The purpose of this study is to first investigate how a group of Syriac women participating in the Syriac/Aramaic Academics Association (SAAF ? Syrianska/Arameiska Akademikerförbundet) at a Swedish university perceive their ethnic identity, and maintain it in the mainstream Swedish society. Furthermore, it considers whether SAAF as an ethnic institution provides an arena for the reproduction of social capital in interaction with the women's families. This study is based on previous research and theories of ethnic identity and its role in the building of social capital within so-called ethnic groups. The method used for this study involves qualitative interviews, to achieve its aims.

Declining union memberships are a fact in both Sweden and Finland. At the same time, the autonomous labour market parties and the high membership rates are the most significant factors for the two countries compared to Europe and the rest of the world. These two factors have in turn been developed and strengthened since the beginning of the twentieth century. By autonomous labour market parties I refer to the fact that the labour market parties themselves through collective bargaining are agreeing on the labour market conditions, without interference from the government.This paper is therefore taking it's stance in the question of what happens with the autonomous labour market parties when the membership rates are in decline. With this in mind, this paper describes the judicial development, the collective agreement and labour market structures, the legal consequences of collective agreements and the opportunities of industrial and sympathy action in both Sweden and Finland. The two countries' systems of labour law have caught some negative attention, hence two of the most discussed cases of recent years are given some attention as well. The collective judicial conditions are very similar in both Sweden and Finland regarding the labour market main actors' collaboration, the collective agreement structures and legal consequences and the opportunities of industrial and sympathy action.

The purpose of my study has been to find out how mother tongue teachers working in preschools where a majority of the children have a mother tongue other than Swedish make use of fictional children?s books during the mother tongue support lessons. In order to determine this, I am asking the following questions:- What is the range of children's books in the children's mother tongue available at the preschool?- In what ways are the native language teachers encouraging literacy development through the usage of children's books?- How do native language teachers view the childrens? linguistic development as well as the enhancement of cultural identity through the usage of the books?These questions have formed the basis of the methodical approach, which is based on a qualitative research method. The data collection consists of three parts; the observation of mother tongue support, interviews with language teachers as well as with the nursery manager and lastly a survey of children's books in languages other than Swedish at the preschool.The essay has as its theoretical basis the socio-cultural view of learning and development.

Staden Sulaymaniyah ligger i den kurdiska delen av Irak och har på senare år utvecklats då många valt att flytta från landsbygden till den centrala delen av staden. Nybyggandet sker under tidspress och långsiktigt hållbara lösningar prioriteras inte. Målet är att ta fram ett hus som är anpassat för majoriteten av befolkningen och samtidigt få ett bra och energieffektivt inomhusklimat. En faktainsamling genomfördes för att ge bakgrundsinformation till projektet. Vidare gjordes en planlösning till huset i AutoCAD vilken har använts som grund till utformningen av huset och smarta lösningar.

Staden Sulaymaniyah ligger i den kurdiska delen av Irak och har på senare år utvecklats då många valt att flytta från landsbygden till den centrala delen av staden. Nybyggandet sker under tidspress och långsiktigt hållbara lösningar prioriteras inte. Målet är att ta fram ett hus som är anpassat för majoriteten av befolkningen och samtidigt få ett bra och energieffektivt inomhusklimat. En faktainsamling genomfördes för att ge bakgrundsinformation till projektet. Vidare gjordes en planlösning till huset i AutoCAD vilken har använts som grund till utformningen av huset och smarta lösningar.

This essay examines the using of consensus method for decision making within the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the process that led to the decision to adopt its usage. The main question of my essay is why the method was introduced to the WCC and what motives lay behind its introduction. Other questions are how the consensus method works; both in theory and in practice, and what the predecessors and prototypes for the method are.The consensus method belongs to a broad Christian tradition of spiritual discernment and spiritual decision making. The New Testament, in particular Acts, gives examples of decision making in the early church which show that discerning God's will was considered essential. However the most influential model for the consensus method have been the decision making process of the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers, and also the consensus model of the Uniting Church in Australia.

The main purpose with this thesis has been to study the design philosophy of Bruno Mathsson, how he worked with his houses and the landscape surrounding them and which kind of inspiration sources he had. My work started when I during the autumn 2004 got involved in an existing project related to one of his glass houses. The glass house is situated in Kosta and has during the last fifteen years suffered from so much vandalism and decay that it has become a problem for the municipality of Lessebo. The intentions are to restore the house and to transform it to a center for Swedish design, also containing a store and a café as well as hosting one apartment for scholarship students. My task in this project was to form and develop the outdoor environment in connection to the house.

AbstractThis paper is about the philosophies created by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). The purpose is to show the high degree of similarities between Thoreau?s and Nietzsche?s philosphy.At first glance, it seems far-fetched to suggest an affinity between them; the differences in style and choice of subjects, have most certainly contributed to the fact that very few comparisons so far have been made. There is no evidence that one experienced any influence over the other, neither writer seems to have been aware of the other. Also their different areas of use during the 20th century, may have influenced the almost total lack of search for affinity.

A church in rural Vester Egede from the earliest Christian period in Denmark e.g. the early 1100, a baptismal font is found showing a woman breastfeeding two animals. She is said to be a typical early roman Luxuria, in mild appearance. However, what makes her unique is that she appears standing on the top of her head, her womb serving as font. The main question is how come that a baptismal font like this is to be found in a church, leading to the sub question, if this font really has a Christian origin or could it be rooted in Norse, pre-Christian tradition, alternatively is the font an expression of a syncretism between the two colliding cultures.

Staden Sulaymaniyah ligger i den kurdiska delen av Irak och har på senare år utvecklats då många valt att flytta från landsbygden till den centrala delen av staden. Nybyggandet sker under tidspress och långsiktigt hållbara lösningar prioriteras inte. Målet är att ta fram ett hus som är anpassat för majoriteten av befolkningen och samtidigt få ett bra och energieffektivt inomhusklimat. En faktainsamling genomfördes för att ge bakgrundsinformation till projektet. Vidare gjordes en planlösning till huset i AutoCAD vilken har använts som grund till utformningen av huset och smarta lösningar.

The aim of this essay is, firstly, to ? through a text analysis ? compare the curriculum of Waldorf education in Sweden (in the essay referred to as ?WL?) to the Swedish national curriculum ?Lpo 94?, to uncover possible differences and similarities between these documents, and, secondly, to present the roots and educational philosophies that these two curricula, respectively, are based upon. The purpose hereby is to be able to trace, describe and explain the differences between the pedagogical practices of Waldorf education and that of conventional Swedish schools.In the essay, a historical investigation of the main Traditions of ideas behind the Swedish national curriculum is briefly carried out, where I swiftly present the educational philosophies of John Dewey (1859-1952) and Lev S. Vygotsky (1896-1934). Next, an investigation of the worldview and philosophy of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) is effectuated, where I attempt to bring to light Steiner?s anthroposophical and holistic worldview ? a worldview that throughout the 20th century has developed into an international and wide-ranging anthroposophical movement ? as well as his concepts of knowledge, science and educational philosophy.

Racial discrimination is a highly topical and burning issue, of special interest in working life. Most researchers agree on that discrimination is a problem in the Swedish labour market. To counteract the ongoing discrimination, a new Anti-Discrimination Act was founded in 1999. The Racial Discrimination Act although appears to be ineffective on the basis of legal usage. Of all the legal cases about racial discrimination in the labour market, there has only been one sentence of guilty stated by the Swedish Labour Court.

Abstract Spiritual gardening, historical perspective and epistemology, - how do these concepts connect? A review of the ideologies of four pragmatic growers. The purpose of this thesis is: ? to present an alternative forthcoming perspective on knowledge, that may be of significance for future theories and knowledge about growing and gardening. ? to lift experiences with Nature Spirits into an academic context, that permits us a closer look at the phenomenon. ? to contribute to an academic platform connecting humanistic and natural sciences. The intention of this text is to bridge the differences between the strictly rational Traditions of knowledge and those more experience based ones. The thesis wants to show that much can be won if feeling based and mental reflections once again are approached as equal sources of knowledge. The aim is to give an orientation about the subject of Nature Spirits. The interesting fact is not whether (that) one can talk to nature, but how one does it and that more can be understood about nature and the reality that the established sciences study. The form for this study of literature is a describing presentation; to put names on and give wording to the phenomena of Nature Spirits and Plantdevas. The sources of literature are four pragmatic practitioners of spiritual gardening who have written extensively about their own work.

This is a master thesis on how to develop the central area of Norra Fäladen, a suburban housing area in the town of Lund, Sweden. The area is discussed on the basis of literature studies, analysis, and place descriptions, which leads on to a proposal. The starting point for the proposal is to create a more lively local centre and to make the area pleasanter for the visitor. A large part of the thesis is devoted to giving a background about local centres and to describe and analyse the area. Fäladstorget has an important role as a central place for supply and services and as a local meeting place for the inhabitants of Norra Fäladen.

In today?s fashion market there are a great number of actors that offer a huge selection ofproducts. The fashion world today covers the whole world and a result of this, the competitionamong fashion companies are enormous, leading to a tough climate for companies in today?sfashion industry. There is an overproduction of goods on the market and companies mustcompete for customers because of today's homogeneous goods and prices.