This thesis is a case study of interreligious communication between Muslims and Orthodox Christians in the border municipalities between Serbia and Montenegro (Sandzak). A mixed, quantitative and qualitative approach was taken to study interreligious relations, among ordinary people and religious leaders. Through a combination of online questionnaires and face-to-face structured interviews, the study covers both groups’ perspectives on interfaith interactions, views and opinions. The findings showed support for the hypothesis, that the lack of knowledge about other religious affiliation results in prejudices and potential conflicts.

The aim of the following study was to create a limited framework, based on normative and constructive reflections, of how the UN can work to prevent violent ethnic conflicts. The study was divided into two phases. The first phase originated from Joseph S. Nye’s analytical framework and gave an overview of the theories available on the causes of ethnic conflicts. From these theories three major problems were drawn; poverty, structural inequalities and society in transition. The second phase of the study had a normative and constructive approach, using two overlapping circles of theories. The normative chapter discussed how conflict prevention ought to be in the best of worlds and which moral position the UN should have. The constructive chapter discussed which means and limitations the UN faces considering conflict prevention and how the UN can work to address the major problems outlined in the first phase. The conclusion drawn from the analysis was that the UN has the knowledge, experience and operational capacity to address these issues, but that several problems concerning the UN system and the member states of the UN makes it difficult for the organization to effectively use the potential it has to prevent violent ethnic conflicts.

<p dir="ltr">This dissertation explores intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts that result from differing axiological stances. A stance is one’s orientation towards a subject and one’s axiological stance is one’s orientation towards what they take to be valuable. An axiological stance also influences how one responds to practical reasons. Stances currently enjoy some attention in epistemology and the philosophy of science, but I provide a novel treatment of stances in the practical domain. Comprised of three chapters, this dissertation explores the psychological and normative contributions of one’s stances in normative ethics, then extends this work to the philosophy of religion. In chapter one, I unpack the psychological contribution of axiological stances. I introduce the concept of an axiological stance in the context of the debate surrounding “hard choices,” arguing that an intrapersonal conflict of axiological stances explains the characteristic difficulty of hard choices. In chapter two, I explore the normative side of axiological stances, drawing from Peter Winch. While Winch has been associated with various forms of relativism, I suggest that he is better understood as defending a moral analog to epistemic permissivism. In this chapter, I suggest that a plausible version of his view is an axiological stance permissivism where an axiological stance can modify the weights of one’s normative reasons. Lastly, in chapter three, I address aspects of God’s practical life that may comprise an axiological stance. The normative import of these aspects, I argue, provide a model of God’s practical life that is not objectionably robotic. On such a model, God has some control over what his weightiest reasons are.</p>

The thought of an armed attack on Sweden was for a long period of time deemed unlikely and the defense planning in Sweden has since the middle of the 20th century been characterized by dismantlement. However, recent changes in Europe and especially Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, has made Sweden rethink its policies on military defense. This has led to a political will to strengthen Sweden’s military defense and has by, among other things, led to a political decision to re-establish military organizational units in several Swedish municipalities. This study examines the effects military re-establishment has on spatial planning in two municipalities, Arvidsjaur and Sollefteå. The studied municipalities are two regions where the previous experience of military presence differs. The study showed, through interviews and studying of existing planning documents, that the previous military presence in both cases worked in favor of the municipal planning of the re-establishment. It helped the municipalities prepare for what the re-establishment means in terms of spatial needs and to minimize land use conflicts. Furthermore, it showed that the re-establishment and development of military interests will most likely affect the municipalities’ future development plans and could possibly lead to conflicts with public interests. The study also showed that there are differences and similarities in how the re-establishments affect municipal planning and that good communication is helpful in identifying and to minimize future planning conflicts between municipal development and military interests.

Brazil reduced its annual deforested area from 27772 km2 to 4571 km2 from 2004 to 2012. This phenomenal achievement resulted from multiple government initiatives, most notably the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAm). However, these ambitious deforestation control policies yield multiple spillover effects. This dissertation examines the effects of the two initiatives from the PPCDAm program, namely the Forest Code of 2012 and the Green Municipality Program. The first chapter provides causal evidence that land registration abates conflicts in Pará. The chapter discusses policy implications in three discussions, prospective deforestation control, potential agricultural growth, and livelihoods promotion within CAR and its related policies. The results from this chapter provoke a question about the drop in land conflicts that stimulates forest conservation on private landholdings. Thereon, my second chapter deals with the dynamic land clearing decision of private landholders in the Brazilian Amazon. The results suggest that the persistence of compliance, thus forest conservation on privately held land, is driven mainly by past compliance and municipality-level incentives. As these two chapters established that land registration abates conflicts, and private landholders are driven by specific incentives to preserve the forest on their land. My third chapter investigates the impact of the provincial governance promotion program on secondary forest recovery. Municipalities participating in the local government improvement program steadily observe an expansion in secondary forest areas. To sum up, my dissertation explores the spillover effects of the deforestation control policy, starting with achieving fewer land conflicts and investigating the local incentives to promote forest protection on private land. Lastly, I provide evidence that the governance promotion program will result in secondary forest recovery. / Doctor of Philosophy / Brazil reduced its annual deforested area from 27772 km2 to 4571 km2 from 2004 to 2012. This phenomenal achievement resulted from multiple government initiatives, most notably the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAm). This dissertation presents the unintended consequences of two policies under PPCDAm, namely the Forest Code of 2012 and the Green Municipality Program, on land conflicts, environmental policy compliance, and secondary forest recovery. The first chapter provides robust evidence that perceived land tenure security (via land registration) effectively reduces land conflicts. Further, the chapter invokes if the drop in land conflicts stimulates forest conservation on private landholdings. Subsequently, my second chapter deals with the dynamic land clearing decision of private landholders in the Brazilian Amazon. The results suggest that the persistence of compliance, thus forest conservation on privately held land, is driven mainly by past compliance and municipality-level incentives. As these two chapters established that land registration abates conflicts, and private landholders are driven by specific incentives to preserve the forest on their land. My third chapter investigates the impact of the provincial governance promotion program on secondary forest recovery. Municipalities participating in the local government improvement program steadily observe an expansion in secondary forest areas. In summary, the dissertation begins with a study of the unintended consequences of the deforestation control policy, starting with achieving fewer land conflicts. Then, I present a study of the local incentives to promote forest protection on private land. Lastly, I present that the local governance promotion program will result in secondary forest recovery.

Previous research has shown that expected market returns vary over time and that this variation can be predicted by variables such as dividend yields and book-to-market ratios (Fama and French (1989); Campbell and Thompson (2008)). Further, macroeconomic variables affect asset returns (Flannery and Protopapadikas (2002)). We investigate whether the investment decisions of mutual fund investors incorporate information about future stock returns contained in predictive and macroeconomic variables. If investors incorporate this information, then variation in flows should be related to that in predictive variables and macroeconomic variables. Using quarterly flow data from 1951Q4 to 2007Q4, we find that both predictive and macroeconomic variables have a relatively small impact on flows. Our results suggest that fund investors, as a group, fail to adequately incorporate the information contained in these variables. Existing literature documents that (i) an asymmetric low-performance relationship creates an incentive for managers to extract rents from shareholders, and (ii) managers respond to such incentives by strategically altering portfolio risk. Using the semiparametric regression model proposed by Chevalier and Ellison (1997), we show that the flow-performance relationship has become linear in recent years (2000-2009) and fund managers no longer respond to such incentives. Fund managers, however, change portfolio risk in response to past performance; such changes have a positive impact on fund performance and are indicative of a better alignment of interests between managers and shareholders. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this essay is to problematize the conflicts of interest in the supply of personnel within Sweden's growing total defense. By analyzing the government's policy for the total defense obligation and its ability to steer towards its policy goals based on its ability to manage the supply of personell according to prioritized needs. The study adopts a qualitative approach and the essay constitutes a case study of a broader policy formulation and central governance problem in a complex society with multiple implementing agencies. The study of the policy for the total defense obligation is theory-consuming, and the empirical material has been analyzed using a framework and a qualitative content analysis. It appears that the framework regarding a successful implementation is only partially met. This is because there is a conflict in the goals of the policy about what should be prioritized as most important. There are no clear guidelines on where one or several individuals should be drafted for war duties in a conflict of interest between the different categories of the total defense obligation, especially at an aggregated level. It is expected that the implementing actors can adopt a holistic perspective on where an individual should be placed for war duties to create the best conditions for the total defense. The holistic assessment assumes that the implementing actors have extensive access to information and knowledge about the country's war planning. Furthermore, it is evident that the actors responsible for the personell of supply can register all or parts of their personnel with the support of the general service obligation, which leads to a "first come, first served" principle where the number of individuals who are available for the total defense obligation that can be claimed with military or civil duty decreases. The policy for the total defense obligation does not take into account that the total defense will need to economize the personnel resources when the total defense is growing.

The green transition does not only bring positive effects, but it can also have a negative impact on groups that are in vital need of a reverse of the climate crisis to the extent that they actively oppose a sustainable initiative. This is the case in the land-use conflict between the Sámi and the wind power industry. The purpose of this study is to critically analyze the representation of indigenous perspectives in the policy document "National Strategy for Sustainable Wind Power Expansion" to investigate how the climate crisis reinforces colonial effects on the Sámi people. To achieve this, Carol Bacchi's critical discourse analysis "What’s the Problem Represented to Be?" (WPR) has been adapted in combination with the concept of green colonialism to implement a critical review of indigenous representation in the government-produced "National Strategy for Sustainable Wind Power Expansion." Conflicting land-use interests constitute an identified problem, which is intended to be resolved through coexistence—a complex issue to address for many reasons. Sámi influence is presented as both a priority and a problem in the"National Strategy for Sustainable Wind Power Expansion." This representation can be explained by colonial structures that underpin the formulation of this representation, thereby contributing to the further reproduction of colonial power structures.

Konflikter är en vanlig företeelse i både arbetslivet och privatlivet, där människor med olika bakgrund och åsikter interagerar. Denna uppsats ämnar att öka förståelse för orsakerna till och hur konflikter hanteras på arbetsplatser inom vård- och omsorgssektorn. Genom en litteraturöversikt baserad på tio artiklar från CINAHL och ProQuest, Healthcare Administration Database, gjordes fynd och tre huvudteman identifierades genom analys: konflikthantering, konflikt och förebyggande av konflikt. Resultaten visar å ena sidan på negativa erfarenheter som generationskonflikter och bristande kommunikation mellan olika yrkesgrupper och intressenter. Å andra sidan identifierades positiva erfarenheter såsom coachingsmöjligheter och kompetensutveckling för att främja bättre samarbete och förståelse. Diskussionen belyser vikten av strukturerade åtgärder, såsom utbildningar och teamaktiviteter för att förebygga generationskonflikter. Det påpekas även ett behov av ytterligare forskning för att förstå dynamiken i relationskonflikter och för att implementera effektiva förebyggande strategier för både medarbetare och chefer/ledare. / Conflicts are a common occurrence in both working life and private life, where people with different backgrounds and opinions interact. This essay aims to increase understanding of the causes of and how conflicts are handled in workplaces within the care and social care sector. Through a literature review based on ten articles from Cinahl and ProQuest, Healthcare Administration Database some findings were made and three main themes were identified through analysis: conflict management, conflict and conflict prevention. The results show, on the one hand, negative experiences such as generational conflicts and a lack of communication between different professional groups and stakeholders. On the other hand, positive experiences such as coaching opportunities and skills development were identified to promote better cooperation and understanding. The discussion highlights the importance of structured measures, such as training and team activities to prevent generational conflicts. There is also a need for further research to understand the dynamics of relationship conflicts and to implement effective prevention strategies for both employees and managers/leaders.

This study aims to study how five Swedish upper secondary school social studies schoolbooks adapted to the Lgy 11 curriculum, depicts conflicts. The schoolbooks are published between the years 2015 and 2021 and belong to the largest learning materials companies in Sweden. Namely Z-classic (2015), Forum 123 (2017), Reflex 123 (2017), Libers samhällskunskap 123 (2018) and Arena 123 (2021). This study partly seeks to analyze how these schoolbooks present conflict-actors in conflicts, and how it can be linked to Orientalism. In addition, also which conflicts are at the center of attention and how it can be understood based on Western news evaluation. The result based on Orientalism shows that the schoolbooks in many cases set perspectives against each other and actors from both the Western world and the Orient become equal. On the other hand, the schoolbooks sometimes tend to make misleading and discriminatory descriptions, especially when it comes to actors in the Orient. In some cases, the Western civilization also appears to be more progressive and refined compared to other civilizations. Regarding Western news evaluation, in many conflict contexts it becomes clear that conflicts in which Western countries are involved become more central. However, three of the schoolbooks convey an awareness that there are external factors that influence the evaluation of conflicts, such as the influence of American news channels, like CNN’s and AP’s influence over which events in the world are considered important.