Despite the repeated call-to-action to identify more inclusive and equitable approaches within school music ensembles, choral teaching and learning in the United States still favors practices that perpetuate injustices while limiting democracy and student autonomy (Bradley, 2007; de Quadros, 2015; Howard, 2020; O’Toole, 2005; Philpott & Kubilius, 2015; Shaw, 2012, 2016, 2019). In many ways, music teacher socialization surrounding best choral practices for teaching and learning has remained stable since the 19th century. Most choral teachers in the United States continue to center sequential patterns of teaching and learning with a singular trained leader, Western Art Music (WAM), and polished products of music (Conkling, 2019). These practices are best defined as Formal Learning (FL), or learning that includes a structured curriculum and instructional plan, sequential learning process, teacher in charge, and clear assessment plan (Mok, 2011c). Though FL endures as the “default option” in large ensemble classroom settings such as bands, choirs, and orchestras (Conkling, 2019), Informal Learning (IL) in music education—learning that is “not sequenced beforehand” and contains components that are “self-chosen and voluntary” (Folkestad, 2006, p. 141)—has steadily gained popularity in the United Kingdom and the United States since its introduction in Nordic countries in the 1960s (Hallam et al., 2018). In the early 21st century, Green (2002) conducted a seminal study about how popular musicians learn using Informal Learning Practices and Processes (ILPP). Since then, researchers and teachers worldwide have explored IL in elementary music classrooms (Davis, 2013; Moore, 2019), secondary music contexts (Bersh, 2011; Costes-Onishi, 2016; Evans et al., 2015; Gower, 2012; Green, 2008; Hallam et al., 2018; Jones, 2015; Moore, 2019; Vasil, 2015; Wallerstedt & Pramling, 2016; Wright, 2016), and collegiate settings (Finney & Philpott, 2010; Isbell, 2016; Karlsen, 2010; Mok, 2017). Feichas (2010) called IL a “pedagogy of diversity and inclusion” (p. 57), because of the inherent choice involved, the minimization of Eurocentric musics, and the opportunity for all to access this way of learning. Jones (2009) claimed students’ engagement with music in IL settings as one of the most promising indicators of musicking throughout one’s life because of the student choice, informal skills, and self-regulated learning involved. Despite these benefits, research related to IL within high school choral contexts remains scarce. The purpose of this multiple case study was to investigate Informal Learning Practices and Processes (ILPP) within the context of three public high school choral programs. A qualitative multiple case study design guided me toward purposive sampling (Patton, 2015; Stake, 2006). In total, I selected and studied the experiences of three teachers and 59 total student participants, ages 14-18. Data sources and types at each site included choir teacher and student interviews/transcripts, observations/field notes, recordings from concerts and rehearsals, course materials, and other artifacts. In total, I conducted six individual interviews with the teachers and 89 individual/focus group interviews with the students. Additionally, I conducted approximately 104 total hours of observations, split among all three sites. Upon completion of data collection, I engaged in a within-case analysis by first constantly comparing the data with the emerging conceptual framework, The IL-FL Continua, and next open-coding the data and grouping the codes into themes. I subsequently completed the cross-case analysis, first by forming types/families of learning practices and processes (Miles et al., 2020), and subsequently by constructing nine explanations (Yin, 2018) that captured the essence of the quintain: student and teacher perspectives of ILPP in choral programs (Stake, 2006). To ensure trustworthiness, I employed triangulation, peer coding, and member checking (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). The within-case data analysis revealed a wide variety of benefits related to ILPP in choir including musical validation and growth, musical self-efficacy, bolstered community, creative freedom, feelings of ownership, enhanced life skills (e.g., communication, teamwork, independence, social-emotional skills), and a more relaxed environment. Challenges of ILPP in choir that emerged included musical setbacks, navigating open-ended and independent tasks, social dynamics in group work, unequal contribution, and limited time. The three teachers each held different values that prompted them to center ILPP in choir. For instance, one teacher centered ILPP because he valued student voice and democracy, while another teacher centered ILPP to foster lifelong music-making. The Informal-Formal Activities Continuum which emerged from the cross-case data analysis (see Figure 3), features four types of learning practices and processes in high school choirs: (a) teacher or student led rehearsals, (b) large group creative activities, (c) small group creative activities, and (d) non-compulsory performance opportunities. Further analysis revealed two models of integrating IL and FL in choral contexts: mutually-supportive and additive. A mutually-supportive model of IL-FL refers to a pedagogy of practice whereby students experience learning on all parts of the IL-FL Continua which contributes toward shared outcomes and goals. An additive model refers to a pedagogy of practice whereby some students may experience shared outcomes and goals. While additive and mutually-supportive models resulted in similar benefits such as student enjoyment and motivation, strengthened community, life skills, and recruitment/program advocacy, the mutually-supportive model promoted greater musical and communal outcomes. This study holds implications for developing and centering a new choral philosophy for inservice and preservice choral teacher education. At the core of this philosophy lies a mutually-supportive IL-FL model, facilitated by decentralized power and a democratic classroom environment. By engaging students in varying learning styles, decentering power in the classroom, and encouraging students to make choices to support their own learning, teachers may foster student lifelong and lifewide music-making. / Music Education

Background: All companies need to portray themselves to society and since the majority of employment stems from SMEs there are different ways SMEs can communicate to society and their stakeholders. This can be communicated through both formal and informal reporting. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to identify the relationship between SMEs and their stakeholders in the context of reporting. Through the widespread distribution of SMEs as a topic the purpose is to further investigate SMEs and their use of formal and informal reporting. Methodology: This thesis adopts a qualitative comparative case study of Swedish SMEs. The sample consisted of ten companies where an abductive approach was used throughout the study. The findings were analyzed with the help of stakeholder theory, agency theory and institutional theory to answer the research question. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the studied companies in general use different kinds of formal and informal reporting for each stakeholder. The findings also indicate that by using different kinds of reporting for each stakeholder, the company thus aligns the interests of the stakeholders with the company and therefore reduces information asymmetry. Regarding what kind of information they choose to report, previous knowledge is proven to be one of the most important factors since knowing what the stakeholders want can be crucial for any company.

The aim of this thesis was to study governance aspects of informal electronic waste recycling and to provide better knowledge of the business in terms of structure, stakeholders, governance aspects and social impacts. The thesis consists of a cover essay and two papers appended at the end of the thesis. The cover essay summarizes the papers and puts them in context. The objective of Paper I is to study the business of informal electronic waste recycling in Pakistan and highlight its governance issues. Paper II assesses the social impacts of this business using UNEP-SETAC Guidelines. The thesis examines these specific questions: Q1) What is the current situation of informal e-waste recycling in Pakistan? Q2) Who are the important stakeholders and what are their roles in this business? Q3) What are the governance issues enabling this informal business? Q4) What are the social impacts for individuals and society arising from this business? Paper I presents the international and local e-waste flows, business structure, the stakeholders involved and the existing governance issues of the business. It shows weak enforcement of legislation, the complexities emerging with numerous stakeholders, the profitability of informal recycling, little concern for the health damaging exposure for workers from poorest and most vulnerable people in society, and the lack of awareness of the hazards involved results in several governance issues. The paper also highlights how this business lacks characteristics of good governance, which makes it a challenge to control this business. Paper II assesses the social impacts of informal e-waste recycling in Pakistan using UNEP/SETAC guidelines for conducting a Social Lifecycle Analysis (SLCA). It showed that this business has positive impacts relating to societal issues and individual/family economics, and in the economic development of Pakistan but otherwise most impacts were negative. The findings of Paper II fill an important data gap and can be integrated with data on other stages of ICT product lifecycle to produce a full SLCA of such products. / Syftet med denna avhandling var att studera styrningsaspekter informella återvinning elektroniskt avfall och för att ge bättre kunskap om verksamheten i fråga om struktur, intressenter, styrningsaspekter och sociala konsekvenser. Avhandlingen består av en täck uppsats och två tidningar bifogade i slutet av uppsatsen. Locket uppsats samman tidningarna och sätter dem i sitt sammanhang. Syftet med papper I är att studera verksamheten i informella återvinning elektroniskt avfall i Pakistan och belysa dess styrningsfrågor. Papper II bedömer de sociala konsekvenserna av denna verksamhet med hjälp av UNEP-SETAC riktlinjer. Avhandlingen undersöker dessa specifika frågor: Q1) Vad är den nuvarande situationen för informella återvinnings e-avfall i Pakistan? Q2) Vilka är de viktigaste intressenterna och vilka är deras roller i den här branschen? Q3) Vilka styrningsfrågor som möjliggör denna informella företag? Q4) Vilka är de sociala konsekvenserna för enskilda och samhället som följer av detta företag? Papper I presenterar internationella och lokala e-avfallsflöden, företagsstruktur, de inblandade aktörerna och de befintliga styrningsfrågor i verksamheten. Det visar en svag tillämpning av lagstiftningen, komplexiteten växande med många intressenter, lönsamheten för informella återvinning, lite oro för hälsan skadliga exponering för arbetstagare från de fattigaste och mest utsatta människorna i samhället, och bristen på medvetenhet om de risker inblandade resultaten i flera styrningsfrågor. Papperet belyser också hur denna verksamhet saknar egenskaper för god förvaltning, vilket gör det till en utmaning att styra denna verksamhet. Papper II bedömer de sociala konsekvenserna av informella återvinnings e-avfall i Pakistan använder UNEP / SETAC riktlinjer för att genomföra en social livscykelanalys (SLCA). Det visade sig att denna verksamhet har positiva effekter avseende samhällsfrågor och individ / familj ekonomi, och i den ekonomiska utvecklingen i Pakistan men annars de flesta effekterna var negativa. Resultaten av pappers II fyller ett viktigt tomrum uppgifter och kan integreras med uppgifter om andra stadier av IKT produktlivscykeln för att producera en full SLCA av sådana produkter. / <p>QC 20150525</p>

This master thesis is intended as a contribution to the understanding of the influence urban form has on urban life and by extension social structures in society, by focusing on gender relations and their reflections on the use of public space. In addition, the aim of the study is to do so in relation to a comparison between two different types of urban environments; one slum area that can be regarded as formally unplanned with an irregular gradually grown street network and one slum area of more deliberately planned character with a more regular street grid. With the use of quantitative methods, such as space syntax, structured observations and correlations studies, differences in co-presence between women and men, in the form of staying in public space, and between the areas are discovered. With the addition of qualitative methods, such as interviews and unstructured observations, as well as a review of the context in which the study is set and a theoretical discourse the reasons behind the differences is discussed. It is suggested that the blurred distinctions between private and public space often found in slum areas and the division of responsibilities and activities between women and men in the given context results in a certain degree of gender segregation in public space. Women are often restricted to the space in proximity of their homes, why it becomes an extension of their homes as well as a space for interaction which creates semi-public spaces. As men more often socialise further away from home in spaces of more public function, this creates a certain degree of segregation between women and men in public space. The most significant physical difference between the study areas proved to be the hierarchal properties of the street network. The clearer hierarchy in the unplanned area implicates that the spaces where women stays generally is of a lower degree of public function. The regular street grid of the planned area resulted in a more even distribution of public function, why men more often also stays in the semi-public spaces in residential alleys. In this way the built environment in the unplanned area reflects and reproduces gender relations in the use of public space. An implication is that since the correspondence between social structures in society and the use of public space is something that can assumed be effected by design, the urban designer has continuously in the context of development of slum areas in the developing world, and in general, an important role to play.

Metro Manila, Philippines is one of the densest and fastest growing metropolitan regions in the world, of which informal urbanization is a significant contributor. This rapid informal urbanization is a dynamic yet uncoordinated force shaping the city-region, in conflict with the vision of a modern, globally-competitive city-region painted in formal planning instruments. Despite manifold efforts, urban planning and housing mechanisms have been unable to adequately address the issue of informal settlements in the metropolis. In this degree project, I investigate how formal planning policy and housing governance practices in Metro Manila can better engage with urban informality towards sustainable and just urban development.While informality is a complex phenomenon that still eludes definition, theories suggest that it is a mode of urbanization that works between the gaps of formality in the production of the city. As they are recreated through the same structural conditions, it is possible to use informality as a lens to critically analyze urban formality and the direction of urban development. Building on this, I examine the generative context, social construction, and interactions of structure and human agency that shape formal and informal urbanization in Metro Manila through interviews and document review.Through this study, I propose three points to consider in the urban development of Metro Manila. First, I posit that urban planning based on land use regulation cannot enhance spatial justice when property is inaccessible to the urban poor. In a market-led property setting, land use planning becomes an instrument for gentrification. Second, I problematize the concept of property ownership being the basis of ‘formality’ in Philippine policy and consequently the perceived solution to the issues of informal settlements. Reconsidering informality as a way of claiming the right to the city, I argue that spatial justice entails addressing access to housing tenure, employment, welfare and social networks rather than ‘formalizing the informal’. Finally, I question the ability of current processes of democratic governance in securing the common good within a context of unequal power relations. Instead, I propose that political will should be constructed from the grassroots to redefine the desired direction of urban development.

Kognitiva sjukdomar är ett samlingsnamn för olika sjukdomar som framför allt påverkar en persons kognitiva funktioner men även till exempel kroppen och personens beteenden. Omkring 55 miljoner personer i världen beräknas ha en kognitiv sjukdom och i Sverige är siffran mellan 130 000–150 000. En stor andel av dessa bor hemma och ofta finns anhöriga som tar ett stort ansvar kring vården. Att vara anhörigvårdare kan upplevas som givande men det är ofta sammankopplat med en hög nivå av stress. Syftet med den här studien är att beskriva anhörigas upplevelser av att vårda en person med kognitiv sjukdom. Metoden för att svara på syftet är en allmän litteraturstudie, där data från 15 vetenskapliga artiklar analyserats och sammanställts. Resultatet delas in i två teman med tillhörande subteman: ”En omkullkastad tillvaro” och ”Att behöva anpassa sig till livsförändringen”. Slutsatsen blir att situationen som den anhörige hamnar i när en närstående får en kognitiv sjukdom ofta är mycket påfrestande. Det påverkar de flesta delar av livet, så som exempelvis vardagen, den egna hälsan, relationer och så vidare. Det finns ofta ett behov av stöd, både från människor i ens närhet och insatser från samhället. Den anhöriga behöver hitta strategier för att hantera den nya livssituationen för att motverka sådant som en låg upplevd livskvalitet och psykisk ohälsa. / Neurocognitive disorders are a group of different disorders that mainly affect a person ́s cognitive functions, but also domains as the physical body and the person ́s behavior. An estimated number of 55 million persons globally are diagnosed with some kind of neurocognitive disorder and the number in Sweden is among 130 000–150 000. The majority of the persons with a neurocognitive disorder live at home and in many cases they have a family member or friend who is responsible for the caregiving, an informal caregiver. The role of the informal caregiver can be rewarding, but it often comes with a high level of strain. The aim of this study is to describe the informal caregiver ́s experience of taking care of a person with neurocognitive disorder. The method that is used is a general literature review that contains data from 15 scientific papers. The data has been analyzed and compiled. The result was categorized in two themes and sub-themes: ”When life is turned upside down” and ”Having to adapt to the life change”. The conclusion is that the situation of being an informal caregiver is very stressful. It affects almost all aspects of one ́s life, including the everyday life, one ́s own health and relationships. The informal caregiver is in need of support from family and friends as well as formal support. The informal caregiver must find constructive coping strategies to deal with the new situation to avoid mental illness or low level of perceived quality of life.

Cities worldwide need to become healthier, both physically and mentally. While Sweden ranks highly on a global scale of sustainable urban development, the country is facing issues with the declining mental health of its citizens, notably affecting the younger population. To sustainably develop our cities, possible negative impacts on the people must be recognised and avoided. Situated in the interdisciplinary field of Urban Studies, this research combines environmental psychology, architecture, and urban planning, while also considering the political aspects of city development. This thesis aims to study the concept of restorative environments, spaces which positively influence well-being and restore mental fatigue caused by external and internal stressors. Previous studies on restorativeness have focused on outdoor natural environments, considered to encompass the highest levels of restorative qualities. However, to develop mentally healthy cities, the restorativeness of built environments must be considered, which is especially important as we spend most of our lives indoors. This thesis analyses cafés used as informal learning spaces by university students in Malmö through the main research question: ‘What restorative qualities exist in the indoor built environment of cafés utilised as informal learning spaces (ILS) by students in Malmö, Sweden?’. Collected data through document analysis, quantitative survey and qualitative follow-up sessions are analysed through the theories of Attention Restoration Theory and concepts of third place and thirdspace. Whereas previously published research suggests that built environments lack restorative qualities, findings in this research provide not only the identification of such qualities but a preference for them. Both concepts of third places and thirdspaces are especially relevant for students at Malmö University, in which the city becomes the campus. However, there is a disconnect between the policy-making level and the students where current urban development laws fail to recognise restorative qualities. Subsequently, this research will provide results to a gap in existing research and hopefully encourage future studies on similar topics.

La informalidad al ser un problema socio-económico afecta a todos los habitantes del país, debido a que ocasiona desorden y caos, y en comparación de años anteriores viene expandiéndose más. Es así que, la informalidad se explica por varias razones, la principal vinculada al descalce existente entre la realidad y la enmarañada normatividad que aún subsiste. Si una micro, pequeña y mediana empresa tiene que dejar de producir para dedicar muchas horas de trabajo a su propia formalización, su opción será mantenerse en la informalidad. Por esa razón es necesario investigar el tema de informalidad para darnos cuentas el gran grado de afectación a la sociedad y economía; y comprender que está afectando directamente al desarrollo del país mediante la evasión de impuesto y por lo tanto es necesario definir con exactitud cuáles son los factores que conllevan a que se realice estas actividades. La presente investigación producirá los siguientes beneficios: Precisará la magnitud del efecto de la presión tributaria, las sanciones tributarias y los trámites en la informalidad de las empresas, dotará de información para mejorar el diseño del actual sistema tributario, en la cual se pueda reducir el excesivo formalismo, donde armonice una alta recaudación de Estado con la aceptación de los compromisos tributarios por parte del contribuyente. Esto colaborará con la corrección de las disfuncionalidades que se producen en la economía nacional por la presencia de los altos niveles de informalidad; así mismo se aplicarán estrategias de Educación Tributaria para así evitar que los microempresarios formales se conviertan en informales. Consideramos transcendental la formalización ya que trae consigo no sólo el desarrollo del microempresario, sino también el desarrollo de la sociedad y del país, por ende, esta investigación permitirá concientizar a los microempresarios con información clara y moderna así no tendrán motivo de informalidad.

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