Södertörns högskolas Publications
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”Could be that the wife wanted a divorce. The dad goes insane, kills the kids, and then tries to end his own life?” : A Critical Discourse Analysis of How Responsibility is Constructed in a Swedish Discussion Forum
No full textI den här studien undersöks hur ansvar diskursivt konstrueras mellan två föräldrar i ett svenskt diskussionsforum. Analysverktygen är hämtade från den systemisk-funktionella grammatiken och används för att undersöka deltagare, processer och omständigheter. Analysens resultat används sedan för att kritiskt granska samhälleliga ideologier om föräldrar och kön. En transitivitetsanalys utförs på 73 kommentarer i ett anonymt digitalt diskussionsforum, där ett fall av barnamord diskuteras. I forumet har tre avgörande nyhetsrapporteringar haft en hypotetisk påverkan på den diskursiva ansvarskonstruktionen, denna hypotes är utgångspunkten för både analysens, tematiseringens och resultatets disposition. Studiens resultat visar att pappans roll som aktör ökar i takt med medias rapporteringar, medan mammans frekvens sjunker. Genom en analys av orsakssamband visar sig främst mammans mentala och relationella processer ha en kausal funktion. Det blir också tydligt att diskursen konstruerar två olika typer av ansvar, en som direkt kopplas till materiella våldshandlingar och en som kopplas till känslor och attityder gentemot fenomenet skilsmässa
"När hemmet hotas så hotas hela livet" : En kvalitativ studie om yrkesverksammas utmaningar inom socialtjänsten i arbetet med att förebygga vräkningar
No full textFamilies with children are a vulnerable group that is disproportionately affected by evictions. One of the main reasons for these evictions is the housing shortage in the society that causes families with children ending up homeless. In such cases, the children who are evicted often live with relatives or are placed in accommodation arranged by the social services. The new circumstances lead to the children losing their social contacts and experiencing psychological stress that caused the social services to carry out eviction prevention work to reduce the evictions that occur in society. Therefore, this essay aims to explore the challenges and obstacles experienced by professionals in social services when they work against evictions of children and families with children. This study is a qualitative study and seven professionals in social services have been interviewed for this study. The interview material has been analyzed using a thematic analysis and two different theories. These theories are theory of street-level bureaucracy, social psychological theory of justice. By analyzing the interview material, we have come up with four themes: living conditions of families with children, expertness and professionalism, eviction prevention efforts and organizational conditions at work. These themes explore the living conditions and housing situation of families with children and how professionals in social services work with evictions of children and families with children. Furthermore, the themes also shed light on how organizational conditions affect the scope and professionalism of social workers and what challenges they experience. Thus, the study concludes that social services need rapid and long-term efforts to be able to carry out successful eviction prevention work. In addition, social services need to apply a strong child-centred perspective and more effective efforts that focus on client-oriented contact depending on each family’s unique situation
Violence as content : Patrick Bateman, Michael De Santa and late-capitalist culture in American Psycho and Grand Theft Auto V
No full textThe aim of the study is to examine how violence is represented in Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho and Rockstar Game’s Grand Theft Auto V in relation to late-capitalist culture. Drawing on Fredric Jameson’s theory of postmodernism and late capitalism, together with Linda Hutcheon’s account of postmodern aesthetics, the essay analyses the protagonists Patrick Bateman and Michael De Santa as figures shaped by environments saturated with consumption, media and spectacle. Previous research by Leigh Claire La Berge and Richard Godden on American Psycho, and by John Wills and Kyle Moody on GTA V, is used to situate the texts in debates on finance, masculinity and the American Dream. The study argues that both works depict violence not as a clear break from everyday life but as something embedded in ordinary routines of work, leisure and entertainment, and that their different forms as a first-person novel and an open-world video game affect how this violence is experienced and understood. It concludes that in both cases legal and moral consequences are left uncertain and that the fictional world actively absorbs and keeps low-consequence violence rather than resolve it clearly. This matters for the investigation since it shows how both texts present late-capitalist culture as system in which violence can be repeated, consumed and enjoyed without leading to a stable or legal closure
Involved Fatherhood as Interpreted by Czech Men’s Organizations
No full textDrawing on the discourse on masculinities, this article explores the positions of Czech men’s organizations related to childcare. Recently, there has been growing attention to the idea of involved fatherhood; we show that one Czech men’s organization has indeed developed a caring masculinity that aligns well with the notion of involved fatherhood. The other organizations, by contrast, have expressed strong anti‐feminist sentiments, blaming women and female‐dominated professions for their losses in divorce cases. While these groups initially emerged to demand equal custody post‐divorce—appearing to endorse gender equality—they claim to support the “traditional family,” where the man is the head of the household. Although these views seem to be contradictory, we argue they are in line with the pre‐modern view of masculinity in which the family (wife and children) was the property of the man; therefore, it was no contradiction for the father to expect the mother to be the main carer before a divorce, while demanding custody rights after a divorce
Engaging Youth in Urban Planning Discussions with Minecraft : Challenges and Opportunities
No full textThis study explores the potential of Minecraft as a game-based platform to engage youth, and particularly NEET youth, in urban planning discussions. Methodology: An exploratory qualitative case study was done in collaboration with a Swedish municipality, using observations of modded Minecraft play sessions, interviews, and ethnographic data from an internship program. Findings: Our data collection led us to identify four themes: (i) Minecraft Enables, the game supports visualization of planning ideas; (Ii) Minecraft Skills Enable, familiarity with the game facilitates participation; (iii) Preferences and Norms, personal ideals shape design choices; and (iv) Understanding Needs, limited awareness of urban functions constrains meaningful engagement. Originality: Unlike prior studies focusing on children or general youth, this research examines NEET youth as a hard-to-reach group and positions Minecraft as a boundary object for participatory planning rather than a formal planning tool. Contribution: This study contributes insight into the use of Minecraft in participatory planning with NEET youth, a rarely studied group in serious games literature and game-based approaches
När generativ AI blir kollega : En kvalitativ studie om mötet mellan HR och generativ AI
No full textGenerativ artificiell intelligens har på kort tid fått en alltmer framträdande roll inom HR-sektorn vilket påverkar både arbetsuppgifter och yrkesroller. Samtidigt är kunskapen begränsad om hur denna teknologiska utveckling påverkar HR-medarbetares psykologiska upplevelser. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur användning av generativa AI-verktyg påverkar HR-medarbetares olika perspektiv på arbete samt hur self-efficacy och copingstrategier bidrar till att hantera denna påverkan. Studiens två frågeställningar löd; Kan generativ AI ses som en stressor, eller som en copingstrategi för att hantera stress inom HR-sektorn? Vilken roll spelar self-efficacy för hur HR-medarbetare hanterar användningen av generativ AI? Datainsamlingen genomfördes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med tolv yrkesverksamma HR-medarbetare från både offentlig och privat sektor som använder generativa AI-verktyg i sitt arbete. Materialet analyserades genom induktiv tematisk analys. Resultaten visar att generativ AI ger upphov till en psykologisk dubbelhet där tekniken både upplevs som en resurs och som en potentiell stressor. Centrala teman som framträdde var kompetens, resurser, upplevelsen av att behöva “hänga med” i utvecklingen, arbetsbelastning samt oro kring teknologin. Slutsatsen är att generativ AI inte entydigt kan förstås som vare sig en stressor eller en copingstrategi, utan att dess psykologiska konsekvenser är beroende av individers self-efficacy samt organisatoriska förutsättningar såsom utbildning, socialt stöd och tydliga riktlinjer
Kombinationen av studier och deltidsarbete : En kvalitativ studie om studenters upplevelser av stress och psykisk ohälsa
No full textDe dagliga påfrestningarna av kombinationen mellan studier och deltidsarbete kan för många studenter ha en påverkan på den psykiska hälsan. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur studier och deltidsarbete påverkar studenters psykiska hälsa samt upplevda stressnivå. Datainsamlingen genomfördes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med 10 studenter och analyserades med en tematisk analys. Analysen resulterade i sex teman: ekonomisk sårbarhet, tidsbrist, balans, mental utmattning, stöd, hanteringsstrategier samt motivation. Resultatet visar att deltidsarbete kan innebära både positiva och negativa aspekter. Samtidigt som ekonomisk stabilitet och rutiner kan minska stress, kan otillräcklig återhämtning och negativa tankemönster öka risken för psykisk ohälsa och utmattning. Tillgång till resurser, stöd och hanteringsförmåga påverkar dessa effekter, vilket även kan förstås utifrån Job Demands-Resources modellen, Lazarus och Folkmans transaktionella stressmodell samt Becks kognitiva teori. Studien belyser även vikten av balans mellan studier och deltidsarbete för att främja studenters välbefinnande.
Places of Remembrance : The Venice Biennale 1991–1993, post-socialism, and the national pavilions
No full textPlatser att minnas på undersöker de kulturella funktioner som den ungerska (1909–), den polska (1932–) och den tjeckisk-slovakiska (1926–) paviljongen i Venedigbiennalens utställningsområde Giardini fyllde under tidigt 1990-tal. Koncentrerat till åren 1991 och 1993 närstuderas biennaler då ”biennalboom”, globalisering och den europeiska statssocialismens fall (1989–1991) möts. Genom att fokusera på till synes nationella utställningshistorier bidrar avhandlingen med en fördjupad förståelse av de politiska processer som påverkade utställningsverksamheten i Giardini när biennalens ledning eftersträvade en anpassning till ett konstfält i globalisering. Mot fonden av postsocialistiska omförhandlingar och 1993 års konstnärlige ledares vision om transnationella paviljonger argumenterar avhandlingen för att de studerade paviljongerna fick ökad relevans i en tid när nationella paviljonger identifierades som problem. Via nära tolkningsarbete visas hur sju utställningar använde paviljongerna för att aktivera specifika händelser eller perioder i nationernas förflutna. Studien synliggör även hur dessa materialiserade förflutna användes för att understödja politiska målbilder om demokrati och europeisk integration, undantrycka och bearbeta statssocialism, samt främja samhörighet inom nationella och regionala projekt. Utifrån nämnda funktioner argumenterar avhandlingen för att paviljongerna var användbara under nationernas övergång från diktatur till demokrati. I egenskap av minnesplatser erbjöd de rum där 1990-talets postsocialistiska politiska målbilder kunde formuleras i dialog med det förflutna. Genom att påvisa paviljongernas relevans för nationer i postsocialistisk omförhandling föreslås vidare att Venedigbiennalens samtidsidentitet inte bara formades av globalisering – ofta betonad inom biennalstudier – utan även av de förnyelseprocesser som utspelade sig i postsocialismens Europa. Ur dem påkallas också ett mer mångfacetterat porträtt av vad det tidiga 1990-talets Venedigbiennal var, närmare bestämt en plats där omfattande förnyelse gick hand i hand med lika starka minneskulturer.Places of Remembrance examines the cultural functions served by the Hungarian (1909–), Polish (1932–), and Czech-Slovak (1926–) pavilions in the Venice Biennale’s Giardini during the early 1990s. Concentrated on the years 1991 and 1993, the study closely investigates biennials in which the “biennial boom”, globalisation, and the fall of European state socialism (1989–1991) intersected. By focusing on ostensibly national exhibition histories, the dissertation offers a deeper understanding of the political processes that shaped exhibition practices in the Giardini at a moment when the Biennale’s leaders sought to adapt it to an art scene amid globalisation. Against the backdrop of post-socialist renegotiations and the 1993 artistic director’s vision of transnational pavilions, it argues that the pavilions under study gained increased relevance at a time when national pavilions were identified as problematic. Through close interpretations, the study shows how seven exhibitions used the pavilions to activate specific events or periods in the nations’ pasts. It also demonstrates how these materialised pasts were employed to support political visions of democracy and European integration, to repress or process state socialism, and to foster unity within national and regional projects. Drawing on these functions, the dissertation argues that the pavilions were useful during the nations’ transitions from dictatorship to democracy. As realms of memory, they offered spaces in which the post-socialist political visions of the 1990s could be shaped in dialogue with the past. By demonstrating the pavilions’ relevance for nations undergoing post-socialist renegotiation, the dissertation further suggests that the Biennale’s contemporary identity was shaped not only by globalisation, often foregrounded in biennial studies, but also by the renewal processes taking place in post-socialist Europe. From these dynamics emerges a more nuanced portrait of what the Venice Biennale of the early 1990s was—namely, a place where far-reaching renewal unfolded alongside equally strong cultures of memory
Which, What, Witch? : A Digital Religion Study on Swedish Instagram Witches, Identity and Representation
No full textThis study is conducted through blogosphere studies and uses discourse, and narrative analysis to investigate how representations of contemporary Swedish Witches’ identities are articulated on Instagram. The material consists of 73 posts and 99 images. The findings are that three distinct narratives (remembrance, reclaiming, re-enchantment) constitute a narrative plot around which the subjects construct their identities. Additionally, three discourses or identities were identified in the material, highlighting negotiations between religious, secular, and post-secular discourses in hypermediated third spaces. Through the theory of hypermediation, mediations of the witch and, significantly, the witch trials are understood as an important narrative link between a utopian past and the present. This link creates a sense of urgency, evoking strong emotions and connecting a traumatic past and the loss of ancient knowledge with current social injustices. Intersecting post-secular, secular and religious discourse, the witch trials become an important site in the order of discourse regarding the Witch, as they create both a discursive site for connection and contestation. Lastly, the study suggests a temporal aspect to hypermediation theory in relation to religious studies and “imagined communities,” as hypermediated spaces such as Instagram allow a collapsing of not only space, but time.
The Nordic Countries and Humanitarianism
No full textHumanitarianism has been a defining feature of Nordic international engagement since the beginning of the twentieth century. Its evolution from individual initiatives to a state-led, institutionalised and globally recognised tradition reflects both continuity and strategic adaptation. After the end of the Cold War, Nordic humanitarianism adjusted to new geopolitical conditions, while “humanitarian interventions” in places like Somalia and Kosovo challenged traditional Nordic principles of peace and neutrality. Nordic humanitarianism in the twenty-first century is confronted with challenges such as protracted conflicts, politicisation of aid and increasingly extreme weather events