Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilka som är de avgörande faktorerna till att individen lämnar den kriminella livsstilen samt upprätthåller den prosociala livsstilen. Studien har använt en kvalitativ metod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer. För att besvara studiens syfte har fem respondenter inkluderats från föreningen KRIS-Kriminellas Revansch I Samhället i Malmö. Alla fem respondenter har suttit i fängelset och haft en tidigare kriminell livsstil. Resultatet påvisade att fyra faktorer var avgörande för att lämna den kriminella livsstilen: avslutande av missbruk, familj, påföljd och hälsa. Där missbruksproblematiken hade en stark koppling till deras kriminalitet. Gällande den prosociala livsstilen menade respondenterna att relationer, förändrat konsekvenstänk, sysselsättning och avslutande av missbruk var drivkraften till upprätthållandet. Avslutningsvis menade respondenterna att det oftast inte finns endast en specifik faktor till avslutandet eller upprätthållandet, utan viljan att förändra sin livsstil måste finnas där. / This study aims to investigate what the crucial factors for an individual leaving the criminal lifestyle and maintaining the prosocial lifestyle are. The study has used a qualitative method in the form of semi-structured interviews. To respond to the purpose of the study, five respondents have been included from the association KRIS-Kriminellas Revansch I Samhället in Malmö. All five respondents have been in prison and had a previous criminal lifestyle. The results showed that there were four crucial factors to leaving the criminal lifestyle: the termination of addiction, family, penalty and health. Where the problem of abuse had a strong connection to their crime. Regarding the prosocial lifestyle respondents argued that relationships, mindfulness of consequences, employment and termination of addiction were the driving force for maintaining a prosocial lifestyle. In conclusion the respondents expressed that there is often not only a specific factor that dictates if one is able to maintain nor end criminal behavior, but instead the will to change lifestyle is what must be prominent.

The aim for this study was to investigate how young adults describe their emerging adulthood, when coming from problematic teenage years. Three people around the age of 25 were interviewed. They had experience of non-institutional community care during their teenage years. To capture the narrative the informants gave of their youth, a life course perspective and resilience theory was used to understand if and how they have managed stress and adversity in their life. The study shows similarities to earlier studies on youth leaving institutional care or foster care, with heightened risk of school failings, shortened transition between youth and adulthood and a continued problematic life situation. The study shows the importance of meaningful relations outside of the family context. Transition periods and other turning points offers the possibility to explore new roles and with time incorporate the interventions of the non-institutional community care which can lead to personal growth.

Utrikes föddas möjlighet till ett etablerat karriärliv i Sverige är ett återkommande ämne i olika kartläggande rapporter, statistiska analyser och forskningsartiklar. Forskning visar att tidigare kunskaper som individen tillägnat sig i ett annat land kan möjligen erkännas i Sverige om individen investerar i nya former av kapital. Dessa studier lyfter mest positiva berättelser och betonar betydelse av att tolka karriärutveckling inte bara i termer av etnicitet,migration och kulturella skillnader utan som en del av individernas större narrativ om deras framgång i det nya svenska sammanhanget. Syftet med denna studie är att se hur utrikesfödda som kommer från samma land och således från samma kulturella kontext och som flyttar till Sverige som vuxna ser på sin karriärutveckling i det nya landet. Metoden som valts för denna studie är semistrukturerade intervjuer som också har inslag av livsberättelser. Intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av Hodkinson och Sparkes Careership-teori och olika teoretiska begrepp kring kapitalets betydelse som tidigare forskning har funnit stöd i. Tematisk analys valdes för att redogöra och analysera studiens resultat. Resultaten visade att intervjupersonernas resa i Sverige möts både av hinder och möjligheter. Analysen tyder påatt det som däremot leder till hållbara karriärer och som egentligen kan omvandla möjliga hinder till möjligheter är människornas investering i nya kunskaper. För att gå igenom de olika brytpunkterna och hantera dem på bästa möjliga sätt intar individen ett pragmatiskt rationellt förhållningssätt. Undersökningen belyser betydelsen av att se utrikes föddaskarriärutveckling inte i termer av enstaka faktorer utan som ett kontinuerligt samspel mellan individens ständiga försök och det nya landets samhälleliga kontext. / The opportunity for foreign born people to have an established career in Sweden is a recurring topic in various survey reports, statistical analyses and research articles. Research shows that knowledge previously acquired in another country can be valued in Sweden if the individual invests in social and cultural capital. These studies also highlight mostly positive stories and emphasize on the importance of interpreting career development not only interms of ethnicity, migration and cultural differences but as part of the individuals' broader narratives of their success in the new swedish context. The purpose of this study is to see how foreign born people coming from the same country, and thus from the same cultural context, and who moved to Sweden as adults regard their career development in the new country. The method chosen for this study is one of semi-structured interviews that also have elements of life stories. The interviews were analyzed with the help of Hodkinson and Sparkes Careership theory and various concepts around capital theories that previous research has been based on. Thematic analysis was used in order to present and analyze the results of the study. The results showed that the interviewees' journey in Sweden came with both obstacles and opportunities. Analysis suggests that what leads to sustainable careers and can finally turn possible obstacles into opportunity is people's investment in new knowledge. Moreover, it finds that in order to go through the various turning points and deal with them in the best possible way, individuals adopt a pragmatically rational approach. The study highlights the importance of seeing career development not in terms of individual factors but as a continuous interplay between the individual's efforts and the new country's social context.

In the thesis the author attempts to focus on what value Career theories (such as turning points, planned happenstance, SCCT and PEC) may have for guidance counselors, and their clients. The author describes a number of theories, then put them to use on a number of interviews where clients describe their present career situation to guidance counselor students. The author reaches the conclusion that career theories have an important value for guidance counselors and their clients; Career theories play an important role in helping to understand the client´s behavior and history of choices. Career theories can also be used by the guidance counselor to help the client in future choices.

Cette thèse étudie les cycles économiques provinciaux chinois durant la période 1989-2009. Dans un premier temps, Nous utilisons une variété de techniques afin d'examiner la nature et le degré de comouvement entre les cycles de croissance provinciaux chinois. Nous détectons différentes propriétés des cycles de croissance provinciaux. En utilisant une méthodologie de classification basée sur un modèle, nous constatons que les provinces peuvent être classées parmi cinq classes en fonction des mesures standards des caractéristiques cycliques. Bien que la majorité des provinces a connu la récession qui a eu lieu autour de la crise asiatique, la nation dans son ensemble a connu une phase d'expansion. En outre, toutes les provinces, ont connu la récession liée à la crise financière internationale qui a eu lieu en 2007/2008 à l'exception du Jiangsu et Tianjin. Toutes les provinces côtières, sauf Hainan, sont significativement synchronisées avec le cycle national. En outre, nous constatons que les quatre principales récessions nationales sont bien diffusées dans tout le pays. Ensuite, nous analysons la co-cyclicité entre les provinces dans chacune des six régions définies par Groenewold et al. (2008). Nous nous basons sur la décomposition tendance-cycle en utilisant le modèle à composantes inobservables univarié et multivarié. Nous trouvons que La majorité des cycles provinciaux reflètent des chocs de la demande plutôt que des chocs de l'offre. En examinant si des cycles communs existent au sein de chaque région, nous pouvons formuler des conclusions sur la pertinence de la définition de ces régions. / This thesis deals with the Chinese provincial growth cycles over the period 1989-2009. First, we use a variety of techniques to examine the nature and degree of comovement among Chinese provincial growth cycles. We detect different properties of the provincial growth cycles. Using a model-based clustering methodology, we find that provinces can be classified among five major clusters as a function of standard measures of cyclical characteristics. Although the majority of provinces experienced the recession that occurred around the Asian crisis, the nation as whole experienced an expansionary phase. Moreover, all the provinces experienced the recession related to the subprime crisis that occurred in 2007/2008 except Jiangsu and Tianjing. However, All coastal provinces except Hainan are significantly synchronized with the national cycle. Furthermore, we find that the main four national recessions are well diffused across the country. Then, we analyse the co-cyclicality between provinces in each of the six regions defined by Groenewold et al. (2008). We rely on trend-cycle decomposition by using both univariate and multivariate unobserved component model. The majority of provincial cycles reflect demand rather than supply-side shocks. By examining the commonality of provincial growth cycles within each region, we ask whether the definition of these regions is supported by statistical analysis. We find mixed results. Finally, we use a Markov switching model that allow for the identification of business/seasonal cycle interaction.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate further whether oil price has an effect on house price inflation and additionally if it has a link to house price turning points. The methodology is grounded on the previous research paper made by Breitenfellner et al. (2015). The results are based on quarterly data from the countries; Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden through the time span of 1990-2018. A linear fixed regression model was performed including the explanatory variables of monetary policy and credit developments, macroeconomic fundamentals, housing market variable and demographic variables. Secondly, a logit model was used to identify a relationship between oil price and house price turning points. The model used misalignment made from GDP per capita and real interest rate. The empirical analysis confirms that there is a positive relationship between oil prices and house price inflation. This evidence contradicts a major share of previous research papers (see Bernanke, 2010; Kaufmann et al., 2011). However, there are also some previous papers (see Yiqi, (2017); Antonakakis et al., 2016) and theoretical linkages in line with a positive correlation. Concerning, the oil price and house price inflation no empirical significance was found regarding their relationship. For future research, one could include regional aspects for the purpose of controlling for geographical differences.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die Lebensweise von Alleinstehenden sowie ihre Selbstinterpretationen und ihre Argumentationen zu ihrer Lebensform untersucht und beschrieben. Mein Vorhaben ist eine vergleichende Beschreibung und Analyse der Lebensform Single in Berlin und Budapest. Es wird ein besonderer Schwerpunkt auf jene biographischen Wendepunkte gelegt, die im Bezug auf die heutige Lebensform der Singles relevant sein könnten. In Ungarn kann keine scharfe Trennlinie zwischen weiblichem und männlichem Singleleben gezogen werden. Selbstverständlich unterscheidet sich die Erfahrung des Singledaseins zwischen beiden Geschlechtern. Doch die allgemeine familienfreundliche Einstellung der Ungarn, und die Tatsache, dass Singles ihre gegenwärtige Lebensform meistens wohl als eine Übergangsphase ansehen, denn sie streben zweifellos nach Familiengründung, machen ungarische Singlefrauen und Singlemänner eher ähnlich als unterschiedlich. In Deutschland scheinen Geschlechterunterschiede im Erfahren des Alleinseins wiederum nicht relevant zu sein. Die partnerschaftliche Orientierung hat allem Anschein nach ihre Kraft nicht verloren und die Liebe, die Partnerschaft, bleibt nach wie vor ein lebensführendes Prinzip. Nichtsdestotrotz zeigen die Statistiken, dass ein bedeutsamer Anteil von Frauen und Männern die Lebensform Single mit oder ohne Partner sowie weitere neue, weniger konventionelle Arrangements, wie die Partnerschaft in getrennten Haushalten, für sich als gewünschte Lebensformen bezeichnen, da sie einen breiten Raum für Individualität und Selbstverwirklichung bieten. / My paper examines the specific phases and turning points of the life course, which can influence the decision of young people to choose singleness as a way of life or become single by virtue of structural conditions. The research focuses on a group of young, urban singles from Berlin and Budapest. Singles are understood as those young adults at an age (30-40) typically devoted to family, living alone in their own household and having neither a durable partnership nor children. The population I studied is that of urban singles in their thirties from the upper social strata, having (at least) a university degree and being active in the labor market. The methodology used for this empirical research was conducting life course interviews, and based on this, working with the discourse analysis as a tool for analyzing narration. Experiencing a turning point is often perceived as an individual issue. However, there are some common features and types to be identified. I am not employing an individual perspective, but rather constructing typologies and inquiring about the common aspects of some important life occurrences, which to some extent explain the decision for singleness. Being single when one’s age cohort is building a family is not seen as a landmark or milestone, even less an achievement. Rather, in spite of its demographic growth, singleness is best understood as a hiatus or a period between turning points. Such turning points are: events in the family life in childhood, primarily divorce of the parents; degree of detachment from the parents; labour market entry and work arrangements; the experience of past partnerhip(s). Some of these occurrences are relevant for the way young people interpret personal autonomy and independence. Other factors, especially labor market uncertainties represent a structural reason eventually accounting for the status of single.

<p>The present thesis examines the possible reasons social workers have for entering and eventually graduating from the Social Work Department in Iraklio, Greece. It is a three-phase study, consisting of three distinct but related research parts; each research part is built upon knowledge, issues and questions derived from the preceding part.</p><p>My background in sociology influenced the choice of theoretical perspectives; I was not interested in investigating students’ choice from a psychologically-based perspective. Bourdieu (e.g. 1977; 1987) and the work of others who have drawn on and developed his work (e.g. Hodkinson & Sparkes, 1997; Reay, 1998a) constituted a theoretical framework. In addition, theoretical perspectives which recognise the interplay between individual and structural factors (e.g. Kasimati, 1991) also proved useful. In this work both quantitative and qualitative approaches (grounded theory, narrative analysis) were employed.</p><p>The findings contradict views that stress the degree of free choice people have about work; it is clear that external structural factors limit or contribute to the shaping of this choice. This is not to say, however, that the findings stress the determining influence of solely external factors on students’ choice. Students in this thesis describe actively making decisions; they are players in the field of education. They enter the field with unequal amounts of capital (economic, cultural); thus, although in theory everyone is free to play, not everyone is equal. To the extent that they have different social backgrounds (gender, class), their classed-and-gendered habitus differs as well. In the process of students’ educational choice, their habitus along with the particular educational system (with all its opportunities and restrictions) influence students’ horizons for action, their perceptions of what is available and appropriate for them. The high value placed on higher education (educational fetishism) is another factor influencing students’ horizons for action. In the context of their horizons for action, students employ a variety of strategies in order to enter higher education (e.g. the way they prepare for the exams, their ranking of Schools in preference order etc). The outcome of these strategies is their admission to the Social Work Department, which may have been intended or unintended. After having entered Social Work, additional factors influence students’ educational choice; experiences within the School (e.g. practice tutorials) contribute to their attitude towards social work and their studies, thus to their decision to graduate from the Social Work Department. Students’ decision-making process is made up of patterns of routine experience interspersed with turning points.</p>

The present thesis examines the possible reasons social workers have for entering and eventually graduating from the Social Work Department in Iraklio, Greece. It is a three-phase study, consisting of three distinct but related research parts; each research part is built upon knowledge, issues and questions derived from the preceding part. My background in sociology influenced the choice of theoretical perspectives; I was not interested in investigating students’ choice from a psychologically-based perspective. Bourdieu (e.g. 1977; 1987) and the work of others who have drawn on and developed his work (e.g. Hodkinson &amp; Sparkes, 1997; Reay, 1998a) constituted a theoretical framework. In addition, theoretical perspectives which recognise the interplay between individual and structural factors (e.g. Kasimati, 1991) also proved useful. In this work both quantitative and qualitative approaches (grounded theory, narrative analysis) were employed. The findings contradict views that stress the degree of free choice people have about work; it is clear that external structural factors limit or contribute to the shaping of this choice. This is not to say, however, that the findings stress the determining influence of solely external factors on students’ choice. Students in this thesis describe actively making decisions; they are players in the field of education. They enter the field with unequal amounts of capital (economic, cultural); thus, although in theory everyone is free to play, not everyone is equal. To the extent that they have different social backgrounds (gender, class), their classed-and-gendered habitus differs as well. In the process of students’ educational choice, their habitus along with the particular educational system (with all its opportunities and restrictions) influence students’ horizons for action, their perceptions of what is available and appropriate for them. The high value placed on higher education (educational fetishism) is another factor influencing students’ horizons for action. In the context of their horizons for action, students employ a variety of strategies in order to enter higher education (e.g. the way they prepare for the exams, their ranking of Schools in preference order etc). The outcome of these strategies is their admission to the Social Work Department, which may have been intended or unintended. After having entered Social Work, additional factors influence students’ educational choice; experiences within the School (e.g. practice tutorials) contribute to their attitude towards social work and their studies, thus to their decision to graduate from the Social Work Department. Students’ decision-making process is made up of patterns of routine experience interspersed with turning points.

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify and interpret former criminal delinquents experiences of what internal, social and structual factors are contingent on the process of change in offending. Method: A qualitative method was used with a hermeneutic approach. A qualitative inquiry was conducted through three semi-structured life story interviews with former criminal delinquents working on an organization that specifically strives to help delinquents to desist from crime.  The mode of analysis utilized in this study was the concept of turning points and a life course perspective which are useful tools in understanding the crucial parts of the processes and factors in the desistance process. Results: The results identified twelve sub-interpretations which were distilled into three over-arching interpretations which lead to the following singular conceptual interpretation: Creating preconditions to promote reintegration and readaptation to society is viewed as important to successfully desist from crime, which, in turn, depends on three sets of factors: cognitive transformation, individual’s social environment and structural/external factors which are interdependent on each other. Future research areas are suggested.