The aim with this study was to examine what it is that govern the way that municipalities develop the non-institutional care for youth. An extensive development of non-institutional care for children is a visible trend in municipal social service and probable reasons for this development are, among other things, research that show inadequate results of the institution care and economy. Our main questions at issue were how the municipalities argue the priorities that have been done within their youth care services with regard to the non-institutional care and how they reason considering this? Furthermore we asked why the municipalities have chosen to develop their non-institutional care for youth the way they have and on what grounds they make their choices? This study consists of eight qualitative interviews with politicians and employees in four different municipals along with analysis of relevant documents. We have found that what governs the way that municipalities develop the non-institutional care for youth has to do with that the municipalities found it vital to find alternative solutions to the expensive and ineffective institutional care, that they comprehend that the quality of non-institutional care are higher then of the institutional care and that the non- institutional care is seen as more effective with regards to economic results and achieved treatment results.

Purpose/Aim : The aim of this study is to investigate and describe "kontaktmannaskapet" in the Swedish correctional system. I also aim to investigate if there are any differences between how the different actors involved in the correctional system look at this phenomena and how different sociological theories can be applied on "kontaktmannaskapet" in order to make it more comprehensible for the actors involved.Material/Method : This investigation is based on a larger qualitative inquiry consisting of several personal interviews. Further material has been used, such as literature and reports about "kontaktmannaskapet" inside and outside the correctional system.Main results : The overall opinion about the "kontaktmannaskapet" is positive. "Kontaktmannaskapet" as a working method of the correctional officer has a potential to become a useful instrument in rebuilding the lost identy of the inmate as well as reducing the stereotypes often associated with the relationship between inmates and prison personnel..

Our purpose with this paper was to examine what effect a parent's drinking problem can have for the children in the family. A combination of literature study and qualitative interview analysis was used. The most important research questions were: How do the parent's problems affect the child? In what ways can the social network around the child help it to develop normally despite problems in the home environment? To what extent a parent's drinking problem affects a child depends on many different factors. Based on earlier research and interview data we drew the conclusion that growing up in a family where a parent has a drinking problem has a negative effect on all children.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how the welfare officer who works in the child and youth- habilitation is documenting in boys and girls journals. We also want to see if there are any differences or similarities in the journals on the basis of a gender perspective? The investigation is made from ten journals, five boys and five girls in the ages from 13 -18 years. The analysis which proceeds from prior research made on this area and from a number of gender theories and gender perspectives is based on a hermeneutic nature. The results show that the welfare officers make more documentation about the boys´ school situation than the girls´.

The purpose of the essay is to, in retrospect, take a closer look at how the young people experienced their placement for assessment at Albogården and what it resulted in. With this purpose I inadvertently came to look at other aspects, for instance their lives before and after the placement.The underlying questions were:* The young people social situations before the placement?* The experience of being locked up?* What was it like being analysed?* What are the young people's thoughts on the methods of working at Albogården - rules, procedures, methods etc.?* What were the results from the placement at Albogården? Did something change in the young people's social situations?To answer my questions I interviewed four persons that previously were placed for assessment. To ascertain information on how the assessment is done I also interviewed the director of Albogården. I also studied relevant literature.The investigation showed that a majority of the young people didn't understand the purpose or felt participant in the assessment, being restless and locked up felt extremely arduous and violating.

The formation of sovereign states in regional blocks has become an essential feature in the world system. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate which motives and driving forces that affect the creation of projects of regional integration outside Europe and the Western World. By choosing the Latin American project of integration ALBA (the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas) as a case of regional integration outside Europe and the Western World, the study investigates the motives expressed by the most prominent actors of the project, Venezuela and Cuba. ALBA is chosen as a representative and a unique case and through the consumption of the gramscian and the realist approaches, the essay defines two motives that affect the creation of projects of regional integration. As a way of investigating the actors? motives, the paper studies political statements, especially those of the Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, and official positions expressed in central documents and declarations.

This paper aims to broaden the discussion on how press freedom can be a powerful tool in the war on corruption. Previous studies have shown a significant relationship between more press freedom and less corruption, it also shows that the causal link runs from press freedom to corruption and not the other way around. There are quite a few studies on the impact of a free press on corruption and therefore there is a lot more to be published on this issue.This paper looks at press freedom as one of the most important parts of a democratic society and that it plays a vital role in reducing corruption as both an informant on key issues and also as a ?watchdog? on society. But press freedom cannot be seen as an ?easy fix? in a country or the international community's struggle to reduce corruption.

Many homeless and private owned cats are relinquished to cat shelters. Shelters are often a very stressful place for cats and their welfare may be endangered. Today it is common that cats are housed in groups at cat shelters and there are some perceived problems in housing cats in groups. The social structure of the cat is very complex and although cats are basically solitary they can be kept in groups under the right conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate how cats in groups interact with each other at a cat shelter.

The aim of this literature review was to discern which legislations and regulations related to animal welfare that comprises reindeer and their significance in reindeer husbandry. The Swedish Animal Welfare Act (1988:534) was enacted July 1, 1988 and its main purpose is to ensure a good animal health and environment. Animals that live in a good environment with good health is considered to have good welfare, which can be described as an individual's condition in relation to its surroundings. Reindeer herding is an extensive form without daily management. In reindeer husbandry there are eight specific seasons over the year and reindeer are handled as they migrates between pastures, get earmarks, are sorted for transport and slaughter.

Uppsatsen syftar till att kartlägga, beskriva och diskutera ungdomars attityd kring mäns våld i hemmet. Följande frågeställningar är aktuella för denna studie:· Undersöka ungdomars attityder kring mäns våld mot kvinnor med hjälp av en enkät· Undersöka om det finns skillnader mellan könen· Redogöra problemets omfattning och beskriva teoretiska förklaringsmodeller· Vad kan man göra för att förebygga mäns våld mot kvinnor(utdrag ur uppsatsens "Syfte och frågeställningar").

In using a qualitative method have I interviewed six women and six men taking care of their wives respectively husbands suffering from physical disease, disfunction or demental disease. The purpose was to find out whether male and female caretakers were differently influenced in their situation, relationship and in their partners, when they became caretakers of their spouse, depending on what the partner suffered from.The results showed that, when a husband or wife was hit by disease or disfunction, the caretaker was influenced both in the partners situation, the relationship and the role towards the partner. The couple still lived in a close relationship and could communicate. For the carers spouse suffered from a demental disease, there was no communication as before or possibility to remember. The carers also felt the loss of community, nearness and sympathy.

ÖREBRO UNIVERSITYDepartment of Behavioural, Social and Legal Sciences Programme in social care oriented towards social pedagogy C-essay, Social Work, 41-60 pAutumn term 2005 Social Work in School A qualitative study influenced by youths experiences and needs.Authors: Pernilla Abrahamsson & Sandra LiljemarkTutor: Marianne Freyne-LindhagenAbstractThe aim with this study is to investigate young adult´s experiences and need of social work in school, and a qualitative method was used to take part of their experiences. Groupquestionnaires with open questions was formed and three year one classes in uppersecondary school participated. In the process of making the questions a testquestionnaire was tested with one of the three classes as particpants. Information has also been collected throug an interview over the phone with the school´s welfare officer, and the school´s policy dokuments have been read. Social work in schools is mentioned in the study as preventive measures with youths when it comes to bullying, alcohol, drugs, sex and coexistance and tobacco.

The aim with this master?s thesis is to examine the information practices and information literacies among social workers in the field of the social services and in the work with child welfare investigations. This is in this study related to their ambition to fulfill the requirements of an evidence-based practice. On a theoretical level, the study is based on three theories grounded in the idea of situated learning and of human activities based in a social context. These are the sociocultural theory, the theory of communities of practices and the theory of information practices.

Can coercive care be justified against drug and alcohol addicts or should treatment be offered on a strictly voluntary basis? This was one of the central questions debated in Sweden during the 70's when the development of a new social legislation, The Social Services Act (Socialtjänstlagen), took place. The first aim of this thesis was to analyse whether the arguments that were presented both in favour for and against coercion were sound. To achieve this, a method for analysing arguments was employed, where a sound argument is defined as acceptable, relevant and adequate. The analysed material consists of both official government reports and books of influential debaters.

Pigs kept for meatproduction are often surgically castrated to prevent aggression and boartainted meat. Castration without analgesia and anesthesia is painful and causes a lot of stress to the pig. There are alternatives such as to surgically castrate the male pigs with analgesia and/or with anesthesia, immunocastrate or keep them as intact males. In Sweden the most common practice is to surgically castrate the pigs before they are seven days old. The impact on the pig is that the incision causes pain and stress, which may lead to changes in behaviour, reduced appetite, reduced growth and a higher risk of infections.