The master's thesis investigates how the concept traditional knowledge is represented by international organizations that are influential in development work and policy making. Departing from a theoretical framework drawing on Michel Foucault, constructed aspects of knowledge and the power relations knowledge production implies are highlighted.A recent interest within library and information science and practice to document this kind of knowledge raises questions about how traditional knowledge differs from other forms of knowledge and how knowledge organizational tools can be applied. Investigations, which critically explore the concept traditional knowledge, the power relations the concept creates as well as the interests and purposes it serves, have been surprisingly absent within the discipline. The focus in this master's thesis is how traditional knowledge is conceptualized by international organizations. A discourse analytical approach reveals the power relations that are inherent in their descriptions of traditional knowledge and how they describe the relevance of the concept for their work.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine if a pre- and post-operative difference could be seen in self-reported pain disability and self-efficacy among patients undergoing surgery as treatment for spinal disc herniation in order to improve process of rehabilitation.Method: A quantitative and descriptive design was used. 10 patients awaiting surgical treatment for spinal disc herniation were included at Akademiska sjukhuset (The Academic Hospital) in Uppsala. Participation was voluntary and the selection was made by convenience. Data was collected using The Pain Disability Index and Self-Efficacy Scale by which the patient would estimate how hindered they felt because of their pain in everyday activities and their self-efficacy to perform everyday activities. This was done the day before surgery and two weeks after surgery.

The aim of this essay was to gain a deeper understanding about how school employees interpret and practice school law regarding cyber-bullying that occurs between pupils on the internet. To examine this we used a qualitative method. We completed eight interviews with five teachers, one headmaster, one school welfare officer and one special educationist. These eight school employees were from four different high schools. In our interviews we found that the school employees thought it was difficult to define different concepts within the school law such as in association with the occupation and offensive behaviour which prohibits them from interpreting the school law in the same way.

Steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) is a common form of meningitis in dogs. The condition is immunopathological, but the etiology is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to compile facts about the disease from records of Swedish dogs. The owners were interviewed by telephone for follow up where it was possible. 15 dogs were included in the study. All of them were neurologically examined in the Small Animal Clinic at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Background: One in ten couples suffers from some form of involuntary childlessness or infertility in Sweden. Involuntary childlessness or infertility is when an individual or a couple has a desire for a child but are unable to conceive on their own. To suffer from involuntary childlessness can be a mental strain that can result in a personal crisis, where the existential issues become central and contested. Regardless of the reason for their changed life world is because of involuntary childlessness or infertility, it is always important for the nurse to have an understanding of individual?s life-changing world and experiences. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe men and women experiences of involuntary childlessness during investigation and treatment.Method: Selected method was a literature review. The study was based on articles from systematic and unsystematic searches in databases and analyzed from the chosen method.Results: Four main themes emerged from the analysis, 'The changing life-world', 'The mental strain', 'Perceptions of relationships and social life' and 'experiences related to treatment'.Conclusion: Being involuntarily childless and infertile create a mental, physical and social stress. Clinically, this means a responsibility to offer a personalized support. For the nurse it is important to have an understanding of individual life-world and how the involuntary childlessness affects them. .

Allt fler jobb blir mindre reglerade, vilket förändrar förutsättningar, krav och hälsokonsekvenser av arbete. Tidigare studier visar att de minst reglerade jobben finns inom bland annat universitetsvärlden. Syftet med studien är att studera psykosociala hälsokonsekvenser av oreglerade arbetsformer bland universitetsanställda. De psykosociala hälsokonsekvenserna av oreglerade jobb är ännu inte helt kända men de har kopplats samman med utbrändhet. Tidigare forskning säger att gränslöshet kan vara positivt då det skapas en frihet i arbetet.

Adopting a socio-cultural approach to the study of cold war historiography, this master?s degree essay is a comparative study of the two main disciplinary fields of cold war scholarship, diplomatic history and international relations theory (IR). The study applies the theory of scientific development formulated by Thomas Kuhn and the concept of paradigm on the field of cold war research.Diplomatic history and IR shows many similarities in their development, and in the importance different schools has had in scholarly debate. These different schools are analysed as paradigms, a concept that has been more willingly adopted within IR than in diplomatic history. The transition from what historian John Lewis Gaddis has termed Old Cold War History to New Cold War History is discussed in terms of paradigms and paradigm shift.

Background: Type 2-diabetes is now a public health problem, which constitutes 85-90 percent of diabetes care. The district nurse´s role in treating a diabetic (/person with diabetes) does not only comprise pure medical treatment but also support, advice and training to the individual. In our profession as nurses, we have found that medical knowledge in patients with Typ 2-diabetes is not always enough to obtain changes in lifestyles.Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the illness perceptions in patients with Type 2-diabetes and their impact on health behavior.Method: This qualitative study used grounded theory as a method. Results: The informants described in the interviews, their perceptions of living with Type 2-diabetes. The analysis revealed the main category periodic health behavior built up on and related to five categories developed in data: preventive health awareness, guilt, confidence in medical treatment, motivational problems and periods of insight.Conclusion: This study contributes to understanding of patients with Type 2 - diabetes their beliefs about illness and how it affects everyday lives.Keywords: Believes, District nurses, Groundey Theory, Illness perception, Type 2-diabetes.

Forskningen om lobbyism i Sverige har hittills i huvudsak fokuserat på riksdagen. I den här uppsatsen undersöks lobbyism på kommunal nivå utifrån ett mottagarperspektiv med fokus på beslutsfattare och deras erfarenheter av lobbyism. Syftet är att belysa hur beslutsfattare i svenska kommunfullmäktige uppfattar att lobbyism går till i sina egna kommuner. Studiens utgångspunkt utgörs av lobbyismens relation till demokrati och i den kvalitativt genomförda undersökningen används en analysram baserad på tre värden för demokratisk lobbyism, benämnda transparens, jämlikhet och etik. Empirin har samlats in genom intervjuer med åtta kommunala fullmäktigeledamöter.

The essay is about how immigrant pupils are integrated into the Swedish school and society. I have studied how teachers work with integrating these pupils and if there is a plan of act used in their work. The essay is also about how social relations can be used as a pedagogical resource by the teachers when the institutional framework and support is failing..

The calcium homeostasis in the body is normally strict regulated to be kept within very narrow limits. This regulation is due to the action of parathyroid hormone (PTH) which is synthesized in the chief cells of the parathyroid glands. In different diseases, the calcium homeostasis is disturbed and this could either be due to a dysfunction of the parathyroid gland itself, or it could have a completely different explanation. To investigate disturbed calciumhomeostasis, ionized calcium and PTH can be analyzed from a blood sample. There are a lot of different assays to measure PTH in humans.

This two years master?s thesis takes interest in the concept of marketing related to the Children?s Library. The purposes have been to investigate the perception of marketing among a few librarians working at the Children?s Library in the Swedish region of Halland and further to analyse their perception of marketing in the daily work at the library. Eventually to analyse the consequences of these librarians approach to marketing related to their perception of the library?s mission.

The background of the study consists of the fact that knowledge about how eating disorders are developed and maintained is extensive. Socio-cultural factors and media influence when developing an eating disorder is of significance. When reviewing literature and previous research, knowledge about practical attainments when treating eating disorders are insufficient. The aim of the study was therefore to examine how staff who treats eating disordered patients think about body ideals, strive for success and media influence in treatment and rehabilitation. The theory consists of Foucault?s theory of power, how beauty ideals are dependent of the cultural context in which we live and what qualities are associated with beauty and body ideals.

Introduction: Balance between the essential nutritive substances is important for aperson to maintain health. The surgical patient can be stricken with conditions, whichhave a negative impact on this balance and can lead to malnutrition. Working as a nurseit is important to identify patients that are malnourished or is in the risk zone ofmalnourishment since 30 % of all patients in hospitals are malnourished.Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the compliance to the guidelines fornutritional assessment and parenteral nutrition on a surgical ward. Also whether thenutritional treatment/-support was reported to the next caregivers if the patient wasmalnourished or was in the risk zone of malnourishment at the time of discharge.Method: 80 patients enrolled on the ward in the beginning of year 2011 were included.Audit of patient records was made according to the hospital guidelines for nutrition andparenteral nutrition and followed a study specific protocol.Results: The examination of the case records showed that the guidelines for nutritionwere partly complied with. Nutritional treatment/-support was reported to the nextcaregivers when needed.

Prisons are for many an unknown world, and few know about the prison culture which includes unwritten rules, power structures, interactions and relationships between inmates and correctional employees.While many think that Swedish prisons are too comfortable,inmates are facing extreme stress due to surveillance and detention, by depriving inmates their possibility to shape their own lives. When the inmates is deprived of control over their own life?s the penal system have great power to shape and to influence the inmates.The purpose of this paper is to investigate prisoners' experiences of treatment and exercise of power in prisons. Starting point is to examine what are the kinds of relationships between prison officers and inmates from a power perspective, if there is any difference between the closed and open prisons and how the inmates affected by the structures that exist.Based on my overall purpose, and with my informant´s stories which revealed a number of similar points, four main headings were developed; Mass media and society´s view, and unknown world, interaction between inmates and prison officers and consequences.Prison officers with the role as a contact persons as well and other staff which work close to the inmates play a significant role by supporting through motivational interviewing and can help the inmates to gain insight about their life situation and actions. My informant?s underlined that a good contact person can either help or discourage.Inmates who contributed with their experiences express that there is a big difference between open-and closed prisons.