Paul and death : a study in psychological coping

The present investigation looks into the attitudes toward death in Paul’s authentic letters, and puts them in relation to modern theories of psychological coping. Drawing on psychologically-oriented hermeneutic theory, and theories about psychological coping in particular, I argue that each case of psychological coping must be understood in its historical situation as strategies emanating from a specific person’s subjective appraisal (cf. Pargament, Lazarus and Folkman). Paul’s letters frequently refer to persecution and violent death. To aid in psychological coping is often integral to the purpose of the letters, which makes the perspective of psychological coping akin to their genre. In the course of a tentatively assumed chronological order of 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Romans, Philippians, and Philemon, Paul moves from the perception of Jesus dying for the faithful to the understanding of dying with Jesus. His coping strategies concerning death are gradually transformed from conservative and deferring coping styles, to a more self-directing coping style, to collaborative and transformative coping styles, and finally to a new sense of deferring coping style in prison. The last case of deferring coping carries the traits of generosity and flexibility even in the face of death, which is in contrast to his previous letters. Through his correspondence, we see Paul’s attitude toward death transformed from denial to reaction, to processing, to acceptance (cf. Lindemann, Kübler-Ross, Bowlby, Parkes, among others). His strategies also shift in accordance with these understandings. Denial is accompanied by diversion, threat by aggression, processing by rumination, and acceptance by joy. The study shows the hermeneutic benefits of reading Paul’s letters as the rhetorically framed expressions of a person in a particular historical situation. The letters open small windows through which we can glimpse the coping process of a person of antiquity. In adopting the method of psychological exegesis, the study shows that the variety of attitudes toward death in Paul’s letters makes sense from the perspective of psychological coping. The psychological aspect of these letters is an underexamined richness that can extend into areas of contemporary individual and group identity, and from there to public policy and ethics

A Study and Analysis of the Reorganization of the Swedish Honorary Consulates after the Entry in the European Union.

This thesis aims to analyse the problems concerning the reorganization of the Swedish consulary system, which took place right after the Swedish entry in the European Union in 1995. This thesis shows the underlying debate in the Parliament before the changes. It also discusses which factors caused the reorganisation. My work focuses on the Swedish consulary representation in Spain which exist of an embassy in Madrid and 20 underlying honorary consulates. The consulates are not foreign authorities but are still handeling a lot of cases as an govenmental authority. This add to the fact that the assignment as an consul is unpaid makes the case with the honorary consulates even more complex. The thesis analyses the problems with the implementaty chain and it also sees to the consul´s role. The consul works as a burecrate right under the Embassay, which in their turn works under the Foreign Affair departement (UD) in Stockholm. The role is quite complex and has to be seen in both a top- down and an bottom- up perspective, taking consideration to the local conditions. Threw a metod of interviews and empirical research is my intention to analyse the role of the counsul, the power of the authorities and the legitimacy of the consulary activities with the help of theories from Michael Lipsky’s Street- Level bureaucracy, Guy Peter’s management thinking and Max Weber’s legitimacy thoughts. The result of the analysis indicates that there are some problems with the Swedish consulary activities of today. The system is not a long- term solution and it has to be rechanged to be both effective and durable. The opinions of the future consulary system are diverging and they suggest different courses of development even though most of the involved proclaims that a changing is needed in one way or another

How to express a disagreement in daily conversation?

El objetivo del presente estudio es comparar la expresión del desacuerdo en dos conversaciones coloquiales, una española y una sueca. Partimos de la hipótesis de que los españoles en mayor grado que los suecos, expresan el desacuerdo claramente mediante estilos y recursos argumentativos que pueden ser interpretados como francos y que pueden hacer que corran riesgos de causar un conflicto entre los interlocutores. En lo que concierne a los suecos suponemos que utilizan, en mayor grado que los españoles, formas mitigadas de articular el desacuerdo, a fin de evitar conflictos. El estudio lo realizamos de forma cualitativa y cuantitativa mediante el análisis de las conversaciones. Los desacuerdos encontrados los analizamos cualitativamente clasificando cada uno por el estilo argumentativo y el recurso argumentativo usado al expresarlos. A continuación, para poder realizar una comparación entre las conversaciones, aplicamos el método cuantitativo. Al comparar los resultados cuantitativos de las conversaciones, nos fijamos en las formas más usadas en cada conversación y pretendemos mostrar algunos vínculos entre el uso y la imagen básica de cada cultura. Posteriormente discutimos el grado de franqueza que tienen los estilos argumentativos y recursos argumentativos empleados en las conversaciones, con el propósito de poder concluir en qué conversación, de las dos estudiadas, hay más grado de franqueza en la expresión del desacuerdo.  La hipótesis defiende que existe una diferencia del grado de franqueza al expresar el desacuerdo en las conversaciones. Sin embargo, la diferencia no es tan grande como nos esperábamos, teniendo en cuenta la imagen básica de las dos culturas

¿Cómo? – the use of target language in language classrooms

Denna studie behandlar målspråksanvändningen i undervisningen av ett andra- och ett främmandespråk. Syftet med studien är att i en jämförelse analysera om lärarens metoder för målspråksanvändning som används i andraspråksklassrummet, där målspråket är det gemensamma språket, kan appliceras i främmandespråksklassrummet, där det gemensamma språket är landets officiella språk. Forskningsfrågorna som studien utgår ifrån behandlar vilken tillgång eleverna har till målspråket i klassrummet samt om det synliggörs skillnader i språkklassrummen, som påverkar möjligheten att utveckla elevernas kommunikativa förmåga. Studien baseras på klassrumsobservationer, lärarintervjuer samt elevenkäter och genomfördes i grupper vilka studerade svenska som andraspråk samt spanska som främmandespråk. Samtliga metoder visar att svenskstudenterna i högre utsträckning möter begripligt inflöde samt ges utrymme för att tala och interagera på målspråket, vilket är en förutsättning för andraspråkstillägnande. De skillnader som synliggjorts i de olika språkklassrummen är att i svenskklassrummet var lärarnas förväntningar, elevernas engagemang att interagera på målspråket samt behovet av målspråket högre än i spanskklassrummet. Ur detta resultat kan man utläsa förändringsbara faktorer som lärare kan applicera i språkundervisningen så den blir mer språkutvecklande, vilka är: vikten av att begripliggöra inflödet genom språkutvecklande strategier, att stötta eleverna i att pröva sina språkliga hypoteser, att organisera rika klassrumssamtal där eleverna får förhandla om innebörd samt att ha höga förväntningar på eleverna. Samtliga faktorer synliggörs i denna studie i andraspråksklassrummen men inte alla är synliga i främmandespråksklassrummen

“I actually do not want to work when I am not getting paid” : How professionals working with information technology and communications’ perceived health is affected in a completely connected Sweden

Most professionals working in the field of information technology and communication are able to also work with digital media outside working hours, which could blur the distinction between work and private life. The aim of the study is to examine how the perceived health of these professionals is affected when the boundaries between work and private life blur and to identify the positive and negative aspects of using digital media outside of working hours. The effects on the actual health of professionals working in this line of work are not being examined in this study. Based on existing literature on aspects of working with digital media outside working hours, a quantitative and qualitative survey was distributed to employees working with information technology and/or communication. The study was complemented by additional qualitative interviews. The results suggest that the perceived health of the majority of respondents was negatively impacted by working with digital media outside of working hours. The main reason for this is that they feel overwhelmed with information. One of the conclusions of this study is that respondents may be negatively influenced by the use of digital media outside of working hours but that this does not have to be the case necessarily. A further conclusion is that there are complex combinations of advantages and disadvantages from these aspects which affect respondents more individually. In addition, the study shows that companies need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of using digital media outside working hours in order to provide healthy working conditions for their employees

Playing, living, moving – and fearing? Families’ management of risk and safety through play (and) mobility : [Spielen, leben, bewegen – und fürchten? Familienmanagement von Risiko und Sicherheit durch Spiel (und) Mobilität]

This article focuses on the everyday mobilities of families living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in Sweden. Through the use of interview material from two ongoing qualitative research projects on families’ apartment living, and on everyday mobility in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, we analyse how families account for the organization of collective family mobilities in order to enable and support children’s play and movement. Departing from a relational understanding of mobility, the article contributes to research on children’s everyday mobilities by focusing on how these are enmeshed with collective family mobilities as well as entangled with the neighbourhood context. The findings show how family play outings to parks, playgrounds and commercial play centres are a way for families to handle risk as well as to do and display ‘togetherness’, through the creation of ‘safe family spaces’ on the move for children’s play and movement. Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit der Alltagsmobilität von Familien, die in einem benachteiligten Viertel in Schweden leben. Anhand von Interviewmaterial aus zwei laufenden qualitativen Forschungsprojekten zum Wohnen von Familien und zur alltäglichen Mobilität in benachteiligten Stadtvierteln wird analysiert, wie Familien kollektive Familienmobilität gestalten, um Spiel und Bewegung der Kinder zu ermöglichen und zu unterstützen. Ausgehend von einem relationalen Verständnis von Mobilität trägt der Artikel zur Erforschung der Alltagsmobilität von Kindern und Familien bei, indem herausgearbeitet wird, wie diese miteinander sowie dem sozialräumlichen Kontext des Viertels verwoben sind. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, wie Familienausflüge in Parks, auf Spielplätze und in kommerzielle Spielzentren eine Möglichkeit für Familien darstellen, mit Risiken umzugehen und "Zusammengehörigkeit" zu zeigen, indem sie unterwegs "sichere Familienräume" für das Spiel und die Bewegung der Kinder schaffen.

Playing, living, moving – and fearing? Families’ management of risk and safety through play (and) mobility : [Spielen, leben, bewegen – und fürchten? Familienmanagement von Risiko und Sicherheit durch Spiel (und) Mobilität]

This article focuses on the everyday mobilities of families living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in Sweden. Through the use of interview material from two ongoing qualitative research projects on families’ apartment living, and on everyday mobility in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, we analyse how families account for the organization of collective family mobilities in order to enable and support children’s play and movement. Departing from a relational understanding of mobility, the article contributes to research on children’s everyday mobilities by focusing on how these are enmeshed with collective family mobilities as well as entangled with the neighbourhood context. The findings show how family play outings to parks, playgrounds and commercial play centres are a way for families to handle risk as well as to do and display ‘togetherness’, through the creation of ‘safe family spaces’ on the move for children’s play and movement. Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit der Alltagsmobilität von Familien, die in einem benachteiligten Viertel in Schweden leben. Anhand von Interviewmaterial aus zwei laufenden qualitativen Forschungsprojekten zum Wohnen von Familien und zur alltäglichen Mobilität in benachteiligten Stadtvierteln wird analysiert, wie Familien kollektive Familienmobilität gestalten, um Spiel und Bewegung der Kinder zu ermöglichen und zu unterstützen. Ausgehend von einem relationalen Verständnis von Mobilität trägt der Artikel zur Erforschung der Alltagsmobilität von Kindern und Familien bei, indem herausgearbeitet wird, wie diese miteinander sowie dem sozialräumlichen Kontext des Viertels verwoben sind. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, wie Familienausflüge in Parks, auf Spielplätze und in kommerzielle Spielzentren eine Möglichkeit für Familien darstellen, mit Risiken umzugehen und "Zusammengehörigkeit" zu zeigen, indem sie unterwegs "sichere Familienräume" für das Spiel und die Bewegung der Kinder schaffen.

The everyday in motion : A research and knowledge review on families’ everyday mobility, social sustainability and aobility justice

Syftet med rapporten är att förstå vad social hållbarhet betyder i relation till resande, transporter och vardagliga förflyttningar. Av särskilt intresse är det resande som präglar vardagslivet för familjer i socialt utsatta områden. Till grund för rapporten ligger en forsknings- och kunskapsöversikt som berör befintlig forskning om vilken roll resande och transporter spelar i människors liv och hur det kan kopplas till makt, rättvisa och samhällsplanering. Rapporten visar att den tidigare forskningen om transporter, resande och resvanor inte tillräckligt belyser hur urbana områden med en hög andel låginkomsttagare med svag arbetsmarknadsanknytning organiserar och hanterar sin vardagsmobilitet. Forskning om ”transportfattigdom” belyser dock hur tillgång till och möjligheten att utnyttja befintliga transporter leder till ojämlikhet för personer med låg inkomst. Vardagslivets organisering där jobb, familjeliv, restid, och interaktion med institutioner kräver att familjer med en eller flera yrkesarbetande vuxna kan kontrollera sin tid. De studier som specifikt intresserat sig för familjers, barns och ungas resandepraktiker och vad det innebär för att kunna uppnå social hållbarhet, betonar närhet, trygghet och självständighet som viktiga faktorer för samhällsplaneringen. Begreppet mobilitetsrättvisa presenteras slutligen som ett fruktbart sammanhållet ramverk att arbeta med i kommande studier om familjers vardagliga mobilitet i socialt utsatta områden.The purpose of this report is to understand what social sustainability means in relation to travel, transport and everyday mobility. Of particular interest is the travel that characterizes everyday life for families in socially disadvantaged areas. The report is based on a research and knowledge overview that concerns existing research on the role of travel and transport in people's lives, and how it can be linked to power, justice and urban planning. The previous research on transport, travel and travel habits thus does not shed sufficient light on how urban areas with a high proportion of low-income earners with weak labor market connections organize and manage their everyday mobility. However, research on “transport poverty” highlights how access to and the opportunity to use existing transport leads to inequality for people with low incomes. The organization of everyday life where work, family life, travel time, and interaction with institutions requires that families with one or more working adults can control their time. The studies that are specifically interested in the travel practices of families, children and young people and what it means to be able to achieve social sustainability emphasize proximity, security and independence as important factors for urban planning. The concept mobility justice is presented as a fruitfully cohesive framework for working with in future studies on families' everyday mobility in socially vulnerable areas