I investigate, using the R package spaMM, the effect of misspecification of the smoothing parameter, Q, of the Matern covariance structure on the mean part of hierarchical generalised linear models (HGLMs) with spatially correlated Gaussian Matern random effects. In particular, by restricting Q to the set {0.5, 1.5, 2.5} I examine via a simulation study the amount of bias introduced on the fixed effects estimates in which the data used to fit the model was generated with different values to the aforementioned set. The effect of misspecification was found to be minimal. By restricting the smoothing parameter, Q, to the set {0.5, 1.5, 2.5} I utilise the R package hglm, to develop a procedure (MaternHGLM) for fitting spatial Matern HGLMs. In particular, I constructed a hierarchical likelihood (h-likelihood) function with given correlation parameters which thus enabled me to Choleski decompose the Matern covariance matrix and utilise hglm to estimate fixed and random effects along with dispersion parameters. Using the above estimated parameters I then formed an adjusted profile h-likelihood for the estimation of the Matern scaling parameter, U, using the Newton-Raphson procedure. Simulation studies were carried out to assess the computational efficiency of MaternHGLM compared to spaMM. I found that, on average, MaternHGLM was 136% faster than spaMM. I also analysed two real world datasets using both spaMM and MaternHGLM. By fixing Q at the most appropriate value from the set {0.5, 1.5, 2.5} I examined to what extent, if any, did the conclusions drawn differ from those in the original study. I found that in general the conclusions were the same, however, on one of the datasets spaMM’s conclusion didn’t align at all with the original analysis even with Q estimated from the data.

This thesis examines the translation of cultural-specific elements known as realia from Swedish to Italian based on the theoretical framework of translation studies. Realia, often without correspondence in the target language and sometimes difficult to even distinguish in a text, are known to cause challenges for translators.   The thesis focuses on the realia in the book Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann, written by Jonas Jonasson in 2009. It examines which translation strategies the translator has used for the cultural-specific elements and the question is raised whether the translation is orientated towards the source culture (“adequacy”) or towards the target culture (“acceptability”). The initial hypothesis was that the translation of the book would be orientated towards the target culture (acceptability) and that in the Italian version the geographic-cultural element would be dominant to the plot, which would be a subdominant.   The analysis is based on parallell reading of the original Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann and the Italian translation Il centenario che saltò dalla finestra e scomparve, translated by Margherita Podestà Heir in 2011. Whilst reading the books, realia were collected, listed and organised in groups according to categories of realia as described by Osimo (2011) and the translation strategy used, again as described by Osimo. The analysis confirmed that the translation was orientated towards the target culture with an “acceptable” translation, rather than “adequate”. It was equally found that the plot was as important to the translator of the Italian version and hence a dominant also in the latter.   The thesis highlights the importance of insight in the “language-culture” of the source language as the inadequacy thereof could contribute to failed translations of both realia and other words and phrases.

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Individuals who have travelled from Sweden and affiliated to the Islamic State in Syria will, after the fall of the caliphate, return home to Sweden. The concept of ISIS returnees has begun to dominate the debate and there is a common concern that individuals who possess radicalized opinions should return to Sweden only to commit terrorist crimes. The study is based on a qualitative research method, specifically an interview methodology with semi-structured interviews. The study identifies the capacity Sweden possesses, according to experts, both socially and legally, to deal with the problems of Swedish citizens who wants to return from ISIS-controlled areas. The study also aims to examines measures that is the most suitable to apply to returnees from the expert’s perspective. An analysis based on the Transitional Justice framework identified the importance of applying both legal aspects, as well as social processes in order to handle the problems with returnees. Through a review of previous research, three courts were identified, because they previously had the ability to prosecute individuals who committed criminal acts, these are: The Ad-hoc Tribunal, the Hybrid Court and the International Criminal Court. It was therefore considered important to examine these in order to review whether the courts were a legal alternative in the discussion of returnees who committed terrorist crimes. All actors, both international and national, have lack of capacity and efficiency regarding how to handle the ISIS-returnees. The study therefore contributes to an understanding of the capacity Sweden possesses in order to handle the problem of individuals who are now returning from ISIS, and also proposes new ways to handle the problematic aspects about ISIS-returnees to Sweden.

Decentralization has been one of the most extensively accepted political strategies since the 1980s, especially when it comes to development administration complemented by the expansion of democratization at lower levels of government. It acts as a bottom-top of authority. A proponent of decentralization argues that decentralization strengthens democracy, good governance and accountability. It is more effective and closer to the people because power is delegated to the local authority. Opponents of decentralization beliefs that is difficult to coordinate many local governments and demanding financial and human capital. This paper lies under that debate and presents how decentralization responds to droughts as a case study to Somalia.  Somalia has been exercising a highly centralized administration for a long time but now changed the structure of the government and built up a federal member states where the administration is widely decentralized. To understand the effectiveness of the system to mitigate and prevent droughts, the study will look at two different scenarios of droughts that hit the country. One was the mid-1970s under highly centralized administration while the other drought hit the country 2011-2012 under the decentralized structure of governance. This comparison aims to see the impact and respond that each system showed. The result will help the country to redesign their future prevention strategy and minimize the vulnerability of the droughts. Because of drought is one of the most destructive environmental phenomena, doing enormous damage to humankind and the livelihoods.

<p>Godkännandedatum 2019-02-01</p>

The purpose of this essay is to study the establishment of the Inspection for Health and Care and the National School Inspection. The intention is to identify policy document’s justification for the establishment of the inspections, as well as comparing the similarities and differences of the justification and explain the results through the theories “the public ethos” and “governance”. The policy documents are processed by Carol Bacchi’s critical discourse analysis “What ́s the problem represented to be?”.This method identifies the justifications of the inspections by analyzing the policies according to problems, cause and effect. The critical policy analysis permeates the structure and the phrasing of the questions in this study. The result of the analysis identifies the establishment of the inspections as the policy document’s solution. This is justified by the sectors inefficiency, lack of government control, a changed welfare and lacking supervision. The theories “the public ethos” and “governance” explain the establishment of the inspections as the state’s concept to govern in order to create a rational and effective administration. The Inspection for Health and Care emphasizes the private actors as the reason for the changed welfare, unlike the National School Inspection which only sees the change of welfare as a challenge. The study contributes to research and society’s understanding of the growth of Swedish inspection authorities in the public sector, as well as the public administrations differing approach to the entry of private actors into the welfare sector.