The aim of this essay was to determine 1. How Muslims were described in the Sweden Democrats official magazine and 2. What the purpose with their descriptions could be. The material, the SD-Courier was chosen due to it being an official magazine that was easily accessible. A hermeneutic method was used where each article selected was read several times to create a greater understanding for the material and the phenomenon within. Several articles, nine out of 485, mentioned Islam and Muslims. The description of Muslims and Islam was exclusively negative in that most authors and articles tried to describe Muslims and Islam as a threat. The threat ranged between a local threat, threatening Sweden as a whole and finally threatening the entire Western civilization. The reasons for the descriptions can be several. By creating stereotypes of Muslims as evil the Sweden Democrats create a stereotype of themselves as the “good guys”. By doing so they also create an opportunity for recruiting new members to the party. Another reason is the assignment of blame. Muslims become the scapegoat for problems in society which may lack obvious solutions.

No description available.

This work helps increasing our general understanding of how plants behave under altered hydrological conditions which occur along rivers regulated by hydropower dams. Usually, natural-real environments are highly unpredictable. Consequently, research based on field data becomes challenging and results may contain uncertainty. Here, an experimental design in a greenhouse is developed. Several measured attributes of selected plant species related to germinability, performance and survival were used as indicators of the impact of watering treatments which mimic hydrological regime spilled through hydropower dams. Specifically, direct effect<img src="https://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" /><img src="https://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" /> of water availability changes, water fluctuation and water flooding, and indirect effect<img src="https://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" /> through derived erosion, were tested. Results benefitted from indoors controlled conditions. They showed significant different responses depending on species and hydrological changes. In general, Helianthus annuus was slightly affected. It deal well flooding conditions, and was comparatively more affected by water fluctuation and stress. Carex and Filipendula species showed the highest sensitivities to flow. They hardly germinated under any water treatment (few germinations under flooding for Carex and few under water fluctuation for Filipendula) and performance was very low for germinates. Betula pubescens was in between. Contrarily to Helianthus, it was severely affected by flooding, and also for water fluctuation. It survived water stress better than Helianthus, but looked unhealthy. All species seeds but Helianthus were highly eroded. However, erosion resulting<img src="https://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" /> from water fluctuation was relatively higher than from prolonged flooding. Differing responses are the result of morphological and physiological characteristics of the species which enable them to success under certain stressful conditions, such as water scarcity and anoxia. These results objectively inform about tolerance limits of selected species to key hydrological conditions and are useful for riparian areas management and environmental flows designs.

This report compares programmes of coordinated recipient control for rivers in northern Sweden. The aim was to investigate differences in the programme of the Ume and Vindel Rivers compared with those of Skellefte, Torne, Kalix and Ångerman Rivers. Future impacts on Ume and Vindel Rivers, and consequently the programme, were also studied. A quantitative method, namely meta-analysis, was used in order to collect data of programmes on Water Information System Sweden (VISS). The results of this study showed that the programme for the streams is slightly different regarding measured parameters, number of sampling points and sampling frequency. However, the similarities between the programmes of Ume and Vindel Rivers and Torne and Kalix Rivers are greater than compered to Skellefte River. The conclusion is that the differences in the programmes may have a natural explanation such as different emissions to the recipients, but can also indicate different ambitions. The programme may be affected and in need of change if a potential nickel sulphide mine in Tärnaby, Storuman is established and joins the water conservation association of the Ume and Vindel Rivers. Intensified forestry might also increase future impacts.

This composition investigates the challenges and problems that Domnarvets workers union had to relate to under its pioneering time 1890-1891. In my investigation I used the protocols from the union meetings where their interests where discussed. My purpose is to reveal these problems, and I have selected a couple of them in this composition. The issues are the harassments from the management and the difficulties in obtain place for their meetings. The relation to the state church, revivalist movement and the temperance movement and the difficulties of enthuse the workers in Domnarvet to the union. Finally I have been looking at the union´s relation to the major working class issues at the time, the eight hour day and the voting right. My method is to analyze the protocols of the meetings and point out the issues that I find interesting to my investigation. I have been looking for strategies from the union and for political ideologies in the protocols. I have also had an open eye for arguments and ideas that showed the unions stand in the issues I was interested in. The results are that these workers were not hesitating to do things that could anger the management and attempted to obtain places for their meetings. They did delete the religious agenda at the meeting after a while. The major working class issues of eight hour day and voting right disappeared after harassments from the management. But the management did finally get the union on its knee, at least for this time.

The municipal identities and the absence of shared benefits-A case of municipal cooperationbetween Norrköping and Linköping on issues of regional airports.This is a bachelor thesis concerning airports in the region of Östergötland and policy network cooperation between the municipal Norrköping and Linköping. The municipalities have numerous times interacted in other fields of the political administration. The thesis investigates the steps that have been taken by the municipalities since the last reports that were made in this matter. Why there have not been any achievements in interactions and what may happen in the future to these airports. The result is based on empirical evidence collected from an interview study; the respondents in the interviews are politicians and public officials in both municipals.The thesis shows that the implementation process of policy networks between the municipalities have been lingering and difficult. Politicians from the municipal of Linköping have not seen the benefits of a jointly owned operating company for the airports, while the politicians from the municipal of Norrköping has not worked proactive in the matter. The final conclusion of the thesis is that the two regional airports today are to varied in their structures to be able to corporate and the only output that came from the reports in this matter was an informal partnership agreement in marketing.

Many of the European butterfly species have declined rapidly over the past decades. The cause is thought to be habitat loss due to factors such as increased tree cover, afforestation and intensified agriculture. I analyzed nation-wide data on butterfly occurrences in Sweden, to explore whether occurrences of individual species, grassland dependent species, grassland specialists, red-listed species, and moths, have increased or declined over a period of five years. I found that four species had significantly declined and eight had increased. The results were in accordance with other finds from Sweden, as well as from the UK, regarding the declining species. In contrast, the results regarding the increasing species only partly confirmed previous studies. I also found that grassland specialists and red-listed species had increased, possibly reflecting the fact that Sweden has a relatively large amount of boreal landscapes containing patches of clear-cuts and semi-natural grasslands.

No description available.

Background Stigma and discrimination because of medical conditions is a global phenomenon. Epilepsy and mental illness belong to the most stigmatizing disorders world-wide. Culture, religion, education, life-style influences the perception of stigma. There are two aspects of stigma of special interest for this thesis; internalized stigma, which is the perception of a person suffering from a condition and the public perception of this disorder. This study investigates both aspects of stigma because of mental illness and epilepsy. Internalized stigma of mental illness and epilepsy are also studied in Umea, Sweden, with the same instrument as in Iran in order to look at the cultural influence. Methods Paper 1 and 2 on internalized stigma because of mental disorders and epilepsy in Tehran: These studies are cross-sectional with 138 persons with mental illness recruited from three different hospitals in Tehran and 130 persons with epilepsy from one neurologic clinic in Tehran and the Iran epilepsy association. Internalized stigma because of mental illness was measured using ISMI (Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness) questionnaire and because of epilepsy with the same instrument adapted for epilepsy (ISEP). ISMI/ISEP contains 29 items measured by a 4-point Likert scale. An open-ended question about the experiences of discrimination was added. Paper 3 and 4 on public attitudes towards mental disorders and epilepsy in Tehran: These two studies were performed with 800 individuals randomly chosen from households in four districts of Iran (north, south, east and west). In Paper 3 on attitudes and knowledge of mental illness a modified version of a questionnaire developed for the World Association program to reduce discrimination and stigma because of schizophrenia was used. In Paper 4 on awareness of and attitudes towards epilepsy a questionnaire originally developed by Caveness and Gallup in United States as early as 1949 was used and since used in many studies all over the world. Paper 5 and 6 comparing internalized stigma because of mental disorders and epilepsy in Tehran and Umea: These two studies included patients suffering from mental disorders (N=163) and epilepsy (N=93) recruited from the university hospital in Umea, Sweden. The same questions as used in Paper 1 and 2 were applied. Results The experience of stigma because of mental disorders was high in the Iranian sample. The Swedish sample generally reported lower levels of experienced stigma than the Iranian except for items covering self-blame and feelings of alienation. As regards epilepsy the Iranian sample reported quite a high level of experienced stigma compared to the Swedish sample. Generally the patients with epilepsy reported lower levels of experienced stigma compared to patients with mental illness in the two settings. Attitudes towards mentally ill persons in Tehran were at the same levels as in western high income countries. The knowledge about and attitudes towards persons with epilepsy was also generally at the same level as found in other European studies expect for a much lower acceptance as regards accepting a person with epilepsy to marry someone in the family. Conclusion Stigma because of mental illness and epilepsy is a reality even in Iran, which is an Islamic setting in spite of the teachings of the Koran to show mercy with people who suffer from different ailments and rather well developed health services. The levels of experienced stigma is higher in Iran compared to Sweden, but still there is quite a lot of stigma because of mental illness even in Sweden in spite of several national efforts to reduce stigma. The lower levels of stigma because of epilepsy in both settings and especially in Sweden, is suggested to be the consequence of effective treatments available for epilepsy compared to the less successful treatments available for mental illness. The differences in internalized stigma reported and the public perceptions of stigma because of both mental illness and epilepsy between Iran and Sweden is suggested partly a consequence of the different cultural settings, Sweden being an extremely individualistic society compared to the more collectivistic Iranian society.

Det finns en hel del forskning om högerpopulistiska partiers relation till massmedier, och hur den högerextrema rörelsen använder sociala medier. Hur högerpopulistiska partier använder material från medierna för att rama in sina politiska budskap är däremot mindre utforskat. Frågeställningarna för undersökningen var hur Sverigedemokraterna agerar som news aggregator på sin Facebook-sida i samband med riksdagsvalet 2014, och hur partiet ramar in det redaktionella material de länkar till. En kvalitativ undersökning med utgångspunkt i teorin om framing gjordes av samtliga officiella inlägg på Sverigedemokraternas Facebook-sida under perioden 140801 – 141031. Inläggen grupperades utifrån sex teman (mobilisering, Sverigedemokraterna mot etablissemanget, välfärd, ekonomi, invandring och hotet mot Sverige). De inläggen som innehöll länkar till redaktionellt material analyserades vad gäller syftet med nyhetsförmedlingen och inramningen av det länkande materialet. Analysen visar hur Sverigedemokraterna använder Facebook-sidan för att förmedla sin egen tolkning av händelser under valrörelsen. Det redaktionella materialet används för att ge SD legitimitet, hämta hem segrar och förstärka bilden av stödet för partiet. Två gestaltningar dominerar inramningen av de länkade artiklarna. Den ena är att SD som enda parti vågar tala klarspråk om den negativa utvecklingen i Sverige och därmed ger röst åt ”vanligt folk”. Den andra är att Sverige är hotat och att detta på olika sätt kan kopplas till invandringen. Detta ligger i linje med resultat från tidigare forskning.