Malmö University
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The Ouroboros Model : Solving the Paradox of Abundance and Decline
No full textThis thesis investigates the structural roots of fertility decline in developed economies. It argues that two forces of space and time play a central role in shaping reproductive decisions. Employing political economy, sociology, and demography, the study examines how rising land values and overextended temporal demands limit family formation in developed societies. Using Canada as a case study, the thesis combines empirical data with theoretical insight. A concept of ‘sealevel rent’ is introduced to illustrate how economic pressures engulf the landless, thereby suppressing reproductive capacity. Regional contrasts such as Nunavut suggest that fertility thrives where land is less commodified and time is less regulated. The thesis concludes that reversing demographic decline will require more than policy incentives, but that it demands structural transformation. It proposes land value taxation and a reorganization of work week as potential reforms, arguing that only by rethinking how societies allocate space and time can they restore the socioeconomic conditions necessary for demographic resilience
Predictors of health-related quality of life in temporomandibular disorder patients : 8-year cohort study
No full textObjectives: This study aimed to identify baseline factors that predict Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients with TMD 8 years later. Materials and Methods: 401 participants (333 women, mean age 45.8 years) from a multicenter cohort were examined using the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) and questionnaires. The main outcome was the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), a HRQoL measure that provides physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) summaries. Baseline predictors included age, gender, self-reported health, Jaw Functional Limitation Scale (JFLS), pain intensity, pain frequency, and pain duration. Regression analysis with stepwise modeling identified predictive factors. Results: 54.3% had painful TMD, 15.7% had nonpainful TMD, and 27.7% were healthy controls. For the painful TMD group, the regression model was significant (R² = .25, F = 4.3, P < .01), with age and favorable general health predicting PCS scores. In the nonpainful TMD group, the model was significant (R² = .58, F = 3.8, P < .01), with JFLS and favorable general health (predicting PCS scores. The MCS model was significant in healthy controls (R2 = .22, F = 1.8, P = .05), with JFLS as only predictor. Conclusion: Predictors of mental HRQoL: JFLS in healthy controls, but no predictors were found in TMD groups. Predictors of physical HRQoL: General health in both TMD groups, JFLS in the nonpainful TMD group, and age in the painful TMD group
Women’s Experiences of Psychosocial Support from Nurses during Breast Cancer Treatment : A literature review
No full textBakgrund: Bröstcancer är den vanligast förekommande cancerformen bland kvinnor i Sverige. Diagnostiken baseras främst på trippeldiagnostik, som innefattar klinisk undersökning, mammografi och finnålsbiopsi. Behandlingen utgörs vanligtvis av kirurgi i kombination med strålning, cytostatika eller hormonbehandling. Oavsett behandlingsform innebär detta en betydande fysisk och psykisk påfrestning för patienterna, där sjuksköterskans stödjande roll har en stor betydelse för att främja välbefinnande. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien var att undersöka upplevelser av psykosocialt stöd från sjuksköterskor bland kvinnor med bröstcancer i samband med behandling av bröstcancer. Metod: En kvalitativ litteraturstudie genomfördes som baserades på tio vetenskapliga artiklar. Databassökningar genomfördes i databaserna Cinahl och PubMed, där inklusions- och exklusionskriterier tillämpades för att begränsa sökresultaten. Urvalet granskades enligt vald kvalitetsgranskningsmall för att säkerställa att artiklarna uppfyllde hög eller medelhög kvalitet. En tematisk innehållsanalys genomfördes enligt vald analysmetod. Resultat: Innehållsanalysen av samtliga tio artiklar identifierade tre teman: sjuksköterskans tillgänglighet för att möta behov, trygghet genom kompetens och kommunikation i vårdmötet samt behov och förväntningar på omvårdnaden och sjuksköterskan. Vardera tema grupperades ytterligare i subkategorier. Konklusion: Den grundutbildade sjuksköterskans tillgänglighet, kompetens och förmåga till individanpassad kommunikation anses vara avgörande aspekter för att kunna tillgodose de psykosociala behoven hos patienter med bröstcancer. Litteraturstudiens resultat betonar vikten av en personcentrerad och relationsbaserad omvårdnad där trygghet, delaktighet och respekt bör eftersträvas. Background: Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in Sweden. The diagnosis is primarily based on triple assessment, which includes clinical examination, mammography and fine-needle biopsy. Treatment generally consists of surgery in combination with radiotherapy, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. Regardless of the method of treatment, women often are subjected to considerable physical or psychological strain, where the supportive role of the nurse is essential in promoting well-being. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to explore the experiences of psychosocial support from nurses among women with breast cancer in relation to breast cancer treatment. Method: A qualitative literature review was conducted, based on ten scientific articles. Database searches were performed in Cinahl and PubMed, with applied inclusion and exclusion criteria to limit the search results. The selection of articles was assessed using the chosen quality assessment template to ensure that the articles met high or medium high quality standards. Thereafter a thematic analysis was conducted, in accordance with the chosen analytical framework. Results: The analysis of all ten articles identified three themes: the nurse´s availability to meet needs, security through competence and communication in patient care, as well as needs and expectations of the care and the nurses. Each theme was further grouped into subcategories. Conclusion: The availability, competence, and ability to provide individualized communication is considered to be crucial aspects of the registered nurse in meeting the psychosocial need of patients with breast cancer. The results of the literature review highlight the importance of person-centered and relationship-based nursing care, where safety, participation, and respect should be actively encouraged.
Narrating Displacement: Syrian Refugees in Lebanese News Media : Examining Political Alignment, Framing Strategies, and the Discourse of Return (2023– 2025)
No full textThis thesis examines how Syrian refugees are framed in Lebanese news media between 2023 and 2025, focusing on three ideologically distinct outlets: Al-Mayadeen, LBC, and Nedaa al Watan. Using Entman’s (1993) framing theory and Hallin and Mancini’s (2004) media systems theory, the study analyzes thirty news articles to identify dominant narratives and assess how political alignment influences media discourse. Seven key frames were identified: Security Threat, Economic Burden, Humanitarian, Political Instrumentalization, Return/Repatriation, Legal/Status, and Demographic Threat. Findings reveal a significant shift toward return- focused narratives in 2025, driven more by political events than humanitarian realities. The study demonstrates how Lebanese media framing reflects elite interests and systemic fragmentation, often marginalizing refugee voices. By combining framing analysis with comparative media theory, the thesis contributes to understanding how refugee discourse evolves in politically polarized contexts. It highlights the media's role in shaping public opinion and influencing refugee policy in Lebanon
The Diffusion of Anti-Trafficking Norms
No full textThis thesis examines how the United Nations has influenced domestic anti-trafficking legislation through the diffusion of norms codified in the Palermo Protocol (2000). Using a qualitative research design grounded in constructivist International Relations theory, the study applies a cluster-based framework to assess the uptake of Protection, Prevention, and Prosecution norms, known as the three P’s, in the legal systems of the United States and Thailand. Methodologically, the thesis combines discourse analysis of legal texts with a form of normative process tracing, identifying how specific international norms are reflected, reframed, or omitted in national legislation. By coding both anti-trafficking statutes and relevant general laws, the study traces selective and uneven diffusion patterns, with Prosecution norms being the most consistently adopted and Prevention norms being the most neglected. The findings support norm diffusion theory’s claim that adoption is shaped by domestic legal structures and the framing of norms themselves. Ultimately, the thesis contributes to understanding how international legal standards travel across borders and are translated into national law through both discursive and institutional filters
Design och utformning av ihopvikbar stuga för transport och användning i fjällmiljö. : Design and development of a foldable cabin for transport and use in mountain enviroments.
No full textThis thesis has been conducted as part of a joint initiative between Malmö University and Mitt University, aiming to develop a foldable, transportable, and sustainable mountain cabin suitable for use in remote and inaccessible terrain. The project is motivated by the growing interest in hiking tourism in Sweden’s mountainous regions, where increased development risks negatively impacting natural environments. As an alternative to permanent cabins, this study explores the possibility of creating a cabin that can be easily assembled, disassembled, and transported without leaving permanent traces on the landscape. The work addresses three key research questions: how to optimize the cabin for transport in rough terrain, how to select materials and design the structure to achieve low weight without compromising stability and how to develop a ground anchoring system that is durable, reusable, and minimizes environmental impact. The methodology includes literature reviews, technical calculations using FEM-Design, and the construction of a physical prototype for practical testing of components and joints. The cabin is designed for transport via quad bike and trailer. Each building component weighs no more than 100 kg to comply with Swedish Work Environment Authority guidelines for manual handling, allowing four people to manage assembly. Material choices were guided by environmental and structural considerations, with a timber frame, hemp insulation, and plywood sheathing used to reduce overall weight. The construction is designed to be vapor-permeable to support moisture regulation and facilitate assembly. Ground anchoring is achieved using screw piles that require minimal soil disturbance. Calculations reveal significant wind loads, addressed through dual screw anchors at the corners and clamp-based fastening for ease of assembly without precision requirements. The results demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a foldable, practical, and environmentally friendly cabin for fragile alpine terrain
Mother tongue teachers' perspective on teaching in age-mixed classes
No full textAbstrakt Denna studie undersöker modersmålslärares upplevelser och perspektiv på undervisning i åldersblandades klasser, med särskilt fokus på hur denna undervisningsform påverkar elevers språkutveckling, sociala färdigheter och lärandemiljö. Bakgrunden till studien är den begränsade forskningen kring modersmålsundervisning i Sverige, samt de utmaningar som lärare möter när de ska anpassa undervisningen till elever med stor ålders-och kunskapsmässig spridning. Studien syftar till att bidra med kunskap om hur åldersblandade klasser fungerar i praktiken, vilka pedagogiska strategier som används och vilka möjligheter och hinder som finns. Teoretiskt utgår studien från ett sociokulturellt perspektiv, där begrepp som den proximala utvecklingszonen (ZPD) och scaffolding används för att analysera lärandeprocesser i heterogena grupper. Genom en kombination av enkät och semistrukturerade med 16 modersmålslärare, varav fyra intervjuades mer ingående, samlades empiriskt material in. Resultaten visar att majoritet av lärarna upplever att åldersblandade klasser inte i första hand främjar språkutvecklingen, på grund av stora kunskapsskillnader och begränsad tid för individuell anpassning. Dock framhålls sociala fördelar, såsom att äldre elever kan fungera som mentorer och att kulturell samhörighet stärkas. De största utmaningarna är tidsbrist, brist på lämpligt undervisningsmaterial och behov av fortbildning i hur man effektivt organiserar undervisning i åldersblandade grupper. Slutsatsen är att åldersblandade klasser har potential att gynna elevers sociala utveckling och språkinlärning, men att detta kräver tydligare stöd och resurser från skolhåll. Ytterligare forskning behövs för att utveckla mer anpassade arbetsmetoder för denna undervisningsform
Between Brussels and Stockholm : An Argumentative Analysis of Sweden’s Security Policy Choices
No full textThis thesis examines how the Swedish Parliamentary parties have argued and legitimised the two major shifts in Sweden’s security policy concerning NATO and the European Union’s security and defence between 2017 and 2025. The study applies Fritz W. Scharpf’s theory of input and output legitimacy to explore how parliamentary parties construct democratic legitimacy in a changing geopolitical context. The analysis focuses on themes such as national sovereignty, parliamentary responsibility, policy effectiveness and collective security.The materials consist of more than twenty transcribed parliamentary debates along with two televised debates broadcasted by Swedish public service television (SVT). The study uses a structured argumentation analysis grounded in Stephen Toulmin’s model. The study identifies how political parties justify their positions in terms of democratic participation as well as policy delivery.The findings demonstrate clear variation in how legitimacy is articulated depending on the institutional context. NATO is predominantly legitimized through arguments that highlight credible deterrence and collective defence especially following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The European Union’s defence policy is more contested. Some parties highlight the importance of military capability and preparedness while others focus on national sovereignty and parliamentary accountability. Certain parties also reframe output legitimacy in terms of civil preparedness and normative values.The study shows that legitimacy in security policy is not a static condition but the result of political negotiation. The arguments used often combine elements of both input and output, depending on party ideology and the institutional framework. The study also challenges the idea that parliament is merely a reactive institution by demonstrating how political parties actively shape public narratives of democratic legitimacy through debate. In conclusion the thesis offers new insights into how national parties interpret and construct legitimacy in an increasingly transnational security landscape
Utvärdering av intern amplifieringskontroll för tillförlitlig PCR-inhibitondetektion
No full textTillförlitlig detektion av PCR-hämning är avgörande för korrekta diagnostiska resultat i molekylära analyser. Denna studie utvärderade prestandan hos interna amplifieringskontroller (IAC) för att identifiera PCR-hämning i kliniska prover. Endogena kontroller riktade mot Escherichia coli och RNase P visade sig vara inkonsekventa på grund av naturlig variation i målförekomsten, vilket gör dem till otillförlitliga indikatorer på hämning. En exogen lax-DNA-IAC uppvisade förbättrad amplifieringskonsistens vid användning av probbaserad detektion men producerade ospecifik amplifiering med EvaGreen, vilket indikeras av flera toppar i smältkurvanalysen. Detta begränsade dess tolkningsbarhet i färgämnesbaserade system. En plasmidbaserad sälherpesvirus-IAC testades över olika provtyper med både probbaserade och EvaGreen-kemier. Sälherpesen uppvisade robust och konsekvent amplifiering, och detekterade effektivt hämning utan att störa amplifieringen av parasitmål, inklusive Cryptosporidiumhominis/parvum, Dientamoeba fragilis och Entamoeba dispar. Dessa fynd belyser begränsningarna hos endogena kontroller och tyder på att en exogen, plasmidbaserad IAC är en mer tillförlitlig metod för att övervaka PCR-prestanda vid rutinmässig klinisk diagnostik