1. PUBLISHED BY THE SWEDISH COUNCIL FOR WORKING LIFE AND SOCIAL RESEARCH, DECEMBER 2004, NO. 2
Grants Data Base <kerstin.carsjo@fas.forskning.se>. For
information on ERA-AGE please visit <http://
To make Swedish research within working life,
europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/coordination/
public health and social welfare more accessible
era-net_en.html> or European Age Forum,
internationally, FAS recently launched an
<http://www.shef.ac.uk/ageingresearch>.
English project catalogue on its website,
www.fas.forskning.se. The Grants Data Base WORK-IN-NET, the ERA-NET in the area of
currently offers information on 700 projects work organisation, has received funding from
funded by FAS and is expected to grow by the European Commission. A start-up meeting
about 150 projects annually. It can be searched took place in Norway in early November this
by research area or name of project leader and year. FAS and Vinnova are cooperating in this
some open text searches are also possible. ERA-NET which deals with research into
innovative work organisations and sustainable
For each item the project leader’s name and e-
work systems. Discussions are ongoing between
mail address, grant institution (often including
FAS, Vinnova and other funding agencies on
website address), total funding provided and
how this network can be used to our advantage
the date when the final report is due, or was
in Sweden. For further information please
submitted, appears together with a brief
contact Programme Director Kenneth
summary of the project plan. Since final reports
Abrahamsson, e-mail
must now be submitted electronically to FAS,
<kenneth.abrahamsson@fas.forskning.se>.
most projects in the Grants Data Base will
eventually also contain summaries of results FAS and Vinnova also have a joint assignment
and literature references. to map the volume and focus of working life
research, identify future needs and develop the
forms of cooperation between FAS and
FAS active in two ERA-NETs
Vinnova in this area.
FAS is a cooperating partner in two ERA-NETs
– networks of European research funding
IFAU evaluated
organisations. ERA-NETs can be regarded as a
complement to the EU research framework FAS has completed an evaluation of activities at
with the aim of promoting the exchange of IFAU. The report Evaluation of the Institute
experiences and collaboration between research for Labour Market Policy Evaluation (IFAU)
funding organisations within Europe. In the 1997–2004 can be downloaded from the FAS
longer term there are plans for joint funding website, <www.fas.forskning.se/en/
announcements for major projects. ERA-NETs #evaluation>.
are directed especially to funding agencies with
Overall, IFAU is given very high marks by the
coordinated research programmes or who are
evaluation group which was headed by
otherwise involved in the management of
Professor Lennart Hjalmarsson, Department of
research programmes.
Economics, Göteborg University: ”IFAU
ERA-AGE is active in the fields of the elderly deserves top marks for the work it has done
and ageing. The work to describe ongoing and the institute is currently regarded as one of
research in various countries has been initiated the leading research environments for applied
with the Academy of Finland as coordinator. At labour market economics in Europe.”
the end of May 2004, FAS held a conference
A follow-up seminar on completion of the
with ageing researchers in Sweden.
evaluation took place on 11 November 2004.
For further information please contact For further information please contact
Programme Director Kenneth Abrahamsson, e- Research Officer Ulla Wallin, e-mail
mail <kenneth.abrahamsson@fas.forskning.se>, <ulla.wallin@fas.forskning.se>.
or Research Officer Kerstin Carsjö, e-mail

2. Department of Social Work, Göteborg
Current projects
University, e-mail: margareta.back-
Life choices of young people in the wiklund@socwork.gu.se.
twenty-first century
Service robots in working life
Individual values affect how critical decisions
are made, e.g. moving in together, getting of the future
married or deciding to become a parent. This
The project at Göteborg University aims to
project analyses both the importance of values
improve our understanding of the forms of
for relationships and child-raising in early
work and interaction between humans and
adulthood (up to age 35) and how values
service robots. It is also intended to generate
relating to family and work change over time as
insight into how service robots are designed,
a result of a changed family situation.
tested and developed in order to meet social
Two surveys have so far been carried out with objectives.
the same individuals in order to develop a
Service robots are usually defined as intelligent
longitudinal database for the purpose of
and to some extent self-controlling machines
studying the relationship between values and
that carry out a variety of tasks in interaction
demographic behaviour. Plans exist for a third
with humans and social systems. They provide
survey in a few years’ time. The survey contains
services of benefit to both humans and
a large number of questions on attitudes and
equipment.
plans for the future relating to family-making
and work. The research will touch on a number of central
issues that are topical and significant for
The surveys are supplemented by register data
working life of the future, including perceptible
concerning marriages, divorces and children
aspects of the forms of interaction between
born. In addition a limited number of focus
humans and robots, as well as the influence of
groups have been undertaken with young
service robots on the content, organisation and
women and men to elicit their thoughts about
design of jobs. The project will also study how
family and child-raising and how parenthood
service robots actually function in the
affects your life situation.
workplace.
For more information, please contact:
For more information, please contact:
Project Leader Eva Bernhardt, Centre for
Project Leader Torbjörn Stjernberg, e-mail:
Gender Studies, Stockholm University, e-mail:
torbjorn.stjernberg@handels.gu.se, or assistant
eva.bernhardt@sociology.su.se.
researcher and contact person Kristian Wasén,
e-mail: kristian.wasen@handels.gu.se,
The importance of male role models Department of Business Administration,
Göteborg University.
Single mothers make up a large group, and
many of them are in need of support and relief
in the form of contact persons, support families Completed projects
and other targeted measures.
What is the quality of life
Often these measures also aim to provide a
for the obese?
male role model for children growing up
without a father. Sons of single mothers are In just a couple of decades, obesity has become
today recognised as a risk group in terms of a serious public health issue world-wide.
requiring social care outside the home. Obesity does not only cause medical problems;
obese individuals also experience a severely
The purpose of this study is to determine how
impaired quality of life, e.g. poor general health
the social services as well as single-parent
families view the need for male role models in
The FAS Newsletter contains information about FAS
daily life, and how families react to the
activities and presentations of some of the research
measures offered by the social services to com-
projects receiving funding from FAS.
pensate for the absence of a man in the home.
It is distributed free of charge. You may sign up for
For more information, please contact: it by e-mailing your postal address to
Project Leader Margareta Bäck-Wiklund, <newsletter@fas.forskning.se>.
~2~

3. perceptions, mental distress, psychosocial of moving children of different genetic make-up
dysfunction and other functional limitations in to an entirely new environment. Among
everyday life. The effects of different treatments Swedish children adopted abroad, those who
on quality of life among the obese is evaluated originate from Latin America more often
in a number of completed and ongoing studies become obese in adulthood than children
within the Swedish Obese Subjects project at adopted from other parts of the world.
the Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University.
For more information, please contact:
As with mental well-being, psychosocial Project Leader Finn Rasmussen, Department of
functioning is markedly impaired among the Public Health Sciences, Norrbacka, Karolinska
severely obese, women being more seriously Institute, e-mail: finn.rasmussen@phs.ki.se.
affected than men. Psychologically these
individuals feel worse than other patient groups
Flat screens better for computers
with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid
Flat computer screens, so-called LCD screens,
arthritis, cancer or paralysis following spinal
are lighter and less bulky and therefore easier
cord injury.
to place in an ergonomically advantageous
The effects on quality of life are evaluated manner. In many respects it is better to work at
among patients treated surgically for obesity such a screen than at a traditional so-called
and among those receiving conventional CRT screen, i.e. those similar to small television
treatment within primary care. Patients are sets. This is shown in a study of musculo-
examined before the intervention and after six skeletal and eye-related symptoms in
months, one, two, three, four, six, eight and 10 connection with computer use.
years, and at 15 and 20 years. The results of
Muscle and joint symptoms affected the head,
this study refer to follow-up at two years.
neck, occiput, shoulder blade, shoulder joint,
Among the surgically treated there was a elbow, wrist, thoracic spine, lower back, hip/
dramatic improvement in quality of life. On thigh and knee. Seventy percent of these
average they lost about 28 kg (approx. 25%) symptoms were more common during CRT
and the effects were clearly related to the work. The incidence of symptoms was equal
weight reduction: the greater the weight loss, for both types of screens in 22 percent of the
the better the functioning and well-being. cases, primarily affecting the knees, wrists and
elbows.
For more information, please contact:
Project Leader Marianne Sullivan, Health Care In terms of the eyes, CRT work caused more
Research Unit, Institute of Internal Medicine, discomfort in seven of the eight parameters
Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University, e- studied. Eight of nine persons read longer
mail: marianne.sullivan@medicine.gu.se. periods without visual discomfort on the LCD
screen, while the ninth could read for an equal
The significance of birth weight amount of time on both screens. Five of eight
persons preferred LCD for moving images
for health while three preferred CRT.
Studies on twins make it possible to study the
The study also confirmed that exposure to
significance of the fetal environment for health
flicker, electromagnetic fields and heat
in adulthood. One hypothesis suggests that
diminishes on changeover to LCD screens.
fetal growth may have an effect on body mass
index (BMI), obesity, blood pressure and For more information, please contact:
diabetes in adult life. Project Leader Per Nylén, Occupational Health,
National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm,
This hypothesis was tested in a project at the
e-mail: per.nylen@av.se.
Karolinska Institute with respect to BMI and
blood pressure. No association was found. On
Can manganese affect the brain via
the other hand an association was found
between the birth weight of the child and the the sense of smell?
parents’ mortality from diabetes later in life.
Occupational exposure to manganese occurs
Obesity among internationally adopted during welding and other work with
children was also studied. International manganese-containing metals in steel-making
adoption makes it possible to study the effects plants and foundries and during mining and
~3~

4. Finding a democratic culture of
processing of manganese-containing ores.
Persons who in this way are exposed to collaboration
manganese via inhalation can develop mental
There are workplaces in Sweden where
and neurological disorders which in serious
collaboration is efficient and where conflicts
cases are suggestive of Parkinson’s disease.
and interpersonal difficulties are handled in a
Manganese that reaches the olfactory mucosa constructive and solution-orientated manner.
has a unique ability of being absorbed into the The communication culture is characterised by
brain. Thus, via the olfactory nerves the metal mutual respect and openness. But there are also
reaches the olfactory lobes of the brain and it is other, less well-functioning workplaces where
then further transported to different parts of problem solving is hampered by hierarchical
the central nervous system and even into the and territorial posturing and unprofessional
spinal cord. attitudes.
Studies on rats have shown that manganese Thirty-nine employees at four hospitals were
which enters the brain via the olfactory interviewed about their experiences of
pathway induces behavioural effects. Motor collaboration and problem solving. Findings
functions were changed, and cats exposed show that problematic relationships are caused
repeatedly to manganese were more severely more often by a lack of reflection on the
affected than those subjected to a single conditions and norms of collaboration than by
exposure. different views on norms, prioritisations and
values. Active, deliberately formative leadership
Further research is necessary in order to
is the key to a good culture of collaboration.
investigate the significance of the olfactory
pathway for the uptake of manganese into the Good leadership, clear roles and a defined
central nervous system in man. The olfactory system of norms within the organisation makes
lobes of the brain are often damaged at early for a good collaborative climate even if there
stages of neurodegenerative disorders such as are some employees who tend to act
Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Is unprofessionally. On the other hand, an
it possible that the uptake of metals and other enlightened group of employees working to
neurotoxins into the brain via the olfactory find a problem-solving way to communicate
sense actually may contribute to the can make up for weak leadership.
development of these diseases?
The project includes examples of constructive
For more information, please contact: measures that can be of practical use, for
Project Leader Hans Tjälve, Division of instance to organisation consultants, course
Pathology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, directors and managers with human resource
Department of Biomedical Sciences and responsibilities in all areas of working life.
Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of
For more information, please contact:
Living Natural Resources (SLU), e-mail:
Project Leader Thomas Jordan, Department of
hans.tjalve@bvf.slu.se.
Work Science, Göteborg University, e-mail:
thomas.jordan@av.gu.se.
Postal address Box 2220, SE-103 15 Stockholm Visiting address Birger Jarls torg 5, Riddarholmen
Phone +46 8 775 40 70 Telefax +46 8 775 40 75 E-mail fas@fas.forskning.se Internet www.fas.forskning.se
Editor Jan Jerring E-mail jan.jerring@fas.forskning.se December 2004