I uppsatsen studeras unga kvinnors upplevelser av våld i nära relationer. I uppsatsen har kvalitativ metod använts, och vi har genomfört åtta intervjuer. Kvalitativ metod valdes för att få en djupare förståelse hur kvinnor påverkas efter att ha levt i en våldsam relation. Ämnet valdes för att uppmärksamma omvärlden kring kvinnors erfarenheter och upplevelser. I analysen har vi att utgå ifrån Scheffs teori om hur människan formas av de sociala banden till andra människor, och därigenom använt oss av begreppen optimal, öppen- och underdifferentiering samt skam och stolthet. Vi har även använt oss av Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv, inkluderat med främre och bakre region samt give expression och give off expression. Slutligen har vi valt att använda Giddens teori om intimitet och rena relationer. Våra respondenter har upplevt bland annat fysiska slag, kränkningar och sönderslagna tillhörigheter. Dessa upplevelser har påverkat deras välmående i form av kontrollbehov, PTSD och mardrömmar. Respondenterna har mycket gemensamt när det kommer till erfarenheter, känslor och upplevelser. De tycker även att samhället behöver införa fler insatser för kvinnor som blir/har blivit utsatta för våld, vilket skulle kunna genomföras i form av föreläsningar, utbildningar eller krav på personal i form av att de måste våga ingripa med åtgärder när de anar att någon blir utsatt för våld. / This essay has been completed with qualitative method, and so we have interviewed eight women. We chose this method to receive a deeper understanding for women’s experiences after going through a violent relationship. It is important to enlighten the society when it comes to these exposed women, to be able to offer them the right help. For the analysis, we have chosen Scheff’s theory about social bonding and how it defines a person, and from this theory we have also used the ideas optimal, open and under differentiation together with shame and pride. We have also used Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective, in which he talks about a front and a back region together with give expression and give off expression. Lastly we have also brought up Giddens theory about intimacy and pure relationships. Our respondents are deeply affected by violence that among other things includes; punches, offensive comments and ruined belongings. When the relationship is over, they are still affected in ways of control issues, PTSD and nightmares. The respondents experiences and feelings are similar to each other. They also have in common that they think that the society needs to contribute with more efforts to help women who have been through a violent relationship. These kind of efforts could take place in lectures, education and demanding staff in school to have civil courage, meaning they must help when needed.

Det är påfrestande att bli förälder och det medför därför en risk att parrelationen blir sämre. Enligt tidigare forskning har föräldrarnas parrelation en betydelsefull inverkan på barnets hälsa. Sjuksköterskans förebyggande arbete inom barnhälsovården är att främja den fysiska, psykiska och sociala hälsan för hela familjen. Eftersom sjuksköterskan på barnavårdscentralen nästan träffar alla föräldrar till barn mellan 0-6 år ger det en unik möjlighet att stödja och stärka föräldrarna i sin parrelation och därmed förebygga ohälsa. Det finns inga nationella riktlinjer att sjuksköterskan skall ge stöd i parrelationen, men det finns förslag att ge stöd och råd vid vissa besök. Det gör att stödet idag ser olika ut beroende på var familjen bor. Syftet är att beskriva föräldrars erfarenheter av stöd i parrelationen inom barnhälsovården. Sex intervjuer genomfördes med föräldrar som levde i en parrelation och hade barn mellan 4-5 år. Intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Föräldrarnas erfarenhet är att barnhälsovåden fokuserar på mamma och barn och att ämnet parrelation sällan tas upp. När ämnet parrelation tas upp är det vid hembesök och i föräldragrupper. Föräldrarna önskar att få stöd vid rätt tidpunkt i livet och att sjuksköterskan tar initiativ till samtal om parrelationens betydelse för familjen. Studien avslutas med slutsatser utifrån framkommet resultat till nytta för barnhälsovårdens utveckling. / Program: Specialistsjuksköterskeutbildning med inriktning mot distriktssköterska

Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) and urgency are common conditions and can have a profound influence on many aspects of life. Approximately one in four women has UI and one in ten has daily symptoms. Knowledge is lacking, however, on the impact of UI and urgency on the lives of affected women and their partners and on the situation of women with urinary leakage one year postoperatively. Aims: To study the consequences of female UI and urgency for patients and their partners on quality of life (QoL), the partner relationship, and their sexual lives. Also to evaluate the success rates of three operation methods: tension-free vaginal tape (TVT), tension-free vaginal tape-obturator (TVT-O), and transobturator tape (TOT) for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), with a particular focus on women who still have urinary leakage one year after surgery. Methods: Women seeking healthcare for UI and/or urgency and their partners were invited to answer questionnaires. The women completed disease-specific questionnaires and both the women (n = 206) and their partners (n = 109) answered questions about their psychosocial situation, partner relationship, and sexual life. Patient-reported outcomes one year after surgery with TVT, TVT-O, or TOT (n = 3334) were derived from the Swedish National Quality Register for Gynaecological Surgery. Results: Most of the women reported that their urinary problems negatively affected their physical activities, and almost half reported negative consequences for their social life. Women aged 25–49 years were less satisfied with their psychological health, sexual life, and leisure than women aged 50–74 years. One third of both the women and their partners (all the partners were men) experienced a negative impact on their relationship, and sexual life was negatively affected in almost half of the women and one in five of their men. Coital incontinence was reported in one third of the women. Most of their men did not consider this a problem, but the majority of the affected women did. Satisfaction with outcome of the operation did not differ between TVT, TVT-O, and TOT, but TVT showed a higher success rate for SUI than TOT did. Higher age, higher body mass index, a diagnosis of mixed urinary incontinence, and a history of urinary leakage in combination with urgency each constitute a risk for a lower operation success rate. After one year, 29% of the women still had some form of UI, but half of these were satisfied with the outcome and most reported fewer negative impacts on family, social, working, and sexual life than before the operation. Conclusions: Female UI and/or urgency impaired QoL, particularly in young women, and had negative effects on partner relationships and on some partners’ lives. Sexual life was also affected, more often in women with UI and/or urgency than in their partners. At one-year follow-up after surgery, about one third of the women still had some form of UI, but the negative impact on their lives was reduced. A challenge for health care professionals is to initiate a dialogue with women with urinary symptoms about sexual function and what surgery can realistically be expected to accomplish.

Av par i fertil ålder som aktivt försöker få barn är det 10-15 procent som inte lyckas inom ett år och räknas då till kategorin ofrivilligt barnlösa. Att drabbas av ofrivillig barnlöshet innebär stor sorg och prövning för det drabbade paret. Med hjälp av assisterad befruktning kan parets möjligheter till graviditet öka. En IVF-process innebär psykisk och fysisk påfrestning, vilket ställer stora krav på vårdens bemötande, kompetens och stöd. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur par som genomgår IVF-behandling upplever vårdens bemötande samt om och i så fall hur parets relation påverkats under och efter IVF-processen. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och för att uppfylla syfte och besvara frågeställningar har semistrukturerade intervjuer använts som metod. Undersökningen består av fem intervjupar vilka genomgått eller genomgår en IVF-process. Resultatet visar att respondenterna från en början upplevde ett varmt och välkomnande bemötande, men att det efterhand förändrades. Respondenterna beskriver brister hos vårdpersonalen såsom kränkning, kompetens- och tidsbrist. Vidare framgår att flertalet upplever att de blivit bemötta som en i mängden, framförallt av läkare, då de inte fått den individanpassade vård som krävdes. Resultatet visar att paret under IVF-processen utsätts för flertalet påfrestningar, vilket kan vara krävande för parrelationen. Trots detta upplever paren att påfrestningarna medfört en stärkt parrelation. / Of couples of reproductive age who are actively trying to conceive, 10-15 percent fails within a year, and is then counted in the category of involuntary childlessness. Couples that suffer from infertility often experience great emotional distress. With the help of assisted reproduction, the couple's possibility of a pregnancy may increase. The IVF process involves mental and physical stress, which leads to heavy demands on health care treatment, expertise and support. This study aims to examine how couples undergoing IVF treatment experienced the response they received from health care system. This includes whether or not the couple's relationship was affected during and after the IVF treatment process and if so how it was affected. The study was made with a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews have been our method for obtaining data this study. The study is based on interviews of five couples who underwent, or are still undergoing an IVF treatment process. The results show that respondents initially experienced a warm and friendly welcome from the health care system, but it gradually changed for worse. The respondents describe what they see as inadequacies of healthcare providers such as offensiveness, lack of skills, and time constraints. Furthermore, it appears that the majority feels that they have been overlooked, especially by doctors, when they did not receive the personalized care they needed. The results show that during the IVF treatment process the couples are subjected to intense and varying forms of stress that can be hard on their relationships. Despite the strain it has put on them, the couple's feel that it has strengthened their relationships.

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur individer upplever att det ökade skilsmässotalet i samhället påverkar deras attityd till långa parrelationer. Empirin har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra unga vuxna kvinnor som delat med sig av tankar och känslor kring äktenskap, parrelationer och separationer. Studien tar avstamp i teorier kring modernitet och individualism i dagens samhälle, författade av Beck, Beck-Gernsheim och Giddens. Vidare analyseras det empiriska materialet även med hjälp av Giddens teori om det rena förhållandet och hans teori om ontologisk trygghet. Socialisationsteorin används också tillsammans med Bourdieus begrepp habitus. Studiens resultat visar att individer med skilda föräldrar är medvetna om skilsmässans utbredning i samhället och att det påverkar deras attityd till långa parrelationer. Detta kan förklaras av framförallt socialisationsteorin och habitusbegreppet. Den respondent i studien vars föräldrar fortfarande lever ihop ansåg sig skyddad från det ökade skilsmässotalet och upplevde därför inte att attityden till långa parrelationer påverkas av detta. Den mer djupgående analysen visar dock att samtliga respondenter påverkas av det ökade skilsmässotalet i samhället, även om respondenten med icke-skilda föräldrar inte själv var medveten om det. Detta genom den ökade individualismen och det moderna samhällets reflexiva natur. Resultatet utkristalliserade sig trots att studien på förhand inte avsåg göra skillnad på individer med eller utan separerade föräldrar. / This study aims to examine if individuals feel that increased divorce rates impact their attitude towards long-term relationships. The empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with four young women who shared their thoughts and feelings about marriage, relationships and divorces. The study is based on theories about reflexive modernity and individualization (see Beck, Beck-Gernsheim and Giddens). The empirical data is also analyzed by Giddens’ theory of the pure relationship and his theory about the ontological security. The theory of socialization is also used along with Bourdieu’s concept of habitus. The result of the study shows that individuals with divorced parents are aware of the increased divorce rates in society and that it affects their attitude to long-term relationships. This can be explained primarily by using the theory of socialization and the concept of habitus. The respondent in the study whose parents still lived together considered herself protected from the increased divorce rates and experienced therefore that this did not affect her attitude to long-term relationships. The more thorough analysis nevertheless shows that all respondents are affected by the increased divorce rates in society, even if the respondent with non-divorced parents was not aware of it herself. The increased individualism and modern societies reflexive nature can explain this. This result appeared even though the study in advance did not intend to distinguish between individuals who have been through a parental divorce and individuals who have not.

International joint ventures (IJV) are frequently stated to be increasingly popular but with significant managerial dissatisfactions in their operations. Severe failure rates of IJVs is distinguished in previous literature, between 30-70 percent eventually end up in failure. Prior research suggests that the management aspect of inter-partner relationships is limited. There is also limits in research regarding the factors impacting how to manage inter-partner relationship and how it relates to IJV performance. The theory used for this study is an integrated framework of social exchange theory (SET) and transaction cost economics (TCE). These theories acquire two sets of mechanisms on how to manage inter-partner relationship and its impact on IJV performance: (1) social mechanisms of trust, communication, and cultural adaptation, and (2) structural mechanisms of ownership control, contract, balanced asset specificity and resource complementarity. The framework is tested empirically using interviews as data collection from five Swedish companies involved in an IJV with partners headquartered in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The outcome of this study suggests that a majority of the mechanisms impact on how to manage an inter-partner relationship and also provide to enhance IJV performance. The most influencing factors on inter-partner management and IJV performance are trust, communication, contract and resource complementarity. We also identified interesting results regarding the interaction between the social and structural mechanisms in relation to management and IJV performance.

The presented dissertation consists of both a quantitative part and a qualitative part. The quantitative part deals with the relationship between 5-HTTLPR S/L, MAOA H/L, and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms, the stress reaction of new-born infants after a heel stick blood draw (measured by determining salivary cortisol at three time points) and temperament assessed at age three months by Rothbarth's Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised in a sample of 84 infants. Observed polymorphisms were related both to the course of the stress reaction and to temperament. The short allele of serotonin transporter polymorphism was connected to higher scores in the secondary scale of Negative Affect and lower scores in the secondary scale of Attention/Regulation. Homozygotes for the more active allele of MAOA polymorphism (HH) had the lowest scores in Negative Affect compared to both of the remaining groups, they also had higher scores in the secondary scale of Extraversion and Attention/Regulation and a greater decrease of cortisol in comparison to HL heterozygotes. The presence of low-active L allele predisposed their carriers to higher scores in Negative Affect and lower scores in Attention/Regulation. LL homozygotes had the highest increase of cortisol after a heel stick blood draw. The Met allele of COMT Val158Met polymorphism was connected to higher Extraversion and Attention/Regulation and a greater cortisol decrease. It was possible to predict all three secondary scales of IBQ-R from the stress reaction after the heel stick blood draw. Negative Affect was predicted by a higher increase and a lower decrease of cortisol. Extraversion and Attention/Regulation were predicted by a greater cortisol decrease. The magnitude of cortisol decrease partially mediated the influence of COMT Val158Met polymorphism on Extraversion. The qualitative part of the dissertation is a multi-casuistic study of six couples parenting infants with difficult temperaments. It is based on semi-structured interviews that were analysed in accordance with qualitative procedures. The most difficult infant displays to manage were unsoothable crying in the first six months and early sleeplessness and a later escalation of sleeping problems. Mothers were esentially not able to gain control over the amount of crying, but some of them managed to influence their experience to achieve a greater acceptance of it. To do this, it was necessary for them to eliminate their feelings of failure in the parental role. The parents' biggest dilemma concerning their infants' sleeping problems was whether to use the "cry it out" strategy or not to manage them. For some parents parenting a difficult infant was an opportunity to re-evaluate their approach to parenting and the parental role, significantly broadening the concept of both. Caring for a difficult infant significantly strained the marital relationship; four couples experienced marital crisis during the care of their child. The father's involvement in infant care seemed very important in this respect. Insufficient involvement led to dissatisfaction in the mother, the way the mother communicated her demands further influenced the marital relationship. Particular behaviour that the mother understood as the father's involvement in infant care emerged.

Prostate cancer, the leading cause of cancer in men, has positive survival rates and constitutes a challenge to men with its side effects. Studies have addressed the bivaritate relationships between prostate cancer treatment side effects masculinity, partner relationship, and quality of life (QOL). However, few studies have highlighted the relationships among prostate cancer treatment side effects (i.e., sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence), masculinity, and relationship with the partner together on QOL in men. Most studies were conducted with predominately Caucasian sample of men. Miami is a unique multiethnic setting that hosts Cuban, Columbian, Venezuelan, Haitian, other Latin American and Caribbean communities that were not represented in previous literature. The purpose of this study was to examine relative contributions of age, ethnicity, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, masculinity, and perception of the relationship with the partner on the quality of life in men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Data were collected using self administered questionnaires measuring demographic variables, sexual and urinary functioning (UCLA PCI), masculinity (CMNI), partner relationship (DAS), and QOL (SF-36). A total of 117 partnered heterosexual men diagnosed with prostate cancer were recruited from four urology clinics in Miami, Florida. Men were 67.47 (SD = 8.42) years old and identified themselves to be of Hispanic origin (54.3 %, n = 63). Findings demonstrated that there was a significant moderate negative relationship between urinary and sexual functioning of men. There was a significant strong negative association between men’s perceived relationship with partner and masculinity. There was a weak negative relationship between the partner relationship and QOL. Hierarchal multiple regression showed that the partner relationship (β = -.25, t (91) = -2.28, p = .03) significantly contributed overall to QOL. These findings highlight the importance of the relationship satisfaction in the QOL of men with prostate cancer. Nursing interventions to enhance QOL for these men should consider strengthening the relationship and involving the female partner as an active participant.

Background: Due to technological outbreak Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) has become very popular leisure time occupation for people of various age ranging from not only children to also mid-age gamers. Although computer gaming is not officially classified as a disorder within ICD-10, it shows obvious signs of behavioral disorder. Despite there is a great number of research within this area, there is still lack of unified definition and classification. In addition to numerous publications in this field, there is still a space for additional research. One of those areas to explore is an impact on partner life and relationship. Aims: The main objective of the thesis is to describe the impact of Massively Multiplayer Online gaming on partner relationship. Furthermore, the work will partially focus on the role of playing MMO games in a partnership and what the impact of playing Massively Multiplayer Online games are in the common social life of partners. Methods and sample size: Qualitative research, where data has been collected from semi-structured interview, has been chosen. Subsequently the data has been extrapolated by method of Grounded Theory. Sample size was chosen based on online questionnaire with 733 participants out of those there were 5 male gamers and 4 female partners. Results: The...

Text in German, summaries in German and English / Diese Arbeit untersucht die Relevanz der Herkunftsfamilie und ihre Auswirkung auf eine spätere Paarbeziehung im Blick auf Beziehungszufriedenheit. Dazu ist ihr Einfluss auf deren Mitglieder aufzuzeigen, die theoretischen Faktoren zur ehelichen Zufriedenheit darzustellen und empirisch zu verifizieren oder zu falsifizieren. Dadurch ist veranschaulicht, wie Zufriedenheit einer ehelichen Beziehung durch unterschiedliche familiäre Vorprägungen beeinflusst oder sogar „vorherbestimmt“ ist. Daraus ist weiter ersichtlich, inwieweit Zufriedenheit einer ehelichen Beziehung sich tradiert, oder ob für eine gelungene Beziehung nicht doch zu „arbeiten“ ist. Diese Inspektion zentraler Partnerschaftsmerkmale soll zu Fortschritten in der sozialpsychologischen und seelsorgerlichen Theoriebildung führen. Für eine Arbeit im Bereich christlicher Seelsorge ist auch zu fragen, inwieweit der Zuspruch des Evangeliums in konkreter seelsorgerlicher Beratung hilft, dass Paare trotz negativer familiärer Vorprägung zu ehelicher Zufriedenheit finden. Die eigene Ehe zu pflegen erfordert persönliche Sorgfalt sowohl für den Mann als auch für die Frau und individuelle seelsorgerliche Aufmerksamkeit durch die christliche Gemeinde. / This dissertation examines relevance and impact of family history on marital relationship in regard to partner satisfaction. Firstly, the family’s influence on its members is investigated; secondly, the theoretical factors of marital satisfaction are explained; thirdly, these dimensions are empirically verified or falsified. The study demonstrates the impact or pre-definition of family history on marital satisfaction. Furthermore, it answers if marital satisfaction can be passed on or if it has to be consciously developed. The thorough examination of central marital partnership dimensions is leading to an improvement of theory construction in sociopsychological and pastoral counselling terms. As this paper is concerned with Christian counselling, it considers, how Christian doctrine can be relevant in counselling couples displaying a negative marital pre-disposition, by helping them to achieve marital satisfaction. To care for a marital relationship, the carefulness of both partners, as well as the pastoral attentiveness of the Christian church, is required. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)