<p>Between 1990 and 1992/1993 there was a dramatic change in the Swedish labor market, resulting in an increased number of unemployed and social assistance recipients. As a response to this situation, many municipalities developed local activation programs. One of these programs, the “Uppsala model” – practiced in the City of Uppsala and characterized by a “paternalistic discourse” with sharp means tests, control and sanctions – was quite controversial. The general purpose of this dissertation is to study<b> </b>the effects of this activation method on the claimants and to study these effects with regard to the intentions underlying the method. The central questions are whether this method contributed to a greater number of claimants leaving the system for work or education, after a shorter period of time and on a more permanent basis compared to an alternative and more “traditional” method characterized by a “redistributive discourse”. Another central question is whether the method was effective under different economic conditions. The data used in the analyses were taken from two social welfare offices and included 509 able-bodied individuals who applied for allowances in either 1990 or 1992, reporting unemployment as the main reason. The main results indicated no systematic differences between the two methods with respect to outcome variables such as length of time on social assistance, probability of obtaining a regular job or an education. There were some indications (non-significant) of an increased probability of returning with claims for social assistance and after a shorter period of time, associated with the paternalist Uppsala model. The great importance of the labor market to recipients` possibilities to leave the social assistance system for work, irrespective of working method, was also shown in the study.</p>

Between 1990 and 1992/1993 there was a dramatic change in the Swedish labor market, resulting in an increased number of unemployed and social assistance recipients. As a response to this situation, many municipalities developed local activation programs. One of these programs, the “Uppsala model” – practiced in the City of Uppsala and characterized by a “paternalistic discourse” with sharp means tests, control and sanctions – was quite controversial. The general purpose of this dissertation is to study<b> </b>the effects of this activation method on the claimants and to study these effects with regard to the intentions underlying the method. The central questions are whether this method contributed to a greater number of claimants leaving the system for work or education, after a shorter period of time and on a more permanent basis compared to an alternative and more “traditional” method characterized by a “redistributive discourse”. Another central question is whether the method was effective under different economic conditions. The data used in the analyses were taken from two social welfare offices and included 509 able-bodied individuals who applied for allowances in either 1990 or 1992, reporting unemployment as the main reason. The main results indicated no systematic differences between the two methods with respect to outcome variables such as length of time on social assistance, probability of obtaining a regular job or an education. There were some indications (non-significant) of an increased probability of returning with claims for social assistance and after a shorter period of time, associated with the paternalist Uppsala model. The great importance of the labor market to recipients` possibilities to leave the social assistance system for work, irrespective of working method, was also shown in the study.

This thesis consists of four papers, and has as its central theme the accumulation of welfare problems and social exclusion. We use Swedish data and all analyses are based on individuals of working age. We perform longitudinal analyses to scrutinize the accumulation of disadvantages over the individual life courses as well as to detect the general trends in social exclusion occurrence in Swedish society during the past two decades. In Paper I, in an analysis of social exclusion among immigrants in Sweden, we find that immigrants suffer more often from social exclusion than native Swedes do. We also find that even if the accumulation of welfare problems is more common among immigrants than native Swedes, the connections between welfare disadvantages are stronger among Swedes. Furthermore, a logistic regression analysis revealed that time spent in Sweden decreases the risk of social exclusion among immigrants. However, even though we control for several demographic variables, human capital indicators and socio-economic class, the odds for social exclusion are still greater for immigrants than for native Swedes. Some form of discrimination can therefore not be excluded. Paper II is co-written with Björn Halleröd. This paper involves a longitudinal analysis of the accumulation of closely related welfare disadvantages, showing that the initial deprivation increases over time. Latent growth curve models reveal that a high initial deprivation is related to low socio-economic class and being single. It is also shown that a high initial deprivation decreases the probability of upward class-mobility as well as the probability of deprived singles becoming cohabiting. Moreover, a high initial deprivation increases the risk that couples will experience a household break-up. In Paper III, we perform a longitudinal analysis of social exclusion in Sweden during the period 1979-2003, in which several logistic regression models for panel data are fitted to our data. We find no support that immigrants have been better integrated into Swedish society over time from the perspective of social exclusion risk. Instead, there are weak signs that integration has become worse. We also find weak signs that the higher social exclusion risk that men have relative to women has decreased during the past two decades. Furthermore, comparing with couples without children, the odds for social exclusion among singles with children have increased and the odds for couples with children have decreased during the period 1979-2003. Paper IV utilizes latent class factor models to scrutinize the connections between welfare problems and a set of demographic variables, human capital indicators and socio-economic class. We find that welfare problems do cluster. Our results also support several of the findings in the previous paper. Family type, especially being single or living in a relationship, makes a clear difference in the propensity to accumulate welfare problems. Furthermore, immigrants characterize the factors with a high problem accumulation. Additionally, there is no general difference between the sexes in the problem accumulation itself, but experiences of threat or violence and having sleeping problems seem to be more often related to being a woman, whereas the lack of a close friend is most often related to being a man. To conclude, this thesis reveals several interesting facts concerning the accumulation of welfare problems and social exclusion in Sweden. Considering the implications for policy, the situations of immigrants and single parents need to be underlined. That is, the integration of immigrants should be given more emphasis and measures should be taken to support single parents as well as to promote a discussion on how to make relationships last.

This comparative research synthesis examines teenage motherhood in the UK and in Sweden. The UK has the highest rate of teenage motherhood in Western Europe and Sweden has the lowest. Firstly, the article examines the reasons as to why the rates differ to such an extent between these countries. Secondly, it compares the extent to which teenage mothers are socially excluded in the UK and in Sweden. Finally, it looks at how the available social support for teenage mothers differs between the UK and Sweden. The synthesis concludes that low expectations due to poverty is the main factor as to why teenage motherhood is more common in the UK than in Sweden, but that the level of social exclusion that teenage mothers face in both countries is similar. The support that teenage mothers in the UK obtain from society is customised towards them as a specific group, whilst teenage mothers in Sweden receive support that is formulated for vulnerable people in general.

Place is not a static backdrop for social relationships; rather, it is a dynamic product of the interactions among the people, practices, objects, and representations contained within it. Often, street-involved people who use drugs are excluded from interactions that would otherwise allow them to participate in community dynamics. In Vancouver, British Columbia, peer-based outreach groups redress these barriers by providing low-threshold positions to individuals living with active or past addiction. The overall question of this thesis is: what is the role of place in the health of an individual and of a community? Objectives include: (1) applying existing models of social exclusion to outline barriers preventing Peer Members from engaging in placemaking; (2) mapping the ideological positionality of the Peer Members and the rest of the community with regard to citizenship; and (3) exploring how Peer Members utilize their biosocial role as outreach workers to establish social capital and situate themselves as participants in a healthy community. By providing a platform where various social identities can interact with one another, ties of familiarity are established between these groups, thus enabling the transfer of resources, knowledge, and shared norms of respect. The first half of the discussion focuses on how social and geographic displacement legitimizes the process of social abandonment. Consequently, this relegated the Peer Members and their peers into the role of anti-citizen, rationalized their marginalization, and reinforced the wider community’s stigma toward people who use drugs. The latter half of the discussion illustrates how the Peer Members utilize their biosocial role of outreach and support workers to navigate boundaries and establish social connections to circulate knowledge and information within and among different social fields. This enabled the expression of mutual reciprocity, thereby negotiating the place of people who use drugs and harm reduction among the wider community. Place is therefore a concept that shapes, and is shaped by, the social networks that determine social legitimacy or illegitimacy. Although marginality and oppression cannot be transformed immediately, creating a social environment where Peer Members can be supported and support one another helps mitigate the marginalization that characterizes their lives.

Denna kvalitativa studie behandlar invandrarungdomars upplevelser av integration i det svenska samhället. För att uppfylla studiens syfte har 10 invandrarungdomar födda i ett utomeuropeiskt land intervjuats. De frågeställningar som varit till grund för studien är vilka erfarenheter har ungdomarna av att integreras i det svenska samhället, vad underlättar integration och vad kan vara hinder för integration? Respondenterna belyser samtliga fyra teman som har lyfts fram i studien, dessa teman är umgängeskrets, utanförskap, förutsättningar och hinder för en bra integration. Det framkommer att samtliga av respondenterna enbart umgås med andra ungdomar med invandrarbakgrund, detta främst för att de känner en större samhörighet med invandrarungdomarna men även också för att de ”förstår” varandra bättre. Invandrarungdomarna belyser även segregation som en orsak till att de bara umgås med invandrarungdomar. Boendesegregationen är den mest påtaliga typen av segregation, de svenskfödda ungdomarna bor inte i närheten av det invandrartäta området, vilket leder till att invandrarungdomarna hellre umgås med invandrarna inom bostadsområdet. / This qualitative study deals with immigrant adolescents’ experiences of integration in the Swedish society. To meet the study’s end, ten young immigrants born in an overseas country were interviewed. The issues which stand for the basis in this study are the experiences young people have to be integrated in the Swedish society, what facilitates the integration and what could be barriers to integration? The four themes that were highlighted in this study are social circle, alienation, conditions and obstacles to a good integration. It appears that all of the respondents only socialize with other young people with an immigrant background, this is mainly because they feel a greater sense of belonging to immigrant youth as well also because they “understand” each other better. Immigrant youth also highlights segregation as a cause that they only associate with immigrant youth. Accommodation segregation is the most manifest type of segregation; the Swedish born youth do not live near the immigrant dense area, which leads to the fact that immigrant youth rather spend time with immigrants in their neighborhood.

Abstract Female immigrants from China and south-east Asia who migrate to Taiwan through marriage has showed significant percentage increases in the population of Taiwan. The majority are married to those who are relatively low-educated and in financial difficulties in Taiwan, so the marriage is often thought to be an exchange of money. As the result, among the mass media, it is commonly seen that they are unfairly treated when reported by the mass media in Taiwan. Owing to a closer attention of the public on the race issues in recent years, the government is actively legislating to ensure the legal rights for the immigrants in Taiwan. Regulated by law, in some researches, the mass media are also found to present a positive image of the female immigrants in their reports. Considering the time and environment differences, this research mainly focuses on the image changing of the female immigrants in Taiwan among the mass media and the social exclusion they have caused. This research takes Content Analysis as the study method to have the complete knowledge of the related news of the female immigrants from China Times, The Liberty Times in, and Apple Daily in the last three years (2008~2011). The following are the issues discussed in this research: 1. How does print media describe female immigrants? 2. What is the image construction of female immigrants in print media? 3. What is the relation between social exclusion and image construction of female immigrants in print media? In this research, it is found that the image construction of the female immigrants in Taiwan by the newspaper is still presented negatively in most cases. The report direction, topic and image are still giving a negative message on the image construction of the female immigrants in Taiwan. In these reports, they are considered as the belongings of men and the underprivileged minority with low socioeconomic status and suffer from the racial discrimination. In addition, by the cultural exclusion, the female immigrants in Taiwan are excluded from the social system. Although the government are legislating the civil rights to reduce the exclusion, due to the unfavorable image on the media and the amendments of the policies waiting to be approved, it still can¡¦t prevent the female immigrants from being excluded culturally, legally, and even economically. Key words: female immigrants in Taiwan, social construction, social exclusion, content analysis, media image construction.

This thesis begins with the economic globalization, and uses secondary data analysis to explore the labor structural change and employment conditions in Taiwan under globalization. Then, using the social exclusion theory, through qualitative in-depth interview methods, this study explores the unemployment and re-employment experiences of the long-term unemployed and the marginally employed, as well as the economic, psychological, and social network exclusion in the process of employment to unemployment. This study also discusses the roles of government employment policies, familial and social relationship networks. Finally, policy suggestions are proposed according to related research discoveries. The study finds that: first, in terms of unemployment and re-employment experience, most laborers regard unemployment with a passive and external attribution attitude; this negatively influences emotions, interpersonal relationships, and later re-employment. While unable to return to the original career, unemployed laborers develop different life choices. Those who return to the labor market the earliest return because they succumb to economic pressure, becoming marginal workers who are willing to do any work, and the other kind are those who are continuously accumulate capital and convert it into employment resource; these are the active workers. On the other hand, there are two types of people who remain unemployed. One is the type that becomes waiting unemployed because they are unwilling to budge on employment conditions, and the other is the type that is limited by their own employment abilities and become helplessly unemployed. Additionally, unemployed people with different identities also have different life choices at their inability to return to their original careers. Secondly, from labor market exclusion to social exclusion: 1.Labor market exclusion and economic exclusion: unemployment results in decreased income, which further impairs daily living needs, basic medical care, and educational services, as well as stops one from participating in entertainment and leisure activities; these impact basic life opportunities and makes one feel more and more exclusion. 2. Labor market exclusion and psychological exclusion: emotional changes during unemployment are primarily affected by decreased income, but it is also affected by personal expectations of future re-employment. For the involuntarily unemployed, they feel a greater sense of lack of control and impotence over their lives. 3. Labor market exclusion and social relationship exclusion: as a result of lack of self esteem or economic considerations, the unemployed have significantly less social interaction, in a singularized network structure, which would provide relatively smaller economic or re-employment support. 4. Social networks have a positive influence on alleviating the multifaceted exclusion caused by unemployment, but the majority of unemployment laborers have significantly insufficient social network functions. Those who are unemployed with weak formal and informal social networks would fall into social exclusion, have a bleak outlook on the future and believe that there is no chance to extricate oneself from the various unfavorable situations caused by unemployment. ¡@¡@The end of the thesis also discusses some related issues, such as the unemployment issue (unemployment conceptualization? Who are the unemployed? Work or retire?), social exclusion issues (applicability of social exclusion theories? what is the role of the country in labor market exclusion? Does the employment policy cause social cohesion or social exclusion?), social structures, and individual action interactions. Finally, from labor market intervention, construction to social network, and proposes related policy suggestions to reverse social exclusion.

In this thesis, the aim is to understand social exclusion of urban youth living in Altindag, one of the most disadvantaged districts of Ankara. In this study, social exclusion is accepted as a process of long term non-participation in the economic, civic, and social spheres which integrate the society in which an individual lives. Therefore, the definition of social exclusion centered on the notion of &lsquo / lack of integration&rsquo / is accepted as a background of the study. In this respect, social exclusion is accepted as an endpoint in a irreversible process of being placed in the margins of society. Furthermore, this thesis attempted to identify the dimensions and levels which can cause entry or exit from these processes and to understand how the multiple and cumulative disadvantage shapes experiences and feelings of young people in most disadvantaged conditions in order to be able to argue how closely do the experiences of the youth described in this study connect with popular and influential discussions of social exclusion. Also the consequences of social exclusion for young people living in Altindag are analysed. Hence, the social exclusion of youth living in Altindag is analyzed on the basis of three dimensions which are education, labour market, and social capital. Furthermore, in each dimension structural, local and individuals levels are also examined. Some major conclusions of the research are that there is not one single and uniform experience of social exclusion among young people / that a context of social exclusion does not generate just one way of getting by for young people / that exclusionary process can be experienced as a &ldquo / vicious circle&rdquo / or as a &ldquo / spiral of disadvantage&rdquo / that social exclusion has a multi-dimensional character / and that family and community support is important for not being excluded economically and socially, but it also can create to dimension of exclusion when such support systems are the only support mechanisms of the disadvantaged youth.

The aim of this study is to find some indications about social exclusion in some neighbourhoods in Ankara. Social exclusion has increasingly gained importance as a concept in contemporary social sciences. To attain this aim, firstly, a theoretical framework, through which theories of the concept of social exclusion, main dynamics and differences of this concept from the concept of poverty were discussed. Secondly, a field work was carried out in some squatter settlements in Ankara known as &ldquo / poor&rdquo / , to see whether there is social exclusion perceived and lived, by analysing recent immigrants&rsquo / daily life experiences of urban poverty and social exclusion. In this study, a qualitative approach formed the basis and in-depth interview were collected. The in-depth interviews were realized with 8 men, as heads of households, and 7 women, as spouses of heads of households, living in squatter settlements in Ankara in February and March 2007. All interviews were recorded and transcribed for the analysis Since De Haan&rsquo / s (1998) theory of social exclusion shaped the theoretical fame, his methodology and operationalization of social exclusion&rsquo / s multi-dimensionality were adapted in an attempt to identify experiences and &ldquo / examples&rdquo / of excluded and processes forming their exclusions. In conclusion, two main indicators&rsquo / , gender and ethnicity, impacts on the respondents&rsquo / experiences and perceptions of social exclusion appeared as follows: Gender has not appeared as a striking indicator that makes women perceive themselves as excluded. The reason for this has to be seen in the fact that do not have had any serious experiences of social exclusion. They did not mention any conditions of exclusion in terms of economic, social, cultural and political participation in the society that would lead to the experience of exclusion or to a perception of themselves as excluded. The recent women migrants interviewed have a very limited social interaction and direct participation in the social and local life. A reason might be seen in the existing patriarchal system still controlling gender roles in general and a lack of trust of the interviewed women migrants towards their social environment. Ethnicity, however, as an indicator has more determining effects on the respondents&rsquo / experiences of exclusion and on their perception of being excluded. Forcibly migrated Kurdish respondents&rsquo / experiences after migration to Ankara indicate that, their ethnic identity is a dynamic factor since: first, it results in exclusion from economic and social domains of life, though it does not make them be the &ldquo / poorest&rdquo / second, it makes them perceive themselves as excluded from these domains. Thus, at the last stage, it leads them into a kind of &ldquo / isolation&rdquo / from society, as response to exclusive attitudes of the society. In reaction they form ethnic based &ldquo / semi-isolated communities&rdquo / which can be described as: strong ethnic and familial/kinship-ties determining their social, cultural, economic life and also their geographical living spaces.