‘Work ability’ is a multidimensional concept with importance for both society and the individual. The overall aim of this thesis was to illuminate work ability from the perspective of individuals (Studies I, III), rehabilitation (Study II) and employers (Study IV). In Study I five focus-group interviews were conducted with a total of 16 former unemployed sickness absentee participants. The interviews focused on their experiences of the environmental impact on return to work. The participants expressed a changed self-image and life rhythm. A need for reorientation and support from professionals was stressed. Experiences of being stuck in a ‘time quarantine’, i.e. a long and destructive wait for support, were also revealed. Study II was a randomised controlled study evaluating the interventional capacity of problem-based method (PBM) groups regarding anxiety, depression and stress and work ability compared to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a method within the Rehabilitation Guarantee. Effects were measured with psychometric instruments. The participants, 22 in the PBM group and 28 in the CBT group, were persons on sick leave because of common mental disorders. Within-group analysis showed significant lower degree of symptoms regarding anxiety and depression for both interventions. Between-group analysis showed significant lower degree of symptoms for CBT regarding anxiety, depression and stress. Within-group analysis of work ability showed significant improvement in one (out of five) subscales for the PBM group and in four for the CBT group. No significant between-group differences were found regarding work ability. In Study III, 16 participants were interviewed after completed interventions in Study II, eight from each intervention group. The interviews focused on their experiences from the interventions and the impact on their ability to work and perform other everyday activities. The interventions were experienced as having a positive impact on their ability to work and perform other everyday activities in a more sustainable way. Reflecting on behaviour and achieving limiting strategies were perceived as helpful in both interventions, although varying abilities to incorporate strategies were described. The findings support the use of active coping-developing interventions rather than passive treatments. Study IV included interviews with 12 employers and investigated their conceptions of ‘work ability’. In the results three domains were identified: ‘employees’ contributions to work ability’, ‘employers’ contributions to work ability’ and ‘circumstances with limited work ability’. Work ability was regarded as a tool in production and its output, production, was the main issue. The employees’ commitment could bridge other shortcomings. In summary, in the work rehabilitation process, different perspectives on work ability need to be considered in order to improve not only individual performance but also rehabilitation interventions, work-places and everyday circumstances. Clearly pronounced perspectives can contribute to better illustrating the dynamic within the relational and multifaceted concept of ‘work ability’. The ability to work can thus be enhanced through improving individual abilities, discovered through reorientation and created through support and adaptation.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T20:31:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marta Rosani Vaz.pdf: 2204748 bytes, checksum: 74441aa8931ed204d60df8d8066ea13b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research had as main objective to analyze of the relationship between supply and demand for pedagogue, in the state of Paraná. This study, besides, It aims to understand the relation between work and training in capitalism, as well, as the process of valorization (or devaluation) of the professionals of Pedagogy. This research analyzes dialectically the relations between capital and work, with the aim of observing the mediation of vocational training policies of educators in the current form of sociability. The study starts from the methodological and theoretical assumptions of historical dialectical materialism, which encompass the ontological conception of work and entering the historical dimension of capitalism. Statistical data were collected on the site of the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (INEP) in the State Department of Education of Paraná site (SEED-PR), as regards the demand for teaching duties in 2009 to 2013. in addition, there was the collection of quantitative data provided by 37 higher education institutions (HEI) of 122 that offer the Faculty of Education in Paraná, on the number of graduates in Education in the state, in the period analyzed. This research revealed, from the praxis (the theoretical and empirical analysis), we have had a greater offer of educators in the last years, both national and state (Paraná) levels in relation to the increase of demand of these professionals by labor market, because, in the analyzed period, an increase of 16,187 functions in Paraná, and 26,518 people completed the Faculty of Education in the state, the educational institutions that publish their data. We conclude, therefore, that this disproportion between supply and demand generates surplus population of teachers, which contributes to the devaluation of the teacher in the state of Paraná. This tendency is current and also, a manifestation that comes from the logic of capital and from the bourgeoisie social organization, and results in deregulation and devaluation of work, in which, In this sense, the complete overcoming of the devaluation and commercialization of the human workforce only will be viable with the overcoming of the capitalist society, as well as the defense of the generalization of professional training at higher education will be possible only on the side of the workers struggle, not only by the struggle for rights and labor appreciation, but the struggle for overcoming the salaried work and the consolidation of associated work. / Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo principal analisar a relação entre a oferta e a demanda de pedagogos, no estado do Paraná. Esse estudo, também, visa compreender a relação entre trabalho e formação no capitalismo, bem como, o processo de (des) valorização dos profissionais da Pedagogia. Analisa dialeticamente as relações entre capital e trabalho, com o intuito de observar as mediações das políticas de formação de pedagogos na atual forma de sociabilidade. O estudo parte dos pressupostos teórico-metodológicos do materialismo histórico-dialético, perpassando pela concepção ontológica do trabalho e adentrando na sua dimensão histórica capitalista. Os dados estatísticos foram coletados no site do Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (INEP), no site da Secretaria Estadual de Educação do Paraná (SEED-PR), no que se refere a demanda de funções docentes no período de 2009 a 2013. Além disso, houve a coleta de dados quantitativos disponibilizados por 37 Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) das 122 que ofertam o curso de Pedagogia no Paraná, referentes ao número de concluintes em Pedagogia no estado, no período analisado. A presente pesquisa revelou, a partir do olhar da práxis (do debate teórico e empírico), que há uma oferta maior de pedagogos nos últimos anos, tanto a nível nacional como estadual (Paraná) em relação ao crescimento da demanda de tais profissionais no mercado de trabalho, pois, no período analisado, observamos um crescimento de 16.187 funções no Paraná, sendo que 26.518 pessoas concluíram o curso de Pedagogia no estado, nas instituições formadoras que disponibilizaram os seus dados. Concluímos, portanto, que a oferta maior que a demanda gera uma população excedente de professores, a qual contribui para a desvalorização do pedagogo no estado do Paraná. Essa tendência é, além de ser atual, uma manifestação oriunda da própria lógica do capital e da organização social burguesa, a qual resulta na precarização e desvalorização do trabalho, em qual, nesse sentido, a superação completa da desvalorização e mercantilização da força de trabalho humana só será viável com a superação da sociedade capitalista, assim como, a defesa da universalização da formação profissional em nível superior só será possível ao lado da luta do trabalhador, não só pela luta de direitos e valorização trabalhista, mas a luta pela superação do trabalho assalariado e a consolidação do trabalho associado.

Introduction: There is a gap of knowledge of the health situation among the reindeer herding Sami in Sweden. The Swedish government has also got criticism for not taking responsibility for the Sami health. The aim of this thesis was to get more knowledge to understand the health situation of the reindeer herding Sami in Sweden. Furthermore, gender specific risk factors in the working environment among reindeer herders and their perception of healthcare and social services were investigated. Method: Cross–sectional questionnaires covering different aspects of health such as musculoskeletal disorders, trust for different healthcare providers and work related psychosocial factors was distributed to reindeer herding Sami and non-Sami populations. Interviews with nine reindeer herding Sami about trust in healthcare and social services were carried out and analyzed with thematic analysis. Sixteen discussion meetings with 80 reindeer herders focusing on psychosocial perspectives of working conditions in Sami communities were performed. Result: The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms from elbow, hand/wrist and lower back from male reindeer herders were higher compared to blue-collar worker. Psychosocial risk factors for health were identified such as high workload on a few herders, difficulties to get relief and support as well as to get appreciation in work and lack of participation in decisionmaking among women were common in the organization of reindeer husbandry. The trust in healthcare and social services was lower among reindeer herding Sami compared to non-Sami majority population. A hypothesis is that healthcare professionals do not know that the "Reindeer cloud" (metaphor to iCloud) affects all parts in the reindeer herders life. The distrust are influenced by historically traumas, reindeer herding Sami experiences from healthcare professionals and healthcare organization and culturally generated norms. Conclusio: The thesis hypothesized that health disorders, attitude towards healthcare and psychosocial environment are important aspects when trying to understand the health situation among the reindeer herding Sami. There is a need to introduce long-term public health work for all Sami people, to establish ethical guidelines for Sami health research and develop healthcare services that provides access to healthcare for the reindeer herding Sami, on equal terms.

En betydelsefull förutsättning för ett hållbart arbetsliv är den psykosociala arbetsmiljön och dess inverkan på arbetstagarens arbetsengagemang. Syftet med studien var därmed att utifrån Karasek och Theorells krav-, kontroll- och stödmodell undersöka i vilken utsträckning de psykosociala faktorerna (arbetskrav, arbetskontroll samt socialt stöd) predicerar arbetsengagemang, samt vilken påverkan distansarbetet har haft på dessa faktorer. För att besvara syftet utfördes en kvantitativ datainsamling genom en enkätundersökning som skickades ut till ett större företag i Sverige som tillhör handelsbranschen samt via LinkedIn. I studien deltog 109 deltagare där samtliga var över 18 år och hade arbete som huvudsaklig sysselsättning. Mätinstrumenten som användes var UWES-9 och QPS Nordic som var välbeprövade och höll en god validitet. Resultatet från regressionsanalysen och tvåvägs-ANOVAn visade att det förelåg en signifikant relation mellan arbetsengagemang och de psykosociala faktorerna var för sig där arbetskrav hade störst effekt på arbetsengagemang. Det fanns däremot ingen interaktionseffekt på arbetsengagemang mellan arbetskrav och arbetskontroll. Vidare uppvisade resultatet att Covid-19 pandemin ej hade förändrat deltagarnas upplevelse av arbetsengagemang, arbetskrav, arbetskontroll och socialt stöd. Avslutningsvis utföll slutsatsen till att studien kan bidra med ökad förståelse gällande dessa prediktorers enskilda påverkan på arbetsengagemanget. / An important condition for a sustainable working life is the psychosocial work environment and its impact on the employee's work engagement. The aim of the study was therefore to investigate how the psychosocial factors (work demand, control at work and social support), based on Karasek och Theorells demand-, control- and support model, predict work engagement and what impact teleworking has. To answer the purpose, a quantitative data collection was performed through a survey that was sent out to a larger company in retail industry and through LinkedIn. The study involved 109 participants, all of them were over 18 years old and had work as their main occupation. The measuring instruments that were used were UWES-9 and QPS Nordic, which were well-proven and had good validity. The results from the regression analysis and the two-way ANOVA showed that there was a significant relation between work engagement and the psychosocial factors separately, where work demands had the biggest effect on work engagement. However, there was no interaction effect on work engagement between work demand and work control. Furthermore, the results showed that the Covid-19 pandemic had not changed the participants' experience of work engagement, work demand, work control and social support. The conclusion was that the study can contribute to an increased understanding of these predictors' individual impact on work engagement.