| 1. |
- Abdelzadeh, Ali, 1981-
(författare)
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Transcending dichotomies : The many faces of youth dissatisfaction in democracy
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In the recent scholarly debates over changing citizenship attitudes and norms in advanced democracies, especially when it comes to rising levels of political dissatisfaction, opinion about the political role of young people is divided. For some scholars, they represent a driving force behind the development of new kinds of citizenship values, and constitute an asset to the functioning of political systems. For others, they pose a potential threat to the health of representative democracy, because of their increasing levels of dissatisfaction and civic disengagement. By contrast with these two competing approaches, this dissertation advances the argument that a more balanced view of young people’s political activities is called for. Adopting a quantitative approach, it aims therefore to contribute to better theoretical and empirical understanding of young people’s political dissatisfaction, and to explain their role in a democratic society. Considering different aspects of dissatisfaction, the current dissertation contributes to previous research in significant ways. Among others things, it adds to our knowledge by showing empirically that, in terms of political dissatisfaction, young people constitute a heterogeneous group, with different political roles and profiles, ranging from the healthy to the more threatening. Moreover, it contributes to previous research by highlighting the crucial role played by fair teachers in providing linkages between young citizens and the wider political system. All in all, the findings in the current dissertation have implications for the ongoing debate over the role and significance of young people in the functioning of democratic systems, and also for political socialization research.
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| 2. |
- Aghanavesi, Somayeh, 1981-
(författare)
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Sensor-based knowledge- and data-driven methods : A case of Parkinson’s disease motor symptoms quantification
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to develop and evaluate new knowledge- and data-driven methods for supporting treatment and providing information for better assessment of Parkinson’s disease (PD).PD is complex and progressive. There is a large amount of inter- and intravariability in motor symptoms of patients with PD (PwPD). The current evaluation of motor symptoms that are done at clinics by using clinical rating scales is limited and provides only part of the health status of PwPD. An accurate and clinically approved assessment of PD is required using frequent evaluation of symptoms.To investigate the problem areas, the thesis adopted the microdata analysis approach including the stages of data collection, data processing, data analysis, and data interpretation. Sensor systems including smartphone and tri-axial motion sensors were used to collect data from advanced PwPD experimenting with repeated tests during a day. The experiments were rated by clinical experts. The data from sensors and the clinical evaluations were processed and used in subsequent analysis.The first three papers in this thesis report the results from the investigation, verification, and development of knowledge- and data-driven methods for quantifying the dexterity in PD. The smartphone-based data collected from spiral drawing and alternate tapping tests were used for the analysis. The results from the development of a smartphone-based data-driven method can be used for measuring treatment-related changes in PwPD. Results from investigation and verification of an approximate entropy-based method showed good responsiveness and test-retest reliability indicating that this method is useful in measuring upper limb temporal irregularity.The next two papers, report the results from the investigation and development of motion sensor-based knowledge- and data-driven methods for quantification of the motor states in PD. The motion data were collected from experiments such as leg agility, walking, and rapid alternating movements of hands. High convergence validity resulted from using motion sensors during leg agility tests. The results of the fusion of sensor data gathered during multiple motor tests were promising and led to valid, reliable and responsive objective measures of PD motor symptoms.Results in the last paper investigating the feasibility of using the Dynamic Time-Warping method for assessment of PD motor states showed it is feasible to use this method for extracting features to be used in automatic scoring of PD motor states.The findings from the knowledge- and data-driven methodology in this thesis can be used in the development of systems for follow up of the effects of treatment and individualized treatments in PD.
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| 3. |
- Ahlström Söderling, Ragnar
(författare)
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Regionala företags förutsättningar för internationell konkurrenskraft : utvärdering av en undersökningsmetod
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Kan man bedöma om företag med tillväxtpotential även har kompetens att ta tillvara den? Denna fundering ligger till grund för den studie som redovisas i den här avhandlingen. Syftet med studien är i första hand att utvärdera hur en ”Best Business Practice”- modell kan bidra till ökad förståelse, hos myndigheter och andra samhällsaktörer, för vilka befintliga företag i en region som kan ha förutsättningar att vara internationellt konkurrenskraftiga med avseende på de processutövanden och processresultat som föreligger i deras operativa verksamhet. Utvärderingen baseras på en kartläggning av tillverkande arbetsställen i Dalarnas län med minst 10 anställda som genomfördes 2002.Studien i Dalarna bekräftar undersökningsmodellens antagande om en relation mellan gott processutövande och bra processresultat. Analyser visar att företag med höga värden på såväl processutövande som processresultat (de Ledande företagen) har högre sannolikhet för att redovisa en hög och ökande marknadsandel, förbättrad produktivitet, ökande nettokassaflöde, god och förbättrad lönsamhet samt en högre avkastningsgrad än företag med låga värden på dessa parametrar (de Sladdande företagen). Studien indikerar även ett samband mellan tillväxt och processresultat då de flesta företagen med hög tillväxt redovisar höga värden på undersökningsmetodens indexet för processresultat samtidigt som de flesta företagen med negativ tillväxt har låga värden på detta index. De marknadsledande företagen i studien skiljer sig från övriga företag genom att oftare använda sig av benchmarking. I sina benchmarkingprocesser fokuserar de på ett bredare spann av jämförelsemått, jämför sig oftare med företag inom andra branscher såväl som andra länder samt lägger en större fokus på innovations- och verksamhetsmått.. De marknadsledande företagen är även mer innovativa, både vad gäller introduktion av nya produkter som av nya processer. Utvärderingen redovisar att undersökningsmetoden har en del tveksamheter men trots det ger möjlighet att skaffa en mängd information och kunskap om näringslivets status i en region. Den visar på vilka företag som har processer på plats för att kunna expandera och vilka som behöver ”se om sitt hus” för att ha möjlighet att fortsätta sin verksamhet.Det räcker dock inte med kunskap. Kunskapen behöver omsättas i handling. En fråga som avhandlingen leder fram till är vilka som kan och vill agera på denna typ av information?
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Alam, Md. Moudud
(författare)
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Feasible computation of generalized linear mixed models with application to credit risk modelling
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis deals with developing and testing feasible computational procedures to facilitate the estimation of and carry out the prediction with the generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with a scope of applying them to large data sets. The work of this thesis is motivated from an issue arising incredit risk modelling. We have access to a huge data set, consisting of about one million observations, on credit history obtained from two major Swedish banks. The principal research interest involved with the data analysis is to model the probability of credit defaults by incorporating the systematic dependencies among the default events. In order to model the dependent credit defaults we adopt the framework of GLMM which is apopular approach to model correlated binary data. However, existing computational procedures for GLMM did not offer us the flexibility to incorporate the desired correlation structure of defaults events.For the feasible estimation of the GLMM we propose two estimation techniques being the fixed effects (FE) approach and the two-step pseudolikelihood approach (2PL). The preciseness of the estimation techniques and their computational advantages are studied by Monte-Carlo simulations and by applying them to the credit risk modelling. Regarding the prediction issue, we show how to apply the likelihood principle to carryout prediction with GLMM. We also provide an R add-in package to facilitate the predictive inference for GLMM.
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| 6. |
- Alatalo, Tarja, 1961
(författare)
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Skicklig läs- och skrivundervisning i åk 1-3: Om lärares möjligheter och hinder
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study focuses on teachers’ opportunities and obstacles to perform skillful reading and writing instruction. It’s about the ability to accurately identify where students are in their reading and writing process and to help them develop good reading skills. It is also about the ability to recognize signs of difficulties that students may have in their written language development and to know what efforts are needed to help them advance their reading and writing skills. The research is based on teachers’ own statements and survey responses on the external conditions for teaching and on their approach, attitudes and knowledge in reading and writing. The empirical material consists of interviews, surveys and test data. The interview study was conducted with eight teachers. The questionnaire was answered by 249 teachers, while the knowledge test was conducted of 269 teachers and 31 special education teachers. Many of the teachers in this study have lack knowledge in the structure of language and common Swedish spelling rules. Furthermore, it appears that a large part of them are unaccustomed to explaining, in detail, students’ reading development and find it difficult to systematically describe the aspects of daily literacy instruction. The overall picture is that many teachers teach without having tools to reflect on how their education really affects students’ reading and writing. These shortcomings make it difficult to conduct effective literacy instruction. Once students have learned to decode or if they have reading difficulties, many teachers seem to one-sidedly focus on getting students to read more. The consequence could be that those who would need to practice more on the technical basic of reading or comprehension strategies are left without support. Lack of variety and individuality in fluency and comprehension training can challenge the students’ reading and writing development. The teachers in the study, who have the old junior school teacher and elementary teacher education, have the highest amount of knowledge of reading and writing (the test). Good education can provide student teachers with professional skills that they may develop further in their careers. Knowledge of the meaning of phonological and phonemic awareness as well as knowledge of how to count phonemes seem to be important for knowledge of reading and writing (the test). Knowledge of basic reading processes can be obtained by systematic and structured work with students’ linguistic development, and through continuous dialogues with experienced colleagues on how and why questions. This is one important way to work also in teacher training. When essential professional skills are established in the teacher education, in practice students will obtain the school’s learning goals.
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| 7. |
- Alkvist, Lars-Erik
(författare)
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Max Weber och kroppens sociologi
- 2004
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is about the social body in sociology, represented by the classical sociologist Max Weber. Traditional sociology has not taken the body into account. The body has been considered to belong to the realm of the natural sciences. Sociology has seen the body merely as an instrument or a tool for social action. The mind/body dichotomy, homo duplex, prevails in sociology. The purpose of this investigation is to show that Weber does not totally neglect the social body. I claim that the body is “absent but present” in Weber’s texts. The above-mentioned view that the body is ignored by sociology must, in other words, be modified. I claim that Weber’s texts imply a conception, although rudimentary, of the social body. This conception co-exists, however, with Weber’s tendency to see the body as a natural object. This is in accordance with the general picture of the way sociology treats the body. To examine the question of the social body I turn to philosophy. I believe that some philosophers have been interested in viewing the body as a social rather than a natural object. Plato, René Descartes, Friedrich Nietzsche, Immanuel Kant and finally Maurice Merleau-Ponty have all tried to come to terms with the relationship between the mind and the body. The above-mentioned philosophers, with the exception of Kant, are all therefore concerned with the body as more than simply a biological organism. They try to reconcile the dualistic difference between body and mind. They are, however, mainly concerned with finding a philosophical answer to how mankind can attain knowledge about the object. They are concerned with epistemology and ontology. Sociology, on the other hand, is more concrete and its corresponding concepts are “subject” and “structure”. Sociology fills these concepts with a more non-epistemological and ontological content. He has been described as a subjective sociologist or a micro sociologist, but I claim that this does not give the whole picture. Weber also sees individual intentions and purposes as determined by objective and structural constraints. I divide the works of Weber into two parts. I have named the subjectivist approach “the empowered individual”. Here Weber works at the level of the individual subject. He focuses on the subject’s own experience. The ethically shaped, and therefore systematically self-controlled, body becomes a vehicle for being in the world. The body is subjected to the governing ascetic ethic. The feelings and desires of the body become rationalised into a method and a system. In this way a far-reaching rational discipline is created, a so called “ethical conduct of life is created”. In the writings of Weber the “conduct in life” is described by the concept “habitus”. However, Weber is classical in the sense that he considers habitus as a mental attitude. Other works by Weber include a discussion of the constraining structural surroundings, but Weber prefers to use the concept “life orders” rather than “structures”. Weber describes a number of different life orders which he says form the specific cultural habits adopted by individuals in society.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Andersson, Pierre
(författare)
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Actitudes hacia la variedad caló : Un estudio sociolingüístico de adolescentes andaluces
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Caló is a language/variety spoken by the Spanish Calé (i.e. the Roma). The variety belongs to a group of languages referred to as “Para-Romani”, characterized by Romani vocabulary, but largely non-Romani morphology, phonology and syntax, in the case of Caló deriving from Spanish.Much research has been carried out regarding the vocabulary and the grammar of this variety. The conclusions drawn in those studies indicate that Caló is on its way to extinction. However, there is an expressed inter... merest in reintroducing the variety, in a form called “Romanó-Caló”.Language attitudes play a decisive role for the destiny of endangered languages. In order for a revitalization project to be successful, the attitudes towards the variety being reintroduced have to be positive. The aim of this study is to measure the attitudes that both Calé and non-Calé have towards Caló and Caló speakers, a type of study never carried out in the past. The methods applied are both direct and indirect. In part one, 231 informants listened to different recordings of voices acting as either a “Spanish speaking person” or a “Caló speaking person”, a technique referred to as ‘matched guise’. Firstly, the informants were asked to write down their first three impressions of the speakers. Secondly, nine short questions related to the voices were asked, to which the subjects expressed their answers on attitude scales. They were also asked to match the voices with photos of people. Furthermore, the informants have answered questions regarding what variety is spoken at home, as well as if he or she has any knowledge of, or contact with, any language/variety, apart from Spanish. 182 informants continued with part two of the questionnaire, which consisted of 20 items – positive and negative statements towards Caló and Caló speakers. The informants have rated their agreement or disagreement to these statements on a Likert scale. Another exercise measured the willingness of the informants to use Caló words for naming various objects. In addition, the subjects were tested on their knowledge of some Caló words, as well as asked whether they thought it was “useful” to know how to speak Caló. Various statistical methods have been used in order to establish whether or not the results are statistically significant.The results of the analysis indicate that the attitudes differ towards Caló and Caló speakers, depending on the informant’s (a) ethnicity (b) contact with Caló as well as with Caló speakers, and (c) gender. It is those who – in their own opinion – belong to the ethnic group Calé, as well as those who claim that they have some contact with the variety and its speakers, who show positive attitudes in both parts of the study. The women also show more positive attitudes than the men. It is also possible to note positive attitudes towards the variety and its speakers among the subjects with a high level of knowledge of Caló words, as well as among those with the highest willingness to use Caló.These observations suggest that a revitalization project of the variety Caló has a clear chance of being successful.
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| 10. |
- Annerberg, Anna, 1972-
(författare)
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Gymnasielärares skrivpraktiker : skrivande som professionell handling i en digitaliserad skola
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis is to contribute to deeper knowledge about the writing practices of teachers in upper secondary school. Schools are under constant pressure to respond to the needs and expectations of an ever-changing society and political intentions. A major factor in this change which is taking place in schools is digitalization. Another factor is the adoption of new governing principles for schools involving management by goals and results, which brings increased demands for written documentation of teachers' work.In order to describe and problematize this development the thesis is based on a combination of Critical Discourse Analysis and New Literacy (Clark and Ivanič, 1997). The theoretical framework rests upon an understanding of writing as social action and the idea that texts both affect and are affected by the social environment. The empirical study focuses on twelve teachers and their writing practices, analyzed during week-long field visits over three years. The teachers' talk about their writing is used together with analyses of texts and images to investigate parts of teachers' writing which, according to the teachers, are considered complex and problematic.The findings indicate significant differences between the writing practices of the individual teachers, where each teacher has his or her own system of texts fulfilling different purposes. Despite these differences it is still possible to identify recurrent themes in the discursive conditions for teachers' writing: efficiency, reuse, authority, audit, relationships to addressees, and room to maneuver. The study illustrates possible dilemmas for teachers' writing at the intersection of teachers' professional responsibility and demands for accountability.
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