Publikationer från Karlstads Universitet
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We Are Nature That Writes Poems : Materiality, Place, Body, and Technology in Amalie Smith’s Authorship
No full textThis PhD dissertation explores the new materialist dimensions of Amalie Smith’s Danish authorship through close readings of three central works: De næste 5000 dage (2010), I CIVIL (2012), and THREAD RIPPER (2020). The dissertation situates Smith within the context of the so-called “material turn” in contemporary Danish literature and demonstrates how her hybrid and experimental works activate key ideas from new materialist theory, including thinkers such as Karen Barad, Jane Bennett, Donna Haraway, and Bruno Latour. By combining a general introduction to Smith’s aesthetics and poetics with in-depth literary analyses, the dissertation investigates how her writing challenges dualistic separations between human and nonhuman, subject and object, technology and body. It shows how Smith’s literary practice not only reflects but also expands and refines new materialist ontology and epistemology—particularly through techniques such as montage, intermediality, and an affective approach to knowledge and perception. The dissertation argues that Smith’s works can be read as an aesthetic inquiry into the human relation to the world in the Anthropocene. By emphasizing connections and networks between human and nonhuman, living and non-living phenomena, her literature contributes to a renewed sensitivity toward material agency and the entangled complexity of the world. As such, the dissertation offers both a comprehensive introduction to and analysis of Smith’s authorship, and a contribution to the broader understanding of new materialism’s influence on contemporary literature.Denne ph.d.-afhandling undersøger det nymaterialistiske spor i Amalie Smiths forfatterskab gennem læsninger af tre centrale værker: De næste 5000 dage (2010), I CIVIL (2012) og THREAD RIPPER (2020). Afhandlingen placerer Smith i konteksten af den såkaldte "materielle drejning" i nyere dansk litteratur og viser, hvordan hendes hybride og eksperimenterende værker aktualiserer centrale ideer fra nymaterialistiske teoridannelser, herunder tænkere som Karen Barad, Jane Bennett, Donna Haraway og Bruno Latour. Ved at kombinere en overordnet introduktion til Smiths æstetik og poetik med dybdegående værkanalyser undersøger afhandlingen, hvordan Smiths litteratur udfordrer dualistiske opdelinger mellem menneske og ikke-menneske, subjekt og objekt, teknologi og krop. Afhandlingen viser, hvordan Smiths litterære praksis ikke blot spejler, men også udvider og forfiner den nymaterialistiske ontologi og epistemologi – særligt gennem greb som montage, intermedialitet og en affektiv tilgang til viden og erkendelse. Afhandlingen argumenterer for, at Smiths værker kan læses som en æstetisk undersøgelse og tænken over menneskets relation til verden i det antropocæne. Ved at betone forbindelser og netværk, mellem menneske og ikke-menenske, levende og ikke-levende fænomener, bidrager hendes litteratur til en ny sensibilitet over for materiens agens og verdens indlejrede kompleksitet. Afhandlingen tilbyder dermed både en samlet introduktion til, og analyse af Smiths forfatterskab og et bidrag til forståelsen af nymaterialismens indflydelse på samtidslitteraturen
Kali, Shivas wife : A qualitative contetnt analysis of the reprecentation of gender roles in RE avross Lgy70, Lpg94 and Lgy25
No full textThe following study is a comparative content analysis that examines how gender roles are portrayed in textbooks for religious studies at upper secondary school level and how the representations have changed over time. The purpose of the study is to analyze how gender is expressed in the chapters that deal with Hinduism and with textbooks from the curricula Lgy70, Lpf94 and Lgy25. The study also aims to investigate the impact that the reprecentation of gender roles can have on students' perception of religion. The analysis of the study has been carried out with the support of previous research which, like the previous study, reviewed teaching materials and with Connell and Pearse and Hirdman's gender theory. The results from the study show a shift in the presentation of gender roles where the newer textbooks are more nuanced and include a gender perspective. Despite a change, the change that has been made visible is neither linear nor complete. The man is more or less still portrayed as the norm through both text and images. The results of the study have highlighted implicit messages that may affect the students' understanding of both religion and expected gender roles
Consciousness and Constraint : Moral Agency, Autonomy, and the Ethics of Creating Artificial Beings in Frankenstein and Never Let Me Go
No full textUpper Secondary School Students’ Conceptions of Evolutionary Theory : A quantitative study based on variation, heredity and natural selection in the context of Swedish education
No full textSyftet med denna studie var att undersöka gymnasieelevers uppfattningar av evolutionsteorin, baserat på en uppmärksammad brist av tidsaktuella studier i svensk kontext. Studien utgick från en kvantitativ ansats och genomfördes med hjälp av en enkätundersökning. Frågeställningarna som önskades besvaras genom studien var tvåfaldiga; ”hur vanligt förekommande är alternativa uppfattningar av evolutions-teorin hos gymnasieelever?” och ”är det någon skillnad på uppfattningar av evolutionsteorin mellan elever med respektive utan gymnasial undervisning inom området?”. Resultatet från enkätsvaren indikerar att alternativa uppfattningar som individuell anpassning och behovsstyrd utveckling förekom oavsett om eleverna haft gymnasial undervisning inom evolutionsteori eller ej. Förekomsten var generellt mindre för elever med gymnasial undervisning, men inget statistiskt signifikant samband fanns mellan elevernas undervisningsbakgrund och enkätresultaten. Studiens resultat indikerar att alternativa uppfattningar förefaller vanligt förekommande oavsett elevernas undervisningsbakgrund. En viktig implikation som följer är att lärare aktivt behöver kartlägga elevers uppfattningar för att möjliggöra att en vetenskaplig uppfattning kan utvecklas. En annan viktig implikation är att lärare behöver vara medvetna om användningen av tröskelbegrepp, både i undervisningen och i läromedlen som används.The aim of this study was to investigate upper secondary school students’ conceptions of evolutionary theory, motivated by a noted lack of contemporary studies in a Swedish context. The study employed a quantitative approach and collected data through a questionnaire-based survey. The research questions addressed in the study were twofold: “To what extent do Swedish upper secondary school students exhibit alternative conceptions of evolutionary theory?” and “Is there any difference in conceptions of evolutionary theory between students with and without upper secondary-level instruction of the subject?” The results of the questionnaire responses indicated that alternative conceptions, such as individual adaptation and need-driven evolution, occurred regardless of whether students had received upper secondary instruction in evolutionary theory. The frequency of such conceptions was generally lower among students with upper secondary instruction; however, no statistically significant relationship was found between students’ instructional background and the questionnaire results. The results of the study indicate that alternative conceptions appear prevalent regardless of the students’ instructional background. An important implication of these findings is that teachers need to actively map students’ conceptions to enable the development of a scientific understanding. Another important implication is that teachers need to be aware of the use of threshold concepts, both in instruction and in the educational materials used
Tailored Cellulose Modification for Sustainable Papermaking Solutions
No full textCellulose is a renewable, biodegradable material whose functionality can be enhanced by chemical modification. Conventional cationization relies on organic solvents and yields low substitution, whereas deep eutectic solvents (DESs) offer a greener alternative. In this thesis, an environmentally friendly DES-based approach was applied to produce cationized dialdehyde cellulose and to evaluate its performance as a wet-end additive and as a paper coating. The modified cellulose significantly improved hand-sheet strength without negatively affecting dewatering and retained its performance when synthesized using recycled DES, demonstrating solvent reusability. As a coating material, cationized dialdehyde cellulose formed dense films with improved mechanical and air barrier properties. To further enhance additive performance, two pretreatment strategies, enzymatic treatment and cold alkaline dissolution–precipitation, were applied to increase the reactivity of the starting pulp and thereby improve the charge density of the cellulose derivatives. In addition, hornification, a phenomenon that negatively affects pulp reactivity, was investigated. Drying experiments on swollen cellulose showed that freeze-drying and glycerol-drying mitigate hornification, whereas air-drying intensifies it. For air-dring method, solvent exchange prior to drying reduced hornification. The results indicate that water-mediated hydrogen bonding dominates the hornification mechanism, which is strongly influenced by solvent polarity and molecular weight. Overall, this work demonstrates that combining green solvents, targeted pretreatments, and controlled drying strategies can substantially enhance cellulose reactivity and functionalization. These findings broaden cellulose applications from papermaking additives to bio-based barrier coatings and support efforts to replace petroleum-based plastics with renewable materials.Cellulose is a renewable, biodegradable material with functionality that can be expanded through chemical modification. Cationization enables applications in water treatment, antimicrobial, and energy fields, while improving papermaking performance. However, conventional cationization relies on organic solvents, whereas deep eutectic solvents (DES) provide a greener, more efficient alternative. In this thesis, a sustainable DES-based route was applied to produce cationized cellulose derivatives (CDAC), which improved handsheet strength and formed coatings with enhanced mechanical and barrier properties.To further improve additive performance, enzymatic pretreatment and cold alkaline dissolution-precipitation were used to enhance pulp reactivity. The reduction in reactivity caused by drying-induced hornification was also investigated. Freeze-drying and glycerol-drying mitigated hornification, whereas air-drying intensified it. Further analysis showed that hornification strongly depends on solvent polarity and molecular weight prior to drying. Overall, this work demonstrates that combining green solvents, targeted pretreatments, and controlled drying strategies significantly enhances cellulose reactivity and expands its application toward high-performance bio-based coatings
”I actually went ‘yippie’ when I saw it on TV” : A phenomenographic study of preschool teachers’ perceptions of the 2025 curriculum changes regarding digital tools in preschool
No full textDigitala verktyg i förskolan har sedan flera år varit ett ämne för debatt. En ny revidering av läroplanen kom under sommaren 2025 där det formulerats nya riktlinjer angående digitala verktyg i förskolan vilket har föranlett nya diskussioner. Med det i åtanke väcktes en nyfikenhet hur förskollärare uppfattar förändringen. Studien omfattade elva förskollärare som deltog i semistrukturerade intervjuer. Empirin analyserades med en fenomenografisk ansats då syftet med studien var att synliggöra förskollärares uppfattningar av förskolans reviderade läroplan gällande digitala verktyg. Resultatet visar att revideringen uppfattas som positiv av de förskollärare som föredrar analoga arbetssätt och som upplever att digitala verktyg har tagit fokus från undervisningen. För andra har revideringen inte inneburit någon större förändring, då digitala verktyg redan används restriktivt. Revideringen har lett till en mer medveten användning av digitala resurser hos vissa, medan andra upplever att förändringen begränsar möjligheten att tillgodose barns olika behov, exempelvis i arbetet med flerspråkighet och särskilt stöd. Sammanfattningsvis kan de olika uppfattningarna ses som en indikation på att revideringen av läroplanen gällande digitala verktyg fortfarande lämnar utrymme för tolkning. Digital learning tools in early childhood education have for a long time been the subject of debate. During the summer of 2025, a revision of the preschool curriculum was implemented, introducing new guidelines regarding the use of digital learning tools, which in turn sparked renewed discussion. Considering this, an interest emerged in how preschool teachers perceive and interpret this revision. The purpose of the study is therefore to highlight preschool teachers’ perceptions of the revision of the preschool curriculum concerning digital learning tools. Eleven preschool teachers participated in the study through semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using a phenomenographic approach, as the aim was to identify variations in perceptions of the phenomenon, the revision of the preschool curriculum with regard to digital learning tools. The findings indicate that the revision is perceived positively by preschool teachers who favor analogue teaching approaches and who feel that digital learning tools had previously diverted attention away from teaching. For others, the revision has not resulted in any major change, as digital tools were already used sparingly. Some participants report that the revision has led to a more conscious and reflective use of digital resources, while others experience it as limiting the ability to meet children’s diverse needs, for example in work related to multilingualism and special educational support. In summary, the differing perceptions can be seen as an indication that the revision of the preschool curriculum regarding digital learning tools remains open to interpretation
A Proposition for an Expanded Modelling Approach for Dealing with Multifunctional Waste Output Systems in Life Cycle Assessment : Bridging the Gap Between Circular Economic Product Design Strategies and Societal Goals
No full textReduce, reuse, recycling, and energy-recovery are core strategies proposed for moving towards a circular economy. Therefore, it is important to evaluate if and how these strategies contribute to the circular economy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is often proposed for evaluating the environmental performance of resource and environmental mitigation strategies from a product perspective to inform value chain actors and societal policy makers. However, there are disagreements in LCA on how to distribute the environmental burdens and potential benefits of recycling, reuse, and energy-recovery between the products that provide or use secondary material flows. Additionally, it is disputed how well the product perspective informs societal decisions. This dispute has led to many suggested modelling approaches, which often lead to different results for the same reuse, recycling, and energy recovery scenarios. This thesis studies the consequences of different end-of-life modelling approaches for understanding the environmental implications of recycling and reuse. An expanded LCA modelling approach is proposed for environmentally evaluating reuse and recycling aimed at bridging its current informational gap for informing both value chain actors and societal decision makers. In this thesis I argue that there is a need to move away from the traditional product level scope when addressing reuse and recycling in LCA. This argument is built on a comparative case study of closed loop reuse versus open-loop recycling, and a theoretical study comparing frequently used end-of-life modelling approaches in LCA to linear product value chains. It is found in the literature and demonstrated in the papers written for this thesis that there are several end-of-life modelling approaches for addressing open loop reuse and recycling which often lead to different results for the same scenarios. This hinders consensus on what the environmental performance of open loop reuse and recycling are. There are also missing indicators for plastic emissions in LCA. I propose a modelling approach which harmonises LCA’s end-of-life modelling systems for reuse and recycling systems. One purpose of this modelling approach is to bridge an observed informational gap between product value chain and overall system findings in LCA of reuse and recycling. In addition, I suggest incorporating a plastic emissions accounting method to address for insufficient characterisation factors. The proposed plastic emission accounting method is integrated into the proposed reuse and recycling modelling approach and tested for a multi-scenario case study. It is identified that recycling of PET or LDPE films used in southeastern Norway are not necessarily significantly less impactful than some linear scenarios for a broad range of impact categories. It is also demonstrated that the functionality of recyclable materials is not always sufficient in a primary food packaging context. Although the case studies emphasise specificity, they demonstrate a potential clash between top-down policy making based on generic assumptions and bottom-up case by case scenarios. These findings are relevant for future circular economic product design and societal policy making. This thesis where partially financed by the Norwegian Institute for Sustainability Research (NORSUS). Sustainable Eater
Society anguish of the working class : A Narrative Analysis of the Social Democratic Party Platforms, 1944–2025
No full textWhy have so many members of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) migrated from the Social Democrats (SAP) to the Sweden Democrats (SD)? This thesis explores this question by examining the narrative shift within the SAP between 1944 and 2025. Utilizing the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), the study analyzes how the party’s language in official programs transitioned from an offensive, visionary architect of the welfare state to a technocratic administrator of "artificial scarcity".The analysis shows that the party has shifted from being a "hero" that promised to build an equal society to an administrator primarily focused on the narrative that "resources are limited." The results indicate that this shift created a "representative vacuum" by prioritizing cognitive plausibility (budgetary discipline) over moral compellingness (social equality). This vacuum has subsequently been exploited by the Sweden Democrats, who have assumed the role of protecting the traditional "People's Home" (Folkhemmet). Ultimately, the study suggests that the SAP’s adoption of a technocratic management style has hindered its ability to mobilize its traditional working-class base
The Impact of Military Rearmament on Economic Growth and Stability
No full textThe study investigates the relationship between military expenditure and economic growth across nine European nations from 1961 to 2023. Using two econometric models with relevant variables for our study to examine potential causality. The theories behind which are heavily discussed include the Keynesian stimulus against the Neoclassical growth theories, creative destruction and research and development spillover effects into the private sector. Further theories which are critical are the crowding out effect and Guns vs. Butter theories and classical theories of how debt impacts the economic stability of a state. The main finding is that the relationship is complex and moderated by the country’s fiscal state. The results support a Keynesian stimulus but a “dampened” effect rather than a multiplier where the defense estimate at one year lag is smaller than that of capital formation at the same lag. There is also found to be a crowding-out effect and an opportunity cost problem of defense spending where the capital could be allocated otherwise. The findings also state that the effect changes with the level of government debt and tax revenue. In short if a state has higher debt, defense spending will have a lower effect on GDP, but if a state instead finances the military spendings with tax revenue there is a positive effect
Vardag i väntan : En kvalitativ analys av civilsamhällets möte med barn i vårdnadstvist
No full textArtikeln utforskar hur civilsamhällets aktörer möter barn som har upplevt våld i nära relationer och som varit med om familjerättsliga processer rörande vårdnad, boende och umgänge. Med utgångspunkt i sju kvalitativa intervjuer med elva medarbetare inom kvinnojourer, barnrättsorganisationer och juridisk praktik undersöks hur de upplever att barns vardag formas i skärningspunkten mellan familj, civilsamhälle och myndigheter. Studien är etnologiskt orienterad och analyserar deltagarnas beskrivningar av hur barns positioner, handlingsutrymme och känslomässiga erfarenheter ges mening i mötet med civilsamhället. Med stöd i begrepp som temporalitet och liminalitet analyseras utsagor om hur barns liv präglas av väntan, osäkerhet och vardagliga former av styrning. Metodologiskt används etnografiska hyperberättelser, vilket är fiktiva men empiriskt förankrade narrativ, som ett analytiskt och etiskt grepp för att gestalta centrala teman och relationella mönster i materialet. Artikeln bidrar till kulturanalytisk forskning genom att synliggöra civilsamhällets roll som en arena där barns erfarenheter tolkas, omförhandlas och ges betydelse