Relative durations of post-vocalic consonants in readaloud Spanish by native Swedish L2-learners

Prosody is said to be a persistent feature in foreign accents, particularly in the speech of adult learners. Native Swedish speakers have been reported to lengthen vowels in Spanish as well as post-vocalic consonants in English and German, more than native speakers of the respective languages. The aim of the present study is to examine whether native Swedish learners of Spanish produce increased postvocalic consonant durations in a reading aloud exercise. The text contains certain words that could be expected to trigger complementary consonant lengthening in native Swedish speakers. The result shows that there is no general tendency for native Swedes to lengthen post-vocalic consonants more than native speakers of Spanish in the present speech material. There are examples of longer consonant durations in the speech of the native,Swedish subjects, but it could be a coincidence. A conclusion is that the text used in the study, and probably Spanish as a language, contains few words that are ideal for triggering lengthening of post-vocalic consonants in native Swedish speakers.

Vocational English in policy and practice

The aim of this licentiate thesis is to examine how, and in what ways, vocational English is a part of English language teaching in the Building and Construc­tion Programme in Sweden, and what the influences are for such pedagogy. The main research question is how policy documents relate to the views of teachers and their educational practice regarding vocational English. The study consists of two parts: a textual policy analysis of the three latest upper secondary school reforms in Sweden (Lgy 70, Lpf 94, and Gy 2011), and semi-structured interviews with practicing English teachers in the Building and Construction Programme. The interviews are categorised by using Spradley’s (1979) semantic relationships and taxonomies. Balls’ (Ball, 1993) and Ozga’s (1990; 2000) concept of policy enactment is used in the analysis as well as Bernstein’s (1990; 2000) theoretical framework of classification, framing, and horizontal and vertical discourse. The results show that five of the six teachers in the interviews work with vocational English in some way. The study also shows that there is a distinct gap between policy and practice. Several of the teachers have the notion that they are supposed to work with vocational English and that it must be written down in policy somewhere. The greatest influence on the teaching for these teachers are their students, either indirectly or directly. Further, the study shows that different frame factors such as time poverty hinders the teachers from reading policy texts and cooperating with the vocational teachers in the Building and Construction Programme.

Corporal Punishment : A study about attitudes and opinions to corporal punishment and the connection to children’s rights in South Africa and Sweden

Corporal punishment is a worldwide problem. The purpose withthis thesis is to promote a constructive discussion about the problem andconnect this to children’s rights. This gives the possibility to start adiscussion about suggestions and measures to reduce the problem. Thetheory is that corporal punishment is used as a disciplinary method tochange behavior. Children’s rights is regulated by conventions and nationallaws. The method is to conduct an analysis with interpretations andcommentaries of the research materials from South Africa and Sweden.The conclusion is that those who are positive to corporal punishment thinksit is an efficient working method, and it is about children’s safety. Thosewho are negative have experienced that alternative methods works. Asuggestion is to involve children in the work with children’s rights andeducate them in human and children’s rights with focus on obligations andresponsibility.

Ranking och dess påverkan på val av lärosäten i Sverige : En kvantitativ studie om gymnasieelevers syn på rankinglistor

Det är många av tredje årets gymnasieelever som står inför ett viktigt och stort beslut gällande vilken utbildning och vilket lärosäte de ska studera vid efter studenten. En del gymnasieelever har redan bestämt sig för var de ska studera, medan andra är väldigt osäkra. För att en gymnasieelev ska kunna fatta ett genomtänkt beslut krävs det kunskap om de olika alternativen som finns eftersom det kan påverka beslutets riktning. En typ av information är rankinglistor av olika högskolor/universitet. Rankinglistor finns till för att förenkla det stora utbudet av utbildningar och högskolor/universitet. Genom att ge den sökande jämförande möjligheter och låta denna agerar utifrån sina egna uppställda kriterier kan rankinglistor fungera som ett stödjande verktyg vid valet av lärosäte. Den här studien syftar till att undersöka gymnasieelevernas förhållande till rankinglistor, vilket gjordes genom en kvantitativ studie i form av en enkätundersökning där gymnasielever från Dalarna medverkade. Enkätundersökningen baserades på teorier samt hypoteser som vi har verifierat eller förkastat för att komma fram till ett resultat. Den slutsats som studien har lett fram till är att rankinglistors påverkan, gällande gymnasieelevers val av lärosäte, är mycket begränsad. Det betyder att rankinglistor får en viss relevans när det sökta alternativet finns bland de lägst placerade lärosätena på en rankinglista. Trots detta finns det andra faktorer som kan påverka gymnasieelevernas val av lärosäte, så som egen uppfattning och rykte.

Forskning med juridiska förvecklingar : Om tolkningsflexibilitet i kontroversen om mässlingsvaccination och autism

Medical research with jurisdictional consequences: interpretative flexibility in the controversy over MMR vaccination and autism Based on the empirical case of the controversy of MMR vaccination and autism around the turn of the millennium, this paper argues for the analytical importance of the concept of “interpretative flexibility”. As shown, this concept is useful not only for the small subfield of sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) but also for the broader social sciences. First we analyse, by reference to interpretative flexibility, the initial dispute within medical research concerning evidence for and against a possible link between the measles component of the MMR vaccine and autism. In a second step we move beyond this traditional application of the concept, showing how the interpretative flexibility of the research results remains in society although consensus has been reached in the medical community. This further step is exemplified by two legal events, in Sweden and the US respectively. In both these cases the difficulties in providing uncontested evidence affected institutions and practices at great distance and with different outcomes. Our findings suggest the importance of not only applying the concept of interpretative flexibility to classical scientific laboratory disputes, but also connecting it to its societal manifestations.

De oauktoriserade migranterna i svensk byggnadssektor : En studie i deportationspolitik 1990–2004

The unauthorized migrants in the Swedish construction sector – a study in the policy of deportation 1990–2004 The unauthorized migration of construction workers to Sweden increased during the 1990s, especially at the end of the decade. The migrants often came from Poland and the Baltic states. The aim of this article is to examine this change of the migration pattern to Sweden and how the Swedish Building Workers Union responded to this new situation. I examine how the Building Workers Union cooperated with the Police authorities to find, capture and deport unauthorized migrants. A conclusion is that the Building Workers Union has not adopted a more inclusionary strategy towards unauthorized migrants, as have trade unions in Spain and US. The main strategy has instead been to try to restrict this migration. One explanation of this is that the Building Workers Union is a strong and well organized trade union. It didn’t perceive of unauthorized migrants as potential new members, but as a threat to wages and work conditions. Another explanation is that it has been able to restrict migration in the past. This may contribute to making demands for restrictions an attractive strategy in the present even when the possibilities of succeeding with this have diminished.

Ökat hot och våld i arbetslivet – en följd av förändrade arbetsförhållanden? : En studie utifrån de svenska Arbetsmiljöundersökningarna 1991–2005

Increase in work related violence. A reflection of changes in working conditions? An analysis based on the Swedish Work Environment surveys. Victim surveys from Sweden show that the proportion reporting exposure to work related violence has increased. On the basis of the Swedish Work Environment surveys 1991–2005 this article focuses on the following questions: What kind of situations and working conditions are related to workplace violence? And, has the number of employees exposed to these working conditions increased parallel to the rise of reported workplace violence? Logistic regression analysis shows that some situations and working conditions are indeed related tothe risk of violence. To some extent exposure to these working conditions co-varies with exposure to violence. This result is more prominent for women than for men. Further research is needed to understand how changes in working conditions affect the risk of violence and the development thereof, not least from a gender perspective. Even so, changes in working conditions can not alone explain the increase of reported workplace violence in Sweden during this period. It seems that the influence of changed working conditions offers an interesting complement to criminological theories of broadened definitions and decreasing tolerance against violence in problematizing how an increase in reported workplace violence should and could be understood.

Arbetslöshet som en icke önskvärd konsekvens av socialbidrag : Resultat från en tidsserieanalys på befolkningsnivå i Sverige 1946–1990

Unemployment as an unintended consequence of social assistance recipiency: results from a time-series analysis of aggregated population data Does the frequency of unemployment have a tendency to increase the number of social assistance recipients, or does the relationship work the other way around? This article utilizes Swedish annual data on aggregated unemployment and means-tested social assistance recipiency in the period 1946–1990 and proposes a multiple time-series approach based on vector error-correction modelling to establish the direction of influence. First, we show that rates of unemployment and receipt of social assistance is co-integrated. Second, we demonstrate that adjustments to the long-run equilibrium are made through adjustments of the unemployment. This indicates that the level of unemployment reacts to changes in rates of social assistance recipiency rather than vice versa. It is also shown that lagged changes in the level of unemployment do not predict changes in rates of social assistance recipients in short-term. Together these findings demonstrate that the number of social assistance recipients does increase the number of unemployed in a period characterized by low unemployment and high employment.

Formal caregivers' perceptions of quality of care for older people : associating factors

Background: Despite the growing number of studies concerning quality of care for older people, there is a lack of studies depicting factors associated with good quality of care from the formal caregivers' perspective. The aim was to describe formal caregivers' perceptions of quality of care for older people in the community and explore factors associated with these perceptions. In total, 70 nursing assistants, 163 enrolled nurses and 198 registered nurses from 14 communities in central Sweden participated in the study. They filled out the following questionnaires: a modified version of Quality from the Patient's Perspective, Creative Climate Questionnaire, Stress of Conscience Questionnaire, items regarding education and competence, Health Index and Sense of coherence questionnaire. The overall response rate was 57 % (n = 431). Results: In the perceived reality of quality of care respondents assessed the highest mean value in the dimension medical-technical competence and physical technical conditions and lower values in the dimensions; identity-oriented approach, socio-cultural atmosphere and in the context specific dimension. The caregivers estimated their competence and health rather high, had lower average values in sense of coherence and organizational climate and low values in stress of conscience. Conculsions: The PR of quality of care were estimated higher among NA/ENs compared to RNs. Occupation, organizational climate and stress of conscience were factors associated with quality of care that explained 42 % of the variance. Competence, general health and sense of coherence were not significantly associated to quality of care. The mentioned factors explaining quality of care might be intertwined and showed that formal caregivers' working conditions are of great importance for quality of care.

Ålderism – ett fruktbart begrepp?

Ageism – A useful concept? Ageism has gained growing attention in Sweden the last decade. Age is even discussed to be included in the discrimination legislation. Still, the concept has not been of much sociological interest. This article is an overview of the concept ageism and how it has been discussed in social gerontology. In the article it is argued that the overall focus has been on overtly expressions such as stereotypes and discriminating behavior while underlying structures and processes of power and power relations have not got enough attention. As a result the concept of ageism has become limited as an analytical tool. Thus, in order to develop the potential of the concept it seems crucial to explicate and theorise power relations. To accomplish this goal, i.e. to focus on how age-based power relations are negotiated, challenged and reproduced in processes and institutionalised practises it is suggested that ageism might have to be complemented with other concepts, such as age coding.

Mellan etnologi och modern sociologi : K. Rob. V. Wikman som medlare i Finland och Sverige

Between ethnology and sociology: K. Rob. V. Wikman as a mediator in Finland and Sweden K. Rob. V. Wikman, professor in sociology at the Åbo Akademi University in Turku, Finland, played a central role both within Finnish and Swedish sociology in the 1940s and 1950s. He was a student of Westermarck and thus his own research represented an ethnosociological tradition, which at that time was challenged by modern, American-influenced sociological ideas. The aim of this article is to discuss the adaptation of “modern sociology” and the drawing of boundaries in Nordic sociology after the Second World War by focusing on Wikman’s work in Finnish as well as Swedish sociology, especially the assessor assignments he was given, and by giving emphasis to some of those that served as border poles or border markers in this process. The comparative starting point gives us reason to discuss some nationally characterized similarities and differences that can be observed in the establishment process of modern sociology in Finland and Sweden.