Liberal democracies sit on a foundation of popular sovereignty and the values of equality, liberty, and fairness. While some coercion by the state is necessary in order to maintain state sovereignty and provide a stable government, and excessive use of state coercion violates the liberty of its citizens. The harm and offense principles provide the boundaries of acceptable state coercion, but if these laws are unfairly enforced by police as the domestic arm of state authority, then the equality of liberty has been violated. United States' law enforcement has unfairly enforced just laws against black Americans, resulting in black Americans' overrepresentation in police brutality and killings. The implicit threat of police brutality against black Americans limits their liberty below that defined by the harm and offense principles. The unequal liberty between black and white Americans causes a potential lack of equal participation in political life, furthering an imbalance between races. Therefore American law enforcement should be considered a threatening obstacle to maintaining a healthy liberal democracy in the United States. Keywords​: liberal democracy, liberty, state coercion, police, United States Range of thesis​: 90,458 characters

Diss. Stockholm : Karol inst., 2004.

Fundamentally the aim of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is to initiate social and/or environmental change. Because of the increased awareness of stakeholders and other public actors, it has become of any company’s interest to uphold their public image. The question remains whether companies undertake CSR activities for intrinsic moral reasons or to only uphold their reputation. Most research regarding CSR focuses on the influence of external factors (such as major stakeholders) and how different goals and opinions between these major actors reciprocate. One stakeholder within the sphere of CSR which has often been overlooked but has gained increased attention is the employee. So far, little attention has been paid to the people at work, like the human experience of the worker, thus questions remain regarding the influence of CSR activities on the identification, commitment, and satisfaction of employees.

A majority of conducted studies connected to democratic socialization and the party-political education has primary affected students in higher education. In this study I intend to find out how primary school teachers handle controversial issues in social science connected to the political parties.  The Swedish Democrats are by many perceived as a controversial party and while the school’s mission is to educate students to think independently another mission implies that certain views are not to be uttered if they stand contrary to the basic democratic values. The aim of this study is to obtain knowledge in and about the teachers view on the dilemma between the more nurturing assignment versus the knowledge assignment and in connection to this how they approach the Swedish Democrats in the classroom. For further immersion the research treats the following questions:   How do teachers view their own role as intermediaries in democratic education?   How to teachers portray the Swedish democrats in education? The survey was conducted by using qualitative interviews. Four primary school teachers who teach social science participated. The results showed that the Swedish Democrats was perceived as a controversial subject in the school as teachers sometimes felt difficulties to teach about this subject. The study also showed that teachers use different methods in the classroom when it comes to organizing the teaching of democracy, when it comes to both content and choice of teaching methods, which ultimately could affect how teachers directly or indirectly portray the Swedish Democrats.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1991.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1991.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A vida impõe decisões às pessoas o tempo todo, e as pessoas as tomam de acordo com seus valores considerando as particularidades de cada situação. Valo-res são quaisquer aspectos da decisão que sejam considerados desejáveis, indese-jáveis, relevantes e importantes como: ser preferido, desejável, agradável, promis-sor, seguro, emocionante, justo, bom, correto, fácil, incerto, etc. Com base nestes valores, entendemos que o fundamento último do utilitarismo é o princípio da maximização da felicidade. Segundo esta concepção, uma ação é considerada correta, logo válida, se ela promover maior felicidade dos implicados. A felicidade é entendida como o alcance do prazer e do bem-estar. Nesta corrente encontramos uma perspectiva eudamonista e hedonista, uma vez que tem em vista como objectivo final a felicidade que consiste no prazer. Qualquer utilitarista tem de se importar, sobretudo com a promoção da felicidade geral. A partir de Mill, a moralidade passa a ser realização de cada ser humano neste mundo, aqui e agora. O princípio de utilidade exige que cada um de nós faça o que for necessário e estiver ao seu alcançe para promover a felicidade e evitar a dor. Ao analisarmos as consequências previsíveis de uma ação, temos que considerar não apenas a quantidade, mas a qualidade de prazer que dela possa resultar. Para os utilitaristas o que importa são as consequências das ações, elas devem visar ao prazer, e somente isso permite avaliar se uma ação é correta ou não, logo é uma perspectiva consequencialista. O que importa são as consequências e não os motivos das nossas ações, desde que isso promova a felicidade ao maior número de pessoas possível. Mas, o ato só é permissível se, e apenas se, maximiza imparcialmente o bem. A filosofia Utilitarista costuma dividir seus leitores. É exaltada por alguns, que defendem o mérito de ser um ponto de vista que oferece melhores subsídios para melhor lidarmos com as questões éticas que realmente importam e estão associadas às condições que tornam possível uma vida feliz e se possível, isenta de sofrimentos. Por outro lado, há aqueles que apontam para o perigo de uma filosofia que estima a qualidade moral de ações levando em consideração apenas as suas consequências. Esta corrente não é uma escola filosófica, uma vez que se trata de uma filosofia que constantemente se reinventa e se adapta a fim de ir sempre ao encontro de novos desafios que uma ética não pode deixar de enfrentar. / Life requires decisions to people all the time and people take them according to their values, considering the particularities of each situation. Values are any aspects of the decision which are considered desirable, undesirable, relevant and important, as being preferred, desirable, pleasant, promising, safe, exciting, fair, good, correct, easy, uncertain, etc. Based on these values, we understand that the ultimate foundation of utilitarianism is the principle of utility. According to this concept, an action is considered correct, thus, valid, if it promotes greater happiness of those involved. Happiness, in turn, is understood as the achievement of pleasure and welfare. In this current we find a eudemonistic and hedonistic perspective, as it has as the ultimate goal happiness consisting in pleasure. Any utilitarian has to care mostly with the promotion of general happiness. From Mill, morality becomes the achievement of every human being in this world, here and now. The principle of utility requires that each one of us do whatever is necessary, and within our rich, to promote happiness and avoid pain. By analyzing the predictable consequences of an action, we must consider not only the quantity, but the quality of pleasure resulting from them. To utilitarians what really matters are the consequences of actions, as they should aim pleasure. Only this allows us to assess whether an action is right or not, leading to the idea of a consequentialist perspective. What matters are the consequences and not the reasons of our actions, as long as it promotes happiness to as many people as possible. However, the act is permissible only if, and only if, it impartially maximizes the good. The Utilitarian philosophy usually divides its readers. It is extolled by some, who defend the merit of its being a viewpoint that offers better benefits, so that important ethical issues the ones associated with conditions that can make life happier and free from suffering can be more easily dealt with. On the other hand, there are those that points to the danger of a philosophy that estimates the moral quality of actions, taking into account only its consequences. This current is not a philosophical school, since it is a philosophy that constantly reinvents itself and adapts, so that it can always meet new challenges that ethics cannot avoid facing.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A vida impõe decisões às pessoas o tempo todo, e as pessoas as tomam de acordo com seus valores considerando as particularidades de cada situação. Valo-res são quaisquer aspectos da decisão que sejam considerados desejáveis, indese-jáveis, relevantes e importantes como: ser preferido, desejável, agradável, promis-sor, seguro, emocionante, justo, bom, correto, fácil, incerto, etc. Com base nestes valores, entendemos que o fundamento último do utilitarismo é o princípio da maximização da felicidade. Segundo esta concepção, uma ação é considerada correta, logo válida, se ela promover maior felicidade dos implicados. A felicidade é entendida como o alcance do prazer e do bem-estar. Nesta corrente encontramos uma perspectiva eudamonista e hedonista, uma vez que tem em vista como objectivo final a felicidade que consiste no prazer. Qualquer utilitarista tem de se importar, sobretudo com a promoção da felicidade geral. A partir de Mill, a moralidade passa a ser realização de cada ser humano neste mundo, aqui e agora. O princípio de utilidade exige que cada um de nós faça o que for necessário e estiver ao seu alcançe para promover a felicidade e evitar a dor. Ao analisarmos as consequências previsíveis de uma ação, temos que considerar não apenas a quantidade, mas a qualidade de prazer que dela possa resultar. Para os utilitaristas o que importa são as consequências das ações, elas devem visar ao prazer, e somente isso permite avaliar se uma ação é correta ou não, logo é uma perspectiva consequencialista. O que importa são as consequências e não os motivos das nossas ações, desde que isso promova a felicidade ao maior número de pessoas possível. Mas, o ato só é permissível se, e apenas se, maximiza imparcialmente o bem. A filosofia Utilitarista costuma dividir seus leitores. É exaltada por alguns, que defendem o mérito de ser um ponto de vista que oferece melhores subsídios para melhor lidarmos com as questões éticas que realmente importam e estão associadas às condições que tornam possível uma vida feliz e se possível, isenta de sofrimentos. Por outro lado, há aqueles que apontam para o perigo de uma filosofia que estima a qualidade moral de ações levando em consideração apenas as suas consequências. Esta corrente não é uma escola filosófica, uma vez que se trata de uma filosofia que constantemente se reinventa e se adapta a fim de ir sempre ao encontro de novos desafios que uma ética não pode deixar de enfrentar. / Life requires decisions to people all the time and people take them according to their values, considering the particularities of each situation. Values are any aspects of the decision which are considered desirable, undesirable, relevant and important, as being preferred, desirable, pleasant, promising, safe, exciting, fair, good, correct, easy, uncertain, etc. Based on these values, we understand that the ultimate foundation of utilitarianism is the principle of utility. According to this concept, an action is considered correct, thus, valid, if it promotes greater happiness of those involved. Happiness, in turn, is understood as the achievement of pleasure and welfare. In this current we find a eudemonistic and hedonistic perspective, as it has as the ultimate goal happiness consisting in pleasure. Any utilitarian has to care mostly with the promotion of general happiness. From Mill, morality becomes the achievement of every human being in this world, here and now. The principle of utility requires that each one of us do whatever is necessary, and within our rich, to promote happiness and avoid pain. By analyzing the predictable consequences of an action, we must consider not only the quantity, but the quality of pleasure resulting from them. To utilitarians what really matters are the consequences of actions, as they should aim pleasure. Only this allows us to assess whether an action is right or not, leading to the idea of a consequentialist perspective. What matters are the consequences and not the reasons of our actions, as long as it promotes happiness to as many people as possible. However, the act is permissible only if, and only if, it impartially maximizes the good. The Utilitarian philosophy usually divides its readers. It is extolled by some, who defend the merit of its being a viewpoint that offers better benefits, so that important ethical issues the ones associated with conditions that can make life happier and free from suffering can be more easily dealt with. On the other hand, there are those that points to the danger of a philosophy that estimates the moral quality of actions, taking into account only its consequences. This current is not a philosophical school, since it is a philosophy that constantly reinvents itself and adapts, so that it can always meet new challenges that ethics cannot avoid facing.

The starting point of our study was raised as a concern, when we realized the fact that we both consider ourselves lacking knowledge of how we as prospective pre-school teachers should manage children´s play that perceived as violent. We were also keen to learn how certain standards may influence pre-school teachers and be reproduced by them in relation to children’s play with elements of violence. The aim of our study is to examine how teachers of pre-school children reason around children´s violent play, and how their reasoning might visualize the prevailing norms of ethics and morals, gender and child perspective. The questions we ask ourselves are:  How do pre-school teachers reason concerning children's play with elements of violence? How are standards of ethics and morality, gender and child perspective in teachers' reasoning about children's games involving violence reproduced? 
When analysing our material we chose a norm-critical perspective, when looking at our data through the three norms; ethics and morals, gender and child perspective. In collecting our data we used a qualitative approach and our method is qualitative interviews. The conclusion from our study is that we can identify the three norms about ethics and morals, gender and child perspective when pre-school teachers reason about children´s play with elements of violence, and that these norms are reproduced by the pre-school teachers.

Syftet med studien är att ta reda på pedagogers perspektiv och förståelse för hur barn blir bemötta enligt riktlinjer om normer och värden i den reviderade läroplanen för förskolan, Lpfö 98 (Skolverket 2010). Forskningsfrågor i studie är: Hur tolkar pedagoger läroplanens riktlinjer om normer och värden? Vilket förhållningssätt utifrån normer och värden använder pedagoger sig av i förhållande till barn i verksamheten? Hur kan pedagogers perspektiv av normer och värden uttrycka sig i praktiken? Undersökningen i studie grundar sig på en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi. Skriftlig intervju och observationer med nio respondenter och sju ostrukturerade observationer på flera förskolor. Av resultatet från de skriftliga intervjuerna ser vi att diskussion om normer och värden på förskolorna är viktiga för att få en förståelse för riktlinjer i läroplanen, Lpfö 98 (2010). Att visa respekt mot barn är något som pedagogerna ansåg vara viktigt. Vilket uttrycktes av pedagoger på olika sätt. Resultatet av vår studie i stort är att normer och värde upplevs som svårtolkat av pedagoger. Barn blir bemötta på olika sätt av pedagoger. Det är viktigt att pedagoger har förståelse för sin maktposition i förhållande till barn. Pedagogers bemötande och förhållningssätt har betydelse för hur barn upplever pedagogers maktposition. / The study aims to find out the teachers' perspective and understanding of how children are treated in accordance with guidelines on norms and values ​​in the revised curriculum for preschool, Lpfö 98 (National Agency for Education 2010). Research issues in the study is: How do you interpret educators curriculum guidelines on standards and values​​? Which approach based on norms and values, use the educators themselves in relation to children in preschool? How can teachers' perspectives of norms and values ​​express themselves in practice? The survey of study based on a qualitative research approach. Written interviews and observations with nine respondents and seven unstructured observations at several preschools. By the results of the written interviews, we see that the discussion of the norms and values ​​of the preschools are important for an understanding of the guidelines in the curriculum, Lpfö 98 (2010). To show respect towards children is something that teachers deemed important. As expressed by teachers in various ways. The results of our study in general is that norms and values ​​are perceived as difficult to interpret by educators. Children are treated differently by teachers. It is important that educators understand their position of power in relation to children. Educators approach and attitude influences how children perceive teachers' position of power.