”The research Jigsaw” En teoriutvecklande och testande studie i jakten på nyckelvariabler för fredsbyggande.

The peacebuilding phenomenon has come to dominate the peace and security research spectra. Questions concerning what defines a successful peacebuilding mission and how to get there, is consequently widely debated. In this study a new theoretical framework is therefore developed, with the aim to try to outline some key concepts that are important to incorporate in peacebuilding missions. With outset in eminent research, the framework aims to explain if there are any key variables that needs extra reconsideration and attention when building peace in post conflictual societies. The variables of the framework are further on tested against four empirical cases; Nepal, Guatemala, Mozambique and Sierra Leone, ten years after a signed peace agreement. Where the definition of agonistic peace has coded the cases as either failures or successful peacebuilding missions. Guatemala is further on outlined as a failure and the other cases are referred to as successful peacebuilding missions. The analysis concludes that one important key concept to prioritize when planning and executing peacebuilding missions is to include a “credible third party” in the process

Студенты о качестве электронного дистанционного образования (онлайн-обучения)

У дистанционной формы обучения есть огромное количество преимуществ перед традиционной аудиторной формой образования, к примеру, доступность и экономичность, которые признают и университеты, и сами студенты. Но всё же главным показателем в обучении является не удобство, а качество получаемых знаний. Может ли по качеству дистанцион­ное обучение соперничать с традиционным? Что думают об этом студенты, для которых данный вопрос наиболее важен

Struggling for recognition and inclusion—parents' and pupils' experiences of special support measures in school

During the last decade an increasing use of differentiated support measures for pupils with special educational needs, indicative of a discrepancy between educational policies and practices, has been witnessed in Sweden. Another trend has been the increased use of medical diagnoses in school. The aim of this study was to explore the main concern of support given to pupils with special educational needs and how pupils and parents experience and handle this. Interviews were conducted with eight pupils in Grades 7–9—and their parents—at two compulsory schools in a city in northern Sweden. A grounded theory approach was used for analyzing the interview data. A conceptual model was generated illuminating the main concern of special support measures for pupils and parents. The core category of the model, struggling for recognition and inclusion, was related to two categories, which further described how this process was experienced and handled by the participants. These categories were labeled negotiating expertise knowledge within a fragmented support structure and coping with stigma, ambivalence, and special support measures. The developed conceptual model provides a deeper understanding of an ongoing process of struggle for recognition and inclusion in school as described by the pupils and parents

The Biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: Estimates, Patterns, and Threats

The Mediterranean Sea is a marine biodiversity hot spot. Here we combined an extensive literature analysis with expert opinions to update publicly available estimates of major taxa in this marine ecosystem and to revise and update several species lists. We also assessed overall spatial and temporal patterns of species diversity and identified major changes and threats. Our results listed approximately 17,000 marine species occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. However, our estimates of marine diversity are still incomplete as yet—undescribed species will be added in the future. Diversity for microbes is substantially underestimated, and the deep-sea areas and portions of the southern and eastern region are still poorly known. In addition, the invasion of alien species is a crucial factor that will continue to change the biodiversity of the Mediterranean, mainly in its eastern basin that can spread rapidly northwards and westwards due to the warming of the Mediterranean Sea. Spatial patterns showed a general decrease in biodiversity from northwestern to southeastern regions following a gradient of production, with some exceptions and caution due to gaps in our knowledge of the biota along the southern and eastern rims. Biodiversity was also generally higher in coastal areas and continental shelves, and decreases with depth. Temporal trends indicated that overexploitation and habitat loss have been the main human drivers of historical changes in biodiversity. At present, habitat loss and degradation, followed by fishing impacts, pollution, climate change, eutrophication, and the establishment of alien species are the most important threats and affect the greatest number of taxonomic groups. All these impacts are expected to grow in importance in the future, especially climate change and habitat degradation. The spatial identification of hot spots highlighted the ecological importance of most of the western Mediterranean shelves (and in particular, the Strait of Gibraltar and the adjacent Alboran Sea), western African coast, the Adriatic, and the Aegean Sea, which show high concentrations of endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species. The Levantine Basin, severely impacted by the invasion of species, is endangered as well

5,56 x 45 mm FMJ i Afghanistan : amerikanska och brittiska stridserfarenheter av kaliberns effekt

Uppsatsens huvudsyfte är att undersöka om amerikanska och brittiska stridserfarenheter av kalibern 5,56 i Afghanistan kan bidra till att utveckla den svenska Försvarsmaktens taktiska förmåga. Anledningen till varför jag valde att utgå från dessa länder är därför att de har fler öppna källor samt har mer erfarenhet än många andra. Studien genomfördes genom en kvalitativ textanalys av bland annat reglementen, rapporter och artiklar. Uppsatsen visar att Försvarsmaktens kaliber till sin automatkarbin, 5,56, var potent för stridstaktikanpassad för invasionsförsvar. Detta delvis på grund av kaliberns egna logistiska fördelar men även därför att de prioriterade vapensystemen för infanteriförbanden, lätta pansarvärnsvapnen, innebar relativt korta stridsavstånd. Studien visar därefter att idag, för amerikanska och brittiska styrkor i dagens konflikt i Afghanistan, är 5,56 otillräcklig. Stridsavstånden är generellt för långa för att kalibern skall avge sin optimala verkan i målet. Studien belyser vad dessa nationer vidtagit för åtgärder, samt vilka åtgärder som planeras eller finns som förslag för att förbättra sin stridstaktiska förmåga. Den mest optimala förbättringen anser många är att byta ut kalibern 5,56 mot en grövre mellankaliber i spannet 5,56-7,62. Förslag som förändrad skjututbildning, optikutveckling och nya vapeninköp nämns också. I diskussionen diskuteras om eller hur den svenska Försvarsmakten kan dra nytta av de andra nationernas erfarenheter. Resonemanget ger det generella slutsatsen att Försvarsmakten kan utveckla sin stridstaktiska förmåga genom att studera andra nationer. Ett snabbt konkret exempel vore att implementera skarpskyttevapnet ak4 med förstorande optiskt hjälpmedel i svenska Försvarsmaktens skytteförband.The main purpose with this study is to investigate whether U.S. and British combat experience of the caliber 5.56 in Afghanistan is helping to develop the Armed Forces' tactical ability. The reason why I chose to rely on these countries is because they have more unclassified sources and has more combat experience than many others. This study was conducted through a qualitative text analysis of for example regulations, reports and articles. This essay shows that the Swedish Armed Forces standard caliber that is being used in today’s assault rifle (ak5c), were potent in battle tactics designed for the defence of Sweden. This is partly becauseof 5,56 own logistical advantages and also because light anti-tank weapons had priority over small arms weapons. This resulted in relatively short shooting distances. The study shows thereafter that the U.S. and British troops in today's conflict in Afghanistan, thinks that 5.56 is insufficient. Combat distances are generally too long for the caliber to deliver its optimum effect in the target. The study highlights what kind of actions these nations have taken, and what measures are planned to improve its combat tactical ability. The study reveals that the most optimal improvement, are to replace the 5.56 with a bigger medium sized caliber. Proposals to change the marksmanship training, optics development and to purchase new weapons are also mentioned. In the end of this essay there is a discussion on, or how the Swedish Armed Forces can implement U.S and British experiences. The reasoning in the final chapter gives the general answer that the Swedish Armed Forces indeed can develop their tactical combat skills by studying other nations. An example would be to implement the older ak4 with magnifying optics that could improve the longer range capabilities of the infantry units

“The period, the problem” : an investigation on mothers’ menstrual health in rural Zithulele, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Poor menstrual health (MH) harms women in various ways globally, and therefore maintaining sufficient MH is vital. However, MH is not considered as a Human Right and is generally unprioritized, especially in resource poor areas. There is a prominent research gap on MH and in particular among women in different ages in rural areas. This study therefore aims to investigate the MH among mothers, in varying ages, in rural Zithulele, South Africa. Specifically, how menstruation is perceived among the mothers, in what way and why stigmatic perceptions affect their menstrual practices and how these perceptions and practices combined impact the mothers’ daily lives will be examined. To gather the women’s perspective, a qualitative case study using semi-structured interviews with a feminist and intersectional standpoint was used. Findings revealed the existence of a duality of emotion among the mothers regarding their menstruation, it is seen as stigmatic and natural simultaneously. These stigmatic perceptions influence the mothers’ practices to hide their menstrual mark (i.e. blood). These practices and perceptions combined impact the mothers’ wellbeing and limit their possibility to improve their MH. The result does not differ due to age, income or education-levels among the mothers, demonstrating menstruation as a cross-sectional issue

Can national inspections support professional discretion? : A case study of the Swedish national school inspection

This thesis explores the professional discretion in relation to national inspections by focussing on the Swedish national school inspection (SNSI) and how the inspections made can affect the professional discretion. During the last decades the Swedish welfare sector has gone through a remarkable shift towards using new public management (NPM) reforms, implementing market solutions with the aim to increase cost efficiency and quality. These reforms have caused a huge impact on the education system in Sweden, such as the privatisation of schools and shifting responsibility from the state to the local municipalities. The development of the NPM has also increased the auditing in order to assure that welfare service produces high quality services, where national inspection has been an increasingly popular method of auditing. Extensive research studying the relationship between auditing and de-professionalization is available and many argue that auditing decrease the professional discretion. Despite the research, there is an empirical gap to how national inspection affects professional discretion. This is surprising as national inspections at least theoretically should be able to both undermine and support professional discretion. The controlling inspection type can from this view be argued to undermine professional influence by using top-down steering not considering professional knowledge and experience. The supporting inspection type uses more bottom-up strategies in dialogue with the professions and can theoretically thus be seen as more supporting of professionalism. The aim of this thesis is to initiate the bridging of this gap by analysing the SNSI different inspection types in relation to professional discretion. The results of the study suggest that the SNSI uses two controlling type of inspections as well as one new supporting type of inspection. The supporting inspection type is found to undermine professional discretion, while the two different controlling inspections both support and undermine the professional discretion depending on how the inspection is conducted. This gives evidence to how a supporting inspection type actually can undermine professional discretion more than the controlling inspection types.