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The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of social workers intervention programs and how they approach perpetrators of intimate partner violence. The study is based on a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews to answer the studies aim. The data gathered through interviews were thematically analysed where the following themes emerged; perpetrators prerequisites for change, intervention programs development areas, mapping the treatment, networking and the perpetrators risk factors. The results were analyzed by scientific articles and theoretical frameworks: power, room for maneuver, mentalization and stigma. Our findings from the data indicate that perpetrators have a lack of insight and emotional management to violence where the social workers approach becomes essential for perpetrators progress. The interventions programs foundation is based on the perpetrators individual problem areas where the social worker adapts the treatment utilizing their own knowledge and expertise. Intervention treatment places a large emphasis on partner contact to motivate and support them during the perpetrators treatment. There is a cooperation with other authorities that needs further development to enable an increased exchange of knowledge and extended reach of perpetrators. The results also show that previous exposure in childhood is a predominant pattern to perpetrators alongside other problems.

The purpose of this study is to investigate group-oriented pedagogy and its effects, based on the subjective experiences of social students, i.e. to study the pedagogical and special educational significance of the group work. This has been done through a qualitative approach where the selection was turned towards a targeted group, and then semi-structured interviews were conducted. The result shows that group-oriented pedagogy was perceived positively, instructively and educating in large part among the respondents despite some conflicts and different views. Furthermore, characteristics such as acceptance, responsiveness, adaptation and openness are highlighted and emphasized as something that is bred or refined by working in groups. Other aspects that emerged from the results were prerequisites for a functional group work, where the respondents listed some criteria such as willingness to cooperate, group size and constellation as important conditions for a well- functioning group work. In summary, the study's content highlights that there are great opportunities for development within group work, but that it is also important to continuously develop and keep an eye on the group processes.

The purpose of the thesis is to investigate what the social services work process looks like when a child is in danger or is suspected to be in danger. The study consists of three questions and in order to provide answers to the purpose, a qualitative research method is used with the help of semi-structured interviews. The result is based on five social secretaries from five different municipalities in Central Sweden. When it comes to the social secretary's investigation process, the results of the study show that all county to witch the interviews belongs have the same goal but are based on different working methods. Some common challenges for the social secretaries are a heavy workload, low resources and the loss of the clients trust in social services. An additional result shows that the study demonstrates the secretary's description of the investigation process in relation to the theoretical starting point. The system theory is essential for the social worker to gather important information from the individuals and organisations in the child’s local environment. While the attachment theory shows the child’s attachment relationship to the caregivers. Empowerment is used in the investigation process by motivating clients to regain power over their situation. 

This qualitative vignette study aims to examine how social workers within social services assess honor-related violence directed towards women, and whether the ethnic background of the victim affects the assessment. Additionally, the study aims to investigate the interventions offered by social services for victims living in an honor context and whether they differ from interventions for intimate partner violence. Data collection was conducted through six semi-structured interviews with social workers from different municipalities, based on a vignette. The results are analyzed using previous research and theoretical frameworks such as intersectionality and systems theory. The study's findings indicate that all participants identified honor in the case description, regardless of whether the woman had a Swedish-sounding name or a Middle Eastern-sounding name. The participants argue that ethnicity should not be decisive in the assessment, but it needs to be taken into account to evaluate the severity of honor practices. The interventions offered for victims in an honor context include sheltered accommodation and counseling support. It is also evident that the interventions for honor-related violence and oppression do not differ from interventions for intimate partner violence. Finally, all participants believe that more research and specialized interventions are needed for honor-related violence and oppression.

Med denna studie ville vi belysa hur före detta hemlösa upplevt de sociala myndigheternas insatser samt vilken hjälp de fick under deras tid som hemlösa. I studien medverkade åtta personer som tidigare varit hemlösa. Vi har tillämpat teorier från sociologer så som Erving Goffman (Stigma), Howard Becker (avvikarkarriären) samt Johan Cullberg (kris och utveckling). Detta för att kunna belysa empirin som framkom i studien. I studien har vi använt oss av sex artiklar från tidigare forskning som handlade om hemlöshet. Detta delades upp i fyra olika kategorier och utifrån dessa har vi tillämpat vår empiri. Denna studie utgår från en kvalitativ metod med en hermeneutisk forskningstradition.

Resultatet i studien visade att hälften utav respondenterna var nöjda med de insatser de fick från de sociala myndigheterna. Vi kunde även se att motivation till förändring inte endast var ett krav från de sociala myndigheterna utan genom motivation fick respondenterna de resurser de var i behov av. Andra hälften var inte nöjda med myndigheternas insatser då en del kraven var alldeles för många och svåra att uppnå. Samtliga respondenter betonade frivilliga organisationers betydelse som bidrog till att respondenterna kunde ta sig ur hemlösheten.

Inom det sociala arbetet jobbar yrkesutövare ständigt för att hjälpa samt stödja människor som är i behov av hjälp och stöd. Denna studie har sitt fokus på hur organisationen och arbetssituationen påverkar socialsekreterares arbete samt beslut. Studien har påvisat att dessa faktorer har en påverkan på socialsekreterares arbete samt beslut, vilket var de frågeställningar som vi sökte svar på. Socialsekreterare arbetar utifrån organisationens föreskrivna riktlinjer samt regelverk och dessa lagar samt regler begränsar socialsekreterares handlingsutrymme. Påverkan av arbetssituationen kan vara varierande periodvis då socialsekreterare kan uppleva en hög arbetsbelastning samt en hög personalomsättning som därmed kan bidra till en stressig arbetssituation. Denna studie är genomförd med hjälp av fem semistrukturerade intervjuer och deltagarna var fem verksamma myndighetsutövare. Vi har samlat in material och analyserat det genom teorierna, stressteorin samt gräsrotsbyråkratin och genom tidigare forskning. Studien påvisar att socialsekreterare upplever brister inom organisationen, då det framkom att arbetet präglas av en hög arbetsbelastning och att organisationen begränsar socialsekreterarnas arbete. Det framkom även att arbetsplatsen har en hög personalomsättning och stressig arbetssituation periodvis. Avslutningsvis diskuteras bristerna inom organisationen samt den svåra arbetssituationen som vidare kopplas till resultatet.

The purpose of this study is to shed light on black girls' experience of the majority society's treatment and its significance for their sense of belonging in Sweden. The study is based on a qualitative research method where semi-structured interviews have been conducted with eight black girls. The study is also based on a convenience and a snowball sample. There are three theoretical starting points, racialization, intersectionality and belonging, which have been applied in the analysis of the empirical material. The results of the study show variation in how black girls feel belonging to society in different ways. The majority of respondents do not feel a particularly greater sense of belonging to society, but rather feel a greater sense of belonging to other individuals who share the same conditions as those from outside, for example ethnic background. While others feel a greater sense of belonging to society. This is despite the fact that all respondents have received similar negative treatment from the majority society, which means that they do not feel accepted.

Keywords: black girls, belonging, racialization, majority society, intersectionality

Discretion gives social insurance officers a certain amount of self-determination in the assessment of work ability. A legally secure assessment of work ability and a sharp relation to rules and guidelines are expected. It thus becomes difficult to be self-determinate as rules and guidelines entail some restrictions in the discretion. The purpose of the present study is to examine how social insurance officers with responsibility for disability pension experience their discretion in relation to their main assignment; assessment of the insured’s work ability. To answer the study's purpose and questions, a qualitative method has been used where five semi-structured interviews were accomplished with social insurance officers, all of whom with responsibility for disability pension. The results show that the social insurance officers’ discretion is limited based on legislation, formal roles and the quality of the medical report. Furthermore, there is a minimal space for enabling through the assessment chain, but the limitations prove to have a superior role. Finally, the results show that the social insurance officers’ make the assessment of work ability in different ways. The results of the study have then been analyzed in a thematic analysis based on previous research and theoretical points of departure.

The purpose of the study was to examine how parents talk to their adolescents about violence from the perspective of exposed, exposer and gender. In total, five semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of children with different sexes, aged between 13-19. The empirical material was analysed through thematic analysis and the themes that emerged were differences in conversations based on gender and how parents' understanding of violence affects conversations.

The results show that parents tend to talk with their adolescents if something happens, that is, after a problem has arisen and then on the basis of risks of being subjected to violence or based on their own concerns. Mothers talk about the risk of violence with their children based on their own perceived anxiety about vulnerability, while fathers have easier to see their teenagers from a vulnerable perspective. Differences in how parents talk to their children based on the child's gender can be seen where parents describe that sons talk significantly less than daughters and parents find it more “difficult” to talk to the sons.

Sexual exploitation of children online is a phenomenon that has significantly increased in occurrence apace with the amplified use of the internet in today's society. Current research indicates an incline of about 100 more cases in 2020, compared to the year prior. Sexual exploitation in itself is not a new phenomenon, however the technology assisted exploitation can be considered a new form that needs more research. With a new problem follows the creation of a new type of perpetrator that operates anonymously and often unregulated. The purpose of this study is therefore to investigate how well-equipped different social work practitioners are to face this new phenomenon as well as to identify shortcomings that may exist. This study includes six semi-structured interviews with both social workers with a Degree of Bachelor of Science in Social Work and individuals within independent organizations targeting this phenomenon. The interview results were consequently divided into four different identified themes: Professionals' treatment of subjected children, Are professionals well-equipped to face children subjected to sexual exploitation online?, Children in risk zones, and Different types of sexual exploitation. The themes were subsequently analyzed, mainly on the basis of system- and the foot-in-the-door theory, previous research and Childrens-Needs-In-Center perspective (BBIC).

Youth crime is something that has tended to become increasingly common in today's society, not least in Eskilstuna municipality, where the crimes have become increasingly serious. In order to be able to work in crime prevention, interprofessional cooperation is something that has become a matter of course where several actors have a joint responsibility. The purpose of this study is to create a deeper understanding of the local crime prevention work against youth crime in Eskilstuna municipality between social services, school and police. This is done by describing and analyzing cross-professional cooperation within the framework of the municipality's newly started initiative Safe young people with a focus on the initiative's organization and how the actors work in crime prevention. In order to answer the study's purpose and questions, a qualitative method has been used where six semi-structured interviews were conducted with various representatives from the municipality, social services, school and police. The results of the study show that there are both successes and challenges with cross-professional collaboration, the results also show how important it is to have joint governance, structure and consensus in a collaboration process. The study's results have then been analyzed in a thematic analysis based on previous research and theoretical starting points that are woven together in a final discussion. 

Keywords: crime prevention, young people, exclusion, interprofessional collaboration, youth crime, network, community, social work

Syftet med studien var att beskriva och analysera kvinnors självupplevda erfarenheter av prostitution. Studien önskade besvara frågeställningen: vilka förväntningar, händelser, upplevelser och känslor som format dessa kvinnors resa i steget in, genom och ur prostitution? Studien som var av en kvalitativ ansats har baserats på sex ostrukturerade livsberättelser av kvinnor med erfarenhet av prostitution. Fokus vid intervjuerna har varit kvinnornas egna beskrivningar, upplevelser och känslor av resan in, under och ur prostitution. Studien har haft ett socialpsykologiskt perspektiv som utgångspunkt och dess teoretiska ramverk har bestått av Scheffs begrepp om skam, Goffmans teori om stigma samt Fuchs Ebaugh’s teori “the process of role exit”. Studiens resultat visade på att flera samverkande händelser och upplevelser i kvinnornas liv påverkade deras känslor och förväntningar på sig själva, vilket var framträdande inslag i kvinnornas livsberättelser om deras process, in- genom och ut ur prostitution. Kvinnornas upplevelser och känslor kring prostitutionen framkom vara komplexa. För att kunna bemöta och stödja kvinnor med prostitutionserfarenhet krävs av socialarbetare en förmåga att lyssna utan att döma och kunskap om prostitutionsprocessen. Detta för att inte ytterligare skambelägga och stigmatisera kvinnor med prostitutionserfarenhet.

The ambition of this study is to examine the support that former convicts receive from authorities and civil society as well as the obstacles they face during their reintegration process. Reintegration implies that the individual returns to society after a served sentence. The offered support and the obstacles that former convicts face is analyzed by these following parts: The support that’s offered by both authorities and civil society, the significant factors and the barriers as well as the crime records impact on the reintegration process. This study has conducted five semistructured interviews with Kriminalvården, Krami, Kris and Resursenheten ungdom and familj which forms the basis of this study. This study’s result highlighted the importance of creating a valuable relationship with the former convict rather than focusing on the range of the interventions. The results chapter incorporates previous research, system theory and stigma. This is due to the fact that the previous research emphasizes the importance of a prosocial environment as those who had a poorer social circle were more likely to recidivist.

The conclusion emphasizes the importance of a valuable relationship and encounter with the former convict as well as the obstacles with reintegration due to the criminal record. A conclusion is that the quantity of the available support is not a factor to a successful reentry, rather, it is about an interaction and a valuable relationship between the individual and theprofessional. 

Keywords: Reintegration, interaction, criminal records, support, stigma, system theory.

The purpose of this study review was to examine risk for vulnerability of children and youth with disabilities and in which kind of environments. Three themes were discovered during the study and these were body functioning, activity and participation and surrounding factors. Earlier studies showed the different kinds of risks that children with disabilities could be vulnerable for and in what extent. The risks varied from physical, psychological and sexual abuse to bullying and less participation in various school- and out-of-school activities. The study was a systematic review which means to search, examine and compile existing literature of the topic at hand. The results showed that children with disabilities are at increased risk for different types of vulnerability in comparison to children without disabilities. It also showed that children with disabilities participate less in activities at school and out of school than children without disabilities and that home- and school environments did propose a risk for vulnerability. Girls with disabilities were overrepresented in the risk category of sexual abuse. Conclusions that could be drawn from this review were that socioeconomic factors had a relation with children with disabilities being or not being vulnerable.

Syfte med studien är att undersöka socionomstudenters attityd till den svenska välfärdsstaten och om attityden hos socionomstudenterna gentemot välfärdsstaten skiljer sig beroende på uppväxtförhållande. Vidare ämnar jag undersöka socionomstudenters kunskaper och inställning till politik och arbetsgivare. Examensarbetet har genomförts med en kvantitativ metod där socionomstudenterna fick svara på en webbenkät. Totalt besvarade 131 personer enkäten. Det insamlade datamaterialet har i IBS SPSS Statistics, version 24 främst behandlats deskriptivt för att beskriva socionomstudenternas uppväxtförhållanden, attityder, kunskap, politiska engagemang och partisympatier. Resultaten visade att de svarande socionomstudenterna på den undersökta högskolan är ganska nöjda med den välfärdsstat vi har idag, de vill ha ett högt åtagande av utförandet av välfärden genom stat och lokala myndigheter. En oroväckande hög siffra uppdagades i resultatet i frågan om studenten skulle kunna tänka sig att sjukriva sig för att få en ledig dag. Och förvånansvärt många skulle förbise chefen för att driva fram en förändring på arbetsplatsen.

The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding how social workers at social ser- vices and sheltered housing work with cases involving honor-related violence and oppression (crimes of honour). The following questions are clarified; What dilemmas do social workers describe at social services and in sheltered housing in the work to support women? How can the work on honor-related violence and oppression be understood in relation to a critical practice? The study is based on qualitative interviews with a total of six social workers active in social services and at sheltered housing with women exposed to honour-related violence and oppression. The study's results showed that honour-related violence and oppression are a com- plex area of work, where it can be seen as a challenge for the social services and sheltered ho- mes to assess where a woman can settle in order to be safe. However, the work risks creating stereotypical ideas that can lead to minority groups being stigmatized. All respondents emphasized that the decision to leave the family for a woman exposed to honour violence is a difficult decision, which can lead a woman to return to her old life. When a woman has left her family, it can lead to a feeling of isolation and loneliness. All respondents emphasized that a big part of the work consists of strengthening the woman's own resources and working towards an independent life. Against the background of the previous research that emphasizes the im- portance of collaboration between authorities, there was also an agreement among all respon- dents that a collaboration between different performers is necessary in order to be able to pro- vide protection for the woman in the acute phase, but also in the longer term be able to maintain the woman's protection.

The purpose of this study was to gain increased knowledge and understanding of upper secondary school students' experiences and views on mental illness and whether gender norms affect their ability to seek help. To achieve the purpose of the study, a qualitative research method has been used and six semi-structured interviews with upper secondary school students in Sweden were held. The interviews have been presented, interpreted, and analyzed in relation to previous research and with the help of gender theory and the salutogenic theory. The results of the study have shown that the interviewees viewed mental illness as something negative, which can lead to negative consequences. Contributing factors to mental illness were associated with, for example poor mentality, impaired well-being, and school stress. The interviewees felt that gender roles and norms affect their way of dealing with mental illness. The results have also shown that interviewees experienced that gender roles and norms affect their way of speaking and dealing with mental illness.

Recently, there has been a developing interest concerning children’s voices in for example decision-making and planning within different educational contexts, such as the preschool. Although children’s rights are emphasized, it is not clear how these rights are expressed in children’s everyday life. Further, children from a minority ethnic group risk marginalization in relation to other children as well as to significant adults and the society as a whole. The aim of this study was to analyze children’s perceptions of empowerment in a preschool context in a gender and ethnicity perspective. Data, collected in 2010, comprised of 25 children at 4 different preschools (aged 4-6, 13 girls, 7 children with other ethnicity than Swedish). Two different methods were used: (1) a group interview with 5-8 children at a time, using a puppet interview technique, playing different scenarios involving the children as co-actors, and (2) a photo walk where children took photos of their indoor and outdoor environment. The photos were used as stimulated recall in individual interviews with the children to let them express their empowerment in the everyday life at preschool. Children’s perceptions were in part related to environmental prerequisites such as the social and physical context of the preschool as well as more distal factors such as resources and values on the macro level. Therefore, to highlight the preschool as an influential micro environment in children’s exercising of empowerment, the interview analysis was based on an ecological systems perspective.The intersectional perspective was used to emphasize possible differences in the children’s perceptions of empowerment due to gender and ethnicity. The results indicate that children perceive the preschool teacher as an uncontested authority. In the preschool environment with least resources and most ethnic diversity among the children, there seem to be a tendency that children perceive the teachers as even stronger authorities, than in the more affluent preschool environments. The peer relations are, however, more complex and questioned by the children. If children have internalized parts of the social context, like rules, seem to vary due to their own experience of consequences of such rules. A salient prerequisite for empowerment is to increase children’s opportunities to understand and be understood. Therefore, preschool teachers need to elaborate on children’s experiences.

Increasing mental ill-health among youth and young people sent back and forth between different welfare state actors have been subjects of concern in Sweden in recent years. These young people are often labelled as having ‘complex needs’, with a placement as the social services’ possible intervention. What do young people stress as positive as well as negative experiences with placements? How can the concept ‘complex needs’ be understood in relation to placements? Semi-structured interviews were made in 2018, in two municipalities, with 9 young people between 15-22 years. They have received support from social services and psychiatric care, often related to substance abuse. The young people’s history is often a long-term process of different forms of placements, both in families as well as in residential care. Too short-term interventions may lead to discontinuity in care. Residential care is often perceived of as more storage than treatment and care. Implications are that the young person’s placement need to be more carefully monitored. Treatment introduced at the placement need to be better coordinated and evaluated jointly by social services and psychiatric care. It is important that professionals have more interventions to suggest and are working proactively to avoid future placements.

The aim of this integrative review is to investigate research of social work practices for adolescents and young adults with complex needs. The research questions are: What are the major themes in studies of practices for young people with complex needs? How do studies suggest that complex needs can be met in ways that are beneficial for young people? A young person with complex needs is in this review defined as an adolescent or young adult who, due to mental ill-health in combination with different types of social vulnerabilities, is receiving assistance from multiple welfare services. Searches were conducted in seven databases. These searches resulted in a sample of 1677 records, published 2007-2016, which in the screening process were reduced to 24 publications, all peer-reviewed articles. The participants in the studies in the articles consisted of young people, parents and professionals from mainly Anglo-Saxon countries. The articles were analyzed with qualitative summative content analysis. Three empirically generated themes were found in studies of work practices targeting young people with complex needs: collaboration-, relationship- and empowerment-oriented practices. In conclusion, the practices contain a wide variety of features, but with the joint aim of acknowledging young people's needs. The results can be used by practitioners and policymakers to further the development of services for youth with mental ill-health and social vulnerabilities, who use multiple welfare services.

The objective of this paper is to further the understanding of young people's experiences of out-of-home care (OHC). The focus will be on the tension between negative and positive experiences of OHC, refracted through the concept of liminality. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with 10 young people aged 15–22 (7 women, 3 men) with long-term contact with social services and psychiatric care. OHC can be experienced as a liminal space in both a negative and a positive sense. It is negative when perceived as containment rather than meaningful treatment. It can also be a negative experience when connected to fear, a lack of influence, and uncertainty in terms of being in between the social services and psychiatric care. It is positive when it is perceived as a turning point that enables positive change. It is then connected to feelings of meaningfulness, being respected, hope, and empowerment. The young people participating in the study also connect their experiences of OHC to a context of greater austerity in the welfare state. They reflect upon the benfits of OHC in terms of costs for society, but also the costs for the young person if the OHC is not perceived as meaningful support leading towards positive change. The participants have complex, interrelated needs and problems, and they also experience institutional gaps between psychiatric care and social services. It is important to overcome these gaps, so that young people are not located in ‘in-between spaces’ in terms of service provision. 

The paper uses the concept of recognition to investigate how young people labelled as having ‘complex needs’ experience their encounters with welfare state actors. Semi-structured interviews were held in 2018 with 14 young people, aged 15–22 years, in two Swedish municipalities. The participants have received multiple, long-term interventions from social services and psychiatric care. Research questions are: What aspects in the encounters between welfare state actors and young people may contribute to complexity in their life situations? How can Honneth’s concept of recognition illuminate this complexity? Aspects that have contributed to complexity in young people’s life situations are related to acts of dismissal. These dismissals by welfare state actors are interpreted as forms of disrespect as regards affection, rights or solidarity. Barriers to recognition are also related to the participants’ young age and position as children, and what this implies in a particular society. Our findings show that the difficulties young people face in their encounters with welfare state actors are partly due to the high level of specialization which contributes to an increased organizational complexity. Implications include that, when encountering young people in complex life situations, welfare state actors need to consider the importance of recognition as regards affection, rights, and solidarity. Recognition is central to achieving a positive outcome in working with young people in complex life situations and is expressed in social interactions. Therefore, building relationships needs to be more highly prioritized in welfare state organizations. young people in complex life situations and is expressed in social interactions. Therefore, building relationships needs to be more highly prioritized in welfare state organizations.

This paper concerns preconditions for the well-being of young people with mental ill-health combined with social vulnerabilities, also referred to as youth with complex needs. Research questions are: What barriers to sustainable work practices for young people labelled as having complex needs do professionals encounter? What do professionals identify as possible ways to overcome these barriers? Sustainable work practices are reflected in three themes: empowerment, relationships and collaboration. The findings are based on semi-structured interviews with 24 professionals, 3 men and 21 women, working in psychiatric care and the social services in two Swedish municipalities in 2016 and 2017. Major barriers are lack of continuity and co-ordination in staff and support, and fragmentation of work practices. As a consequence of the increased specialization of human service organizations, young people have to interact with many different professionals which could cause disparate interventions. Possible ways mentioned to overcome these barriers are supported through good interactional skills, using keyworkers as well therapeutic alliances, wrap-around services and case management. Complexity is linked to organizations and work practices rather than to young people. An often dysfunctional service delivery system in organizations with rigid boundaries may also affect professionals’ aim for sustainable support.

The aim was to investigate Swedish parents’ attitudes and experiences in two counties, concerning the use of paid parental leave. The counties Västerbotten has the highest and Skåne the lowest paid parental leave use among fathers. Two municipalities with high and low parental leave use among fathers were studied in respective county, Umeå and Lycksele (Västerbotten) as well as Lund and Tomelilla (Skåne). The methodology was inspired by grounded theory. Data was collected during 2008 and comprised of 32 interviews with fathers and mothers, 20 interviews with key persons like midwives and HR-managers at male dominated enterprises. It also included basic statistics on the municipalities. The results indicate that a traditional division of household labor is a stronger pattern in Skåne couples compared with Västerbotten couples. The same pattern occurs in municipalities with a low parental leave use among fathers compared with those with a high use. A more positive attitude to the parental insurance is found in the municipalities with a high parental leave use among fathers compared to those with a low use. One explanation could be that changes tend to first occur in heterogeneous environments with a relatively young and well educated population, which is the case for Umeå and Lund. In Västerbotten, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and enterprises had campaigns during the 1990s to increase men’s parental leave use which may have contributed positively. Fathers in both counties express positive experiences from having been on parental leave. A dominant impression is that employers overall have shown a positive attitude to fathers’ leave taking.

This paper investigated Swedish parents’ motives for, experiences of and gender equality in relation to paid parental leave. The purpose was to explore similarities and differences in attitudes and experiences between parents in the two regions in Sweden with the largest difference in paid parental leave use among fathers. Data were drawn from interviews completed in 2008 with 16 heterosexual couples with a child born 2005 or 2006. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed according to grounded theory. In terms of experiences of the leave, a positive similarity in the study was that the couples described that they got to know the child better. Some negative similarities were that they felt they were alone and restricted. Primarily, the fathers in the northern part, focused on the lack of male networks. A traditional division of labor was a stronger pattern among couples in the southern region compared with the couples in the northern region. Tendencies are indicated towards an increased child-orientation, which could be connected with a change in hegemonic masculinity. In conclusion, the differences discovered between the four communities may to a great extent be depending on a cultural lag. This implied that change in values tend to take place first in social environments with multiple heterogeneous actors.

The purpose was to explore similarities and differences in motives, experiences and gender equality between parents in two municipalities (one smaller than the other) in each of the two counties in Sweden with the largest difference in paid parental leave use among fathers. Data were drawn from interviews in 2008 with 16 heterosexual couples with a child born 2005 or 2006. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed inspired by grounded theory. A positive similarity was that couples experienced that they got to know the child better. Negative similarities were that mothers and fathers occasionally felt alone and restricted, fathers emphasized lack of male networks. Traditional division of household labor is a stronger pattern among couples in the southern county compared with couples in the northern county. Tendencies are towards increased child-orientation among fathers, which could connect to change in hegemonic masculinity, not necessarily related to increased gender equality in household labor. Differences may depend on that changes in values tend to first occur in heterogeneous social environments, such as the larger municipalities. In the northern county, extensive campaigns have been held during the 1990s to encourage men’s use of paid parental leave, which may have contributed to regional difference.

This qualitative study explores the role and working methods of school counselors in promoting student well-being within the primary school environment, with a particular focus on the use of various strategies and methods. The study highlights how school counselors work to create a safe and supportive atmosphere. The results of the study are based on semi-structured interviews with eleven school counselors from Sörmland, Sweden, this research reveals a diversified use of strategies to promote student health. It also underscores the importance of collaboration as a key factor in establishing a positive school environment. By illuminating these aspects, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the significant role of school counselors and their working methods, which are crucial in supporting and enhancing student well-being within the school setting.

ABSTRACT The purpose of the following qualitative study is to investigate how social workers in the social services make decisions based on the application of law from the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Social Services Act for children of school age up to 15 years, who have problems in their relationship with their guardians and who are exposed to an unsafe environment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four social workers. In the social services' child and youth investigations, the best interests of the child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child are considered in Article 12. The study wants to understand how social workers consider the best interests of the child in investigations and assessment of interventions. There are several different methods that are implemented in the social services' child and youth investigation. BBIC, Signs Of Safety and ACE. The methods are applied to help social workers to investigate those families with children where, for example, there is violence in a close relationship, neglect and where there are shortcomings in parenting. Interventions that the social worker offer are supportive interventions and intervention efforts. Important factors that can affect the assessment one of the efforts is health. Keywords: Sign of Safety, children social work, children mental illness, parental behavior affects children and parents' relationship to their children.

abstract

This study concerns how social workers perceive the concept of honor-related violence and oppression, and how they relate to that in their work. The study focuses on highlighting the social workers’ definition of honor-related violence and oppression, and the possibilities and challenges that they encounter in their work. To answer the study’s main questions, interviews were conducted with 6 social workers. The results of the study show that the social workers have varying definitions of honor-related violence and oppression. However, they all agree that it is closely related to honor, culture and patriarchal views. Social workers experience many challenges in their work with honor-related violence and oppression. The study’s results highlight that social workers find it difficult to reach people exposed to such violence and provide the needed support. Moreover, the victims of honor-related violence come from families with a collective mentality and they find it hard to make their own decisions and ask for help. The study indicates that a broader and clearer definition of honor-related violence and oppression is needed. Apart from that, the social services need to offer more information about how they can support or help people that have been victims of honor-related violence and oppression. 

Title: Dementia care and “best practice” - in everyday life until end of life

Background: This study is part of a project financed by Mälardalen Skill Centre for Health and Welfare (MKHV) 2016-2018, aiming at providing practitioners bases to develop evidence based activities in municipal eldercare.

Aim: To search for “best practice” within municipal care for older persons with dementia (PWD), through a knowledge overview.

Methods: Based on a literature review with search words taking a broad view, 36 articles were analyzed and categorized into three areas: 1. End of life care (EOL) 2. Education for staff and 3. Knowledge of caring and interacting from the perspectives of PWD, next of kin, care professionals and management. The results were presented at three seminars for practitioners who were invited to give feedback.

Results: EOL: Findings show diversity between different care professionals, the PWD and next of kin. Care professionals and next of kin seldom regard dementia as the terminal illness it is. This makes the border between everyday life and end of life care blurred which complicates care and interactions. Education: Intervention studies with education program based on a learning philosophy and focusing on communication are promising. Interprofessional education may help staff to think outside the box. When structural reforms are included in interventions there is a potential for lasting change. Knowledge of caring and interacting showed diverse views on therapies, where intentions of therapies may clash with PWD´s perspectives, such as symptom control rather than adding quality of life. Care management assessments risk being discriminatory if PWD are treated as objects. Nuanced examples of life review and validation method challenge routines and show potentials to enrich life and care of PWD.

Conclusions: A broad view on “best practice” informs dementia care with a holistic perspective encompassing art, communication skills, life history, interprofessional cooperation as well as environmental aspects of everyday life until end of life. More participant observation type of studies are welcome to capture the interplay between the actors: older PWD, their next of kin and care professionals. PWD´s voices are crucial to develop best practices.

Considers the humanistic-historical dimension of ageing and substantiates new perspectives on family roles and intergenerational relationships. Also examines age discrimination, the impact of the increase in early retirement, the effect of old and new technology on older people's lives, and more.

Purpose: The aim is to explore how family relations are affected by societal

changes in relation to informal and formal caregiving and self-determination

of older adults.

Design/methodology/approach: Care managers (CMs)/social workers (SWs)

(N = 124) participated in a comparative vignette study including Japan, South

Korea, and Sweden. Systems theory was used.

Findings: Japanese CMs/SWs clearly describe their efforts to create networks

in a relational way between formal and informal actors in the community. South

Korean CMs/SWs balance between suggesting interventions to support daily

life at home or a move to a nursing home, often acknowledging the family as the

main caregiver. In Sweden, CMs/SWs highlight the juridical element in meeting

the older adult and the interventions offered, and families primarily give social

support. Regarding self-determination, the Japanese priority is for CMs/SWs

to harmonize within the family and the community. South Korean CMs/SWs

express ambivalent attitudes to older adults’ capability for self-determination in

the intersection between formal and family care. Swedish CMs/SWs adhere to

the older adult’s self-determination, while acknowledging the role of the family

in persuading the older adult to accept interventions. The results suggest emerging

defamilialization in South Korea, while tendencies to refamilialization are

noticed in Japan and Sweden, albeit in different ways.

Research limitations/implications: In translation, nuances may be lost. A

focus on changing families shows that country-specific details in care services

have been reduced. For future research, perspectives of “care” need to be studied

on different levels.

Originality/value: Using one vignette in three countries with different welfare

regimes, discussing changing views on families’, communities’ and societal caregiving

is unique. This captures changes in policy, influencing re- and defamilialization.

Problematic school absenteeism is a current and increasing societal problem. The purpose of this master thesis is to create an understanding for the school, social services, and the children and youth psychiatry’s work to promote school attendance and reintegrate elementary school students into the education system. The thesis also aims to portray the cooperation between these actors. This qualitative study is based upon seven semi-structured interviews with professionals within the school, social services, and the children and youth psychiatry. Room of action, cooperation, ecological system theory as well as prior research has been used to analyze the data. What the study concludes is that school attendance contributes to children’s wellbeing, and development. Furthermore, the results showed that neuropsychiatric disabilities is the primary cause of problematic school absenteeism due to a lack of sufficient support. In addition, we learn that problematic school absenteeism is perceived by all interviewees as a challenge. The thesis also unveils that effective cooperation is essential when facing the issue. However, our results prove that both internal, and external cooperation is lacking in relation to problematic school absenteeism. Thus, the study displays the importance of finding functioning work methods to combat problematic school absenteeism and reintegrate students back into the education system. 

The representation of women in prostitution varies over time and space. This study aims to make visual how women in prostitution are being represented in Swedish judicial system today. The study uses a critical discourse analysis, inspired by Fairclough's three-dimensional model, and is based on a theoretical framework of reification theory, theory of respectability and previous research. The study analyzes 68 court verdicts, published in 2018 on the legal database Karnov Juridik, Kvinnifridspropositionen (Prop. 1997/98: 55) and an evaluation of the law's application and effect (SOU 2010: 49).

The study makes visible a two-part image of the woman as occasionally invisible and occasionally defined on the basis of prostitution. The study shows how an overall market discursive perspective through the verdicts relates to a focus on the purchase of sex, rather than the parties involved. The study shows that the focus on the woman in prostitution, which was widely criticized and which the law reform intended to shift towards the sex buyers, continues to stay on the women in prostitution.