Journal Staff

Scandinavian prehistory has hitherto received little attention in the field of history didactics. In Swedish schools, it is taught in the lower grades in accordance with traditional periodization: the Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age and the Viking Age. The aim of the present thesis is to provide an overview of Scandinavian prehistory as presented by 20th- and early 21st-century history textbooks and to trace its development and revisions. These revisions are situated in relation to contemporary society and concurrent developments in archaeological research. This study attempts to demonstrate the extent to which history textbooks and archaeological research correspond. In a long-term perspective, the textbooks form a developmental chain in which the gradual revision of historical culture is made manifest. As presented in the textbooks, prehistoric history expresses a historical culture valid in the context of a particular era. The concept of cultural memory, a memory that extends so far back in history that it can only be mediated by someone with expert knowledge (e.g. teachers, journalists or scholars), is applied in order to observe changes in its description. Cultural memory reveals how some stories constantly recur, while others are neglected or forgotten. The textbooks have been compared to standard archaeological works and their development and revisions have been examined from dual perspectives - "story" as cultural memory and gender. The present thesis reveals that most of the stories have been remembered and repeated for more than a century, though interpretations sometimes change along with changes in society and progress in research. A gender perspective elucidates the chores and activities ascribed to prehistoric men and women, respectively, and the changes they have undergone. Although archaeological findings have been influenced by gender research, this study indicates that society itself has had the greatest impact on the treatment of gender in the textbooks. Perceptions of "male" and "female" have changed and women have been become visible after previously being as good as ignored. Both history textbooks and archaeological research are clearly affected by general trends in society and the textbooks under investigation have evolved from focusing on nationalistic aspects and the predominance of men to assigning equal value to people of all cultures and to the sexes

The Politics of Recognition, Kosovo and International Law

This working paper offers an international legal perspective on the diverse and conflicting international reactions in response to Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence on 17 February 2008. Considering the failure of the UN Security Council in conjuring up a common position, whether a condemnation or approval of Kosovo’s desire to become an independent and sovereign member of the international community, each State was left to decide, on its own terms, how to react. The Council’s failure is the upshot to what may be defined as the ‘politics of recognition’, ie, a diversity of differing and conflicting reactions of third States in response to the Kosovo Declaration, which reproduce the main positions in the original dispute rather than settling it. Against this background, the aim of this paper is three-fold. First, it seeks to explain the emergence of these politics. Secondly, it examines the complex nature of the disagreement that lies behind the diverse reactions, which includes a consideration of the reasons behind the different positions of recognising and objecting States as well as an interpretation of why so many States have chosen to remain silent. Thirdly, the paper reflects on the unfortunate implications of these politics. While by no means discarding the inherent international legal dimensions to the original dispute between Pristina and Belgrade, and a role for the International Court of Justice, the paper expresses hesitation about the capacity of international law and the Court to settle the disagreement about international law that is now developing. Furthermore, an exclusive focus on international law detracts attention from the need to continue to approach realities on the ground with a view to establishing a sustainable peace in the Balkan region

Active Management of Non-Granular Loan Portfolios

This thesis considers quantitative tools for assessing concentration risks in credit portfolios that may underlie decision making in an active portfolio management setting. The study incorporates a literature review, which considers analytical and simulation based credit risk models in a Merton-type framework as well as aspects of credit portfolio management. The literature review is followed by a numerical analysis in which the credit risk models are evaluated with respect to accuracy and computational efficiency and the results suggests that the simulations based models are suitable for being incorporated into an active portfolio management framework in the setting tested

A Royally Good Idea? A Study of the Relationship Between Swedish State Visits and Aggregate Swedish Merchandise Exports.

Most countries engage in a wide variety of export promotion activities that provide domestic firms with significant support in the hopes of increasing trade volumes. The aim of this thesis is to examine one type of official Swedish export promotion, namely state visits. I investigate the potential effect of state visits, performed by Sweden’s head of state King Carl XVI Gustaf, on Swedish aggregate merchandise exports. This is done by estimating a gravity model fixed effects panel data specification of Swedish exports for the period 1973 to 2006. I find no evidence, in my analysis, of state visits having any effect on Swedish aggregate exports, suggesting that state visits may not be a particularly useful export promotion activity

Hur påverkar tidigare erfarenhet val av miljöer för friluftsliv? : identifiera friluftsmiljöer för olika behov med hjälp av PSD modellen

This study investigates how previous experience affect preference of environments for outdoor recreation. The Perceived Sensory Dimensions model was used to categorise perceived qualities at preferred places. A survey with 10 questions was sent out in social media and in a newsletter to all members of the Swedish Outdoor Association. A total of 716 responses were analysed by mixing methods, combining quantitative with qualitative analyses. Statistics were analysed with descriptive tools, and descriptions of nature were analysed with a thematic method, then integrated interpretations were made. The respondents were divided in three groups depending on previous experience. The result showed support for the importance of nature areas near dwellings (within 5-10 minutes) regardless of previous experience. All practitioners in the study preferred serene nature areas with trees, water, views, and nature sounds. The group with least experience showed more interest in areas with social support, and they were in general younger and less stressed than the more experienced. Practitioners with high experience preferred biodiverse nature without trails, away from other people and disturbance. The group with average experience suffered more frequent from stress than the other groups and might not seek restoration as often as they need. Overall, results suggest that the average and high experience groups might consist of individuals that are more sensitive in relation to environmental stimuli than novice practitioners and thus have a stronger need for outdoor recreation in serene natural settings. Most respondents seek solitude in such environments, and it is therefore vital to offer enough areas with those qualities to cover people’s needs. Further studies could dig deeper in reasons for possible differences in sensitivity between experience groups, why novice nature visitors are younger, and how place attachment affect choices of environments for outdoor recreation

Rekindling the Agenda on Women, Peace and Security: can the EU lead by example?

The terrain of war and peace is not gender neutral. This was recognised for the first time by the UN Security Council in its resolution 1325 (UNSC 1325) adopted on 31 October 2000. It is a historic decision for the global efforts to achieve the equality of women and girls in this terrain. For the first time, the principal organ with primary responsibility for international security acknowledged a longstanding neglect of women and girls in international responses to armed-conflict situations. It also set out a pathway for remedying this neglect

The significance of design for preservation of the urban wilderness : an analysis of Strandskogen

Den urbana vildmarken finns i och runtom våra städer. Till följd av det förtätningsideal som råder inom modern stadsutveckling så riskerar dessa områden att försvinna till förmån för fler bostäder och andra former av urban grönska. Detta är en utveckling som inte bara riskerar att påverka värdefulla ekosystem och biodiversiteten i städerna utan som även begränsa möjligheten för stadens invånare att se och uppleva vild natur. Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka förutsättningar för bevarade av urban vildmark. Något som låter sig göras genom en analys av gestaltningsprojektet Strandskogen. Här diskuteras synen på urban natur och dessutom prövas teorin kring gestaltning som en möjlighet att länka samman vildmarkens ekologiska värden med människors behov av vild natur. Slutligen förs ett resonemang kring balansen mellan att tillgänggöra och behovet att bevara en plats. Förhoppningen med arbetet är synliggöra behovet av urban vildmark och att det krävs gestaltning för att tillgängliggöra dessa områden såväl fysiskt som mentalt. Men ambitionen är också att lyfta fram svårigheterna med en sådan utformning där det handlar om att hitta en balans mellan att skydda och att skapa tillträde. En gestaltning som bygger på ett finstämt samspel mellan naturen och människan, där det krävs kunskap och lyhördhet för att uppnå ett lyckat resultat.The urban wilderness can be found within and around our cities. Due to the densification trend which is a part of the modern urban development there is a risk that areas like this will be replaced. Instead there will be new residential areas or other kinds of urban nature. This does not only risk to impair valuable ecosystems and the biodiversity in the cities, but also will it cause limited opportunities for city dwellers to experience wild nature. The purpose of this study is to examine the conditions for preservation of the urban wilderness. This will be done by analyzing the design project Strandskogen. The perception of urban nature is discussed and in addition the theory where design is seen as a possible link between ecological values and people's need for wild nature is tested. Finally, the balance between making a place accessible and the need to preserve it is discussed. With this study I hope to illustrate the need for urban wilderness and that design is required to make these areas available, physically and mentally. The ambition is also to highlight the difficulties with such a design, which is all about finding a balance between protecting and creating access. Design based on a discreet interaction between man and nature, where knowledge and sensitivity are prerequisite for a successful result