Swedish schools start teaching English in second grade. Also, many children in Sweden practicea lot of English in their spare time, for example by watching films, or by playing computergames. During the last few years, Sweden has accepted many refugees from countries whereEnglish doesn’t play such a dominant role. By talking to refugee high-school students and theirparents, and asking them about their attitudes towards English as a language and as a subjecttaught in school, this study aims to make it easier for English teachers in Sweden to understandthe perspective of foreign-born students. The study is based on interviews and surveys withSomali- and Arabic-speaking students and parents, conducted in collaboration with Somali- andArabic-speaking translators. This group of students has a completely different starting point thanSwedish students, since they start learning English as a foreign language at the same time as theystart learning Swedish, and have a home language that is from a different language group. Themethod of research used has been focus group interviews with students, individual, structuredinterviews with parents, as well as surveys with students. Results show that students and parentswho participated think it’s important to learn English, that they don’t think it’s a particularlydifficult language, but that they need more time to practice, in school, and in their spare time. / <p>Engelska</p>

This diploma work "Participation of UN in humanitarian crisis caused by armed conflict, focused on humanitarian intervention" devotes to problems with using humanitarian intervention as one of the most controversial measures, that were reaction to humanitarian crisis, caused by armed conflicts. It focuses on humanitarian intervention of first half of 90's, when this concept was stigmatised by unsuccessful solutions to armed conflicts in Rwanda and Somalia. It tries to reveal fouls, which UN committed in these conflicts and maps out the pretences at balancing with these fouls and taking instruction to the future. Furthermore it devotes to questions which using concept of humanitarian intervention stired up and new concept Responsiblity to protect is also gone with the same questions. This work maps out measures of UN, which are using in case of armed conflicts and shift of opinion from the term humanitarian intervention to concept Responsibility to protect, which implemention is stiring up lively discussion. Nevertheless this concept was unanimously voted by all member countries in Summit OSN 2005. Efforts of international security and peace with be ever actual issue a this issue should be at front of all people's interest.

This thesis is a case-study on bilingualism and biculturalism from Somalian perspectives. The aim of the present study is to explore raising bilingual and bicultural children in Sweden from parents’ views. It focuses on three questions: 1. What are the parental policies and strategies used to maintain one’s heritage language and culture, as well as to integrate into the society of a host country by learning its language and culture?; 2. How do parents think that their choices of upbringing might shape the everyday life of children?; and 3. What challenges do parents encounter when raising bilingual and bicultural children?. Qualitative data was collected based on individual in-depth interviews with six Somali parents living in Sweden, each parent having at least one child between the age of three and thirteen years old. A thematic analysis has been applied to the collected material. The findings of the present study show that, based on the parents’ viewpoints, maintaining the language entails preserving the cultural identity. This perspective-based study also found that heritage language maintenance is a collective task between all family members when looking at parent-child interactions, and children are active agents who can negotiate language choice and use at familial settings. Parents believe that successful bilingualism is crucial for their children’s everyday lives in terms of family and community ties, understanding different people and cultures, career prospects, to name a few while, children with insufficient knowledge of heritage language are bullied and isolated within the same ethnic group. However, the study findings suggest further investigation on how gender ideologies correlate with heritage language maintenance.

Information on livestock operations, particularly what kind of livestock operations are practiced in the Somali central rangelands, and how these operations differ for different herders in different vegetation types and farming systems, could serve as a major tool in making management decisions. This study provides a detailed description of range livestock operations in the Somali Central Rangelands. It also answers some important management questions. Range livestock operations were inventoried through personal interviews with the owners and herders. Data are supplemented by previous nation-wide and regional survey statistics. Herd productivity data which include herd structures, age, age-related sales, slaughters, gifts, and Zakat (religious payment) was derived from the herd recording survey. The results indicate the need for long term data to serve as a base for decisions concerning range and livestock development.

No description available.

The neighborhoods of Eastleigh in Nairobi, Kenya and Rinkeby in Stockholm, Sweden are both home to Somali populations that have burgeoned over the last 25 years. While situated in vastly different urban contexts, the Somali communities in each location have needs related to public space, particularly when considering their status in both places as a minority group that is often marginalized by Kenyan and Swedish societies. By examining the experiences of each of these two communities in public space and the level of publicness they experience, we can see how the Somali community can be made to feel included or excluded within each city. Using Setha Low’s framework of categorical activities that contribute to a flourishing society, the publicness of spaces in each location is investigated. In addition, the study explores the ways in which publicness is under threat in both places through the means of technologies of control. The resistance to such technologies is argued as symbolic of the fight for inclusion within Kenyan and Swedish society.

Syftet med vår studie är att undersöka modersmålslärares strategier för att välja läromedel samt motiven som ligger till grund för dessa val på deras modersmålsundervisning i somaliska och arabiska.Studien bygger på ett sociokulturellt perspektiv och ramverk som betonar att elever lär sig i samspel med andra människor, med hjälp av fysiska och intellektuella språkliga redskap liksom läromedel.Denna studie använde en kvalitativ forskningsmetod för att genomföra tio intervjuer med tio modersmålslärare från tre olika kommuner. Nio av intervjuerna genomfördes på plats, medan den tionde genomfördes via Zoom.Studiens empiriska resultat presenteras utifrån lärarnas upplevelser om läromedelsval, och analyseras utifrån olika teoretiska perspektiv.Resultatet har visat att elevernas språknivå och inlärningsbehov vara av yttersta betydelse när de modersmålslärarna väljer läromedel. Resultatet har också visat att läraren strävar efter att hitta läromedel som ofta stämmer överens med Skolverkets läroplan, även om att det är omöjligt att hitta läromedel som täcker hela delar i centrala innehållet i ämnet modersmål.Resultat har även visat att tillgänglighet och ekonomi är två avgörande faktorer som styr skolors inköp av läromedel. / The purpose of our study is to investigate mother tongue teachers' strategies for selecting teaching materials and the motivations underlying these choices in their mother tongue instruction in Somali and Arabic. The study is based on a sociocultural perspective and a framework that emphasizes that students learn in interaction with others, using physical and intellectual linguistic tools as well as teaching materials. This study employed a qualitative research method, conducting ten interviews with mother tongue teachers from three different municipalities. Nine of the interviews were conducted in person, while the tenth was carried out via Zoom. The empirical results of the study are presented based on the teachers' experiences with the selection of teaching materials and analyzed from various theoretical perspectives. The results have shown that students' language proficiency and learning needs are of utmost importance when mother tongue teachers choose teaching materials. The results have also indicated that teachers strive to find teaching materials that align with the Swedish National Agency for Education's curriculum, even though it is impossible to find materials that cover all aspects of the central content in the subject of mother tongue. Furthermore, the results have shown that accessibility and economics are two crucial factors influencing schools' procurement of teaching materials.

This study explores the experiences of first-generation Somali immigrants working for Swedish political parties, shedding light on their challenges, opportunities, and contributions to the political sector. Through a qualitative case study approach, five semi-structured interviews were conducted. Tajfel and Turner's (1979) social identity theory and Crenshaw's (1989) intersectionality theory guided the study. The study revealed the significant barriers to entry that the participants face, including cultural and language barriers, prejudice and discrimination, and a lack of social and political networks. In addition, the study found that while the participants experienced exclusivity and resistance within the party, they also reported experiencing opportunities for political engagement, including support from fellow party members and advancement. Moreover, the findings suggest that political parties can play a crucial role in promoting immigrant political integration by providing opportunities for community engagement, training, and mentorship. However, the findings also highlight the need for more inclusive and culturally responsive policies and practices within political parties to better support the political participation and representation of immigrant politicians in political parties. This study adds to the literature by enhancing our understanding of the challenges of immigrant political integration.

This thesis describes studies on the analysis of arsenic (As) in human biological samples, mainly urine but also hair and fingernails using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS). The relationship between ethnicity and arsenic metabolism was investigated for the first time for a population in the United Kingdom. This investigation has been carried out through comparative analysis of arsenic in human urine, hair and fingernails in volunteers from three different ethnic groups (Whites, Asians and Somali Black-Africans) who are only exposed to background levels of arsenic. Results obtained with 63 volunteers showed ethnic differences in urinary arsenic excretion as well as differences in arsenic levels in fingernail samples. The averages of total arsenic levels for the Somali Black-Africans (urine 7.2 µg/g creatinine; fingernails 723 µg/kg) are significantly (P< 0.05) different from both the Asians (urine 20.6 µg/g creatinine; fingernails 153.9 µg/kg) and Whites (urine 24.5 µg/g creatinine; fingernails 177.0 µg/kg). The Somali group also shows a higher percentage (50%) of dimethylarsinate (DMA) and a lower percentage (48%) of arsenobetaine (AB), compared to Asians (16% DMA and 83% AB) and Whites (22% DMA and 77% AB). The effect of fasting on urinary arsenic species distribution was also investigated by monitoring urine samples from 29 Ramadan fasting volunteers, with each volunteer providing a sample at the beginning (RF1) and at the end (RF2) of an approximately 12 hours fast. The results obtained showed the frequency of MA detection for RF2 was 12 and 2-fold higher than for the non-fasting and RF1 groups, respectively. This suggests fasting may alter the pattern of arsenic metabolism and excretion. However, there was no significant difference (P> 0.05) in the average of total level of arsenic for RF1 (18.3 µg/g creatinine) and RF2 (17.7 µg/g creatinine). A relationship between excretion of arsenic and selenium in individuals exposed to background levels of arsenic and selenium was investigated through analysis of urine samples from 93 volunteers from Leicester, UK. A positive correlation between arsenic and selenium was found and the As:Se ratio was 0.7 ± 0.4. The intra-individual variation of As:Se ratio does not alter significantly over time, as determined by monitoring urine samples from a volunteer over a period of one year. Furthermore, within a single day, with urine samples collected at the beginning and after a 12-hour fast, the As:Se ratio was found to be similar (0.7 ± 0.5). These findings suggest a close relationship between these two metalloids, the biological significance of which needs to be explored in the future.

This thesis describes the phenomenon of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Northeastern Africa, focusing on Egypt, Somalia and the Sudan. The core of the thesis lies in literary reflections of this practice and analysis of literary works tackling this subject. Presenting a wide range of literary works on the subject, this thesis aims at classifying and comparing them, with a special emphasis on the works of Nawal el Saadawi and Nuruddin Farah. The thesis also presents a summary of current local and international laws on FGM as well as a list of organisations dealing with FGM. It also briefly describes the religious background of FGM and current situation in Egypt and the Sudan.