The purpose of this Master thesis is to compare the perception and significance of reference work in two countries, Sweden and Germany. This will be achieved by means of a literature review of previous research literature and public documents and a content analysis of articles from two library journals.A first step was to examine the historical development of reference work in the selected countries. In connection with this there proved to be distinct phases in the discussion regarding reference work. These phases with their specific discourses, themes and emphases reflected and thus later were confirmed in the second part of the study.The results show that despite some similarities there are also quite a few differences in how reference work is perceived in both countries. For Sweden, the idea of reference work was introduced relatively early.

The aim of this study is to research images of the academic world that is presented, incorporated and reproduced within the frames of the mentorship in the basic level. Can these images derive to the view upon science as a traditionally male area? Is mentorship gendered? Can the mentorship on the basic level be viewed upon as a milestone of a academic career where men and women have different opportunities to succeed?By interviewing seven mentors, working in a social sciences institution in a larger Swedish university, I have come to the conclusion that knowledge is coded male and that this affect mentors mental images of what male and female students are expected to do. The male student represent the scientist, while the female student represent what the scientist is not.Depending on the work of, among others, Kerstin Norlander, Dorothy Smith and Eva Erson I have come to view upon the university as a patriarchal organisation witch produces knowledge based upon male values, experiences and concepts. This precludes the female within this organisation from relating to the knowledge she is supposed to incorporate.

The purpose of this work is to explore how to work with early reading and writing and find out what really comes first of the two. The work also involves the best known literacy learning methods and deals with methods to work around reading and writing. I have read previous research on the subject and watched a movie from our AV-central on children?s early language development. It includes an interview with two professors of education, Mats Myrberg and Mats Ekholm where they talk about the pros and cons of early learning literacy. My research is based on literary sources and interviews with educators who work with reading and writing in the early years. The results showed that even if a teacher tries to work with early writing skills we still remain in the traditional school, beginning with learning how to read.

The purpose of this work was to observe fifth grade students in their creative work, how they act and how gender roles appear in the creative work. The background to this work is that I want to examine whether there is any difference in gender roles, when students are working creatively and on their compliance with, the sexes, typical similarities and differences that exist.Observational study showed that girls and boys in the class I observed, in general, has followed traditional gender patterns that exist in our society. With typical gender patterns, I mean that girls are expected to be quiet, talented and helpful and the boys are expected to speak loud and more often than the girls. The girls were, on balance, quieter and more tranquil than the boys who had difficulties to sit still and wanted to be seen and heard more widely..

Background: Overweight is a health problem throughout the western world. Child health care (CHC) nurses and school nurses meet many children and their families and have the opportunity to work with prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the CHC - and school nurse´s experiences and reflections in the work on obesity in children. The aim was also to investigate the structural conditions CHC- and school nurse feel the need for this work. Method: The study had a qualitative approach with descriptive design.

The reason I am writing this essay is due to my curiosity on how children are interested in and how their understanding in geometry is at preschool years.My interest lies in children and arithmetic and especially geometry, which is something I belive that children deal with a great deal in their everyday routines, both in school and at home.What do children do when they work with geometry, and are they aware of what they do? To figure this out, I have taken my findings from three different interviews that I have done atmy preschool with a group of children that have been preselected.I am also curious about whether there is a difference in different types of schools. In this essay I have compared the preschool I work with a Montessori school and a third type of schoolwhere the children spends most of their day´s outdoors called ?Ur och Skur?In my results I can not see any major differences in these three preschools work with mathematics. The childrens knowledge is at a similar level and the work with geometry hasbeen implemented in a similar way..

Syftet med studien är att kartlägga hur kunskap, attityd och beteende samverkar kring begreppet jämställdhet. En enkätundersökning genomfördes till ett specifikt utvald organisation. Enkäten är både kvantitativ och kvalitativ. Resultatet visar att det inom denna organisation finns en kunskapsbrist av ett jämställdhetsarbete, det går även att se en koppling mellan attityder och den befintliga kunskapen. Kopplingen mellan attityd och beteende är dock svag.

The purpose of my work is about how teachers work with dramatization. How they solve a conflict, and if they use dramatization to solve a conflict. I have therefore chosen to interview two teachers how they work with conflict and dramatization.I was inspired to look into this when I had drama at college and we would solve different conflicts using dramatization.The results of my interviews were that teachers do not use dramatization to solve a conflict. They use discussion as a method to come up with solutions to the students, but they would like to learn more practical methods to solve conflicts..

Det senaste året har jag arbeta med analys av digital mediehantering, digital media som ett informationsverktyg samt tekniken bakom det. ?Hur kan man göra saker mer effektivt?, ?är webb-tv något för Försvarsmakten att använda sig av i syfte att göra sitt informationsflöde mer effektivt?, både internt och mot allmänheten. Föreliggande arbete tar upp tekniken bakom dessa områden, jag försöker även förklara hur relativt enkelt det kan vara att integrera dem i en existerande organisation utan att göra dyra omorganisationer. Jag har även inventerat AMF och FM media på deras utrustning, teknik och gjort en lista på vad som är användbart och på vad som bör tas bort inför en omstrukturering.

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.

Is Försäkringskassan, one of Sweden?s largest organizations, an equal place to work in? Dosex, ethnical background or age matter when being treated by colleagues and managers?In this thesis I try to, through interviews with both the Human Resources-departement andsome administrators at Försäkringskassan, find the answers to how the organization?s internalwork regarding equality functions. To help me with the analysis I use both discourse theoryand gender theory. I find a discrepancy between the Human Resources-department?s and theadministrators? view of how the internal equality work is run.

AimThe aim with this essay was to find out what the personal in the primary care of Värmdö have for attitude to work with physical activity in prevention and treatment of diseases, how they work with the method today and how they think about working with the method in the future. Following questions were in focus of the study: How are they working in the primary care of Värmdö today with physical activity in prevention and treatment of diseases? What is the attitude to work with physical activity in prevention and treatment of diseases? And how do they want to work with physical activity in prevention and treatment of diseases in the future?MethodThe study includes all doctors, nurses and physiotherapists in Gustavsberg and Djurö primary care in Värmdö. To get answers on the question of issue was a questionnaire handed out. 82 % answered, which means that 45 of totally 55 employed in both primary care units answered the questinnaire.Results44 of 45 asked reported that they give verbal advice about physical activity to their patients today.

The aim of this essay is to examine the ambivalence that I consider work of solidarity carried out from majority position to be associated with, and whether it makes sense to understand the relationship between majorities and minorities involved in this work by using the concepts of race and whiteness. Through Ruth Frankenbergs work on white women and race I consider whiteness to be a racialized position, and through Sara Ahmeds phenomenology of whiteness, which describes racialization as made through the orientation of bodies, I investigate how this racialized position is shaped and maintained by the solidarity work. The study is based on qualitative interviews with four White women engaged in two organizations that works on integration of female immigrants through creating jobs in a cooperative and through educating in national and familial democracy. The work of solidarity told of by the interviewees seems to produce racialized notions about immigrated people of color, which acts as a counterpart to the whiteness that the interviewees themselves possess. At the same time, the work also challenge this binary division, especially by incorporating the non-white women in what in this essay is called "the white world"..

This thesis examines interfaith work from a general perspective and through the Swedish interfaith project ?Tillsammans för Sverige?. They are based in a famous youth center in Stockholm. The examination has two aims. The first is to identify the main characteristics of interfaith work and how they correspond with daily practice.

If Swedish companies are to compete with companies in low-cost countries they have to achieve a more efficient production. The purpose of Total Productivity Maintenance (TPM) is to increase the company's profitability by increasing the productivity. TPM is a method that involves all employees and aims to prevent failures in order to increase the availability of existing equipment.The aim of this paper is to evaluate the implementation process of TPM and give recommendations for the further implementation process. The conclusion and the analysis are based on a case study done at a production department at ABB Cewe-Controls facilities in Nyköping. The case study consists mainly of qualitative data from participation observations, surveys and interviews.Commitment of the management is a key factor in the implementation process of TPM.