This thesis, drawing from several empirical investigations, reaches the conclusion that there seems to be a positive correlation between the level of democracy and the level of state capacity in Latin American countries. This correlation is explained by a hypothesis derived from Rational Choice theory. With some important caveats, this conclusion is then applied to the discussion about democracy as a form of government. Within democracy, the thesis also offers an insight into different electoral systems and its possible implications, mostly on a theoretical level. The thesis only exists in swedish as of yet..

Under 2009-2010 genomfördes en kurs i kolning med både teoretiska och praktiska inslag vid institutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel vid Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet i Umeå. Kursen som omfattade 15 hp initierades av åtta intresserade elever från kurs 07/12; Håkan Johansson, Carl Kling, Henrik Nises, Jonas Strandberg, Erik Sundström, Jonas Svensson, Erik Söderberg, Daniel Timblad.Inom ramen för kursen så genomfördes olika aktiviteter; en serie litteratur-seminarer om kolningens historia och praktik samt om kolningen i ett internationellt perspektiv, omsorgsfullt förberedande och praktisk genomförande av milkolning samt intervjuer med äldre personer som kolat tidigare. Slutresultatet av arbetet presenteras i föreliggande rapport samt i form av ett bildspel och en kort videofilm från kolningen. Allt arbete finns tillgängligt via Epsilon på Skogsbibliotekets hemsida.Professor Lars Östlund (lars.ostlund@svek.slu.se) har varit ansvarig och examinerande lärare för denna kurs, men arbetet har i hög grad byggt på studenternas egna initiativ och eget arbete.Rapporten är indelad i tre avsnitt:1) Kolningsdagbok inklusive litteraturlista2) Kolningsintervju 1: Kurt Johansson i Långträsk3) Kolningsintervju 2: Martin Åslin i Gnarp.

The overall objective of our research is to understand  how social workers in social services protect the individual's autonomy, integrity and a coercive law which deprives the individual of his rights.In this study, we bring out social secretaries perspective on how they see the compulsory treatment and the problems that can arise in a detention. This study is based on the questions; How are power between social worker and client? What is the social secretary of the law on compulsory as a tool to help clients?We interviewed eight social workers who work specifically with compulsory treatment. We used the result to answer our questions. As a theoretical background, we chose to use the power perspective, the concepts of flexibility and freedom of action and categorizations.The results that emerged from our study are that compulsory treatment is considered to be a positive and negative thing.

Två-statslösning för den Palestinska Myndigheten är en återkommande diskuterad väg bort ifrån konflikten i Mellanöstern. För Palestinas del har den mångåriga politiska och väpnade kampen för existensberättigande varit deras första argument i statsbyggnadsprocessen vilken har kantats av ?sexdagarskrig?, ?Yom-kippur-krig?, ?Al-Aqsa intifada? och stenkastning.Genom en fallstudie där jag har operationaliserat Barry Buzans teori om statsbildning så har jag under sökt dokumenten ?Oslo Agreement? och ?A Performanced-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?, om statsbildning baserat på dessa är möjlig. Resultatet av undersökningen är att teorin bakom de statsbildande komponenterna har kunnat operationaliseras och genom detta visat att territoriet, den nationella identiteten och palestinska strategiska områden är de mest förekommande statsbildande beståndsdelarna. Generellt citeras dokumenten fortfarande i statsbyggnadsprocessen men förtroendet att bygga staten Palestina på dessa, uppfattar jag vara urholkad.Sökord: ?Palestine State Building?, ?Statebuilding?, ?Statebuilding Buzan?, ?Statsbildning?..

The aim of this thesis is to spread some light over the coming into being of the 2005 Pension Reform in Norway. The point of departure lies within an interest in Welfare State politics and the development in this field. Pensions constitute a cornerstone in the Welfare State. Making use of J. Kingdon´s Theory of the Agenda Setting Process, Discourse Theory and Institutional Theory the thesis seek to visualize the implications of structures, central actors and discourses on the reform processes.

The swedish rule concerning the treatment of employee stock-options have changed and the new wording of the rule will be applicable for the first time in 2010. The previous wording of the rule stated that the employee shall be taxed for the stock-option when moving abroad, even if the option is not exercised. The Swedish Skatteverket and Regeringsrätten have found that this rule is in conflict with the free movement of persons within the European Union. The new wording of the rule states that the employee shall be taxed when the option is excercised, no matter where the employee is situated. A state`s right of taxation of a stock-option determines wheter and to what extent the employee stock-otion derives from that state..

Uppsatsen har som utgångspunkt att studera hur vår identitet som svensk idealiseras i film och då främst genom Lars Hallströms Mitt liv som hund (1985) och Colin Nutleys Änglagård (1992).Teorin som valts för analysen är identifikationsframställning genom Frankfurterskolans ideologikritik, Foucaults läror om diskurs, kunskap och makt samt identitetsbegreppet i sig och idenitetsframställning. Genom tillämpandet av teorin ges möjligheten att kritiskt granska och omläsa de ovan nämnda filmerna i en omfattande analys. Metoder för uppsatsens analys är en fördjupad närläsning och genomgående omläsning utav de två filmerna.Uppsatsen utgår även från två frågeställningar som blir besvarade i ett analysresultat och sammanfattning. Genom en näranalys av filmerna ges en möjlighet att se hur propaganda uppstår och verkar, då filmernas idealiserande framställning kan misstas och brukas som sanning. I analysernas reslutat framgår det även att svenskhet vilar på en grund av föreställd gemenskap där man genom att tillämpa Peter Norman Waages teorier ser att idenitetsframtällningen som nation grundas på det så kallade ?omvända kylskåpet?.Identitet sammanför på samma gång som det söndrar då det verkar med värme inåt och kyla utåt, likt ett omvänt kylskåp..

This thesis has the purpose of developing a normative theoretical framework based on different political philosophers and scientists view on deliberative democratic theory, discourse ethics and a modified norm of citizenship. This framework is supposed to contain the ideal communicative situation for people seeking asylum. Hence, the thesis argues that political influence is best practised through communicative rights, and that people seeking asylum are in title to such rights. We conclude that the standards needed to be met in order to reach the ideal are: translators, translated information, arenas for- or channels of communication, language education, and deliberative education. Once the framework is established we focus our interest on the Swedish state.

From a historical perspective, Sweden is a classic example of a social democratic state in view ofits early development of labor movements, democracy and focus on the welfare state. Today, as amember state of the EU, Sweden has however come to be influenced by America?s neoliberalpolities, where companies need to deliver more and better products/services while the consumerawareness and sensitivity has increased about company?s way to invest. Research shows thatScandinavian companies, primarily in Denmark and Sweden, has a leading position when it comesto responsible corporate behavior which has been the reason to our choice of studying howSwedish companies do to achieve success in CSR. To carry out this study, we have usedqualitative analysis, using semi-structures to interview companies in different industry sectors.

This thesis aimed to describe how the ideological dividing line concerning the welfare state has changed between the two largest governmental parties in Sweden, the Social Democrats and the Moderaterna, during 1990 to 2010. The scientist Mark Blyth points out that ideas are important instruments for structural and institutional change by identifying ideas as weapons, blueprints and cognitive locks, which were being used in the theoretical framework. The empirical data was made by a qualitative analysis of the parliamentary speeches and debates from both parties held every year. The results shows that the budgetary law passed in 1997 became a new institutional blueprint, which changed the political conditions for the Social Democrats. Furthermore, the results point to a change in the Moderaterna?s rhetoric concerning the welfare state to a more pragmatic view. .

In today?s Europe nationalist movements grow stronger. The Scottish referendum is a result of the nationalistic party Scottish National Party?s aim of an independent Scotland. Using a descriptive idea analysis the essay aim to answer how the referendum arose, its main arguments and how national and state identity is affected in the arguments.

This paper develops a theory for understanding negotiation situations involving states and indigenous peoples. Using relevant constructivist theory as a starting point, the paper develops a theory about understanding the relationship between power and culture implicit in the concept of the state. This relationship is examined in negotiations situations involving states and indigenous peoples. States are constituted by social structure and are representatives of the national culture. At the same time states are actors within the international system and a part of the culture of Westphalia.

In this thesis the aim is to explore the connection between International presence and Reconstruction of Postconflict states. The focus in this Analyse is the concept of CIMIC which is the institutional concept of Civil-Military Co-operation in International relations and a concept in Peacebuilding Theory. The cases, which are the empirical Material, is Afghanistan and Kosovo, two most-different cases.The theoretical framework is primarily consider the mechanisms successful for the Reconstruction process in general and within CIMIC in particular. This framework including both theories of State failure and International administered Territories as well as Models for Civil- Military Co-operation.The International presence in Postconflict Societies plays a big role, even thou it is very important that initiatives for rebuilding comes from the state within. The essence of CIMIC is the civil component and the military, operating in Peacebuilding and Reconstruction missions.

Introduction: Public health researchers have long been focusing on investigating health inpopulations through determinants such as income inequalities. Nevertheless, incomeinequalities can be considered an effect of the organization of welfare regimes. The publichealth status is largely affected by the organization of welfare regimes and consequently thereare large differences in health within and between welfare regimes. How are these differencesdistributed and how can they be explained?Aim: To compare health between welfare state regimes with the use of Esping-Andersen?swelfare regime typology and to investigate the relationship between welfare statedeterminants and health.Methods: A literary review based on 12 scientific articles.

There have been several projects with solar installations in Sweden, and Sala-Heby Energi (SHE) wanted to create a solar plant. The question answered in this thesis is whether it is economically viable to create such a source of sustainable, renewable energy. The plant would be built with the help of the financial effort from 120 customers. This economic union would sell the electricity to the SHE, for SEK 4.50 per kWh up to a certain level over a period of 10 years. It would be a long term commitment to environmentally friendly electricity, using solar cells which convert sunlight directly into electricity.In year 2009 there was introduced a new state aid for photovoltaic systems, to create an increased and continuing interest in solar cells.