This thesis concerns how identity among young people (aged 16-19) living in a multicultural area in Stockholm is made relevant. The aim is to analyse the identities that arise in situated interaction between young people and their peer group and with other people in their everyday life. The material consists of arranged four-party conversations, interviews and audio tapes made by the young people themselves of everyday activities at school and during their leisure time. In the study, identity is perceived as being made relevant thorough dialogue. Identity is also seen as a strategic and flexible tool available to the individual for positioning him- or herself in a particular situation and for expressing solidarity and distance on the micro level. A topic analysis of the arranged four-party conversations shows that the young people proceed following a global structure of topics, making it possible to discern a super topic for each conversation. The types of topics chosen show similarities and can be presented as ethnicity-related, school-related and related to the setting of the recording. The preoccupation with ethnicity-related topics is partly seen as a response to the investigation itself, making double positioning necessary for the participants. An analysis of the pronoun vi 'we' is aimed at making visible the groups that the young people include themselves in and their positioning vis-à-vis each other. The situationally inclusive 'we' and the situationally in- and exclusive 'we' are used to regulate and modify conversations. The extended inclusive 'we' makes categorisations like classmate, Swede and immigrant relevant. An analysis of the ethnifications shows that ethnic identities are closely connected to the micro level and arise in contrast to or in comparison with other participants or groups outside the conversations. Ethnic identities and school-related identities are often resisted in the material. Resistance is seen as an interactional way of levelling the unequal relations that categorisation produces. It is also considered a reflection of their shared reality being just as important as the differences generated by categorisation. An intra-individual study of three young people in different everyday situations provides evidence that ethnic identities are flexible, context-sensitive and made relevant depending to a large degree on the participants at the situation at hand.

The purpose of this thesis is to study cultural aspects of alcohol and drug use in Sweden, and also to some extent in other countries. In the context of changing patterns of drinking and drug use in Sweden and in the rest of the world, such studies are increasingly important. The thesis comprises four self-contained but interrelated studies. Each study, in different ways, addresses the question of cultural variation (within and between cultures) and the cultural position of intoxicating substances. Acknowledging that young people’s use of intoxicating substances as well as women’s and men’s use of such substances are important social policy issues, each of the four studies also relates to the position of either young people or the position of gender with regard to intoxicating substance use. Study 1 investigates what it means to drink, take drugs and become intoxicated as understood from the official-organizational perspective of the FMN’s (Parents Against Drugs’) 2003 campaign directed towards teenagers´ parents. As a contrast to the hegemonic perspective presented by the organization in Study 1, Study 2 explicitly tries to find and describe different lines of reasoning with regard to alcohol use and intoxication among young people. Study 3 investigates the link – so commonly referred to in the Western world – between drinking, drug use and intoxication, on the one hand, and sexuality and gender, on the other. Study 3 further tries to grasp why women who drink are considered bad both because they violate the norms of feminine appearance and because they are perceived as sexually promiscuous and “available”. Study 4 focuses on cultural variation in the intoxication – sexuality link. It uses cross-country comparisons and multiple regression analysis of data from 11 countries within and outside the West to examine the link between positive expectancies about the effects of drinking on sexual feelings, on the one hand, and drinking, on the other.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att utifrån en teoretisk kunskap om ungdomars attityder till rasism, främlingsfientlighet och invandring utföra en studie som i praktiken undersöker ungdomars attityder, i årskurs 6 till 9, till invandring och invandrare. En enkätundersökning genomfördes som omfattade 83 elever fördelade på fyra klasser, en i varje årskurs. Undersökningen utfördes på en högstadieskola i en kommun med drygt 9000 invånare i västra Sverige. Enkäten bestod av 10 slutna frågor samt 2 delvis öppna, där eleverna fick möjlighet att motivera sina svar. Resultatet visar att flickor är mer toleranta än pojkar och att elever i årskurs 7 är mer toleranta än sina äldre kamrater. Den högsta andelen intoleranta elever finns i årskurs 9. Till denna tendens kan inte de tillfrågade ur årskurs 6 inräknas då en stor andel av dem anger att de är osäkra till frågeställningen i flera fall. Bland elevernas egna kommentarer visar någon enstaka elev hög intolerans när denne jämställer ett mångkulturellt samhälle med våldtäkter. Denna attityd är dock inte representativ i någon mening, då en sammanfattande värdering av resultatet visar hög tolerans för nästan samtliga av de tillfrågade eleverna. / The purpose of this paper is that from a theoretic knowledge of young people’s attitudes towards racism, xenophobia and immigration carry out a study that in practice investigates young people’s attitudes, in the sixth to ninth grade, towards immigration and immigrants. A survey was carried out that included 83 pupils divided in four school classes, one in every grade. The survey was carried out at a grammar school in a municipality with more than 9000 inhabitants located in the west part of Sweden. The survey contained 10 secluded questions and 2 partly open questions, where the pupils had the possibility to justify their answers. The results shows that girls are more tolerant than boys and that pupils in the seventh grade are more tolerant than their older friends. The highest share of intolerant pupils occurs in grade nine. It’s not possible to include those asked from the sixth grade into this tendency because of the high percentage share that answers “don’t know”. Among the pupils own comments there are very few that shows intolerance to a great extent and one pupil writes that a multicultural society equals rapes. This attitude is not by far representative since a summery of valuations in the survey shows that almost every of those asked are tolerant to a high extent.

In developed countries, suicidal behaviour is recognised as a significant public health problem among young people, but there are few studies from developing countries on this subject. The present thesis aims at estimating the extent of the problem and at exploring factors related to suicidal behaviour among young people in a developing country, Nicaragua, using a combined quantitative and qualitative approach. Three studies were conducted between 1999 and 2006. In the first study, all hospital admitted suicide attempt cases in the area of León were assessed over a three year period. Secondly, a qualitative study using individual in-depth interviews was conducted with eight girls aged between 12 and 19 admitted to hospital after attempting suicide. Thirdly, a study using the Attitudes Towards Suicides (ATTS) questionnaire was conducted in a community based sample of 278 young people aged 15-24 years to assess own suicidal behaviours, attitudes towards suicide as well as exposure to suicidal behaviour among significant others. The hospital surveillance showed that suicide attempt rates were highest among females in the age group 15-19 years with a female rate three times that of males (302.9 versus 98.9 per 100,000 inhabits per year). Drug intoxication and pesticides were the most commonly used methods for the attempts. A consistent seasonal variation with peaks in May-June and September-October was found in each of the three years, possibly related to exam periods in schools. Findings in the qualitative approach led to a tentative model for pathways to suicidal behaviour based on four main categories: Structuring conditions, triggering events, emotions and action taken. Dysfunctional families, lack of confidential and trustworthy contacts and interpersonal conflicts followed by emotions of shame and anger were some important components in the model. The community studies showed that suicidal expressions (life-weariness, death wishes, suicidal ideation, suicide plans and suicide attempts) were common among young people where more than 44.8% of males and 47.4% of females reported some kind of suicidal expression. Gender differences were small. Exposure to suicidal behaviour among others was associated with higher levels of self-reported suicidal behaviour. The attitude study showed that boys had less pro-preventive attitudes than girls, possibly indicating their higher risk for completed suicide. Exposure to suicidal behaviour and own suicidal behaviour showed an association with specific patterns of attitudes. The findings should be taken into consideration when planning for prevention of suicidal behaviour among young people in a developing country like Nicaragua.

This essay describes social workers view on the action contact person. The study was qualitative and six social workers were interviewed on the topic. The effort contact person were chosen as the object for this study since it is the most common action given to young people, despite the lack of research about this subject. The result was analyzed out of conduct action theory and the theory of street level bureaucrats as well as scientific research in this area. The result of this study shows that most of the social workers consider the action as positive. The knowledge that they value the most in their work is gut feeling and their own experience. The young people that are assigned the action have a wide variation of different issues. The action was often used as a first step before placement outside the home. The action also functioned as a way to get a view of the life situation of the young people. The social workers in the study experienced that they have a great deal of freedom of action in their work with the young people. However the study shows that their freedom of action are in many ways restricted; for example they had few alternative actions and they were all limited by the budget.

Bakgrund: Övervikt är ett ökande problem bland barn och ungdomar. Ett försök att minska denna problematik är att fysisk aktivitet på recept (FaR®) ordineras. Hur detta upplevs av barnen/ungdomarna och deras föräldrar är inte klarlagt. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur barn/ungdomar och deras föräldrar upplevde bemötande och information i samband med att få fysisk aktivitet på recept ordinerat samt vad de hade för förväntningar på detta. Metod: Studien utgjordes av en deskriptiv design med kvalitativ data, i form av semi-strukturerade intervjuer med familjer vars barn/ungdomar förskrivits FaR®. Resultat: De flesta familjer var nöjda med kontakten med Friskvårdslotsen och upplevde en trygghet i att någon följde upp hur arbetet fortskred. Ordinationen av FaR® hade fått vissa deltagare att börja fokusera mer på kosten. Bemötandet från såväl förskrivande personal som Friskvårds-lotsen har av majoriteten upplevts som gott. Att en uppföljning görs ansågs positivt och gav en ökad drivkraft i arbetet med FaR®. Ett flertal deltagare uttryckte att informationen vid förskrivningen inte var så omfattande men att detta senare klarnade. Slutsats: Studien visar att både barn/ungdomar som ordinerats FaR® och deras föräldrar överlag är nöjda med såväl information som bemötande. Förväntningarna och hur väl dessa uppfylldes påverkades dock av vilken information som gavs i samband med förskrivningen samt under det fortsatta arbetet. / Background: Obesity is a growing problem among children and young people. An attempt to reduce this problem is to prescribe exercise on prescription (FaR®). How this is experienced by children/young people and their parents are not clear. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine how children/young people and their parents experienced the attitude and information associated with getting exercise on prescription prescribed and what expectations they had on this. Method: The study was a descriptive design with qualitative data, in the form of semi-structured interviews with families whose children/young people prescribed exercise on prescription. Results: Most families were satisfied with the contact with Friskvårdslotsen and experienced a safety that someone followed up on how the work progressed. Exercise on prescription made some participants begin to focus more on the diet. The attitude from prescribing staff as well as Friskvårdslotsen has the majority perceived as good. Follow-ups were seen as positive and gave a further impetus to the work of exercise on prescription. Several participants expressed that the information on the prescription was not as extensive, but this later cleared. Conclusion: The study shows that both children/young people that are prescribed exercise on prescription and their parents are generally satisfied with both information and attitude. Expectations and how well these were met, however, affected by the information given in relation to the prescribing and during subsequent work.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur den stigmatiserade förorten kan påverka identitetsskapandet hos ungdomar i åldern 15-18, samt hur de uppfattar medias framställning av deras boendeort. Vi vill undersöka om hur en stigmatiserad bild av förorten Rågsved påverkar skapandet av ungdomarnas identitet. Vi har i denna undersökning gjort en kvalitativ studie baserad på intervjuer av fyra ungdomar som bor i Stockholms förorten Rågsved. För att kunna analysera våra kvalitativa intervjuer har vi använt oss av Erving Goffman teori om stigma. Vi har även valt teorier om kollektiv identitet och medias makt i samhället, detta har gjorts för att kunna undersöka hur mycket inflytande en stigmatiserad bild av en förort har på skapandet av ungdomars identitet och vilka de är som individer. Resultaten av studien visar att våra informanter i Rågsved är medvetna om den stigmatiserade bilden som området har och trots detta, uttrycker intervjupersonerna att deras bostadsområde inte utgör en påtaglig påverkan på deras identitet. Den starka gemenskapen som finns inom området övervinner inflytandet som det negativa ryktet kan ha på ungdomarna. / The purpose of this study is to examine how adolescents in the ages of 15-18 living in the suburb Rågsved feel about their residential area and also how they perceive media’s interpretation of it. We want to examine whether a stigmatic image of Rågsved affects the creation of the young people’s identity. We have in this study made a qualitative study based on interviews of four adolescents living in the Stockholm suburb Rågsved. To be able to analyze our qualitative interviews we use Erving Goffman's theory of social stigma as our main theory. We also choose to shaped theories of identity and the power of the media in society to see how much influence a stigmatized image has on the creation of their identity and who they are as individuals. The results of the study show that the adolescents in Rågsved are conscious about the stigmatized image that Rågsved has, although the informants express that their identities are less affected by their residential area. Feelings of togetherness, connection and being a big part of Rågsved overcome the influence that the bad reputation of the area has on them.

The main objective of this thesis is to study how social and cultural norms regarding body and appearance are perceived and interpreted by young people. This is done by studying both how these perceptions affect young people and how the body is controlled and altered through practices such as dieting, exercise, plastic surgery and the use of steroids. Another question raised in the study concerns important sources of influence for how one's own body is perceived. The study is based on a questionnaire distributed to 167 young girls and boys aged 13,15 and 17.The theoretical framework includes both general theories of the body and gender perspectives. Four themes have been applied in order to capture central and important aspects of the ideal body. These are; the problematic body, the controlled body, the commodified body and the social body. These themes are all related both to gender and to the portrayal of bodies in mass media.The main conclusion is that the body matters very much to many young people today, both their own perceptions of it and what others think of it. The perceptions of one's own body is also very much gendered. Many girls have internalised a fragmented and problematised way of looking at their bodies. They report a greater dissatisfaction with their bodies than do boys. Size and shape are regarded as particularly problematic and a small and slim body is preferred. Girls are also frequently engaged in practices to alter and control their bodies and are more concerned with the state of their own bodies and how others' view them. Boys expressed a greater satisfaction with their bodies. Their dissatisfaction is primarily focused on height and weight and indicates a desire to become bigger and taller. Exercise is the prime way for boys to alter their bodies. However, their own bodies are not as problematic as for girls; instead they seem to be more concerned with others' bodies. Friends, together with mass media (particularly visual media and magazines), are regarded as the strongest source of influence on how the respondents (both girls and boys) perceive their bodies.Age differences are also found. Girls display a tendency to be more dissatisfied with and be more involved in practices to alter the body the older they are. Boys display the reverse situation. The largest differences can therefore be found among the oldest. The influence of friends and media tend also to be perceived as more important among the oldest. / digitalisering@umu

Young people have not traditionally had a voice in urban planning. More often than not, they are incorporated into planning by either considering them as an implicit population or as part and parcel of planning for families (Knowles-Yanez, 2002; Freeman and Aitken-Rose, 2005; Frank, 2006). This is now recognized as one of the shortcomings of urban planning. This study seeks to address this gap within a specific context of urban revitalization and public space within a public housing development. This study explored how young people between the ages of 10 and 16 living in Regent Park, Toronto define and value local public spaces. Their perspectives are particularly relevant at this time as their neighbourhood is in the process of a 15-year, multi-million dollar revitalization plan. This plan will bring about extensive physical and social changes to the neighbourhood. The key objectives of this study were to understand the perspectives of young people about their neighbourhood public space, to determine how young people’s perspectives match with revitalization plans and to adapt participatory research methods appropriate for young people. By using a participatory, multi-method approach, I set out to determine how young people understand public space and the extent to which this is incorporated into public housing revitalization. The study findings show that the contemporary principles guiding public housing revitalization do not match how young people define and value public space. Findings reveal that young people have a broad definition of public space which encompasses public, quasi-public and private spaces. They also demonstrate that understanding public space involves both physical and social elements. This is incorporated into their ideas regarding revitalization. Young people placed more of an emphasis on social than physical solutions. Key to the findings are young people’s preferences for a neighbourhood network of walkways over through streets, maintaining community insularity, local landmarks and culture and their fears over losing these due to change brought about by new residents. Many public space elements were regarded as simultaneously positive and negative. They regard the revitalization process of their neighbourhood public spaces with mixed emotions, including trepidation, scepticism and hope. In this way, study findings add to the existing literature on young people and urban planning. Young people have a distinctive way of experiencing the urban environment and when asked in an appropriate manner, will share revealing insights that would not necessarily have been thought of by adults (Hart, 1997). The study recommendations build upon the existing literature on the participation of young people in urban planning. This study shows that there is a need for planners to work alongside local community agencies and organizations already involved with young people. There is also a need to reconsider how planners address the issues of equity and public engagement. Young people do not have a political voice. For this reason, it is important for planners to consider the principles of equity and advocacy in a manner that embraces strategies for planning with multiple publics. Planners need to be educated and made aware of the different methods to appropriately engage young people. This includes adapting participatory techniques, determining agents of community access and self-reflexivity.

Young people have not traditionally had a voice in urban planning. More often than not, they are incorporated into planning by either considering them as an implicit population or as part and parcel of planning for families (Knowles-Yanez, 2002; Freeman and Aitken-Rose, 2005; Frank, 2006). This is now recognized as one of the shortcomings of urban planning. This study seeks to address this gap within a specific context of urban revitalization and public space within a public housing development. This study explored how young people between the ages of 10 and 16 living in Regent Park, Toronto define and value local public spaces. Their perspectives are particularly relevant at this time as their neighbourhood is in the process of a 15-year, multi-million dollar revitalization plan. This plan will bring about extensive physical and social changes to the neighbourhood. The key objectives of this study were to understand the perspectives of young people about their neighbourhood public space, to determine how young people’s perspectives match with revitalization plans and to adapt participatory research methods appropriate for young people. By using a participatory, multi-method approach, I set out to determine how young people understand public space and the extent to which this is incorporated into public housing revitalization. The study findings show that the contemporary principles guiding public housing revitalization do not match how young people define and value public space. Findings reveal that young people have a broad definition of public space which encompasses public, quasi-public and private spaces. They also demonstrate that understanding public space involves both physical and social elements. This is incorporated into their ideas regarding revitalization. Young people placed more of an emphasis on social than physical solutions. Key to the findings are young people’s preferences for a neighbourhood network of walkways over through streets, maintaining community insularity, local landmarks and culture and their fears over losing these due to change brought about by new residents. Many public space elements were regarded as simultaneously positive and negative. They regard the revitalization process of their neighbourhood public spaces with mixed emotions, including trepidation, scepticism and hope. In this way, study findings add to the existing literature on young people and urban planning. Young people have a distinctive way of experiencing the urban environment and when asked in an appropriate manner, will share revealing insights that would not necessarily have been thought of by adults (Hart, 1997). The study recommendations build upon the existing literature on the participation of young people in urban planning. This study shows that there is a need for planners to work alongside local community agencies and organizations already involved with young people. There is also a need to reconsider how planners address the issues of equity and public engagement. Young people do not have a political voice. For this reason, it is important for planners to consider the principles of equity and advocacy in a manner that embraces strategies for planning with multiple publics. Planners need to be educated and made aware of the different methods to appropriately engage young people. This includes adapting participatory techniques, determining agents of community access and self-reflexivity.