Cultural Professionalism : Links of implementation and information between public administration and minority groups. A description and an evaluation of its trade-offs

With increased immigration into western democracies, how to establish generalised trust in society has received new attention. Are minorities and immigrants low trust levels best remediated through Putnam’s theory of civil organisation engagement or Rothstein’s theory of impartial institutions? Simultaneously, people are hired based on their cultural identity to work with minorities and immigrants in Swedish public administration, which is thought to increase the target group’s trust. This resembles the ideas of representative bureaucracy and conflicts with traditional merit recruitment and Rothstein’s theory. This thesis uses an inductive ideal type method based on an assumption of thin rationality to study the phenomena of hiring based on cultural identity, which it names cultural professionalism. It askes firstly, what does cultural professionalism contribute with that makes it desirable for actors in public administration and how is this related to trust? Secondly, what are the trade-offs when using cultural professionalism in public administration? Through studying the rational of the phenomena for actors directly affected by it, the findings indicate that cultural professionalism is a way to communicate information and legitimise implementation towards minority groups. The cultural professionals use their trustworthiness within the group to link implementation and information from public administration towards the group, and information from the group towards public administration. This information also has a socialising potential. The trust is however particularised, i.e. not bridged to public administration. Problematic logics discovered in the material are evaluated towards the three values of public administration: democracy, rule of law and efficiency. In sum, cultural professionals imply trade-offs for democracy and rule of law, and appears to favour efficiency. Lastly, cultural professionalism is described and defined as a “new” ideal type legitimacy model in policy implementation

Fruit Pouch Consumption and Dietary Patterns Related to BMIz at 18 Months of Age

Concerns have been raised that an overconsumption of baby food fruit pouches among toddlers might increase the risk of childhood obesity. This study aimed to quantify the consumption of fruit pouches and other fruit containing food products and to explore potential correlations between the consumption of these products and body-mass index z-score (BMIz) at 18 months, taking other predictive factors into consideration. The study was based on 1499 children and one-month-recall food frequency questionnaires from the Swedish population-based birth cohort NorthPop. Anthropometric outcome data were retrieved from child health care records. BMIz at 18 months of age was correlated to maternal BMI and gestational weight gain and inversely correlated to fruit juice consumption and breastfeeding. BMIz at 18 months of age was not correlated to consumption of fruit pouches, sugar-sweetened beverages, whole fruit or milk cereal drink. Overweight at 18 months of age was correlated to maternal BMI and inversely correlated to breastfeeding duration. To our knowledge, this is the first study that investigates possible associations between baby food fruit pouch consumption and overweight in toddlers. We found that moderate fruit pouch consumption is not associated with excess weight at 18 months of age

Cultural Professionalism : Links of implementation and information between public administration and minority groups. A description and an evaluation of its trade-offs

With increased immigration into western democracies, how to establish generalised trust in society has received new attention. Are minorities and immigrants low trust levels best remediated through Putnam’s theory of civil organisation engagement or Rothstein’s theory of impartial institutions? Simultaneously, people are hired based on their cultural identity to work with minorities and immigrants in Swedish public administration, which is thought to increase the target group’s trust. This resembles the ideas of representative bureaucracy and conflicts with traditional merit recruitment and Rothstein’s theory. This thesis uses an inductive ideal type method based on an assumption of thin rationality to study the phenomena of hiring based on cultural identity, which it names cultural professionalism. It askes firstly, what does cultural professionalism contribute with that makes it desirable for actors in public administration and how is this related to trust? Secondly, what are the trade-offs when using cultural professionalism in public administration? Through studying the rational of the phenomena for actors directly affected by it, the findings indicate that cultural professionalism is a way to communicate information and legitimise implementation towards minority groups. The cultural professionals use their trustworthiness within the group to link implementation and information from public administration towards the group, and information from the group towards public administration. This information also has a socialising potential. The trust is however particularised, i.e. not bridged to public administration. Problematic logics discovered in the material are evaluated towards the three values of public administration: democracy, rule of law and efficiency. In sum, cultural professionals imply trade-offs for democracy and rule of law, and appears to favour efficiency. Lastly, cultural professionalism is described and defined as a “new” ideal type legitimacy model in policy implementation

Cultural Professionalism : Links of implementation and information between public administration and minority groups. A description and an evaluation of its trade-offs

With increased immigration into western democracies, how to establish generalised trust in society has received new attention. Are minorities and immigrants low trust levels best remediated through Putnam’s theory of civil organisation engagement or Rothstein’s theory of impartial institutions? Simultaneously, people are hired based on their cultural identity to work with minorities and immigrants in Swedish public administration, which is thought to increase the target group’s trust. This resembles the ideas of representative bureaucracy and conflicts with traditional merit recruitment and Rothstein’s theory. This thesis uses an inductive ideal type method based on an assumption of thin rationality to study the phenomena of hiring based on cultural identity, which it names cultural professionalism. It askes firstly, what does cultural professionalism contribute with that makes it desirable for actors in public administration and how is this related to trust? Secondly, what are the trade-offs when using cultural professionalism in public administration? Through studying the rational of the phenomena for actors directly affected by it, the findings indicate that cultural professionalism is a way to communicate information and legitimise implementation towards minority groups. The cultural professionals use their trustworthiness within the group to link implementation and information from public administration towards the group, and information from the group towards public administration. This information also has a socialising potential. The trust is however particularised, i.e. not bridged to public administration. Problematic logics discovered in the material are evaluated towards the three values of public administration: democracy, rule of law and efficiency. In sum, cultural professionals imply trade-offs for democracy and rule of law, and appears to favour efficiency. Lastly, cultural professionalism is described and defined as a “new” ideal type legitimacy model in policy implementation

ÄTA - arbeten och dess ekonomiska konsekvenser : Studie av flerfamiljshus

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand which aspects that alterations and additional work affect the end result financially and what consequences it has. This study also wants to find out if there are similarities between different projects, regarding why and how alternations and additional work arise, as well as how this can be counteracted. This is done through interviews with various operators, literature studie and document analysis, finally the answers will be compiled and compared. Method: The method consists of data collection in the form of interview studie and document analysis based on different operators and projects with the aime of obtaining different perspectives. A literature studie was implemented based on course literature and relevant web pages in order to obtain basic information before the own investigation. Results: From the result it appears that the planning is the most important aspect to highlight as it lays the foundation for the entire project. It is possible to prevent alternations and additional work by having well executed construction documents, planning for alternations and additional work in case they arise and implementing basic investigations to have all the information about the project before the production starts. Conclusions: The conclusion of this studie is that it fulfilled its purpose when it became clear how alterations and additional work arise and what consequences it has financially. Alternations and additional work always arise regardless of the size of the project, but how the alternations and additional work arise varies. Alternations and additional work are almost always based on the start of the project when the entire project is planned and prepared for the production. It is therefore very important that the construction documents and other foundation work are correct in order to reduce the alternation and additional work as much as possible. In the projects that the study has included they contain low percentage of the alternations and additional work which affect the final results as it cannot give an overall picture of how the construction industry looks in terms of alternations and additional work.  Keywords:  Alternations and additional work, Economy, Turnkey contract, Apartment building, Constructions documents, Project planning, Productio

ÄTA - arbeten och dess ekonomiska konsekvenser : Studie av flerfamiljshus

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand which aspects that alterations and additional work affect the end result financially and what consequences it has. This study also wants to find out if there are similarities between different projects, regarding why and how alternations and additional work arise, as well as how this can be counteracted. This is done through interviews with various operators, literature studie and document analysis, finally the answers will be compiled and compared. Method: The method consists of data collection in the form of interview studie and document analysis based on different operators and projects with the aime of obtaining different perspectives. A literature studie was implemented based on course literature and relevant web pages in order to obtain basic information before the own investigation. Results: From the result it appears that the planning is the most important aspect to highlight as it lays the foundation for the entire project. It is possible to prevent alternations and additional work by having well executed construction documents, planning for alternations and additional work in case they arise and implementing basic investigations to have all the information about the project before the production starts. Conclusions: The conclusion of this studie is that it fulfilled its purpose when it became clear how alterations and additional work arise and what consequences it has financially. Alternations and additional work always arise regardless of the size of the project, but how the alternations and additional work arise varies. Alternations and additional work are almost always based on the start of the project when the entire project is planned and prepared for the production. It is therefore very important that the construction documents and other foundation work are correct in order to reduce the alternation and additional work as much as possible. In the projects that the study has included they contain low percentage of the alternations and additional work which affect the final results as it cannot give an overall picture of how the construction industry looks in terms of alternations and additional work.  Keywords:  Alternations and additional work, Economy, Turnkey contract, Apartment building, Constructions documents, Project planning, Productio

Fruit pouch consumption and dietary patterns related to BMIz at 18 months of age

Concerns have been raised that an overconsumption of baby food fruit pouches among toddlers might increase the risk of childhood obesity. This study aimed to quantify the consumption of fruit pouches and other fruit containing food products and to explore potential correlations between the consumption of these products and body-mass index z-score (BMIz) at 18 months, taking other predictive factors into consideration. The study was based on 1499 children and one-month-recall food frequency questionnaires from the Swedish population-based birth cohort NorthPop. Anthropometric outcome data were retrieved from child health care records. BMIz at 18 months of age was correlated to maternal BMI and gestational weight gain and inversely correlated to fruit juice consumption and breastfeeding. BMIz at 18 months of age was not correlated to consumption of fruit pouches, sugar-sweetened beverages, whole fruit or milk cereal drink. Overweight at 18 months of age was correlated to maternal BMI and inversely correlated to breastfeeding duration. To our knowledge, this is the first study that investigates possible associations between baby food fruit pouch consumption and overweight in toddlers. We found that moderate fruit pouch consumption is not associated with excess weight at 18 months of age

Theorizing the Westphalian system of states: international relations from absolutism to capitalism

This article provides a new approach, revolving around contested property relations, for theorizing the constitution, operation and transformation of geopolitical systems, exemplified with reference to early modern international relations. Against the cross-paradigmatic IR consensus that equates the Westphalian Settlement with the codification of modern international relations, the article shows to which degree 17th and 18th century European geopolitics remained tied to rather unique pre-modern practices. These cannot be understood on the basis of realist or constructivist premises. In contrast, the theoretical argument is that the proprietary and personalized character of dynastic sovereignty was predicated on pre-capitalist property relations. Dynasticism, in turn, translated into historically specific patterns of conflict and cooperation that were fundamentally governed by the competitive logic of geopolitical accumulation. The decisive break to international modernity comes with the rise of the first modern state — England. After the establishment of a capitalist agrarian property regime and the transformation of the English state in the 17th century, post-1688 Britain starts to restructure international relations in a long-term process of geopolitically combined and socially uneven development