Södertörns högskolas Publications
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Gendering Media : Framing of AI, Interacting with ChatGPT, and Anti-fandom
No full textThis volume contains adaptions of three excellent master theses that were written and defended within the international master’s programme media, communication, and cultural analysis at Södertörn University in 2024. Running since 2009, the programme has more than 100 alumni who are employed in the media, academia and education. In 2020, the programme coordinator together with the programme and the department councils, chose to distinguish the best theses in a printed volume. This is the fifth in the series. The contributions cover three different topics: how gender influences the representation of influential people in AI; how Ukrainian women from the European diaspora interact with ChatGPT about the Russian–Ukrainian war; and the anti-fandom culture surrounding Taylor Swift on social media. Although stretch-ing across three such different topics, the chapters share an interest in on how media can be understood in relation to gender. In two of the chapters, gendering is explicitly made visible as an ongoing process, while in the study on women interacting with ChatGPT it is done indirectly. However, common for the three chapters is that they fruitfully re-center our attention on how gender frames our everyday digital practices and discourses
Navigating Collaboration : Understanding Civil-Military Interactions in Swedish Total Defence From a Security Network Perspective
No full textThis study aims to contribute to our knowledge of civil-military collaboration within the framework of contemporary Swedish total defence planning and organizing. The exploratory study focuses on perspectives on collaboration among civilian and military actors at the local and regional levels of the Swedish total defence network. Empirically, the study draws on official documents, policies, reports and interviews with civilian and military officials in Sweden. The analysis explores assumptions about, and understandings of, roles, relationships, shared goals, responsibilities and governance, pointing to several potential challenges to inter-organizational and inter-group collaboration. The study, showing how understandings and perspectives held by collaborators serve to shape the nature of their relations, identifies a potential need for collaborative actors, civil and military, capable of performing a “double grasp” – that is, of representing their organization while understanding and handling their counterpart’s perspective on (and often lack of knowledge about) their own organization and requirements. The article identifies several avenues for future research into civil-military collaboration in practice, and across country contexts.Work for this chapter has been supported by the Modern Military Profession Project at the Swedish Centre Studies of Armed Forces and Society (CSMS) and the Institute for Management of Innovation and Technology (IMIT) (Swedish Armed Forces Technical Development Grant no. AT.9225361)</p
Svensk turism till Gambia : En historisk studie av utveckling och förändring 1960–1990
No full textForskningen om svensk turism till Gambia har hittills varit begränsad och ofta fokuserat på generella utvecklingsfrågor inom turism i låginkomstländer. Denna studie undersöker vilka faktorer som bidrog till den svenska turismens tillväxt under 1960-1980-talen och den senare nedgången efter 1994. Studien bygger på en flerstrategisk forskningsdesign med kombinerade kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder, inklusive nio intervjuer med nyckelaktörer inom Gambias turistnäring, en enkätundersökning riktad till svenska resenärer samt dokumentanalys av historiskt material. Analysen utgår från push-pull-modellen, postkoloniala perspektiv och teorier om hållbar turism. Resultaten visar att framgången under pionjärperioden byggde på starka pull-faktorer såsom exotism, prisvärdhet och trygghet, förstärkta av personliga relationer mellan svenska turister och lokalbefolkningen. Nedgången kan kopplas till politisk instabilitet, bristande långsiktiga investeringar och ett ensidigt beroende av internationella researrangörer. Jämförelsen med Thailand visar att strategiska satsningar på infrastruktur, produktdiversifiering och lokal inkludering kan omvandla en nischmarknad till en global turistdestination, något som Gambia inte lyckades genomföra. Studien understryker behovet av en kombination av långsiktig planering, ökad lokal kontroll och stärkta relationella värden för att åter göra Gambia attraktivt på den svenska marknaden.
Storytelling in Biology : A Variation Theory Study of Grade 4 Students’ Understanding of Pollination
No full textThis study investigates how storytelling, when designed according to principles from variation theory, can support students’ understanding of pollination within the life cycle of flowering plants. The research was conducted in four grade 4 classrooms with contrasting student demographics and is grounded in a subject-specific didactic framework that integrates variation theory, sociocultural perspectives on language, and narrative structures as cognitive tools. The aim was to examine whether narrative-based teaching could help students discern four critical aspects of pollination: the structure of the flower (including stamens, pistils, nectar, and pollen), species-specific pollen transfer, the diversity of pollinators, and the formation of seeds as a result of pollination. Data were collected through written and visual pre- and posttests as well as semi-structured group interviews. A variation theory analysis was applied to identify differences in students’ conceptual expressions before and after teaching. Results show that many students progressed in their understanding, particularly in articulating the link between pollination and seed formation. The use of stories, combined with targeted variation and guided discussions, helped make critical distinctions visible and supported students’ ability to integrate multiple aspects of the process. Oral expressions during interviews often revealed a deeper understanding than written responses, especially in linguistically diverse classrooms. The findings suggest that variation-informed storytelling can be an effective strategy to support conceptual development in science education. By making biological processes more accessible and engaging, this approach may offer valuable guidance for designing inclusive and meaningful teaching practices.
Upper secondary schools' strategic adjustment tostudent utilization of generative AI
No full textDenna studie undersöker hur gymnasieskolor strategiskt anpassar sina IT- beroende arbetssystem och processer till digital disruption i form av generativ AI. Genom sex djupintervjuer med gymnasielärare har studien kartlagt hur strukturella strategier interagerar med de emergenta lösningar som uppstår i den operativa verksamheten. Resultaten visar att skolorna som är med i studien inte har engagerat sig i en digital omställning för att anpassa skolverksamheten till generativ AI. Det saknas en långsiktig samordnad AI-strategi och investeringar i teknik saknar ofta motsvarande satsningar på kompetensutveckling och pedagogisk anpassning. Bristande teknisk support, otydliga riktlinjer och begränsad fortbildning framstår som centrala hinder för ett hållbart synsätt på användande av generativ AI inom studiens gymnasieskolor. Andra delar som kollegialt utbyte och pilotgrupper pekas även ut som viktiga drivkrafter för lokala framsteg. Uppsatsen lyfter fram behovet av holistiska strategier som integrerar teknisk infrastruktur, sociotekniska processer och kontinuerlig återkoppling.This study examines how upper secondary schools strategically adapt their IT-dependent work systems and processes to digital disruption in the form of generative AI. Through six in-depth interviews with upper secondary teachers, the study has mapped how structural strategies interact with the emergent solutions that arise in operational practice. The results show that the schools participating in the study have not engaged in a digital transformation to adapt school operations to generative AI. There is a lack of a long-term coordinated AI strategy and investments in technology often lack corresponding efforts in professional development and pedagogical adaptation. Insufficient technical support, unclear guidelines, and limited in-service training emerge as central obstacles to a sustainable approach to the use of generative AI within the study’s upper secondary schools. Colleague exchanges and pilot groups are also identified as important drivers of local progress. The thesis highlights the need for holistic strategies that integrate technical infrastructure, sociotechnical processes, and continuous feedback
Trust me, it’s sustainable : En kvalitativ och kvantitativ studie om hur Generation Z och Millennials uppfattar mikro- och makroinfluencers påverkan på köpintentionen av hållbart mode
No full textSyftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur Generation Z och Millennials i Sverige uppfattar makro- och mikroinfluencers påverkan på deras köpintention av hållbart mode. En ökad användning av influencer marketing inom modebranschen i samband med växande hållbarhetskrav, har skribenterna analyserat hur olika typer av influencers uppfattas vad gäller deras trovärdighet, men också vilka marknadsföringsstrategier som är mest effektiva för att kunna främja en allt mer hållbar konsumtion. Studien bygger på en triangulering, som kombinerar kvalitativa intervjuer med kvantitativa enkätundersökningar för att i sin tur kunna fånga både bredd och djup i den valda konsumentgruppens beteenden och attityder. I denna studie kommer följande relevanta teorier att presenteras: Theory of Planned Behavior, Tvåstegshypotesen, Varumärkesidentitetsteorin, Social Cognitive Theory och Digital Engagement Theory. Dessa teorier används för att möjliggöra en bredare analys av psykologiska, sociala och digitala faktorer som påverkar konsumenternas köpintention. I resultatet framställs mikroinfluencers som mer trovärdiga och autentiska än makroinfluencers, särskilt i kontexten av hållbart mode. Vidare visar resultatet även att makroinfluencers må ha en bredare räckvidd men tenderar att uppfattas som mer kommersiella i sin marknadsföring. Olika marknadsföringsstrategier som exempelvis transparens och storytelling resulterade i högre effektivitet för att öka konsumenternas köpintention, medan överdrivna hållbarhetspåståenden istället leder till minskat förtroende och greenwashing. Vidare bidrar studien också med instinkter kring hur olika varumärken kan anpassa dess influencer marketing, för att resultera i högre engagemang bland konsumenter
Hidden in Bloom : Culturally Sensitive Design for Promoting Bodily Awareness Among Afghan Women ThroughMetaphor and Stealth
No full textThis study examines culturally sensitive digital design to enhance bodily awareness and emotional well-being among Afghan women facing restrictive cultural norms. Access to health information is a fundamental human right highlighted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In conservative Afghan communities, stigma, surveillance, and patriarchal control hinder women's access to critical information about menstruation, mental health, and bodily autonomy. While the research area of FemTech has focused on women’s health and produced tools like menstrual and fertility trackers these applications are often designed in liberal contexts that assume privacy and digital literacy, which can be problematic where mobile devices are monitored. Many Female Health Applications (FHAs)collect sensitive data and request excessive permissions, posing ethical and safety risks. Using a feminist Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) framework, this study emphasizes emotional care, inclusion, and awareness of power dynamics. The Rah-e-Noor ("Path of Light") mobile app prototype incorporates Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN) theory and design approaches. To promote user engagement as well as understanding of complex issues through metaphor-driven interactive storytelling employing stealth design principles. The research through design process included interviews with Afghan women and feedback from two experts. Key findings underscore the importance of symbolic safety and emotional resonance in developing culturally appropriate digital tools.
Integration of AI in external accounting : A qualitative study on how AI is used in external accounting in Sweden, with focus on limiting factors
No full textThis thesis investigates the factors influencing the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in external accounting, with a focus on technological, economic, and organizational challenges. A qualitative method was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with representatives from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sweden. Using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework as a theoretical lens, the study analyzes barriers such as integration difficulties, data protection issues, resource limitations, and skill-related challenges. Building on existing and ongoing research, the study provides deeper insights into how internationally recognized factors manifest within a Swedish context. The findings offer valuable implications for both academia and practice, aiming to support a more effective realization of AI’s potential in external accounting
Colonisation, Decline and Loss : Making Livonian Time in Nineteenth-Century Russia
No full textThis article analyses how the historical time of the region of Livonia was made by Baltic-German scholars in Romanov Russia in the nineteenth century. It is done by bringing the history of provincial historiography into current discussions of scientific temporalities, power and materiality. It focuses on three aspects of Baltic-German time-making, firstly the separation of German Christian time from indigenous pre-time in the Livonian past. Secondly, the source collecting and founding of the library and museum of the Gesellschaft für Geschichte und Altertumskunde der Ostseeprovinzen Russlands (GGuA) are analysed as practices that bound and synchronised time. Finally, it investigates the recurring themes of decline, of German rule, and material loss of evidence of Livonian time and history. These aspects are approached with the assumption that temporal and political orders shape each other. Although the Baltic Germans constituted the educated and political elite, they struggled to assert their historical uniqueness and the notion that there had been a time when they ruled the Baltic colonies. Time-binding practices such as collecting, organising and publishing historiographical sources were crucial for Livonian time to be materialised and told. However, over the nineteenth century, lost sources became as important to the Baltic-German scholars’ understanding of Livonian time and history as the preserved sources were. Thus, Livonian time came into being through both what was present and what was forever lost. In conclusion, it is emphasised that the Livonian time that started with German colonisation and ended with foreign conquests and Romanov rule was one way of legitimising the past and present privileges that Baltic Germans felt entitled to.Provenance in 19th-century Europe: Research practice and concep