The overall purpose of this interview-study is to increase the knowledge and understanding of persons with Asperger syndrome. For each participant has common and unique aspects been described. The ambition has been to illuminate their perspective of their situation in life and develop the understanding of their quality of life. The participants’ experiences of their diagnosis, and its consequences in their life has been studied. Several aspects of their everyday life have been reported, i.e. schooling, occupational problems, spare time and interests. The results show that the participants may experience their life as hard, as seemingly uncomplicated chores prove to be exhausting. Not fitting with the norms they believe other people in society have, is one aspect of experienced difference. The diagnostic process has proved to be an important event in the life of the participants. It has been described as a way of taking control over one’s life. Their experienced difference may be acceptable to them, if it is in the form of an Asperger diagnosis. Experiences of chock, denial and ambivalence after receiving their Asperger diagnosis were also reported. However, all participants have accepted their diagnosis. The participants’ biologically different way of being has given them consequences. Both psychological and social consequences have been illustrated, as well as interpersonal and societal. Disability research theory (Danermark, 2005; Rönnberg & Melinder, 2007) and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1979) have been used to illustrate the outcome of a diagnosis like Asperger syndrome. The study shows the participants’ experiences of their different way of being. / Den här avhandlingen är en intervjustudie, med det övergripande syftet att öka kunskapen om individer med Asperger syndrom. Gemensamma och unika synsätt hos varje deltagare med diagnosen Asperger syndrom har undersökts. Ambitionen har varit att fånga deras perspektiv på sin livssituation och utveckla förståelsen för deras syn på livskvalitet. Avhandlingen har undersökt hur deltagarna uppfattar sitt funktionshinder och hur diagnosen har påverkat deras liv. Deltagarna har beskrivit sina vardagsliv utifrån flera infallsvinklar, där skolgång, försörjningsmöjligheter, sysselsättning och fritid har skildrats. Resultaten visar att flera beskriver sin vardag som arbetsam, exempelvis kan ett till synes enkelt moment upplevas som ansträngande. Att inte passa in i de normer som de uppfattar att andra i samhället har är en aspekt av upplevt annorlundaskap. Diagnostiseringen har i visat sig vara en betydelsefull händelse i deltagarnas liv. Den har beskrivits som ett sätt att ta kontroll över sin livssituation. Genom att få diagnosen blir avvikelsen legitim. Deltagarna beskriver den som ett acceptabelt sätt att skilja sig från mängden. Det finns även skildringar av chock, förnekande och ambivalens när de har fått diagnosen om sitt funktionshinder. Samtliga av studiens deltagare säger sig dock acceptera sin aspergerdiagnos. Deras annorlunda sätt att vara biologiskt har visat sig ge konsekvenser i hela deras livsvärld. Både psykologiska och sociala konsekvenser har illustrerats, liksom interpersonella och samhälleliga. Handikappvetenskaplig- och ekologisk systemteori har använts för att visa på vidden av de konsekvenser som Asperger syndrom kan ge. Studien visar på deltagarnas upplevelser av sitt annorlunda sätt att vara.

Uppsatsen består av en textanalys av 10 Mills&Boon Harlequinromaner som med ett kultursociologiskt perspektiv lyfter fram den process hjältinnan i Harlequinromanen genomför då hon i böckerna förändras från att vara en vanlig kvinna (Everywoman) till att bli en idealkvinna (Idealwoman. Studien inleds med en presentation av förlaget Harlequin Mills&Boon samt en enkel introduktion av romanens uppbyggnad och handling. Vidare följer en tillbakablick på tidigare forskning kring populärkulturen i allmänhet och kärleksromaner i synnerhet. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten finns i Pierre Bourdieus teorier kring habitus, fält och kapital. Analysen delar upp hjältinnans process i fyra delar: Everywoman, Avkodning, Kapitalhöjning och Idealwoman. Genom att applicera Bourdieus teorier på Harlequinromanhjältinnorna kan så uppsatsen diskuteras på mikro- och makronivå. På mikronivå redogör textanalysen för hjältinnans olika strategier. På makronivå handlar uppsatsen om att se just dessa strategier som en del i ett kultursociologiskt mönster och därmed diskuteras böckernas sociala konstruktion och funktion. Uppsatsen vill visa på att hjältinnan kan fungera som en metafor för ett reflexivt tänkande kring vår vardag och att hon därmed kan säga oss något om oss själva.

Linköpings kommun invigde hösten 2019 en elcykelpool kallad LinBike i syfte att bidra till stadens utveckling och nå klimatmålen. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka användarna av LinBike för att förstå varför den används och huruvida den kan bidra till fler hållbara resor. Genom kvalitativa gatuintervjuer med 24 användare har fem olika mobilitetstyper identifierats som sammanfattar användarnas förhållningssätt till systemet. Analys av resultatet visar att elcyklarna främst används tack vare tjänstens bekvämlighet och prisvärdhet. LinBike bidrar till att användarna i många fall kan genomföra sina vardagliga resor enklare än innan. Förbättringsåtgärder föreslås som anses nödvändiga för att tjänsten ska behålla användare och bidra till en mer hållbar mobilitet. Studiens slutsatser är bland annat att klimatsmarta mobilitetstjänster bör fokusera på att vara smidiga och lättillgängliga för att locka användare. LinBike som färdmedel ersätter idag främst andra hållbara transportmedel och därför kan det inte konstateras att tjänsten bidrar till en mer hållbar mobilitet. / Linköpings municipality has during the autumn of 2019 established an electric bike-sharing system called LinBike with the purpose to contribute to the city’s development and reach its climate goals. The scope of this thesis is to study the users of LinBike to understand why it is used and whether it contributes to a sustainable mobility or not. Through qualitative street interviews with 24 users, five types of mobility users have been identified which summarize the users attitude towards the system. Analysis of the results demonstrate that the E-bikes are used mainly because of the convenience and the price of the service. LinBike helps make everyday travel easier than before. Improvement measures are proposed which are considered necessary for the service to maintain users and contribute to a more sustainable mobility. Conclusions are that climate-smart mobility services should focus on being comfortable and accessible to attract users. LinBike users usually replace other sustainable modes of transportation and thus it cannot be concluded that the service contributes to a more sustainable mobility.

The aim of this study is to highlight inequality among elderly. The study increase the understanding of poverty and financial vulnerability in elderlies life. This study describes what their living conditions look like for themselves and what their financial situation can have in their everyday lives and consequences. The aim is to understand the patterns and paths that lead to financial vulnerability in retirement. Seven retired people in the age between 65-80 years were interviewed. The result shows that there are large differences in income between men and women when retired. Some of the main reasons for this are that the women have worked unpaid by living as housewives and taking a bigger responsibility for children and the home. The unpaid work has had an impact on the income when retired and affected their living conditions. The majority of the respondents answer that planning and limitations are needed to cope up with everyday life as retired person. Some of the respondents have to continue to work extra after retirement to succeed financially. Generally the finances of the elderly are worse after retirement than before and this has negative consequences, it will not get better when they are retired as many of them thought, but they still manage to get their lives to work out even if they have limitations in their everyday life. Gender, individualization and social exclusion are used to analyze the results in the essay.

The purpose of this work is to review how households and individuals have adapted to today's pandemic by seeing how the everyday elements that exist have changed and where movement patterns have been re-evaluated and converted into a new form of patterns. Issues that will be highlighted are: - How has the movement pattern for the household changed from a “normal everyday” life to Covid-19? - How have households adapted to conflicts over the distribution of household space? - How has the individual adapted to the new everyday life? The essay will be based on an in-depth study of households everyday lives. Where a time-geographical approach will form the basis for the theory of work. This work will be based on three parts. The primary data will consist of time diaries and semi-structured interviews. Secondary data in the form of literature will also build up a background understanding. A description of individuals' movement patterns from the time diary will shed light on different results and a deeper understanding will be gained from the interviews that are presented. Individuals 'and households' everyday lives have changed drastically since Covid-19 started, where adaptations are a big part of how individuals design their new movement patterns in their new everyday life.

Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka hur äldre personer ser tillbaka på sin barndom och vardag i barnomsorgen 1940–1950. Genom muntlig historia som teori analyseras de minnen och berättelser som har samlats genom en enkät och textdiskussion från 16 personer via forum på internet. Resultatet visar att informanterna i sina svar separerade mellan formell och informell barnomsorg. Jag har valt att kalla det förstnämnda för barnomsorg och det sistnämnda för omsorg om barn. Detta bidrar med förståelse om de olika sfärer barn kunde röra sig emellan och de resurser som fanns att tillgå för familjer. Minnena beskrev även upplevelser kring vissa aktörer och det sinnliga som framträdde som viktiga i vardagen samt de förutsättningar och barnsyn som kan urskiljas i deras barndomar. De insamlade berättelserna ger en personlig prägel och lyfter fram vardagliga detaljer som ibland saknas i historieskrivningar kring den svenska barnomsorgen. / The purpose of the study has been to investigate how older people look back on their childhood and everyday life in childcare 1940–1950. Through oral history as the theory of choice, the memories and stories that have been collected through a survey and text discussion from 16 people via a forum on the internet has been analyzed. The results show that informants in their answers separated between formal and informal childcare. I have chosen to call the former childcare and the latter care of child. This contributes to an understanding of the different spheres children could move between and the resources available to families. The memories also described experiences about certain actors and the senses that appear to be important in everyday life, as well as the conditions and views of children that can be discerned in their childhoods. The collected stories give a personal touch and highlight everyday details that are sometimes missing in historical writings about Swedish childcare.

Bakgrund: Diabetes är ett samlingsnamn för en grupp metabola sjukdomar med den gemensamma nämnaren att kroppen har en oförmåga att producera eller ta upp insulin Diabetes medför, bland annat, en risk för akuta glykemiska episoder relaterat till kroppens oförmåga att vidmakthålla en normal blodglukosnivå. Syfte: Att sammanställa kunskap om hur personer med insulinbehandlad diabetes upplever att medvetenheten om akuta glykemiska episoder påverkar det dagliga livet. Metod: En kvalitativ litteraturstudie baserad på elva vetenskapliga primärstudier inhämtade från databaserna PubMed respektive CINAHL. Resultat: Tre kategorier och sex underkategorier genererades; ”En förändrad vardag” med underkategorierna; ”Planera eller ge upp”, ”Ett behov av andras stöd” samt ”Ofrånkomliga utmaningar”, ”Att leva med oro” med underkategorierna; ”Varierande syn på lämplig blodglukosnivå”, ”Självkritik och skam” samt ”Rädsla för liv och hälsa” och ”Varierande strategier i vardagen” utan underkategorier. Slutsats: Personer med insulinbehandlad diabetes möter en mängd utmaningar i vardagen relaterat till medvetenhet om akuta glykemiska episoder. Utmaningarna inkluderar särskilda krav på minutiös planering och inte sällan förändringar i vardagen. Förändringar i vardagslivet kräver i de flesta fall implementering av nya strategier för att kunna hantera de utmaningar diabetessjukdomen medför. Utmaningarna är inte enbart av praktisk natur utan även av en mer psykosocial natur som leder till att många upplever att stigmatisering från omgivningen och orealistiska krav på sig själva resulterar i ohälsosam självkritik och ibland skam relaterat till de akuta glykemiska episoder de ofrånkomligen drabbas av i olika utsträckning. / Background: Diabetes is a collective name for a group of metabolic diseases with the denominator that the body experience an inability to produce, or absorb, insulin in sufficient quantities. Diabetes entails, amongst other potential problems, a non-unsubstantiated risk of acute glycemic episodes due to the body´s inadequate ability to maintain a normal blood glucose level. Aim: To compile knowledge on how persons suffering from insulin treated diabetes manage the awareness of the threat that acute glycemic episodes impose on everyday life. Method: A qualitative study based on eleven primary scientific studies that was obtained from the databases PubMed and CINAHL. Result: Three categories and six sub-categories emerged; “A change in everyday life” containing the sub-categories “plan or give up”, “A need for others” and “Unavoidable changes” “Living with worry” containing the sub-categories “Different views on blood glucose levels”, Self-criticism and shame” and “Fear for life and health” and lastly “Various strategies in day-to-day life” which was without sub-categories. Conclusion: People with insulin treated diabetes faces a variety of challenges in everyday life related to acute glycemic episodes. The variety of challenges include special requirements when it comes to planning and scheduling everyday life. Changes in everyday life often requires the implementation of new strategies to handle the challenges imposed by diabetes and it´s symptoms. Challenges which are not only practical in nature but also entails a more psychosocial aspect that can lead to feelings of stigmatization and unrealistic demands on one self. Feelings that can result in unhealthy self-criticism, and sometimes shame, related to the symptoms of inevitable acute glycemic episodes.

This dissertation explores how social class matters in young men’s everyday relationship to digital media. The aim is to contribute to the existing knowledge about how young people incorporate digital media in their everyday lives by focusing on the structural premises of this process. It also presents an empirically grounded critique of popular ideas about young people as a “digital generation”, about the internet as a socially transformative force, and about class as an increasingly redundant category. The empirical material consists of qualitative interviews with 34 young men (16-19 years) from different class backgrounds, upper secondary schools and study programmes. Drawing on the conceptual tools of Pierre Bourdieu, three classes are constructed: the “cultural capital rich”, the “upwardly mobile”, and the “cultural capital poor”. The analysis shows that class, through the workings of habitus, structures the young men’s relationship to school and future aspirations. This also engenders class-distinctive ways of conceiving leisure and digital media use. Through their class habitus and taste, the young men tend to orient themselves and navigate in different ways in what they perceive as a space of digital goods and practices, endowed with different symbolic value in school and society. The “cultural capital rich” are drawn to-wards practices capable of yielding symbolic profit in the field of education and beyond, whereas the other classes gravitate towards the “illegitimate” digital culture but deal with this different ways. These findings indicate that there are social and cultural continuities at play within recent technological changes. They also expose the structural differences hidden by sweeping statements about young people as a “digital generation”. Finally, they show that class, contrary to popular beliefs about “the death of class”, still represents a pertinent analytical category.

Energianvändningen inom bostadssektorn har stadigt ökat och verkar inte minska trots energieffektiva apparater. Genom att bygga lågenergibostäder försöker bostadsbolagen minska energianvändningen, vilket också sker, men endast vad gäller uppvärmning och varmvatten. Syfte med avhandlingen är att öka kunskapen kring hushållens energianvändning i passivhus med fokus på hushållens aktiviteter. Intervjustudier har utförts med hushåll och bostadsbolag för att utröna hur de materiella förutsättningarna påverkar vardagsaktiviteter i hushållen. Utifrån tidsgeografiska begrepp analyseras några vardagliga hushållsprojekt: mathållning, klädvård och rekreation. Begreppet energiordning används för att påvisa hur aktiviteters genomförande påverkas av resurser, restriktioner och möjligheter av olika slag, inklusive elektricitet. Eftersom varje hushåll är unikt kommer också energiordningarna i hushållen att se olika ut vilket påverkar värmekomforten i bostaden. Passivhuskonceptet som sådant påverkar inte aktiviteterna i nämnvärd grad, men hushållen bevarar gärna den värme som uppstår i och med olika aktiviteter genom att öppna dörrar och ugnsluckor för att sprida värmen i bostaden. En slutsats från studien är att eftersom alla hushåll har unika energiordningar behöver också de materiella  resurserna anpassas så att olika handlingsalternativ blir möjliga. Genom att ta del av hushållens erfarenheter av olika energiordningar kan bostadsbolagen få tillgång till nya idéer och anpassa de materiella förutsättningarna till hushållens behov så att energieffektivt boende också inbegriper hushållens aktiviteter. / Energy use in the residential sector has gradually increased and does not seem to be decreasing in spite of energy efficient appliances. By building low energy homes, housing companies are trying to reduce energy use, and to some extent they are succeeding, although the reductions are confined to heating and hot water. The aim of the thesis is to increase knowledge about household energy use in passive houses focusing on household activities. Interviews were conducted with households and public housing companies to investigate how material conditions, such as the flats and the appliances, affect daily activities in the home. Based on time-geographic concepts, a few everyday household projects are analyzed: cooking, care of clothing and recreation. The concept of energy orders is used to show that the realization of activities is influenced by various kinds of resources, including electricity, and the constraints and opportunities related to them. Since each household is unique, the energy orders also look different, which has an influence on the thermal comfort in the home. The passive house concept as such does not affect household activities in a profound way, but the households try to preserve and spread the spill heat generated in various activities by opening doors to rooms and doors of appliances such as the oven to distribute the heat throughout the flat. One conclusion from the thesis is that, because all households have unique energy orders, material resources also need to be adapted so that activities can be performed in a variety of ways. By taking advantage of household experiences, housing companies may gain access to new ideas and improve functionality so that material conditions suit household needs. By taking advantage of household experiences, housing companies may gain access to new ideas and improve functionality so that material conditions in energy efficient housing are designed to suit a broad range of household needs.

The aim of the thesis is to describe and analyse how a group of women experience that their every-day lives are affected during and after primary breast cancer treatment. The thesis is a consecutive, longitudinal study that takes an explorative qualitative approach. Seventy-one women younger than 60 years of age with primary breast cancer were consecutively included in the study. The women were interviewed four or five times over a period of 4 to 6 years from end of radiotherapy. The analyses of the interviews were inspired by grounded theory and narrative analysis.  The thesis encompasses four papers. Paper I focused on the women’s contact with health care. The results of this study indicate that it is crucial for patients in a vulnerable situation to be admitted into a supportive system – ‘admitted into a helping plan’ – that, more or less explicitly, displays a well-thought-out plan of care. This is a process built on individual relationships with members of the health-care staff, but it ends up in a relationship to health care as a helping system, a ‘safe haven’ to attach to. Study II explored the women’s ideas about what motivated and discouraged their return to work. The results illustrate that the meaning of work fluctuates over time and that the processes of returning to work are conditioned by the patients’ individual life situations. Returning to work was regarded as an important part of the healing process because of how it generated and structured the women’s everyday lives. Returning to work meant demonstrating well-being and normalcy after breast cancer. Study III examined how life was lived and valued during and after treatment for breast cancer compared to pre-cancer life. The analysis showed that being afflicted with breast cancer was evaluated from a context of the women’s former everyday lives and stressed that how the women experienced breast cancer was a matter of personal circumstances. Study IV focused on how the women experienced and dealt with their altered bodies. The results showed that the women followed three different body-mind trajectories that depended to a significant extent on the severity of side effects and bodily alterations that resulted from their treatments. Being afflicted by breast cancer implies vulnerability and losses, but it can also involve benefits and provide new perspectives on life. How the overall breast cancer experience is valued seems to be very much a matter of circumstances in everyday life. This thesis highlights circumstances that focus in particular on contacts with health care, the body, the work situation, and the family situation.