Burnout is the response to prolonged emotional, situational, and interpersonal stress of one's job. Direct care staff, who work with challenging populations, are at increased risk for burnout. Maslach's and Leiter's multidimensional model of burnout posits that the relationship between an individual and his or her occupation leads to either engagement or burnout. This study aimed to determine if the associations between the 6 areas of worklife (workload, control, community, reward, fairness, and values) and the 3 aspects of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) identified in this model are moderated by age and gender. The study included 117 direct care staff who completed self-administered online questionnaires. Linear regression analyses indicated that workload was positively and reward negatively associated with emotional exhaustion. Age moderated the associated between workload and emotional exhaustion. An increase in workload was associated with increased emotional exhaustion more so for older than younger employees. Values and reward were negatively associated with depersonalization and community and values were positively associated with personal accomplishment. Age and gender did not moderate any of these associations. These findings suggest that burnout is highly complex, but age and gender do not seem to change the association between work areas and burnout to a large degree. Additional research is needed to determine the role of other demographic factors in burnout. The social change implications include the significance of understanding ways to reduce burnout, increase engagement, and provide support and training for employees based on individual characteristics.

Det har gjorts stora framsteg i Sveriges med jämställdhet gällande utbildning och höga positioner inom den privata- och offentliga sektorn. Däremot är det längre kvar till jäm-ställdhet i hemmet där kvinnor arbetar mer än män. Innan första barnet har kommit är det små skillnader men efter det är det kvinnorna som gör mer obetalt arbete och mindre betalt arbete. Den här studien syftar till att undersöka sambandet mellan föräldraskap och inställning till jämställdhet. Teorin utgår från att uppdelningar som görs i hemmet är kopplade till könsroller som uttrycks starkare vid inträde i föräldraskap samt ”Worklife balance” och capabilities-teorin som utgår från att föräldraskapet accentuerar viljan till jämställdhet. Studien baseras på datamaterialet ”ISSP 2012 - Åsikter om fa-miljeliv och arbete”, där urvalet består av kvinnor och män som är respektive inte är föräldrar i åldrarna 18-95 år. Resultatet presenteras med en univariat, bivariat och multi-variat analys. Resultatet i studien visar att icke-föräldrar är mer positivt inställda till jämställdhet än föräldrar och att ju fler barn en person har desto mer negativt inställda blir de. Detta när vi testar bakomliggande faktorer som kön, utbildningsnivå, ålder, må-nadsinkomst och arbetssituation. Det är ett negativt samband och det är statistiskt signi-fikant på 95% nivå.

A number of significant changes have occurred in our public schools in recent years. These changes include shifting federal program priorities, adoption of state curriculum standards, and the implementation of site-based decision-making. These changes come at a time when schools are experiencing significant changes in the ethnic and socioeconomic composition of their student body and when many families are struggling to meet challenges arising from poverty or job requirements. Attention has been given to the impact these changes are having on teachers, parents, and students. Little attention has been given, however, to the impact these changes are having on principals. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of a principal's worklife in an achieving urban elementary school with a large number of at-risk students. The study examined one principal's methods of dealing with everyday problems associated with leading in a school that serves children of color and 98% of the students meet low-income criteria (i.e., they qualify for free or reduced-price lunch). Over the past five years, second grade students showed increases in reading beyond those achieved by minority students in the school division. Attendance rates over the past five years show improvement. Interviews, observations, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio, 1995) were used to collect data. From these data, a case study was written. The report of case study findings describes the worklife of the principal, school characteristics, and school outcomes. Conclusions drawn from the case study indicate that the worklife of the principal has similarities to the worklife of other elementary principals. However, due to school characteristics and external factors elementary principals serving in urban schools with a large number of at-risk students can expect an escalated level of intensity and demand on a daily basis. Findings of this study have relevance for urban elementary school principals desiring to increase achievement. Further, findings suggest that urban elementary schools serving a large number of at-risk students can achieve successful outcomes. / Ed. D.

Syftet med studien är att utveckla kunskap om worklife balance genom att undersöka hur individer hanterar gränsdragningsarbetet mellan arbetsliv och privatliv. Undersökningens empiriska material har samlats in genom sju kvalitativa intervjuer som sedan analyserats med utgångspunkt i Clarks (2000) gränsteori, där domäner, integrering, segregering, gränser, inflytande och gränsbevakare utgör undersökningens begreppsliga utgångspunkter. Vi valde att avgränsa studiens urval till individer med flexibel arbetsform som tillhör milleniumgenerationen. Resultatet visar att de respondenter som integrerar och segregerar arbetsliv och privatliv hanterar gränsdragningen på olika sätt. De individer som integrerade gjorde det främst genom att vara kontaktbara via tekniska hjälpmedel på fritiden, arbeta flexibelt på andra platser än den befintliga arbetsplatsen samt genom att ofrivilligt oroa sig över arbetet under sin fritid. En del respondenter tenderade att segregera domänerna genom att framförallt undvika tillgänglighet genom tekniska hjälpmedel, sträva efter att arbeta enbart på arbetsplatsen samt undvika att tänka på arbetet under fritiden. Vidare kunde vi se att de individer som hade inflytande över arbetet även hade självbestämmande över sina arbetsvillkor och högre krav från privatlivet. Vi fann även att respondenternas stöd från arbetsgivaren i form av förståelse och anpassningsbara villkor påverkade deras känsla av worklife balance. Graden av inflytande och stöd i arbetet påverkade således individens förutsättning att hantera gränserna utifrån vad som passade i deras livssituation, vilket i sin tur bidrog till balans mellan arbete och privatliv. Avslutningsvis för vi en diskussion kring vårt resultat utifrån studiens syfte och frågeställningar, teoretiska utgångspunkt och tidigare forskning där vi även belyser de faktorer vi funnit har inverkan på gränsdragningen. / The aim of this study is to develop knowledge about worklife balance by examining how individuals handle the work-life-boundary work. The empirical material of the study has been collected through seven qualitative interviews, then analyzed on the basis of Clarks (2000) boundary theory, where domains, integration, segregation, borders, impact and border keeper constitute the conceptual starting points of the survey. We chose to delimit the study’s selection to millennials with flexible working conditions. The result shows that respondents who integrate and segregate working life and private life manage the boundaries in different ways. Some individuals integrate primarily by being available through free-time technical aids, work flexibly in places other than the existing workplace, and by involuntarily worrying about their work during their spare time. Furthermore, some respondents tended to segregate the domains mainly by avoiding availability through technical aids, striving to work only in the workplace, as well as avoiding thinking about work during their free time. Furthermore, we could see that individuals who had impact in their work also had self-determination of their working conditions and higher demands from their private life. We could also see that support from employers in terms of understanding and adaptable conditions influenced the respondents sense of worklife balance. The degree of impact and support at work thus contributed to the individual's prerequisite to managing the boundaries based on what suited their life situation, which in turn affected the sense of worklife balance. Finally, we discuss our results based on the aim and the issues of the study, the theoretical perspective and previous research, where we also highlight the factors we have found to influence the boundaries.

I denna uppsats redogörs för en kritisk diskursanalytisk studie om konstruktionen av stress, vars syfte är att undersöka hur stress språkligt konstrueras i olika dokument om arbetsmiljöarbete. Vid analysförfarandet användes diskursanalytikern Norman Faircloughs tredimensionella analysmodell för lingvistisk och sociologisk forskning. Dennes kritiskt diskursanalytiska tankar utgör även studiens teoretiska referensram. Det analyserade materialet består av dokument om arbetsmiljöarbete mot stress, som Arbetsmiljöverket och Prevent har producerat. Uppsatsen innefattar en kartläggning över fältet för arbetsmiljöarbete och fenomenet stress, samt en presentation kring den tidigare forskning som studerats i studiens initierande fas. Denna forskning framställs genom de tre temana diskursiv påverkan, den normaliserande diskursen och individuella faktorer. Studiens resultat presenteras i de två delarna text och diskursiv praktik från Faircloughs analysmodell. Sammantaget innefattar den första resultatdelen text de fyra temana typ av text, modalitet, hyponymer och antonymer samt transitivitet. Under den andra resultatdelen diskursiv praktik återfinns de fyra diskurserna den utbildande diskursen, den arbetsrättsliga diskursen, den ohälsosamma diskursen och den vetenskapliga diskursen.

One of the most exciting recent developments in the social sciences has been the rapid formulation and acceptance of evolutionary psychology. Evolutionary psychology (EP) theory informs us that the human mind has certainly evolved and innate mechanisms have been shaped by our ancient social history. Consequently, specifically-evolved mental mechanisms exist that assist the human mind in dealing with complex social phenomena, such as cooperation. Evolutionary psychology theorists posit that for human beings to maximise the benefits of cooperation there need to be efficient ways for individuals to determine whether other members of the social group are operating equitably. Central to successful human cooperation, therefore, we find, amongst others, crucial concepts such as fairness, trust, autonomy, reciprocity, democracy and social recognition.Because the associated mental mechanisms have evolved over millennia they are largely hardwired into the human brain, are relatively slow to evolve, and have not been able to keep pace with the vast and rapid social change brought about through modernity and industrialism. We are left struggling, therefore, with psychological stressors that exist because of the resultant mismatches.This research study considers moral ethics within the workplace as an important component of quality of worklife (QWL), and suggests a new view be taken through the lenses provided by evolutionary psychology theory. This is done specifically with respect to the ethics of a social environment (the business community) that is often quite alienating to our socially evolved minds. This study was conducted with reference to business ethics specifically and it highlights the incongruent landscape lying between that and personal moral ethics. Through the application of social critical theory, it challenges the orthodoxy concerning the relationships between personal liberty, justice and the neo-liberal market economy. It also illuminates the reasons why it is important for business ethics and personal ethics to be brought closer together, and it suggests redefining QWL as a way of bringing about this paradigmatic shift.

Förändringar på arbetsmarknaden på grund av nedskärningar och effektiviseringar har för individen inneburit mer ansvar, tyngre arbetsbörda och högre krav i arbetsuppgiften. Med denna utveckling har stressrelaterade sjukdomar ökat i Sverige de senaste åren. Det framkommer att det sociala stödet kan fungera som en hälsofrämjande resurs i förhållande till graden av arbetsrelaterad stress. Vidare kan en hög belastning i arbetslivet och i privatlivet kan ha en negativ effekt och bidra till en högre skadlig stressnivå. Syftet med studien är därefter att undersöka i vilken utsträckning socialt stöd och dubbelbelastning kan kopplas till arbetsrelaterad stress. Resultatet har analyserats med teoretisk ansats utifrån Krav-kontroll-stödmodellen och socialt stöd som hälsofrämjande resurs. För att undersöka sambandet mellan socialt stöd och dubbelbelastning i förhållande till arbetsrelaterad stress tillämpades en kvantitativ enkätstudie. Insamlad data analyserades i univariata samt multivariata linjära regressionsanalyser. Analysen visade inte att arbetsrelaterad stress hade något signifikant samband med socialt stöd i arbetslivet, i privatlivet och dubbelbelastning. Dock framkom det att kön var associerat med graden av arbetsrelaterad stress. / Changes in the labor market because of downsizing and efficiency improvements for the individual meant more responsibility, workload and the increasing demands of the job. With this development, stress-related diseases have increased in Sweden in recent years. It appears that social support can serve as a health resource in relation to the degree of work-related stress. Furthermore, a high load at work and in private life may have an adverse effect and contribute to a higher distress levels. The purpose of this study is then to examine the extent to which social support and the double burden can be linked to work-related stress. The results have been analyzed with the theoretical approach based on the Demand-Control-Support model and social support that health promotion resource. To examine the relationship between social support and the double burden in relation to work-related stress a quantitative survey has been applied. Collected data were analyzed in univariate and multivariate linear regression analyzes. The analysis revealed that work-related stress had no significant correlation with social support at work, in private and double load. However, it emerged that gender was associated with the rate of work-related stress.

Digital media storytelling and the creation of narrative texts using digital technology is an emerging social process that is being utilized by social workers as a means of engaging in critical reflection. As an emerging practice, little is known about the contributions that these texts make to critical social work knowledge; to this end this thesis considers social worker's use of digital media storytelling as a tool for resisting and remembering and as a tool for critical reflection about their changing field. Six digital media stories are considered in this thesis. The texts are deconstructed using multi-modal analysis informed by internet/digital media research scholarship. The layers produced through this deconstruction are crystalized using critical discourse, narrative and metaphor analysis in order to develop a complex understanding of the multi-modal and multi-vocal meaning making processes inherent in these stories. The analysis reveals the way in which discourses and themes present in the contemporary context of social work practice such as neo-liberalism, managerialism and professionalization, are brought to life in the narratives produced by the social workers, who each tell their stories using different genres, from unique points of view, based on their individual subjective positions. The findings point to the significance of digital media storytelling as an important resources for knowledge production and knowledge dissemination. The analysis further points to the significance of connections between and among these texts as demonstrating the tensions and contradictions that are produced through the workers’ attempts to bring to life the social justice values, goals and objectives of social work to which they are committed in a social climate that is increasingly hostile to such approaches to human service work.

Digital media storytelling and the creation of narrative texts using digital technology is an emerging social process that is being utilized by social workers as a means of engaging in critical reflection. As an emerging practice, little is known about the contributions that these texts make to critical social work knowledge; to this end this thesis considers social worker's use of digital media storytelling as a tool for resisting and remembering and as a tool for critical reflection about their changing field. Six digital media stories are considered in this thesis. The texts are deconstructed using multi-modal analysis informed by internet/digital media research scholarship. The layers produced through this deconstruction are crystalized using critical discourse, narrative and metaphor analysis in order to develop a complex understanding of the multi-modal and multi-vocal meaning making processes inherent in these stories. The analysis reveals the way in which discourses and themes present in the contemporary context of social work practice such as neo-liberalism, managerialism and professionalization, are brought to life in the narratives produced by the social workers, who each tell their stories using different genres, from unique points of view, based on their individual subjective positions. The findings point to the significance of digital media storytelling as an important resources for knowledge production and knowledge dissemination. The analysis further points to the significance of connections between and among these texts as demonstrating the tensions and contradictions that are produced through the workers’ attempts to bring to life the social justice values, goals and objectives of social work to which they are committed in a social climate that is increasingly hostile to such approaches to human service work.

One of the most exciting recent developments in the social sciences has been the rapid formulation and acceptance of evolutionary psychology. Evolutionary psychology (EP) theory informs us that the human mind has certainly evolved and innate mechanisms have been shaped by our ancient social history. Consequently, specifically-evolved mental mechanisms exist that assist the human mind in dealing with complex social phenomena, such as cooperation. Evolutionary psychology theorists posit that for human beings to maximise the benefits of cooperation there need to be efficient ways for individuals to determine whether other members of the social group are operating equitably. Central to successful human cooperation, therefore, we find, amongst others, crucial concepts such as fairness, trust, autonomy, reciprocity, democracy and social recognition.Because the associated mental mechanisms have evolved over millennia they are largely hardwired into the human brain, are relatively slow to evolve, and have not been able to keep pace with the vast and rapid social change brought about through modernity and industrialism. We are left struggling, therefore, with psychological stressors that exist because of the resultant mismatches.This research study considers moral ethics within the workplace as an important component of quality of worklife (QWL), and suggests a new view be taken through the lenses provided by evolutionary psychology theory. This is done specifically with respect to the ethics of a social environment (the business community) that is often quite alienating to our socially evolved minds. This study was conducted with reference to business ethics specifically and it highlights the incongruent landscape lying between that and personal moral ethics. Through the application of social critical theory, it challenges the orthodoxy concerning the relationships between personal liberty, justice and the neo-liberal market economy. It also illuminates the reasons why it is important for business ethics and personal ethics to be brought closer together, and it suggests redefining QWL as a way of bringing about this paradigmatic shift.