Los gobiernos de alrededor del mundo se han propuesto como meta alcanzar la igualdad de género en el año 2030 (Objetivo #5 de la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible de las Naciones Unidas) mediante la implementación del gender mainstreaming (o perspectiva de género) en todas las políticas y acciones de la vida pública y privada. Como consecuencia, las universidades están reconociendo cada vez más la necesidad de incorporar esta estrategia en la docencia universitaria al objeto de formar a los/as egresados/as para una práctica profesional futura en igualdad de género. Esta tesis doctoral examina la formación inicial en género de estudiantes de educación de grado y posgrado en una institución universitaria española utilizando un enfoque de investigación mixto. Específicamente, explora las percepciones de los estudiantes y del profesorado sobre la incorporación de la perspectiva de género en tres programas de formación de docentes de educación infantil, primaria y secundaria. Las preguntas que guiaron el proyecto se desarrollan a través de tres estudios (Estudio 1, Estudio 2 y Estudio 3) y cinco trabajos (Trabajos I, II, III, IV y V) enfocados al diseño y validación de instrumentos de medición fiables y válidos para evaluar la formación en igualdad de género de docentes en formación, el nivel alcanzado por los estudiantes en competencias de género al término de su graduación, así como las percepciones y experiencia del profesorado en relación a la docencia con énfasis en género. Los hallazgos de la tesis se ofrecen como orientación para el diseño y desarrollo de una guía de buenas prácticas para la incorporación de la perspectiva de género en la formación inicial docente de la institución participante, particularmente en los programas de educación infantil, primaria y secundaria. / Governments worldwide have set the goal of achieving gender equality (GE) by the year 2030 (Goal #5 of the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development) through implementing a gender mainstreaming (GM) strategy in all policies and actions of private and public daily life. As a result, higher education institutions are increasingly recognizing the need for mainstreaming gender in education as a way to developing gender competence in university students and through their future practice as professionals so they can contribute to create gender equitable societies. This doctoral thesis examines GE training in higher education at a teacher education institution in Spain. Specifically, it explores student teachers’ and teacher educators’ perceptions on how GM is perceived and is addressed in two undergraduate and one graduate teacher education programs using mixed methods research. The main research questions guiding the project were examined through three underlying research studies (Study 1, Study 2 and Study 3) and five papers (Papers I, II, III, IV, and V) where the focus was on designing and developing valid and reliable measurement instruments to assess GE training in teacher preparation, the extent to which student teachers acquire gender competence when they graduate, and teacher educators’ views and experience of GM. The findings from this thesis may enable the participating institution to develop and improve GM best practice guidelines in teacher training, particularly in early childhood, elementary, and secondary school education programs.

Denna uppsats presenterar en kvalitativ studie av fenomenet osynligt arbete bland svenska högstadielärare. Genom att genomföra 13 semistrukturerade intervjuer med manliga och kvinnliga högstadielärare är syftet att undersöka hur fenomenet osynligt arbete ser ut inom svensk högstadieskola. Studien intar ett genusperspektiv och det teoretiska ramverket är Joan Ackers teori om könade organisationer. Vidare använder studien även Trudy Bates relationella modell av Ackers fem könade processer. Genom att använda detta perspektiv kan studien identifiera eventuella könsmönster som kan uppstå i relation till upplevelsen av osynligt arbete. Utifrån två forskningsfrågor har resultaten kunnat visa att det finns många olika typer av osynligt arbete inom läraryrket på svenska högstadieskolor. Allt från att bygga starka relationer med elever, ansvara för anteckningar på möten, till olika former av hushålls- och underhållsarbete med mera, har identifierats som osynliga arbetsuppgifter. När det gäller könsskillnader kan resultaten vidare visa att det vanligtvis är kvinnor, som i större utsträckning, utför den här typen av uppgifter. När det kommer till hur lärare påverkas av osynligt arbete, i relation till deras arbetsmiljö, visar resultaten att det är kvinnor som drabbas mest negativt. Exempelvis beskrivs stress och utbrändhet som vanliga företeelser inom yrket. Även om manliga lärare också kan drabbas, tyder resultaten på att dessa företeelser är vanligare bland kvinnliga lärare. Resultaten visar vidare att kvinnliga lärare i större utsträckning tar till medvetna strategier för att hantera sin arbetsmiljösituation. Samtidigt beskrivs de kvinnliga lärarna ha svårare att sätta gränser. Trots att det svenska skolväsendet ofta betraktas som en könsneutral organisation går det av denna studie att dra slutsatsen att denna typ av arbetsplatser påverkas av samhälleliga könsnormer. Rekommendationer för framtida studier av osynligt arbete inom läraryrket diskuteras. / This paper presents a qualitative study of the phenomenon of invisible work among Swedish high school teachers. Through the conducting of 13 semi-structured interviews with male and female high school teachers, the aim is to investigate how the phenomenon of invisible work appears in Swedish upper secondary schools. The study adopts a gender perspective and the theoretical framework is Joan Acker’s theory about gendered organizations. Furthermore, the study also uses Trudy Bates relational model of Acker's Five Gendering Processes. By using this perspective, the study can identify any potential gender patterns that may occur in relation to the experience of invisible work. Based on two research questions, the results have been able to show that there are many different types of invisible work within the teaching profession at Swedish high schools. Everything from building strong relationships with students, being responsible for taking notes at meetings, to various forms of household and maintenance work and more, have been identified as invisible work tasks. Regarding gender differences, the results could further show that women usually carry out these types of tasks in greater occurrence. When it comes to how teachers are affected by invisible work, in relation to their work environment, the results also show that women are the ones who are most negatively affected. Stress and burnout are for example described as common phenomena in the profession. Although male teachers can also be affected, the results suggest that these phenomena are more common among female teachers. The results further show that female teachers to a greater extent use conscious strategies to manage their work environment situation. At the same time they are described as having more difficulty setting boundaries. Despite the fact that the Swedish school system is often considered as a gender-neutral organization, it is possible to conclude from this study that this type of workplace is influenced by societal gender norms. Recommendations for future studies of invisible work within the teaching profession are discussed.

This study is about how videogamecompanies and Swedish newspapers represent masculinity and femininity in the covers of the games Assassins Creed 3, Grand Theft Auto 5, Bayonetta and Tomb Raider along with the reviews being done in conjunction with the game. The reviews has been published in the following newspapers: Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet, Expressen and Göteborgsposten. The image that is formed in our society about how a man and a woman should be and behave will be the basics of this study. The covers of the games often represent what the game itself is about and what it contains and the reviews also conveys what the consumer who buys the game gets. The video game industry has grown in recent years to become one of the largest entertainmentindustries, but despite this, there has not been many studies on how this media represents masculinity and femininity. This is why this topic is both relevant and interesting to study. The method that will be used for this essay is a content analysis with semiotics studies as a basis, along with the terms denotation, connotation and stereotypes as tools for the above mentioned method. A couple of gender-related theories have also been used since the essay’s basic idea is to study how the video game industry and the swedish press presents the traditional gender roles and gender issues. The theories that have been chosen are: gender, power, interpreting bodies, gender perspectives in media and mass culture, massmedia and journalism and finally the theory of the media market. The purpose of this study can be summarized into how the gaming industry and the related reviews in the Swedish press present masculinity and femininity. The result of the analysis shows that the video game industry presents masculinity and femininity according to the traditional and stereotypical ideals that exist in today's society. The analysis of the reviews in Swedish press shows that in most cases feminist struggle is not discussed and gender issues are in general not addressed.

The aim of this investigation was to elucidate and describe those patients who had discontinued their participation and/or paticipated infrequently in physiotherapy treatment based on their own activity and responsibility. The ambition was to understand the phenomenon of compliance/adherence from various perspectives in behavioural as well as social science. In study I the phenomenon compliance/adherence was studied in relation to Health Locus of Control and Health Belief variables. This study was based on a questionnaire that was answered by all patients before beginning of treatment. Questions concerning the patients´conceptions about both health locus of control and health beliefs were the focus.The definitions of compliance/adherence were completed treatment period and exercise frequency, respectively. Those patients who completed the treatment were also studied regarded exercise frequency. The results of study I showed that those who discontinued their treatment reported a higher perceived threat from their health condition (higher level of dysfunction (higher pain intensity) and a higher perceived severity of their health condition (higher level of dysfunction, worse general health) than those who completed treatment. The results also showed that those who exercised once a week or less often valued the significance of the caring situation as lower (HLC), perceived a higher threat from their health condition (higher pain intensity), a higher severity of their health condition (higher level of dysfunction, worse general health, greater distrution of impairment), more barriers to treatment (lower expectations), and had certain differences in demographic variables (younger individuals, more women) than those who exercised more often (HB). Study II investigated patients´descriptions of their reasons for discontinuing the treatment, whether those reasons varied, and if so how they varied. Sixteen patients who had discontinued their treatment were interviewed with open-ended questions. The inteviews began with a question about the background to the physiotherapy treatment. There were questions concerning carrying out the treatment as well as concerning what they thought about their impairment. The patients were also asked about their priotities in daily life, as these wre presumed to be anobstacle to the treatment over a shorter or longer period of time. The third domain concerned how they experiebced the patient/physiotherapist relationship. The interviews were anlysed qualitatively. Analysis of study II resulted in four different descriptions of reasons for treatment discontinuation. A) It was about time to end treatment and continue on alone. B) The treatment was not the most important activity to spend time on. C) An agreement with the physiothreapist to discontinue treatment due to lack of effect. D) No viewpoint as to why they discontinued the treatment. In further analysis of category D, this group appeared to experience varoius forms of powerlessness. They felt their trustworthiness was often questioned. They experienced frustration in their life situation as others made the important descisions and they themselves had little to say.They defended themselves by talking about their own conceptions of the reasons for their impairment and what should be done about them. In comparing category D with categories A, B, C it was found that those in the latter three categories experienced varying degrees of control in different situations, whereas those in category D did not experience a feeling of control. Conclusion: The concept of compliance in physiotherapy is ambiguous. The concept involves one part defining what will concern the other part. It is clear that the physiotherapist and the patient do not always agree about the aim of the treatment. Instead, we should develop the concept of concordance in encounters with the patients and abandon the reasoning of compliance. / Syftet med denna undersökning var att tydliggöra och beskriva de patienter som avbrutit sitt deltagande och/eller deltagit sällan i en behandling med sjukgymnastik baserad på egen aktivitet och eget ansvar. En ambition var att förstå fenomenet följsamhet utifrån några olika teoretiska perspektiv inom såväl beteende- som samhällsvetenskap. I Delstudie I studerades fenomenet följsamhet i relation till beteendeaspekter avseende patientuppfattningar om styrmekanismer som påverkar den egna hälsan (HLC) och patientupplevda hälsohot och hälsohotens konsekvenser (HB). Denna delstudie bygger på frågeformulär, som besvarades av samtliga patienter innan behandlingsstart. De frågor som mäter patientens uppfattningar om vad som styr den egna hälsan och frågor som mäter patientupplevda hälsohot och hälsoerfarenheter har bearbetats. Definitionerna på följsamhet var dels fullföljd träningsperiod, dels träningsfrekvens. De patienter som genomförde träningen jämfördes med de som avbröt den. De som genomförde träningen studerades dessutom avseende träningsfrekvens. Resultatet i Delstudie I visade att de som avbröt sin behandling, rapporterade större hot av sitt hälsotillstånd (högre smärtintensitet) och större konsekvenser av hälsotillståndet (sämre funktionsförmåga, sämre allmänt hälsotillstånd) än de som genomförde den. Resultatet visade dessutom att de som tränade en gång i veckan eller mer sällan hade värderat vårdsituationens betydelse lägre (HLC), upplevde större hot av sitt hälsotillstånd (högre smärtintensitet), större konsekvenser av hälsotillståndet (större funktionsnedsättning, sämre allmänt hälsotillstånd, större besvärsutbredning), fler hinder för behandlingen (lägre förväntningar) och uppvisade andra demografiska faktorer (yngre individer, fler kvinnor) än de som tränade oftare (HB). I Delstudie II studerades hur patienter själva beskriver anledningen till avbrott i behandlingen, om dessa anledningar kan variera och hur de varierar. Sexton patienter som avbrutit sin behandling intervjuades med öppna frågor. Intervjun inleddes med en fråga om bakgrunden till den sjukgymnastiska behandlingen. De ställdes inför frågor som hade anknytning till genom!örandet av behandlingen och vad de trodde själva om sina besvär. Frågor om patienternas prioriteringar i vardagen ingick, vilka antogs kunna utgöra hinder för behandling under en kortare eller längre tid. Ett tredje område som ingick, rörde deras erfarenheter av patient/sjukgymnast relationen. Intervjuerna analyserades kvalitativt. Analysen i Delstudie II resulterade i att fyra olika beskrivningar av orsaker till avbrott i behandlingen genererades. A) Det var dags att avsluta och gå vidare på egen hand. B) Behandlingen var inte det viktigaste att lägga sin tid på. C) Överenskommelse med sjukgymnasten att avbryta behandlingen på grund av uteblivna resultat. D) Avsaknad av ställningstagande till avbrott i behandlingen. Vid en fårdjupadanalys av kategori D framstod att denna grupp erfar olika former av maktlöshet. Det yttrade sig i beskrivningar av att deras trovärdighet ofta är ifrågasatt, att deras livssituation är en ständig frustration där andra tar de viktiga besluten och där de själva inte har mycket att säga till om, samt att de värjer sig mot att berätta om sina fåreställningar om vad de själva tror besvären beror på och vad man gör åt dem. Vid en jämförelse mellan kategori D och A, B, C har kategorierna A, B och C varierande grad av kontroll i olika situationer medan kategori D saknar kontroll.

Jämställdhet och trygghet är begrepp som utgör en del av de sociala hållbarhetsmålen och förväntas därmed integreras i stadsutvecklingsarbetet. Det offentliga rummet är till för alla där rummet bidrar till en känsla av delaktighet och samhörighet, men stämmer det? Statistik tyder på att det är betydligt fler kvinnor än män som känner sig otrygga utomhus, den upplevda oron och rädslan kan i vissa fall begränsa kvinnor från att befinna sig ute i det offentliga. Det offentliga rummet ska inte begränsa individens användning av det, snarare motivera individen till att gå ut och socialisera sig. Historiskt har det offentliga rummet använts av män och har därför planerats utifrån mäns behov och perspektiv. Då det finns en tydlig skillnad mellan män och kvinnor behöver genusperspektivet implementeras vid planering av fysiska miljöer. Utförandet av studien delas in i två delar där första delen består av litteraturstudien som var nödvändig för att samla kunskap inom fokusområdet. Litteraturstudien har besvarat frågor vad gäller den upplevda tryggheten, vad den möjligtvis kan bero på och varför det uppstår skillnader mellan män och kvinnor. Andra delen består av en intervjustudie och dokumentstudie som utförts för att sammanställa kvalitativ information om hur kommunala stadsplaneringen arbetar för att främja tryggheten. Fyra respondenter deltog och delade med sig av sina erfarenheter, sedan kompletterades de svaren med dokumentstudier där översiktsplaner granskades i första hand. Kvinnor och män upplever otrygghet på olika sätt och det skiljer sig även inom grupperna. Det är svårt att ta fram åtgärder som funkar för alla utan att gå över gränsen vad gäller livliga och attraktiva stadsrum. Det är synnerligen svårare att ta fram åtgärder som ur ett genusperspektiv främjar kvinnors trygghet i samhället. Åtgärderna inom fysisk utformning ökar tryggheten för alla, det finns inget specifikt som främjar kvinnors trygghet. Vanliga faktorer som främjar tryggheten i stadsmiljöerna är belysning, vegetation och möjligheten till rörelse och aktivitet. Då trygghetsarbetet är en fördel för alla bör den tillämpas och utvecklas inom alla kommuner för ett tryggt Sverige. Det finns en vilja att inkludera genusperspektivet i det kommunala arbetet, däremot har det varit svårt att tillämpa den. Yrkespersoner inom stadsplanering tänker större än genusperspektiv; det ska vara jämlikt där alla ska kunna ta del av samhällets stadsmiljöer. Oavsett perspektiv är det viktigt att ta del av fler perspektiv inom stadsplaneringen, i frågan om trygghet bör däremot jämställdhetsperspektivet användas då det finns en tydlig skillnad bland könen. Vad gäller genus och trygghet har kommunerna kommit olika långt i sitt arbete. Inom kommuner ses trygghet som en egen separat aspekt eller en aspekt som faller inom en större kategori, social hållbarhet. Trygghet förekommer i alla översiktsplaner, däremot är det inte lika tydligt att implementeringen av genusperspektiv är viktigt.  Trygghetsperspektivet används väl inom planering, den fortsätter utvecklas och många ser vikten i hur viktigt det är med social hållbarhet. Genusperspektivet däremot behöver utvecklas i högre grad, i alla fall om hur den ska tillämpas i planeringen. Med det sagt, bör perspektivet även tillämpas i trygghetsarbetet, skillnaden bland könen ska inte vara så stor som den är. / Equality and security are concepts that form part of the social sustainability objectives and are therefore expected to be integrated into urban development work. Public space is for everyone, where space contributes to a sense of inclusion and belonging, but is this true? Statistics suggest that women are significantly more likely than men to feel unsafe outdoors, and perceived anxiety and fear may in some cases limit women from being out in public. Public space should not limit an individual’s use of it, rather motivate the individual to go out and socialize. Historically, public space has been used by men and has therefore been designed with men’s needs and perspectives in mind. As there is a clear difference between men and women, the gender perspective needs to be implemented in the planning of physical environments. The execution of the study is divided into two parts, the first of which consists of the literature study that was necessary to gather knowledge in the focus area. The literature study has answered questions regarding the perceived safety, what it could possibly be due to and why differences occur between men and women. The second part consists of an interview and document study conducted to compile qualitative information on how municipal urban planning works to promote security. Four respondents participated and shared their experiences, then these responses were complemented by document studies, with municipal comprehensive plans being the primary focus. Women and men experience insecurity in different ways, and even within groups. It is difficult to come up with measures that work for everyone without overstepping the boundaries of lively and attractive urban spaces. It is particularly difficult to develop measures that promote women’s security in society from a gender perspective. Measures in physical design increase security for everyone; there is nothing specific that promotes women’s security. Common factors that promote security in urban environments are lighting, vegetation and the possibility of movement and activity. Since security work is a benefit for everyone, it should be applied and developed in all municipalities for a secure Sweden. There is a desire to include the gender perspective in municipal work, but it has been difficult to apply it. Professionals in urban planning think bigger than gender perspectives, it should be equal where everyone should be able to take part in society’s urban environments. Regardless of the perspective, it is important to take advantage of more perspectives in urban planning, but in the issue of security, the gender equality perspective should be used as there is a clear difference between the sexes. When it comes to gender and security, the municipalities have progressed differently in their work, and it is prioritized differently. Within municipalities, security is seen as its own separate aspect or an aspect that falls within a larger category, social sustainability. Security appears in all comprehensive plans, but it is not as clear that the implementation of gender perspectives is important. The security perspective is well used in planning, it continues to develop, and many see the importance of social sustainability. The gender perspective, on the other hand, needs to be developed further, at least in terms of how it should be applied in planning. With that being said, the perspective should also be applied in security work; the difference between the sexes should not be as huge as it is.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka vad högskolestudenter tycker är attraktivt på en framtida arbetsplats, samt om det skiljer sig mellan manliga och kvinnliga studenter när det gäller deras preferenser för en potentiell arbetsplats. Studien genomfördes med en kvalitativ metod varav den insamlade datan analyserades med hjälp av en tematisk analys, där materialet strukturerades upp i sju teman. De teman vi har tagit fram grundar sig på vad våra respondenter har uppgett som de främsta faktorerna som avgör val av arbetsgivare. Materialet analyserades med hjälp av teoretiska perspektiv på motivation, självbestämmande och genusaspekter.  Resultatet visar att både män och kvinnor värderar de inre faktorerna högst vid valet av framtida arbetsgivare, såsom arbetsuppgifter, utvecklingsmöjligheter och arbetsmotivation. I sammanställningen av resultatet går det att utläsa att det inte förekommer några större skillnader mellan kvinnor och män i vad de värderar högst i valet av framtida arbetsgivare. Studien bidrar till en ökad förståelse för vad som är en bidragande faktor för högskolestudenter vid deras val av framtida arbetsgivare. Resultatet av denna studie kan vara användbar för företag samt organisationer i deras rekryteringsstrategier för att attrahera och behålla nyexaminerade talanger. Avslutningsvis visar resultatet av vår studie att både manliga och kvinnliga högskolestudenter i stor utsträckning värderar samma attribut och kvaliteter vid val av arbetsgivare, framför allt inre faktorer som arbetsuppgifter och utvecklingsmöjligheter. Detta resultat ger bland annat företag en viktig insikt om vad studenter som ska ut på arbetsmarknaden efterfrågar, vilket gör det möjligt för dem att utveckla effektiva strategier för att attrahera ny kompetent arbetskraft. / The purpose of this study is to examine what university students find most attractive when choosing a future employer and whether there are differences in how men and women prioritize when selecting a future employer. The study was conducted using a qualitative method, and the collected data was analyzed through thematic analysis, organizing the material into seven themes. These themes are based on what our respondents identified as the key factors influencing their choice of employer. The material was analyzed using theoretical perspectives on motivation, self-determination, and gender aspects. The results show that both men and women highly value intrinsic factors when choosing a future employer, such as job tasks, opportunities for development, and work motivation. The analysis indicates that there are no significant differences between men and women in what they value most in a future employer. This study contributes to a better understanding of the factors that influence university students when choosing their future employers. The findings of this study can be useful for companies and organizations in their recruitment strategies to attract and retain newly graduated talent. In conclusion, the results of our study show that both male and female university students largely value the same attributes and qualities in choosing an employer, particularly intrinsic factors such as job tasks and opportunities for development. This result provides companies with important insights into what students entering the job market are looking for, enabling them to develop effective strategies to attract new, competent workforce.

The main purpose for this study was to examine how boys with destructive and self-harming behaviour are perceived and comprehended by school counsellors and literature. The study assessed how boys who harm themselves are defined both in practice and in theory by using a social constructivist point of view and a gender perspective. The study was divided in two parts concerning gathering knowledge of the matter. The authors, using a method called qualitative semi-structured interviews, interviewed nine school counsellors. To acquire scientific knowledge, the authors implemented a literature review and researched books and journal articles regarding boys who self-harm. An essential discovery is that boys, who self-harm, have a tendency to be overlooked and excluded from the issue. This is mainly depending on how these boys often express their feelings by acting out their emotions in a physical manner. It is socially acceptable for boys to be extroverted, to be louder and use bigger gestures while girls are introvert and emotional human beings. This is depending on social expectations on each gender and the qualities and behaviour that are associated with being either male or female.

<p style="text-align: justify;">U radu se, primenom feminističke književne kritike, analiziraju rodni stereotipi u svih četrnaest romana iz lektire za drugi ciklus obrazovanja. Pokazuje se da su rodni stereotipi prisutni u različitim aspektima ovih romana, kao &scaron;to su zastupljenost i konstrukcija likova, sadržaj i način oblikovanja priče. Takođe, predstavljaju se metodički modeli nastavnih interpretacija ovih romana, koji uvažavaju rodnu perspektivu. Primena ovih modela omogućava da učenice i učenici prepoznaju rodne stereotipe, razumeju njihovu funkciju i zauzmu kritički odnos prema njima.</p> / <p style="text-align: justify;">The dissertation analyzes gender stereotypes by applying feminist literary criticism in all fourteen novels included in the second cycle of the primary education curriculum. It is indicated that gender stereotypes are present in various aspects of the novels, such as characters&rsquo; presence and construction, content and method of creating stories. Furthermore, the methodical models of educational interpretations of these novels, which respect the gender perspective, are also presented. The application of these models allows pupils to recognize gender stereotypes, understand their function and take a critical attitude towards them.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study is to analyze the interrogation transcripts of interviews with girls between the age of 11 and 16 who are alleged victims of sexual crimes. The examination is done from a gender perspective, by comparing six interrogations by male interrogators and eight interrogations by female interrogators. The study has used linguistic indicators relating to the interrogation methodological guidelines, in order to highlight how the interrogators give girls the opportunity and space to share their experience of the alleged sexual offense. Text material is categorized based on themes and analyzed in detail to find any gender-specific patterns of hearing leaders and if the girls are given space and opportunity for a free storytelling. The results show that in several themes, differences between the male and the female interrogators can be discerned. It has emerged that male interrogators in this study have a greater use of social support, that there are various techniques used by men and women between how the names of sexual words are created and that the female interrogation leaders questioning on average are longer and have a higher frequency of issues. In other dimensions, that has been investigated the differences are not significant.</p>

<p>The principle purpose of this thesis has been to study and analyse the conception of men and women in business bankruptcy during the 20th century. The analysis is built on a theoretical gender perspective and, combining this view and business and bankruptcy research, the thesis has focused on five themes: business networks, bank contacts, business competence, business characteristics and finally bankruptcy causes. These themes have been in focus when analysing bankruptcies in Uppsala 1920-1939, 1988, 1992 and 1996. A questionnair- and interview study with receivers active in Sweden 2001 has also been carried out. From the bankruptcy cases that have been studied, no specific gender differences have really been discovered. There were some variations between men and women, but it is very hard to claim that these are related to the sex of the debtor more than to the branch or to the individuals. Changes from the inter-war period to the latter part of the 20th century are in these respects also small. The image that the receivers gave through the questionnaire and interview study indicates on the other hand that there existed a conception that men and women seemed different as business owners. It is obvious that there were many receivers who thought that women were different from men in a situation of business bankruptcy, even though several of them stated that they did not beleive in any gender differences.</p>