured interviews were conducted with social workers. The theories incorporated in the study are Attachment Theory and Sense of Coherence (SOC).The following results are presented: Social workers are considered to have a more comprehensive understanding of clients compared to their associates who do not hold a degree in Social Work.

Our purpose with this study was to look at the connection between social capital and integration. Particularly if meetings between people from different cultures can increase social capital and in that way affect integration. We start by identifying the social integration perspective we are going to use through out the study and then we introduce social capital theory as a way of narrowing down the field even more. The study was done through six semi structured interviews. We interviewed three women that was established in the Swedish society and three women that had immigration background.

AbstractThis thesis is centered on the economic condition and background of immigrants living in Sweden, with focus on Araby, Växjö. To guide us through this enormous work we formulated research questions, which are:Why have foreigners (immigrants) a greater risk of becoming economic vulnerable? How does economic vulnerability effect families with children?What strategies do families adopt under hard economic conditions? What strategies does the society adopt in assisting families, by economic aid, that are economic vulnerable?  Our sample was from a school where we administered an open ended questionnaire to selected students and we also had a comprehensive interview session with ten families in the community so as to have a complete picture of their living condition and how they think people are economically vulnerable.We concentrated on the causes, consequences and strategies of how economic vulnerability is handled by immigrants in Sweden. In our analysis we found out, though our respondents? answers, that the causes of economic vulnerable are background, language, priorities et cetera.

The topic of homosexuality was until recently a taboo in Russian public discussion, but has during the last years become a hotly debated issue. Analyzing what I call the new homophobic narrative I isolate and examine two ways of ?othering? homosexuals, constructing them as strangers, when sexual minorities are discussed in today´s Russia. Sexual deviants are portrayed as threats to the nation and are connected to the West and its influence. Using analytical tools from queer theory, security studies and postcolonial approaches I discuss different ways of configuring the relation between nation and sexuality, identities that are interwoven in the homophobic narrative.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how a public library, as an information center and a meeting place, may contribute to bring Swedes and immigrants closer to one another, which is a prerequisite for integration. To realize this purpose, I have asked three questions. Which conditions and demands are stated in central documents for libraries immigrant activities? What do the library called Biblioteket Västers multicultural activities contain? How does the library conceive its object to strengthen immigrants identity so that its activities, contribute to integration? As method, I have used hermeneutics, which means that I have interpreted the thesis material. In the theory I have described relevant literature and confirmed the importance of identity, language and the majoritys acknowledgement for integration.

Title: Identity and self-staging in the blogosphere- A qualitative (text and semiotic) study of the fashionblog ?iMilk?Number of pages: 55 (excluding references and appendix)Author: Lea KaufmannTutor: Göran SvenssonCourse: Media- and Communication Studies DPeriod: Spring term 2013University: Uppsala UniversityPurpose: The purpose of this master thesis is to theoreticallyinterpret contemporary identity in the web by analyzingthree fashion blog posts created by Signe Siemsen.The analysis is based on theories regarding identity andself-staging in the network society. The work aims tohighlight the relatively fresh theme "Internet as anidentity-creating and identity-seeking platform" andexplores ways of using a blog in order to create a virtualidentity. The study calls for more in-depth research andfurther discussion.Material: The material consists of iMilk, a Swedish fashion blogwritten by a 21-year-old girl. The blog existed betweenSeptember 2007 and March 2010 and three posts,namely from September 2007, April 2008 and October32008, were analyzed based on theories regarding identityand internet by Manuel Castells and John Sulers.Method: The following thesis is based on a qualitative discourseanalysis and a semiotic image analysis.Main results: The thesis you are about to read shows clear signs ofhow the creator behind iMilk, Signe Siemsen, is using herblog to construct and highlight selected parts of herpersonality and to define the person she wants to be andbe seen as.

Central labour market actors have come to an agreement ? Sweden is going to need labour migration. In spite of the agreement the actors disagree upon how the labour migration should be designed. This essay examines how the union organisation, LO presents labour migration in their rapports during the years 2000-2006. This is done through Laclau and Mouffes discourse theory and a merge with postcolonial theory.