Denna kvalitativa intervjustudie inriktar sig på socialtjänstens arbete med barn som utsätts för våld. Syftet med arbetet är att utforska hur socialsekreterare hanterar och bemöter anmälningar avseende våldsutsatta. Studien utforskar även socialsekreterares erfarenheter, upplevelser och arbetsrutiner inom våldsärenden. Urvalet bestod av fem socialsekreterare i två större kommuner i Sverige. Studien inkluderar ett bakgrundsavsnitt som består av barnperspektiv och normaliseringsprocessen. Tidigare forskning visar att våldet främst uppmärksammades genom att barnet redogjorde för sin situation för myndigheter med anmälningsplikt. Våldet kunde även avslöjas av barnets syskon, föräldrar, släktningar eller andra som observerat tecken som tyder på våld. Den tidigare forskningen visar dessutom ett behov av att förbättra socialsekreterares kompetens och utbildning inom barnskyddet. Socialsekreterare har olika bedömningar trots att de utgick från samma eller liknande uppgifter. Studien består av teoretiska utgångspunkter i form av byråkrati på gatunivå och handlingsutrymme. Resultatet visar att socialsekreterarnas kännedom om våldet främst kom genom orosanmälningar. Socialsekreterarna inom båda kommunerna hade liknande hantering av ärendena och upplevde utmaningar avseende att få barn att berätta om våld. Socialsekreterarna upplevde att de har tillräckligt med kompetens för att hantera våldsärenden, samtidigt upplevs en brist på utbildningsmöjligheter. I resultatet framkommer förbättringsområden inom hanteringen av våldsärenden. Bland annat inom uppföljande stöd efter barnahusförhör samt förbättrad lagstiftning. / This qualitative study is about social services work with children who are exposed to violence. The purpose is to explore how social workers handle reports of violence affecting children. The study explores social workers' experiences and practices in cases of violence. The sample consists of five social workers in two medium-sized municipalities in Sweden. The study includes a background section consisting of the child's perspective and the normalization process of violence. Previous research shows that violence was mainly noticed when children explained their situation to authorities. The violence could be disclosed by siblings, parents, relatives, or others who observed signs. Previous research shows a need to improve the competence of social workers since different assessments can be made although the same data is presented. The study consists of theoretical starting points in the form of bureaucracy at street level and room for action. The results show that social workers' knowledge of the violence was mainly through reports of concern. Social workers in both municipalities had similar routines and they both experienced challenges in getting children to talk about violence. The results reveal areas for improvement in the practices regarding cases of violence. Among other things within follow-up support after orphanage hearings and improved legislation.

Syftet med den här studien har varit att bidra med ökad kunskap om hur skolkuratorer uppfattar möjligheter och hinder att uppmärksamma unga utsatta för våld i en parrelation och hur skolkuratorer beskriver de egna möjligheterna att stödja unga som är eller har varit utsatta för våld i en parrelation. Syftet har även varit att ge ökad kunskap om hur skolkuratorer samverkar med andra professionella kring våld i ungas parrelationer. För att kunna uppfylla studiens syfte har sex kvalitativa intervjuer med skolkuratorer som arbetar inom grundskolan och gymnasiet genomförts. Intervjuerna har analyserats med hjälp av tidigare forskning inom området och de teoretiska begreppen handlingsutrymme och samverkan. Studiens resultat visar att synlighet och tillgänglighet uppfattas vara viktiga faktorer för att kunna uppmärksamma unga utsatta för våld i en parrelation. Tidsutrymmet till aktiviteter där skolkuratorn är synlig och tillgänglig för elever uppfattas som en begränsande faktor för att uppmärksamma unga utsatta för partnervåld. Vidare visar studiens resultat att utformningen av stödjande handlingar till unga som är eller har varit utsatta för våld i en parrelation kan knytas till hur ramarna för det skolkurativa uppdraget uppfattas. Samverkan med andra professionella kring våld i ungas parrelationer framstår vara kontextbunden till skolan som skolkuratorn arbetar på och samverkan med socialtjänsten betraktas som möjlig i olika hög grad av olika skolkuratorer. / The purpose of this study has been to contribute to increased knowledge of how school counselors perceive possibilities and barriers to identify young people who have been subjected to intimate partner violence. The purpose has also been to provide increased knowledge on how school counselors collaborate with other professionals regarding youth intimate partner violence. In order to fulfill the purpose of the study, six qualitative interviews with school counselors have been conducted. The interviews have been analyzed with the help of previous research in the field and the theoretical concepts of discretion and collaboration. The study's results show that as a school counselor, being visible and accessible to students is understood to increase the possibilities to identify young people subjected to intimate partner violence. The time available for activities where the school counselor is visible and accessible to students is perceived as a barrier to identifying young people subjected to intimate partner violence. Further, the study's results show that the design of supportive actions for young people who are or have been subjected to intimate partner violence. can be linked to what is within the framework of the school health mission. Collaboration with other professionals regarding youth intimate partner violence appears be context-bound to the school where the school counselor works, and collaboration with social services is considered possible to varying degrees by different school counselors.

Client-initiated threats and violence towards social workers is a widespread problem, nationally as well as internationally, where every third social worker is at risk. Social workers' vulnerability can, according to previous studies, conceivably be derived from the dual role of authority personnel, where they need to balance functions of support and control when facing clients. It appears from previous studies that social workers operating within children and young people are particularly exposed. The study aims to examine the experiences of client-initiated threats and violence of social workers in an authority position within children and young people. Through the study’s framing of questions, the study intends to examine how client-initiated threats and violence affect social workers’ professional role and possibilities for action, social workers’ strategies in dealing with client-initiated threats and violence, and to examine how the workplace views this problem. The empirical material was collected through semi-structured interviews with professionals. The selection of interviewees has been targeted and includes seven social workers in southern Sweden. A thematic analysis was used to identify key aspects considering the study’s framing of questions and the social workers’ experiences. Lipsky’s professionalism theory and Lazarus and Folkman’s coping theory have been applied to analyze the empirical material. The result shows that social workers’ professional role contains complex considerations between a helping role and setting boundaries in the meeting with clients, which can alter the possibilities for action. Consequently, this can threaten legal certainty and change the social workers’ democratic role in society. Furthermore, the result also shows different strategies being used both preemptively as well as remediatively in the meeting with a client. The strategies are individual and affected by the workplace’s resources. Thus, there is no unequivocal understanding of which strategies that can and should be used regarding client-initiated threats and violence. The workplace’s support is portrayed differently between the respondents, where the workplace’s safety climate affects how the social worker perceives client-initiated threats and violence. In light of this, there is a demand for an increased commitment from the management of the workplace, together with the social workers, to carry out a discussion regarding guidelines, support and policy for the organization to develop continuously. / Klientutövat hot och våld mot socialsekreterare är ett utbrett problem, såväl nationellt som internationellt, där var tredje socialsekreterare är utsatt. Socialsekreterares utsatthet kan enligt den tidigare forskningen härledas till den dubbla rollen hos myndighetsutövare, där de behöver balansera funktioner av stöd och kontroll i mötet med klienter. Det framgår av tidigare forskning att socialsekreterare som är verksamma i barn och ungdomsenheter är särskilt utsatta. Studien syftar till att undersökta erfarenheter av klientutövat hot och våld hos myndighetsutövande socialsekreterare inom barn och unga. Genom studiens frågeställningar ämnar studien att undersöka hur klientutövat hot och våld inverkar på socialsekreterares yrkesroll och handlingsutrymme, socialsekreterares strategier i mötet med klientutövat hot och våld och att undersöka hur arbetsplatsen betraktar detta problem. Det empiriska materialet samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med yrkesverksamma. Urvalet har varit målstyrt och omfattat sju socialsekreterare i södra Sverige. En tematisk analys användes för att identifiera centrala aspekter med utgångspunkt från studiens forskningsfrågor, utifrån socialsekreterarnas erfarenheter. Lipskys professionsteori och Lazarus och Folkmans copingteori har använts för att analysera det inhämtade empiriska materialet. Resultatet visar att socialsekreterares yrkesroll innehåller komplexa avvägningar mellan en hjälpande roll och gränssättning i mötet med klienter, vilket kan förändra handlingsutrymmet. Följaktligen kan detta hota rättssäkerheten och förändra socialsekreterares demokratiska roll i samhället. Resultatet visar även olika strategier som används både förebyggande samt avhjälpande i mötet med klient. Strategierna är individuella och påverkansbara av arbetsplatsens resurser. Därigenom finns det ingen entydig uppfattning om vilka strategier som kan och bör användas beträffande klientutövat hot och våld. Arbetsplatsens stöd skildras olika mellan respondenterna där arbetsplatsens säkerhetsklimat påverkar hur socialsekreteraren uppfattar klientutövat hot och våld. Mot bakgrund av detta finns en efterfrågan till ökat engagemang från arbetsplatsens ledning att tillsammans med socialsekreterarna föra en öppen diskussion gällande riktlinjer, stöd och policy för att verksamheten ska utvecklas fortlöpande.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att öka kunskapen om vilka förutsättningar som påverkar kommunernas handlingsutrymme att styra mot ökat byggande i trä. Utgångspunkten är att ökat byggande i trä är en viktig hörnsten i Sveriges arbete för att nå klimatmål om minskade koldioxidutsläpp. I fallstudie undersöker jag Växjö och Skellefteå kommun som sedan länge arbetat aktivt med att öka byggande i trä och båda antagit kommunala träbyggandsstrategier. I fallstudie undersöker jag hur såväl kontextuella (projektspecifika och informella förutsättningar) som formella förutsättningar påverkar kommunens handlingsutrymme. Resultatet visar att processer för att identifiera planförutsättningar och överbrygga olika perspektiv är avgörande för att skapa ett kontextuellt handlingsutrymme. Resultatet visar vidare att kontextuella förutsättningar även har potential att till viss del skapa handlingsutrymme utanför det formella handlingsutrymmets ”uppenbara” ramar. / The aim of this study in to increase the knowledge of municipal possibilities and constraints to increase building in wood by examining the municipal planning conditions. Point of departure is that building in wood is a prerequisite to reach the Swedish climate targets of drastically reducing national CO2-emissions. In a case study two municipalities are examined, Växjö and Skellefteå, two municipalities with strategies to increase building in wood and with long experience in doing so. The study explores how contextual planning conditions (project specific and informal conditions) alongside formal planning conditions affects the municipal space of action. The result shows that processes to identify planning conditions and to bridge different perspectives are crucial in order to create a contextual space of action. The result further demonstrates that contextual planning condition withhold the potential to, to a certain degree, create space of action outside the presupposed boundaries of the formal planning system.

Where does my individual responsibility for the environment start and end? Should I be responsible for environmental stress in India only because my shoes were produced there, or for climate change that endangers species in Antarctica, or rising sea levels on Pacific islands which just might have been caused by my driving? What do I need to do if I think it is my responsibility? And how do I decide which is a better alternative from an environmental point of view? Who should I trust when deciding on what action to take, and what opportunities do I need for acting?This multidisciplinary thesis takes the politicization of everyday household activities due to environmental consequences, and individualization of responsibility, as its starting points. These points make it increasingly important to understand what responsibility individuals experience, and how they act in accordance with these perceptions. The present thesis is a qualitative study with 28 Swedish households that concern how the householders express responsibility for the environment through their everyday activities, partly by claiming to be “environmentally conscious”, and how they attempt to exert political influence. The study contributes to the discussion on the wide field of sustainable development and environmental politics. It deals specifically with the ways four Swedish municipalities (Gothenburg, Huddinge, Piteå and Växjö) attempt to influence what the householders do in the private sphere when it comes to implementing sustainable development, and what opportunities and they supply, and what expectations they have on householders. The study thereby discusses the possibility to interfere in the perceived private sphere, and different ways to participate politically. / Sustainable households: activities, research, policies

The thesis examines accompanied asylum-seeking children’s position in Swedish asylum reception management and in the determination of their claims. The three articles of the thesis focus on children’s own experiences of seeking asylum, on the experiences and practices of the civil servants at the Migration Board, as well as those of the legal representatives that assist asylum-seekers in the application process. The thesis builds on ethnographic fieldwork carried out between 2008 and 2010 in southwest Sweden. Theoretical inspiration has been sought in the new sociology of childhood as well as in practice theory. The first article in the thesis concerns children’s caseworkers who are responsible for safeguarding children’s interests in the Migration Board’s daily work with reception. The study highlights a range of dilemmas caseworkers have to deal with in their role as frontline bureaucrats. The study shows that the children’s caseworkers often perceive their discretion as limited, but also that they themselves contribute to limiting it, for example due to their hesitation in challenging existing norms and collegiality.    The second article examines the ways in which legal representatives, who act on behalf of families in asylum determinations, in their practice perceive and relate to the concept of children’s best interests and children’s right to participate. The study shows that children in families can become invisible in the legal representatives’ daily rounds. This invisibility is due to practical limitations in the representatives’ work as well as a general view that children rarely have their own grounds for asylum, as separate claimants to their parents. The third paper of the thesis explores the ways in which children experience and seek to influence circumstances that signify their time spent as asylum-seekers. The study shows how the children developed a range of tactics to deal with their particular situations, which varied with their housing and schooling, and the family’s financial resources. The conclusion is that the children themselves are the primary representatives of the child perspective in the asylum-seeking process, not least through their struggle to belong and create a life like that of ’ordinary’ children.  In line with previous research in the field, the thesis points to the contradiction between the principle of regulated migration and the child perspective in the asylum-seeking process. Together with practical circumstances, such as lack of resources, this contradiction results in a more limited implementation of the child perspective than rules and regulations actually stipulate. Finally, the thesis points to the active role asylum-seeking children take in their efforts to create an everyday life that is as similar as possible to that of  the ’ordinary’ children (e.g. non asylum-seeker and permanently settled children) around them. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Submitted.</p>

There is considerable geographical overlap between areas set aside for nature conservation or protection and Indigenous peoples’ lands, and the social, economic, and political consequences of protected areas have often been extensive for Indigenous peoples. Discourses of conservation converge with discourses of Indigenous peoples, and both carry a legacy of colonial constructs and relationships. With these overlaps as a point of departure, the purpose of this thesis is to explore how the discourses that govern nature conservation and protected areas shape the conditions for Indigenous peoples’ influence and participation in the governance and management of protected areas on their lands. I pursue this aim by analyzing, and critically examining the consequences of, the construction of Indigenous subject positions and conditions for agency in discourses of nature conservation and protected areas. The empirical focus of the thesis lies with international discourses of protected areas and Indigenous peoples and on local and national discourses articulated in relation to two cases of protected areas in Sápmi. My analytical framework builds on postcolonial theory and discourse theory. I use space for agency as a concept to describe and analyze the effects of the discursive positionings and constructions that shape the ability or capacity of individuals or group to act or to be perceived as legitimate actors. My results show twomain articulations of Indigenous subject positions in protected area discourses, which enable and restrain the space for Indigenous agency in different ways. One articulation connects Indigenous peoples to conservation through the concept of traditional knowledge, thereby positioning Indigenous subjects mainly as holders of traditional knowledge and justifying Indigenous influence by its potential contribution to conservation objectives. The other articulation focuses on the rights pertaining to Indigenous peoples as peoples, including land rights and the right to selfdetermination. These articulations are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but they have potentially different consequences and indicate discursive tensions that can affect the space for Indigenous agency in relation to protected areas. Moreover, my results demonstrate the hegemony of discourses that takes conservation through area protection for granted and subordinates Indigenous land use to conservation objectives, structure Indigenous agency as “participation” in specific types of arrangement, and articulate Indigenous rights in relation to hegemonic constructions of sovereignty, self-determination, and rights. These hegemonic formations silence articulations that would challenge the authority of colonizing societies over Indigenous territories, suppress radical critique of the fundamental nature of arrangements for protected area governance and management, and subdue alternatives to discourses of contemporary liberal democracy and individual property rights.

The dissertation analyses access to welfare resources within the areas of schooling, leisure and peer relations for youth in out of home care. The study was conducted in three counties in mid Sweden and is a replication of the recurrent Swedish surveys of living condition of children in general populations. By using the same design, children aged 13–18 (n=272) in foster care and residential care were approached. Throughout the analysis results are compared with conditions for peers living at home, based on data from the 2004/2005 survey on living conditions for children (Child-ULF). Furthermore the results are linked to the young people’s experience of psychosomatic complaints and emotional wellbeing and discussed within the theoretical framework of childhood sociology. Questions regarding society’s ability to convey resources to youth while in care as well as young persons’ potential to exercise determination while in care are also discussed. The study shows that youth in care in general have access to fewer resources than those in general populations in the studied areas. For youth in residential care the differences compared to peers living at home are substantial, while conditions for youth in foster care are more alike those of young people in general. Youth in residential care have fewer school related resources and fewer contacts with friends than peers living at home. Youth in foster and residential care are more subjected to bullying than the general population. The overall conclusions are that society, in the form of foster parents and residential staff fails in certain areas to convey resources to youth in care. The young people’s lack of resources poses limitations to their potential to exercise self-determination while in care. The study points out areas where targeted efforts might be needed to improve the living conditions for youth in out of home care and perhaps broaden their potential to exercise self-determination while in care as well as after. / Välfärd i samhällsvården? En levnadsnivåundersökning av barn och ungdomar i socialtjänstens dygnsvård

The aim of this essay was to describe how school social workers can help and support students with parents who abuse alcohol or other drugs. We wanted to see how school social workers room for action is presented and how it affects their work with students living with parents who are abusing. We used a qualitative method to elucidate how school social workers handle this issue in a more profound way. By conducting semistructured interviews with six school social workers in one province in southern Sweden we gained exhaustive and detailed answers. In the analysis we used street level bureaucracy and theory of recognition. The result showed that the school social workers regard their overarching room of action as very wide inside school but limited outside. At school the school social worker can support the students with supportive counseling and adapted school attendance. One important task of the school social worker is to help the student to get in contact with other organizations for example, support groups for children. We also found that cooperation is an important part as the school social workers describe themselves as “the spider in the web” with the task of connecting and sharing knowledge with other personnel and organizations. The relation with the student is important to be able to support the students or guide them further. School social workers also regard school as a good place to detect and identify these students, but that it can be difficult to know who these students are. If a specific plan for working with students whose parents abuse alcohol or drugs would affect the school social workers work is difficult to say since none that we interviewed in this study had experience of one.

This investigation aimed to shed light on the terms of the dispensing and the retaining of municipal social benefits granted by Swedish social services, this in regard of a less visible societal subgroup; citizens who cannot attain or retain housing of their own. Through qualitative interviews with six municipal social workers in Skåne, the plight of these citizens is revealed from a policy-making perspective in respect of views on discretion and individual appreciation. How may the applicant impact the application process and how does social subletting operate as a service effort? Further analysis of the accounts of informants’ views on change and the reasons for change, sketched an image of a society where public acceptance and tolerance are crucial factors for citizens hoping to achieve a homestead through means of municipal intervention. In conclusion, flexible attitudes towards job description are of major import to the possibility of offering client support in under-staffed municipal environs. Furthermore, reflexive social workers allying with the applicant throughout the process, from application to intervention are decisive for efficacious, long-term social work.