The present dissertation develops a specific theory about everyday life called realist life mode theory. This theory is based on critical realism and consists of "work", "love" and "life mode" as central concepts. The background of the theory is the Danish life mode analysis developed by Thomas Højrup in the 1980:s. The aim of the study is to develop the central clusters of concepts in the realist life mode theory - i. e. "work", "love", "life mode" in a theoretical way. These concepts are seen as clusters since other related concepts are developed in connection to the concepts mentioned above. In connection to work I also discuss the concepts of "labour power", "labour receptor", and "work form"; in relation to love, "love power", "love receptor" and "love form" are discussed. And "life mode" is connected with the concept of "everyday life" in a more exact way than before. The argument of this study is that realist life mode theory is about two fundamental types of dominance - personal dominance and structural dominance. "Personal dominance" is used synonymously with "ownership". "Structural dominance" is dominance between non-personal, non-conscious entities. Life mode theory is a theory about ownership surrounded by structural dominances both beneath the owning person (sub-personally), and above (socially). Personal dominance - ownership - is produced via two human and societal processes - work and love. Work is defined as doing and occuring in the sphere of necessity. In work there especially are possibilities for ownership of the material surroundings. Love is defined as doing and occuring in the sphere of freedom. In love humans produce each other as self-owned persons through transaction of love power. Both work and love has great emancipatory potentials, and this theme is discussed in the present study. But, unfortunately, really existing work and love practices are to a great extent exploitative. Labour power is exploited in capitalism, and love power in patriarchy. When it comes to structural dominance, this study focuses on the following dominances: The dominance of labour receptor over labour power in men´s working life; the dominance of love power over love receptor in women´s love life. The dominance of work over love in men´s everyday life; the dominance of love over work in women´s everyday life. And on a more social level we find the following dominances: in the male life modes the work form dominates the love form. In female life modes the love form dominates the work form. And finally, in society as a whole male life modes have dominance over female life modes. When the dominance between social structures is analyzed, a distinction is made between "dominance form" and "the substance of dominance".

This thesis focuses on the realist life mode analysis, especially the independent life mode, and the empirical field of entrepreneurship – running a small firm. The aim is to broaden the general understanding for entrepreneurship to include non-capitalistic rationality through application and development of realist life mode analysis. The application of the analysis is done by studying different social phenomena within the field of entrepreneurship. The two phenomena in question are expansion of small firms and trust between an entrepreneur and an employee, and flexibility in small firms. The problem concerning this theoretical application has to do with showing how life mode analysis can be used to explain that entrepreneurship does not have to be about capitalism. The problem concerning theoretical development has to do with identifying social relations and mechanisms that constitute the everyday life of entrepreneurs. The study has been carried out as a qualitative interview study and it is based on the methodology of critical realism. Concerning expansion and trust between an entrepreneur and an employee, my study shows that as an expression of an entrepreneur’s socio centric life mode specific way to interpret reality trust can be an obstacle for employing extra labour-force outside the own firm. Trust can also be an obstacle for an existing relationship to function smoothly if the entrepreneur and the employee live different life modes. However, my study shows that trust can also function as a possible incitement for employment. My conclusion concerning flexibility is that the concept of flexibility, defined with a starting point in the capitalist principles of the economic market, is occasionally misused in literature. My structural perspective shows that not all small firms are driven by these motives powers. Capitalistic small firms do exist and are to be described as flexible, but not all small firms. The size of the firm conditions entrepreneurship in many ways but it does not condition the rationality. My study also shows that the independent life mode as described in the theory so far characterizes simple commodity production and not production of services. Structural changes seem to have resulted in two different life modes for independent entrepreneurs; a commodity specific independent life mode and a service specific independent life mode.

Single mothers have considered to be a vulnerable group in the society, both economically and socially. But how do they experience their everyday life in relation to be a single mother and at the same time pursue a university or college education? This qualitative study aims to explore how five single mothers experiences their everyday life. Through the use of Lone Rahbek Christensen's life-mode theory and Bourdieu's defintion of social and economic capital, the purpose of the study is to explore how life-modes affect the mother's former, present and future life situations. The result shows, among other things, that the mothers to a large extent, show signs of being carriers of the same type of life-mode. They also seem to use similar strategies to cope with difficult situations in their everyday life. Also, the social and economic resources where very important for all of the single studying mothers in order to manage their life situation, and at the same time live up to the requirements of their surroundings to be accepted as a "good mother".

A contributing factor in recurrent Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) food contamination is that this bacterium produces biofilms on surfaces to persist in food-processing environments. Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication system utilized by bacteria within biofilms to collaborate and adapt to environmental stresses. However, the details of how the QS-dependent network contributes to biofilm development of L. monocytogenes have yet to be well understood. By comparing the transfer rates of planktonic and biofilm (sessile) L. monocytogenes from stainless steel blades to bologna slices, we found that sessile bacteria had reduced transferability onto a single slice but caused the increase in the number of contaminated slices. This suggests that physiological adaptions derived during biofilm development affect bacterial dissemination. Given the contribution of proteins and environmental temperatures to the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) synthesis and biofilm integrity, we evaluated the exoproteomes of biofilms formed at 25 and 37°C using 2D-gel electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS. We found exoproteases Lmo0186, Cwh, and Spl exclusively in biofilms formed at 25°C and their greater expression in the gene level at 25°C. By using the zymography and crystal-violet-staining assay with a protease inhibitor, we observed a greater proteolytic activity at lower temperatures and showed that the attenuated proteolytic activity of proteases is positively correlated with increased biofilmorming ability at 25°C. Considering the transcriptional role of QS systems during biofilm development, we investigated how the accessory gene regulator (Agr)-based and metabolite S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM)-involved QS systems modulate nutrient availability and EPS synthesis. The results revealed that the SAM signal interacts with the Agr QS at the transcriptional level during biofilm development, whereas SAM and Agr QS regulate distinct EPS synthesis pathways. Additionally, this interaction is dependent on bacterial life modes (planktonic and sessile). Overall, we conclude that L. monocytogenes manipulates the synthesis of EPS with the coregulation of metabolism and QS for biofilm formation and the production of exoproteases for biofilm dispersion. These precise regulations on EPS enable L. monocytogenes to prolong its survival and promote its dissemination in environments.

<p>Undersökningens syfte är att se vilka anledningar individen har till att välja friår och hur det kopplas samman med livsformerna de lever. Syftet har också varit att se individens upplevelse av friåret och vad de använt friåret till. Undersökningen bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med sex friårslediga. Intervjuerna har handlat om individens upplevelse av friåret och tiden före det.</p><p>Friår är en arbetsmarknadspolitisk åtgärd med målsättning att ge arbetstagare en längre ledighet från sitt arbete. Arbetslösa får samtidigt en chans att komma in på arbetsmarknaden. Friåret innebär att vara ledig från sitt arbete i tre till tolv månader för att kunna göra något annat utanför arbetsplatsen. För att kunna undersöka av vilka anledningar individen har friår och hur det kopplas med de olika sociala strukturer som villkorar människors vardag. Vi har studerat om livsformsanalysen kan användas till att beskriva, förklara och förstå skillnaderna i människors vardag. Livsformerna är sociala strukturer som villkorar människors vardag. De olika livsformsbegreppen som vi har använt oss av är arbetarlivsformen – husmorslivsformen, karriärenslivsform – representationshustrunslivsform och självständighetens livsform – medhjälperskans livsform. Det är dock vanligt att leva en blandning mellan två eller flera livsformer, det kallas en blandform.</p><p>Vi har kommit fram till att livsformerna till viss del kan kopplas samman med hur intervjupersonerna lever under sitt friår och av vilken anledning de har friår. Det visar sig i att de som använder friåret till att starta ett företag lever till stor del självständighetens livsform. Att använda friåret till utbildning kan kopplas samman med karriärens livsformer. Vidare kan vi se att karriärenslivsform kan kopplas samman med att pressen på arbetet är stor och då är rekreation under friåret vanligt. Många kvinnor lever blandformer och det gör att de har svårt att kombinera de olika arbets- och kärleksformerna. De använder friåret till att ta hand om sin familj och sig själva.</p>

Undersökningens syfte är att se vilka anledningar individen har till att välja friår och hur det kopplas samman med livsformerna de lever. Syftet har också varit att se individens upplevelse av friåret och vad de använt friåret till. Undersökningen bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med sex friårslediga. Intervjuerna har handlat om individens upplevelse av friåret och tiden före det. Friår är en arbetsmarknadspolitisk åtgärd med målsättning att ge arbetstagare en längre ledighet från sitt arbete. Arbetslösa får samtidigt en chans att komma in på arbetsmarknaden. Friåret innebär att vara ledig från sitt arbete i tre till tolv månader för att kunna göra något annat utanför arbetsplatsen. För att kunna undersöka av vilka anledningar individen har friår och hur det kopplas med de olika sociala strukturer som villkorar människors vardag. Vi har studerat om livsformsanalysen kan användas till att beskriva, förklara och förstå skillnaderna i människors vardag. Livsformerna är sociala strukturer som villkorar människors vardag. De olika livsformsbegreppen som vi har använt oss av är arbetarlivsformen – husmorslivsformen, karriärenslivsform – representationshustrunslivsform och självständighetens livsform – medhjälperskans livsform. Det är dock vanligt att leva en blandning mellan två eller flera livsformer, det kallas en blandform. Vi har kommit fram till att livsformerna till viss del kan kopplas samman med hur intervjupersonerna lever under sitt friår och av vilken anledning de har friår. Det visar sig i att de som använder friåret till att starta ett företag lever till stor del självständighetens livsform. Att använda friåret till utbildning kan kopplas samman med karriärens livsformer. Vidare kan vi se att karriärenslivsform kan kopplas samman med att pressen på arbetet är stor och då är rekreation under friåret vanligt. Många kvinnor lever blandformer och det gör att de har svårt att kombinera de olika arbets- och kärleksformerna. De använder friåret till att ta hand om sin familj och sig själva.

Over the last decades the weight has increased in the Norwegian population. Report no 16 to the Storting, “Prescription for a healthier Norway”, expresses concern for this development and defines important areas of commitment to prevent a further increase in health problems like diabetes 2 and other lifestyle related diseases. The foci described above are all justified by figures and statistical surveys. The dominant approach towards lifestyle related diseases is closely connected with Western medicine. The main tendency in the recommendations is primarily presenting overweight and obesity as something negative and problematic.  This study focuses on self-assessment and self-perception of people that are overweight as well as those of normal weight. The aim is to reveal the collective understanding in a local community that struggles to avoid a further weight-gain in its population. This thesis seeks to, shed light on how the weight- evolvement in the Norwegian society influence peoples individual self-image and body perception. A local community in Norway (“Libygda”) defined by media, some years ago, as the most overweight local community in the country, constitutes the basis for this thesis. Methods like fieldwork, multistage focus group interviews and individual interviews (all carried out in “Libygda”) were used. The main focus in all the approaches is the bottom up strategy gained through the research approach Co-operative Inquiry which implies that both researcher and participants together search to gain insight and new experiential knowledge. In this case about individual health perception, body and identity. The data material is analyzed mainly through Life Mode-Theory, and theories of social capital (and other theories from the Social Science field). Methodological and theoretical approaches within Public Health Work are mainly based in Health Science, whereas this thesis has Social Science (Sociology and Social Anthropology) as its point of departure. The thesis will by its perspective aim to complement the traditional Health Science and offer a supplemental approach to the Science of Public Health. This thesis describes how experience-based perspectives on health and body exist side by side with the medical and Public Health Science perspective. This implies that there exists a parallel understanding of reality, which is rarely focused on by health professionals. If Public Health Work should gain a greater impact on peoples’ everyday life, these experience based and folk perspectives must be taken into consideration and accepted by professionals as relevant. / De siste tiårene har vekten økt i den norske befolkningen. Stortingsmelding nr 16 ”Resept for et sunnere Norge” uttrykker uro for denne utviklingen og definerer viktige satsningsområder for å hindre en økning i antallet diabetes 2 og andre livsstilsrelaterte sykdommer. Satsningsområdene beskrevet over er alle basert på og dokumentert ved statistiske undersøkelser. Hovedtendensen i anbefalingene har som utgangspunkt at overvekt og fedme er assosiert med noe negativt og problematisk. Denne avhandlingens fokus er den subjektive selvoppfatningen til både normalvektige og overvektige. Hensikten er å avdekke den kollektive forståelsen av helse og et godt liv i et lokalsamfunn med overvektsutfordringer i befolkningen. Avhandlingen søker å belyse hvordan vektøkning i det norske samfunnet påvirker individers selvbilde og kroppsforståelse, og hvordan dette speiles på lokalsamfunnsnivå. Et lokalsamfunn i Sør-Norge (”Libygda”), definert av media rundt tusenårsskiftet som den mest overvektige kommunen i Norge, danner utgangspunktet for denne studien. Metoder som feltarbeid, deltagende observasjon, flerstegs fokusgruppeintervju, individuelle intervjuer (alt uført i ”Libygda”) blir benyttet. Hovedfokuset i de metodiske tilnærmingene er en nedenfra-og-opp inngang inspirert av handlingsorientert forskningssamarbeid, hvor både forsker og deltakere sammen søker ny innsikt og erfaringskunnskap om individuell og kollektiv helseoppfatning, kroppsforståelse og identitet. Datamaterialet blir analysert i lys av livsformteori, sosial kapital og andre relevante samfunnsvitenskapelige teorier. Metodiske og teoretiske tilnærminger innen folkehelsearbeidet er ofte knyttet til helseforskningen, mens denne avhandlingen har et samfunnsvitenskapelig (sosiologi og sosialantropologi) utgangspunkt. Avhandlingens perspektiv søker å komplementere tradisjonell helseforskning med en erfaringsbasert tilnærming til folkehelsevitenskapen. Avhandlingen beskriver hvordan erfaringsbaserte og folkelige perspektiver på helse og kropp lever side om side med den medisinske og folkehelsevitenskaplige. Dette innebærer at det eksisterer en parallell forståelse av virkeligheten, som sjelden blir tillagt vekt eller fokusert av helsepersonell eller akademia. Hvis folkehelsearbeid skal få større innflytelse og gjennomslagskraft i menneskers hverdagsliv, må disse erfaringsbaserte og folkelige perspektivene inkluderes av fagfolk.

Avhandlingens syfte är att beskriva och analysera arbetets betydelse i starta eget–bidragsföretagares liv. Material har samlats in dels genom en omfattande enkätstudie som omfattar hela populationen nuvarande och tidigare företagare från 1995 i Östergötlands län, dels genom en serie livsberättelseorienterade intervjuer med ett urval aktiva respektive före detta företagare med fokus på deras inställning till arbete. Resultaten visar bland annat att etableringsmotiven ofta utgår främst från strukturer och omständigheter utanför individen och att dennes handlande när det gäller att starta eget i mycket bygger på ett oreflekterat förhållningssätt. Analyserna lyfter också fram de identitetsskapande aspekterna av arbete och visar att den del av identiteten som är knuten till arbete i många fall mycket starkt påverkar eller omformar övriga identitetsaspekter. SeB-företagarna kan betraktas som ”nödvändighetsentreprenörer” då de skapar nya arbetstillfällen åt sig själva. Bland nuvarande företagare anser drygt hälften att deras liv tagit en positiv riktning. De mest negativa återfinns i gruppen tidigare SeB-företagare, av vilka drygt en tredjedel anser att deras liv tagit en negativ riktning. Bland fördelarna med företagande framhålls av de studerade personerna framför allt möjligheten till en upplevd egenkontroll i arbetet. Nackdelar som betonas är ekonomisk oro, kompetensbrist och brist på sociala relationer. / The thesis aims to describe and analyze the importance of work for those who start up in business through the active labour market programme – the start-up grant entrepreneur. The material was collected partly through an extensive questionnaire study covering the entire population of current and former entrepreneurs in subsidized enterprises from 1995 in Östergötland, Sweden, and partly by a series of life story-oriented interviews about attitudes to work with a sample of active or former entrepreneurs. The results show, inter alia, that the establishment motives are often essentially based on the structure and circumstances beyond the individual and that his/her actions in terms of starting their own business are largely based on a non reflective approach. The analysis also highlights the identity-building aspects of work and shows that in many cases the part of one’s identity that is associated with work significantly affects other identity issues. Start-up entrepreneurs can be regarded as ”necessity entrepreneurs” when they create new jobs for themselves. Among the current workers, just over half believe that their lives have taken a positive direction. The most negative is the group of former start-up entrepreneurs, in which just over one third indicate that their lives have taken a negative direction. The benefits of entrepreneurship highlighted by the studied subjects include the possibility of a perceived self-monitoring at work. Disadvantages indicated by the same people include economic concerns, skills shortages and lack of social relationships.