| 1. |
- Söderholm Werkö, Sophie, 1972-
(författare)
-
Patient Patients? : Achieving Patient Empowerment through active participation, increased knowledge and organisation
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study examines patient empowerment in two local diabetes branch organisations in Sweden. In particular, the study focuses on the organisations’ membership, participation and influence on external actors. The overall aim of this thesis is to explore patient empowerment in order to discern what influence patient organisations and individual members can have and how they use it. This study is based on both quantitative and qualitative empirical data. Interviews with active members from two local diabetes organisations were conducted and a survey was carried out to identify the members’ thoughts and feelings about their membership, motivations, participation and influence, as well as to examine their local organisation, its work and influence. The findings form an overall picture of how members experience their organisation, memberships and empowerment. Characteristics of the two local patient branch organisations were identified and the leaders were found to be intensely dedicated people. The interviews, survey and participant observations revealed the members’ opinions about their organisation, their reasons for joining, their involvement, participation and influence, as well as their understanding of the local organisation and the Swedish Diabetic Association (SDA) and their possibility to empower them. Without organisations, members felt that they could not have a significant influence on external actors and events.
|
|
| 2. |
- Boalt, Elin, 1976-
(författare)
-
Ecology and evolution of tolerance in two cruciferous species
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Tolerance to herbivory is the ability of plants to maintain fitness in spite of damage. The goal of this thesis is to investigate the genetic variation and expression of tolerance within species, determine whether and in what conditions tolerance has negative side-effects, and how tolerance is affected by different ecological factors. Tolerance is investigated with special focus on the effects of different damage types, competitive regimes, history of herbivory, and polyploidization in plants. Studies are conducted as a literature review and three experiments on two cruciferous species Raphanus raphanistrum and Cardamine pratensis.In the tolerance experiments, plants are subjected to artificial damage solely, or in a combination with natural damage. A literature review was conducted in order to investigate the effects of damage method. We found that traits related to tolerance, such as growth and fitness were not as sensitive in regard to damage method as measures of induced chemical traits, or measures of secondary herbivory.Genetic variation of tolerance was demonstrated within populations of R. raphanistrum and between subspecies of C. pratensis. In R. raphanistrum, traits involved in floral display and male fitness were positively associated with plant tolerance to herbivore damage. A potential cost of tolerance was demonstrated as a negative correlation between levels of tolerance in high and low competitive regimes. I found no evidence of other proposed costs of tolerance in terms of highly tolerant plants suffering of reduced fitness in the absence of herbivores or trade-offs in terms of a negative association between tolerance to apical and leaf damage, or between tolerance and competitive ability. In C. pratensis, higher ploidy level in plants involved higher levels of tolerance measured as clonal reproduction. Furthermore, populations exposed to higher levels of herbivory had better tolerance than populations exposed to lower levels of herbivory. In this thesis, I demonstrate evidence of different components for the evolution of tolerance in plants: genotypic variation, selective factors in terms of costs and ploidization, and selective agents in terms of changing environment or herbivore pressure.
|
|
| 3. |
- Doeser, Fredrik
(författare)
-
In Search of Security After the Collapse of the Soviet Union : Foreign Policy Change in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, 1988-1993
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this study is to explain the evolution of foreign policy in Denmark, Finland and Sweden with regard to Western security cooperation between 1988 and 1993. The study sets out to test two theoretical perspectives on the security cooperation policies of these three small states. The external political perspective is based on the idea that foreign policy is determined by the challenges of a state’s external political environment. The domestic political perspective is based on the idea that phenomena at the domestic level of the state have an impact on how governments cope with external constraints. The primary theoretical ambition is to integrate the findings from these two analyses in order to further an understanding of the mechanisms of foreign policy change in small states.In order to study the relationship between the environment and foreign policy change, the author applies a perceptual approach, which means that his intention is to explain foreign policy action on the basis of the perceptions actors have of the environment.The author draws a number of conclusions with regard to the mechanisms of foreign policy change. First, a perceptual approach is needed in order to analyze a state’s specific responses to international political change. Second, domestic factors are not only important for foreign policy in general but also for the evolution of security cooperation policy in small states under conditions of fundamental shift in the international system. Third, it is possible to attribute some degree of relative explanatory power to external factors and to assign a range of different roles to domestic factors. Fourth, governments of Western democratic small states pay relatively equal attention to external and domestic considerations when making their foreign policies. However, depending on the situation, the relative potency of external and domestic factors can vary.
|
|
| 4. |
- Forsberg, Lars
(författare)
-
Genetic Aspects of Sexual Selection and Mate Choice in Salmonids
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The long-term genetic consequences of supportive breeding programs are not well understood. Nevertheless, stocking populations with hatchery-produced fish to compensate for losses of natural production are common practice, for example after constructions of hydroelectric power dams. Hatcheries typically fertilize eggs using ‘mixed-milt fertilizations’, without consideration to natural reproductive behaviours, and hence, natural selective regimes would be altered. Here, a series of experiments with focus on Mhc and mate choice in a population of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) with a history of long-term stocking are presented. The major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) constitutes of genes coding for antigen presentation in the vertebrate immune system. In addition to the immunological function, Mhc genes might also influence reproductive behaviours such as mate choice. For example, in some species individuals are able to recognize Mhc genotypes of potential mates and to some extent base their mate choice on this information. Here, I address these questions on brown trout. Can the phenomena be observed in brown trout? Could such mechanisms help individuals to avoid inbreeding, or are other mechanisms important? How does the artificial rearing of fish for enhancement of natural populations relate to these issues? The results presented here, in combination with previous work, shows that several factors are important in the process of pair formation in salmonid species. For example, females of the studied population used more than a single criterion when choosing among the available mates Mhc genes and males with certain Mhc genotypes achieved more matings, possibly an effect from increased fighting ability. Further, the population appears to contain an unnatural high level of Mhc variation, and some results indicate that the population might suffer from outbreeding depression at the Mhc. These negative effects are most likely derived from compression of sub-populations after dam-construction, in combination with supportive breeding with no consideration to natural spawning behaviour.
|
|
| 5. |
- Jüriado, Rein
(författare)
-
Learning within and between public-private partnerships
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Local and national governments face increasing demands for modern, high-quality public services. To meet these challenges, a growing number of public organisations has, in the past few decades, ventured into public-private partnerships (PPP), a novel approach to improving public services by using the expertise accumulated in the private sector. Given that PPPs are often established for complex infrastructure projects, which may last for several decades and involve considerable investment from the partners, learning both within and between public-private partnerships is of utmost importance.Triangulation is employed in this dissertation to explore who learns, what is learned and how learning occurs in PPPs. Three case studies from Estonia and Sweden provide the main empirical insight into the topic. In addition, findings from expert interviews carried out at the European Investment Bank and a pan-European database of over 800 PPPs are compared with the case study results.The dissertation finds that public-private partnerships challenge existing theories on organisational learning because learning dynamics in PPPs take a different form than that found in strategic alliances. Organisational learning in public-private partnerships can be understood as occurring on five interrelated levels, each of which is characterised by a specific set of indicators put forward in this dissertation. The indicators take into account the creation and development of routines, flexibility, absorption of new knowledge, and informal learning. A managerial implication of the study is that institutional support for learning is likely to remain in the shadow of private sector consultancies unless the role of the PPP knowledge centres is rethought.
|
|
| 6. |
- Kravchenko, Zhanna, 1978-
(författare)
-
Family (versus) Policy : Combining Work and Care in Russia and Sweden
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The twentieth century has witnessed a revolution in the ways in which the social division of labour is organised, and in terms of how waged work and caring for children are reconciled. This study explores family policy from the perspective of its capacity to manage the socio-economic risks emanating from combining the roles of breadwinner and caregiver which many parents are beginning to do in contemporary society. This study is focused on Russia and Sweden, countries which have a large share of their female population in the labour force and an institutionalised public policy directed towards meeting the challenges of childrearing in dual-earner families.In the first empirical stage of the study, I examine the establishment and development of family policies in these countries, and analyse their effects in terms of how they have attempted to reconcile the competing demands of work and family life in recent years, specifically, by focusing on three main components: parental leave regulations, the organisation of early childcare and education, and schemes of financial assistance and support for families with children (including their impact on poverty reduction, with the use of Luxemburg Income Survey data). The next stage, involved the exploration of the normative setting in which employment and parenting are realised. To do this I used survey data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), and its modules on Family and Gender Roles. In the final stage, by conducting in-depth interviews with families in Stockholm and St. Petersburg I was able to examine how decisions about using the available public means of assistance and support are negotiated within households, and which factors, other than public policy, influence such decisions. The results of these three empirical parts are juxtaposed in order to establish the relation between official inputs into family policy and the complex picture of its outcome in the two countries.
|
|
| 7. |
- Lindén, Tove
(författare)
-
Explaining Civil Society Core Activism in Post-Soviet Latvia
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Civil society activism in traditional non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is seen as one of the cornerstones of a vibrant participatory liberal democracy in most Western democratic states. Whereas this issue has been explored from a variety of perspectives in a Western context, only limited research has been carried out in a post-Soviet context. This study presents unique survey data on civil society core activism in post-Soviet Latvia addressing the following two main questions: What are the characteristics and factors that influence a person to become a core activist in a civil society organization? How does the post-Soviet Latvian context influence civil society core activism?Two nationwide surveys were carried out among core activists in all sorts of NGOs and for a comparative purpose among the population at large, from which non-activists have been extracted. Through cross-tabulations based on the three comparative dimensions: a) activists in general vs. non-activists, b) fields of interest and c) position in organization, this study indicates that many of the factors proven to be important when explaining civil society core activism in Western contexts also have explanatory power in post-Soviet Latvia. Important factors are an individual’s educational level, empathic ability and level of civic literacy, as well as the presence of activist role models and positive support for the decision to become involved in civil society activism. Citizenship and gender are other important factors, but unlike Western countries women dominate the civil society sector in Latvia. Two new factors are also suggested and tested, showing that the perception that one has the ability to organize activity and prior leadership experience from a communist organization are important for Latvian core activists.Binary logistic regression analysis is further used to test the significance of each of the independent variables alone and in combination with each other, introducing different types of core activists based on gender, motives for activism, intensity of political, charity and recreational activity, as well as the positions they have in their organizations.
|
|
| 8. |
- Motiejūnaitė, Akvilė
(författare)
-
Female employment, gender roles, and attitudes : The Baltic countries in a broader context
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis consists of four constituent studies exploring several common themes: female participation in employment, normative assumptions regarding the proper roles of males and females, and social change. The underlying focus is gendered division of work, which is explored through the concept of family models. These models are conceptualized with reference to the interrelationships between female employment, availability of care services outside the family, and sharing of care work within the family. The empirical analysis is mostly based on the Baltic countries, but also includes Germany, Sweden, and Russia. By examining the variation between the countries, the research aims to highlight some common issues regarding the gendered division of work, issues that bridge the East/West divide. The data come from three sources: 1) available national descriptive statistics, 2) surveys, namely, the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) ‘Family and Changing Gender Roles’ modules and the European Values Survey (EVS), and 3) nineteen problem-centred interviews with women who experienced hardships in the Lithuanian labour market. The analyzed time period starts with the collapse of socialism.The studies call into question the assumption that strong support for the traditional ‘male breadwinner/female carer’ family model in post-socialist societies contributed to the exclusion of women from the labour market. Comparing male and female employment indicators revealed no general pattern of female exclusion from the labour market. Moreover, gender-role attitudes are neither uniform nor traditional in the studied societies. The most valid generalization would be that there is a trend towards less traditional attitudes over time, more precisely, towards greater acceptance of women’s working roles. Summarizing the current situation regarding the gendered division of work, with reference to policies, practices, and attitudes, reveals the presence of ‘adult worker’ family models in Eastern Europe.
|
|
| 9. |
- Nordström, Anders
(författare)
-
The Interactive Dynamics of Regulation : Exploring the Council of Europe's Monitoring of Ukraine
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In a time when a host of new and untested democracies seek membership in international organisations founded on liberal norms, the question of how to include new members without jeopardizing community values has become of growing concern, particularly as the regulation of practices in sovereign states often relies on soft moral or political commitment rather than on hard legal obligation. The Council of Europe’s (CoE) monitoring of new members after entry represents a soft method of socialising newcomers. In the case of Ukraine, this process has been unusually difficult, and full of strife and open confrontation. This experience runs contrary to the belief that soft regulation is either harmonic or impossible. The aim of the thesis is to explore how a regulated process of inclusion develops over time, and to discuss how such a process can safeguard community values.The study shows that an interactive dynamic developed between the European and the Ukrainian levels. The political struggle in Ukraine was, through the actions of the political opposition in Ukraine and the CoE’s monitors, transformed into a contest in the CoE over how to interpret Ukraine’s membership promises. European values were protected by the evolution of a mode of governance based on responsiveness to local concerns and on public discussion. In the process, the legal and political systems of the CoE and Ukraine were intertwined in ever more complex webs of dialogue. By being grounded in both the Ukrainian and European political discourses, the process was able to sustain a critical discussion on the terms of the agreement and maintain its relevance for the actors involved. The monitoring process displays how community values and autonomy of a member state can be combined in an unexpected way without resulting in a hierarchical order. This may not fulfil the requirements of the international rule of law, but it is clearly a case of soft and responsive transnational regulation of state practices.
|
|
| 10. |
- Philipson, Joakim, 1958-
(författare)
-
The Purpose of Evolution : the 'struggle for existence' in the Russian-Jewish press 1860-1900
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In late 19th century Russia, Darwinism was viewed as a measuring-rod of modernity. Thus, the Jewish reception of Darwinism may serve as an indicator of the extent to which the Jews in Russia were part of the modernization of Russian society. But the Darwinian concept of evolution of species through natural selection is considered incompatible with a teleological worldview, including a God-given plan for creation. This thesis addresses a twofold problem. One concerns the difficulties of reconciling Darwinism with Judaism and its traditional view of a God-given purpose in creation. The other problem is to explain the possible motives of the Jewish intellectuals for using Darwinian concepts such as the ‘struggle for existence’ in journal articles in the emerging Russian-Jewish press. The study employs discourse analysis, and the concept of isomorphism from institutional theory, for the examination of key concepts, citations, implied readers and purposes in a selection of journal articles from the Russian-Jewish press of the period 1860-1900. Contrasting with the lively general Russian debate on Darwinism, the results show that the Jews in Russia were rather reluctant to discuss Darwinism in the Russian-Jewish press. Censorship, other constraints and imminent problems facing the Jews, such as defence against growing anti-Semitism, are indicated as possible causes of the minimal evidence of a Jewish reception of Darwinism that was found. It was only to the extent that Darwinian concepts such as the ‘struggle for existence’ could be employed to address these more pressing issues that they were they found useful in a Jewish context. The results further imply that the integration between Russian and Jewish intellectuals during this period was weak, as reflected by the insignificant number of references to Russian sources in the selection of Jewish journal articles that were examined.
|
|
