Climate change and the sea level rise that it contributes to is an ever more pressing issue for costal municipalities around the world. Today there is a great deal of scientific reports and projections on what these changes could entail. However, resent studies on south Swedish costal municipalities have shown great discrepancies when it comes to how these scientific projections are implemented in the municipal planning and adaptation strategies. In an effort to understand the underlying reasons for this lack of concurrence, this paper has applied Rolf Lidskogs theory of the hetrogenity of science. The theory gives an explanation to the complications in the science-policy interface, by describing complicating factors in the communication between these actors. Furthermore this paper present one alternative on how these complications can be addressed, by using another one of Lidskogs theories, the theory of boundary organizations. This theory presents a framework on how science-based policy and policy-relevant science can be produced more efficiently through boundary organizations and the implementation of portable representation.  This study shows that it would be beneficial to most actors involved with adaptation strategies if permanent boundary organizations were established. Boundary organizations would create a forum for science and policy actors to interact and enable a greater understanding and communication between the different actors involved in defining, understanding and combating these challenges.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the possible barriers to why the implementation of gender equality policies in the everyday activities on the ground of humanitarian action is not evident in practice. To investigate this arena, in-depth interviews were conducted with gender advisors of humanitarian organisations. The data was analysed using thematic analysis through the lens of the theoretical framework of systems theory and the concept of `knowledge into practice’. The findings indicate that there are three types of barriers on three dimensions for the implementation of gender equality policies on the ground of humanitarian action. The first barrier is the lack of external and internal pressure on the humanitarian community in form of accountability mechanisms. The second barrier is the internal structure of the humanitarian community with internal difficulties to integrate the gender community as well as fragmentation within it. The third barrier is the lack of a suitable semantic as well as operational understanding of the concept of gender within humanitarian action.This thesis highlights the importance of a common language and receptive attitudes between humanitarian actors for the practical implementation of gender equality policies. Key words: gender equality, gender equality policies, gender equality programming, knowledge transmission, knowledge implementation, barriers, humanitarian action.

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Genomförandet av informationsoperationer kräver synkronisering och koordinering från högsta ledningsnivå vilket tenderar till en centraliserad ledningsmetod som ordertaktik. Samtidigt anger den svenska försvarsmakten att den decentraliserade ledningsmetoden uppdragstaktik är grunden för all ledning. Detta kan ge sken av en motsättning. Uppsatsen syftar således till att undersöka vilken ledningsmetod som präglar genomförandet av informationsoperationer och vilka element av uppdragstaktik respektive ordertaktik som finns i dem. Detta har gjorts genom att besvara frågeställningen: – I vilken utsträckning är genomförande av informationsoperationer förenligt med uppdrags- respektive ordertaktik? Uppsatsen har utvecklat ett analysverktyg ur teorier om uppdrags- respektive ordertaktik och undersökt doktriner om informationsoperationer. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att genomförandet av informationsoperationer framförallt är förenligt med den centraliserade ledningsmetoden ordertaktik. Det finns dock små element som är påvisar den decentraliserade ledningsmetoden uppdragstaktik. Dessa är påverkansmöjligheten för underställda vilket framförallt är framträdande i den svenska doktrinen och utövandet av kontroll genom mål- respektive processtyrning.

Judging is quintessential when dealing with a plurality of points of view in society concerning moral and political questions. In this inquiry, the concept of ethico-political judgment is elaborated as an ideal for public deliberation over moral and political questions. Public discourse concerning prenatal diagnosis and screening in the Netherlands and Sweden is empirically inquired into as an example of public deliberation. Public deliberation is a deliberative practice characterized by the giving and asking for reasons in the public sphere. Ethics matter to ethico-political judgment since they provide an opportunity to assess whether or not our reasons are good ones in relation to deliberation in a pluralist public sphere. The capacity to judge is essential for the formation of a judgment in a pluralist society. Judgment is indispensable when the need exists to find common ground.

SAMMANFATTNING Mobilanvändning i trafiken är ett tidigare känt problem som i många fall bidrar till omfattade olyckor, skador och dödsfall. Bakomliggande faktorer till detta beteende är något som både är intressant, viktigt och framförallt nödvändigt att undersöka. Att undersöka yngre bilförares attityder i relation till den nya lagen om mobilförbud i trafiken och om lagen anses effektiv är syftet med detta examensarbete. Då mobilanvändning globalt sett förespås öka framöver har detta varit intressant att undersöka. För att undersöka studiens frågeställning ”Upplever unga bilförare att den nya lagen om mobilförbud i trafiken är tillräckligt effektiv?” har en enkät tagits fram, där främst individer mellan åldrarna 18-26 fick möjligheten att delta. Enkätsvaren analyserades därefter i syfte att kartlägga och ge en ökad förståelse kring denna problematik. Relevanta teorier har valts ut i relation till problematikens ramar kring individers beteende såväl medvetenhet. Bakgrunden bygger i sin tur på trovärdig fakta om trafiksäkerhet kopplat till mobilanvändning i både tid och rum. Uppsatsen har en kvantitativ anda med både metod och analys, metoden har byggts på enkäter och enkätsvaren har därefter statistiskt undersökts kvantitativt i ett analysverktyg på datorn. Uppsatsen grundar sig på olika teoretiska perspektiv och känd data med fokus på mobilanvändning och trafik kopplat tillbeteende, vilket har valts ut utifrån mitt egna intresse. Det är också ett allmänt och viktigt ämne att studera i takt med det faktum att en avvikelse och distraktion från förarens körmedvetenhet snabbt kan bidra till svåra olyckor, skador och dödsfall. Lagstiftning i förhållande till mobilanvändning bakom ratten påverkar befolkningen i allmänhet. Hur mycket en lag egentligen påverkar en förares beteende kommer undersökas i syfte att få en fördjupad förståelse och kunskapsinsikt, detta för att se om lagen faktiskt räcker. Undersökningen visar att majoriteten av yngre förare är medvetna om den nya lagens existens och tror att den kommer vara effektiv, mer forskning kommer däremot krävas för att se hur effektiv lagen kommer att vara i det långa loppet. / ABSTRACT Mobile use in traffic is a previously known problem, which in many cases contributes to accidents, injuries and deaths. The underlying factors for this behavior are something that is both interesting, important and above all necessary to investigate. To investigate younger drivers' attitudes in relation to the new law on mobile bans in traffic and if the law is considered effective, is the purpose of this degree project. As mobile usage is expected to increase in the future, this has been interesting to investigate. To investigate the study's question "Do young drivers experience that the new law on mobile traffic in traffic is efficient enough?" A questionnaire has been produced, mainly among individuals between the ages of 18-26 being given the opportunity to participate. The questionnaire was then analyzed to map and give an increased understanding of this problem. Relevant theories have been chosen in relation to the problematic framework of the behavior of individuals as well as awareness. The background, in turn, is based on credible facts about road safety linked to mobile usage in both time and space. The essay has a quantitative spirit of both method and analysis, the method has been based on questionnaires and the questionnaire has then been quantitatively investigated quantitatively in an analysis tool on the computer. The essay is based on different theoretical perspectives and well-known data focusing on mobile usage and traffic related behavior, which has been selected based on my own interests. It is also a general and important subject to study as the fact that a driver's driving awareness and distraction can quickly contribute to serious accidents, injuries and deaths. Legislation in relation to mobile use behind the wheel affects the population in general. How much a team really affects a driver's behavior will be investigated with a view to gaining in-depth understanding and knowledge, to see if the law actually is enough. The survey shows that the majority of younger drivers are aware of the existence of the new law and believe it will be effective, but more research will be required to see how effective the law will be in the long run.

Historically, there has been little theoretically-informed research which focuses on the voices and experiences of young, disabled people without making use of adult proxies. The current study sought to address this gap in the literature by taking an inductive, constructionist approach to exploring how young people negotiate their disability labels and identities on an online forum called Teenhelp. I focused upon the Disabilities Forum of the website, using thematic analysis to analyse posts made between April 2012 and April 2015. From there, I selected ten posts for in-depth analysis. Some posters resisted disability labels while others actively sought them out and adapted them to their needs. The question of legitimacy was also significant, with some posters being unsure whether they really ‘qualify’ as disabled, while other posters policed the use of disability labels. The data also highlighted important identity questions relating to disability. For example, the extent to which a disability label influences a person’s self-concept and what they believe themselves to be capable of. The theme of ‘visibility’ also came through in relation to disability identities. One of the posters had an invisible disability and used the forum to make her disability ‘visible’ to others. In contrast to this, a poster with a visible disability described how she sometimes tried to ‘pass’ as a non-disabled person (thus making her disability temporarily invisible). Overall, this research highlights the complex identity work involved with being a young, disabled person. It also shows that computer-mediated communication can provide a valuable virtual platform where such work can be performed with support and input from peers. Although disability labels have often been seen as harmful, this research shows that they can also give young people a sense of commonality and connectedness which can allow them access to a positive group identity and a potentially supportive community.

A spatial-temporal model is developed for modelling the impacts of simulated coastal zone storm surge and flooding using a combined spatial mapping and system dynamics approach. By coupling geographic information systems (GIS) and system dynamics, the interconnecting components of the spatial-temporal model are used with limited historical data to evaluate storm damage. Overlapping cumulative effects layers in GIS (ArcMap) are used for describing the coastal community’s profile, and a system dynamics feedback model (STELLA) is developed to define the interconnecting component relationships of the community. The component-wise changes to the physical environment, community infrastructure, and socioeconomic resources from the storm surge and seal level rise are examined. These changes are used to assess the impacts of the community system as a whole. For the purpose of illustrating this model, the research is applied specifically to the case of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, a vulnerable coastal city subject to considerable impacts from pending sea level rise and more frequent severe storm surge attributed to the changing climate in the coastal zone.

Chronic back pain is a pervasive and debilitating phenomenon contributing to staggering health costs and a host of psychological, medical, vocational, and social consequences. The etiology of chronic back pain remains unclear and traditional biomedical, psychological, and interdisciplinary treatments have not been completely effective at eliminating pain or restoring long-term functionality. Psychodynamic models of chronic back pain have not been fully explored due to methodological difficulties. Explorations of psychodynamic-related constructs such as alexithymia (i.e., lack of emotional awareness) may offer vital clues to help increase the understanding of chronic back pain. The purpose of this study was to serve as a preliminary descriptive analysis of alexithymia among patients seeking interdisciplinary treatment for chronic back pain. First, the prevalence of alexithymia in an interdisciplinary treatment seeking sample of patients with chronic back pain and comparisons to other chronic pain and psychosomatic samples were addressed. Second, the relationship between alexithymia and somatic complaints, pain, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life was explored. Finally, a meditational analysis was conducted to examine if the relationship between alexithymia and somatic complaints was mediated by negative affect. Eighty-one patients seeking interdisciplinary treatment for chronic back pain participated in the study. Analyses revealed that 14.8% patients met criteria for alexithymia, which was similar to other chronic pain samples but not significantly different from general medical samples. Higher alexithymia scores were found to be associated with higher levels of somatic complaints, negative affect, and mental-health related quality of life. Unexpectedly, higher alexithymia scores were also associated with better physical-related quality of life. There were no significant relationships between alexithymia and pain. The relationship between alexithymia and somatic complaints was found to be mediated by negative affect, which was consistent with psychodynamic models of chronic back pain. Findings were discussed in relation to clinical implications and future research.

No description available.