Empati är att kunna uppleva och förstå andra människors känslor. Tre studier gjordes för att undersöka socialsekreterares empati för sina klienter och hur de upplever sin professionella och genuina empati. Två studier var kvantitativa och en var en mixed design. Deltagarna var 26 socialsekreterare och 57 socionomstudenter. Studie 1 och 2 visade att socialsekreterare och studenter på socionomprogrammet hade mer empati för en sympatisk person än för en osympatisk. Studie 3 visade en tendens till att socialsekreterarna upplevde mer distans vid professionell än vid genuin empati. Ju fler antal år en socialsekretare har arbetat desto mindre spelar det roll hur klienten uppträder vid mötet, detta gäller även för socionomstudenterna.

Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs) in the United States live and work within ever changing contexts, which require researchers to take into account multiple environmental and psychosocial stressors influencing mental health. The current study examined factors of social support and social isolation for MSFWs in South Georgia. Social isolation and support characteristics were identified and examined in association with depression among 120 Latino, male, MSFWs in South Georgia. Several protective and risk factors for depression were identified. Depression symptoms varied based on MSFWs household composition, perceived social isolation stressors, the frequency in which they called home and having socially supportive relationships in the local area. Results highlight the importance of examining social support in the context of cultural and community fit.

How do the experiences of women in the labor market differ from the experiences of men? Do economic crises affect their labor market decisions differently? Economists have investigated the responses of women to specific moments of crisis in Argentina – the country lends itself well to this analysis, as the last three decades of its history have seen both economic growth and financial collapse. With the crisis literature in mind, I investigate trends in female labor force participation rates in Argentina between 1980-2003, finding that while some evidence supports the “added worker effect” hypothesis, more research must be done to understand the relationships between female labor force participation and male and female unemployment.

Este trabajo se basa en el uso de entornos oportunísticos, los cuales se caracterizan por aprovechar el tiempo en que las máquinas permanecen ociosas para ejecutar procesos de usuarios. Una parte fundamental de estos entornos consiste en gestionar procesos concurrentes que constituyen una aplicación paralela. En sistemas oportunísticos el objetivo del gestor de recursos es doble: por una lado ha de proveer tiempos de ejecución razonables (los usuarios desean obtener sus procesos acabados cuanto antes), y por el otro ha de proveer buena eficiencia, esto es, buen uso de los recursos, lo cual constituye el objetivo fundamental de un sistema que desea soportar grandes cantidades de cómputo durante largos períodos de tiempo.El desarrollo de un gestor de recursos adecuado para aplicaciones paralelas que se ejecutan en entornos oportunísticos incluye varios aspectos. En particular, este trabajo aborda tres de ellos:- Determinar el número de máquinas, pertenecientes a un entorno oportunístico, necesarias para ejecutar una aplicación, de manera tal que se obtenga buena eficiencia y buen tiempo de ejecución.- Planificar las tareas a las máquinas asignadas.- Reducir los efectos negativos producidos sobre una aplicación, cuando una máquina es reclamada por su dueño, lo que implica que el proceso que ejecuta allí debe dejar dicha máquina.En este trabajo se han considerado aplicaciones de tipo master-worker. El master envía tareas a los workers y recoge los resultados. Este proceso se repite varios ciclos, hasta que se produce una condición de finalización.Para asignar las tareas de la aplicación master-worker a las máquinas disponibles se ha propuesto una política de planificación dinámica denominada Random & Average. Esta política se evaluó por simulación, y los resultados muestran que su comportamiento es parecido al de políticas que necesitan información a-priori sobre el tiempo de ejecución de las tareas. También se dedujo la existencia del Intervalo Ideal, que corresponde al intervalo entre los números de máquinas mínimo y máximo para ejecutar la aplicación de manera tal que se obtenga una buena relación entre el tiempo de ejecución y la eficiencia.Luego se propuso un algoritmo para ajustar dinámicamente el número de máquinas, de manera tal que cualquier aplicación master-worker se ejecute con un número de máquinas perteneciente al intervalo ideal. Esta estrategia se implemento tanto en entornos homogéneos como heterogéneos, utilizando una aplicación encargada de obtener el esqueleto de imágenes.En un entorno oportunístico las máquinas pueden participar o dejar de participar en la ejecución de una aplicación, si son cedidas o reclamadas por sus dueños. Cuando una máquina es reclamada, el proceso que se ejecuta en dicha máquina debe ser detenido y debe dejar esa máquina inmediatamente. Si dicho proceso pertenece a una aplicación paralela, el rendimiento de toda esa aplicación se verá afectado negativamente. Dicho impacto se evaluó, y para disminuirlo se propusieron diferentes estrategias basados en utilizar máquinas extra y en duplicación de tareas. Estas estrategias se estudiaron primero por simulación y luego fueron implementadas. / This work focuses on the use of opportunistic environments, which are characterized by harnessing idle times of machines for executing user jobs. Management of the concurrent jobs constituting a parallel application is an integral part of such non-dedicated systems. In non-dedicated opportunistic environments, the resource manager's goal is to provide both a reasonable execution time (as users are interested in having their job finished as soon as possible), and good efficiency, i.e., good resource usage, which is the main goal of the system in order to obtain high throughput.The development of effective resource management for parallel applications running on opportunistic systems involves a great number of issues. In particular, this work deals with three of them:- Determining and allocating the number of machines, from the pool of machines belonging to the opportunistic system, needed for executing an application obtaining both a good execution time and a good efficiency. - Scheduling application tasks to the assigned computational resources.- Reducing the negative effects produced on an application when a machine belonging to a non-dedicated environment is reclaimed by its owner, and should therefore be released by the task running on it. Throughout this work master-worker applications have been considered. In these applications, there is a master that sends tasks to workers and collects the results. This process is repeated over a number of cycles until an end condition is reached. In order to assign tasks belonging to a master-worker application to machines belonging to an opportunistic environment, we proposed a dynamic scheduling policy called Random & Average. This policy was first evaluated by simulation, and results showed that it exhibits a similar behavior with respect to other policies requiring information in advance about the execution time of the tasks. We also derived the existence of the ideal interval, which corresponds to the interval comprised between the minimum and maximum number of machines for executing the application that obtain a good trade-off between execution time and efficiency. Then we proposed an algorithm for dynamically adjusting the number of machines, for executing any master-worker application, to a number of machines belonging to the ideal interval. This strategy was implemented and evaluated on both homogeneous and heterogeneous environments, with a master-worker thinning application.In an opportunistic environment machines can join and leave the computation as they are released or reclaimed by their owners. When a machine is reclaimed, the job running on that machine must be stopped and vacated. If this job belongs to a parallel application, the whole performance will be negatively affected. We evaluate this impact, and then, in order to alleviate it, propose strategies based on using extra machines and task replication. These strategies were first evaluated by simulation and then implemented and tested in a real environment.

Inherent in their living and working conditions, Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs) are exposed to a multitude of environmental and psychosocial stressors that make them susceptible to adverse health outcomes. Utilizing a resilience framework, the current study examined both the physical and psychological health functioning of MSFWs in Georgia, a state heavily reliant on farm worker labor where relatively few research studies with MSFWs have been conducted to date. Based on a sample of 120 Latino, male, MSFWs in South Georgia, results indicated that approximately 1 out of 3 farm workers were at risk for iron-deficiency anemia. Similar to other psychological health studies conducted with MSFWs located in the Eastern U.S., the prevalence rate of depression in the current sample was elevated. MSFW stress was found to be a risk factor for psychological health and positive well-being and accurate farm worker expectations were found to be assets associated with better psychological health outcomes. Farm worker expectations was also found to be a protective factor for physical health such that having accurate expectations buffered the relationship between MSFW stress and adverse biomedical health. Results show the usefulness of the resilience framework, and highlight the importance of establishing prevention, intervention, and policy efforts for MSFWs that aim to increase assets and minimize risk in this population.

Domestic violence against children is well known on the social problem aspect, and Sweden has become the first country clarifying its stance on physical punishment and child abuse since established “anti-spanking” law in 1979. The purpose of this research was to investigate how Swedish social workers deal with the issue about domestic violence against children. The research was developed with hermeneutics approach and ecological systems theory, and carried out by four respondents from Social Services Gävle. With the answers claimed by the respondents, constitute the results and conclusions, that is all kinds of tackling methods about child abuse should be regulated by laws, and cooperate with police or citizens comprehensively, especially in the period of investigation.  This paper might be a general pattern, but we do hope it could make people rethinking about child abuse issues, that probably may reduce a little bit pressure to children in the future.

Dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) often results from severe trauma during early childhood and is considered as the most severe and chronic manifestation of the dissociative disorders. This study aims to explore therapies used on patients with dissociative identity disorder and to obtain an overview of the dissociative identity disorder situation in Sweden according to the experts’ perspectives. To accomplish the objectives, a qualitative research was used and the data came from three interviews with experts in dissociative identity disorder field and a short literature review was conducted. The analysis was guided by the psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural theories with a focus on the meaning of the interview texts. The result shows a positive trend of developments about the situation of dissociative identity disorder in Sweden. At the same time, it proves that social workers in Sweden have a long way to go in this field with therapists major in dissociative identity disorder. When it comes to therapists used by professionals, plenary effective therapies along with innovative therapies would be put in use in dissociative identity disorder field.

While studying management we realised that most of the already existing theories discuss motivation to work from a general perspective. Therefore we found it interesting to investigate motivation on a deeper level. "Motivation to work - differences between managers and workers" The research questions for our thesis are, is there a difference in motivation between managers and workers? If so, what is the difference between the two? The purpose is to examine if a manager and a worker have shared understandings and common factors of what motivates them, or if certain characteristics can be distinguished. For our research we have chosen to use three companies operating within the financial sector in Sweden. Moreover, the chosen companies are located nearby which gives us the opportunity to visit them and to accomplish face to face conversations. We have interviewed two persons at each company, whereby one has the position of a manager and the other has the position of a worker. Moreover, the method of our interviews are qualitative, mostly due to the fact that we wanted create a comfortable feeling for the interviewee and to so that we could get deep insight of what motivates that person. We have studied old famous theories regarding motivation to work, we have also found more recent research about the subject. Especially in journals and financial databases, to get as updated information as possible. The theoretical framework has been useful to us in two ways, to get a foundation so that we could accomplish interviews with thought worthy questions. The second reason was to be able to interpret and analyse the collected material. To a certain point we mention the similarities in motivation to work between a worker and a manager, however our main focus in our thesis are the differences. We have analysed the perspective of how they feel about their work and their possibility towards advancement. All our interviewees have a great interest for their work and the financial line of business, moreover, the managers are satisfied with their positions and the workers are satisfied at the moment but would like to advance in the future. The most important interview questions in our study are, is it important for you to get rewards for your performance? What factors are motivating to you? The outcomes of our answers differ between the managers and the workers. Furthermore, we have used Herzberg, Vroom and other theories presented in our study to be able to strengthen our argument. Indeed, the more resent articles have been helpful to us while interpreting the collected material. We have found answers to our research questions, there are differences in motivation to work between managers and workers. Money is a great motivator for the workers, and working climate, recognition and free time are the essential factors for the managers. We have also reached the conclusion that people always strive for more. In our case the workers want more tangible rewards and material benefits and on the contrary the managers desire non material factors as family and free time.

The global nursing shortage created opportunities for registered nurses from less developed countries to improve their working and living conditions through migration to more progressive and affluent nations. In the Philippines, this phenomenon left the country devoid of the much needed health care professionals. In this research study, I described the lived experiences of eleven indigenous Filipino nurses who migrated to the United States. Through the phenomenology approach, I was able to probe into the meaning of the migration as the participants lived through it, approaching it from a humanist perspective and using Abraham Maslow's theory on the hierarchy of needs as the framework. The study was intended to illustrate how the economic, social, and political characteristics of both countries impacted the Filipino nurses' behavior and thought processes while in pursuit of personal goals. Ultimately, this study could be used as a guide in the development of employment and health care policies that are more responsive to the current state of the nursing profession.

This study examined the influence of social workers placed at the elementary school level, who work with low-socioeconomic families. The intent of the study was to examine the role of the social worker, at identified Title I elementary schools, on parent involvement. Research Question 1 asked, “What influence do the family specialists have in family involvement as reported by parents and family specialists at the identified Title I elementary schools in the North East ISD, in San Antonio, Texas?” The results of this study strongly support that the family specialist on the campus did have a positive influence on parents getting involved at their child’s school. Research Question 2 asked, “What selected variables influence parental involvement as reported by parents and family specialists, who are participants of the Parent Academy at the selected Title I elementary schools in the North East ISD, in San Antonio, Texas?” The results of this study strongly supported that the variables of open communication between home and school and the school being inviting to parents are positive factors in getting parents involved. Research Question 3 asked, “What influence do community agencies have in assisting with the needs of families, as reported on the end-of-year summary sheets by the family specialists at the selected Title I elementary schools in the North East ISD, in San Antonio, Texas?” The results of this study showed that data procedures were inconsistent among the family specialists in the North East ISD. Data concerning the use of social service agencies was incomplete. No standard procedures are in place for tracking services provided to families. Research Question 4 asked, “What influence do parents have on determining the classes set forth for the Parent Academy, as reported by the parents and family specialists who are participants of the Parent Academy at the selected Title I elementary campuses in the North East ISD in San Antonio, Texas?” The results of this study strongly suggested that both parents and family specialists feel the parents have a voice in choosing the classes provided for them by the family specialists.