This essay consists of a case study which examines China’s Belt and Road Initiative from two theoretical perspectives: realism and liberalism. The essay aims to enhance the comprehension of the Belt and Road Initiative by providing a realistic as well as a liberal interpretation of the project, and then comparing them to point out similarities and differences between these views. The essay concludes that the theoretical perspectives here work complementary rather than contradictory, and that what is hard to explain with one theory, often can be explained by the other. A liberal perspective sees more opportunities with the project, whereas a realistic one sees more risks but also necessities. The important aspects of the project from a liberal perspective concludes to be increased trade, international cooperation and interdependence, which are considered as risks from a realistic perspective. The main advantage is to increase power and security and legitimize the rule of the Chinese communist party, realistically speaking. Realism and liberalism interpret the goal with the project differently as well. Whereas realism sees BRI as a bold foreign policy project which aims to help China gain power to become a superpower and defeat poverty in China, liberalism view BRI as a foreign policy infrastructure project, built on trade, international cooperation and linking the world together.

During the 20th century, our planet and its population have faced a number of environmental challenges. The climate on earth is changing and it is most likely due to human activity and the destruction of the earth's resources, ecosystems and waterways. More recently a very active environmental movement is taking up more space in people's lives. In many ways, it can be considered that climate change, and the movement that accompanied it, created a generation of people who proclaim a doom as a result of human destruction of the planet. I have conducted qualitative online interviews with nine representatives from the Church of Sweden, mainly church pastors from southern Sweden, to see how they relate to climate change, their views on judgement day and how they respond to people in their office who have anxiety and are concerned about climate change and the possible destruction of the human race. The result shows that all respondents in the survey place a great focus on man's individual and collective responsibility in the care for the earth, that is, according to them, God's creation. Through Berger’s social-constructivist theories of secularization, the study shows that the climate movement itself sometimes lacks Christian values of optimism and Christian concepts, such as God's grace, forgiveness, and hope. It thus gives the impression that the movement in some ways has a secular character. In contrast to this, the representatives of the Swedish Church claim to have a hopeful attitude and mostly believe that climate change is not part of the eschatological prophecies described in the Bible. However, they often reason that one cannot know for certain what the future holds, but as they hope and long for Christ's return, they have no fear but instead put their faith in hope and in God. They believe there is a clearer optimism on their part in the form of forgiveness, grace and hope and are willing to lead by example by caring for people who fear and encourage them to hope and the trust in God.

Bakgrund: Ett centralt motiv för forskning mot ensamkommande ungdomar är att återge ungdomarnas egna röster och upplevelser och arbeta utifrån deras egna perspektiv (Darvishpour, Månsson, 2019). I tidigare forskning är utgångspunkten ofta myndighets -eller det offentligas perspektiv (Månsson, 2016). Flyktingar har generellt ofta beskrivits som ett hot mot den nationella kollektiva identiteten (Ahmadi & Lilja, 2018). Samhälleliga förändringar påverkar i stor grad nyanlända barn och ungdomar. För den ensamkommande gruppen av barn innebär flykten i sig en särskilt otrygg situation utan egen familj och det skyddsnät som denna utgör (Darvishpour & Månsson, 2019). För den ensamkommande gruppen är förvärvsarbetet (i studien refererat till som ”arbetet”) viktigt för en lyckad integration. Detta kan bidra till bättre möjligheter att få stanna kvar i landet. Därför är det av särskild vikt att genomföra samtal med ungdomarna och introducera ungdomens perspektiv i ledet mot en lyckad integration i det svenska samhället. Vuxenförebilder, familjehemsföräldrar och gode män kan innebära stor praktisk nytta för de ensamkommande ungdomarna. Det handlar om att samtliga dessa parter måste ta hänsyn till ungdomsperspektivet för en lyckad integration (Stretmo & Melander, 2013).  Syfte: Syftet med studien är att ta reda på ensamkommande ungdomars upplevelser i anskaffandet av ett arbete i Sverige. Det handlar om att undersöka vilken hjälp ungdomarna anser vara mest centralt i vägen mot ett arbete. Följande frågeställningar beaktas i studien;  • Vilka utmaningar och möjligheter upplever de ensamkommande ungdomarna när det gäller att söka arbete? • Vilket professionellt stöd upplever de ensamkommande ungdomarna att de erbjuds på vägen mot ett arbete? • Vilket vuxenstöd upplevs av ungdomarna som mest avgörande på vägen mot integration?  Metod: Studien utgår från en kvalitativ metod. Dataproduktionen bestod av tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer som genomfördes med ensamkommande ungdomar som rekryterades via privata kontakter i formen av ett bekvämlighetsurval. Denna ansats ansågs möjlig även under rådande pandemi. Intervjuerna transkriberades och en tematisk analys gjordes utifrån ett fenomenologiskt ramverk. Resultat och slutsatser: Genom en tematisk analys sammanställdes de ensamkommande ungdomars upplevelser. De teman som framkom var fem stycken och handlade om: 1. ”Nycklar till en lyckad integration” som handlar om att integreras i samhället, ”Ensamkommande ungdomar utan permanent uppehållstillstånd” som handlar om oro och osäkerhet hos ungdomarna,  2. ”Samhälleligt stöd skapar trygghet för den ensamkommande individen” som centralt handlar om vuxenstöd utifrån. 3. ”Vikten av nätverk för etablering på arbetsmarknaden” som handlar om kontaktnät och att knyta socialt nätverk,  4. ”Framtidsplaner för den ensamkommande individen” som till stor del handlar om inre ambitioner. Studieområdet är inte utforskat och det handlar om att fokusera uppmärksamhet på att ungdomarnas egna upplevelser bidrar med mycket nytta till forskningsfältet inom barn och ungdomsvetenskap. Fokus bör vara att prioritera synsättet som inkluderar ungdomarnas tolkningar och synsätt, istället för att beskriva ungdomarna utifrån ett om-perspektiv. Forskningen bör handla om arbetet med ungdomarna istället för att berätta om ungdomarna. Dessutom förutsätter ett lyckat integrationsarbete att ungdomarna bedöms som individer och inte som kategorier av ensamkommande, flyktingar eller migranter. När ungdomarnas perspektiv belyses, bidrar detta till värdefulla perspektiv. Inte minst i ledet att integrera ensamkommande ungdomar i den svenska arbetsmarknaden. / Background: A central motive for research against unaccompanied young people is to reproduce the young people's own voices and experiences and work from their own perspective (Darvishpour, Månsson, 2019). In previous research, the starting point is often the government or public perspective (Månsson, 2016). Refugees have generally often been described as a threat to the national collective identity (Ahmadi & Lilja, 2018). Societal changes greatly affect newly arrived children and young people. For the unaccompanied group of children, the refugee situation in itself means a particularly insecure situation without an own family and the safety net that this constitutes (Darvishpour & Månsson, 2019). For the unaccompanied group, employment (referred to in the study as “work”) is important for successful integration. This can contribute to better opportunities to stay in the country. Therefore, it is of particular importance to conduct conversations with the young people and introduce the young people's perspective in the direction of a successful integration into Swedish society. Adult role models, foster parents and good men can be of great practical benefit to the unaccompanied young people. It is about all these parties having to take into account the youth perspective for a successful integration (Stretmo & Melander, 2013).  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find out the experiences of unaccompanied young people in acquiring a job in Sweden. It is about examining what help young people consider to be most central in the path to a job. The following issues are considered in this study;  • What challenges and opportunities do unaccompanied minors experience when it comes to looking for work? • What professional support do the unaccompanied young people feel they are offered on the way to a job? • Which adult support is perceived by young people as most crucial on the road to integration? Method: This study is based on a qualitative method. The data production consisted of twelve semi-structured interviews conducted with unaccompanied young people who were recruited 5via private contacts in the form of a convenience sample. This approach was considered possible even during the current pandemic. The interviews were transcribed and a thematic analysis was made based on a phenomenological framework.  Results and conclusions: Through a thematic analysis, the experiences of unaccompanied young people were compiled. The themes that emerged were five and were about:  1. “Keys to a successful integration”, which deals with integration into society,  2. “Unaccompanied young people without a permanent residence permit”, which deals with the anxiety and insecurity of young people. 3. “Social support creates security for the unaccompanied individual”, which is centrally about adult support from outside. 4. “The importance of networks for establishment in the labor market”, which deals with contact networks and the connection of social networks,  5. “Future plans for the unaccompanied individual”, which is largely about inner ambitions.  The study area has not been explored and it is a matter of focusing attention on the fact that the young people's own experiences contribute with great benefit to the field of research in children and youth science. The focus should be on prioritizing the approach that includes the young people's interpretations and views, instead of describing the young people from a re-perspective. The research should be about working with young people instead of telling about young people. In addition, successful integration work presupposes that young people are assessed as individuals and not as categories of unaccompanied minors, refugees or migrants. When young people's perspectives are highlighted, this contributes to valuable perspectives. Not least at the stage of integrating unaccompanied young people into the Swedish labor market.

In the face of climate change, political instability, ecological destruction, extinction of species and other global issues humanity is facing, various studies are showing that a radical societal transformation is needed to avoid an ecological collapse. This thesis explores the contemporary social-environmental phenomenon “nya gröna vågen” (new-back-to-the-landers) in Sweden as a response to an urgent need for societal transformation as well as a resistance to the conventional modern society. The aim of the study is to examine the material practices in which people within “nya gröna vågen” are involved, how their ideas relate to those practices, and what could be learned from the practitioners in terms of future pathways. To meet this aim, a variant of practice theory is used, which acknowledges non-human actors as well as ideas. Material practice is conceptualized as a network of associations of human and non-humans in specific time-spaces. The study uses semi-structured interviews with practitioners within “nya gröna vågen” and observations. The results show that practices within “nya gröna vågen” are connected to the physical surrounding where they are performed. The material practices of, for example, food provisioning, are understood as embodied understandings of the world made up by a network of human and non-human actors. Further, the material practices within “nya gröna vågen” are based on the idea of a co-creation of human and non-human actors shaping the world. The results also indicate how the actors’ material world-making practices responds to the current planetary situation. In response to what they perceive to be an ecological crisis, they have become involved in practices like regenerative agriculture, adapting to the evolving landscape and water projects. The results also present how the material practices bounded to a specific place as a platform for life are giving a sense of stability and belonging. A relational way of life where people are shaping new imaginations on how to navigate and make life in the future through practices in human/non-human networks.

No description available.

Syftet med detta kandidatarbete var att undersöka segregationens roll i regional stadsplanering. Studien undersöker hur planeringen av Nya Tunnelbanan Akalla-Barkarby förhållit sig till segregationen i Järvaområdet. Nya tunnelbanan planerades som följd av Stockholmsförhandlingen år 2013, en politisk satsning för att bygga bostäder parallellt med tunnelbana, för att möta regionens befolkningstillväxt och bostadsbrist. Arbetet har genomförts genom en kvalitativ studie med tre olika forskningsmetoder. En litteraturstudie utfördes för att få förståelse för problemområdet. För fallstudien utfördes en dokumentstudie samt intervjustudie med åtta deltagare som har eller tidigare haft koppling till projektet. Efter en tematisk analys av intervjustudien sammanfattades resultatet.  Studien visar att de planerade regionala stadskärnorna i RUFS 2010 har haft en betydande inverkan på lokaliseringen av den nya tunnelbanan. Fortsättningsvis upptäcks brister i inkludering av segregationsperspektivet och social hållbarhet i utredningar gjorda av Trafikförvaltningen. Det kan konstateras att det finns svårigheter med att mäta sociala nyttor och att det ekonomiska intresset sätter begränsningar i segregationsfrågans inkludering i planeringen. Ämnet visade sig vara mer komplext än den inledande hypotesen på grund av den bakomliggande bostadspolitikens inverkan på planerings utformning. / The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of segregation in regional urban planning. The study examines how the planning of the New Metro Akalla-Barkarby accounts for segregation in Järva. The New Metro was planned after the Stockholm negotiation which took place in 2013, a political initiative to build housing simultaneously with the public metro system to meet the region's population growth and housing crisis. This work has been carried out through a qualitative study with three different research methods. A literary study was conducted to gain an understanding of the relevant aspects of the problem area. For the case study, a document study was executed as well as an interview study with six participants and two e-mail correspondences that have or previously had a connection to the project. After a thematic analysis of the interview study, the results were summarized.  The study shows that the planned regional cores in RUFS 2010 have had a significant impact on the location of the New Metro's expansion. Furthermore, there are deficiencies in the investigations’ inclusion of the segregation perspective and social sustainability. It can be stated that there are difficulties in measuring social benefits and that economic interest places restrictions on the inclusion of the issue of segregation in planning. The topic proved to be more complex due to the impact on urban planning from the underlying politics of housing.

In recent decades, numerous prominent scholars have highlighted the fact that small and medium sized firms in general, and new technology-based firms in particular, represent an important source of innovation and economic growth. The success of new technology-based firms is further argued to be closely linked to innovation capacity and performance, which in turn depends on the context in which the company is located. This study investigates how contextual factors affect the performance of new technology-based firms in Sweden. This was done through a multiple case study, where a data set of 48 new technology-based firms were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative analysis outlined correlations between the firms’ context and their respective change in market value over time. The qualitative analysis examined these correlations in more detail by evaluating how firms were affected by specific contextual factors. This analysis was based on semi-structured interviews conducted with a sample of 11 firms from the data set. The result indicates that firms located in metropolitan cities and university cities, on average, have a higher proportion of high-performing firms compared to firms from other cities. Stockholm further stands out with the highest proportion of firms among the top performing firms and the lowest proportion of firms among the bottom performing firms. The result further highlights three main contextual factors that were consistently emphasised by interviewees as being particularly important for their firm performance; these factors were local access to 1) skilled and specialisedworkforce followed by 2) risk capital and finally 3) customer proximity. / Under de senaste decennierna har många framstående forskare konstaterat att små och medelstoraföretag i allmänhet, och nya teknikbaserade företag i synnerhet, utgör en viktig källa till innovation och ekonomisk tillväxt. Nya teknikbaserade företags framgång anses vidare vara nära sammankopplat med deras innovationskapacitet och prestation, som i sin tur har visat sig bero på den kontext som företaget befinner sig i. Denna studie undersöker hur kontextuella faktorer påverkar företagsprestationen för nya teknologibaserade företag i Sverige. Detta gjordes genom en flerfallstudie, där en datamängd på 48 nya teknikbaserade företag analyserades både kvantitativt och kvalitativt. Den kvantitativa analysen undersökte samband mellan vilken kontext företagen befunnit sig i och hur deras respektive marknadsvärde förändrats över tid. Den kvalitativa analysen utforskade sedan dessa samband mer ingående genom att utvärdera hur företagen påverkats avspecifika kontextuella faktorer. Denna analys grundades på semi-strukturerade intervjuer med elva företag från datamängden. Resultatet indikerar att företag belägna i storstäder och universitetsstäder i genomsnitt har en högre andel högpresterande företag jämfört med företag från andra stadstyper. Stockholm utmärker sig vidare med den högsta andelen företag bland de bäst presterande företagen i datasetet, och den lägsta andelen företag bland de sämst presterande företagen. Resultatet belyser vidare tre huvudsakliga kontextuella faktorer som konsekvent betonades vara bland de viktigaste för företagets prestation; dessa faktorer motsvarade lokaltillgång till 1) skicklig och specialiserad arbetskraft följt av 2) riskkapital och slutligen 3) kundnärhet.

In recent years, we have seen that global, national, and local governments have put sustainability goals on their agendas. Thus, at different levels and in different sectors, efforts are underway to promote a ‘green shift’, including the energy sector. As a result, landscapes of renewable energy sources are emerging in areas that have sufficient “empty landscapes” (LABLAB, 2023) – namely sparsely populated spaces that lie outside the administrative boundaries of cities. However, the discipline of spatial planning rarely discusses changing landscapes in the hinterlands and the resulting consequences for embedded communities. The city as an energy consumer is treated in isolation from its counterpart, the hinterland as an energy producer. In this context, it is unclear what interrelationships are present between the formation of ‘new energy landscapes’ (Pasqualetti and Stremke, 2018; LABLAB, 2023), the urban ‘hinterland’ (Brenner, 2016; Westlund, 2018; Brenner and Katsikis, 2020), and the realities of embedded communities there.The geographies in the Swedish province of Jämtland belonging to the territory of the indigenous Southern Sápmi offer a suitable basis for a study that could fill this research gap. Thus, the objective of this thesis is to raise awareness of potentially conflicting interests between cities - striving to become more ‘sustainable’ - and the emergence of ‘new energy landscapes’ in the ‘hinterlands’ by including two different perspectives: an urban economic lens on the hinterland and a non-urban lens taken from the lived everyday lives of Sápmi communities embedded in new energy landscapes. This thesis poses three research questions to which it aims to find answers by using qualitative semi-structured, problem-centred interviews. It thus follows an interpretative abductive research approach. Through the analysis of the empirical data, the thesis shows that a joint discussion of the two discourses (‘hinterland’ and ‘new energy landscapes’) can help to gain a new understanding of urbanisation processes by including the perspective of non-urban communities in questions of urban sustainability. Furthermore, the thesis serves as an eye-opener for spatial planners to incorporate indigenous knowledge and lived experiences into the field of urban studies.

Sterilcentralen som finns på nya Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset är inte modern. Den är dessutom inte tillfredsställande ur ett arbetsmiljömässigt perspektiv.  Det finns redan ett antal beprövade automationsmetoder som är implementerade på olika sjukhus, men inte på NKS. Det finns ett antal olika processer som ett material måste genomgå för att det ska bli sterilt. De flesta sköts manuellt. Kan automation förverkligas för att minska mängden manuellt arbete samt förbättra arbetsmiljön för avdelningens personal? Ett frågeformulär användes för att ta reda på hur personalen som arbetar på avdelningen uppfattar arbetet som utförs. Formuläret var också till för att ta reda på hur de tror att arbetet och arbetsmiljön kan förbättras genom automation. Fältstudier samt besök på andra sjukhus gjordes för att undersöka hur arbetet på sterilcentralen går till i praktiken. / The central sterile department that is located at the new Karolinska Hospital is not up to date. It is not satisfying from a work environmental perspective. There are however a number of proven methods of automation that are implemented at different hospitals but not at NKS. There are a number of different processes that have to be executed on an instrument to be able to classify it as sterile. Most of the work is done manually. Could automation be implemented to reduce the number of work done manually and to improve the work environment for the employees of the department? A questionnaire was used to figure out how the staff that works at the department perceives the work that is being done. The questionnaire was also used to figure out the staff's point of view on how the work processes and work environment can be improved due to automation. Field studies and visiting other hospitals were executed to study how the work at the central sterile department is done in reality.

In November 2016 a brand new and highly technological hospital called New Karolinska Solna opened in Stockholm. In connection with the planning of the hospital, new medical devices were procured, including a new infusion system that is now in use. Previously, each ward at the hospital had their own pumps and was responsible for updates and maintenance. Now, the hospital will instead have a floating pump system, which means that the hospital will own the pumps. The infusion pumps will be floating between the wards without being linked to a specific ward or department. The updates that were previously done when the need arose at the ward will now be a common process for the entire hospital. The aim of the project was to develop new guidelines for how the update process should be done on New Karolinska Solna's new infusion pump system. Through interviews with key personnel during the procurement process, the medical technicians department and caseworkers, new guidelines have been written, given the already existing technical conditions. During the course of the project it has been found that there are major shortcomings of information and communication within the hospital. The guidelines presented in the result are an important part to ensure that information related to the update comes to the caregivers at New Karolinska Solna, thus simplifying and streamlining the update of the infusion pumps.