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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore and describe the perspectives and reasoning of senior development leaders in healthcare organizations, when reflecting on design as theory and practice in relation to more traditional methods and tools for improving quality and support innovation. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a qualitative interview design with five development and innovation leaders from separate healthcare regions in Sweden. They have, to varying degrees, applied design theory and practice for quality improvement and innovation in their organizations. The interview transcript was analysed using a content analysis together with an interpretive approach. Findings: The major findings are to be found in the balancing act for leadership and organizations in healthcare when it comes to introducing and combining different theories and practices for improving quality and support innovation. The balance is between the change in power dynamics and pushing traditional boundaries in a complex healthcare world. Practical implications: The narratives from the leaders' experience of applying design theory and practice for improving healthcare quality can help us create readiness and knowledge about how we prevent and/or facilitate planning and implementing design theories, practices, methods and tools in a healthcare context. Originality/value: The study provides a unique insight when it captures and illustrates five different organizations' experiences when applying design for developing healthcare quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism and hospitality is a versatile and multicultural industry that comprises collaboration between members of different generations and cultures in creating and selling a tourism product. Business communication, including tourism and hospitality, does not refer only to business etiquette but is strongly rooted in culture, which influences people's interaction and way of speaking. Hence, intergenerational and intercultural communication problems are inevitable. The current research presents the main findings of an exploratory research conducted in tourism and hospitality enterprises in Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden in the period of 2020–2023. To discover intergenerational and intercultural communication differences leading to communication problems, semi-structured expert interviews with top-level management representatives in twelve tourism and hospitality enterprises were conducted. The paper analyses intergenerational and intercultural communication problems in tourism and hospitality enterprises, in particular those concerning the use of different languages and ways of communication to suggest means of eliminating the existing problems. The research findings confirm that differences between generations had an impact on the communication process. However, the cultural background and languages influenced people's behaviour even more, and a great majority of conflicts arose because of difference in cultures, not generations. Suggestions for staff training to develop their intercultural communication skills taking into account generational differences have been proposed.1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Migrants, especially from the Middle East, experience poorer health outcomes and face greater difficulties in accessing healthcare compared to native populations and there is a need for culturally appropriate education for this vulnerable group. The purpose of this study is to describe the process of developing a culturally appropriate tool to support self-care in migrants with type 2 diabetes.Methods: In this Co-design study, a tool for supporting self-care in migrants with type 2 diabetes was developed. Migrant patients with type 2 diabetes, healthcare providers and researchers participated in the process, which was based on six elements; engage, plan, explore, develop, decide and change. From February 2021 to December 2022, idea groups were conducted, and a tool was developed through brainstorming, prioritizing and prototyping.Results: In total, 14 migrant patients, ten health care providers and four researchers participated in the Co-design process. The patients wished to receive information about type 2 diabetes self-care behaviour in their own languages. The healthcare providers asked for clear instructions on where to guide their patients regarding reliable information about diabetes in the patient's own language. All participants agreed that information can be presented in different formats, either: text (paper or online), audio-visual via recorded videos and/or lectures and pictures.Discussion: The Co-design process led to several important insights and experiences related to the importance of diverse cultural backgrounds. When conducting a Co-design study with end-users as stakeholders, it is significant that the stakeholders have a diverse background in experiences, both as patients as well as those who deliver or implement the health service. In this study it was of great importance to include patients with diverse backgrounds regarding; gender, age, health literacy, occupation, years living in Sweden and duration of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a discourse analysis of 12 Swedish sexuality education texts intended for preschool practitioners and published between 1969 and 2021. Using Fairclough's framework, we identify three discourses about children's sexual play in relation to children's sexual agency in the texts: child sexuality as encouraged and entangled with adult sexuality; child sexuality as conditioned by what is perceived as normal or abnormal in children; and child sexuality as repressed. These three discourses mainly appear chronologically, but also overlap and connect with one another. When analysis begins from children's position and a theoretical understanding of children's and adults' agency as interdependent, it becomes possible to see how the child is construed as agentic, and how the adult role changes from encouraging sexual play to regulating and monitoring behaviour so that it does not occur. Over time, discourse on young children's sexual play has changed our understanding of both adults and children. Adults are increasingly construed as less knowledgeable in relation to young children's sexuality, and young children have become understood as more dangerous and in need of having their sexuality constrained and civilised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates multiculturalism and education in Sweden through historical accounts, national course plans and guidelines, current theory, discussions with scholars, classroom observations, and 23 interviews of late-secondary/early postsecondary teachers of civics and Swedish language arts. (EMS)

This paper draws on two experiences of undertaking comparative research in England, Sweden and Italy, and offers a discussion of the kinds of dilemmas raised in relation to language and meaning surfaced by these. Its primary focus is to examine the reflexive construction of meaning, both in relation generally to the workings of an international research team and, more specifically, how such construction of meaning impacts on the process of qualitative interviewing across linguistic and cultural boundaries. The article argues that a culture of reflexive research practice is helpful for approaching national differences, to facilitate understanding in internationally mixed research teams and to support and empower participants in research, in second languages and differing cultures. Overall, the paper attempts to advance some tentative ideas that other international researchers may be able to consider and deploy in relation to their own research ambitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Checking in' at or 'tagging' oneself to various places on social media constitute online representations that contribute to the classification, or 'making', of places. At the same time, users are also classified based on what they (show that they) do where. In this paper, we deploy Bourdieusian cultural sociology to the realm of place-exposing geomedia practices to understand social reproduction on social media. The study uses multiple correspondence analysis on a national survey deployed in Sweden (n=3,902). Various place-exposing practices are analyzed in relation to the contemporary Swedish class structure. Results reveal a connection between various forms and volumes of capital and the places that people visit and chose to put on display for online audiences. We are thus able to verify how the socio-technological regime of geomedia, with its new arenas for online exposure, extends deep-seated dynamics of socio-cultural reproduction and even reinforces the classificatory linkages between spatial appropriation and social identity work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secure units for adolescents are emotion-filled places for various reasons, yet previous studies have shown that fear seems to be an emotion which is difficult to deal with in these workplaces. This paper examines how secure unit staff describe their workday, focusing on fear. The analysis applies theories about emotional work as well as the concept of fear. The article builds on 53 semi-structured interviews with staff at three secure units for detained boys and girls run by the Swedish National Board of Institutional Care. The findings illustrate different ways in which staff handle emotions, such as fear, at these institutions. Results are discussed with respect to five themes: (a) the importance of control; (b) safety: not a regular workplace; (c) not my anxiety, but the young person's; (d) security: standing safe with coworkers; and (e) the ambiguous fear. The results show the importance of taking emotions seriously in daily work, as this renders visible how staff emotionally socialize into their organization. Due to a lack of education and professional identity among staff, the socialization process is highly relevant, as it is primarily perceptions of youth and coworkers that control and develop professionalization for staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveys past and current youth employment and social participation programs in Sweden. Maintains that while these were effective in giving Sweden one of the lowest youth unemployment rates among market-economy nations, more must be done to ensure meaningful social participation of youth in the community. (JDH)

BACKGROUND: Technology is widely used in school to assist students with visual impairments. Drawing with traditional methods is still difficult for those users. In this paper, we present and discuss an evaluation of a haptic and sound interactive drawing program (HIPP). OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify what aspects of the technological aid support the drawing skill development in children with visual impairment. METHODS: Interviews, observations and video recordings of use situations were used for data gathering. Our analysis is based on cultural-historical activity theory, and examines the mediation between the child and the object of their activity, their drawings, as well as the roles of teachers, classmates, assistants, and family. RESULTS: The haptic and audio drawing program supports the steps (doodling, interpretation, planning, and more intentional drawing) observed in visually-acquired drawing, although possible improvements have also been identified. Observations of the drawing program in use showed that its mix of dynamic multimodal interaction and a stable drawing feedback, enable visually impaired students and sighted teachers to jointly access a shared representation. CONCLUSIONS: Successful long-term use, together with the presented results of our analysis show how multimodal dynamic and stable interaction can successfully support drawing activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test how national culture may help to explain cross-country differences in new service development (NSD) by comparing the impact of NSD success factors between Mexico and Sweden. Design/methodology/approach: Eight hypotheses based on prior literature on NSD and national culture were tested using covariance-based structural equation modeling and survey data from 210 Mexican and 173 Swedish firms. Findings: Launch proficiency and customer interaction had a positive impact on NSD performance with no difference between the two cultures. NSD process formalization did not have clear positive impact on NSD performance but had a statistically significantly stronger impact in the structured culture (Mexico). Team empowerment affected NSD performance positively, but the difference between cultures was non-significant. Research limitations/implications: The impact of national culture depends on the type of NSD success factor. Some factors are unaffected by the cultural context, while factors congruent with the national culture enhance performance. Factors incongruent with national culture may even hurt NSD performance. Practical implications: When choosing priorities in NSD improvement, managers need to consider the national culture environment. Originality/value: Paper directly tests how national culture moderates NSD performance using primary data. Findings suggest that the effects of NSD success factors are contingent on congruence with national culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how an industrial legacy leads to the formation of a distinct local culture and how the culture’s survival provides a context for the subsequent entrepreneurial activities in new local industries. The discussion about culture as a key driver of entrepreneurship and economic growth is well established in the academic debate. However, we know little about how culture is formed. Through a qualitative case study of two polar Swedish cities, the study highlights four key factors which are instrumental in the formation of local culture: initial conditions, characteristics of key players, network activities and composition of newcomers. We show how the local entrepreneurs responded to the underlying assumptions of the two different cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of young people and migrants should be prioritised, young migrants' sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is rarely studied in Sweden. To explore young migrants' understanding and experiences of sexual rights and examine their perceptions and experiences in accessing SRH services. This is a mixed method study including a national survey that recruited 1773 newly arrived young migrants; a youth clinic survey that recruited 1089 youths after visiting youth clinics; and a qualitative study that included 13 interviews with newly arrived Arabic-speaking migrant men. The results are synthesised using a new ecological framework of access to understand the factors influencing young migrant access to health care based on the levels of the ecological model and the five steps of access: approachability, acceptability, adequacy, affordability, and quality. Young migrants understood SRH as both 'essential' and 'a right.' Their sexual rights were less fulfiled compared to other young people in Sweden, particularly for men, non-binary, LGBTQ+, those born in South Asia, without a residence permit, and those of low economic conditions. SRH services were largely unapproachable as almost half of those who needed them did not utilise them. Services were generally acceptable due to the 'open environment,' however, some young migrants faced cultural insensitivity, fear of exposure, low parental support, and long waiting times. SRH services' quality was perceived as good, however, negative experiences were reported, particularly in the domains of respect, equity, privacy, non-prejudice, and consultation quality. The access of young migrants to SRH services is facilitated by an 'open environment' and available and good quality services; however, they faced serious barriers such as limited access to information about the health system, comprehensive sexual education, lack of cultural sensitivity, and cultural racism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The five papers in this special issue have been selected from presentations held at the 2003 Mobility Roundtable, held at Stockholm. Looks at the inevitable merge of the tele-centric and data-centric world and mobile Internet and how they have enabled mobile access in both professional and personal lifestyles. Evaluates demand, supply and culture. Opines that with future developments hard to predict new actors from other sectors, such as hotels and restaurants could, by merging their interests, provide a seamless roaming service. Conclusions drawn are that conceptions of mobility in all lifestyles will be broadened to expect an environment of continuous usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The countries of the world are becoming increasingly multicultural and diverse, both as a result of growing migration, of people fleeing countries at war but also due to increased mobility related to labour immigration. Culture is a broad concept where the definitions focus on learned and shared values, traditions, and beliefs of a group of individuals. People's culture affects health and perceptions of illness as well as treatment, symptoms, and care. Moreover, people who are at the end of life, live and exist within all levels and contexts of care. Specialized palliative care requires that the nurse has sufficient knowledge and skills to be responsible for meeting the patient's nursing needs also on a cultural level, regardless of cultural affiliation. The aim of the study was to highlight nurses' experiences of the meaning of culture when caring for patients at the end of life in specialized palliative care. Methods: The study was conducted with a qualitative design and inductive approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve nurses in western Sweden. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The nurses had an awareness of culture as a phenomenon and how it affected palliative care at the end of life. The results showed two categories, Awareness of the impact of culture on nursing and Culture's impact and influence on the nurse's mindset and approach, consisting of seven subcategories that highlight the nurse's experience. It emerged that there are differences between cultures regarding notions of dying and death, who should be informed, and treatments. There were also challenges and emotions that arose when cultural preferences differed among everyone involved. A person-centred approach allowed for recognition of the dying person's culture, to meet diverse cultural needs and wishes. Conclusion: Providing culturally competent care is a major challenge. There are often no routines or methods prescribed for how nurses should relate to and handle the diversity of cultural notions that may differ from the values and cornerstones of palliative care. Having a person-centred approach as strategy can help to better manage the situation and provide equitable care on terms that respect cultural diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to highlight the importance of cultural infl uence in understanding hearing-help seeking and hearing-aid uptake. Design: Information on audiological services in different countries and ' theories related to cross-culture ' is presented, followed by a general discussion. Study sample: Twenty-seven relevant literature reviews on hearing impairment, cross-cultural studies, and the health psychology model and others as secondary resources. Results: Despite the adverse consequences of hearing impairment and the significant potential benefits of audiological rehabilitation, only a small number of those with hearing impairment seek professional help and take up appropriate rehabilitation. Therefore, hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake has recently become the hot topic for clinicians and researchers. Previous research has identified many contributing factors for hearing help-seeking with self-reported hearing disability being one of the main factors. Although significant differences in help-seeking and hearing-aid adoption rates have been reported across countries in population studies, limited literature on the infl uence of cross-cultural factors in this area calls for an immediate need for research. Conclusions: This paper highlights the importance of psychological models and cross-cultural research in the area of hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake, and consequently some directions for future research are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to draw from data collected as part of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) and present cases of democratic and heroic leadership from three countries, discussing to what extent successful school principals in each of their research sites (Melbourne, Australia; Umeå, Sweden; Arizona and Texas in the USA) carry old and new perspectives of heroism in their leadership. In particular the paper explores two questions: first, how do school principals describe aspects of heroic and post-heroic leadership in their practices? and second, how do these heroic and post-heroic leadership practices meet contemporary demands such as accountability standards and build inclusive and collaborative school communities in challenging contexts? Design/methodology/approach – Multiple-perspective case studies involving semi-structured individual and group interviews with principals, teachers, students, parents and school board members were used to understand the contribution of principals and other leadership to school success. Findings – The definitions of heroic and post-heroic leadership are inadequate in defining successful principal leadership. The Australian, Swedish and American principals showed characteristics of both heroic and post-heroic leadership. They showed heroic qualities such as: inspiring and motivating others; challenging the status quo; showing integrity in conflicting situations; putting duty before self; taking risks to champion a better way; showing courage to stand up to those in authority; advocating for students in struggling neighbourhoods under the scrutiny of both district and public expectations; and, showing uncommon commitment. Yet our principals showed post-heroic leadership such as involving others in decision making and recognising that school success depended on collective effort, and being sensitive to community needs through a deep respect for the local culture. Originality/value – The research shows that we may need to redefine and recast our images of who school principals are today, and what they do to generate academic success for students. Both heroic and post-heroic images of leadership are needed to explain successful school leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a reflective framework that aims to support physiotherapy students participating in new cultural contexts to develop their personal and professional learning, and their reflective skills. The framework was used by eight Swedish physiotherapy students who did international clinical placements in Thailand and Mexico. This was done as part of their bachelor's thesis projects. The data generated from the reflective process was analysed by the students using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. The outcome demonstrated that this structured approach to reflection facilitated the students' reflective processes and led to perceived personal and professional insight, increased cultural appreciation and a greater appreciation for reflection. This framework can be a useful tool to support students' reflection processes in new cultural contexts. It is presented for further testing and development, such as in intercultural contexts in the home country, and by physiotherapy teachers and clinical supervisors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the role of source country culture on gender roles for labor market assimilation of immigrant women in Sweden. Sweden ranks as one of the world’s most gender-equal countries and at the same time a recipient of many immigrants from countries with more traditional views on gender roles and gender equality. I find that the labor force participation of immigrant women in Sweden is related to their source country culture, in the sense that women from countries where women’s labor market participation is low (high) also have low (high) participation in the Swedish labor market. However, all immigrant women assimilate towards, but do not reach parity with, the participation rate of native women, and the difference between women from high- and low-participation countries diminishes with length of residence in Sweden. This indicates that source country culture on gender roles does not have a persistent effect on immigrant women’s labor market participation in Sweden. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of taking into account unobservable time-constant individual and source country factors when estimating the relationship between source country culture and immigrants’ labor market outcomes. Neglecting to control for these factors could lead researchers to misrepresent the rate of assimilation and overstate the effect of source country culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on preschool class children and grade one pupils' questions about the natural sciences. The article presents the questions that preschool class children and grade one pupils asked via a chat function in connection with a digital interactive lesson about molecules arranged by a culture center in Sweden. The results of the thematic analysis are discussed in relation to their didactic implications for natural science teaching with young learners. The most relevant conclusions are that children drew from their own experiences when approaching molecules, they could generalize their experiences and apply them to other contexts, and they needed time to process the content and then ask questions. Therefore, the authors suggest the use of children's questions as a useful pedagogical tool for helping young children understand abstract concepts such as molecules. Furthermore, follow-up interviews with children are suggested as a means of mapping the origin of such questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insufficient physical activity is a growing public health concern and is closely linked to obesity in both adults and children. Swedish physical activity on prescription (PAP) is effective in increasing physical activity levels in adults, but knowledge about how PAP is used in paediatric healthcare is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to explore experiences of working with PAP for children with obesity amongst paediatric staff and managers. Methods: Seven focus group discussions with 26 participants from paediatric outpatient clinics in western Sweden were conducted. Data were analysed both inductively and deductively, framed by the Normalization Process Theory's four core constructs: coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, and reflexive monitoring. Results: The PAP work for children with obesity was experienced to be about helping children to become physically active, and less about losing weight. Identified barriers for using PAP were the non-uniform nature of the work and a perceived lack of guidelines. Collaboration with physiotherapists and physical activity organisers outside the organisation was identified as an important facilitator. An important contextual factor for implementing PAP is the collaboration between paediatric clinics and physical activity organisers. In the transition between these stakeholders, maintaining a family-centred approach when working with PAP was experienced as challenging. Conclusions: PAP is a well-known intervention that is inconsistently used for children with obesity. The intervention should include a family-centred approach for this patient group. It also needs to align better with existing collaborations with other healthcare units as well as with new forms of collaboration with physical activity organisers in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the entrepreneurial experience (and spirit) of politicians. To what extent have they been involved in entrepreneurial activities? Are politicians more or less entrepreneurial than their voters? Are entrepreneurship policies more or less important to politicians compared to the voters they represent? The Members of the Swedish Parliament were asked the same questions regarding their entrepreneurial activities as found in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). The empirical results indicate that when we analyse the statistical significance of the differences and control for individual characteristics, politicians have similar experiences and ambitions to the rest of the population when it comes to entrepreneurial activities. Politicians have a high potential for becoming entrepreneurs in the future, but seem to be less optimistic about how entrepreneurs are perceived in the cultural context. In addition, there is a substantial discrepancy between how politicians and voters perceive the ease of starting and running a business. Unlike politicians, voters do not agree that it is easy to start and run a business in Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with place-making strategies and meaning-making functions in relation to Swedish cemetery design during the last 100 years. The main subjects for the studies are ‘Östra kyrkogården’ – a cemetery designed by Sigurd Lewerentz in 1916 and ‘Järva begravningsplats’ – a Swedish cemetery for which an architecture competition was held in 2010. The paper deals with aspects such as: the landscape architect’s intentions and idiom; the role and power of the landscape (both natural and man-made); and the ways in which all these elements interrelate with the multicultural society around them. The findings presented include a comparison between place-making strategies and the space given to individual expressions and multicultural aspects. The article looks at questions such as: what qualities do landscape designers put into funeral landscapes to frame bereavement and loss, and how do these qualities correspond to societal changes and landscape design history? How do architects relate to landscape as nature, architecture and ‘oeuvre d’art’, and at the same time to individuals’ use of the cemetery as a place for memory and meaning-making? And how do they relate to the fact that death becomes an area for negotiation between different cultural, religious and individual opinions or needs? The findings highlight certain tendencies in place-making strategies, and the study also frames new questions for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Our paper examines how field structures moderate the effect of the business press on organizational outcomes. Prior research suggests that the business press shapes organizational outcomes, but the question of how these effects depend on organizations’ positions in a field has attracted limited attention. We address this theoretical limitation in an analysis of how mutual funds in Sweden were affected by periods when the business press increased its negative coverage of mutual fund fees. First, we expect that negative coverage influences the way customers evaluate mutual funds. Second, banks have long occupied a dominant position in this market, and we thus expect banks to be less affected by the negative coverage of fees than other mutual fund managers. We find support for our argument in a longitudinal quantitative analysis of financial net flows into mutual funds. The findings indicate the value of contextualizing media effects and considering how field positions moderate the effects of cultural processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the results of five related studies of the retirement process from an occupational perspective. A group of 32 Swedish men and women were followed longitudinally over the retirement transition in repeated interviews that were analysed using a narrative methodology. The results showed that the freedom that comes with retirement could be experienced as a paradox when few demands or expectations were present in their lives. The analysis of the narratives also revealed that the presence or absence of engaging occupations was critical for the experience of a good life as retiree. These results are consistent with Laslett's definition of developmental life tasks appropriate for persons entering the 'Third Age', which begins at retirement and are offering freedom and possibilities for new engagement. The results have implications on possible arenas where an occupational perspective could contribute to knowledge in support of individual engagement in retirement and in social policies regarding volunteer work. One example is shown how occupational therapists have initiated community preventive work to enhance. engaging occupation in retirement. As these studies are limited to participants from one country, further studies in other countries and in other cultures about the retirement transition is needed to expand knowledge. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main question this paper seeks to tackle is whether men and women, as some argue, commit themselves to employment differently or for different reasons. The focus is thus on the mechanisms behind non-financial employment commitment (such as the possible effect of family situation, occupational position, and of different work-related preferences and experiences). The question is comparatively investigated in Sweden and Great Britain, where, in spite of many similarities, the existence of different societal/cultural contexts with relevance for gender and work has been suggested. The results in this paper suggest that the most important motivator for non-financial employment commitment is interesting work, which was found to have a positive effect both as a work goal and as experienced in the workplace. Although women and men in both countries displayed quite similar patterns, some country and gender differences appeared in the way occupational position and degree of education relate to this type of commitment. Higher occupational position and education where more clearly related to higher degrees of commitment for British women than for British men, while the Swedish gender pattern was reversed. In the concluding discussion, possible explanations and implications are discussed, and avenues for further research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The teaching-research nexus has been studied by many researchers, mainly looking at pedagogic links and direct benefits arising from the interaction of both activities. The paper takes a comparative approach, looking at the relationship between teaching and research in four universities from two different countries. This paper argues that contextual factors are vital in shaping the nature of the relationship and also identifies differences between disciplines in how these contextual factors may be understood. In particular, the contrasting structural and political contexts provided by two different national settings are seen to have a crucial role in shaping institutional activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to give a broad sketch of the Swedish cultural policy discourse during the twentieth century, with special reference to the specific features of Swedish history, notably the hegemony of the social democratic Folkhem period from the 1930s to the 1980s. The discourse may be divided into four different periods. Each of these periods, in various respects, goes back to the ideas behind the Folkhem. The paper argues that the discourse still shows the same logic even after the downfall of the Folkhem model in the 1980s. The regulative principle being that there no longer exists, from the 1950s, any competitive concept of culture to the conventional aesthetic concept of high culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows how culture is used and transformed as it becomes mobilized as a strategic resource in a regional development project within a neoliberal economic discourse. The focus is on how four smaller municipalities in the transnational Swedish/Danish Öresund region initiate a process of cultural mappings in order to incorporate local culture and cultural heritage in the regional tourist economy. By using the concept of magic, the paper discusses how the practice of cultural mapping can be envisaged as an enactment of power. The analysis of the mapping practice is based on an actor-network ontology to show how interactions between humans and a software protocol transform both the mapped subjects and the regional landscape in a material sense. It is concluded that cultural mapping is a problematic practice, politically as well as morally, as it is driven by the commoditization of culture and constitutes a technologically mediated, normative shaping of a region framed by a rhetoric of objectivity and the common good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper treats discourses in organizations in relationship to the management of identities and impressions. It is based on an ethnographic study of an advertising agency and explores how advertising professionals describe themselves, their work and organizations, the profession and their clients. Various functions of such descriptions are proposed, from identity work to marketing. The relationship between the level of discourse and deeper cultural levels is investigated through the cultural sociologies of Asplund and Bordeaux. The 'habitus' of advertising workers is discussed and 'anti-bureaucracy' is proposed as a conceptual figure - a basic way of conceptualizing vital segments of one's cultural reality - characterizing the advertising industry (in Sweden), informing the meaning of the particular ways of talk that is typical among advertising workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The religious influence on the construction of emotions like love and hate have lacked empirical attention. This study sought to address this issue by exploring the influence of culture and religion on love and hate using both quantitative and qualitative measures. Method: Samples from Japan (n = 397), Thailand (n = 258), the U.S. (n = 198), and Sweden (n = 80) took an online survey on either love or hate. Quantitative measures were used to assess either positive or negative attitudes towards love and hate while qualitative measures were used to assess differences in the concepts of love and hate. Results: Quantitative measures revealed that cultures (Japan and Thailand) with stronger Buddhist influence tend to have more moderate views of love and hate, while cultures with stronger Christian (Sweden and the U.S.) influence tend to have more polarized views of love and hate. Qualitative measures revealed that although the universal presence of love and hate share similar qualities across cultures, there are unique elements of both that may be lost when measuring love and hate. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate a need to consider the religious influence on emotions. Especially when it comes to emotions like love and hate which have considerable influence over relationships, formation of family, and dissolution of alliances, religion may have a significantly broader influence than currently considered in the empirical literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects upon how national culture influences on Corporate Social Responsibility practices. For this purpose, the metaphor of "organization as culture" was used as theoretical framework, and Sweden as case study by identifying elements from its history and language which have contributed to the acceptance and reinterpretation of CRS concept in the country. In conclusion, the paper presents the "socially responsible" condition as ambiguous and contextual, emphasizing on national culture as a variable which cannot be underestimated in the analysis of CSR initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I discuss compulsory genital examinations in Swedish African, mainly Somali, girls. The discussion is based on data from 122 police files, including criminal investigations regarding suspected "female genital mutilation" (FGM). A growing body of research in European countries indicates that processes of cultural change are occurring among immigrant communities from areas where traditionally girls are subjected to what is construed as "circumcision". Many studies show growing opposition to these practices among people who have migrated to Europe, and there is little evidence to support the assertion that large-scale illegal activities are prevalent. Yet there is a dominant discourse stating that FGM is secretively practised on a large scale among some immigrant groups in Europe, and policies encourage the detection of cases to charge in criminal court. I describe the current situation in Sweden and highlight some of the drawbacks of a very harsh, although well-intended, policy to check for FGM in Europe. While the ultimate aim is to protect girls at risk for FGM, current policies have ramifications that are invasive and sometimes even traumatising for the girls involved. This paper offers an empirical example of how politics in western multicultural societies may negatively influence the sexual health and rights of a target group, in this case, girls and young women whose families originate from countries where circumcision of girls is practiced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports from a project on the role of public libraries in language assimilation policies directed against the Meänkieli-speaking Tornedalian minority in the far north of Sweden during the first half of the 20th century. As libraries in the Torne Valley area, bordering on Finland, were maintained under state control, they became tools in the near eradication of Meänkieli in a complex set of policies that were in effect until 1957, promoting a uniform Swedish language and culture. Building on sociological conflict theory and the analysis of unpublished local documentation, the article brings to light conditions previously unknown about the Swedish public libraries in the northernmost part of the country. The article concludes by reflecting on the role of Swedish libraries today as important tools for the revitalization of Meänkieli, aimed at strengthening the identity and visibility of the Tornedalian minority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the development of behavioral and mental health issues among adolescents, particularly those from immigrant families, is a key area of concern. Many prior studies have focused on the role of societal (country-of-destination) language skills, but we know less about the role played by the use of the heritage language in families. We examined this latter relationship with a focus on changes in heritage language use and internalizing and externalizing problems, and how family relations moderate this relationship. We used the first two waves (2010/2011 and 2011/2012) of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU) data collected from Germany (n = 1614; Mage = 14.8 years, 50% female), the Netherlands (n = 1203; Mage = 14.7 years, 54% female), Sweden (n = 1794; Mage = 14.2 years, 53% female), and England (n = 1359; Mage = 14.6 years, 50% female). Our results suggest that increased use of heritage language is associated with fewer externalizing problems only in families with greater family cohesion and parental warmth (in Germany and the U.K.) and with fewer internalizing problems only in families with higher parental monitoring (in the Netherlands and Sweden). Good family relations are thus an important precondition for increased heritage language use to lead to improved behavioral and mental health for children of immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to facing barriers to health care and experiencing poor health status, immigrants to Canada and Sweden tend to have more negative birth outcomes than the native-born population, including low birth weight and perinatal mortality rates. Explored through interviews with health care professionals, including midwives, nurse practitioners, social workers and obstetrician gynaecologists, this paper evaluates their experiences in providing prenatal care to immigrants in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Results reveal the complexity of delivering care to immigrants, particularly with respect to expectations surrounding language, culture and type and professionalism of care. The paper concludes by discussing future research options and implications for the delivery of prenatal care to this population., (© 2011 Taylor & Francis)

The Swedish and Canadian 80+ studies are collecting longitudinal data regarding medical, psychological and sociological aspects of the lives of people who are 80 years of age and older. A paper entitled 'Informal and formal support from a multidisciplinary perspective: a Swedish follow-up between 80 and 82 years of age', was based on the Swedish 80+ study. It examined psychosocial and health measures by support type (i.e. no support, and formal and informal support). Support is defined as care given by either friends and family (informal support) or healthcare professionals (formal support). The present paper compares participant characteristics between two groups of 80-year-olds from two study sites (i.e. Lund, Sweden, and Fredericton, NB, Canada), using the Swedish study site data. Only those participants who participated at both 80 and 82 years of age were included in the analyses. The intent of the descriptive analyses was to compare cross-culturally the two groups of participants and the level of support that they received. Between the two groups, the level of support received by the participants was rather dissimilar: Canadians reported receiving far more informal and formal support compared to Swedes. This finding was despite the fact that the Swedish state provides more funded support than that of Canada to its citizens. Therefore, the present authors speculate that the concept of support has a different meaning in Sweden than in Canada. This speculation raises concerns about cross-cultural studies, particularly when survey questions involve culturally ambiguous concepts such as the term 'support'.

Previous studies of infants' babbling have reported contradictory results as to the extent and timing of discernible phonetic influences of the ambient language. In the present experiment, five experienced phoneticians were asked to listen for ambient language effects on vocalizations produced by American and Swedish 12- and 18-month-olds (with 8 children in each language and age group), and to motivate their decisions in terms of word or phonetic cue perception. Group results indicated that listeners did not perceive effects of ambient language on pure babbles for either of the two age groups, whereas a clear effect appeared in both age groups given a more liberal definition of babbling. This is taken to suggest that results of ambient language listening tests may depend crucially on judgments of vocalizations' word status. As compared to the group trends, listener responses to individual children's vocalizations did not indicate that a majority of either 12- or 18-monthers were sufficiently native-sounding to be reliably identified on the basis of ambient language. A closer analysis of listeners' use of phonetic cues indicated that one single phonetic property, the grave tonal word accent, was discerned by most listeners in vocalizations produced by the Swedish 18-monthers; this property was also discerned by one listener in vocalizations produced by Swedish 12-monthers. This result is consistent with the generally held belief in the primacy of tonal features in phonetic acquisition, and with experimental evidence indicating that Swedish mothers tend to enhance word accent contours in baby talk. In the final section of the paper, the results are discussed with a view to reconcile competing theories of babbling development, notably the 'babbling drift' and the 'independence' hypotheses., (Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel)

As our globalized world entails meetings between health care givers and patients from diverse cultures, cultural factors must be considered in physiotherapy practice. Yet there is insufficient research regarding physiotherapists’ experiences when meeting different cultures. This paper aims to describe my experiences and reactions when meeting a different physiotherapy culture than my own. An autoethnographic study was conducted in India at four different physiotherapy clinical settings during seven weeks. Participant observation and field notes were used to document experiences. The data were analyzed with a qualitative content analysis to find recurring categories and themes. The analysis of field notes resulted in a overreaching category ‘From curiosity to appreciating and re-evaluating cultural diversity in physiotherapy’, divided into three different subcategories and themes: reflecting on hierarchies and the working structure in the context of physiotherapy practice, on the Indian physiotherapy students’ knowledgebase compared with my earlier experiences from Sweden and on the emotions emerging from being a student in the field with minor experience and knowledge in a different context. This reflective process over my experiences has taught me that my own culture is something I can only understand and re-evaluate when I have met a different one, and has helped me to start appreciate and develop further insight of the importance and the complexity of cultural diversity in physiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, I suggest that we might further contextualize our understanding of how work and life are navigated by approaching it as a struggle through which control and resistance are accomplished as various meanings of work are negotiated. Drawing on ethnographic and interview data collected at a Swedish organization, I argue that a normative cultural expectation for lagom (moderation) functions both to control members and to enable them to resist managerial control. These findings suggest that by approaching control as potentially fragmented, resistance as unobtrusive, and work/life issues as situated, scholarship can illuminate how societies and organizations might equip individuals to successfully navigate work and life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates how antiquarians and archaeologists have influenced the burial practices of their times. They have encouraged the re-invention of prehistoric monuments in contemporary burial practices and also been involved in introducing the practice of modern cremation. Whereas antiquarians encouraged the upper-class stratum of society to reuse prehistoric material culture, their nineteenth century successors, archaeologists, turned to another audience. By focussing in greater detail on the earliest archaeologists and their endeavours to make archaeology a subject of public interest, it is revealed how they facilitated the re-invention of prehistoric material culture. For instance, bautas (a prehistoric memory stone for a deceased) became popular in the late nineteenth century, and it was also a category of sepulchral objects that the wealthier working class could afford. Hereby it is further shown how archaeology is an integral part of society, and not, as commonly argued within the history of archaeology, a discipline which in its interpretation of prehistory is influenced from a societal 'outside'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I present a case study in the contemporary archaeology of death: an investigation of the minneslunden ('memory groves') of present-day Sweden. In recent decades, memory groves have been adapted and condensed from their original suburban cemetery locations and added to rural churchyard settings. Eschewing individual memorials with text or images, memory groves serve as architectonic environments that facilitate the staging of the presence of the cremated dead and encouraging ongoing relationships between the living and the dead through personal commemorative practice. I argue that memory groves choreograph commemoration through the diffusion and sublimation of ashes into landscape utopias with implicit, and sometimes explicit, archaeological themes. In rural churchyards, memory groves serve as 'present-pasts', newly-created ancient monuments and primordial sacred micro-landscapes, affording the cremated dead with a collective, emotive and mnemonic material presence and simultaneously serving to revitalising the commemorative use of traditional churchyard space within a largely secular and mobile contemporary society. Using memory groves as a case study, the paper seeks to demonstrate the potential in the archaeological investigation of contemporary death and its material culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The gender gap in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm still is considerable and largely unexplained. This paper introduces four studies performed in Sweden that explore factors influencing gender differences in levels of consumption, adverse consequences and treatment. Method: We summarize and discuss these four studies performed within the same cultural setting, which each analyse interaction with the gender. Results: Two studies focus on the individual level addressing criminal behaviour, alcohol problems and mortality, and gender identity and alcohol problems in women taking psychiatric co-morbidity into account. Two studies focus on the institutional and cultural levels addressing the handling of alcohol-related problems in primary healthcare and the effectiveness of using cultural analysis in identifying gender concerns for women. Conclusion: Future studies need to focus more on these complex associations to secure that treatment settings provide both genders with fair and adequate treatment of high quality and that prevention activities will start to test measures that take gender into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper employs Henri Lefebvre's term ‘texture’ as a means of analysing a series of events that took place in June 2002 to mark the 750th anniversary of Sweden's capital city. The resulting case study demonstrates that heritage is the present-day use of the past and that selection and interpretation shift according to contemporary demands. The latter prompts a continuing series of ‘particular actions’ (Lefebvre) that require explaining and elucidating to new audiences in fresh contexts. This provides heritage with its impetus whilst also accounting not only for its range and reach but also for its richness as a source of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article amines the evolution of Swedish strategic culture during the twentieth century and up to the present. Although Sweden is the only Scandinavian country that has stayed out of war since the age of Napoleon, it still has proud military traditions stemming from Sweden's age of empire (1561-1721) and from the Cold War period, when this non-aligned country became partly self-sufficient in modern military technology, producing its own fighter-jets, tanks and submarines, even planning to acquire nuclear weapons in the 1950s. On paper, Sweden maintained an impressive number of armed forces (850,000 men after mobilization), although at the end of the Cold War their equipment and training left much to be desired. Only around the year 2000 did this huge Cold War defence complex begin to be dismantled. In line with the Swedish administrative-political culture (which is often traced back to the seventeenth-century statesman Axel Oxenstiema), the military enjoyed a high degree of autonomy compared with most other Western countries. This made it possible for the Army, the most influential of the services, to preserve its size rather than modernize gradually. Also, like other sectors of Swedish society, national defence was adopted by well- organized popular movements with corporatist traits, movements such as voluntary defence organizations with hundreds of thousands of members and by defence industry. Sweden was the first country in the world to abolish the system of professional NCOs in the 1980s, creating a unified corps of enlisted officers. The tension between the ideals of popular defence and broad democratic participation - hailed in Swedish society at large - and the demands of military professionalism, and Sweden's national self-image as an advanced industrial country, increased towards the end of the Cold War. Only after the end of the Cold War did academization of officers' training, the adoption of an official military doctrine and advanced thinking about network-centric warfare bring about much-needed modernization of the Swedish armed forces. Today, however, the mental gap is wide between the military elite on the one hand - which sees international operations as the primary mission in the future - and public opinion and large segments of the officers' corps, on the other, which still consider defence as defending national territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the Swedish laws and proposals for legislation regulating the procurement of human organs and tissue for medical therapy and research. This legislation not only regulates and legitimizes practices that make use of the body and body parts in clinical medicine and research, but also engenders legally sanctioned definitions of individual rights. Some of these definitions and their implications for the construction of the 'social self' are examined, e.g. the categorization of human parts in the legislation or the rights of individuals in the question of organ access. A key principle applied in the analysis of these important laws is that they encode, often implicitly, socio-cultural assumptions, concepts and beliefs, and they also define and construct new conceptions and meanings of the person and her body.

This paper is based on a qualitative study dealing with societal constraints with regard to womanhood for physically disabled young women in Sweden. The findings show that the young women are subjected to stereotyped views on what having an impairment involves and have to deal with certain normative criteria of what constitutes womanhood. Despite being 'children' of their time and culture, i.e. rejecting the traditional subservient role of 'the disabled' and of women generally, the young women yearn for the pursuing of tasks, such as caring for children and the home, closely linked to the traditional role of (non-disabled) women. It is argued that this can be understood as a means of counterbalancing an early acquired role of passive recipient. Alongside a positive identification with the group of the disabled', the interviewers strive towards being seen as something other than disabled, i.e. as women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]