The aim of this bachelor thesis was to examine attitudes among social workers, particularly their attitudes toward their clients’ poverty and towards economic counseling as a method. A further aim was to study the relationship between attitudes towards poverty and economic counseling. Primary data used for the study was assembled among social workers (n = 111) with the use of an electronic questionnaire that was sent out to social welfare offices in 34 city districts in Stockholm,Gothenburg and Malmö. The findings showed that a majority of the social workers had a structural understanding of poverty and a positive attitude towards economic counseling. No correlations were found between the attitudes towards poverty and towards economic counseling. Although economic counseling can be seen as a method for individual change, the social workers had a positive attitude towards using it with clients’ whose inability to support themselves was interpreted as structurally implied. This was understood as a means to minimize the negative effects of poverty and as a way to go beyond administrative tasks. Through Giddens duality of structure theory, economic counseling was interpreted as a way of affecting the structurally caused problem of poverty by changing the actions of the client.

Barnfattigdomen är ett samhällsproblem som är högaktuellt i media och i samhällsdebatten. Syftet med studien var att få en ökad kunskap om de fattiga barnens situation i Sverige, detta för att kunna ta fram empowermentstrategier som skulle kunna underlätta för dem, utifrån ett socialpedagogiskt förhållningssätt. Uppsatsen är upplagd som en litteraturstudie och genom textanalys har vi sökt svar på frågorna: Vilken problematik möter de fattiga barnen i hemmet, i skolan och på fritiden? Hur hanterar barnen sin situation? Hur ser barnens behov ut? Kan vi underlätta för barnen och i så fall på vilket sätt? I vår resultatdel tittade vi på vilken problematik fattiga barn möter och hur de hanterar det.  Resultatet visar att de möter begränsningar och upplever känslor av skam, i jämförelse med andra barn. Skolan visade sig vara en central arena där problematiken var tydlig. Barnen bär mycket inom sig och har en ekonomisk medvetenhet. För att hantera problematiken använder de sig av olika strategier som att minska sina behov, dölja sin situation osv. I analysen lyfts barnens behov fram utifrån empowerment och tidigare forskning.  Det framkom att barnen behöver stärkas och få möjligheter till deltagande. Vi avslutar med en diskussion om hur vi kan underlätta för de fattiga barnen. De professionella, t.ex. inom skolan, behöver bli medvetna om strukturer som finns och som skapar ett utanförskap. / Child poverty is a social problem that is highly topical in the media and in public debate.The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the situation of the poor children in Sweden, this in order to develop empowerment strategies that could help them, from a social pedagogic approach. Our essay is written as a literature review and through text analysis we have sought answers to the questions: What problems do the children living in poverty face in their homes, at school and in their spare time? How do they handle their situation? What are the needs of these children? Can we make it easier for them and if so, in what way? In our result we looked at the problems poor children face and how they handle them. The result shows that they encounter limitations and experience feelings of shame, in comparison with other children. The school was found to be a central arena where the problems were obvious. Children bear much inwardly, and have an economic consciousness. To deal with problems they use different strategies to reduce their needs, to hide their situation and so on. In the analysis the children's needs, based on empowerment and previous research, are highlighted. It was found that the children need to be strengthened and given opportunities to participate. We conclude with a discussion on how we can facilitate for the children living in poverty. The professionals, for example at schools, need to be aware of structures that exist and which create a sense of exclusion.

The purpose of this study was to examine how the needs of social assistance for people with substance abuse are assessed in accordance to The Swedish Social Services Act 4th chapter 1§. The purpose was also to examine how substance abuse is assessed as a social problem by social workers, how the municipal guidelines concerning social assistance for substance abuser were constructed in relation to the Social Service Act and finally how social workers made their assessments of the need of social assistance to people with substance abuse in relation to the legislation. The sample was made among the municipalities in the county of Stockholm. Municipal guidelines were studied in 18 municipalities by content analysis. A sample of 11 social workers was chosen from 5 municipalities. A vignette study was used as method. The results have been analyzed by using a sociology of law approach, based on the theory of the law as mainly a ruling function. The results of the study show that both the construction of municipal guidelines and social workers’ assessment of the need of social assistance to people with substance abuse were based on restrictions with no connection in The Social Service Act. Social workers who did work in a municipal, where there were no special guidelines regarding social assistance to individuals with substance abuse, more frequently made their assessments according to the law. The result was the opposite for social workers working in municipals with special guidelines regarding social assistance to individuals with substance abuse. The results also indicated that social workers, as well as municipal politicians, showed little knowledge and ability to align the social work to current legislation and legal practice.

With this study, our purpose has been to achieve profounded knowledge and understanding regarding the use of discretion among social workers specialized in social allowance issues. The Social Services Act, structured as a framework law in the Swedish context, provides the social worker with a certain degree of discretion, in order to enable accommodated decisions depending on client case specifics. This study problematizes these aspects of legal security, and our intention has been to examine which factors impact the assessments social workers carry out in statutory decisions of social allowance applications. To attain this, we narrowed down our intention into a number of distinct and delimitated research questions: (1) Which elements of the client case impact the social worker’s assessment? (2) Which external aspects influence the social worker’s assessments and decisions? (3) How do social workers decide the client’s credibility?   In order to establish answers to our research questions, we have utilized a qualitative approach of research by exerting qualitative interviews in addition to a vignette study. We have conducted five interviews with social workers specialized in social allowance issues. The empirical material was analyzed and illustrated in the view of Lipsky’s descriptive theory of street-level bureaucracy, and in the light of different theories of authoritarian power, as constituted by Lukes and Foucault.   Within the municipality subject to our research, our vignette study establishes the fact disparities exist among the assessments social workers decide from an application of social allowance. The result of our study exhibit social workers’ grounds of assessment are influenced by a number of aspects. These facets of impact compose internal factors existing within the client case frame. Related to the unique characteristics of a client’s situation, the internal factors also depend on the relation created between social worker and client. Furthermore, the social worker’s assessment is affected by external factors including colleague consultation, supervisor influence and contemporary work load levels. Additionally, our study implies aspects influencing decision-making of social workers occurring on a meta level, which we have opted to denominate semi-external factors. These factors embrace levels of client credibility as well as aspects of power present in the social worker – client relation.

Unemployment and long term unemployment is a reality for a large number of people in Sweden. This may be the result of structural changes in the labor market, but involves a wide range of issues. Along with other actors, the social services are obliged to support the long term unemployed to find a job. The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the work done by social workers towards the long term unemployed, 25-49 years old, in two municipalities. We performed altogether six qualitative interviews. In each municipality we selected two social workers and the head of the work unit. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. We used a social constructionist perspective and organizational theory for the analysis. Results show that the social workers believe that they have almost twice as many clients as they can handle with a good quality in social work. We also present, in the study that a considerable coordination with other units of the social services and other authorities is taking place, but that the social workers are partly negative towards its functioning.

Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka vilken eller vilka faktorer som påverkar alkoholförsäljningens fördelning mellan olika alkoholvarugrupper och vilken av faktorerna som är mest betydelsefull, samt om det skett någon förändring av dessa faktorers påverkan mellan åren 1998 och 2007. Detta har skett genom regressionsanalyser där vi har använt oss av statistik om Sveriges kommuner och använt dessa som analysenheter. Vi har valt att analysera resultaten med hjälp av Pierre Bourdieus begrepp ekonomiskt och kulturellt kapital, samt Anthony Giddens teori om globaliseringen och världsstäder. Vi har använt oss av medianinkomst som indikator på ekonomiskt kapital. För kulturellt kapital har vi använt utbildningsnivå som indikator och för världsstäderna som globaliseringens nav, har vi undersökt närheten till världsstäderna Stockholm och Köpenhamn. Vår undersökning visar att andelen sålt vin ökar och andelen såld sprit minskar, ju högre utbildningsnivån i kommunen är. Vi fann även att sambandet mellan andelen sålt vin och sprit i förhållande till utbildningsnivån minskade mellan åren 1998 och 2007. Vidare kunde vi även finna att kommuner som ligger nära världsstäderna Stockholm och Köpenhamn, har högre andel vinkonsumtion. Detta visar att på att globaliseringen påverkar dryckesmönstren och även denna faktor hade större betydelse 1998 än 2007. Vi fann också att kommunernas medianinkomst påverkar vilken alkoholtyp som det säljs mest av i kommunen, men när vi jämförde den med andra faktorer förlorade den sin betydelse.Nyckelord: Sociologi, dryckesmönster, alkoholförsäljning, kulturellt kapital, ekonomiskt kapital, globalisering / The aim of this study is to examine which variable or variables that affect the division of alcoholic beverage selling in different types of alcoholic beverage, which variable that is the most important and if there have been any changes during the time between 1998 and 2007. We used regression analysis of statistics and used the Swedish municipalities as units. Furthermore we used Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts economic capital and cultural capital to analyse our data. We also used Anthony Gidden’s theory about the globalization and global cities. We used median income as an indicator for economic capital and level of education as an indicator for cultural capital. We also viewed how close the municipalities are located to Stockholm and Copenhagen as indicators for the importance of global cities. Our study shows that the proportion of sold wine increases and the proportion of sold spirits decreases the higher the mean education level in the municipalities is. The connection between the alcoholic beverage types and education level were stronger 1998 than 2007. We can also see a connection between how close to the global cites Stockholm and Copenhagen the municipalities are located. The wine selling is higher in the municipalities that are located close to the global cities than other municipalities. This shows the importance of the globalization as a factor that affects the alcoholic beverage selling. We also discovered a connection between median income and which alcoholic beverage type that is the most popular in a municipality. The importance of median income disappeared when we compared it to other variables.Keywords: Sociology, drinking pattern, alcoholic beverage selling, cultural capital, economic capital, globalization / VG

The purpose of this study was to examine participants' experiences and descriptions of a municipal activation program, and how participants perceive their opportunities for influence on their own needs and requirements. The results are based on statements from six semi-structured, individual interviews conducted by the qualitative method. Empowerment, paternalism and social capital are among the study's theoretical frame of reference. The main results show that more participants are critical of aspects of coercion and involuntary willingness in participation. Motivation for participation seems to mainly be linked to whether the activity is experienced as meaningful, as well as to the attitude of the staff. An individual, affirmative response from the staff seems to be of concern to the participants' general experience of the program. The contact with other participants interpreted from theory of social capital and collective empowerment.

Föreliggande uppsats undersöker effekten av ojämlikhet i inkomstfördelning på ekonomisk tillväxt med hjälp av sekundär data på nationell nivå i de 34 OECD-länderna under tidsperioden 2000-2010. Effekten studeras i en multipel regressionsanalys där ojämlikhet i inkomstfördelning är en av de inkluderade förklarings-/kontrollvariablerna i en korrekt specificerad tvärsnitts-tillväxtmodell. Gini koefficienten är studiens huvudsakliga mått på ojämlikhet i inkomstfördelning; därtill analyseras även mått på ojämlikhet i botten- och toppändan av inkomstfördelningen. Resultatet från vår studie indikerar ett negativt och mestadels av tiden signifikant samband mellan ojämlikhet i inkomstfördelning och ekonomisk tillväxt mätt med Gini koefficienten. Vid en gemensam analys av samtliga ojämlikhetsmått kvarstår det negativa och signifikanta sambandet mätt med Gini koefficienten; vi finner dock att ojämlikhet i toppändan av inkomstfördelningen är positivt och signifikant associerad med den genomsnittliga tillväxttakten i real BNP per capita, medan ojämlikhet i bottenändan av inkomstfördelningen – om än positivt relaterad till följande års tillväxttakt per capita - tappar all sin signifikans.

Background: SMEs represent 97% of Swedish companies that have an increase in the Swedish export by 16% in 2017. Furthermore, Sweden is eager to support its companies to lead the service revolution abroad. This expansion creates the need for overcoming international risks of inconstant psychic distance in terms of culture, economy and geography. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the psychic distance and its influence on internationalization. Method: The current study was based on qualitative research to fulfill the purpose, to answer its three research questions and to fit its time frame using semi-structured interviews of a multiple case study with Swedish SMEs within the service industry. The interviews took place with top managers who have broad knowledge and experiences related to this study. Conclusion: Psychic distance is changing in terms of culture, economy and geography as all SMEs have been exposed to its distances differently. A further outcome shows the relevance of business practices, theoretical methods, and models, although none of the interviewed SMEs have used any of these models. This result might show how those models could have solved various issues the interviewees faced. Cultural distance is a permanent distance that exists in all markets. However, economic distance constitutes a challenging factor to face economic costs and institutional differences but simultaneously gaining profits abroad could certify to meet this challenge. Geographic distance is mostly not considered an issue in the service industry. The psychic distance may decrease within the service industry due to international managerial skills and technology. Managerial Contribution: It is hoped that this study will assist SMEs to gain a clear idea about overcoming the psychic distance during internationalization, for instance, by learning from outcomes of the study from meta-analysis or by using relevant theories and models. / Bakgrund: Små och medelstora företag (SMF) representerar 97% av alla svenska företag. Den svenska exportsektorn har även sett en ökning med 16% under 2017. Sverige är dessutom väldigt angeläget om att stödja företagen genom att leda revolutionen inom servicesektorn utomlands. Denna expansion skapar behovet av att minimera de internationella riskerna associerade med psykiskt avstånd gällande kultur, ekonomi och geografi. Syfte: Syftet för denna studie är att undersöka det psykiska avståndet och dess påverkan på internationalisering. Metod: Denna studie använder sig av en kvalitativ metod för att uppfylla sitt syfte, svara på dess tre frågeställningarna och vara inom tidsramen för denna uppsats. En flerfalsstudie har genomförts genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med svenska SMF inom servicesektorn. Intervjuerna genomfördes med chefer som har breda kunskaper och erfarenheter relaterade till denna studie. Konklusion: Det psykiska avståndet gällande kultur, ekonomi och geografi förändras eftersom alla SMF har varit utsatta för dessa avstånden på olika sätt. Ett ytterligare resultat visar relevansen av affärsmetoder, teoretiska metoder och modeller, även om ingen av de intervjuade SMF har använt sig av dessa modeller. Resultatet visar hur dessa modeller kan ha löst olika problem som de intervjuade cheferna har stått inför. Det kulturella avståndet är ett permanent avstånd som existerar i alla marknader. Ekonomiskt avstånd däremot är en utmanade faktor eftersom man måste kombinera ekonomiska kostnader och institutionella skillnader, men genom att samtidigt göra vinst utomlands kan man överkomma denna utmaning. Geografiskt avstånd anses för det mesta inte som ett hinder inom servicesektorn. Det psykiska avståndet inom servicesektorn kan minskas med hjälp av internationella ledaregenskaper och teknologi. Praktiskt bidrag: Denna studie hoppas kunna hjälpa SMF med att få en tydlig uppfattning om hur man kan överkomma det psykiska avståndet under dess internationalisering, till exempel, genom att lära sig av resultaten från denna studiens metaanalys eller genom att använda sig av relevanta teorier och modeller.

This study involves a survey of the writers’ opinions on the internet forum Flashback about the national norms coverage. The study also contains the internet forum writers proposed action strategies for supply when living on the national norm. Thereby this study is aiming to visualize the living situation when living on the national standards. Previous research shows how the national norm does not seem to live up to a reasonable standard of living as well as the national norm has not evolved with changes in society.  Further the previous research shows how difficult it can be to live on a narrow economy which connects to one of the study’s questions about coping strategies. There are shortcomings in previous research on the study’s topic since previous research focuses little on people’s opinions. Accordingly the authors’ whishes to highlight the writers’ opinions on the internet forum Flashback through a quantitative study content analysis. This study has chosen to analyze the data and the results using Bourdieu´s theories about the social room, field, habitus and the forms of capital. These theories are intended to be useful in interpreting the study’s results. The result shows that the writers believe that the national norm is to narrow and does not fulfill all the needs entries. Despite this result the writers believe it is possible to achieve a reasonable standard of living when living on welfare benefits. These results can be contradictory and therefore interesting which is why the authors question how these views emerged. The contradictory results create an additional finding which is that the writers on the internet forum may not have understood how it is meant to live on the national norm.