This project examines the concept of computer hubs as a tool to increase technological inclusion in rural areas in lowincome countries. The viability of computer hubs as a concept was evaluated by looking at three factors among people living in such areas: acceptance of computers, the financial viability of computer hubs, and actual ease of use of computers. The study was conducted in Linga Linga, a small village located in the province of Morrumbene in southern Mozambique. Linga Linga is characterized by low technological inclusion and low income, which is typical for villages in rural areas in lowincome countries. Interviews, questionnaires, workshops and focus groups were conducted to examine the viability of computer hubs. The study indicates that the acceptance of computers, measured through attitude towards computers as well as perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of computers, was sufficient for implementation. The study also concludes that the actual ease is sufficiently high, and even in cases where it is not due to a lack of previous experience with computers, the time it takes to learn is low. In addition, it was found that computer hubs are financially viable from a business perspective. In conclusion, computer hubs can be considered a viable approach to increase technological inclusion in rural areas in low-income countries. / Projektet undersöker konceptet computer hubs och hur det kan användas som ett verktyg för att öka teknologisk inkludering på landsbygden i låginkomstländer. Konceptet utvärderades genom att undersöka tre faktorer: användaracceptansen för datorer, computer hubs finansiella hållbarhet och den faktiska användbarheten hos datorer. Studien genomfördes i Linga Linga, en by belägen i provinsen Morrumbene i södra Moçambique. Linga Linga kännetecknas av låg teknologisk inkludering och invånare med låga eller inga inkomster. Intervjuer, frågeformulär, seminarium och fokusgrupper genomfördes för att undersöka konceptens genomförbarhet. Studien indikerar att användaracceptansen hos datorer, mätt genom attityd gentemot datorer såväl som upplevd användbarhet och upplevd användarvänlighet för datorer, var tillräcklig för implementering. Studien visar även att den faktiska användbarheten hos datorer är tillräckligt hög för implementering samt att den snabbt kan förbättras trots lite eller ingen tidigare erfarenhet av datorer. Studien visar även att en implementering av computer hubs är ekonomiskt hållbar ur ett affärsperspektiv. Sammanfattningsvis kan implementeringen av computer hubs som koncept betraktas som ett  hållbart tillvägagångssätt för att öka teknologisk inkludering i landsbygden i låginkomstländer.

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The use of cement in the building industry accounts for a large part of the world's CO2-emissions. In the developing part of the world where materials are costly and labour is cheap, cement is expensive. In Nepal, a country which is frequently hit by earthquakes, low-cement-content building blocks are already being made and research on how to reduce the cement content further is currently going on. The manufacturing process for these blocks varies significantly, so a method to predict block strength easily and implement cost-effective quality control could substantially enhance production quality. The purpose of this study is to investigate how to predict the strength of building blocks using the water content, cement content and bulk density. Additionally, it examines whether bulk density could serve as a reliable indicator of strength, which could simplify quality control by allowing blocks to be weighed. This, together with an evaluation of the production site performance, is used to calculate the theoretical improvement potential and a proposed cement reduction. Through experiments, the compressive strength was measured for blocks of mixes with different cement percentages under various water content conditions, resulting in blocks with differing bulk densities. This data was used to create a model that predicts the compressive strength. Field visits to five sites were conducted to evaluate the current performance and this data was used to calculate the improvement potential. The results show the importance of water for the workability of the mix and in turn the compressive strength of the blocks. More water and more material into the mold lead to an increase in the strength and the theoretical improvement potential for cement reduction is 50\% by only these measures. The bulk density is a promising indicator of the compaction and compressive strength and weighing the blocks at creation could potentially reduce the variability in the strength of the blocks.

Background: The lack of access to adequate housing is a major problem in many developing countries. One of the countries where the housing deficit is a big problem is Peru. The housing deficit in the country can be estimated to more than one million; a number that represents almost 15% of the country’s households. Un Techo Para Mi País (UTPMP) strives to improve this difficult housing situation by constructing emergency houses in the human settlements and thereby improving the situation for the people living in extreme poverty in Peru. Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate if the construction of emergency houses could be a means of poverty reduction in Peru. The impact of improved housing conditions on a household’s standard of living and economic situation is evaluated, as well as the results of UTPMP’s activities.   Completion: The collection of secondary data took place in Sweden, while the primary data was  collected  during  a  two  months’  minor  field  study  in  Lima,  Peru.  Interviews  with  households benefited with an emergency house through UTPMP were conducted and observations were made by participating in UTPMP’s activities.  Conclusion: According to the results of our study, the access to adequate housing has had a positive effect on the household’s standard of living, but has left the economic situation unchanged. The type of action taken by UTPMP to alleviate poverty should be considered as an appropriate approach and the construction of emergency houses as a means of poverty reduction in Lima. / Bakgrund: Bristen på tillgång till en fullgod bostad är ett stort problem i många utvecklingsländer. Ett av de länder där det råder stor bostadsbrist är Peru. Underskottet på bostäder uppskattas uppgå till mer än en miljon, en siffra som representerar nästan 15% av landets hushåll. Un Techo Para Mi País (UTPMP) strävar efter att förbättra den svåra bostadssituationen genom att konstruera nödbostäder i slumområden och därmed förbättra situationen för de hushåll som lever i extrem fattigdom i Peru. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka om konstruktionen av nödbostäder skulle kunna utgöra ett verktyg för att minska fattigdomen i Peru. Effekten av förbättrade boendeförhållanden på ett hushålls levnadsstandard och ekonomiska situation utvärderas, liksom resultaten av UTPMP:s aktiviteter.  Utförande: Insamlingen av sekundärdata genomfördes i Sverige, medan primärdatan samlades in under en två månader lång fältstudie i Lima, Peru. Intervjuer med hushåll som har fått en bostad via UTPMP utfördes, och observationer gjordes genom att delta i UTPMP:s aktiviteter.  Slutsats: Resultaten av vår studie visar att tillgången till en fullgod bostad har positiva effekter på ett hushålls levnadsstandard, men att dess ekonomiska situation förblir oförändrad. Den typ av åtgärd utförd av UTPMP bör ses som en lämplig sådan, och konstruktionen av nödbostäder kan betraktas som ett tillvägagångssätt för att minska fattigdomen i Lima. / Antecedentes: La falta de acceso a una vivienda adecuada es un problema grave en muchos países menos desarrollados. Uno de los países donde el déficit habitacional es un gran problema es el Perú. Se puede estimar que dicho déficit asciende a más de un millón, un número que representa casi el 15% de los hogares del país. La organización Un Techo Para Mi País (UTPMP) se esfuerza para mejorar esta situación a través de la construcción de viviendas de emergencia en los asentamientos humanos y de esta manera, mejorar la situación de las personas que viven bajo condiciones de extrema pobreza en el Perú.  Objetivo: El propósito del presente estudio es investigar si la construcción de viviendas de emergencia podría ser una medida de reducción de la pobreza en el Perú. El impacto de mejores condiciones de vivienda en la situación de vida y económica del hogar es evaluado, así como los resultados de las actividades del UTPMP.   Metodología: La recopilación de datos secundarios se llevó a cabo en Suecia, mientras que los datos primarios fueron obtenidos en Perú durante un estudio de campo de dos meses en Lima. Entrevistas con familias beneficiadas con una casa de emergencia a través del UTPMP fueron realizadas y se hicieron observaciones respectivas al participar en las actividades del UTPMP.   Conclusión: Conforme a los resultados de nuestro estudio, el acceso a una vivienda adecuada ha tenido un efecto positivo en el nivel de vida del hogar, pero ha dejado la situación económica sin cambios. El tipo de acción tomada por el UTPMP debe ser considerada como un enfoque apropiado para aliviar la pobreza, y la construcción de viviendas de emergencia como una medida de reducción de la pobreza en Lima.

Abstract  Background: In Indonesia and around the world, gender discrimination in employment practices is a pervasive and ongoing issue due to gender stereotypes and social norms. Organizations must therefore be aware of their influence, and how they through various stages of the recruitment process can reduce this prejudice. Additionally, organizations need to be conscious about how they can create and sustain an inclusive hiring procedure that leaves no one behind.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore what type of impact recruitment can have in terms of gender equality, equal opportunities and discrimination for working women in Indonesia. Furthermore, to investigate what impact gender stereotypes and social norms in Indonesia have on the recruitment processes in the country.   Method: This study adheres to an inductive approach with a qualitative research method. The empirical findings have been gathered through the conduction of nine interviews with employers at a consultancy company in Indonesia.  Conclusion: The conclusion of this thesis shows that recruitment can have a positive impact for gender equality in Indonesia and that a strategic recruitment process can help to develop gender stereotypes and social norms. However, there is a limit in how much recruitment can act as an equality tool since they do not always hold the final word on who to hire.

<p>The objective with this final thesis is to show how to work and help as an engineer by an ecological planning for building and landscape in an Asian and Muslim country like Indonesia.</p><p>The qualitative working method that was used highlights the importance of field trips and free structured interviews. Talking to the people involved and seeing the specific areas gives understanding you can not get by studying literature.  </p><p>The importance of all the work areas in the process of exploiting an area formulates the problem. This is later investigated and practiced in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and was encourage by the SIDA scholarship “MFS”.</p><p>Indonesia is a big country divided in 17500 islands but there are more that are different to Sweden. The author describes the unwritten rules, religions and the climate difference and also the working process for work and study on Java in Indonesia.</p><p>The main part shows and explains the result; a proposal on how an existing student accommodation in the city Yogyakarta in Indonesia could be renewed with an ecological plan for its building and landscape.</p><p>Conclusions and thoughts are made by the author about the possibilities for the future. Potential exchange of knowledge, labor and other services should be made between schools in Sweden and Indonesia and also help-organizations.</p> / <p> </p><p>Detta examensarbete syftar till att visa hur man kan arbeta och hjälpa till som byggingenjör genom ett ekologiskt plannerande för byggande och landskap i ett land som Indonesien.</p><p>Vikten av alla arbetsområden i processen för att exploatera ett område formulerade problemmet. Detta undersöktes och prövades sen i Yogyakarta, Indonesien och uppmuntrades av SIDA stipendiet "MFS".</p><p>Den kvalitativa arbetsmetoden som använts belyser vikten av studie resor och fristrukturerade intervjuer. Att prata med människorna som är involverade och se platserna ger en förståelse som inte är möjlig att få om det enbart görs literatur studie.</p><p>Indonesien är stort land och är uppdelat i 17500st öar men det är mer som är olikt från Sverige. Författaren beskriver de annorlunda oskrivna regler, religioner och klimat och även arbets processen för att jobba eller studera på Java i Indonesien.</p><p>Huvudelen visar och förklarar resultatet; ett förslag till hur ett befintligt student boende i staden Yogyakarta i Indonesien kan förnyas med en ekologisk plann för byggnad och landskap.</p><p>Slutsattser och tankar är slutnligen formulerade av författaren om möjligheter i framtiden. Utbytte av kunskap, arbete och andra tjänster bör utövas mellan skolor i Sverigeoch Indonesien men även hjälporganisationer.</p>

Mit der Arbeit wird angestrebt, die komplexen Prozesse der Herstellung von an Tonträger gebundenen Klangkonfigurationen innerhalb des Tonstudios, die im Zuge feldspezifischer Prozesse als Popmusik funktionieren können, unter bestimmten Rahmenbedingungen durch Beobachtungen, Beschreibungen und Analysen bzw. Interpretationen zu erfassen. Die Funktion bzw. Funktionsweise dieser Institution des Feldes der populären Musikproduktion soll unter Verweis auf wahrgenommene Mechanismen und Strukturen jenes Feldes nachvollziehbar gemacht werden. Zur Auswertung der in Feldstudien erhobenen Daten werden Theorien von Pierre Bourdieu und Michel Foucault genutzt, da die Komplexität der untersuchten Prozesse mit Hilfe nur eines Ansatzes nicht hinreichend hätte interpretiert werden können. Im Gegensatz zur Intention Bourdieus wird jedoch auf einen allgemeinen, übergreifenden Gültigkeitsanspruch der Erkenntnisse auf gesellschaftliche Prozesse oder vermeintlich verwandte Felder verzichtet; die Arbeit orientiert sich vielmehr an der Herangehensweise einer auf den Untersuchungsgegenstand bezogenen Theorie der Grounded Theory. Die verwendeten Daten sind der Arbeit in transkribierter Form als Anhang beigefügt. / This dissertation attempts to adequately represent and explain the complex field-specific processes which take place in the recording studios of popular music production during the creation of configurations of sound. Using participant observation in Berlin-based recording studios for data collection, this data was analyzed by utilizing and modifying the works of Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault. In contrast to Bourdieu’s claims that fields have an identical structure, the field of popular music production is quite unique in its workings and cannot be explained in such a manner. Based on these findings, a partially different model and terminology is being developed. Most of the used data is available as (German) transcription in the appendix.

The so-called digital economy has been growing exponentially in the emerging economies and it is expected to continue growing around the globe. For this reason, many governments are funding support programmes (e.g. Start-up America in the USA, the UK’s Tech City, and Brazil Startup) to both encourage and facilitate the creation of Digital Start-ups (DSs), defined here as recentlycreated enterprises that produce solely digital products or services. Whilst in some regions there is some evidence that these efforts are starting to pay off, the majority of DSs that have grown to become global digital enterprises remain concentrated in the United States and Europe. In the case of Latin America, the digital economy already accounts for between 2-3.2% of GDP. Nonetheless, most e-commerce transactions occur through platforms based in the United States, with a scarcity of examples of Latin American DSs (LADSs) that have grown to become large digital firms. Despite this, the literature has paid little attention to the relationship that exists between the institutional environment and LADS’s agency. The few extant studies that do exist have focused on either institutional or infrastructure constraints and public policies, or business models and resource analysis. To address this knowledge gap, this research studied LADSs in the four largest Latin American countries (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia), representing three-quarters of the region’s GDP, in order to answer the following questions: How do environmental pressures influence the development of LADSs? How do LADSs respond to these pressures and seize potential business opportunities? The research followed a critical realist philosophical foundation and was operationalised through a qualitative exploratory field study of forty organisations, including DSs, accelerators, investors, government agencies, and not-for-profits. Geel’s (2014) Triple Embeddedness Framework (TEF) was chosen as the theoretical framework to guide this research and integrates constructs from the Lean Start-up method (LSM), which was widely adopted by the LADSs to develop their business models. This study provides empirical support for the constructs outlined in the TEF, identifies crucial shortcomings in LSM, and uncovers new constructs that are necessary to accommodate the DSs’ digital properties, which result in tensions between their embeddedness in the institutional environment, their hybrid embeddedness in a product-sector industry and a digital industry, and their embeddedness in a multi-level organisational field that creates a core-periphery relationship between Latin America and the United States. Therefore, a new framework, entitled DIME, is proposed to assist e-entrepreneurs when developing digital business models to achieve the right firm-environment-fit in Latin America. The findings of this study will also contribute to future research, and to guide policy makers interested in fostering the development of the digital economy in emerging economies.

<p>Denna uppsats baseras på en fältstudie genomförd i Faridabad, Indien våren 2007. Syftet är att undersöka vilken roll hinduiska gudinnor spelar för kvinnor. För att uppfylla det syftet studeras också de intervjuade kvinnornas underliggande uppfattningar om jämställdhet.</p><p>För att kunna uppfylla syftet med uppsatsen har en kvalitativ metod använts och 19 intervjuer har genomförts. Informanterna har fått svara på frågor som handlar om att vara kvinna i det hinduiska samhället och deras åsikter om hur kvinnors situation bör ändras. När resultaten från intervjuerna analyserats har jag inspirerats av tidigare forskning om genus och Hinduism.</p><p>I den hinduiska mytologin finns både gudar och gudinnor. Att dyrka gudinnor kan ses som en källa till makt och inspiration för kvinnor. Därför har jag studerat om informanterna ser på gudinnorna som förebilder. Resultaten visar att det är svårt att avgöra om så är fallet. Ungefär hälften av informanterna sade att det ser gudinnorna som förebilder. I motsats till tidigare forskning nämnde inte informanterna de gudinnor som representerar de egenskaper som den ideala hustrun ska besitta, istället nämndes stridsgudinnan Durga. Tidigare forskning visar dock att även de självständiga gudinnorna som beskrevs av informanterna som förebilder är en del av den patriarkala strukturen. Under intervjuerna framgick att rollen att vara en bra hustru och mor värdesätts högt av informanterna. Detta kan, enligt mig, kopplas till det mest framträdande resultatet som framkom i synen på vad jämställdhetsuppfattningen baseras på. Det gäller uppfattningen om att män och kvinnor föds med olika egenskaper. I motsats till genusteori förstås inte skillnader mellan män och kvinnor som främst socialt konstruerade.</p> / <p>This report is based on a field study that was carried out in Faridabad, India in the spring of 2007. The aim is to study what role the Hindu goddesses play for Hindu women. To fulfil this purpose I am also studying the interviewed women’s underlying understanding regarding gender equality.</p><p>To fulfil the aim a qualitative method was chosen and 19 interviews were completed. The informants answered questions about being a woman in the Hindu society and their opinions on how to change women’s situation. While analysing the results I was inspired by previous research on gender and Hinduism.</p><p>In the Hindu mythology there are both gods and goddesses. Worshipping goddesses can be seen as a source of power and inspiration for women. Therefore I wanted to study if the informants look at the goddesses as role models. The results show that it is difficult to determine whether or not that is the case. Approximately half of the informants said that they looked at the goddesses as role models. In contrast to previous research the informants did not mention the goddesses that are represented with qualities that the ideal wife should posses, instead Durga, the fight goddess, was mentioned. However, previous research also shows that the independent goddesses that were described as role models by the informants are a part of a patriarchal structure. During the interviews the role of being a good wife and a mother is described as the most important thing for the informants. This can, according to me, be related to the most significant result on what the understanding of gender equality is based on. This is the opinion that men and women are born with different qualities. In contrast to the gender theory, the differences between men and women are not understood as primarily socially constructed.</p>

<p>The family is the first and oldest provider of social welfare in the West African country of Ghana. However, colonisation and urbanisation has changed that role and today additional providers of social welfare can be found; the government, religious organisations (churches etc), non-religious organisations and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs).</p><p>This study will confirm the claim that the church takes on a role as a surrogate family and that it steps in where the government is not present, doing social work which is intended for the government. The study will also investigate what kind of social work the churches carry out (including what they put their focus on, which is dependent on their finance and location) and how these different projects are financed.</p><p>The study was conducted during a six week period in Accra, capital of Ghana. Representatives from three Christian congregations (Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Kaneshie, Global Evangelical Church in Kotobabi and International Central Gospel Church in Teshie) were interviewed, as was Dr. Ayidiya at the Department of Social Work, University of Ghana, in order to get background information on the present social welfare system in Ghana.</p>