L’objectif de cette thèse est de contribuer à la littérature en économie en analysant trois déterminants psychologiques dans la manière dont les individus prennent des décisions dans le temps en utilisant des approches et des méthodologies issues de l’économie et de la psychologie. Ainsi, le premier chapitre de cette thèse analyse théoriquement la demande des individus pour des dispositifs d’engagement pour lutter contre leur propre préférence pour le présent. Cette étude théorique est illustrée par une expérience en laboratoire sur la perte de poids. Le deuxième chapitre étudie empiriquement l’impact des conditions de travail sur les comportements de santé des individus à la lumière de la littérature en psychologie sur l’autorégulation. Le troisième chapitre propose une traduction et une validation de l’échelle des aspects de l’identité et montre que l’analyse économique des préférences individuelles peut bénéficier de la ré-introduction de la subjectivité de l’identité personnelle. Enfin, le dernier chapitre de cette thèse explore dans quelle mesure cette subjectivité de l’identité personnelle peut être importante pour comprendre les choix intertemporels. / The objective of this thesis is to contribute to economic literature by analysing three psychological determinants in the way individuals make decisions over time, using approaches and methodologies from economics and psychology. Thus, the first chapter of this thesis theoretically analyses the demand for commitment devices to overcome their own present-bias. This theoretical study is illustrated by a laboratory experiment on weight loss. The second chapter empirically examines the impact of working conditions on individuals’ health behaviours in the light of the psychological literature on self-control. The third chapter proposes a translation and validation of the Aspects of Identity Questionnaire and shows that the economic analysis of individual preferences can benefit from the reintroduction of the subjectivity of personal identity. Finally, the last chapter of this thesis explores the extent to which this subjectivity of personal identity can be important in understanding intertemporal choices.

Arevalo Salas, Amanda Valeria. THE TRIANGULAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LATIN AMERICA - UNITED STATES - CHINA: WHAT STRATEGIC CHOICES DOES LATIN AMERICA FACE?. Master Thesis (Mgr.). Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Studies. Abstract In recent years, China has increased its influence in Latin America. This expansion can be considered as uncomfortable for the United States because China could displace its historical hegemonic position in the region. By analyzing the role of integration blocks and interest groups, the development of relations of Latin America with China and the United States, risks and uncertainties, this paper will provide possible scenarios for the development of relations between Latin America, China and the United States and it will describe strategies for Latin America to take advantage of the opportunities that may arise.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The increase in overweight and obesity worldwide is described as a global health epidemic. A great proportion of this epidemic is now found in low- and middle-income countries with higher levels of prevalence, particularly in emerging economies. In sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa ranks high in the prevalence of obesity at all levels. Since the inception of democracy in 1994, the government is yet to overcome the burden of poverty and inequality routed in its apartheid past. Apartheid systematically and unjustly disintegrated and segregated black Africans and people of Colour, denying them access to economic opportunity, thus leaving them on a dependency status. Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain are the relics of apartheid policies. Obesity and associated diseases are highly correlated with gender dynamics, economic conditions, nutritional status, poverty, and urbanisation. It is increasingly evident that poor urban dwellers, especially women and children are at risk of obesity-related factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases. The increasing incidence of obesity especially amongst children is concerning. The prevalence of child poverty is in South Africa is a cause for concern. Over 18.5million children are in South Africa, 64% of which are dependent on CSG. With poverty and inequality affecting millions of households, access to food and quality food has reached crises level. Yet, it is a basic human right that has received little empirical response amongst policymaker in South Africa. The South African food system is complex, poverty is endemic and poor households are most vulnerable to unhealthy eating habits. This research critically analysis the link between food choices, overweight and obesity in adults and children living in urban peripheral communities in Cape Town. The study was designed to interrogate the kinds of food eaten by urban peripheral dwellers, their socioeconomic status and how the policy of the BIC addresses the problem of child obesity in South Africa. This research aimed to empirically explore the relationship between BMI and food choices of adults and children living in urban peripheries in Cape Town. The study also aimed at evaluating the BIC in urban townships in Cape Town in the context of child obesity, to understand the views of the children and to understand how poor households are ensuring the BIC in relation food access, food availability and child protection from obesity. The study further aimed at comparing the and contrasting the socioeconomic dynamics of the two population to understand the progress and gaps in their economic and health status. Empirical data were collected from households in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain using a two-stage sampling technic to identify clusters and households. A sample of about 4300 individuals in 1052 households was sampled. A 24H dietary recall was used to capture food types of the population. The World Health Organisation guidelines for BMI adults and children were applied through the study. A BIC Index was developed to assess the right to food from the views of the child. First, the study found significant differences in the socioeconomic and demographic profiles of the population. Poverty and the risk of falling into poverty were higher in Khayelitsha than in Mitchells Plain. Two-third of the population (65%) of adults we found to be overweight and obese. Overweight and obesity amongst children was 29% and 68% of children reported that they buy food at school or on their way to school. Over 83% children stated that their parents give them money to take to school. There was a significant association between children buying food and parents giving money at X2 91.4643, P<= 0.000. Carbohydrate represents 40% and sugar 35% of food types children eat away from home. In terms of the BIC, 43% of the children

Äldre personer utgör en allt större del av befolkningen vilket gör att forskning kring hälsosamt åldrande blir mer aktuellt. Flera studier tyder på att ånger kring det förflutna har negativa konsekvenser för hälsan och att upplevelsen av att vara tillfreds har en positiv inverkan på välmående. Däremot saknas kunskap om hur äldre blir tillfreds med sina livsval. Studien syftade till att bidra med en mer nyanserad bild av hur personer över 65 år förhåller sig till livsval och konsekvenser av dessa, samt hur upplevelsen av att vara tillfreds med livet kan uppstå. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med 11 deltagare. Det insamlade materialet analyserades utifrån en induktiv tematisk analys vilket resulterade i fyra huvudteman och 12 subteman. Huvudtemana Positivitet, Acceptans och Självständighet innebär tre olika förhållningssätt till livsval. Social kontext belyser social påverkan på livsval samt hur gemenskap och att vara betydelsefull bidrar till välmående och mening i livet. Studiens bredare definition av livsval och det positiva fokuset bidrar till en mer nyanserad bild av äldres syn på livsval inom flera olika områden. Resultatet visar att upplevelsen av att vara nöjd inte nödvändigtvis kan likställas med att vara tillfreds, och att hur människan förhåller sig till valet och dess konsekvenser blir viktigare än det faktiskt utfallet i det aktuella valet. Äldre som söker behandling för hantering av negativa känslor kopplade till åldrande och livsåterblickande kan behöva olika interventioner beroende på hur de förhåller sig till livsval. / Older people make up an increasing proportion of the population which makes research on successful aging more relevant. Several studies show negative health consequences when regretting the past and that the experience of coming to terms have positive effects on well-being. Although, little is known about how older people come to terms with life choices. This study aimed to contribute with a nuanced picture of how people over the age of 65 relate to life choices and their consequences, and how elderly people come to terms with life. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 participants. The material was analyzed based on inductive thematic analysis, resulting in four main themes and 12 subthemes. The main themes Positivity, Acceptance and Independence involve three different approaches to life choices. Social context highlights the social impact on life choices and how community and being important to others contributes to well-being and purpose in life. The broader definition of life choices and the positive focus of this study contributes to a more nuanced picture of older peoples view on life choices in multiple areas. The result shows that the experience of coming to terms with life not necessarily can be equated with being satisfied, and that how people relate to life choices and its consequences becomes more important than the actual outcome of the choice itself. Elderly people who seeks treatment for dealing with negative emotions related to aging and life reminiscence may need different interventions depending on how they relate to life choices.

Background: The slow fashion industry arose as a contraposition to the unsustainable ways of fast fashion, and emphasizes attentive consumption and production. It is characterized by four characteristics - transparency, quality, localism and exclusivity – each described with valuable traits in previous studies. However, current marketing efforts of slow fashion are focused only on two transparency aspects; sustainability and ethics, although previous studies show that these have no influence on consumers consumption choices. Therefore, this study aims to explore which aspects within these four characteristics that are perceived as valuable by consumers, so that a value package model for the consumer perceived valuable aspects of slow fashion can be developed. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to develop a new value package model that presents the consumer perceived valuable aspects of slow fashion. Methodology: This exploratory qualitative study was conducted through nine semi-structured interviews with Swedish fashion consumers between the age of 18-26. The participants were selected through convenience sampling, and the interviews resulted in 91 pages of collected data. The data was then analyzed with the help of thematic coding. The findings derived from the study was then used to develop a new value package model; presenting the consumer perceived valuable aspects of slow fashion. Findings: There were six consumer perceived value aspects of slow fashion. These were, in order of highest influence to lowest; classical style, product personality, durability, limited production, security and knowledge. Conclusion: This study contributes with the theoretical implication of a new proposed value package model that displays the customer perceived value aspects of slow fashion. In addition, it provides managerial implications that may help marketers and companies to streamline their marketing efforts of slow fashion.

Matval styrs av flera olika aspekter, vilket gör det komplext. Detta innebär också att det ofta är svårt att styra konsumenten att förändra sina matval till att bli mer hållbara. Studiens syfte är att ur ett hållbarhetsperspektiv undersöka hur konsumenter resonerar kring matval idag och för framtiden. En kvalitativ studie i form av fokusgruppsintervjuer genomfördes för att skapa diskussioner i frågor om hållbarhet och matval. Resultatet är analyserat utifrån Belascos teori som utgörs av “Den kulinariska triangeln av motsättningar”. Resultatet visade att många låter priset styra över matvalen snarare än viljan att göra, vad de anser vara, ett bra val. Detta innebar också att en del informanter inte ansåg sig kunna ta det ansvar för hållbarheten de önskade. Vidare speglade identitet många av valen, där traditioner, vanor och personliga smakpreferenser var svåra att ge upp. Det framkom även att framtidens proteinkälla inte nödvändigtvis behöver vara vegetabiliskt, men att man gärna ser en mer hållbar produktion och konsumtion av kött som man är villig att ta del av, så länge en kost med kött inte är helt utesluten. Informanterna såg till exempel möjligheter i att äta kött odlat i laboratorium eller större tillgänglighet av viltkött. Studien visade att en förändring kräver tid. Pris framstod vara största faktorn som styr matval, vilket innebär att en prisförändring av hållbar mat skulle kunna bidra till ett aktivt ändrande av matval. / Several aspects impact our food choices, which makes it complex. This also implies that it is often difficult to control the consumers to change their food choices to become more sustainable. The aim of this study was to examine from a sustainability perspective how consumers reason about food choices today and for the future. A qualitative study was conducted using focus group interviews to discuss questions about sustainability and food choices. The result was analyzed from Belasco’s theory about the culinary triangle of contradictions. The result showed that for many people food choices were governed by price rather than the desire to make, what they consider, a good choice., For some informants this resulted in not being able to take responsibility for the sustainability they wanted. Moreover, identity reflected many of the choices, where tradition, habits and personal taste preferences were difficult to give up. It also appeared that the future protein source not necessarily needs to be vegetable, but the informants liked to see a more sustainable meat production and consumption that they were willing to support as long as meat could be included in the diet. The informants saw opportunities in eating lab grown meat or more available venison. Importantly, the study showed that change requires time and price appeared to be the biggest factor governing food choices, which means that price change could contribute to an active change in food choices.

This study aims to develop knowledge about the teaching of literary history in upper secondary school. Sub-study I explores: What content is foregrounded when upper secondary school teachers of Swedish introduce literary history? And what significance can different teaching content have for sparking interest? Sub-study II explores: What teaching content sparks students’ interest in literary history? And what other aspects of the teaching spark their interest in literary history according to the students themselves? The study is framed by didactics and curriculum theory and also theories about interest and teaching. The material consists of video recordings from ten different lessons when upper secondary teachers were introducing literary history in the course Swedish 2. The experiences of upper secondary school students of the teaching were collected using questionnaires and interviews. All students were enrolled in university preparation programmes in a medium-sized Swedish city. The results of the analysis in Sub-study I show a wide range of potential literary history teaching content. The study thus contributes new empirical knowledge about what forms (in terms of its content) literary history can take in its teaching. In the past, Swedish as a subject has been discussed to a large extent in relation to the conceptions of the subject of Swedish as a skills subject, as a cultural heritage subject, and as an experience-based subject. The results of the study are discussed in relation to these conceptions but make further contributions by concretizing the variety of teaching content that occurs in classrooms. The results of the analysis in Sub-study II show that upper secondary school students’ interest in literary history can be sparked in relation to different content in the teaching such as students experiences; intertextuality; similarities and differences between different periods; epochs, authors and works, and aesthetic elements. The analysis also revealed aspects that could be linked to the teachers’ ways of leading and organising the teaching. These were passion and engagement; content legitimation; interaction and participation; variety; structure and delimitation and grades or de-emphasis on performance. The many themes identified in Sub-study II contribute to revealing different ways of sparking interest in literary history. This is an important result in view of the fact that previous research has shown that students lack interest in literary history teaching. Together, the two sub-studies contribute to revealing new empirical knowledge about literary history teaching. Finally, there is a reflective discussion which illuminate the study in relation to different perspectives on classroom management.

The subject of future transportation has been examined extensively in socio-technical literature. There is a consensus that advancements in the field of automated mobility will have a significant impact on how people move between locations. In this degree project, the authors have chosen to investigate modes of transport that have not yet been established in society. Although, interesting advancements create possible scenarios of future transportation and its impact on tourism. The authors use a content analysis through a quantitative research method in the form of a questionnaire to get the public’s view on the subject. Subsequently, systematic reading of journals and webpages was conducted to identify linkage to previous research and relevant content. Hence, the scenarios were developed by analyzing a combination of secondary and primary data. The authors suggest that the content on future transportation represents changes to come that will have great impacts on both tourism and the transportation industry.

Purpose: As service organizations move toward the open system strategic customer orientation, they need to ensure consistency among competitive methods, performance measures and strategies utilized. This paper aims to examine the relationships among these important facets of today’s service organizations. The study at hand examines the relationship among competitive methods, implicit strategy and performance measures used by Portuguese service organizations. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses a survey-based methodology. Factor analysis, cluster analysis and regression analysis procedures are used to analyze the collected data from Portuguese service organizations. Findings: Based on the results of this study, it appears that some of the studied service organizations are steadily moving toward the open system mode of strategy, competitive methods and performance measurement. However, the majority of the service organizations examined appeared to be in a state of strategic confusion, as they appear to lack the consistency among competitive methods, performance measures and desired strategic orientations. Research limitations/implications: The sample used in this study is specific in nature, as it includes only Portuguese service organizations. Therefore, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution. Future research in other cultural service settings is recommended. Such research should emphasize the exploration of theoretical frameworks, which tend to practically integrate competitive methods, performance measures and strategic orientation. Practical implications: This study has direct practical implications for service managers, as they attempt to integrate their organizational systems. As such, the research in this study paves the way toward the practical integration and consistency among competitive methods, performance measures and strategic orientations needed to enhance the customer orientation. In this context, such integration and consistency are essential to enhance the strategic competitiveness of today’s service organizations operating in a dynamic marketplace. Originality/value: This research combines bodies of knowledge dealing with competitive methods, performance measures and their impact on strategic orientations. The conceptual framework offered in this research attempts to facilitate the understanding for consistent practice pertaining to the competitiveness of the open system service organization in a dynamic environment. Such consistency is essential to the competitiveness of the organization in a dynamic environment.

The influx of women of childbearing age into the labor force, family dynamics of dual working parents as a result of economic factors, and weakening of extended family supports have increased demand for early childhood care and education programs in Nigeria. Consequently, a problem emerged in increased enrollment in ECCE programs that are deficient in terms of structural and process factors of child-caregiver ratio, group size, staff qualifications, health and safety practices, curriculum implementation, and parental engagement. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influenced parents' in their decision process for ECCE placement for their children aged 6 months to 1 year in Asaba education zone of Delta State, Nigeria. Epistemological constructivism was employed as the conceptual framework for this inquiry. A qualitative design together with one-on-one interviews of 9 parents of children enrolled in selected public, mission, and private ECCE programs were employed to answer four research questions on parents' decision making for ECCE selection. The resulting data were analyzed using both a priori and open coding to generate themes and patterns. The study revealed that parents relied on personal priorities over quality indicators. This study may contribute to social change by providing policymakers and other stakeholders with information on factors parents consider in their selection of ECCE programs, including factors that incline parents to choose quality-deficient programs. This information may lead to program improvements that increase enrollment of children into quality programs, reduce gaps in achievement and opportunity between the low and middle-income groups, and enhance social equity and success for children enrolled ECCE programs.