Background: The first wave of Somali-Canadian refugees arrived in the 1990s following the civil war, with many settling in Toronto. First generation Somali-Canadians faced significant discrimination and settlement challenges. Previous research on Canada immigrants found that second generation youth tend to have a bright socioeconomic outlook. However, this outlook is not so certain for Somali-Canadian youth as they face unique long-term challenges with systemic barriers. Additionally, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted Black communities. Thus, it is important to explore how the pandemic has impacted the employment and health of Somali-Canadian youth living in Rexdale. Methods: Through an IPA approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 Somali-Canadian youth between the ages of 18-25 living in the Rexdale neighbourhood. The interviews were then analyzed through the IPA perspective to generate themes. Results: Somali-Canadian youth experience precarious employment, unsafe working conditions, lost income, faced financial difficulties and an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19. Furthermore, these impacts were exacerbated by living with large families and immunocompromised family members. Participants accessed government COVID-19 supports but some were ineligible due to precarious work or concerns associated with accessing governmental assistance. The pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of youth due to financial worries, educational and interpersonal challenges, and cultural stigma. Additionally, the intersectional identities of the participants resulted in limited choices and access to coping strategies. Conclusions: In order to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of Somali-Canadian youth, and those who share their experiences, there needs to be greater investments into the social determinants of health including employment, healthcare, housing, income, and education. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / In the 1990s, Somali refugees arrived in Canada following a civil war, with many settling in Toronto. The first wave of Somali refugees faced discrimination and settlement challenges. Generally, children of immigrants have a bright socioeconomic outlook. However, second-generation Somali-Canadian youth face unique challenges and systemic barriers. This study explores how the pandemic impacts the health and employment of the Somali-Canadian youth living in Rexdale. Eight semi-structured interviews with youth aged 18-25. The findings illustrated impacts such as precarious employment, unsafe work, lost income, and increased risk of exposure to COVID-19. The mental health of the youth was negatively impacted due to financial worries, educational and interpersonal challenges, and cultural stigma. Sadly, the intersectional identities of the participants resulted in limited choices and access to coping strategies. To improve the health and wellbeing of Somali-Canadian youth, there needs to be greater investments into the social determinants of health including employment, healthcare, housing, income, and education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented public health crisis around the world and has created novel needs in the healthcare industry. Primary among these needs is a vast shortage in personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves. This is problematic due to the near constant of COVID-19 cases in hospitals around the United States. In an effort to meet the need for more PPE, new disinfection techniques must be found to "recycle" used PPE. UVC light has previously been used by healthcare facilities for years to disinfect surfaces such as stainless steel and are frequently used in operating room sterilization and dentist offices. UVC light's effectiveness on porous materials such as masks has not been substantially investigated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This work shows the effectiveness and efficiency of UVC disinfection on porous surfaces for the COVID-19 virus and other bacteria.

Studien syftar till att undersöka och beskriva budgetprocessens hantering från ett urval av svenska restauranger som har påverkats av Covid-19 pandemin. Det visar nämligen sig att det förekommer olika svar från forsknings- och litteraturperspektiv om budgetprocess kopplat till externa störningar samt att budget och dess process kan förbättras, ändras eller bli irrelevant. Denna studie ämnar därför ha inriktningen restaurangbranschen eftersom ekonomin under Covid-19 har varit problematisk för dessa företag. Vidare i denna studie tillämpas också en kvalitativ metod som använder sig utav semistrukturerade intervjuer.  Resultatet visar att inriktning och geografisk plats spelar en väsentlig roll för de ekonomiska budgetförutsättningarna gällande restauranger. Resultatet visar även på att budgetprocessen har gjort mer skada än det faktiskt hjälpt under pandemin för restauranger och hantering som rullande prognoser är mer av ett komplement att använda. Budgetprocessen bryts konstant av störningar, men att budgeten ändå används för att ha en ekonomisk plan. / The purpose of this study is to conduct research of and describe the budget process and its value and methods to various Swedish restaurants, all affected by the pandemic of Covid-19. Reality shows that research as well as literature about the budget process lacks answers connected to external threats and that there are improvements or alterations that can be made regarding adaptation or make it obsolete. This study will focus on the restaurant industry since Covid-19 has gravely affected these companies and their economies. This study uses the qualitative method of semi-structured interviews.  The result shows that niche and geographical location plays a critical role for the conditions of budget for restaurants. It also shows that the budget process has done more harm than good during the pandemic for the restaurants and that rolling forecasts is more of a complementary tool. The budget process is constantly disrupted from disturbance, but a budget can still be used for an economic plan.

Covid-19-pandemin har påverkat alla och inte minst kollektivtrafiken i landet kraftigt. Detta har gjort att många regioner och kommuner har tvingats att tänka om vad gäller investeringar och trafikutbud till kollektivtrafiken. Den här studien behandlar Hallands län, och kollektivtrafiken i Halland eftersom Halland är ett län med en blandning av stad och landsbygd som kan göra länet mer representativt för Sverige jämfört med storstadslänen.Studiens syfte var att studera hur pandemin har påverkat kollektivtrafikresandet i Hallands län, samt att utreda hur kollektivtrafikens aktörer i Halland vill utveckla trafiken efter pandemin. Studien baserades på strategiska dokument från tre offentliga aktörer, Region Halland, Hallandstrafiken, som ansvarar för kollektivtrafiken i länet, och länets sex kommuner. Dessutom gjordes intervjuer med Hallandstrafiken och fyra av sex kommuner. Utöver dokument och intervjuer studerades tidigare forskning på området för att utreda hur pandemin har påverkat kollektivtrafiken i övriga Sverige samt hur man bäst ökar kollektivtrafikens marknadsandel. Detta för att jämföra likheter och skillnader mellan hur situationen är i Halland och i övriga Sverige.Resultatet visade att Covid-19-pandemin gjorde att kollektivtrafikresandet minskade i länet med ungefär 40% för år 2020 och 2021, om man jämför med år 2019. Marknadsandelen sjönk från 18% till som lägst ungefär 9%. Dock ses en relativt tydlig tillbakagång mot 2019 års nivåer under början av 2022. I framtiden tror Hallandstrafiken att resandet kommer förändras, dock är man inte helt säkra på hur, men man är tillsammans med forskare överens om att distansarbetet troligtvis kommer öka som en följd av pandemin. Troligt är även enligt flera intervjuer att resandet i framtiden i större utsträckning sker på andra tider än de traditionella rusningstiderna och att sträckan man pendlar till arbetet blir längre. Region Halland och Hallandstrafikens huvudsakliga mål i framtiden är att öka attraktiviteten för kollektivtrafiken och därmed höja marknadsandelen. Detta görs bland annat genom att koncentrera kollektivtrafiken i stråk, att öka medelhastighet på bussarna. För att få tillbaka resenärer efter pandemin har man infört en ny biljettyp, samt gjort satsningar på marknadsföring och kampanjer.Slutsatserna som dras är främst att pandemin påverkat kollektivtrafiken både i Halland och Sverige kraftigt, samt att framtidens resande troligtvis kommer förändras i form av att vi arbetar mer på distans. Däremot är det i nuläget mycket svårt att säga i vilken omfattning det kommer förändras. Metoderna som Hallandstrafiken använder för att utveckla trafiken är förankrade i forskningen och bör således leda till en ökad marknadsandel, men de kan också innebära att vissa grupper som exempelvis äldre och funktionsnedsatta får svårare att använda sig av kollektivtrafiken. / The Covid-19-pandemic has affected everyone, and not least the public transport sector. This has caused problems for counties and municipalities in Sweden who have been forced to rethink decisions on investments towards the public transport sector. This study discusses Halland county, Sweden, because it has a better balance between urban and rural areas and is more representative for Sweden compared to the more populated counties.The purpose of the study was to study how the pandemic affected the public transport sector in Halland county, and to investigate how public transport actors in Halland want to develop the public transport in the future. The study is based on documents from Halland county, Hallandstrafiken, which is the responsible public transport company in Halland, and the municipalities. Interviews were also made with these actors. Prior studies on the topic were studied to see how the pandemic affected other parts of Sweden, and how to best increase the market share of public transport.The results showed that the Covid-19 pandemic caused the number of public transport users in the county to drop by 40% for the years 2020 and 2021, compared to 2019. The market share for public transport dropped from 18% to 9%. There is however a relatively clear return towards the 2019 levels in the beginning of 2022. Hallandstrafiken believe that travelling will change in the future, but they are unsure of how it will change. Everyone involved in the study, as well as prior studies, think that the amount of teleworking in the future will increase because of the pandemic. The study also shows that it is likely that we to a bigger extent travel on other times than the morning and afternoon peaks, and that the commuting distance will increase. Halland county and Hallandstrafiken have a goal to reach a market share of 30% by 2030 and will work towards that by concentrating the public transport to a smaller number of routes and increase the average speed of the buses. To get users back to using public transport after the pandemic, a new ticket has been introduced, and there will be further campaigns and an increased focus on marketing.The conclusions that can be drawn from the study are foremost that the pandemic has affected the public transport sector both in Halland and Sweden a lot, and that how we travel in the future will most likely change due to an increase in teleworking. However, it is very difficult to tell what extent it will change. The methods used by Hallandstrafiken to increase the market share have been used many times before and will most likely work in Halland too, but they may cause problems for older people and those who are disabled.English

The modern society is characterized by an increased implementation of digitalization. With new technological innovations our social lives are increasingly becoming more digitalized. The past two years the pandemic has set the conditions of human interaction, and therefore the pandemic increased digitalization further. Organizations that had the possibility to reconstruct their work towards more digital approaches did so and therefore the social premises of work changed where individuals are working from home to a greater extent. The aim of this essay is to investigate Swedish women and their perception of telework and the digitalization’s effects on social relations/communication between colleagues, and how the individual experiences telework in regards to the increased pace of life. Finally this essay will explore how individuals deal with work-life balance during telework. Previous research has shown that telework has negative effects on informal communication between colleagues, and that teleworking and its demands on autonomy, flexibility and efficiency leads to increased emotions of stress for the individual. Finally, previous research showed difficulties with the managing of the work-life balance during telework, especially for women. This essay is based on qualitative interviews with six women and has shown that teleworking enables them to become more flexible and effective in their life, which has made it easier for them to manage the work-life balance than before. Another result of the essay is that telework has had a negative effect on informal communication between colleagues. / Det moderna samhället karaktäriseras av ökad implementering av digitalisering. Med nya tekniska innovationer blir våra sociala liv alltmer digitaliserade. De senaste två åren har pandemin satt nya förutsättningar för interaktionen mellan människor, och därmed ökat implementeringen av digitalisering ytterligare. Organisationer som haft möjligheten att omstrukturera sitt arbete mot mer digitala lösningar har gjort det och därmed förändrat de sociala aspekterna av arbete - där individer arbetar alltmer hemifrån. Syftet med studien är att undersöka svenska kvinnor och deras upplevelser av distansarbete och digitaliseringens effekter på sociala relationer/kommunikation mellan kollegor, och om distansarbete och digitaliseringen har lett till ett ökande livstempo. Slutligen intresserar sig denna uppsats för kvinnors gränsdragning mellan arbets- och privatliv under distansarbete. Tidigare forskning visar att distansarbete har negativa effekter på informell kommunikation mellan kollegor, att distansarbetets krav på autonomi, flexibilitet och effektivitet lett till ökad upplevelse av stress. Slutligen visar tidigare forskning problematik med work-life balansen under distansarbete, speciellt för kvinnor. Denna studie, som är baserad på kvalitativa intervjuer med sex kvinnor, har resulterat i att distansarbete tillåter dem att vara mer flexibla och effektiva i sitt arbete, vilket underlättat balansen mellan arbets- och privatlivet och lett till att kvinnorna känner sig mindre stressade än vid arbete på plats. Ett ytterligare resultat av uppsatsen är distansarbetets negativa påverkan på informell kommunikation mellan kollegor.

In the field of sociology there is an established idea that risk has importance for identity-building, and existing research shows that risk is a part of transitioning into adulthood. The Covid-19 pandemic has, on the one hand, introduced new risks for young people to consider, and on the other restrictions aiming to prevent the spread of infection. The restrictions have to a varying degree, limited us in everyday life, and constructed new norms which may have influenced youth’s identity-building. This qualitative study aims to examine young people's experience of risk and how those and other experiences during pandemic have affected their identity-building. The results show that youths' understanding of risk was informed by their unique context. Further, the study establishes that young people’s disciplinary attitudes and actions reflected those on the institutional level, whilst other risk behaviour was dependent on the context of the action. Young people have also revealed a level of flexibility and adaptation which enabled them to maintain social practices important for identity-building. Through the integration of feelings of loss and gratitude, establishment of a new everyday life, and wider perspectives on life, young people maintained the feeling of ontological security. Further research should examine how experiences of risk during the pandemic may have long term effects on identity-building, and the possible need for supportive interventions. / Betydelse av risk för identitetsskapande har under lång tid varit ett etablerat forskningsfält där tidigare studier fastslår att risk är en viktig del i ungas vuxenblivande. Coronapandemin introducerade dels en ny risk för unga att förhålla sig till, dels olika former av restriktioner för att minska smittspridning. Dessa begränsade oss i det vardagliga livet samt etablerade nya normer som möjligtvis påverkat människors identitetsskapande, inte minst de ungas. Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie var att genom semistrukturerade intervjuer undersöka ungas upplevelser i förhållande till risk och hur dessa och andra upplevelser under pandemin har påverkat ungas identitetsskapande. Resultatet visar att de ungas förhållande till risk präglades av deras unika situation och kontext. Disciplinering mot sig själv och andra speglade de institutionella riskuppfattningarna, däremot kunde riskbeteendet vara kontextdrivet. När det gäller ungas identitetsskapande visar resultatet på en anpassningsbarhet som till viss del möjliggjort för unga att fortsätta utöva för dem viktiga sociala praktiker. De skapade också ontologisk trygghet genom att integrera upplevelser av både förlust och tacksamhet, skapa en ny vardag och sätta in sin egen livsberättelse i ett större narrativ. Vidare forskning kan med fördel undersöka hur ungas upplevelser i förhållande till risk under pandemin har påverkat deras identitetsskapande på längre sikt för att upptäcka eventuella behov av stödinsatser.

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The COVID-19 Pandemic forced educators to move course delivery to online learning with little or no training or preparation. Teachers' virtual instruction preparedness, pre-service teachers, and school districts are still lacking, despite technology goals instituted by the Board of Education. One of the immediate concerns of the online course delivery was school districts' capabilities for virtual instruction regarding infrastructure and resources. Funding, lack of equipment, and resources to maintain hardware and training prove to be common obstacles schools and staff face. Another concern was SBAE teachers’ readiness to use the online learning tools available to school districts. Teacher pedagogy, knowledge, skills, and confidence prevent teachers and pre-service teachers from exploring and utilizing technology in their classrooms. Additionally, moving all students to online learning environments presented a challenge for those teachers who knew little about educational technology tools or other online resources. This study aims to assess if SBAEs in Illinois are adequately prepared to use technology as the sole source of instruction for virtual learning and whether Illinois schools are capable of virtual instruction. To meet both the educational needs of the current generation of learners and are meeting educational standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education requirements, even in a virtual learning environment. As well as determine what gaps may be present in SBAE teacher education programs concerning the preparation of student teachers to utilize classroom technology to teach virtually. Some skill gaps identified include utilizing the flipped classroom approach, incorporating mobile applications into lessons, and utilizing virtual instruction for student collaboration and assessment. Most teachers indicated they felt somewhat prepared for virtual instruction and moderately prepared to incorporate technology into their lessons through teacher education programs, school districts, and professional organizations. Recommendations included future in-service training for SBAE teachers regarding using educational technologies and virtual learning platforms. Also, training for SBAE teachers on synchronous online learning platforms and the use of 1:1 technology is warranted. Pre-service programs are recommended to include coursework on educational technologies and virtual instruction. Faculty in preparation programs for SBAE teachers are encouraged to adapt curricula to support these skills and promote pre-service teachers practicing the utilization of virtual instruction in authentic classroom settings.

Under början av 2020 drabbades världen av en omfattande snabbspridande pandemi som drabbat många på olika plan i hela samhället. Syftet med studien är att presentera en post-Covid rapport gällande i vilken mån förskollärare upplever att barns lek och samspel i förskolan idag påverkats av pandemin och dess begränsningar av social närkontakt. Med frågeställningar kring hur de upplever det och hur de stöttar barnen i de sociala samspelen i leken. Studien har tagit ansats i ett sociokulturellt perspektiv och empirin har samlats in genom en enkät som till störst del spridits via sociala medier. Resultatet visar att förskollärare har upplevt en viss påverkan på de sociala samspelen i leken, men även i anknytning till personalen. Arbetet kring att stötta barnen i de sociala samspelen i leken visar sig till störst del vara likvärdig med innan pandemin. / In early 2020, the world was hit by a widespread, fast-spreading pandemic that affected many at different levels throughout society. The purpose of the study is to present a post-Covid report on the extent to which preschool teachers feel that children's play and interaction in preschool today has been affected by the pandemic and its limitations of social close contact. With questions about how they experience it and how they support the children in the social interactions in the play. With questions about how they experience it and how they support the children in the social interactions in the play. The study has taken an approach in a socio-cultural perspective and the empirical data has been collected through a survey that has mostly been disseminated via social media. The results show that preschool teachers have experienced a certain impact on the social interactions in play, but also in connection with the preschool teachers. The work around supporting the children in the social interactions in play turns out to be largely equivalent to before the pandemic.