This research was conducted to study the social integration of Syrian refugees in Sweden and their feeling of inclusion in the Swedish society, or exclusion from it. The research also targeted illuminating and analyzing potential reasons for the social exclusion of some Syrian refugees according to first-hand experiences, perspectives, and opinions collected by semi-structured interviews with 10 informants who left Syria due to civil war and sought asylum in Sweden. This paper serves as a platform on which voices and views of Syrian refugees were echoed, and conclusions on their settlement and inclusion in their new country were based on their own feelings, struggles, and matters of their social lives. To achieve that, social, cultural, and human aspects were prioritized over mainstream economic and legal aspects as all informants were documented and integrated into the Swedish labor market or education system. 

Nonetheless, the study results have shown a worrying lack of social inclusion that Syrian refugees have experienced so far in their new country, reducing them into underprivileged, ethnic social circles where they had limited access to social networks from different backgrounds, resources, and opportunity. The nature of the Swedish society, as well as the negative image of Syrian refugees, Ethnic-segregated residencies, cultural incompatibility, and racism, were found to be the main reasons behind this phenomenon 

This thesis project explores combining interactive technology and the natural world, through a more-than-human design approach. This project aims to step away from an industry-driven design by valuing plants as equal in the design process. Throughout this report, an overview of the relevant theory and examples are elaborated on. This overview has informed the project in two ways. It formed the foundation of a concept aiming to improve the user’s interconnectedness with nature and it formed the foundation of an evaluation tool developed for aiding designers in design for plants by addressing three design fields: Design for Care, Design for Cohabitation, and Design for Noticing. The concept and the evaluation tool have been developed in parallel and informed each other throughout the project. The final concept contributes to the discussion about addressing more-than-human actors in design. In this case by addressing plant blindness. The evaluation tool contributes to more-than-human design as a tool to evaluate ideas and projects. This project included an extensive analysis of a design collection, workshops regarding the materiality of living plants and assessment of the evaluation tool, an interdisciplinary design approach, and a prototyping phase during which assumptions regarding the concept were tested.

The two books highlight two different views on the way that private security is governed in the African states under review. The Governance of Private Security by Marco Boggero. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. xvii + 199 pp., £99.99 hardcover 978‐3‐319‐69592‐1, £79.50 e‐book 978‐3‐319‐69593‐8 Private Security in Africa: From the Global Assemblage to the Everyday edited by Paul Higate and Mats Utas. London: Zed Books, 2017. 192 pp., £24.99 paperback 9781786990259

Health communication campaigns in developing countries can take many different forms and make use of a wide range of communication tools. One of these tools are multimedia resources such as videos. Initiatives like the Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO) or the Global Health Media Project (GHMP) have been created for the only purpose of developing videos adapted to different cultures and languages in order to tackle a variety of health issues relevant to developing countries. The present study pretends to focus on the use of such videos for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) behavior in the context of cholera epidemic which hit Haiti in late 2010. By using comparative research procedures, three videos have been selected for content analysis from three different institutions: SAWBO, GHMP, and UNESCO Haiti. The results from this analysis served as guidelines for further survey analysis carried out through field questionnaires to a sample of the video’s target audience, that is, Haitian children aged from about 10 to 13 years old. The purpose of the study was to understand and compare the impact and effectiveness of these resources in transmitting disease prevention practices to the target audience. The results indicate that the videos usually coincided in the issues to inform about cholera, but differed in most of the features portrayed within the issues. Moreover, responses to the questionnaires reflected that the messages portrayed were only retained by an average half of the participants, with more or less success depending on the topic.

The purpose of this study is to analyze if the workmethods in the European Commission's crisis management had post-bureaucratic characteristics, more specifically less hierarchy, horizontal communication, collective decision-making and own responsibility, during the Greek debt crisis 2010-2015. To carry out an analysis this study identifies four characteristics of a post-bureaucratic organization, in order to use the theory as a tool to clearly identify if there are any post-bureaucratic characteristics in the Commission's workmethods during the Greek crisis 2010-2015. The material used in the study is based on published reports from the European Parliament, European Court of Auditors, International Monetary Fund and the European Commission where facts on the European Commission’s crisis management are presented. This study's analysis shows that post-bureaucratic characteristics can be identified on the workmethods the Commission used in some situations during the Greek debt crisis 2010-2015. The study's conclusion is summarized by the fact that the European Commission’s workmethods in relation to post-bureaucratic characteristics are only found in some instances. Therefore the study can not conclude that the European Commission is a post-bureaucratic organization during the Greek crisis 2010-2015.

Call it for what it is aims to identify the leadership’s blind spots in relation to sexual harassment. This study is a continuation of a previous minor thesis that explored the mechanisms that made it possible for sexual harassment to occur on the workplace and had a co-worker focus. In this instance, this study used a qualitative research method in which five individuals in leadership positions within the culture sector of Denmark were interviewed. The thesis thus has a leadership perspective where the collected empirical evidence is viewed against Denmark's Equal Treatment Act, the American EEOC's guidelines as well as leadership and power theories. The result of the empirical study shows that the main concepts - sexual behavior and sexual harassment - as well as the awareness of the various problem areas constitute blind spots. The study also lands in three main problem areas whose issues in turn can constitute as blind spots: definitions, power structures and the room. This is presented in a model in relation to the leadership process. Within these, it was possible to identify the majority of blind spots with different characteristic traits, such as; judicial proactive, text formulation, the legal document, interpretive precedence, the collective, fully visual and informal spaces.

Analysing the three existing water treaties between Iraq and Turkey from 1946, 2009 and 2019, this research aimed to answer the research question: How are the three water treaties between Iraq and Turkey linguistically formulated in regard to the theories on water cooperation? This research question was addressed through applying Discourse Analysis I in accordance with Gillian Rose’s approach and supported by an analytical framework containing four stages, built on the theories on water cooperation and further supported by Galtung's theory on positive peace. Results of the research showed that the water treaties to a very low extent were formulated in regard to the theories on water cooperation and of nine different themes identified in the water treaties, three themes were directly related to the theories. The 1946 water treaty did through the themes Unification, Common self-identity & Solidarity succeed in addressing a part of the theories on water cooperation through reaching stage B of the analytical framework. While the water treaties from 2009 and 2019 both did almost thoroughly fail in formulating the treaties in regards to those theories. Additionally the discourses identified in the treaties did concerne two main topics; threats and risks, and the relationship and representation of the relationship between Iraq and Turkey.

Abstract

India and Pakistan are at war with each other for over 70 years. To date, the two countrieshave four full scale wars. This thesis evaluates whether the dispute between Pakistan andIndia is linked with the economic development of the rival country or there are otherreasons for it such as terrorism, border disputes, etc. In the analysis, special attention ispaid to tensions related to Kashmir which started in 1948 and are still there. Kashmirplays a vital role in development of Pakistan in a broader context because The IndusRiver, which is the lifeline to Pakistan, flows through the Jammu and Kashmir. Casestudy method was employed, based on secondary data from the existing studies. Thisthesis is based on theories of international politics to explore the Indus Water Treaty andChina Pakistan Economic Corridor in relation to the economic development of Pakistan.The findings reveal that, contrary to the popular belief of the people of the two countriesthat India and Pakistan are fighting over Kashmir’s territory, much of the problems arerelated to economic issues. Indus Water Treaty and China Pakistan Economic Corridorare helping Pakistan in coming out of the vicious circle of poverty and moving towardsdevelopment. Economic development in Pakistan is not beneficial for India, as Pakistanand India compete in their export markets. So, India is creating hurdles in the economicdevelopment of Pakistan. The violation of Indus Water Treaty by India and India’sinterferences in China Pakistan Economic Corridor are two such examples of it. TheChina Pakistan Economic Corridor will increase foreign investment in Pakistan whichwill lead to economic development of Pakistan. This may strengthen Pakistan’s exportsector and challenge India in its international export markets. Therefore, India is creatinghurdles for Pakistan. Moreover, efficient utilization of water may lead to an increase inpower generation in Pakistan which would help it in overcoming energy shortageproblem, especially electricity. If this problem will be resolved, industry and exportsector will be developed, and Pakistan may compete India in export markets. It wasconcluded that major reason of conflicts between India and Pakistan are economic, notpolitical, geographical, or military.

his is a qualitative study. The purpose of the study is to examine what prevailing discoursesthe media portray about ethnic others, and what positions of power they are attributed to. Themethod used is discourse analysis and the empirical study consists of media articles from twoof Sweden's most read newspapers, Aftonbladet and Svensk Dagbladet respectively. Thetheories used in the analysis are the framing theory, ethnic others and the concept of power,which is the theoretical framework of the study. The analysis showed that there are severaldiscourses that are addressed regarding the ethnic others. These discourses are presented in theform of themes and analyzed on the basis of the theory and the chosen theoretical concepts.The results of the study show that there are ambiguous discourses that are repeated about theethnic others, the negatively charged discourses were remarks and that ethnic others areincreasingly attributed to subordinate positions of power.

The FOCUS project is undertaking a range of research and piloting tasks which aim to improve understanding of dynamic integration and to assist the implementation of effective practices. As part of this work a detailed programme of qualitative research has been undertaken in four countries. This report presents the country-specific findings of this research, which will be further consolidated in a cross-site analysis to be completed in the coming months. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with members of the receiving communities and with members of the arriving communities in a total of 10 site in four countries which have different experiences of migration from Syria in recent years (Sweden, Germany, Jordan, Croatia). 

When Nordic Migration Research (NMR) was launched in 2008, there was total agreement among the founding members that one of the primary objectives of the organization was to establish a high-quality, interdisciplinary Nordic journal for research on international migration and migration-related issues in an international and transnational setting. Accordingly, the NMR statutes define the aim of the Nordic Journal for Migration Research (NJMR) as "devoted to publishing high-quality, peer -reviewed research in different aspects of international migration and ethnic relations, such as integration, ethnicity/race, culture, religion, marginalization, citizenship, nationalism, discrimination and racism". The statutes further specify that the NJMR aims to develop into "a forum for both applied and theoretical research, seeking to attract high-quality, original contributions from both Nordic and non-Nordic countries", and that an important part of its mission and raison d'etre would be to focus particularly, although not exclusively, on the areas mentioned above with respect to their relevance to and impact on "the Nordic countries in a global perspective" (Hedetoft & Sicakkan 2011: 1).

News articles generated by artificial intelligence rather than human reporters are referred to as automated journalism. This thesis explores how to create a trustworthy representation of news articles that mainly are generated by algorithmic decisions. The hypothesis of this thesis takes the background (characteristics of the underlying system design) and the foreground (millennials news consumption behaviour) contexts into consideration in order to provide an optimal approach for trustworthy representation of auto-generated articles. A theory about algorithmic transparency in the news media has been investigated to reveal information about the systems selection processes. The principles of glanceability and the heuristic principles are applied to proposed design solutions (interactive features). The outcomes show that newsreaders are positive towards a system that is trying to encourage them to fact-check the articles. Additionally, the outcomes also contributed to the understanding of how newsreaders can consume auto-generated news.

This research report aims to investigate and analyze the extensive ethical factors that influence the decision-making process in nature intervention. Specifically, we examine the moral and practical dilemmas that can arise in such decisions, which are often complex and difficult to manage. 

The purpose of this report is to enhance understanding of the role that ethics plays and should play in environmental conservation, particularly in relation to perspectives on the value of nature and the ethical positions taken by decision-makers. By conducting a scientific study using a systematic literature review and interviews, we have been able to obtain a broader understanding of the answer to our research question: "Where should the limit be placed on human intervention in nature?" There is a difference in focus between content analysis and interviews, with the former tending to have a more practical orientation and the latter having a more ethical orientation. This creates an impression of divergent directions in the written material. The various methods used in the research, namely the systematic literature review and interviews, yielded different insights. However, rather than finding a definitive solution, we have discovered that different methods and the state of knowledge in the field generate different insights, indicating that there is no simple answer. 

By analyzing and discussing the obtained results in this report, we hope to contribute to a more nuanced and informed debate on the ethical aspects of nature intervention. We emphasize the importance of continued research and knowledge development in this area to better address the complex and sometimes contradictory issues that arise in decision-making regarding the conservation and utilization of nature. 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was ratified by Sweden in 1990 and has ever since been imprinted in spatial planning through the application of the concept of child perspective. Malmö city’s vision as the child-friendly city, will offer both, good growing-up conditions for children and good living environments for families with children. To achieve this, the master plans of the city show that both child perspective and children’s perspective should be taken into account. In decision-making processes, detailed plans show that the children's perspective is taken into account when planning preschools but very little about children's living environments (Malmö stad, 2012; 2014; 2018).

The third article of the UNCRC, which constitutes the most important principle of the Convention, states that the Best Interests of the Child (BIC) shall be a primary consideration in all decisions concerning an individual child or children in a group. With the increased urbanization and a densification strategy in Swedish cities today, it is important for the society to safeguard good growing-up environments for children. Residential yard is an urban space that shrinks as a result of the densification, which means that children's space for their playing environment, the proximity to adults and the home, is endangered. The residential yard needs to be a safe and satisfactory environment that offers enough space for children to be able to play freely.

Since the UNCRC became a Swedish law on the 1st of January 2020, this has an even greater impact in applying the law (Unicef, 2020). This makes it interesting for the study to examine how planners consider BIC when planning residential yards in Malmö. Previous research describes the role of the residential yard and why this environment is especially important for children. We have chosen to define BIC when planning residential yards by using the following concepts: the child perspective and children's perspective, a good playing environment and the security. Through interviews with planning architects from Malmö’s City Planning Office “Stadsbyggnadskontoret”, this study achieves a better understanding for how planners consider child perspective in the planning process. The theories for this research have been used to examine two physical projects, which both were approved before the UNCRC became a law. In order to achieve a deeper understanding of the difficulties in applying the UNCRC in spatial planning, the research is also applying two public investigations. By that, the study focuses on what difficulties there are with the application of the articles of the UNCRC and how these should be taken into account when planning residential yards in Malmö.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to deepen the knowledge and understanding of the strategies “just in time” and “freight pooling” in logistics management in the food industry. In order to answer the purpose, we had two different research questions. The questions are about what advantages and disadvantages there are with these strategies in the food industry. The study is conducted in a qualitative way where the interviews and observations are used to deepen the knowledge of how an organization in food industries uses the strategies “just in time” and “freight pooling”. The previous science shows that there are some advantages with these strategies but also disantvages that the organization should have in mind and work with so that they do not happen. The study shows that the organization this study was conducted on where very successful in implementing these strategies and they experienced many advantages by using “just in time” and “freight pooling”. The organization this study was conducted on were really cautious with the possible setbacks that the strategies can so they emphasized that they need to work really close with all the involved parties so that they can minimize the risk for the disadvantages to happen. 

Keywords: just in time, pooling, logistic strategies, transport optimization, food supply chain

This study aims to investigate on the social and cultural integration experiences of Afghan women in Sweden, in terms of their social networks and their socio-cultural practices. In addition, this paper questions where the Afghan women feel belonging to and what factors shape this sense of belonging. For this reason, a qualitative methodology is applied and the data is compiled through semi-structured interviews with ten Afghan women residing in Malmö, Sweden, with using both focus group interviews and individual interviews as the data collecting procedures. The concepts of socio-cultural integration, sense of belonging and social network have been utilized as the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of the study. With regards to social networks, this research intends to investigate on the social interactions of the participants with people of their own ethnic group and also with Swedes. Regarding the socio-cultural practices, the eating habits and the holiday celebration and participation of Afghan women participating in the research are examined as indicators of their cultural integration. The findings of the study reveal that language proficiency is considered as the key factor for socio-cultural integration among the participants. In general, the participants experience different levels of social interactions both with other Afghans and with Swedes. The study also shows that while the participants are committed to the Afghan cultural practices such as eating Afghan foods and celebrating their holidays, they also welcome some of the Swedish cultural practices. In addition, mutual respect has a fundamental place in Afghan women‟s interactions with the host culture and values. Moreover, the participants of this study experience different notions of belonging, and factors such as their family ties, safety, and discrimination vs. acceptance shape their feeling of belonging to both Sweden and Afghanistan. In general, the findings of this study confirm Beg‟s statement (2005) that Afghan women are not a homogenous group, and experience different varieties of socio-cultural integration and different notions of belonging.

The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of and knowledge about the meaning of a present leadership from an employee perspective and to identify which expectations employees have of a present leader. The meaning of a present leadership is a relatively unexplored area, shown by previous research. Qualitative method has been used in the study, in order to be able to analyze the empirical material and answer the aim and  purpose questions of the study. In order to define the work, the focus has been on public HVB operations, the data material consists of interviews with employees from different public HVB. The results of the study show that there are several important factors, such as physical presence, mental presence, trust and relationships, participation, confirmation, openness and receptivity, that are significant for a present leadership. The meaning of a present leadership differs between the respondents of the study, even if some of them have similar perceptions. Based on a constructivist theory, it can be concluded that employees' ideas about present leadership are based, to a large extent, on the concept of leadership, which is something that is constructed by  each individual by themselves. This leads them to creating their own expectations of their managers and how a manager should exercise leadership. 

Adaptation is a long-standing component of the climate policy agenda and becomes more relevant as climate change induced threats are increasing. The Paris Agreement presents a shift in the international climate regime, and incorporates adaptation as a fully independent subject, basing the policies on local needs and movements. Still, the Agreement faces critique, as the gap between decision-making level and individual level presents a lack of security and justice two dimensions, which incorporate the concerns for equality and effectiveness of adaptation actions. The analysis of the PA through a combination of quantitative thematic textual analysis and qualitative content analysis highlighted the existing presence of security and justice dimensions in relation to adaptation; however, the presence of these dimensions does not come with the same level of impact, thus rendering them to be a rather minor consideration in global adaptation policy planning and implementation. Therefore, the gap between decision making level and affected level is an outcome of the lack of considerations regarding security and justice dimensions, which is an issue of wider GEG policy agenda, making one doubt the possibility of globally led individual-based adaptation approach which would serve for the well-being of individuals.

Purpose: The pursuance of the sustainable development goals, introduced by the United Nations in2015, is of absolute necessity to build a sustainable future. Resilience-based crisis management helps tosustain an organisation and pursue its goal during crises. The aim of this research was to explore thestatus quo of resilience-based crisis management within public primary- and secondary schools in theNetherlands during school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the aim was todiscover which measures were in place to safeguard the provision of SDG 4. The exploration took placeto observe the adaptation capabilities within the educational sector, which could safeguard the provisionof SDG 4.

Methodology: The aim was pursued by a qualitative approach. 17 semi-structured interviews with 18people were conducted during the time of the immediate Coronavirus crisis. All interviewees heldpositions within the crisis management of primary- and secondary schools in the Netherlands. Theinterviews were then analysed by the two researchers using thematic content analysis.

Results: The results suggest that:(a) Crisis management structures in the schools foster resilience, yet, leave room for improvement;(b) Crisis management processes to foster resilience are present in the schools, however, the extentvaries and especially the pre-crisis actions were limited;(c) The sustainable development goals, especially the content of SDG 4, are little known in the schools;(d) Actions and measures to provide equitable and qualitative education during the temporary schoolclosures are in place.

Implications: This research adds to the young field of crisis management within schools during schoolclosures as well as the provision of SDG 4 during crises through resilience-based crisis management.Since this research is of exploratory nature, many future research opportunities derive from this research.Furthermore, it discovered the strengths and challenges of the Dutch primary and secondary educationsector and gives room for development through education on SDG 4 and resilience-based crisismanagement.

Drawing on Foucault’s writings on power, neoliberalism, and the dispositive, this article analyses the identity politics that is immanent in a new collaborative practice between the public and private sector called public-private innovation (PPI). We argue that PPI is an element in actualizing a neoliberal market dispositive through inclining subjects to work on themselves in order to actualize their entrepreneurial self, thereby disconnecting them from their public service identity. The construction of two narratives supports the constitution of the political space of PPI: the fiery soul narrative and the need narrative. An important part of this identity politics is the construction of the narrative of the individual entrepreneur. Rather than expressing new public governance in the public sector, PPI actualizes a dispositive that marketizes public services as part of a neoliberal agenda. The narrative of PPI distracts from the marketization of public sector and leaves no other space for public-sector employees than to constitute themselves within contradictory feelings of enthusiasm and anxiety, determination and self-blame, responsibility and inadequacy, and bustle and confusion.

This thesis aims to investigate the refugees' experiences when it comes to their participation within the Extra Service job; which is the subsidized job that the Public Employment Service offers to the refugees as part of their integration process. This thesis investigates the thoughts, perspectives, and experiences of the refugees involved in the Extra Service jobs based on conducting fifteen semi-structured interviews. The research findings indicate that the Extra Service job had a positive impact on many refugees, as they used their refugees' agency to gain new human capital, however, this thesis suggests that being involved in such a subsidized job could lead to imprisoning the refugees within the low ranked jobs in the labor market. Throughout this thesis, Human Capital Theory, Segmented Dual Labor Market Theory, and the refugees' agency were used as the theoretical background of the thesis. The thesis contributes to understanding the subjective side of integration in addition to enriching the literature of subsidized jobs when they are to be used for the sake of the refugees' integration.

Keywords: Extra Service job, subsidized job, refugee agency, human capital, dual labor market, secondary segment. 

Segregation is frequently described as a consequence of the global restructuring of social, economic, and political expansions in which multicultural cities, like Malmö, become part of them. This study aims to highlight how visions of housing segregation and exclusion in the city of Malmö has been represented in the local policy documents (Master Plans) through the last three decades and to understand how a newly emerged glocal actor, known as BID Malmö, have impacted the urban governance in the city. In order to investigate these developments, this study applies two analytical frameworks. In terms of policy analysis, it employs a what’s the problem represented to be? (WPR) approach and for the conceptualization of BID Malmö applies the theory of the Global City. Policy analysis shows that urban segregation has been persistent in the city of Malmö through the last three decades, however the representation of problem has shifted vibrantly from placing citizens as the main cause of housing segregation during 1990s to an arena that includes contingent processes and practices that need to be tackled. Policy analysis also shows that Malmö municipality, through shifting the burden of responsibility, now promotes partnership between public and private actors to reduce exclusion based on specific district needs. Moreover, this study argues that the city of Malmö, because of the cross-border network of global cities, is now a space where one can identify formation of new types of global politics of place where informal political actors are emerging and can actually impact the urban governance. Finally, this study maintains that the city of Malmö, along with its newly emerged glocalized actor, fit into the theory of the Global City, by Saskia Sassen. Therefore, this study has also a deductive qualitative analysis.

According to the general principles of tort liability, the a party who has caused injury to another party is liable for damages. The size of the damage should match the size of the victim’s economic loss since the one who has suffered from the damage should not profit financially from it. This might seem simple, which it sometimes is. But a lot of cases ending up in court are often very complex where the evidence of the economic damage may not be sufficient and if so, the size of the damage is usually a question up for debate. For a broker to be obliged to pay compensation to the injured party they must suffer financial loss, which is one of the four requirements regarding the broker's liability. To establish this, the court must firstly test whether or not economic damage has been incurred. In certain cases it is simple to determine if economic damage has been incurred, however the problem in many cases lies within the burden of evidence. If the party who is obliged to present evidence fails to prove it with sufficient certainty, there is no liability of damage. On the other hand, if the party succeed to present evidence the size of the liability must be set. To calculate the size of the liability different principles have been developed by case law. It does not say specifically in Swedish law neither how to establish economic damage, nor how the size of the damage should be calculated. This will finally be settled by application of the legal rules with the general principles of tort law. Considering to above mentioned problems will this thesis present a systematisation of the broker's liability with emphasis on financial damage.

Abstract 

The purpose of the study is to unaccompanied children's experiences of the communal management of transit and asylum accommodation in Malmo looks as well as to what part they feel that their needs are satisfied in the asylum accommodation. The study is accomplished on an asylum accommodation in Malmö. Five unaccompanied children/youth were interviewed for this study.  

The main question is: How do the children experience municipality's handling of their asylum accommodation while awaiting a decision from the Swedish Migration Board regarding their asylum applications? 

The following questions are: 

1. How do the unaccompanied children experience treatment and the receiving from the authorities like the Social Services and the Migration Board? 

1. How does the unaccompanied children understand their being at the accommodation? 

1. What social network (family, residential staff, friends, public officials) are understand as important by unaccompanied children while in transit? 

1. What are the unaccompanied children future plans? 

This study shows a satisfaction about the authorities receiving the unaccompanied children. The method that have been used is interviews. The theories that have been used in the analysing discussion is Bourdieu´s theories about field, habitus and capitals and Maslows need stairway. 

Keywords: unaccompanied children, authorities, asylum accommodations, Malmö.  

Green spaces in urban areas contribute with many key functions that are vital for both animals and humans, such as biodiversity, ecosystem services and positive health effects. However, the existence of green spaces and their functions are threatened by the rapid global urbanization that is causing land use changes. According to the City of Gothenburg’s local environmental goals, the city aims to become ecologically sustainable by the year of 2030 through increased biodiversity and nature conservation. Gothenburg has been named as Sweden's greenest city, although the green spaces in Gothenburg have decreased between the years 1986–2019 and will continue to decline due to exploitation. The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis was thus to increase knowledge about what stimulates decisions that cause a reduction of green spaces in Gothenburg despite set conservation goals, which was a neglected research area. To achieve the purpose, an inductive qualitative method was used with semi-structured interviews. The results were analyzed through theories of environmental psychology, environmental ethics and policy, namely values, goal-framing theory, value pluralism and wicked problems. The study concluded that Gothenburg's urban planning included several wicked problems and value conflicts that were expressed through goal conflicts, which negatively affected Gothenburg’s green spaces. Furthermore, strong hedonistic and egoistic values as well as gain goals, also had a negative impact on the existence of Gothenburg's green spaces.

This paper examines how wine brands use emotional branding and narrative identities to connect with customers on Instagram. The research questions were as follows: How do winemakers use emotional branding in their communication on Instagram? How does the narrative that the company tells about itself relate to the customer's identity? To answer this, a semiotic analysis was made where three different wine producers were examined. For each wine producer, a profile overview and three posts were analyzed. The findings show that all three wine producers created content that corresponds to emotional branding for instance by trying to emphasize a connection to sentimental memories, socialization, lifestyles and ideals. By trying to create a narrative around the brand, they intend to attract consumers whose narrative identity corresponds to the identity of the brand. This is relevant knowledge for designers and marketing people in order to connect with consumers. Since the wine business has a great economic relevance, this knowledge can also be considered to be of general interest.

Family reunification for unaccompanied refugee minors is one of the most debatable issues when it comes to deciding whether it should be viewed as a right or it can be justifiable for states to completely prevent it and rather provide it only as a privilege. The discussion in the legal sphere proved that the issue is still problematic in both international and European laws. In this thesis, I have analyzed this issue through assessing the three claims that were provided by the United Kingdom for its negative position on the case. Through the lens of the child’s best interests’ principle, the non-discrimination principle, and the global distributive justice theory, I argued for considering family reunification as a right rather than a privilege. Children should always be treated as children. It cannot be justifiable for states to completely prevent them from being reunited with their families for being refugees.

This thesis aims to explore the video game medium in depth, to relate it to the stories foundon Internet communities about users’ gameplay experiences during burdensome moments inlife. To achieve that, the phenomena is explored through the lenses of Uses & Gratificationstheory by means of a netnography on the ‘/Persona 5’ official subReddit; interpreting, codingand analyzing all narratives that fit the criteria with the help of a proposed ‘USE’ system. Themodel is in charge of classifying the information into explicit displays of ‘Dissatisfaction’,‘Motivation’, ‘Immersion’ and ‘Emersion’. The resulting codification enabled the creation ofeight different types of reports among a sample of one-hundred threads, all in correlation withthe varied aspects of the game that act as categories. The data derived from the conclusions ofthis study shows that players are not motivated to use the video game for any other purposesthan mere entertainment. Yet, the immersive potential of the virtual world addressed theirdissatisfactions and made them emerge back to reality with, mostly, not-sought gratifications. Still, not all players were able to control their video game uses to regulate their emotions,further implying the importance to continue researching cases of media immersion toestablish guidelines of ethical design and appropriate production and consumption practices. 

The City of Malmö has for a long period of time ensured that the ambition to become a successful bicycle city continuously remains in the bicycle planning, with the aim to achieve a bicycle infrastructure and sustainable traffic and mobility goals. The aim of this study is to achieve an understanding for the bicycle priorities in the City of Malmö as a means of transport in the traffic planning of infrastructure, with account to sustainable traffic and mobility planning in the central city and in the periphery. With the intention to answer the purpose and question at issue of this study, we have used a qualitative research approach, more specifically a document analysis of three policy documents; Cykelprogram för Malmö Stad 2012-2019, Malmö Stads trafik- och mobilitetsplan och Översiktsplan för Malmö. From these policy documents it is easy to conclude that the goals and vision of Malmö City show that the bicycle will have an increased priority in planning for a sustainable city and bicycle infrastructure. In addition to the above-mentioned policy documents, we have also used a theoretical basis in the overall analytical discussion. We used Kaufmanns, Bergmans & Joyes (2004) alignment on mobility, Koglins (2015) statements regarding vélomobility, Scheepers et al. (2016) standpoints regarding accessibility, Dahlström Westerlunds & Karlssons (2013) definition of passability, Rietvelds & Daniels (2004) theory about safety and finally geographical exclusion which Lucas & Musso (2014) and Dargay (2002) discloses. The result of this study show that the City of Malmö motivates the bicycle's priority in central and semi-central sub-areas that are considered to have the greatest potential to achieve a sustainable traffic distribution. In the overall traffic and mobility plan this is characterized as the main goal. At the same time, it appears that the peripheral sub-areas remain un-prioritized when it comes to the planning of bicycle infrastructure in Malmö. This seems to be based on the current politics in regards to traffic, mobility and economic budget.

Drawing on interviews with selected UK planning academics and survey results from current planning practitioners, this article provides valuable and timely perspectives on how internationalisation is experienced by those within and beyond the immediate institutional context. Although internationally focused planning education helps planners tackle the manifold urban challenges in the global South, the article goes on to argue that relational approaches hold much promise for planners working in so-called developed countries, including the UK, to understand the diverse needs of different diasporic communities. Such knowledge is crucial to develop sustainable planning solutions in the face of uneven processes of urban development.

Women’s social and economic freedom is violated on both in the private and public life, and this needs to be resolved in order to achieve a society which realizes human dignity. This thesis aims to position the sex work on OnlyFans within the realization of women’s social and economic freedom. Using argumentation analysis through the theoretical frameworks of liberal feminism and radical feminism, this thesis investigate whether the sex work on OnlyFans is compatible with the social and economic freedom of women. The analysis was further divided into the factors of safety, economy, and agency. Based on both academic studies with interviewed sex worker as well as statistic sources on the question, this thesis engages with the question of online sex work with the added elements of the gig-economy and celebrity-influence to fully grasp the scope of the issue and its consequences for women. The findings show that both liberal feminism and radical feminism recognize that OnlyFans have major safety deficiencies which poses a threat on women’s social freedom. Furthermore liberal feminism recognize that the possibilities of economic gain for sex worker women exist, but radical feminism finds that these possibilities are slim and require skills in marketing and technology, and lastly the findings showed that in line with liberal feminism, the free will of sex workers is to be fully realized and respected, but at the same time radical feminism shows that there are elements of coercion and financial pressure present when agreeing to provide certain sexual content and services which does not comply with the realization of women social and economic freedom. 

The study is a design-driven research project that answers the question: What material design qualities are there in Swedish wild boar leather and how can these be applied in product design? The question is primarily investigated through a material-driven design method and results is analysed through theories of design for sustainable development and design for emotional durability.

The material-driven design method began with free exploration of the material, first impressions were documented and hypotheses about the material were deemed incorrect. To investigate the technical characteristics, tests were carried out. The material experience is explored through a tool where 10 participants answered questions about the material's performative, sensory, affective, and interpretive properties. The tests ended with a reflection of the material's positive, negative, and unique properties.

The knowledge of the design qualities of wild boar leather was then used in an idea generation process to create a sustainable product with emotional durability. The idea generation culminates in the study's design proposal, a chair with cushion and backrest made of wild boar leather. The study concludes with a conclusion that confirms the design qualities of wild boar leather and a discussion that highlights insights that emerged during the study's implementation.

Hip hop today is one of the largest genres within the music industry. Since the beginning of its existence it has been a thourougly male dominated field, but there has been a feminist change that is rarely talked about. Hip hop is also often associated with issues like ethnicity and class, especially considering how it keeps on growing into a worldwide genre. This study seeks to examine, with intersectional theory, the ways that rappers and artists write their music, how they portray themselves and people around them, and subjects like violence, criminality and drug abuse. This paper will focus on eight songs, four of which are performed by women and the other four by men. It has been done from a critical discourse analytical viewpoint and examines each song from this perspective.In sum, it will present how the intersectional perspective is important when it comes to understanding society’s norms and how the power structure affects us, especially considering the way we present ourselves to other people. The paper will also present subjects like masculinity and how it enables attention to the ambivalences of gender discourses.

Previous research sheds light on the leasing industry´s growth in various organizations and industries, but there is within research, a knowledge gap regarding the leasing industry in the healthcare sector. The leasing industry is today a growing and current phenomenon in the healthcare sector. The purpose of our study is to show how permanent nurses experience how temporary leasing personal, in the form of nurses, influence their daily work and the work situation. The study is qualitative and is based on five semi-structured interviews and three activity reports based on CIT. The study is performed on permanent nurses, employed at a civic rehab department in southern Sweden. The results showed a consistent understanding, stress, flexibility and lack of continuity, from the perspective of the permanent nurses. The permanent nurses adapted to the leased nurses, in an attempt to achieve a stability within the organization. Conclusions that could be drawn were that if the staffing situation continues, the permanent staff risks being burned out. The study concluded that the permanent nurse needed to be flexible in order for the organization to appear flexible.

The COVID-19 global pandemic impacted all social relations, including the way religious communities engage in worship services. Due to strict social distancing protocols, the only viable solution for many congregations was online worship. This article investigates how platforms in cyberspace, such as Zoom, can provide a substitute for the core religious practices found in physical worship services, particularly for African Pentecostal believers who rely heavily-on the aesthetic and sensory experience of their religious environment. Drawing on the theoretic-al concept of affordance, it is argued that digital affordances such as the chat box and emojis are used by believers to communicate affective moments arising from the sensory experience of worship. Members of the congregation become 'digital spiritual hype people-' who render support to leaders in order to create and regenerate an affective environment where the presence of the Holy Spirit can be felt. The Holy Spirit, a fundamental pillar for Evangelical Christians, is understood as an embedded presence within the digital infrastructure. The internet connection, the phone and computers and screens are all re-appropriated as spiritual tools through which miraculous healing can be dispensed to believers in need. This research stands at a critical juncture between what might be termed the `pre-COVID era' and the `post-COVID era'. As vaccination plans continue to roll out and social distancing measures are slowly being lifted, a `post-COVID era' for African Pente-costals means negotiating the boundaries between online and offline spaces to fulfil core religious practices.

The museum of the twenty-first century is operating against the backdrop of ongoing social concerns pertaining to climate change, gender inequalities and racial tensions, and often exhibitions become the contact zones where those expressions are formulated. This research analyses how a democratic and inclusive philosophical perspective such as the Tigens Metod (or method of the thing) is executed by museum professionals. In doing so, Stuart Hall’s model of encoding/decoding is applied as the theoretical framework in investigating the process of exhibition production. It is argued that occasionally resistant positions can emerge from the museum’s ideological discourse and that key actors within the museum field yield different codes according to their own framework of knowledge and relations of production. This challenges the basic assumption in Hall’s model that media institutions yield one singular preferred code into the system. Overall, it is argued that an object-oriented democracy has the potential of challenging power structures, albeit still contingent upon the choices made by museum professionals. 

Drawing on theoretical concepts of affordance and affect, and by conducting a digital ethnographic research on African Pentecostal communities in Northern Italy, the research analyses how offline liturgical practice are translated in online platforms such as Zoom and Free Conference Call during the Covid-19 global pandemic. It is argued that online affordances such as the chat box and emojis are used by believers to communicate affective moments during worship services, while the mute button is used as a tool by leaders to wield their power to restore order and surveillance. Thus, some of the traditional power dynamics between worshippers, as well as performative aspects of Christianity are brought into the digital space. We also find that digital platforms can in fact, constraint religious practices, however believers use creative ways to circumvent some of the obstacles by re-appropriating the digital tools available to express spirituality and to intimately connect with fellow worshippers.

As museums face conflicting demands on maintaining and caringfor their collections, opening for visitor engagement, and beingmore inclusive in their practice, new approaches are needed tomuseum work. This article introduces a democratic and inclusiveapproach focusing on the relational properties of the artefact–the Method of the Thing (Tigenes Metode). We use interviewswith different museum professionals in Sweden. The methodallows knowledge to emerge from the convergence of differentactors within and outside the museum who negotiate theirexpertise, (professional) roles and technical infrastructure of themuseum by foregrounding the object rather than the curators’story. We use the encoding/decoding model to discuss thestrengths and weaknesses of the method where centring theobject allows for a process of democratisation and polyvocality totake shape, thus allowing divergent narratives to emerge.

The forced displacement situations have, for a considerable time, emerged as an important development challenge on the international cooperation agenda. While the policies and practices of international organizations have gained much scrutiny, what they are saying and what discourses they are producing is less visible in academia. With the World Bank in focus, as an actor with a new role within the international refugee protection regime, this study seeks to explore this production and shaping of discourse. Further, the aim also seeks to examine the influence of power and hegemony in relation to discourse on this international level. Through a postcolonial perspective this study employs a Critical Discourse Analysis that presents a mainly conventional discourse of forced displacement in the context of development. The strong influence of Eurocentrism found in the analysis suggest a continued power imbalance, questioning the real benefit for the people and places of concern.

Developing and building cities in a sustainable way is essential in modern day planning. A huge factor that influences this is the transport sector. The growing discourse of sustainable mobility is transport researchers answer to this but the lack of a social sustainability  perspective motivates research in relation to transport equality. The aim of this thesis is to increase the understanding of transport equality in Scania and contribute with insights primarily of how planning measures can be developed and consequences managed. To investigate the phenomenon, we look at how the sustainable mobility discourse affects transport equality with a focus on Scanias rural areas. We mainly examine cycling and public transport as two sustainable means of transport and how various priorities between and within these modes affect equality. Through interviews with both planners and travellers we establish an understanding of the phenomenon from two different perspectives. The study shows that general goals for increased share of travels by bicycle and public transport are governing traffic planning in Scania. Based on this, we argue that sustainable mobility is considerably more influential than the transport equality perspective. One strategy that clearly shows this is the dominance of the ridership goal in public transport planning. Geographical coverage has a lower priority compared to increasing the share of travels. The study concludes that there is a car dependency in rural Scania. The car is considered the obvious mode of transport due to flexibility, dangerous cycling conditions and the limited range of public transport. The poor public transport service can be seen as a direct result of the ridership goal. Resources from routes with less demand are reallocated to stronger routes and rural traffic is negatively affected as a result. There is also an understanding among travellers that service along rural routes are expensive and therefore not as justified by planners. However, this understanding among travellers is not accepted in the same way when it comes to the limited bicycle infrastructure. There is a strong wish for improved bicycle connections between small towns and cities, however the study reveals legal and organisational obstacles to the construction of bicycle infrastructure outside urban areas. 

This thesis deals with the subject of safety and perspectives of it from inside and outside the area we have examined. The subject is examined through a case study in a “miljonprogramsområde” in Ljungdala, Hässleholm. We have analyzed and discussed the issue of safety in relation to segregation, stigmatization and the power of media. To support the case study, we interviewed residents in the “miljonprogramsområde” and analyzed articles published in newspapers concerning the area and its safety. We have noticed that a question about security is vital in today's urban planning and that it is also discussed lively by the population as it greatly affects their everyday lives. We believe that a reputation of an area can stigmatize it and that may result in other effects as well. Rumors that do not reflect reality are something that often occur and specifically regarding segregated “miljonprogramsområden”. The aim of the thesis was to investigate how safety is perceived in the area from within and externally, thus from residents in the area and from the media. The study shows that there are remarkable differences in the perception of safety. The residents consider the area as incorrectly perceived and points out that there are rumors that are not correct. The media highlights safety issues in the area and indicates where the problems are rooted. Thus, it exists distinguished perceptions of the area.

This study aims to investigate challenges within the provision of integration support to quota refugees and municipal integration staffs understanding of these challenges in Skåne. It was conducted through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with municipal integration staffs in Skåne. The research findings indicate three key challenges in the reception of quota refugees namely lack adequate housing, lack of financial resources from the region and government, and lack of provision of psychosocial support. Further challenges are connected to the lack of translators available to municipalities in the quota refugees’ mother tongue, the lack of English or major refugee languages among quota refugees, and often poor mental health which slow down Swedish language learning process and affect integration negatively. As its contribution, this study provides a broader view on challenges with the provision of integration support by municipalities regarding reception capacity, housing, and integration programs to quota refugees simultaneously. Thereby, it points out the differences among municipalities in terms of resource allocation for integration, as well as the political will to integrate quota refugees which create unequal chances for integration.

This study investigates how the international media framed Sweden's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its image during this time. By utilizing framing theory as an analytical framework, 42 articles from The Guardian and The Washington Post were analyzed. Hence, based on the existing framing research, by Semeteko and Valkenberg (2000), the coverage is classified into five frames: conflict, human interest, economic consequence, morality, and responsibility. The findings highlight how the media coverage of a nation during crises can shape its national image. Moreover, the study underscores the significance of comprehending how media can influence future global crisis reporting. This thesis contributes to the existing body of literature pertaining to the media framing of crises by analyzing the portrayal of Sweden's exceptionalism and image by the international media in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an examination of news coverage from prominent outlets, the study identifies the dominant frames used to portray Sweden's response and shape its image. The findings reveal a diverse range of frames employed, including conflict, human interest, economic consequence, morality, and responsibility, reflecting the complexities surrounding Sweden's approach. This research emphasizes the importance of comprehending media framing in shaping national image during global crises and advocates for holistic approaches to address societal, economic, and public health impacts. Finally, the study’s findings indicated that Sweden's national image in the context of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic is multifaceted and complex, based on the analysis of the various frames used in the articles. The dominant frames shape Sweden's perception of itself as a nation characterized by opposing opinions, controversies, ongoing debates, personal experiences, moral considerations, and a delicate balance between economic and social concerns. Sweden is framed as a nation that values individual liberty, individual responsibility, and a distinctive approach to crisis management.  Overall, Sweden's national image reflects a dynamic and complex perspective, illuminating the complexities and diverse perspectives surrounding its response to the COVID-19 crisis. 

AbstractThis paper investigates the impact of social network on the labor market outcomes. This is a case study of highly-educated Iranian immigrant women who have been living in Malmö for more than five years. It is assumed that the high level of education, language skill and work experience are the major characteristics of human capital that affect their social integration. The role of social network in social and economic life of Iranian immigrant women is discussed. The data is comprised of six semi-structured interviews with highly educated Iranian immigrant women in Malmö. The results of the study indicate that Iranian immigrant women are highly motivated to participate in the social and economic sectors of Sweden. Regarding the social network, having weak ties is associated with better labor market achievement for Iranian immigrant women and the power of social network is immense in the process of social integration. The level of education has both positive and negative effects on the degree of social integration. The results of the study demonstrate that re-education is a strategy and investment for a better employment opportunity in future.

With the rise of Hallyu, or the global export of Korean culture also commonly known as ‘The Korean Wave’, South Korea has become a big trendsetter in recent years: whether it be within fashion and K-Beauty skincare or Korean movies and drama series, to Korean popular music, also known under the umbrella term K-pop. What these categories have in common are their strong ties to visual aesthetics and K-pop is known for its very colourful and maximalist design, which is also a key characteristic to why K-pop as a phenomenon has been particularly attractive and has managed to captivate fans all over the world. In the marvelling K-pop universe, the goal is to engage all the senses for a complete and interactive sensory experience, making the visual just as important as the auditory, and this can also be applied to the physical album design. Physical K-pop albums sell better than ever despite the digital streaming services dominating our digital age. A visual analysis was conducted on selected contemporary K-pop albums together with a survey on Swedish K-pop fans, in order to discuss how packaging design of K-pop albums can influence consumer behavior. The study showed that interactive packaging design and extra album inclusions like photocards, photo books, postcards etc. makes the fans more likely to want to collect albums and merchandise, which on its own can be viewed as a collectible item. The packaging design both facilitates and encourages fans to interact with the design not only visually, but also in a tactile way, by engaging in participatory behavior such as filming unboxing videos and posting them on social media, and it can also be associated with identity making, i.e. how they identify themselves as fans in relation to their favorite artists or towards other fans. Lastly, it is interesting to discuss how K-pop design can be heavily influenced by American and Western concepts despite being marketed as a Korean phenomena and innovation; from the visual analysis it could also be concluded that contemporary design trends draw inspiration from Western concepts such as the y2k millennium bug, retro and technology. 

With the rise of Hallyu, or the global export of Korean culture also commonly known as ‘The Korean Wave’, South Korea has become a big trendsetter in recent years: whether it be within fashion and K-Beauty skincare or Korean movies and drama series, to Korean popular music, also known under the umbrella term K-pop. What these categories have in common are their strong ties to visual aesthetics and K-pop is known for its very colourful and maximalist design, which is also a key characteristic to why K-pop as a phenomenon has been particularly attractive and has managed to captivate fans all over the world. In the marvelling K-pop universe, the goal is to engage all the senses for a complete and interactive sensory experience, making the visual just as important as the auditory, and this can also be applied to the physical album design. Physical K-pop albums sell better than ever despite the digital streaming services dominating our digital age. A visual analysis was conducted on selected contemporary K-pop albums together with a survey on Swedish K-pop fans, in order to discuss how packaging design of K-pop albums can influence consumer behavior. The study showed that interactive packaging design and extra album inclusions like photocards, photo books, postcards etc. makes the fans more likely to want to collect albums and merchandise, which on its own can be viewed as a collectible item. The packaging design both facilitates and encourages fans to interact with the design not only visually, but also in a tactile way, by engaging in participatory behavior such as filming unboxing videos and posting them on social media, and it can also be associated with identity making, i.e. how they identify themselves as fans in relation to their favorite artists or towards other fans. Lastly, it is interesting to discuss how K-pop design can be heavily influenced by American and Western concepts despite being marketed as a Korean phenomena and innovation; from the visual analysis it could also be concluded that contemporary design trends draw inspiration from Western concepts such as the y2k millennium bug, retro and technology.