The purpose of this field study is; through caregivers' description of their community, to gaina greater understanding of caregivers' experiences of raising children in areas with high gang crime in the Cape Flats, South Africa. This is achieved through ethnography and qualitative interviews with six caregivers. By analytically reviewing empirical data using theories of social constructionism and liberating pedagogy this study wants to emphasise caregivers' experiences as a source of knowledge on how to prevent children from gang involvement and how to support caregivers in areas with high gang crime. The main findings of the study indicate that the family is one of the most significant risk and protective factors. Caregivers affected by poverty, substance abuse and crime were identified as major risk factors for children's gang involvement. While education, faith and support of caregivers, and other caring adults were found to be the major protective factors.Social interventions need to be increased, focusing on caregivers and their shared environment.By supporting and empowering caregivers, children have a greater chance of resisting gang involvement. This can be achieved through parenting programs and support groups for at-risk caregivers.

Problematization: Family firms in Sweden play a vital role in the labor force, reflecting their extensive presence and essential role in the economy. Central to every family firm are its guiding values, shared among family members engaged in its activities. Driven by a commitment to their local communities and a sense of social responsibility, family firms actively pursue social initiatives. However, there is a recognized imperative for additional research to investigate micro-level aspects and enhance the comprehension of the Socioemotional Wealth (SEW) model. Purpose: The research aims to establish a conceptual framework for investigation of the interconnection between family firms and social initiatives. The primary objective is to explore how family values are embedded in the decision-making process concerning social initiatives within the local community. Method: An exploratory multiple case study design was employed, utilizing a qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with family members actively involved in the decision-making process regarding social initiatives and their subsequent implementation. Main results: Family values guide decisions related to social initiatives within family firms, driven by centralized ownership, while the business values of firms are influenced by the values upheld by family owners. Consequently, the decision-making process is influenced by the personal interests of family members, hence the essence of fostering community togetherness. The findings underscored an informal decision-making process across various industries,wherein decisions are guided by the personal interests of family members in pursuing social initiatives within the local community.

Social sustainability is increasingly recognized as a pressing concern in Sweden today, not only for politicians but also for the business sector and citizens alike. Its significance is particularly pronounced in the real estate sector, perhaps even vital given its connection to societal well-being. While Swedish real estate companies might not be new to considering this perspective, there has not been such a collective concern before. Therefore, there is not a common way to view or tackle this. Some companies have begun to include sustainability reporting in their annual report and the number is increasing every year. However, current systems and processes lack vital information since companies do not know what data to collect and how to analyze and assess it. The available information may be questioned for its reliability since each company decides what to report, complicating informed decision-making. This leads to inefficient social sustainability efforts. Furthermore, the absence of a standardized framework hinders stakeholders and investors from evaluating the performance of different companies, thereby leaving them unaware of sustainability-related risks. Additionally, comparing sustainability performance across companies proves challenging, undermining the credibility of the sustainable investment market. To achieve a positive transition Swedish real estate industry needs to decide on how to measure social sustainability. In this study, a German model for scoring social initiatives called SI Scoring 2.0 was examined, and it was investigated whether the model can be adapted for use in the Swedish real estate industry. The findings indicate that the model cannot be adopted in its entirety, but with adjustments, it can serve the Swedish market. By considering previous research within the subject, Swedish stakeholders’ opinions and Swedish law, recommendations, and certifications an adapted model is presented, called Socialt HållbarhetsIndex, SH Index. The index consists of 31 key performance indicators, KPIs, categorized into “property level” and “community level”. Each KPI is evaluated using a five-point scoring scale, and the achieved score is then adjusted according to Maslow hierarchy of needs to derive a total score. The thesis, the social sustainability index and its careful research aim to contribute to the discussion regarding how to measure social sustainability in Sweden. To overcome previous mentioned challenges, stakeholders must prioritize transparent and reliable reporting to enable accurate assessments of social impact. Only with robust reporting practices can funds be directed towards long-term sustainable investments, fostering a more socially sustainable society. / Social hållbarhet uppmärksammas i allt högre grad som en brådskande fråga i Sverige, inte bara för politiker utan även för både näringsliv och medborgare. Dess inverkan är än mer påtaglig i fastighetsbranschen på grund av dess tydliga koppling till samhället och dess välbefinnande. Även om svenska bolag inte är främmande för social hållbarhet har det inte funnit någon gemensam diskussion eller företeelser för hur man bör förhålla sig till det. De senaste åren har en handfull bolag rapporterat sitt hållbarhetsarbete i årsredovisningen och det blir fler och fler. Dock saknar nuvarande system och processer viktig information eftersom företagen inte vet vilken data de ska samla in och hur de ska analysera den. Den tillgängliga informationen kan ifrågasättas för sin tillförlitlighet eftersom varje företag bestämmer vad de ska rapportera, vilket försvårar jämförbarheten och välgrundade beslut. Dessutom försvårar avsaknaden av en standardiserad ram för intressenter och investerare att utvärdera olika företags prestationer, vilket lämnar dem ovetande om hållbarhetsrelaterade risker. Att jämföra hållbarhetsinitiativ mellan företag visar sig också vara utmanande, vilket underminerar trovärdigheten för marknaden för hållbara investeringar. Det krävs därmed en stor förflyttning och systemförändring för att man ska kunna enas om hur man ska arbeta med social hållbarhet framåt. För att uppnå en positiv omställning behöver den svenska fastighetsbranschen enas om hur man ska mäta social hållbarhet. I denna studie granskades en tysk modell för att bedöma sociala initiativ, kallad SI Scoring 2.0, för att undersöka om modellen kan anpassas för användning på den svenska marknaden. Resultatet visar att modellen inte kan antas i sin helhet, men att den med justeringar skulle kunna användas i Sverige. Genom att beakta tidigare forskning inom ämnet, svensk lagstiftning, rekommendationer och certifieringar samt svenska intressenters åsikter presenterar denna studie en ny anpassad modell, kallad Socialt HållbarhetsIndex, SH Index. Indexet består av 31 indikatorer, KPIer, uppdelade i fastighetsnivå och samhällsnivå. Varje KPI utvärderas på en 5-gradig skala, och den uppnådda poängen viktas sedan enligt Maslows behovshierarki för att få fram en totalpoäng. Denna avhandling med det modifierade sociala hållbarhetsindexet och dess noggranna forskning syftar till att bidra till diskussionen om hur man mäter social hållbarhet i Sverige. För att övervinna de tidigare nämnda utmaningarna måste intressenter vara transparenta och tillförlitliga i rapportering för att möjliggöra korrekta bedömningar av social påverkan. Endast med omfattande standarder för rapportering kan medel riktas mot hållbara investeringar, vilket på sikt främjar ett mer socialt hållbart samhälle.