Södertörns högskolas Publications
Not a member yet
15008 research outputs found
Sort by
Data Journalism as “Terra Incognita” : Newcomers’ Tensions in Shifting Towards Data Journalism Epistemology
No full textThis article investigates data journalism epistemology through Michel Foucault’s definition of power. The growing demand for data-savvy reporters with computational skills has been proven to shift the newsrooms’ culture in media companies across the globe. Previous research has documented journalists’ shift towards a data-centred epistemology and the increasingly important role of computation and data-driven practices in newsrooms. By focusing on inexperienced journalists as they mobilise data journalism for the first time, this research openly discusses its epistemology as a form of Foucauldian power: which epistemological tensions–individual or structural–emerge among newcomers when reporting extensively with data? The article presents the case of a newly formed data journalism team at taz, a German cooperative media company. It is based on qualitative data collected through action research, namely six in-depth interviews, auto-ethnographic notes and self-reflective inquiries. Data are framed through Foucault’s concepts of power and will to truth. Results show the discord between data journalism epistemology and its practical implementation. Despite prioritising democratic access to data, technologies and non-hierarchical forms of cooperation, data journalism remains largely dependent on traditional methods and culture.
Sambandet mellan kapitalstruktur och lönsamhet i svenska banker : En kvantitativ analys
No full textThe Swedish banking sector operates in a financial landscape characterized by increased regulation and high capital requirements, which raises the question of how banks and their capital structure relate to their profitability. This study examines the relationship between capital structure and profitability in Swedish banks using a quantitative research design. The study covers banks supervised by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority and is based on data taken from the banks' annual reports. Profitability is measured by return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE), while capital structure is represented by current liabilities, non-current liabilities, debt ratio, and capital adequacy ratio. The study's analysis is conducted using statistical methods such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results of the study show that the debt ratio has a positive and statistically significant correlation with ROE, while the capital adequacy ratio has a negative and statistically significant correlation with ROE. However, neither short-term nor long-term liabilities show any statistically significant correlation with ROA. Overall, the results of the study show that certain components of the banks and their capital structure play a more central role and have a stronger connection to profitability than others, which contributes empirical insights into capital structure and its significance in the Swedish banking sector.
”Free home electronics will solve the population crisis” : A multimodal critical discourse analytical study of Powers Baby Bonus-campaign
No full textDenna studie undersöker hur graviditet, kön och samhällsansvar konstrueras i hemelektronikkedjan Powers kampanj Baby Bonus, lanserad i Sverige hösten 2025. Kampanjen väckte uppmärksamhet genom att koppla ekonomiska incitament till graviditet och genom att positionera sig i en samhällsdebatt om minskat barnafödande. Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur dessa teman representeras i kampanjens språkliga och visuella uttryck samt hur representationerna relaterar till rådande samhällsdiskurser. Analysen utgår från en multimodal kritisk diskursanalys och omfattar kampanjmaterial i form av ett pressmeddelande, webbtexter, sociala medier, bilder och en reklamfilm. Teoretiskt förankras studien i kritisk diskursanalys, multimodalitet, socialkonstruktivism och sociosemiotik, med kompletterande genus- och postfeministiska perspektiv. Resultaten visar att kampanjen präglas av tre samverkande diskurser: en konsumtionsdiskurs där graviditet framställs som ett villkor för ekonomisk belöning, en könsdiskurs där kvinnokroppen konstrueras som en central ansvarsbärare, samt en samhällsansvarsdiskurs där barnahavande laddas med moralisk och nationell betydelse. Genom ett konsekvent samspel mellan text, bild och rörligt material normaliseras kopplingen mellan konsumtion, graviditet och samhällsansvar. Studien visar därmed hur kommersiell kommunikation kan bidra till att individualisera samhällsfrågor och reproducera könade föreställningar i ett marknadskommunikativt sammanhang
When Consent Becomes Problematic : The Didactic Potential in H.D. Carlton’s Haunting Adeline (2021) and Hunting Adeline (2022)
No full textThis essay aims to explore the didactic potential in contemporary fiction for addressing the concept of consent within the framework of the upper secondary school education in Sweden. Grounded in the Swedish curriculum for upper secondary school (GY25), which emphasizes the democratic values, and gender equality, as well as students’ ability to critically examine norms and power structures, the essay explores how consent, gender and power relations are depicted in H.D. Carlton’s dark romance novels Haunting Adeline (2021) and Hunting Adeline (2022). Since the legal reform in 2018, which introduced the Swedish consent law, the topic has also become an explicit and essential area in the Swedish curriculum, further underscoring the importance of examining how literature can support the teaching of consent. The analysis focuses on the portrayal of consent, as well as which characters are subjected to the violations of consent and how these depictions are largely connected and intertwined with both gendered and economic power structures. Through Malin Alkestrand’s concept of didactic potential, Ulrika Dahl’s concept of sex and gender, as well as Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge’s concept of intersectionality, the study explores how these novels explore, reproduce, and challenge the normative ideas about sexuality, power, and agency. This is done through the application of Anders Palm’s model of text interpretation, and Anna Nordlund’s concept of close reading. The findings indicate that consent is largely absent and/or problematized in the novels. It is frequently overridden by male dominance, economic power, and structural violence – specifically within contexts of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Furthermore, the narratives complicate traditional gender roles by portraying shifts in power, women’s autonomy, and non-normative expressions of masculinity. The essay argues that, despite their ethically challenging content, the novels offer significant didactic potential when approached and looked at through at critical lens. When used within a carefully structured pedagogical framework, they may serve as a starting point for classroom discussions on consent, gender equality, power relations, combined with the critical examination of sexuality representations in fiction and in media.
More than just books : An interview study on librarians’ perspectives about Thing collections in public libraries
No full textThis paper will examine librarians' perspectives on things collections in the public library. Things collection in this context means all objects besides the usual audiovisual materials that the library otherwise lends out. The purpose of the paper is to examine librarians' ideas, attitudes, and experiences regarding things collections, but also what motivates the integration of things in the public library. It is important to explore the things collections role in the library, and to gain comprehension regarding if things collections are a valid investment for libraries. This paper employs a qualitative approach and the data is collected through semi-structured interviews. The results have been analyzed with the theoretical framework of librarizing, created by Johanna Rivano Eckerdal, to show the different ways librarians librarize. The results show different ways the librarians use the things collection to fulfill the mission of the library. The things collection most prominently works to promote the democratic assignment of the library by giving the community an equal access to culture, Bildung, information, and societal participation. Additionally, fulfilling external expectations of the public library from municipal policy documents. The results also show different challenges implementing things collections in the library, such as financial aspects, claims of the library space, and questions about who is going to work with the collection. The collections are viewed as a way to fulfill the library users’ needs and a way to strengthen the library’s profile, although working with things is arduous since it requires space, maintenance, and innovative thinking. The librarians’ relationship towards the collections varies based on how their work with them has been structured, those with more experience feel more secure about the collections’ place in the library. I denna uppsats undersöks bibliotekariers perspektiv kring föremålssamlingar på bibliotek. Med föremål menas i detta sammanhang, föremål utöver de audivisuella medier biblioteket vanligtvis lånar ut. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka bibliotekariers föreställningar, attityder och erfarenheter av föremålssamlingar, samt att identifiera olika drivkrafter bakom dem. Att undersöka detta är viktigt för att förstå föremålens roll i biblioteken och för att förstå om föremålssamlingarna är något som biblioteken borde satsa på. Uppsatsen har en kvalitativ ansats och empirin är insamlad genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Utifrån det teoretiska ramverket biblioteka, myntat av Johanna Rivano Eckerdal, har resultatet analyserats för att se hur bibliotekarier gör bibliotek på olika sätt. Resultatet visar olika exempel på hur bibliotekarierna använder föremålssamlingar för att uppfylla bibliotekets uppdrag. Föremålen verkar främst som ett sätt att främja det demokratiska arbetet genom att ge lokalbefolkningen tillgång till kultur, bildning, information och social delaktighet. Även externa förväntningar som hållbarhetsaspekter från exempelvis kommunala styrdokument kan uppfyllas av föremålen. Resultatet visar även på utmaningar när det gäller föremålens integrering i biblioteken, så som finansiering, anspråk på biblioteksrummen och frågan om vem som ska jobba med föremålen. Samlingarna ses som ett sätt att uppfylla användarnas behov och stärka bibliotekets profil, dock är arbete med föremålen ansträngande då de bland annat kräver utrymme, underhållsarbete, och nytänkande. Bibliotekariernas förhållning till samlingarna varierar utifrån hur deras arbete med dem har varit utformat, de med mer erfarenhet av samlingarna känner sig säkrare kring samlingarnas plats i biblioteken.
Genererar aktivt förvaltade fonder högre riskjusterad avkastning än passiva fonder på den svenska aktiemarknaden? : En kvantitativ studie om lönsamheten mellan aktiv förvaltade fonder och passiva fonder mellan år 2020-2025
No full textDen svenska ekonomin har under de senaste åren präglats av instabilitet till följd av Covid-19 pandemin, lågkonjunktur och räntehöjningar. Samtidigt har andelen hushåll som investerar i passivt förvaltade fonder ökat markant, vilket aktualiserar valet mellan aktiv och passiv förvaltningsstrategi samt behovet av att utvärdera vilken fondtyp som genererar högst riskjusterad avkastning under olika marknadsförhållanden. Syftet med denna uppsats är att empiriskt beskriva och analysera skillnaden av den riskjusterade avkastningen, mellan aktivt och passivt förvaltade fonder under perioden 2020-2025. En kvantitativ metod med deduktiv ansats och tvärsnittsdesign har tillämpats. För att beräkna fondens riskjusterade avkastning har två prestationsmått använts: Sharpekvot och Jensens alfa, detta eftersom studien söker statistiska samband mellan aktiv och passivt förvaltade fonder har korrelationsanalyser, regressionsanalyser och t-test använts. Den teoretiska referensramen utgår från den effektiva marknadshypotesen (EMH), moderna portföljteorin (MPT) och beteendefinans. Studien visar att aktivt förvaltade fonder under perioden 2020-2025 i genomsnitt presterade bättre än passiva fonder i termer av riskjusterad avkastning, men skillnaden var inte statistisk signifikant enligt Sharpekvot. Däremot uppvisade Jensens alfa en signifikant avvikelse, vilket tyder på eventuell marknadsineffektivitet under perioden. Sammantaget visar studien att investeringsval bör baseras på individuell risktolerans och kostnadsmedvetenhet, snarare än ett antagande om aktiv förvaltning generellt ger bättre resultat. The Swedish economy has experienced significant market volatility due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This instability has been marked by rising interest rates and recessionary conditions. At the same time, the proportion of households investing in passively managed funds increased substantially, highlighting the importance of choosing between active and passive investment strategies. This trend underscores the need to evaluate which type of fund delivers higher risk-adjusted returns under varying market conditions. This study aims to describe and analyse the difference in risk-adjusted returns between actively and passively managed funds during the period 2020–2025. A quantitative method with a deductive approach was employed, using a cross-sectional research design. Risk-adjusted returns were measured using two key metrics: the Sharpe ratio and Jensen’s alpha. To determine statistical significance between actively and passively managed funds, correlation analyses, regression analyses, and t-tests were conducted.The theoretical framework is based on the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH), Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) and Behavioral Finance. The results indicate that actively managed funds outperformed passively managed funds with respect to risk-adjusted returns during the period 2020–2025. However, the difference was not statistically significant according to the Sharpe ratio. Jensen’s alpha, by contrast, showed a statistically significant difference, suggesting possible market inefficiencies during the period. The findings suggest that investment decisions should be guided by individual risk tolerance and cost considerations, rather than the assumption that active management inherently delivers superior results
In AI we trust : A qualitative investigation into the concept of trust in human-AI relations and its changing nature
No full textWith the increasing use of AI and its growing influence, the need to understand how humans build trust in technology and communicative agents, such as AI chatbots, is becoming increasingly important. Through qualitative interviews with ten different participants with varying backgrounds, the thesis investigates three questions: How do people perceive trust concerning AI-chatbots? What do people perceive that they trust or distrust when using AI-chatbots; and how, and if, is trust formed and understood through people’s interactions with AI-chatbots? Using trust theories from Niklas Luhmann and Piotr Sztompka and Actor-Network-Theory, the research discloses the complexity of trust as a layered, negotiated, and contradictory concept through its cognitive, emotional, and cultural dimensions. The results showed interesting tendencies where participants, exercising cognitive trust based on reliability and functionality, could at times develop emotional trust ties to the machines based on personalization, simulating social cues and language, despite being aware of the AI’s nature. Distrust emerged in connection with the intentions of developers and companies, lack of transparency, data harvesting, and manipulation based on the chatbots' behavior and design. This, however, did not stop users from accepting receding control and autonomy to the AI, showing the continuous negotiation and redirection of trust in AI as a multifaceted and layered process
Exploring power dynamics and bricolage practices in diverse cases of marine resource conflicts
No full textEconomic growth strategies grounded in blue economy narratives are intensifying and proliferating marine conflicts. In light of this, the study explores how local actors employ bricolage—improvised, resourceful strategies—to challenge institutional norms and reconfigure power relations in the context of marine resource conflicts. We introduce a bricolage power framework to analyze marine conflict in Norway, Brazil, and South Africa. The study shows that fishers, working with NGOs and other partners, are actively engaged in amplifying their voices, promoting accountability, and seeking more just and sustainable ways to manage conflict. These insights emphasize the importance of collective action and collaborative partnerships to change conflict relations and outcomes by challenging various institutional practices and dominant power structures. In particular, the Brazilian and South African cases demonstrate how marginalized actors, through creative bricolage practices, can adapt and reinvent regulatory processes to challenge unjust practices and foster more inclusive and adaptive governance structures. While the grassroots initiatives examined show promise, they remain fragmented and have yet to catalyze systematic institutional transformation in the cases analyzed, so we are cautious against overestimating the transformative potential of these efforts.This work was performedas part of Belmont Forum’s Collaborative Research Action(CRA) on Ocean Sustainability with funding support from thefollowing Belmont Forum members: Swedish Research Council forEnvironment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas)[2019-02368]; São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP 20/16028-5; 19/24416-8); the Research Council of Norway (grant no: 312247);and National Research Foundation South Africa.</p
Turisters förväntade & upplevda autenticitet på Bali : En kvalitativ studie om sociala mediers påverkan på autenticitet på Bali
No full textAutenticitet är ett svårbegripligt begrepp och denna studie söker förstå vad begreppet betyder för resenärer som har befunnit sig på Bali. Det har vi gjort genom att kvalitativt intervjua nio svenska resenärer som har turistat på Bali. Utöver det har en netnografisk undersökning genomförts både på bilder och kommentarer på sociala medier. Detta för att bedöma likheter och skillnader mellan upplevd autenticitet och förmedlad autenticitet. Utgångspunkten i studien tar grund i att autenticitet är subjektivt och därför har vi valt att förankra empirin från olika synvinklar. Detta för att tillgodose en opartisk bild av autenticitet till den grad vi förmår. Vi har valt att analysera empirin genom att kategorisera gemensamma mönster. Detta för att kunna dra slutsatser om hur autenticitet faktiskt återspeglar sig i den verkliga världen baserat på erfarenheter och inte enbart vad teorin återspeglar om autenticitet. Vi vill generera ny förståelse inom begreppet genom att begränsa det geografiska området för en mer djupgående undersökning. Resultatet visar att besökare har en gemensam uppfattning om autenticitet på Bali samt att sociala medier har en påverkan på autenticitet.Authenticity is a hard to grasp concept, and what this essay is aiming to achieve is to clarify what authenticity actually entails for people who have traveled to Bali. What we have done to reach this conclusion is through qualitative interviews with nine Swedish people who have visited Bali. Apart from that we have made a netnographic investigation through both images and comments on social media. The reason we have done this is to determine the difference between experienced authenticity and mediated authenticity. The main point of the study has been that authenticity is indeed subjective, which is why we have decided to research empirical evidence from different standpoints. We have chosen to analyze these facts by categorizing common factors to achieve the conclusion that authenticity is experienced through actual experiences, rather than just through theoretical ideas about what it entails. We strive to create newfound understanding within the concept of authenticity by limiting the geographical area affected for a more coherent and in-depth study. The results shows that visitors have a common perception about authenticity on Bali and that social media have an impact on authenticity
