This study examines individual-level citizen participation in the notice and comment component of federal agency rulemaking. It focuses on characteristics of individual participants ascertained through a survey mailed to 400 actual commenters. Survey data is used to evaluate the representativeness of these participants to the general public. Also, the compatible of citizen participation in rulemaking with the democratic ideals of liberty, equality, and fairness is evaluated, along with potential consequences of proposed reforms.

This study investigated the perceived strategies used to deal with mixed ability classes of four English teachers, two working at a year 4-9 compulsory school, and two at an upper secondary school in Sweden. The same teachers were asked about their attitudes towards and experience of ability grouping. The findings of the latter part of this investigation were discussed in reference to research concerning the field of ability grouping.Semi structured interviews were used. Strategies used by teachers included grouping devices, issues of communication, giving individual attention inside and outside the classroom and encouraging self- and peer reviewing. Two teachers in the 4-9 school used ability grouping sparingly but clearly and had experienced an ability grouping of a year nine class which was perceived to have predominantly positive results in academic terms and both positive and negative results in social areas. The teachers of upper secondary school did not use ability grouping – either on democratic grounds or because it was perceived to be unacceptable in the particular school climate. Because the research in ability grouping is diverse, many of the teachers’ attitudes could be supported, and refuted in the research. The teachers using ability grouping felt themselves to be going against research made, but were confident in the decisions they made. Further investigations about maximum numbers of students in heterogeneous classes and time spent with an extra teacher contra own teacher were encouraged.

By studying a place or a phenomena research contributes to the creation of the image of the thing that he or she studies. Also, planning is seen as a democratic tool, a way to ”make” democracy. In order to see what democratic ideals that is being express it becomes important to study the research about democracy in Botkyrka. It is from this thinking this study about democracy and research has been formed. The study is a mapping of the research about democracy work in Botkyrka between the years 1997-2014. Through explorative approach, the research has been identified and thematized. The method used is mapping with influences from qualitative content analysis and narrative approach. The research is analyzed by the theoretical concept of democracy and theories about representative-, participatory- and deliberative democracy are used. In this way the research’s story about Botkyrkas democracy work is captured. A total of 22 pieces of research projects has been identified and thematized. The thematization were based on the study's research questions and theoretical perspectives. The themes can be understood from two aspects, the first is about the research methodology and premises and the other about the content of the research. Ten themes were identified, analysed and discussed. Based on thematization the general research question about what democratic ideals the research expresses is being answered. The story of the research about the democracy work in Botkyrka contains a variety of expressions. Everything from classical democracy problems to stimulating research perspective is being processed and shifts between democratic ideals can be seen. Some research uses innovative methods and different theoretical approaches which indicates that the researchers want to explore new aspects of the concept of democracy. / Forskning bidrar till skapandet av bilden av platser och fenomen, forskaren är således medskapare av den verklighet han eller hon studerar. Samtidigt kan planering ses som ett sätt att göra demokrati, ett demokratiskt instrument. Att studera forskningen kring demokrati i Botkyrka blir därmed viktigt för att kunna se vilka demokratiska ideal denna ger uttryck för, då den påverkar hur samhället formas. Utifrån resonemanget växte denna studie om demokrati och forskning fram. Studien är en kartläggning över forskning kring Botkyrkas arbete med demokrati och delaktighet. Genom explorativ metod har forskningen identifierats och tematiserats. De metodologiska utgångspunkterna har varit i den kvalitativa innehållsanalysen, också element av narrativ metod har använts. Materialinsamlingen har genomgående präglats av det studerade objektet. Syftet med studien har varit att kartlägga forskning i Botkyrka inom ämnet demokrati och delaktighet mellan åren 1997-2014. Materialet har sedan analyserats utifrån begreppet demokrati med en fördjupning i de tre demokratiskolorna valdemokrati, deltagardemokrati och samtalsdemokrati. På så sätt fångas forskningens berättelse om Botkyrkas demokratiarbete. Sammanlagt har 22 forskningsalster identifierats och tematiserats. Tematiseringarna gjordes med utgångspunkt i studiens frågeställningar och teoretiska perspektiv. Temana kan förstås utifrån två olika aspekter, där den första handlar om forskningens metod och utgångspunkter och den andra om innehållet i forskningen. Totalt har tio teman skapats. Utifrån temana besvaras den övergripande frågeställningen om vilka demokratiska ideal forskningen ger uttryck för. Berättelsen om Botkyrkas demokratiarbete innehåller en variation av uttryck. Alltifrån klassiska demokratiproblem till utvecklande forskningsperspektiv behandlas och glidningar mellan olika demokratiska ideal kan ses. Några forskningsprojekt använder sig av nytänkande metoder och annorlunda teoretiska utgångspunkter vilket kan ses som ett tecken på att forskarna vill utforska nya aspekter av demokratin.

Transportplaneringen har länge präglats av rationella metoder och verktyg, vilka anses ha svårt att hantera de sociala dimensionerna av hållbar utveckling (Thoresson 2014, s.23-24). Transportsystemet påverkar emellertid förutsättningarna för samhällets möjligheter till socialt hållbar utveckling (Stren & Polèse, 2000, s.28-29). År 2010 bildades Trafikverket genom sammanslagning av tidigare separerade verk för att skapa förutsättningar för en mer integrerad och långsiktigt hållbar transportplanering (Ingo, 2013, s.114). För att bidra till den långsiktigt hållbara transportplaneringen införde Trafikverket (2015a, s.3) år 2013 ett nytt steg i planprocessen: Åtgärdsvalsstudier (ÅVS), där förslag för vilken typ av åtgärd som kan lösa transportproblem utreds (Trafikverket, 2015a, s.8-9).I relation till ovanstående utveckling ställer vi i denna uppsats frågan: Hur integreras sociala dimensioner i den svenska transportplaneringen? Studien har avgränsats till att behandla processen för åtgärdsvalsstudier. Empiri har samlats in genom en fallstudie bestående av intervjuer med en arbetsgrupp för en pågående åtgärdsvalsstudie. Dessa intervjuer har kompletterats med ett samtal med en fokusgrupp, bestående av konsulter som arbetar med åtgärdsvalsstudier och redovisar deras erfarenheter av hur sociala dimensioner behandlas i åtgärdsvalsstudier. Denna empiri ställs i förhållande till teori om social hållbarhet och transportplanering. Resultatet av uppsatsen belyser problematik som finns med den rationella kunskapssynens sätt att behandla sociala dimensioner av hållbarhet. Detta då rationella processer inom transportplaneringen har svårigheter att identifiera grupper i samhället, vilket är ett kriterium för social rättvisa och social hållbarhet (jfr. Fainstein, 2000; Stren & Polèse, 2000, s.15-16). Dessutom har de rationella metoderna och den rationella kunskapssynens svårigheter i att kunna integrera kvalitativa värden av sociala dimensioner. Det framkommer även att ÅVS-processen präglas av förhandlingsplanering, vilket möjliggör att önskade åtgärder kan rationaliseras av de som bjuds in till dialog. I relation till förhandlingsplaneringen begränsas medborgarnas delaktighet och insyn, vilket äventyrar de demokratiska idealen och skapar en obalans i vem som får komma till tals. / Transport planning has for a long time been characterised by rational methods and tools that have had a hard time handling the social dimensions of sustainable development (Thoresson, 2014, p.23-24). However, the transport system influences the conditions of societies possibilities for sustainable development (Stren & Polèse, 2000, p.28-29). In 2010, Trafikverket (The Swedish Transport Administration) was formed by merging several separate administrations, to create the possibility for a more integrated and long term solution for transport planning (Ingo, 2013, p.114). In 2013, Trafikverket (2015a, p.3) introduced a new step in the planning process, as a means of contributing to the new long term sustainable transport planning: Åtgärdsvalsstudier (ÅVS), where in they would study different suggestions of intervention that could be used to solve transport problems (Trafikverket, 2015a, p.8-9).In relation to the above mentioned development, we will pose the following question in this paper: how are social dimensions incorporated within Swedish transportplanning? This paper has been limited to only treat the process of ÅVS. During the study we have done a case study including interviews with a team working on a ongoing ÅVS. A conversation with a focus group consisting of consultants working with ÅVS has also taken place. This empirical study has been compared to theories of social sustainability and transport planning. The result of the paper highlights the problems of discussing social dimensions within the rational perception of knowledge. This is because the rational processes used within transport planning make it difficult to identify groups in the society, which is neccesary for social justice and social sustainability (jfr. Fainstein, 2000; Stren & Polèse, 2000, s.15-16)”. In addition to this, the rational perception of knowledge and rational methodology creates difficulties in integrating qualitative values of social dimensions. It also appears that the ÅVS-process is characterised by negotiation planning, which makes it possible for people invited to the process to influence the interventions according to their own preferences. Linked with the negotiation planning is however the limitation it puts on the citizen participation and insight, which jeopardises the democratic ideals and creates an imbalance in who gets to have a say.

Participation as Pedagogy – Imagined Race and the Exhibit of Swedish Peoples-Types. This essay will analyse and give a deeper picture of the ”The Exhibit of Swedish People-Types” by focusing on the pedagogical ideals that formed the exhibit as an participatory media. The exhibit was led by the famous race-biologist Herman Lundborg and toured Sweden in 1919 displaying the racial constitution of the Swedish population using material gathered by the public itself. The exhibit has been described as an important tool in popularising eugenics in Swedish society during the early 20th century with the ambition of gaining funds to create the first race-biological institute and to influence policy-making. Nevertheless there has not been a single study which has focused solely on the exhibit and how the pedagogical ideals that permeated it affected the relation between the public and the media itself nor the political implications of this relation. I will show that the interactive participation enacted through the exhibit both defined a hierarchical relation between public and race-biological expertise, as well as it articulated a new “imagined community”, i.e., an “imagined race”. This participatory relation was not only key in creating the exhibit but also had implications on how the public should position itself and act in relation to society at large regarding eugenic matters. This gives me an opportunity to deepen our historical knowledge of the eugenics-movement and main-line racebiological networks in early 20 h century Swedish society. This essay also contribute to the history of participatory media and the popularisation of science.