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Combining click data from a Swedish newspaper and administrative data on asylum seekers in Sweden, I examine whether a larger presence of refugees in a municipality induces people to avoid news that may encourage welcoming the newcomers. Exploiting the unexpected inflow of refugees to Sweden during 2015 and their exogenous allocation across Swedish municipalities, I find that people living in municipalities where the relative number of refugees is larger read fewer articles about asylum seekers. The decrease in clicks is 36% larger for more empathic articles and is correlated with less engagement in activities aimed at welcoming refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to analyse how the decision to become self-employed as an adult is influenced by the neighbourhood characteristics experienced during adolescence. The focus is on individuals of foreign background since this is a group that shows low employment rates compared with native Swedes at the same time as the geographic and social separation between individuals of different backgrounds is increasing. The results show that while the short-term effects of segregation on self-employment are negative, individuals who grow up in ethnically segregated neighbourhoods are more likely to become self-employed later in life. In addition, both growing up with and residing with entrepreneurial neighbours have a positive effect on self-employment. Hence, the ethnic and social capital collected during youth seems to persist through adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights how migrant childrens' rights to, and within, education can be negotiated at the national level. The aim is to underline and discuss the discourses that appear in selected Swedish legal and political documents relating to unaccompanied Afghan minors. Drawing on critical discourse analysis (CDA), this research shows the co-existence of two different discourses on unaccompanied Afghan minors. The first discourse is based on the concept of unaccompanied Afghan minors as global rights holders and considers all children without exception as having the right to receive human assistance, education and appropriate protection against violence. The second discourse relates to the concept of unaccompanied Afghan minors as foreign citizens, which counteracts the work of Swedish authorities to deal with contradictions in policies assuring the rights of migrant children. This could also be a risk when the Convention on the Rights of the Child becomes Swedish law in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores household sizes, household structures, and patterns of cohabitation in a Swedish town (Linköping) during the second half of the eighteenth century. The analyses reveal discrepancies between different sources, tax records, and census records, indicating that it was sometimes difficult also for contemporary authorities to establish the exact number of households and to which household each individual belonged. However, this study can establish a long-term decline in household sizes. Furthermore, increasing complexities in terms of household structures and cohabitation patterns can be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the trade union newspaper Journalisten is used to analyse the development of women's non-unionised activism in Swedish newsrooms between 1961 and 1989. By adopting a social movement approach to workplace activism, it is shown that the heyday of women journalists' collective action was in the 1970s. However, individual journalists before and after played a central role in campaigning for change in gendered work cultures, creating a space for feminist consciousness within the profession. Although not all women journalists were feminists, the feminist movement of the late 1960s and 1970s was a source of inspiration for some, giving impetus to non-unionised activism in various newsrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how women, men, and gender equality in the military have been debated, made sense of, regulated, and dealt with in Swedish contemporary history. It takes its empirical point of departure in 1965, when the issue of military conscription for women was first raised in Sweden, and ends with the implementation of so called gender-neutral conscription in 2018. The study is based on a wide range of sources, collected through a combination of extensive archival work, ethnographic studies, and interviews. The analysis shows how men have been the standard against which women were measured throughout the period studied. Women service members were simultaneously perceived both as a problem and as a solution to a range of problems in the organisation. Women's 'different' bodies were considered problematic, while staff shortages and demands for specific personnel qualities rendered the 'woman soldier' a solution, in particular in relation to international missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the relationship between lone motherhood and social class is indeed limited. Drawing on 39 in-depth interviews, the overall aim of this article is to increase knowledge of the ways that working conditions and access to economic resources impact on Swedish lone mothers' opportunities to integrate paid work and family. One assumption is that lone mothers are guided by culturally shaped ideas about the proper way to be a mother, and that variance between mothers' notions of good mothering and the means for their realization, i.e. sociological ambivalence, may give rise to conflicts and dilemmas. Results show that low incomes, non-standard hours and temporary employment reduced working-class mothers' prospects of practising the kind of mothering they considered proper, creating dilemmas and high levels of conflict. Mothers could not always effectively use the rights granted to parents by the Swedish welfare state. The variances between notions about good mothering and the means for realizing them were not as big for middle-class mothers, thanks to greater access to economic capital and flexible working hours. Different opportunity structures hence significantly influenced lone mothers' opportunity to combine paid work and caring commitments in ways they found appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concept that lies at the heart of political rhetoric is that of 'workfare'. The issue, however, is what types of arguments have been invoked to assert the value of the concept. During the 1960s and 1970s, extensive criticism emerged towards a working life that was said to hinder women's emancipation; a working life that wasted resources and had a negative impact on the environment; a working life that sought material consumerism rather than quality of life. The demand for a work time reduction also received much support. In this article, we have studied the use of language that The Swedish Employers' Confederation used when publicly formulating their stances on the work time issue in 1975. We have chosen to highlight the argument contained in a discussion pamphlet published by Swedish Employers' Confederation, in a situation where the use of language was determined by the left-wing movement, and solidarity, international aid and daycare places were keywords, rather than growth and consumption. The arguments employed in the discussion pamphlet were based in the idea that non-work entails a lack of solidarity for social development. Those who desired a work time reduction were portrayed by Swedish Employers' Confederation as environmental villains and opponents to the liberation of both oppressed women and the impoverished of the third world. Swedish Employers' Confederation's pamphlet can be regarded as an example on how capitalism may handle major criticism. By reversing the meaning of the core concepts of the criticism, opponents' arguments were assimilated, which contributed to a new rationalization of the capitalism. One of the major contributions from our study to the research field is an improved understanding of how this process developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxes of Sweden absorb over 40 percent of the GNP. As an industrial nation with an economy dependent on successfully competing in international markets, a tax that provides large steady revenues but does not place a burden upon exports is necessary. The value added tax has proved successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foundations and philanthropy currently play a very limited role in the Swedish welfare. The same is true in fields like Culture and Recreation or International Activities. Only in the case of funding of research do Swedish foundations exhibit a role possible to define in terms of substitution rather than weak complementarity in relation to government. Despite marginal positions for philanthropy, Sweden displays a wealthy as well as growing foundation population, which seems like a paradox, at least in comparison to the situation in Germany and the United States where foundations traditionally play a more visible and pronounced role in society. A striking difference between the Swedish foundations and their U.S. or German counterparts is their weak bonds to religious communities or causes. Instead, we can identify in our new data set a growing segment of the Swedish foundation world that is affiliated with other parts of civil society. The same is true for the category of independent foundations, which points toward the U.S. model. We find in the article some limited support for a “philanthropic turn” in Sweden, but overall the foundation world is still deeply embedded in the social contract and strong Social-Democratic regime of the 20th century. In comparison to neighboring Scandinavian or Nordic countries, both similarities and differences are identified where, for example, the Norwegian case display a much larger segment of operating foundations, closely affiliated with government, while in Denmark, on the other hand, the corporate-owning foundation seems to be a much more important form than in Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing wealth is the largest component of wealth for a majority of Swedish households. Whereas investments in housing are merely defined by income, the returns on this investment (capital gains) are dependent on local housing market dynamics. Since the 1990s, local housing market dynamics in Swedish cities have been altered by the upswing in levels of socio-spatial inequality. The simultaneous up- and downgrading of neighbourhoods is reflected in house price developments and exacerbates the magnitude of capital gains and losses. This article proposes that the selective redirection of housing pathways that causes an upswing in socio-spatial inequality translates into an uneven distribution of capital gains as well. A sequence analysis of the housing pathways of one Swedish birth cohort (1970–1975), based on population-wide register data (GeoSweden), is used to explain differences in capital gains between different social groups in the period 1995–2010. The results indicate higher capital gains for individuals with higher incomes and lower gains for migrants. When socio-spatial inequality increases, the more resourceful groups can use their economic and cultural capital to navigate through the housing market in a more profitable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common perceptions of Sweden seldom include images of ill treatment and torture. However, human rights reports published by Amnesty Int'l and the US State Dept, describe recurring allegations of ill treatment and torture perpetrated by security forces in Sweden. What explains this unexpected case of human rights abuse? The answer to this question reveals an important theoretical concept that has not previously been discussed in human rights documentation and measurement projects: the level of institutional transparency. We provide evidence of the process by which the bureaucracy in Sweden ensures an extremely high level of transparency about allegations of human rights abuse by government agents. We argue that this transparency likely varies systematically over time but especially across countries. The major implication of our study therefore travels beyond Sweden: documentation and measurement projects that do not account for differential levels of transparency of government institutions may not be comparable across cases, possibly introducing bias to cross-sectional comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article examines the evolution of wealth inequality in Sweden from 1750 to 1900, contributing both to the debate on early modern and modern inequality and to the general debate on the pattern of inequality during industrialization. The pre‐industrial period (1750–1850) is for the first time examined for Sweden at the national level. The study uses a random sample of probate inventories from urban and rural areas across the country, adjusted for age and social class. Estimates are provided for the years 1750, 1800, 1850, and 1900. The results show a gradual growth in inequality as early as the mid‐eighteenth century, with the sharpest rise in the late nineteenth century. Whereas the early growth in inequality was connected to changes in the countryside and in agriculture, the later growth was related to industrialization encompassing both compositional effects and strong wealth accumulation among the richest. The level of inequality in Sweden in 1750 was lower than for other western European countries, but by 1900 Sweden was just as unequal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One of the most obvious consequences of divorce is the moving out of one or both ex‐partners from the formerly common household. Here we focus on a particular postdivorce residential move, the return to the parental home in Sweden, where intergenerational coresidence is uncommon. We ask whether family dissolution increases the likelihood of intergenerational coresidence among separated/divorced individuals who have at least 1 child below age 18. Furthermore, we ask whether the strength of the effect depends on socio‐economic and geographical factors. Our analysis of 670,777 individuals from Swedish population register data shows that even if living with parents is, in absolute terms, not a common intergenerational support strategy, its likelihood increases considerably after a family dissolution. This event increases the probability of living with one's parents especially among men, those with low incomes, and those who live close to their parent(s). We discuss the implications of our findings for the literature on patterns of intergenerational support across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: To estimate the prevalence, incidence and gender and age‐specific incidence of problem gambling in the Swedish adult population. Design: Longitudinal cohort study with linkage to register data. Setting: Sweden. Participants: Stratified random sample aged 16–84 years at baseline (n = 8165) re‐assessed a year later (n = 6021). Measurements: Problem gambling (life‐time and past 12 months) was measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen–Revised (SOGS‐R). Past 12‐month (current) problem gambling was also measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Findings: The SOGS‐R combined current pathological and problem gambling prevalence rate (PR) was 2.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.8–2.4] at baseline and 1.7 (1.4–2.0) at follow‐up, approximately half the corresponding life‐time estimates.[Correction added on 22 Dec 2017, after first online publication: In the preceding sentence, the SOGS‐R combined current pathological and problem gambling prevalence rate (PR) was incorrectly reported as being double the corresponding life‐time rate. It has been corrected in this version.] PGSI combined current problem and moderate‐risk gambling PRs were 2.2 (1.9–2.5) at baseline and 1.9 (1.6–2.2) at follow‐up. Combined incidence rates (IRs) were 1.0 (0.8–1.3) (SOGS‐R) and 1.4 (1.1–1.7) (PGSI), with more than three‐quarters being new cases. While first‐time IRs did not vary by gender, males had a higher relapse IR and proportionately more females were new cases. The young adult IR was more than double the older adult IR; similar proportions were new cases. Conclusions: The actual incidence of problem gambling relapse in Sweden is likely to be higher than estimated. The profile of problem gambling in Sweden is likely to change over time, with increased proportions of women and older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Will the consequences of residential segregation, that is, spatial concentration of marginalised populations on the one hand, and spatial concentration of affluent populations on the other hand, generate a situation where individual life trajectories are influenced by where individuals grow up? Our aim is to analyse how poverty risks and early income career at adult age are influenced by different neighbourhood contexts in early youth. We use Swedish longitudinal register data, and follow individuals born in 1980 until 2012. Residential context is measured in 1995 at age 15 by expanding a buffer around the residential locations of each individual and, by computing statistical aggregates of different socio-demographic variables for that population. The results show that poverty risks increase for individuals growing up in areas characterised by high numbers of social allowance recipients living nearby, whereas elite geographical context is favourable for both women’s and men’s future income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of near-repeat patterns illustrates how crimes are clustered in space and time, with a crime event often shortly followed by another crime nearby. This study aims first to describe the frequency in shootings; second, to analyse the patterns of near-repeat shootings; and third, to validate a near-repeat calculator in the three largest cities in Sweden. Data were geocoded from three registries on shootings administered by the police departments in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö from 2011 to 2015, and were analysed using a free near-repeat calculator. There were 948 shootings, 378 of which involved at least one injury or death (40%). The relative risk of firearm-perpetrated homicides was almost 2.5 times higher in Malmö compared to Stockholm, but almost half of the shootings occurred in Stockholm. Near-repeat patterns were found with a significantly increased risk of a new shooting in all three cities, but were weaker in Gothenburg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing international immigration is often portrayed as a potential solution to persistent economic and population decline in rural areas. Based on longitudinal register data, this study examines the extent to which international migration has contributed to demographic and labour market changes in rural Sweden between 1990 and 2010. Results show that the urbanisation rate of international migrants is very high while their employment rate in rural areas remains comparatively low. Small positive changes are noticeable in the rate of higher education, self-employment and employment in new service-related industries among particular groups of immigrants. Immigrants to rural areas are a highly heterogeneous group in terms of their demographic and labour market characteristics, which should be considered when estimating the contributions of immigration to socio-economic development in rural areas. This study shows that, while international migration may dampen population decline in rural areas to some extent, particularly in the working-age groups, its potential to stimulate socio-economic revitalisation in rural areas needs to be questioned and examined from a more nuanced and longitudinal perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forestry and mining constitutes an important part of Swedish basic industry. These industries are heavily male-dominated and are expressing an ambition to become more gender equal and less gender-segregated, arguing that this could strengthen their competitiveness in a number of areas. In this article we explore how company representatives construct gender equality as a business case and discuss how these constructions restrict and/or enable gender equality in these organizations. Departing from a social constructivist understanding of how language (re)produces gendered power relations in the workplace, the empirical basis of this paper consists of eight interviews with respondents who possess special insights into, and being of strategic importance to, gender equality issues in forestry and mining companies. In our analysis we found three dominant dimensions of the business case of gender equality Marketing (as) gender equality, Uncovering the male norm and Gender equality as a depoliticized value. We conclude that the business case framing facilitates for the companies to engage in issues of gender equality. However, issues concerning conflicting interests and power relations seem to be difficult to address within the business case discourse. This we argue affects and shapes the terms for gender equality in these organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on upper secondary school fairs in Sweden, how they can be understood as a discursive practice, and how this in turn can help us understand the challenges of contemporary education policy in Sweden. Using discourse analysis as a basis, the article analyzes the logics constituting the fair, with a primary focus on the shaping and regulating of the subjects involved in the fair. It is argued that the fair illustrates how the ongoing commercialization of the Swedish welfare model is made possible, but also how it is played out and negotiated at a concrete marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a constructive Lutheran theology that challenges the hegemony of secular Sweden, particularly in light of challenges posed by the current global refugee crisis. The author uses Guillermo Hanson's creative rethinking of Lutheran subjectivity to highlight a radical embodied vision of neighbor love. Retrieving Luther's claim that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, the article concludes with proposals for alethurgic practices that wed neighbor love to acknowledgement of a common God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the short-run and long-run economic impact of one of the largest losses that an individual can face; the death of a child. We utilise unique registers on the entire Swedish population, combining information on the date and cause of death with parental outcomes. We exploit the longitudinal dimension of the data and deal with several selection issues. Losing a child has adverse effects on labour income, employment status, marital status and hospitalisation. The value of policy measures aimed at preventing mortal accidents of children is underestimated if it does not take bereavement effects on parents into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People who inject drugs (PWID) frequently engage in injection risk behaviours exposing them to blood-borne infections. Understanding the underlying causes that drive various types and levels of risk behaviours is important to better target preventive interventions. Methods: A total of 2150 PWID in Swedish remand prisons were interviewed between 2002 and 2012. Questions on socio-demographic and drug-related variables were asked in relation to the following outcomes: Having shared injection drug solution and having lent out or having received already used drug injection equipment within a 12 month recall period. Results: Women shared solutions more than men (odds ratio (OR) 1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03; 2.21). Those who had begun to inject drugs before age 17 had a higher risk (OR 1.43, 95% CI 0.99; 2.08) of having received used equipment compared to 17-19 year olds. Amphetamine-injectors shared solutions more than those injecting heroin (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.64; 3.62). A housing contract lowered the risk of unsafe injection by 37-59% compared to being homeless. Conclusions: Women, early drug debut, amphetamine users and homeless people had a significantly higher level of injection risk behaviour and need special attention and tailored prevention to successfully combat hepatitis C and HIV transmission among PWID. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe has seen the development of a new research agenda in response to Islamist terror attacks of recent years. Researchers are not only trying to solve the “radicalization puzzle” in order to understand the reasons why young Muslims in Western countries are attracted to extremism, but they are also making proposals for de-radicalizing extremists and creating relationships of trust with Muslim communities. Directly or indirectly, Europe’s Muslim minorities are the objects of the interventions and preventive work under discussion. This study suggests an alternative approach. Rather than regarding Muslims in Europe as more or less passive objects of various anti-extremism interventions, it directs attention toward the strategies developed by European Muslims themselves in fighting Islamist extremism. Using qualitative interviews with leaders of five Sufi communities in Sweden, the study examines a series of strategies for meeting the challenges posed by extremists. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article focuses on how social stratification was performed in everyday practice in 1730s Sweden. By studying the titles people were given in the court material of three communities – Uppsala town, Lagunda härad, and Sala town with its silver mine – three factors defining social categorization can be identified: status, estate, and profession. Only people who rose above the commoners were entitled, which means that all titles denoted status. Some titles were shared by different social groups that had little in common, and therefore cannot be said to mark anything other than status. Other titles were exclusive to definable groups. Among those, some were given to groups whose exclusivity was based on legal and fiscal privileges, rather than education or competence. They were simply feudal corporations, or estates. In other groups – all defined by occupations – the members had completed specialist education that included formal exams. In those, social stratification was the result of professionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims We tested the association between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and divorce; estimated the genetic and environmental influences on divorce; estimated how much genetic and environmental influences accounted for covariance between AUD and divorce; and estimated latent genetic and environmental correlations between AUD and divorce. We tested sex differences in these effects. Design We identified twin and sibling pairs with AUD and divorce information in Swedish national registers. We described the association between AUD and divorce using tetrachorics and used twin and sibling models to estimate genetic and environmental influences on divorce, on the covariance between AUD and divorce and the latent genetic and environmental correlations between AUD and divorce. Setting Sweden. Participants A total of 670 836 individuals (53% male) born 1940-1965. Measurements Life-time measures of AUD and divorce. Findings AUD and divorce were related strongly (males: rtet = +0.44, 95% CI = 0.43, 0.45; females rtet = +0.37, 95% CI = 0.36, 0.38). Genetic factors accounted for a modest proportion of the variance in divorce (males: 21.3%, 95% CI = 7.6, 28.5; females: 31.0%, 95% CI = 18.8, 37.1). Genetic factors accounted for most of the covariance between AUD and divorce (males: 52.0%, 95% CI = 48.8, 67.9; females: 53.74%, 95% CI = 17.6, 54.5), followed by non-shared environmental factors (males: 45.0%, 95% CI = 37.5, 54.9; females: 41.6%, 95% CI = 40.3, 60.2). Shared environmental factors accounted for a negligible proportion of the covariance (males: 3.0%, 95% CI = −3.0, 13.5; females: 4.75%, 95% CI = 0.0, 6.6). The AUD-divorce genetic correlations were high (males: rA = +0.76, 95% CI = 0.53, 0.90; females +0.52, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.67). The non-shared environmental correlations were modest (males: rE = +0.32, 95% CI = 0.31, 0.40; females: +0.27, 95% CI = 0.27, 0.36). Conclusions Divorce and alcohol use disorder are correlated strongly in the Swedish population, and the heritability of divorce is consistent with previous studies. Covariation between AUD and divorce results from overlapping genetic and non-shared environmental factors. Latent genetic and non-shared environmental correlations for alcohol use disorder and divorce are high and moderate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the Swedish census of 1900, the child-woman ratio and own-children method have been applied to assess socioeconomic differences in fertility. These indirect estimates of fertility have been compared to the vital statistics at the national level to assess their reliability. This comparison demonstrated that the estimated results suffered from few errors. Even if these indirect estimates of fertility could be affected by possible socioeconomic differences in mortality, the tests show that at least in the Swedish case, the impact of mortality on the indirect measures is limited. As infant mortality differences by socioeconomic status are relatively small, indirect fertility estimates are mainly affected by differences in reproductive behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore military service-linked economic and social governing initiatives in early twentieth-century Sweden, and thereby offer a broadened understanding of educational institutions as governing arenas.Design/methodology/approach Using the term “governing” to describe and analyse various calculated techniques of the state – and/or affiliated governing actors – to influence and direct the behaviour of conscripts in order to deal with particular economic and/or social problems, the author ask what kind of economic and social problems policymakers and social commentators of education were looking to deal with, why military service was considered a suitable means and/or setting for doing so, and what governing techniques they proposed be used. The author furthermore take in consideration the intimate links between citizenship, gender, and military service and argue that the governing initiatives analysed enables us to understand these links in partly new and a more concrete way.Findings The study shows that there were numerous ideas and requests amongst policymakers and social commentators of education on making use of the nation’s conscription scheme for non-military purposes as it provided the nation with a unique opportunity to reach and influence entire generations of men on the threshold of adulthood. Proposals included, e.g., the use of various forms of instruction in assorted subjects, facilitation of base libraries and an extension of the period of military service, in order to deal with economic and social problems such as, e.g., mass unemployment, alcohol abuse, elementary education deficiencies, and uneducated voters, as well as shortages of skilled personnel in particular branches of great importance for the nation’s economy.Originality/value While there is a sizable and growing body of research on governing initiatives in non-military educational settings, proposed and implemented to solve various economic and social problems in society, scholars in Sweden and elsewhere have largely overlooked the use and role of military service in such undertakings. This paper seeks to redress the balance and thereby offers a broadened understanding of educational institutions as governing arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chickenpox vaccine is not included in the routine childhood vaccination programme in Sweden. The aim of this study was to estimate the baseline of national chickenpox disease burden, as comprehensive studies, required for an assessment regarding vaccine introduction, are lacking. Methods: We used available health care registers and databases; the death register, hospitalisations register, communicable disease notifications database, Stockholm County registers on consultations in specialist and primary care, temporary parental benefit to care for a sick child, and searches on the health care system's website. From each data source, records regarding chickenpox were identified and extracted, either using relevant diagnosis codes (ICD-10) or key words. A descriptive analysis with regards to number of cases and incidence, severity, and seasonality, was carried out covering the time period 2007 to 2013. Results: There were on average 333 patients hospitalised annually due to chickenpox, yielding a hospitalisation rate of 3.56/100,000 person-years. We found a slight male predominance in hospitalised cases. The highest hospitalisation rate was seen in 1 year-olds, whereas the peak in primary care consultations was in 2 year-olds. Nearly a quarter of children had parents who reported absence from work to care for them when sick with chickenpox. The average yearly death rate from chickenpox was 0.034/100,000 person-years. The duration of hospital stay increased with age. The seasonality in number of searches on the health care website corresponded well with hospitalisations and primary care consultations with peaks in spring. Conclusions: This study shows chickenpox death and hospitalisation rates in range with other European countries without routine vaccination. Swedish children fall ill with chickenpox at a very young age. The study provides essential input for future discussions on the introduction of routine chickenpox vaccination in Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor people have been recast by development agencies from 'beneficiaries' to 'engaged citizens' - yet the assumptions behind many democracy and accountability programmes remain simplistic. Power defines and constrains citizen engagement, which takes place against a backdrop of complex histories of exclusion, discrimination and violence. Poor people's access to income, services or benefits can rely on patronage relations which they may be wisely reluctant to challenge. Citizen engagement is thus shaped by civic habitus: the tacit collusion with socialised norms of power. This article draws on a study of civil society strengthening work by Swedish organisations and their partners around the world which illustrates the challenges posed by political cultures of passivity and questions the logic behind much human rights and democracy programming. The article offers useful frameworks for understanding how power affects citizen engagement and the formation of civic habitus, and explores the implications of this for more transformative approaches to citizen engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay on the feminist foreign policy of Sweden in relation to ethics, politics, and gender. Topics include the use of the normative framework of women, peace, and justice(WPS) in the development of Swedish foreign policy, a look into the contribution of feminist international relations (IR) theory to the enhancement of the country's feminist foreign policy's ethical thrust, and the effect of the conflict between idealism and pragmatism.

While it might appear self-evident that the trend toward the New Public Management (NPM) in the public administration systems of many Western countries is an outgrowth of neoliberalism, the case of Swedish education suggests that such policies can have widely different and counterintuitive sources. Ideas about education from both sides of the political spectrum appear to have paved the way for NPM in the Swedish school system. This possibility casts the ideological basis for NPM reforms in a new light, at least in the context of the Swedish school system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the transition towards a low-carbon society, changes of attitudes and social norms are needed to support new ways of implementing technical solutions and new behaviors and lifestyles. Mobility Management (MM) campaigns have been shown to contribute to changing of mind sets, but to date these campaigns have not been recognized as important parts of a strategic transport policy plan on an overall level. A brief overview of the literature concerning MM campaigns being carried out in Sweden today indicates that the full potential of these campaigns is not being used. To make these campaigns more effective, we suggest that the campaigns should focus on social motivation and normalizing sustainable transport behavior and should explicitly express holistic views regarding climate effects. Most importantly, however, we argue that the effectiveness could be increased through more strategic and systematic use, which might require national coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social changes, associated shifts in police work, and cultural variations raise interesting questions about the ideal police applicant. These issues were explored by investigating key 'suitability' criteria for applicants to join the Swedish National Police and the Catalan Police in Spain. First, criteria and selection procedures in official documents were examined. Next, focus group sessions were carried out with selection practitioners about different criteria. Results indicate several similarities between the organizations in formal criteria and selection procedures, notably an emphasis on peace-making and problem-solving abilities. However, differences were found in areas such as loyalty towards the organization and differences that correspond to different organizational images. The views from the selection practitioners mostly align with the official documents but different outcomes are possible due to different interpretations of how a given construct should manifest itself in actual performance. Practical implications from this study could prove valuable for improving selection practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under scrutiny (what we term a “bribery gaze”), many interpersonal exchanges in work contexts are perceived as bribes rather than gifts, tokens of appreciation, or mundane favors. Current Swedish bribery laws are strong, and the media keep a vigilant eye out for suspicious activities. From a wide set of qualitative data, we selected 13 interviews with formally-accused middle managers and low-level officials in Sweden who claimed to be innocent of small corruption. We discovered that they were more concerned with defending their honor than with job losses, material losses, or legal repercussions. The interviewees used a contrast structure: While they defined the humiliating accusations and disproportionate measures as turning points, they narrated their moral struggles and claimed their innocence by retelling significant events. These personal narratives from those accused of corruption showed that honor remains very important in contemporary society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE SWEDISH PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM was revised in 2010 and introduced more emphasis on literacy development for very young children. In exploring how educators approach and understand these changes to the curriculum, we drew on focus group interviews with 10 preschool teams working with toddlers. As the educators talked about their work with written language with toddlers, they identified a range of activities from their everyday practice that categorised written language in various ways. As well as reporting on what the teachers said, this paper also shows how they participated in the focus groups, showing hesitancy in some cases and using categorisations, contrasts and active voicing as they shared their perspectives. The study's findings suggest that early childhood educators would benefit from engaging more deeply in theories of literacy that align with early childhood education. This will enable them to theorise from their practice and to articulate their understandings and practice within their teams and to others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In epidemiological and twin populations, prior interview studies have identified an externalizing spectrum of disorders. Could this be detected utilizing objective registry data? In 20,603 twin pairs from the Swedish Twin Registry, we obtained information from national medical, criminal and pharmacy records on drug abuse (DA), criminal behavior (CB) and alcohol use disorders (AUD). Multivariate twin modeling was performed with the OpenMx package. A common pathway model with quantitative but not qualitative sex effects fit best with twin resemblance for the latent liability to externalizing syndromes due to both genetic and shared environmental factors. Heritability of the liability was higher in females (76 vs. 62 %) while shared environmental influences were considerably stronger in males (23 vs. 3 %). In both sexes, this latent liability was most strongly indexed by DA and least by CB. All three syndromes had specific genetic influences (especially CB and AUD in males, and CB in females) and specific shared environmental effects (especially DA and CB in males, and AUD in females). For DA, CB and AUD in men, and DA and AUD in women, at least 75 % of the genetic risk arose through the common factor. The best fit model assumed that genetic and environmental influences on these externalizing syndromes in males and females were the same. We identified, in registry data, a highly heritable externalizing spectrum. DA, CB and AUD share substantial genetic and modest to moderate shared environmental influences. The nature of the externalizing spectrum differed meaningfully between the sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: It is increasingly difficult to differentiate measles viruses (MeVs) relating to certain outbreaks on the basis of the nucleoprotein (N) gene sequence only, as the diversity of circulating MeV strains has decreased. We studied genomic regions that could provide better molecular discrimination between epidemiologically linked and unlinked MeV variants identified in Sweden during 2013-2014.Methods: The hemagglutinin (H) gene and hypervariable region between the fusion and matrix genes (MF-HVR) from 53 MeV-positive samples were amplified and sequenced. Data on phylogenetic clustering of MeVs on the basis of N, H, and MF-HVR sequences were compared to epidemiological data.Results: MeVs were genotyped: 27 were B3, and 26 were D8. One genotype B3 cluster based on the N gene sequence contained epidemiologically unrelated viruses from 4 outbreaks, whereas analysis of H and MF-HVR sequences separated them into phylogenetic clusters consistent with the epidemiological data. Similarly, the single cluster of viruses with a genotype D8 N gene could be divided into the 5 outbreak groups on the basis of the phylogeny of MF-HVR sequences.Conclusions: A detailed picture of MeV circulation with more-defined links between outbreaks was obtained by sequencing the H gene and MF-HVR. Further identification and better genetic characterization of MeVs internationally is essential in identifying sources and routes of MeV spread within and beyond Europe in the elimination end game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Professional electricians are highly subjected to electrical injuries. Previous studies describing symptoms after electrical injury have not included people with less severe initial injuries. The purpose of the present study was to describe symptoms at different time points after electrical injury, the impact of 'no-let-go' phenomenon and different electrical potential [high voltage (HV) vs. low voltage (LV)], and the safety culture at the workplace. Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted with 523 Swedish electricians. Two questionnaires were issued: the first to identify electricians who had experienced electrical injury and the second to gain information about symptoms and safety culture. Self-reported symptoms were described at different time points following injury. Symptoms for HV and LV accidents were compared. Occurrence or nonoccurrence of 'no-let-go' phenomenon was analysed using two-tailed Chi-2. Safety culture was assessed with a validated questionnaire. Results: Nearly all reported having symptoms directly after the injury, mainly paraesthesia and pain. For the first weeks after injury, pain and muscle weakness dominated. The most frequently occurring symptoms at follow-up were pain, muscle weakness and loss of sensation. HV injuries and 'no-let go' phenomenon were associated with more sustained symptoms. Deficiencies in the reporting routines were present, as well as shortage of preventive measures. Conclusion: The results indicate that symptoms are reported also long time after an electrical injury and that special attention should be paid to HV injuries and 'no-let go' accidents. The workplace routines to reduce the number of work-related electrical injuries for Swedish electricians can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) can be described as an ongoing epidemic, although a very protracted one, lasting more than 100 years. Cardiovascular diseasesstill top mortality rates in the world today, accounting for about 30% of all deaths around the globe. But it is in the industrialized world that CVD dominate, although differences are great among various regions. Myocardial infarctions are significantly more common in Sweden than in southern Europe, but less common than in Eastern Europe. The overall question concerns the consequences for health in areas on the road to a post-industrial society. Over the years a clearer link has become visible between lifestyle and health. In Sweden, infectious diseases diminished as result of rising living standards. At the same time cardiovascular diseases were beginning their upward phase, reaching a peak in the 1960s. Deaths due to CVD bring to light significant discrepancies related to socio-economic and cultural factors. A comparison of the Swedish twin cities Linköping and Norrköping show considerable differences in death rates in favour of Linköping, amounting to about 30% fewer in the 1920s with a tendency toward rising differences thereafter. A preliminary investigation of diagnoses has shown that links commonly made between health and socio-economic patterns need revision. The differences in cardiovascular morbidity show another pattern than was expected. It is obvious that the neighbourhood environments themselves have significance, and that the inequalities need additional research based on complementary explanatory models. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

So far, studies of Swedish 20th-century social policy have emphasized the differences between the voluntary aid common around 1900 and the solidarity of welfare policy at mid-century. Means tests have been described as central instruments in the voluntary social work, while the welfare state was built on general principles of care. The question is, however, if the differences between the earlier and later forms of social policy can be characterized in such simple terms. A comparison has been made of departure points found in the social policies of the two periods. The results confirm that a significantly new way of thinking had taken shape in the years around the Second World War, but the study also shows that that the ideas concerning the welfare state contain threads that can be traced back to the scientific philanthropy of a few years earlier. The idea of social engineering was nothing new, and the idea that rights could be exchanged for duties had still not been deserted in the 1940s. In conclusion it can be said that the welfare state and the welfare politics of solidarity in several respects were built upon the principles of care that were formulated in about 1900. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Synopsis The aim of this paper is to raise and explore some of the challenges we as gender scholars have experienced in Sweden today in what could be conceptualized as ‘overed’ academic landscapes. Our argument is framed by Sara Ahmed's (2012) statement that the very idea that we are ‘over race’ is how racism is reproduced where it also has to be emphasized that the notion of being ‘over race’ needs to be understood as intertwined with being over gender. With autobiographical methods, we take leverage in a problematization of gender studies as ‘a room of our own’ and discuss related themes in academe such as the paradox of gender studies as a perspective and/or a discipline, pluralism and the academic institutional division of labour, feminism and neoliberal New Public Management, collaborative interdisciplinary work in audit cultures. The paper concludes with a discussion about resisting ‘overing’ through the conflicted position of the feminist scholar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify how annual reports of public housing and commercial real estate companies contribute in “doing gender” of the real estate industry in Sweden. How the issue of gender is dealt with in photographs, in two different types of organizations, with different corporate and business strategies, is important as they play a significant role in constructing the industry itself. Are there any differences in how they perceive gender, and what constitutes gender of the industry? Design/methodology/approach – Analysis of photographs in annual reports, 14 public housing companies and eight commercial real estate companies, in the year of 2011. Findings – The paper provides empirical insights about how “gender is done” in annual reports, men alone are shown more often as employees and both women and men are portrayed in stereotypical positions. Women are depicted more often as young and also presented in “token positions”. Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research approach, in studying only one year, a longitudinal study would be recommended for future studies. Practical implications – The paper includes implications for the development of gender symbols and images representing the industry, in how gender is done in public situations as in annual reports. This is not only important for the industry itself but also to stakeholders involved with the industry. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study how photographs shown in annual reports reveal gender structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]