Social hållbarhet innefattar värdegrunder som är viktiga att främja för att möta de sociala utmaningar som samhället står inför. Inom stadsplanering tar arbetet med sådana frågor ofta skepnad som visioner och mål, men vägen från dessa strategiska principer till detaljplan och slutlig projektering är inte lika tydlig. Offentliga platser har en betydande roll i stadsutvecklingsfrågor gällande social hållbarhet, då de utgör rum för möten mellan människor. Den fysiska miljön kan användas för att främja inkludering, trygghet, och andra sociala värden i staden. Det finns olika teorier och perspektiv på vad som gör en offentlig plats framgångsrik, och hur den fysiska utformningen kan skapa förutsättningar för att stärka sociala värden. Bland annat bör en offentlig plats vara mångfaldig och skapa rum för engagemang och aktivitet i syfte att främja delaktighet och gemenskap. Samtidigt bör det formas förutsättningar för välbefinnande och inkludering av alla människor. Det finns teorier om gestaltningsprinciper för hur en offentlig plats kan formas för att främja dessa värden. Man talar bland annat om att skapa aktiva bottenvåningar och erbjuda en variation av aktiviteter. Även utformning av formella och informella sittplatser, samt beaktande av orientering, placering, avstånd och dimensioner kan skapa förutsättningar för olika former av sociala möten. Denna studie genomförs på uppdrag av Värmdö Kommun i syfte att ta fram en handbok för hur offentliga platser kan utformas för att främja social hållbarhet. Förutom en litteraturstudie av relevanta teorier och forskning genomförs denna uppsats med hjälp av en fallstudie. Med fokus på Gustavsberg i Värmdö Kommun har tre olika offentliga platser studerats; Gustavsbergs centrum, Stadsparken, och Gustavsbergs hamn. En platsanalys av områdena har genomförts för att studera attribut i den fysiska utformningen som främjar sociala värden i enlighet med identifierade teorier och forskning. Även en stadsrumsanalys har genomförts i syfte att studera vilka förutsättningar som skapas av stadens struktur. Utformningen av Gustavsbergs centrum karaktäriseras av främjande faktorer för att skapa engagemang och mångfaldighet, som följd av den variation av funktioner som finns. Stadsparken och dess öppna grönyta främjar välbefinnande och den framtida utvecklingen, med större variation av aktiviteter, erbjuder kvalitéer som kan tilltala fler målgrupper och skapa delaktighet och inkludering. Gustavsbergs hamn karaktäriseras av områdets kulturhistoria som bruksort, och utformningen av området präglas av den lokala identiteten. Även välbefinnande främjas genom bland annat offentlig konst, promenadstråk och sittplatser. Åtgärder för att skapa social blandning förespråkas också, genom att en variation av aktiviteter och stadsrum utformas för att tilltala fler målgrupper. / Social sustainability embraces values that are important to foster to meet the social challenges that society faces. In urban planning, working with such issues often involves creating visions and goals. However, the steps from these strategic principles to detailed and final planning are often unclear. Public places play a significant role in urban development issues regarding social sustainability, as they provide space for meetings between people. The physical environment of public places can be used to promote inclusion, safety, and other social values in the city. There are different theories and perspectives on what makes a public place successful, and how physical design can create the conditions for strengthening social values. Among other things, a public place should be diverse and create space for involvement and activity to promote participation and community. At the same time, conditions should be formed for the well-being and inclusion of all people. There are theories of design principles for how a public place can be shaped to promote these values. Among other things, there is talk of creating active ground floors and offering a variety of activities. Formal and informal seating, as well as consideration of orientation, location, distance, and dimensions can also create conditions for various forms of social meetings. This study is carried out on behalf of Värmdö Municipality to produce a handbook for how public places can be designed to promote social sustainability. In addition to a literature study of relevant theories and research, this essay is conducted as a case study. With a focus on Gustavsberg in Värmdö Municipality, three different public places have been studied; the Centrum for Gustavsberg, the City Park, and the Port of Gustavsberg. A site analysis of the areas has been conducted to study attributes in the physical design that promote social values in accordance with identified theories and research. An urban space analysis was also carried out to study the conditions created by the city's structure. The design of the Centrum of Gustavsberg is characterized by promoting factors for creating commitment and diversity, because of the variety of functions that exist. The City Park and its open green space promotes well-being, but the future development with greater variety of activities offers qualities that can appeal to more target groups and create participation and inclusion. The Port of Gustavsberg is characterized by the cultural history as an industrial area, and the design of the area is characterized by the local identity. Well-being is also promoted with the use of public art, walking paths and seating. Measures to create social mixing are also advocated, by designing a variety of activities and urban spaces to appeal to more target groups.

Urban community gardens’ capability to yield aspects of social sustainability has been addressed in previous research. Nevertheless, further studies within this scientific field are requested for, exploring various socio-economic contexts and how such variables impact the outcomes of urban community garden initiatives. By the means of qualitative content analysis of material obtained via interviews and documents focusing on two urban community gardens in Skäggetorp, Linköping, on which a conceptual framework of social sustainability is applied,this study aims to investigate and seek a greater understanding of the potential and challenges of utilising urban community gardens as a planning strategy to foster social sustainability in socio-economic vulnerable neighbourhoods. The study finds that urban community gardens can bring various aspects of social sustainability, which can help meet the needs of socio-economic vulnerable neighbourhoodsin the strive for social sustainability. Many of these aspects are primarily created through the interaction occurring in the gardens. The study further confirms that urban community gardenscan function as educational hubs, allowing residents to practise language skills and learn about societal functions. Additionally, findings indicate that urban community gardens can be of financial significance in socio-economic vulnerable areas, a finding that previously mainly has been identified in studies of developing countries. Moreover, the study finds that urban community gardens allow existing traces of social sustainability to become visible and practised. However, low participation and lacking governmental support can obstruct the utilisation of urban community gardens as a planning strategy to foster social sustainability in socio-economic vulnerable neighbourhoods.

The apparel industry is one of the first industries being criticized and publicly shamed for not taking enough social responsibility for the workers in their supply chain. Today, most of the apparel production takes place in developing countries such as Bangladesh, China, Cambodia and Vietnam. Social issues in the apparel supply chain are often related to health and safety, minimum wages, overtime, child labor and the lack of freedom of association. Controlling these social issues is difficult since the apparel companies and their suppliers are geographically and culturally separated. Furthermore, the production of apparel takes place in countries with weaker legal frameworks not being strict enough to protect the workers' rights. Hence, the apparel companies face major challenges in controlling the fulfillment of international standards from the International Labor Organization and United Nations. There is a lack of research on the topic related to social sustainability practices in the supply chain and researchers state that it requires more attention, by focusing on how companies' code of conducts (CoC) and international standards can be used more effectively in the context of sourcing and social responsibility. To address the research gap, the purpose of the study is to understand how brand-owning apparel companies in Scandinavia control social sustainability in their supplier networks. Based on those findings, we will compare the relation between the empirical data and what theories and international standards illustrate as critical aspects for controlling social sustainability. In the study, we have conducted semi-structured interviews with seven Scandinavian apparel companies. Since social sustainability can be a sensitive topic for companies to share information on, we have also conducted an interview with Nina Wertholz, working at the non-profit organization Fair Action, providing a different perspective. By using a thematic analysis, two main themes have been identified that together answer the research question, namely control measures and factors affecting control. Firstly, control measures relate to what the companies' control consists of and our findings demonstrate risk assessments, code of conduct, audits, and measurement as the main tools. Still, we conclude that these control measures are not sufficient to control social sustainability in the supplier network. Secondly, factors affecting control can explain the outcome of controlling social sustainability. Findings advocate that a good collaboration, providing support and a shared interest can facilitate a higher degree of control. Additionally, our findings shows that companies with smaller order quantities have less influence and control over their supplier's social sustainability practices. We also infer that the number of suppliers and which countries the companies choose to source from will affect the obtained level of control. Furthermore, decisions regarding the supplier base and the sourcing country are active choices made by the companies. Lastly, we conclude that the companies' purchasing behavior can affect the level of control related to wages, incomes, and overtime for the workers in the apparel supply chain.

”Att inte se varandra någonsin, det är det som är det farliga för ett samhälle” –  (efter Per Svensson, Expressens dåvarande kulturredaktör, 2006)1 Staden uppfattas av de flesta som en tät bebyggelse med strukturer och former som skapar den miljö många av oss lever i idag. Grunden till att staden är så populär och befolkad beror på att vi vill vara närvarande där saker och ting sker. Det är det mänskliga myllret i stadens centrum som lockar, där det pågående samspelet mellan liv och form utspelar sig. Trots detta är det en fortsatt utmaning hur vi ska uppnå drömbilden vi bär inom oss av staden som socialt fenomen.  Enligt flera arkitektur- och samhällsteorier har arkitekturen en betydande roll både estetiskt och planeringsmässigt att erbjuda den livfullhet och ömsesidig respekt som får staden att fungera som ett hållbart samhälle. Däremot är det inte arkitekterna som står ensamma för stadens design. Det fordras gott samarbete och tydlig kommunikation mellan flera yrkesdiscipliner som medverkar inom stadsplanering. Samtidigt ska också medborgarnas åsikter inkluderas och utlovas aktivt deltagande i processer som berör deras livsmiljö.  Avsikten med denna forskningsstudie är att undersöka definitionen av begreppet social hållbarhet när det är kopplat till arkitektur och stadsplanering. I all utveckling av städer och samhällen ska de tre hållbarhetsdimensionerna social, ekonomisk och ekologisk värderas lika. Det finns en ovisshet om den sociala dimensionens roll i de fysiska planeringsprocesser som sker i Sverige. Anledningen är att begreppet blir aktivt i flera kunskapsområden och berör många kompetenser som behöver kommunicera och samarbeta på ett effektivt sätt.  Forskningsarbetet har utförts under våren 2022. Inom arbetet har tre pågående stadsutvecklingsprojekt i Skåne studerats. Genom läsning av kommunernas olika styrdokument tillsammans med databassökningar och litteratur skapades ett teoretiskt ramverk. Det resulterade i en förklaring av social hållbarhet vars aspekter använts som analysverktyg i arbetet. Platsbesök gjordes och intervjuer hölls med projektansvariga i de olika fallen, samt en utomstående kulturstrateg. Slutligen sammanställdes en enkät till studerande inom arkitektur och stadsplanering vid Malmö Universitet för att erhålla deras förklaring av begreppet.  I resultatet framkommer att förklaringen av begreppet social hållbarhet kan försåts genom nyckelorden från analysverktyget. Däremot finns ingen uttalad och entydig definition som används i stadsplaneringen avseende arkitekturens och stadsbyggnadens roll för en bättre gestaltad livsmiljö. Svaret ligger troligen i att det är svårt att mäta sociala värden. Det skapar dilemma med att tillsätta lämplig kompetens med nyanserat perspektiv på människan och staden.  Staden behöver arkitektur som är närvarande och relationsskapande, vilket innebär rum som gestaltas i human skala som människor uppfattar som gemensam. En socialt hållbar arkitektur handlar om upplevelser, känslor, personliga erfarenheter och relationer som inte går att mäta med siffror likt ekonomi och ekologi. Det förutsätter att vi utvecklar nya metoder som på ett respektfullt sätt kan förstå och utvärdera humana uppfattningar. Arbetet med att gestalta socialt hållbara städer är ingen lätt uppgift som kommer med färdiga lösningar. Det innebär att frångå det fyrkantiga tänkandet för att nyfiket upptäcka nya idéer genom olika samarbeten. Nyckelord: Social hållbarhet, arkitektur, stadsplanering, samråd, politik 1 Per Svensson fungerade som inspiratör i planarbetet för Vision Norra Sorgenfri och citeras i en rapport om visionsarbetet (Malmö Stad, 2006). / ”Never be able to see each other, that’s what’s the most dangerous to a society”  (Per Svensson, 2006)2 The city is most often perceived as dense settlements with structures and forms that shapes the environment in which many of us live today. The reason for why the city is so popular and densely populated is our will to be present where things happen. It is the human life that attracts, this continuous exchange between life and living that takes place in the city’s central crowds. Still, it seems to be a continuing challenge in how to achieve the dreamt image that we have of the city as a social phenomenon. According to several architectural and social theories, architecture plays a significant role both aesthetically and in terms of physical planning to offer the liveliness and mutual respect that makes the city into sustainable society. On the other hand, it is not the architects alone who bear the responsibility for the city’s shape. It requires good cooperation and communication between several different professions that are involved in urban planning. In a similar manner, the citizens must be included in the process and promised an active participation in designing their living environment.  The purpose of this research is to explore the meaning of the concept social sustainability in relation to architecture and urban planning. In all development processes of cities there must be a equal valuation of the tree dimensions of social, economic and ecological sustainability. There is an uncertainty about the implication of the social dimension in sustainable planning processes in Sweden. One reason is that it is an overlapping concept that extends over several topics and affects many competencies that need to communicate and collaborate effectively.  This research study focused on three ongoing urban development projects in Skåne in southern Sweden. By reading the municipalities’ governing documents together with database searches and literature, a theoretical framework was created. This resulted in an explanation of social sustainability, created by aspects with were used analytical throughout the work. Site visits were made and project managers and a cultural strategist were interviewed. Finally, a survey was compiled for architecture and urban planning students at Malmö University to gain their explanation of the concept social sustainability. The study shows that the explanation of the concept of social sustainability can be provided by the keywords from the analytical tool. On the other hand, there is no explicit and unambiguous definition used in urban planning regarding the role architecture plays for designing better living environments. The answer probably lies in the fact that it is difficult to measure social values. It creates a dilemma in adding appropriate skills with a nuanced perspective on human life and the city. The city need architecture that is present and relationship-creating, which means spaces designed on a human scale that people perceive as common. A socially sustainable architecture is all about impressions, feelings, personal experiences and realities that cannot be assessed in numbers in the same way as economics and ecology. This presupposes that we develop new methods for respectfully understanding and evaluating human perceptions. The work of shaping socially sustainable cities is not an easy task that comes with ready-made solutions. It implies to give up the square thinking in order to curiously discover new ideas through various collaborations. Keywords: Social sustainability, architecture, urban planning, consultation, politics. 2 Per Svensson was an inspirer in the planning work for Vision Norra Sorgenfri and was quoted in a report about the vision work (Malmö Stad, 2006). Original quote translated from Swedish by the author: ”Att inte se varandra någonsin, det är det som är det farliga för ett samhälle”

As social sustainability has lacked recognition and consideration within physical planning since the establishment of the sustainability definition, this thesis seeks to investigate its role within a railway infrastructure’s physical planning process and project management. The study evaluates the specific case of the East Link, section Södertälje-Trosa, because it is a current project that has been ongoing for a long period of time. The thesis further seeks to investigate how the planning actors connected to the case study project have recognised the role of social sustainability and what influences they experience have affected the level of social sustainability within the project. The theory used to evaluate the research questions includes a definition for sustainability and presents which social sustainability aspects have been used for the investigation: distributive justice, the citizen perspective, and power. To be able to evaluate the project management of the East Link Södertälje-Trosa, theory regarding project management and communication is also presented. The case study has been focused on the analysis of publicly available documents for the project, which are also complemented by semi-structured interviews with planning actors of different sectors. The empirical analysis, where the case study results are connected to the theoretical basis, concludes that the East Link Södertälje-Trosa project has lacked both consideration and recognised ambition for social sustainability, even though the Swedish Transport Administration has expressed a future aim for the concept. The reason as to why social sustainability has lacked prioritisation is due to multiple factors; the timing of the project initiation, size of the project and project management, as well as lack of consideration and recognition for social sustainabilityaspects within the citizen perspective and the utilitarian philosophy behind the project. While the Swedish Transport Administration is largely responsible for the ambition of social sustainability within the project, the level of social sustainability is also influenced by the power of the discourse, where it has not gained enough recognition as important for physical planning and because of this, there are no legal requirements for its focus. The future of social sustainability and its recognition is further discussed in relation to the Swedish Transport Administration’s future ambition of social sustainability, the practice of social impact assessments and inclusion of social sustainability sectors within projects. Finally, a proposition is made regarding social-ecological sustainability, where social sustainability can gain equal recognition to ecological, as they are interdependent and of equal importance in physical planning.

The purpose of this work is to investigate how the urban planning in Karlstad worksand to study how they work with common areas, specifically squares. To investigatethis and how the square contributes to social sustainability, two case studies havebeen done on two selected squares, Stora torget and Våxnäs torg. A literature studyhas also been done to achieve the purpose of the work. The literature study describesdifferent theories that focus on sustainable public spaces, including important aspectsregarding the design of the square. In our case studies two methods were used: On-site observations and an online survey.The survey was also partly answered by the people who were on the square. Duringthe observation the design of the square was analyzed and also how the square wasused by the people. Many people were waiting for the bus at Stora torget, but somepeople were also sitting down on the benches around the fountain having their lunch.At Våxnäs torg some people were sitting on the benches, but in general it was very fewpeople at the square. Our on-site observations at Stora torget and Våxnäs torg showed that many peopleseem to pass the square on their way to other things. However, our survey showed thatmany people want to use the square environment in several different ways, forexample for events and as a marketplace. Further more, based on the survey, it wasconsidered that the most important aspects for creating a functioning square areseating, lighting, greenery and market trade, which is something that both Stora torgetand Våxnäs torg partially fullfill but it is also somehing that can be improved. / Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka hur stadsplaneringen i Karlstad ser ut ochstudera hur de arbetar med gemensamma ytor, specifikt torg. För att undersöka dettasamt hur torget bidrar till social hållbarhet har två fallstudier gjorts på två utvaldatorg, Stora torget och Våxnäs torg. En litteraturstudie har också gjorts för att uppnåsyftet med arbetet. Där har delvis olika teorier som fokuserar på hållbara offentligarum tagits upp och beskrivits, bland annat beskrivs vilka aspekter som är viktigagällande torgets utformning och design. I våra fallstudier användes två metoder: observationer på plats och enenkätundersökning som lades ut online. Enkäten besvarades också delvis av demänniskorna som befann sig på torgen. Under observationen analyserades det hurtorget var utformat och hur torget användes av människorna. Många personer väntadepå bussen på Stora torget, men det fanns även de som åt lunch på bänkarna runtfontänen. På Våxnäs torg satt en del människor på bänkarna, men det var generelltytterst få människor som befann sig på torget. Våra observationer på plats på Stora torget och Våxnäs torg visade att mångamänniskor verkar passera torget på väg till annat. Dock visade vår enkätundersökningatt många människor vill utnyttja torgmiljön på flera olika sätt exempelvis till eventeller torghandel. Vidare utifrån enkäten ansåg flera att de viktigaste aspekterna för attskapa ett bra fungerande torg är sittplatser, belysning, grönska och torghandel, vilketär något som både Stora torget samt Våxnäs torg delvis har uppfyllt men som kanförbättras.

The purpose of this case study is to describe and analyze the City Mission's project to construct and manage socially sustainable housing in Farsta Strand. This is done by analyzing the project and its intended model from a social and economic sustainability perspective. The methods used to collect data in this qualitative study include a compilation of literature review, document analysis, and interview study. The study subject in Farsta Strand was investigated in a case study where project developers from the Stockholm City Mission and two researchers were interviewed to gain an understanding of the project's purpose, design, context, and background. In addition to the two selected sustainability dimensions, social and economic sustainability, the theoretical background of the study is based on a developed theoretical framework. This framework consists of analysis questions partly based on previous research reports related to the project's previous design. The formulated analysis questions were based on the revised project model and were then included in the interview guide for the interview with representatives from the Stockholm City Mission. The obtained answers served as the starting point for the analysis and discussion from a social and economic perspective. Even though the study subject has not been constructed and the model has not been previously tested, the study addresses its purpose of creating long-term housing solutions of good quality for households that face challenges in accessing the regular housing market. Furthermore, the study results suggest that the project can potentially achieve its purpose based on the two sustainability dimensions. From a social sustainability perspective, the project can create conditions for households to improve their living situation over time by offering a collective housing solution that includes, among other things, first-hand contracts with adjusted rents. Simultaneously, the study demonstrates from an economic sustainability perspective that the project can offer long-term conditions for property owners to adopt the model, which is a prerequisite for the purpose of the model to be achieved. / Syftet med denna fallstudie är att beskriva och analysera Stadsmissionens projekt att bygga och förvalta socialt hållbara bostäder i Farsta Strand. Detta görs genom att analysera projektet med dess tänkta modell utifrån ett socialt och ekonomiskt hållbarhetsperspektiv. Metoderna som använts för att samla in data i denna kvalitativa studie är en sammanställning av litteraturgenomgång, dokumentstudie och intervjustudie. Studieobjektet i Farsta Strand undersöktes i en fallstudie där projektutvecklare från Stockholms Stadsmission och två forskare intervjuades i syfte att skapa förståelse för projektets syfte, utformning, kontext och bakgrund. Utöver de två valda hållbarhetsdimensionerna, social och ekonomisk hållbarhet, utgörs studiens teoretiska bakgrund på ett framtaget teoretiskt ramverk. Detta ramverk utgörs av analysfrågor som delvis baseras på tidigare forskningsrapport kopplat till projektets tidigare utformning. De framtagna analysfrågorna baserades på den omarbetade projektmodellen och ingick sedan i den intervjuguide för intervjun med representanter från Stockholms Stadsmission. Svaren som erhölls utgjorde utgångspunkten för analysen och diskussionen utifrån ett socialt och ekonomiskt perspektiv. Trots att studieobjektet inte är uppfört och att modellen inte tidigare är beprövad svarar studien på sitt syfte med att skapa långsiktiga boendelösningar av god kvalitet för hushåll som har det svårt att komma in på den ordinarie bostadsmarknaden. Vidare resulterar studien att projektet kan tänkas uppnå sitt syfte utifrån de två hållbarhetsdimensionerna. Ur ett socialt hållbarhetsperspektiv kan projektet genom att erbjuda en kollektiv boendelösning som bland annat innefattar förstahandskontrakt med anpassade hyror skapa förutsättningar för hushållen att förbättra sin livssituation över tid. Samtidigt visar studien ur ett ekonomiskt hållbarhetsperspektiv att projektet kan erbjuda långsiktiga förutsättningar för fastighetsägare att ta efter modellen, vilket är en förutsättning för att syftet med modellen ska uppnås.

Könsstereotypisering i reklam är ett genomgripande problem som fortsätter att forma och förstärka samhällets normer och uppfattningar om könsroller. Denna masteruppsats syftar till att ge en översikt över den problematiska naturen av könsstereotypisering i reklam, där man belyser de relaterade frågorna och deras konsekvenser, samtidigt som man erbjuder forskningsbaserade rekommendationer till intressenter för att främja mer inkluderande och rättvisa reklampraktiker. Forskningen visar att könsstereotyper kvarstår i reklam över hela världen, även om vissa länder kan uppvisa mer avancerade tillvägagångssätt för att hantera frågan. Det har också konstaterats att könsstereotypisering manifesteras genom olika medel, inklusive ljud-, visuella och semantiska element, där subtila former är särskilt oroande på grund av deras obemärkta påverkan på tittare. Viktiga områden för undersökning inkluderar de negativa effekterna av skadlig reklam, den kulturella påverkan, företags och intressenters ansvar, fördelarna med utbildning av anställda och interaktiva upplevelser, utmaningar med att uppnå allmänt engagemang, betydelsen av kvalitativ copytesting, effektiviteten i proaktiva åtgärder och branschinitiativ samt användningen av humor i reklam. Uppsatsen föreslår en forskningsbaserad metod för att främja jämställdhet mellan könen i reklam genom en föreslagen ram. / Gender stereotyping in advertising is a pervasive issue that continues to shape and reinforce societal norms and perceptions of gender roles. This master's thesis aims to provide an overview of the problematic nature of gender stereotyping in advertising, highlighting the associated issues and their implications, while offering research-based recommendations for stakeholders to foster more inclusive and equitable advertising practices. The research reveals that gender stereotypes generally persist in advertising, although some countries may exhibit more advanced approaches to addressing the issue. It was also found that gender stereotyping manifests through various means, including audio, visual, and semantic elements, with subtle forms being particularly concerning due to their unnoticed influence on viewers. Key areas of exploration include the negative effects of harmful advertising, the cultural influence, corporate and stakeholder responsibility, the benefits of employee education and interactive experiences, challenges in achieving widespread involvement, the significance of qualitative copy testing, the effectiveness of proactive measures and industry initiatives, and the use of humour in advertising. The thesis proposes a research-based approach to promoting gender equality in advertising through a suggested framework.

In our era, digital technology is one of the fastest-changing areas. It impacts our private life, well-being, economics, politics and warfare. This essay intends to answer how digital transformation affects combats and state and non-state actors and also how these digitalised combats compromise social sustainability. The findings include social media and online platforms, dark web and cyberterrorism, cryptocurrency, remote sensing and surveillance, machine learning and AI, and digitally enabled strategies. The analysis was done by the Centre of Gravity model, social sustainability and securitisation theory. The thesis follows a comparative case study approach about Kenya and Nigeria therefore the essay address al-Shabaab and Boko Haram as the two prominent terrorist groups and the empirical data are related specifically to these countries and these diasporas.

In Sweden there are large differences between living in the city and the countryside. To make the countryside more attractive as a place of living, improvement is necessary in some regions. One such region is Skruv, a village that consists of a lot of deserted houses.  The purpose of the study is to improve the living conditions in this region. As a result, a design proposal has been created. In the creation of this study, both information gathered from field studies and interviews with subject relevant professionals has acted as a basis. This all surmised into a proposal with the old stationhouse as a central role. The proposal has a futuristic angle, as it expects there to be a functioning train stop, something which also increase the attractiveness of the region. In the proposal the chosen deserted houses consist of functions that are deemed desired by the inhabitants in Skruv.  Overall functions in a society are the same regardless of the geographical location. It’s important to look at a place specific conditions and resources to enable a favorable development.