Support for sustainable welfare? : A study of public attitudes related to an eco-social agenda among Swedish residents

This thesis explores Swedish residents’ attitudes related to an eco-social agenda from a sustainable welfare perspective. It investigates public support for general policy goals related to an eco-social agenda as well as for specific eco-social policies. The thesis also analyses the significance of the individuals’ socioeconomic characteristics, their values, and the context they are situated in relation to the attitudes they express. It also explores what kind of political activities they are involved in (if at all) to prevent climate change and promote societal change, and how various modes of political action are associated with the attitudes. This kind of study is crucial in times of imperative social-ecological transformations where the strive towards sustainable welfare and the realising of an eco-social agenda can be seen as key in a just and climate-neutral society. Public support and engagement in terms of both attitudes and political action are central components in societal transformations in democratic societies. The thesis is a compilation thesis based on four research articles. It follows a quantitative research design by analysing data from an original cross-sectional survey study by the means of, for example, regression and multiple correspondence analyses. The survey study followed a stratified random sampling strategy targeting residents living in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, and Sweden at large. The results show that quite a substantial share of Swedish residents express attitudes consistent with an eco-social agenda from a sustainable welfare perspective, even though comparatively large shares of the respondents also express sceptical attitudes. This suggests that the respondents tend to be rather divided in their attitudes, a finding that seemed to be enhanced when the individual-level and contextual-level factors that were associated with the attitudes were taken into account. The individual-level and contextual-level factors – which were categorised in the four analytical concepts of homo economicus, homo sociologicus, homo locus and homo politicus – are in various ways and degrees associated with the attitudes. One factor, i.e., political ideology, stand out in the sense that it is significantly and strongly associated with the attitudes both when measured in terms of support for general policy goals and for specific eco-social policies. The results thus point towards a political polarisation in attitudes related to an eco-social agenda. Consequently, the thesis shows that there are obstacles that need to be overcome in the strive towards sustainable welfare, for example in terms of bridging attitudinal gaps and changing the present political agenda. This thesis contributes, in general, to research and literature that focus on the intersection between climate change and social policy, and in particular to the newly emergent research that explores the intersection between social welfare and environmental attitudes

On the correction of reversing thermometers and construction of graph for total correction

As fórmulas para a correção de termômetros reversíveis, protegidos e desprotegidos, apresentadas neste trabalho, são derivadas diretamente a partir da equação exata da expansão térmica. Duas dessas fórmulas, válidas para termômetros protegidos ou desprotegidos respectivamente, adaptam-se particularmente bem ao cálculo de tabelas que podem servir para a confecção de gráficos de correção. Destas pode-se obter a correção total com grande precisão partindo diretamente das leituras do termômetro usado, mesmo quando se tratar de termômetros cujo Índice de correção seja igual a 1.0 ºC. Um gráfico de correção onde esses resultados são aproveitados é descrito a seguir. O método consiste em construir um grafico matriz, um para termômetros protegidos, outro para os desprotegidos. Desses são tirados gráficos, reproduzindo-se fotograficamente a porção desejada do gráfico matriz, para cada termômetro individualmente

Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores, inter alia, the strategy employed by Augustine in using Plato as a pseudo-prophet against later Platonists and explores Eusebius’ reception of Porphyry’s daemonology. It examines Plotinus’ claim that matter is absolute badness and focuses on Maximus the Confessor’s doctrine of creation and asks whether one may detect any influence on Maximus from Philoponus. The book addresses Christian receptions of Platonic metaphysics and also examines the philosophy of number in Augustine’s early works. It argues that the aspect of Augustine’s philosophy must be read in context with the intellectual problems that occupied him at the beginning of his career as a writer. It draws on a number of sources to investigate the development of the doctrine and the various intellectual issues it confronted, including Plato’s Timaeus, Philo of Alexandria, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Plotinus and, finally, Athanasius

Platonism and Christian Thought in Late Antiquity

Platonism and Christian Thought in Late Antiquity examines the various ways in which Christian intellectuals engaged with Platonism both as a pagan competitor and as a source of philosophical material useful to the Christian faith. The chapters are united in their goal to explore transformations that took place in the reception and interaction process between Platonism and Christianity in this period. The contributions in this volume explore the reception of Platonic material in Christian thought, showing that the transmission of cultural content is always mediated, and ought to be studied as a transformative process by way of selection and interpretation. Some chapters also deal with various aspects of the wider discussion on how Platonic, and Hellenic, philosophy and early Christian thought related to each other, examining the differences and common ground between these traditions. Platonism and Christian Thought in Late Antiquity offers an insightful and broad ranging study on the subject, which will be of interest to students of both philosophy and theology in the Late Antique period, as well as anyone working on the reception and history of Platonic thought, and the development of Christian thought

Plotinus on the Objects of Thought

The strong identity Plotinus maintains between the intellect and its objects, the ideas, can be explained in terms of his acceptance of certain sceptical arguments; in particular he holds that unless the subject and the object of thought are strictly identical, there is room for doubt and error. Moreover, I suppose that Plotinus believed that without this identity the traditional account of the forms as at once ontological and epistemological standards cannot hold. Thus, I am suggesting that we see Plotinus\u27 position here as that of a Platonist who says to his fellow Platonists: if you wish to hold, as you seem to do, that among first principles are included both a universal intellect and the ideas, and that the ideas are to serve as the ultimate standards not only of created things but also was to some extent following a tradition, as regards this view he did not hold it just because any sane Platonist would hold it. Moreover, even if he took over the doctrine of the intemality of the ideas from his predecessors, Plotinus\u27 version of it is quite distinct and goes beyond anything we can find in those predecessors

“Half women, half men” - A field study on gender complementarity and its impact on female participation in community politics in rural Bolivia.

Gender complementarity is an indigenous model of gender relations that values the female position and her tasks by tradition the same way as that of the man. The idea is that the man and woman complement each other as opposite parts of the cosmos. In Bolivia, with 65% of its population and the president being indigenous, the concept is widely used. This thesis will investigate the impact the gender complementarity concept has on female participation on local level in rural Bolivia. Based on participatory observations and 23 interviews with indigenous women and men in the two rural areas of Pojo and Kyuoj Qocha, in combination with a postcolonial feminist theoretical framework, I find that the answer to my research question is twofold: Firstly, there is the division of everything as male-female, entering both private and public spheres, limiting the indigenous women from actual political power and decision-making in their local communities. Secondly, there is the conflicting ontologies of the equality concept between the current government, indigenous groups and Bolivian feminist movements. The complementarity concept is supposed to possess an inherent harmony and duality between the man and the woman and thus a form of gender equality – but according to my analysis, local implementation of the concept in Pojo and Kyuoj Qocha rather shows a negative impact on the female participation in creating strong patriarchal structures, discriminating the rural indigenous women

Die Anwendbarkeit von internationalen Vergleichsstudien im Schulbereich

Local authorities are important actors in the transition of energy systems towards renewable energy resources and efficient energy use. One mean to manage and develop local energy systems is using energy and climate strategies. Sweden has a long history of energy-planning, which effectiveness has been debated. However, in the light of climate change, many Swedish local authorities have adopted energy and/or climate strategies in recent years. These strategies are intended to clarify, prioritize and suggest measures for achieving energy and climate related goals. To be able to assess the strategies’ effectiveness it is important to identify progress and goal achievement. There is little knowledge whether and how local authorities do this kind of follow-up.The aim of this paper is to explore approaches to energy strategy follow-up in six small and medium-sized local authorities in Sweden. Based on interviews with representatives from six Swedish municipalities, this paper discusses prerequisites for energy and climate strategy follow-up. Challenges for the follow-up, such as methodological descriptions, organization and lack of high quality data are identified and discussed. A conceptual model for a systematic approach to follow-up is presented. Conclusions on how a systematic approach to follow-up could facilitate organizational learning and a more strategic approach to energy issues are drawn. It is also discussed how a developed practice could be beneficial in terms of common methodologies and possibilities to request better statistical data from the national level

Supervision of supervisors : on developing supervision as pedagogy and support in post-graduate education

Abstract not available

Vettvangsteymi : nýtt úrræði á geðsviði LSH

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn Skoða/Opna(view/open)Vettvangsteymið er nýtt úrræði á geðsviði. Það var stofnað að tilhlutan stjórnvalda til að stýra og skipuleggja þjónustu fyrir geðsjúka, sem þurfa á langtíma meðferð að halda en geta ekki nýtt sér þá meðferð, sem er í boði innan geðdeilda. V ettvangsteymið var stofnað í þessum tilgangi ásamt því að koma betur til móts við þarfir þessa hóps sjúklinga úti í samfélaginu. Það hafði farið fram umræða í þjóðfélaginu um sjúklinga með langvinn veikindi, sem talið var að fengju ekki þá þjónustu, sem þeir þyrftu á að halda á geðdeildum L SH. Vettvangsteymið er þverfaglegt teymi, sem var stofnað í janúar 2005 og tók til starfa 1. mars 2005. V ettvangsteymið er staðsett á göngudeild geðdeildar L SH á Kleppi. Í teyminu eru nú geðlæknir, tveir geðhjúkrunarfræðingar, tveir félagsráðgjafar og einn sálfræðingur. Í tengslum við Vettvangsteymið var stofnuð sérhæfð geðdeild á Kleppsspítala fyrir sama markhóp og V ettvangshjúkrunarteymi þar sem starfa áðurnefndir geðhjúkrunarfræðingar og tveir sjúkraliðar. V ettvangshjúkrunarteymið sinnir lyfjaeftirliti, hjúkrun og stuðningi við þá, sem eru utan stofnunar