This work investigates teachers' perspectives on their responsibilities and conditions for conducting crime prevention work in Swedish schools located in socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Due to unclear guidelines regarding the teachers' role in crime prevention, the study focuses on how teachers perceive and approach these tasks. Using a qualitative research approach based on semi-structured interviews with five teachers, in three different school, the study explores the challenges and opportunities teachers face in this work. The collected empirical material was analyzed through thematic analysis and interpreted using relevant theories, such as Social band theory. The study's findings show that despite uncertainty about their defined responsibilities, teachers take an active role and see crime prevention work as an integral part of their professional role. The conclusions emphasize that teachers' ability to work crime-preventively is strongly influenced by challenges at both the individual and societal level, including high crime rates, limited future prospects, social traumas, and stigmatization. Furthermore, the study highlights that effective crime prevention strategies largely involve building strong relationships with students and creating motivation and meaningfulness in their studies to reduce the risk of deviant behaviors.

Successful recruitment and engagement of participants is essential for large-scale dissemination and implementation efforts, yet it is especially challenging in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. This mixed-methods study is a secondary analysis of a behavioral intervention targeting Appalachian adults, and examines the effect of enrolling with others versus enrolling alone in regards to reach, engagement, retention, and behavior change, as well as perceived barriers to program participation. Further, this study explores how engagement, retention, and behavior change are influenced by social networks. Contrary to our hypothesis, using an 'enrolling with others' recruitment strategy did not improve reach, engagement, retention, or behavior change; rather, enrolling alone was associated with greater significant differences in engagement in classes (p=.042), missed class calls (p=.005), total activities (p=.001), and retention (p<.001). Qualitative responses reveal barriers to engagement by both groups of participants. Network density scores had a significant impact on participant engagement in classes (p=.001), total activities (p=.024), and retention (p<.001), and qualitative responses identified the participant's relationship to other participants had a positive impact on their enrollment and behavior change in SIPsmartER. However, these findings are limited by the small sample size and high enrollment of a worksite with a high network density and high engagement. The findings and limitations paired with the enrolling with others and social network literature suggest the need for exploration with a larger study population to better understand the impact on reach, engagement, retention, and behavior change in behavioral interventions targeting individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. / Master of Science / Successful recruitment and engagement of participants is essential for large-scale dissemination and implementation, yet it is especially challenging in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. This mixed-methods study is a secondary analysis of a behavioral intervention targeting Appalachian adults, and examines the effect of enrolling with others (i.e., referring an individual to join) versus enrolling alone in regards to reach, engagement, retention, and behavior change, as well as participants’ perceived barriers to participation. Further, this study explores how these characteristics are influenced by participants’ social networks. Contrary to our hypothesis, enrolling with others did not improve reach, engagement, retention, or behavior change; rather, enrolling alone was associated with greater engagement in classes, missed class calls, total activities, and retention. However, participants who enrolled with others and enrolled alone identified various barriers impacting their engagement. A greater proportion of relationships within participants’ SIPsmartER social networks (i.e., participants with higher network densities) was associated with greater engagement in classes, total activities, and retention, and participants identified their relationships with other participants had a positive impact on their enrollment and behavior change. However, these findings are limited by the small sample size of the study population and the large enrollment of a worksite with a high density and high engagement. The findings and limitations paired with the enrolling with others and social network literature suggest the need for exploration with a larger study population to better understand the impact on reach, engagement, retention, and behavior change in behavioral interventions targeting individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.

Access to oral health care remains problematic for millions of Americans. Factors such as socioeconomic status, age, race, and lack of dental insurance benefits inhibit the ability of many to obtain preventative oral health care. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of preventive oral health treatment and education at reduced-fee dental hygiene facilities on the oral health behaviors and perceptions of socioeconomically deprived persons within the state of Georgia. This study was based on the health belief model constructs. A convenience sample of 102 participants was recruited from the individuals who visited two dental hygiene colleges to seek treatment for the first time. The independent variable was the receipt of reduced-fee dental hygiene treatment/education. The dependent variables were the oral health perceptions and behaviors of socioeconomically deprived persons, as well as the perceptions and behaviors of patients provided with a referral for follow-up treatment with a dentist. Mediating variables were sex, age, race, and socioeconomic status. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test and logistic regression were applied to detect potential differences in the dependent variables before and after treatment. The most significant changes were found in categories dealing with self-efficacy measures that patients could take to improve their own oral health. Also, the oral health behaviors and perceptions of younger, African-American of low educational and financial background were significantly more improved after treatment. The social change implication of this research may be that oral health practitioners can use these results to create preventative interventions more tailored for socioeconomically deprived persons who face complicated oral health issues.

A descentralização da gestão pública é uma estratégia para o desenvolvimento regional em busca de melhorias à sociedade. No entanto é na Constituição de 1988 que no Brasil são previstas várias práticas de políticas públicas na relação das esferas governamentais juntamente com os seus cidadãos. Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo verificar as diferenças regionais das regiões dos COREDES e as politicas públicas aplicadas para minimizá-las. Foi realizado um levantamento de dados socioeconômicos dos COREDES apontando a situação atual dos mesmos. A pesquisa desenvolveu um modelo com o cruzamento da despesa per capita e do IDESE de cada região permitindo a classificação em terço: baixo, médio e alto. A pesquisa revelou que o estado apresenta uma situação de melhorias ao longo do tempo com tendência de minimizar as desigualdades que existe entre as regiões. Com o método desenvolvido se defende que a distribuição dos recursos públicos regionalizada seja de acordo com as necessidades de cada região, ou seja, quem possui um IDESE alto deveria ganhar menos recursos em prol das regiões que possuem um IDESE mais baixo tirando das mais ricas favorecendo as mais pobres. Isso demonstra que a política deve ser melhorada e adaptada as necessidades de cada região porque a função do estado é promover o desenvolvimento regional minimizando as diferenças. Além disso, os agentes de desenvolvimento são preponderantes para o sucesso ou não de planos e ações governamentais às regiões dos COREDES. / This job has as the mainly purpose to search about the decentralization of the public managements as a strategy for the regional development persuading improvements to the society. However, since the 1988’s Brazilian Constitution, that in Brazil, several public policies related to the government and with its citizens are planned.This research aimed to examine the regional differences in the COREDES’ regions and the public policies implemented to minimize them. A socioeconomic survey about the COREDES’ datas pointed their current situation. The research developed a model with cross spending individually in each region and the IDESE allowing the classification in three ones: low, medium and high. The research revealed that the state has an improvement situation, tending to minimize the inequalities that exist between regions. With the developed, it is possible to argue that the distribution of the public resources regionalized according to the needs of each regions that have high IDESE should receive fewer resources from the regions that have a lower IDESE taking off the richest favoring the poorest. This demonstrates that the policies should be improved and adapted to the needs of each region because the state function is to promote a regional development minimizing differences. Furthermore the development agents are crucial to the success or the failure of the plans and government actions for the COREDES’ regions.

A descentralização da gestão pública é uma estratégia para o desenvolvimento regional em busca de melhorias à sociedade. No entanto é na Constituição de 1988 que no Brasil são previstas várias práticas de políticas públicas na relação das esferas governamentais juntamente com os seus cidadãos. Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo verificar as diferenças regionais das regiões dos COREDES e as politicas públicas aplicadas para minimizá-las. Foi realizado um levantamento de dados socioeconômicos dos COREDES apontando a situação atual dos mesmos. A pesquisa desenvolveu um modelo com o cruzamento da despesa per capita e do IDESE de cada região permitindo a classificação em terço: baixo, médio e alto. A pesquisa revelou que o estado apresenta uma situação de melhorias ao longo do tempo com tendência de minimizar as desigualdades que existe entre as regiões. Com o método desenvolvido se defende que a distribuição dos recursos públicos regionalizada seja de acordo com as necessidades de cada região, ou seja, quem possui um IDESE alto deveria ganhar menos recursos em prol das regiões que possuem um IDESE mais baixo tirando das mais ricas favorecendo as mais pobres. Isso demonstra que a política deve ser melhorada e adaptada as necessidades de cada região porque a função do estado é promover o desenvolvimento regional minimizando as diferenças. Além disso, os agentes de desenvolvimento são preponderantes para o sucesso ou não de planos e ações governamentais às regiões dos COREDES. / This job has as the mainly purpose to search about the decentralization of the public managements as a strategy for the regional development persuading improvements to the society. However, since the 1988’s Brazilian Constitution, that in Brazil, several public policies related to the government and with its citizens are planned.This research aimed to examine the regional differences in the COREDES’ regions and the public policies implemented to minimize them. A socioeconomic survey about the COREDES’ datas pointed their current situation. The research developed a model with cross spending individually in each region and the IDESE allowing the classification in three ones: low, medium and high. The research revealed that the state has an improvement situation, tending to minimize the inequalities that exist between regions. With the developed, it is possible to argue that the distribution of the public resources regionalized according to the needs of each regions that have high IDESE should receive fewer resources from the regions that have a lower IDESE taking off the richest favoring the poorest. This demonstrates that the policies should be improved and adapted to the needs of each region because the state function is to promote a regional development minimizing differences. Furthermore the development agents are crucial to the success or the failure of the plans and government actions for the COREDES’ regions.

A descentralização da gestão pública é uma estratégia para o desenvolvimento regional em busca de melhorias à sociedade. No entanto é na Constituição de 1988 que no Brasil são previstas várias práticas de políticas públicas na relação das esferas governamentais juntamente com os seus cidadãos. Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo verificar as diferenças regionais das regiões dos COREDES e as politicas públicas aplicadas para minimizá-las. Foi realizado um levantamento de dados socioeconômicos dos COREDES apontando a situação atual dos mesmos. A pesquisa desenvolveu um modelo com o cruzamento da despesa per capita e do IDESE de cada região permitindo a classificação em terço: baixo, médio e alto. A pesquisa revelou que o estado apresenta uma situação de melhorias ao longo do tempo com tendência de minimizar as desigualdades que existe entre as regiões. Com o método desenvolvido se defende que a distribuição dos recursos públicos regionalizada seja de acordo com as necessidades de cada região, ou seja, quem possui um IDESE alto deveria ganhar menos recursos em prol das regiões que possuem um IDESE mais baixo tirando das mais ricas favorecendo as mais pobres. Isso demonstra que a política deve ser melhorada e adaptada as necessidades de cada região porque a função do estado é promover o desenvolvimento regional minimizando as diferenças. Além disso, os agentes de desenvolvimento são preponderantes para o sucesso ou não de planos e ações governamentais às regiões dos COREDES. / This job has as the mainly purpose to search about the decentralization of the public managements as a strategy for the regional development persuading improvements to the society. However, since the 1988’s Brazilian Constitution, that in Brazil, several public policies related to the government and with its citizens are planned.This research aimed to examine the regional differences in the COREDES’ regions and the public policies implemented to minimize them. A socioeconomic survey about the COREDES’ datas pointed their current situation. The research developed a model with cross spending individually in each region and the IDESE allowing the classification in three ones: low, medium and high. The research revealed that the state has an improvement situation, tending to minimize the inequalities that exist between regions. With the developed, it is possible to argue that the distribution of the public resources regionalized according to the needs of each regions that have high IDESE should receive fewer resources from the regions that have a lower IDESE taking off the richest favoring the poorest. This demonstrates that the policies should be improved and adapted to the needs of each region because the state function is to promote a regional development minimizing differences. Furthermore the development agents are crucial to the success or the failure of the plans and government actions for the COREDES’ regions.

Uppsatsens syfte var att undersöka unga kvinnors syn på faktorer till välbefinnande och jämföra synen med självskattad KASAM. Åtta unga kvinnor från ett särskilt utsatt område deltog i kvalitativa intervjuer och svarade på ett KASAM-13 frågeformulär. Empirin från dessa analyserades utifrån teorierna salutogenes och systemteori. Resultatet visade på att de unga kvinnorna hade en medvetenhet om vilka faktorer i det särskilt utsatta området som var viktiga för deras välmående. De viktigaste identifierade faktorerna till välbefinnande var relationer, känslan av gemenskap, naturen och vikten av det egna ansvaret. Resultatet från KASAM-13 frågeformuläret var spritt, då tre intervjupersoner låg under det svenska medelvärdet, två intervjupersoner låg nära det svenska medelvärdet och tre intervjupersoner låg över det svenska medelvärdet. Studien visade inte på några entydiga resultat om hur synen på faktorer till välbefinnande och självskattad KASAM påverkar varandra. / The purpose of this study was to explore young women’s perception of factors of wellbeing and compare this perception to their SOC. Eight young women from a socioeconomically vulnerable area participated in interviews and answered a SOC-13 questionnaire. The empirical material was analysed with the Salutogenesis theory and the Systems theory. The results showed that the young women were aware of which factors in the socioeconomically vulnerable area were important for their wellbeing, which were: relationships, sense of companionship, nature and their own responsibility. The results from the SOC-13 questionnaire were mixed, three of the participants were below the Swedish average, two participants were near the Swedish average and three participants were above Swedish average. The study does not show any clear results on how the perception of factors of wellbeing and SOC-13 affects each other.

Abstract This study aims to carefully and thoroughly examine how private housing companies in Malmö consciously work towards promoting sustainability within areas facing socio-economic challenges. To gain an in-depth understanding of this subject, a qualitative research methodology was used, collecting empirical data through interviews with representatives from four prominent private property companies in the region. The study was analyzed and evaluated using a theoretical framework thoughtfully designed to encompass the comprehensive aspects of sustainability: social, environmental, and economic. This provided an opportunity to study how these companies actively contribute to and promote sustainability within these specific domains.   The results of the investigation reveal a clear and significant insight - private housing companies in Malmö prioritize ensuring economic sustainability as their primary objective, primarily seeking to maximize returns on their investments. It is evident that the economic dimension dominates the decision-making process and guides the investment strategies of these companies. Social and environmental sustainability receive less attention and are not given the same priority as economic profit. This challenges the overarching goal set forth in Agenda 2030 to provide affordable housing for all, where social and environmental considerations are fundamental components.

<p>Socioeconomic inequality unduly impacts the pathways of socioeconomically disadvantaged students (SDS) in engineering. Past and present scholarship suggests that inequitable access to physical and interpersonal resources inhibits K-16+ students' ability to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) meaningfully. This lack of access negatively impacts SDS' pursuit of, and success in, engineering. Thus far, quantitative studies seeking to understand SDS' trajectories to and through engineering have used income as a proxy for socioeconomic disadvantage. However, such measures are not theoretically positioned to accurately depict or account for the complex sociological processes that lead to, or result from, socioeconomic inequality. Furthermore, such measures do not account for parallel inequalities such as racism, sexism, and classism that exist, influence, and are influenced by it. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to 1) develop a more sociologically accurate measure of socioeconomic inequality, 2) to use that measure to identify the impacts of such inequality on SDS' pathways to and through engineering, and finally, 3) to explore the narrative experiences of SDS when accounting for a more accurate depiction. Using a Critical Realist Feminist approach to structural equation modeling, restricted data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) as well as other supplemental data were used to construct and test a more complex and representative measure of socioeconomic disadvantage, the Model of Socioeconomic Inequality (Study 1). Study 2 used this model to examine how aspects predicting important engineering student outcomes. Neighborhood location and conditions, level of Parent Educational Involvement, and availability of Household Educational Resources negatively impact SDS' opportunities to engage and succeed in engineering and college more broadly. Furthermore, the model suggested that such interactions are uniquely mediated by the intersectional inequalities experienced by SDS and their families. Finally, a rich narrative of one student, Samantha, is included to better understand the lived experiences of SDS amongst their pathways to and through engineering. Samantha was a Queer Asian American female SDS graduating from Computer Science Engineering who has low scores on Parent Educational Involvement and Household Educational Resources. Samantha's narrative shows the important role that the factors identified in the Model of Socioeconomic Inequality had in her experiences. Specifically, Samantha had little access to Parent Educational Involvement and Household Educational Resources from her parents. Rather, these forms of support came from what she referred to as her ``chosen family,'' a group of professors, co-workers, friends, and others who viewed and supported her identity authentically and provided her physical resources when she needed them. Access to this group and the resources they provided supported Samantha's belonging and her ability to succeed in engineering. However, Samantha's narrative also uncovered findings not included in the Model of Socioeconomic Inequality. Specifically, Samantha's narrative suggested she had experienced significant, long-term traumas that were both related and unrelated to her socioeconomic experiences. These traumas negatively impacted Samantha's feelings of belonging and caused her to question her place in engineering, but they were partially mitigated by the support of her chosen family. This three-study dissertation challenges current engineering education thinking regarding the knowledge and study of socioeconomics, trauma, and Intersectionality more broadly. It also challenges engineering education researchers and practitioners to question the current methods of how they support SDS in a multitude of spaces.</p>

Crime prevention and safety measures in socio-economically vulnerable areas are important incentives for creating a socially sustainable city. The topic has been debated in Sweden, and to address the challenges, a new law in Sweden will come into force on June 1, 2023, giving Swedish municipalities greater responsibility for crime prevention. Previous research indicates that crime prevention and safety promotion can be categorized based on physical and social efforts. These efforts are partly about creating better social cohesion between people and partly about changing the physical environment to make it more difficult for people to commit crimes. The master thesis aimed to study crime prevention and safety promotion measures in two socio-economically vulnerable areas in Sweden to find out how the work can be developed through the theories of social sustainability, social disorganization theory, and collective efficacy. The results indicate that both neighborhoods work with social and physical measures, but that their circumstances are different. This is because crime statistics indicate that Gottsunda has significantly more crime rates than Klockaretorpet. Finally, the results show that it is important to implement both social and physical measures in socio-economically vulnerable areas. The study was conducted through qualitative interviews with planners, police, property owners, and one social sustainability consultant. A document analysis of policy documents has also been conducted. Furthermore, crime statistics from the police have been analyzed to visualize the number of reported crimes in the neighborhoods