This thesis deals with the construction of identity going on in Swedish students' societies, which is analyzed as an intersection of gender and social class. Theoretically, I draw on discourse analysis. Foucault's genealogical method is applied in order to understand how discourses of the past are active today in students' identity construction. The study is based on interviews with members of the board of three different societies. In all, 28 interviews were made. Furthermore texts and pictures from each society's homepage were examined. Overall, the study shows that two main discourses are activated in students' identity construction. The members of the male-dominated society belonging to the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology represent a specific form of masculine identity in accordance with medieval ideas of student life. Being a student means to be without responsibility, to drink and have fun, and women are constructed as 'the others'. The members see them-selves as rather ordinary men in the future. Women and men are active in equal numbers in the society of students belonging to the Faculty of Social Sciences. They activate the meritocratic discourse dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries as they construct themselves as future men in power with the right to speak. Women can however also represent this identity. In the society of students belonging to the Faculty of Medicine, women constitute the vast majority. They also activate the meritocratic discourse. However, they attach new meanings in accordance with the female symbolic gender to what should be regarded as merits: responsibility, respectability, care, and nicety. Thus, they represent a feminine identity, but the few male members do not adhere to these female symbolic norms. The society is an arena for the members' resistance against hegemonic discourses of gender and class that would confine them to subordinate positions in their future working-life. Each society provides valuable symbolic capital that might be important. Key words: class, discourse, gender, genealogy, ideal identity, identity construction, ideological dilemma, intersectionality, mass university, students' society, symbolic capital, the other.

The aim of the study is to investigate what happens when the experiences and conceptions of physical education (PE) student teachers encounter the value structures of a PE teacher education programme. The starting point for the study are the criticisms that the PE teacher education programme has inadequate links to science, that it finds it difficult to challenge traditional gender patterns, and that the students' experiences of their own sporting activities are more important than the education programme for what knowledge is considered valuable. The study has a cultural sociological and gender theoretical perspective. The analysis has been done with the help of Pierre Bourdieu's concepts as the tools of analysis. The empirical evidence has been collected with the help of several different methods. Quantitative data has been collected with the help of questionnaires which a total of 450 student teachers returned; qualitative data has been collected using: essays written by PE student teachers during their physical education specialisation and in-depth interviews with teacher educators. The results show that today's education is still characterised by many of the traditions, norms and values which historically have been its distinguishing features. The “rules of the game” are generally taken for granted and this is based on a shared conception in the value of the education. In the eyes of the students, the trademark of a good PE teacher is to be good at many different sports, have in-depth knowledge of human biology, and have the “right” personality. They are less interested in pedagogical issues and they would have preferred the whole course to have served them with ready-made solutions and answers. Even if gender and social issues have been part of the education, the gender habitus has changed very little during the programme. The way they see the subject is largely the same as it was before the course, but what appeared to them to be a ”pure” sports subject before the course started has afterwards become more a way of “attaining health through sport”. The study indicates that the dominating values within the PE teacher education seem to be in harmony with the students' habitus which make it difficult to challenge the ”order of things” and  that changes will take time.

In recent years, the successful expansions of Swedish fashion companies have mainly relied on their ability to turn fashion into brands. However, when companies grow it seems to be difficult to maintain the original brand identity as well as to establish a unique brand image in the minds of the consumers. With regard to this matter the purpose of our thesis was to investigate the brand image of Acne Jeans. Our ambition was to examine to what extent the brand image coincided with the brand identity and if brand associations differed between different consumer segments. In order to fulfil our purpose, we have conducted a questionnaire study of a sample of 130 students at Stockholm University. The findings of our study show that the brand image of Acne Jeans did not coincide with the brand identity regarding the aspects of individuality and innovativeness. We further concluded that there were several differences between the associations of those in possession of Acne apparel and those who did not own any Acne items. Finally, the associations of early adopters were investigated. The result indicated that the brand associations in this group did not deviate from the general opinion of the total sample.

The aim of this study was to examine how individuals who have left a criminal lifestyle may experience their present life. A symbolic interaction approach was the theoretical framework for this research. Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven individuals who have stated having had and left a criminal lifestyle. The results showed that how individuals experience their present life is highly dependent on individuals’ own view of themselves as well as on how others view them. A sense of being judged on the basis of previous lifestyle and a strive to leave the criminal identity could be discerned. There seems to be of importance for individuals to separate themselves from their prior lifestyle, both in thought and action. By doing this, they demonstrate their change both to themselves and their surroundings. By con-demning their previous destructive actions but not themselves as persons, they can maintain a positive self-image. Making good and giving back to society also tends to be of importance. Furthermore the study indicates that individuals, in addition to a sense of belonging, need to experience both resemblance and contrast in interaction in order to fully be able to leave the criminal identity. Some implications for social work practise were discussed.

Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka hur kvinnors träning formas i olika gymmiljöer i och med den ökade trenden bland kvinnor att träna på kvinnogym. För att undersöka detta har vi i denna studie använt symbolisk interaktionism som teoretisk referensram. Detta då teorin problematiserar det förgivettagna, vilket könsskillnader ofta betraktas som. Datainsamlingen skedde genom deltagande observationer på två unisexgym och ett kvinnogym. Resultatet visade att kvinnors tränande tycktes begränsas i båda miljöformerna genom gymmens inramning som tycks spegla rådande samhälleliga ideal. Detta visade sig tydligast på kvinnogymmet samtidigt som det är viktigt att notera att denna institution tycks utgöra en motreaktion på problem i unisexgyms manliga kultur. Vår slutsats är att unisexgymmen inrymmer begränsningar för kvinnors tränande men att en könsseparation i detta fall tycks avgränsa kvinnors möjlighet till idealbrytande och istället reproducera problematiken. / The aim of this study was to examine how women’s exercising is formed in different types of gym settings due to the increasing popularity of women only gyms. The study used symbolic interactionism as theoretic reference since it problematizes the taken for granted, a common view when it comes to gender differences. Participating observation was used to gather data at two unisex gyms and one women only gym. The result showed that women’s exercising was restrained in both settings due to their framing which appeared to reflect social ideals. This was most obvious at the women only gym though it is important to note that this institution seems to represent a counter reaction against the male culture at unisex gyms. The conclusion is that unisex gyms pose obstacles for women’s exercising, however, an alternative that provides gender segregation in this case seems to delimit women’s opportunity to diverge ideals and thus seems to reproduce the problem.

The purpose of the thesis is to investigate and analyze how three different actors linked to the urban transformation in the city of Kiruna, in this case LKAB, the Municipality of Kiruna and the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, believe that the identity of a historical monument that is marked cultural heritage is affected by future relocation. The second part of the study is to investigate the impact the building might have on the city in the future. This study is based on the relocation of Hjalmar Lundbohmsgården. The study is based on a qualitative approach in which five informants from the three actors were interviewed. The interviews have been analyzed through thematic analysis, where a combination of theoretical thematic analysis and empirical thematic analysis was used.   The result shows that the new location of Hjalmar Lundbohmsgården is preferred to be in a suitable context close to other cultural buildings. All informants agree that accessibility is a fundamental element in, which a synergistic effect is an increase in visitor numbers. Since the greatest value around Hjalmar Lundbohmsgården is Hjalmar Lundbohm and his deeds, the identity can still be passed on even though the place is not the same. The informants agree that it is important with cultural references in a city so people have something to relate to. / Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka och analysera hur tre olika aktörer kopplade till samhällsomvandlingen i Kirunas centrala delar, i detta fall LKAB, Kiruna kommun samt Länsstyrelsen Norrbotten, anser hur identiteten kring ett byggnadsminnesmärkt kulturarv påverkas genom en framtida flytt. Vidare undersöks vilken inverkan byggnaden kan ha i den framtida staden. Uppsatsen har sin utgångspunkt kring en ny framtida placering av Hjalmar Lundbohmsgården.   Studien är baserad på en kvalitativ ansats där fem informanter från tre olika aktörer; LKAB, Kiruna kommun samt Länsstyrelsen Norrbotten har intervjuats. Intervjuerna har sedan analyserats genom tematisk analys, där en kombination av teoretisk tematisk analys och empirisk tematisk analys använts.   Resultatet av intervjuerna visar att Hjalmar Lundbohmsgårdens nya placering bör hamna i en lämplig kontext nära andra kulturbyggnader. Samtliga informanter är eniga om att tillgängligheten är en grundläggande faktor där en synergieffekt är ett ökat besökarantal. Det största kulturella värdet kring Hjalmar Lundbohmsgården är Hjalmar Lundbohm och hans gärningar, vilket gör att identiteten fortfarande kan vidareförmedlas trots att platsen inte är densamma. Informanterna är överens om att det är viktigt med kulturella referenser i en stad så människorna har något att förhålla sig till.

This essay is included as a sub-study of a survey about child poverty, which the Department of Sociology at Uppsala University, the Ombudsman for Children and Gillbergska Stiftelsen (the Gillberg’s foundation) has been commissioned by Uppsala Town to implement. The intent of this essay is to investigate how three pre-school managers in the municipal preschool in Uppsala describe child poverty, how they see the preschool’s social responsibility and how they manage child poverty in their practical operation. The essay is a qualitative study and informants' responses has been analyzed and related to symbolic interactionism, the thesis theoretical basis. The results show that pre-school managers' understanding and description of child poverty differ. Child poverty is not a topic discussed very much in early childhood education and insight into families' financial situation is very small. Preschool managers testify that families rarely talk about their financial situation and poverty seem to be seen as something private that the school should not put themselves in, poverty also seems to be associated with shame. Preschool heads out that preschool has responsibility for all children within the business and is responsible for getting views on child abuse but preschool's role in relation to economically disadvantaged children seems to be unclear and there are no general guidelines on how to act if a child is struggling financially. / Denna uppsats ingår som en delstudie i ett kartläggningsprojekt om barnfattigdom som Sociologiska Institutionen vid Uppsala Universitet, Barnombudsmannen och Gillbergska Stiftelsen fått i uppdrag från Uppsala kommun att genomföra. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka hur tre förskolechefer inom den kommunala förskoleverksamheten i Uppsala beskriver barnfattigdom, hur de ser på förskolans sociala ansvar samt hur man arbetar med och hanterar barnfattigdom inom verksamheten i praktiken. Uppsatsen är en kvalitativ intervjustudie och informanternas svar har analyserats utifrån meningskoncentrerad innehållsanalys kopplat till tidigare forskning och begrepp från symbolisk interaktionism, uppsatsens teoretiska utgångspunkt. Resultaten visar att förskolechefernas förståelse och beskrivning av barnfattigdom skiljer sig åt. Barnfattigdom är inget ämne som diskuteras speciellt mycket inom förskoleverksamheten och insynen i familjernas ekonomiska situation är mycket liten. Resultaten visar att det finns en välvilja hos personalen att hjälpa utsatta barn men att det är svårt att tala om fattigdom med föräldrarna eftersom det är förknippat med skam. Fattigdom tycks ses som något privat och något som förskolan inte ska lägga sig i ifall inte familjerna själva väljer att öppna sig, vilket familjer tycks göra i mycket liten utsträckning. Förskole-cheferna påpekar att förskolan har ansvar för alla barn inom verksamheten och är ansvarig för att få syn på barn som far illa men förskolans roll i förhållande till ekonomiskt utsatta barn tycks vara oklar och det saknas generella riktlinjer för hur man ska agera om ett barn har det svårt ekonomiskt.

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Abstract Title: Customer Perceived Value of Credit Card Rewards - A study on Canadian Consumers Level: Final assignment for Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration Author: Lisa Smedley Supervisor: Jonas Kågström Date: 2013 - January Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate what influences Customer Perceived Value; where Canadian consumers’ preferences lie in terms of rewards in the Canadian credit card industry. Method: After researching previous studies and determining what constructs have been utilized prior on similar research topics, I implement a quantitative, and to some extend iterative, research approach. Through survey research, I investigate Canadian consumer preferences through a survey sample of 124 Canadian consumers in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Result & Conclusions: One finding in the study indicates that utilitarian benefits, which provide financial gain for the card holder, are perceived by respondents as the most valuable reward. Another finding is that inexperienced credit card holders see significantly greater value in symbolic benefits than experienced card holders do. The present study does not support the theory that customer involvement influences the customer’s perception of rewards. 2 Suggestions for future research: More extensive research is needed on the subject of whether Canadian consumers’ perceived value of rewards is influenced by their level of involvement in their credit card. Also, studies involving additional factors that could possibly determine a consumer’s perception of rewards, such as income and ethnicity should be investigated for a more well-rounded understanding of customer preferences. Contribution of the thesis: The present study contributes with new findings that can be of substantial significance for Canadian financial institutions as it provides insight into what credit card rewards Canadian consumers perceive as being valuable to them. Key words: Rewards programs, credit cards, customer loyalty, perceived customer value, timing of reward, type of reward, dimension of benefit, utilitarian, hedonic, symbolic

Followed two different proofs of van der Waerden's theorem. Found that the two proofs yield important information about arithmetic progressions and the theorem. van der Waerden's theorem explains the occurrence of arithmetic progressions which can be used to explain such things as the Bible Code.