Publikationer från Södertörns Högskola
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Public Art Behind Bars : Governance and Carceral Aesthetics in Sweden and Norway Since the Early 2000s
No full textThis article examines artworks and relational art projects commissioned for carceralspaces—such as security prisons and juvenile detention homes, in Sweden and Norwaysince the early 2000s. The analysis is grounded in the idea that public art serves as amedium of normalization, a core principle of Nordic penal policy that obliges the stateto provide prison conditions that resemble those of society at large. The analysis usesthe concept of “restor(y)ing” to examine how prison art engages with governancestrategies set to “restore” aspects of life lost through incarceration, while alsointervening in the narratives through which prisons are represented to a broaderpublic. This enables a discussion of how the critical potential of public art has beenactivated, or not, in the state-finance commissions. The article identifies markeddifferences between the two national contexts: Norway has commissioned permanentprison art more frequently and in greater variety (including long-term collaborative andpedagogical projects) than Sweden. Across the cases, public art is often aligned with thelogic of the welfare state prison: art as rehabilitation, as beautification, or as personalreform. Yet the analysis also uncovers instances where public prison art creates spacesfor critical reflection on the very conditions of incarceration.Public Art in Restricted Space: Rethinking Art and Democracy in Sweden and Norway 1940 to 202
Spiritismen i norrbottnisk press : Representationer av det övernaturliga i början av 1900-talet
No full textSpiritism in the Norrbotten Press: Representations of the Supernatural in the Early Twentieth Century This thesis examines how spiritualism was represented in newspapers publishes in Norrbotten between 1900 and 1925.The study aims to analyze the role spiritualism played in the cultural and social life of the region, as well as how spiritist phenomena such as séances and lectures were framed in the local press. Using Robert Entman´s theory of framing as a theoretical framework, the thesis explores how newspapers emphasized certain interpretation of spiritualism while marginalizing others. The analysis is based on a qualitative content analysis of articles, advertisements, and reports from several North Bothnian newspapers. The results show that spiritualism was primarily presented as a public phenomenon rather than a private belief, framed alternately as entertainment, moral risk, scientific curiosity or existential resource. Comparisons with international reporting reveal that organized and “serious” spiritualism was often associated with major urban ventures abroad, while local practices were treated with greater skepticism or trivialization. The study contributes to previous research by highlighting the roll of regional press in shaping the understanding of spiritualism outside metropolitan contexts.
In the Name of Public Safety : The Framing of 'Security Zones' in Swedish News Media
No full textSäkerhetszoner är en ny åtgärd i svensk kriminalpolitik som ger polisen tillfälliga befogenheteratt visitera personer utan konkret brottsmisstanke. Åtgärden har väckt debatt om effektivitet,rättssäkerhet och sociala konsekvenser. Denna studie analyserar hur säkerhetszoner framställs isvensk nyhetsrapportering och hur dessa framställningar kan bidra till att legitimera åtgärden.Undersökningen bygger på en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av tio artiklar från Aftonbladet ochSvenska Dagbladet, publicerade kring införandet av lagen mellan 2023 och 2024. Framingteorioch moralpanik användes som teoretiska verktyg för att tolka hur ramar konstrueras och vilkavärderingar de förmedlar. Resultaten visar att rapporteringen domineras av institutionella källor,främst politiker och polis. Framställningarna präglas av krisramar och lag-och-ordning-ramarsom framställer säkerhetszoner som nödvändiga mot gängrelaterat våld. Perspektiv från boende,särskilt ungdomar i berörda områden, är underrepresenterade. Studien drar slutsatsen attmedierna bidrar till att normalisera exceptionella kontrollåtgärder genom en krislogik ochselektiv källanvändning, vilket eventuellt påverkar den offentliga diskussionen om trygghet och kontroll.Security zones, ‘säkerhetszoner’, are a recent and contested measure in Swedish criminal policy,granting the police temporary authority to stop and search individuals without concrete suspicionof a crime. The measure has sparked debate over its effectiveness, legal safeguards, and potentialsocial consequences. This study investigates how security zones are portrayed in Swedish newsreporting and how such portrayals may contribute to legitimizing the measure. The study isbased on a qualitative content analysis of ten articles from Aftonbladet and Svenska Dagbladet,published between 2023 and 2024, around the time of the law’s introduction. Framing theory andthe concept of moral panic are applied to interpret what frames are constructed and whatunderlying values they convey. The findings indicate that reporting is dominated by institutionalsources, primarily politicians and the police. Coverage is shaped by crisis frames andlaw-and-order frames, portraying security zones as a necessary response to gang-relatedviolence. Perspectives from residents, particularly young people in affected areas, are rarelyincluded. The study concludes that the media contribute to the normalization of exceptionalcontrol measures through a crisis-driven logic and selective sourcing, thereby influencing publicdiscourse on security and control
Closing the Loop in the EU Fashion Industry : Reviewing the Potential Legal Strategy for a Sustainable and Circular Fashion Industry
No full textThe fashion industry in the European Union (EU) exerts a significant environmental impact, particularly through excessive resource consumption, overproduction, and overconsumption. These practices contribute to climate change via massive textile waste, biodiversity loss, and widespread land and water pollution. In response, there is an urgent need for the EU to implement robust legal measures to transition the fashion sector toward sustainability and circularity. A circular business model for the fashion industry addresses the entire lifecycle of textiles, aiming to transform production and consumption patterns. This model envisions textile products that are durable, repairable, and recyclable. It also calls for legal frameworks that support the development of profitable reuse and repair services, ensure their accessibility, and assign extended responsibility to producers across the supply chain. However, a critical gap remains in the availability of effective legal tools to incentivize businesses to adopt circular and sustainable strategies. While the European Commission has introduced several initiatives—such as the Eco-design Regulation, the revised Waste Framework Directive, the Repair Directive, and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive—these measures primarily focus on design, waste management, sustainability reporting, and enabling resale, repair, and recycling. This presentation reviews both existing and proposed EU-level legal mechanisms aimed at promoting a circular fashion economy. It also proposes a comprehensive legal toolbox to "close the loop" and facilitate the transformation of the EU fashion industry. The analysis is framed within the broader context of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action)
Redovisning och artificiell intelligens : Implementeringen av AI i små och medelstora redovisningsföretag
No full textBakgrund: AI är inom företagande ett framgångsrikt verktyg, särskilt i redovisningsföretag där AI är i framkant. AI-implementeringen medför både möjligheter och risker vilket är viktigt för företag att förhålla sig till. Små och medelstora företag (SMF) är viktiga för samhället och trots begränsade resurser spelar AI-implementeringen en viktig roll för dessa företag. AI effektiviserar arbetsprocesser och resulterar i många fördelar, vilket för små och medelstora redovisningsföretag är avgörande. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka den artificiella intelligensens (AI) spridning, roll och påverkan på små och medelstora redovisningsföretag. Uppsatsens bidrag baseras på att analysera AI-implementeringen och dess påverkan på redovisningsprocesser. Teoretiska bakgrunden: I den teoretiska bakgrunden framkommer fyra centrala teman baserat på forskningsfältets återkommande nyckelbegrepp. Utifrån dessa teman har relevanta teorier tillämpats utifrån olika perspektiv på AI. Metod: Studien har tillämpat en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med en deduktiv ansats. Genom valet av en fallstudiedesign har studien analyserat AI-implementeringen i utvalda små och medelstora redovisningsföretag. Studien har genomfört åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med respondenter och kompletterat data med offentliga rapporter. Resultat och analys: Den empiriska datan från de semistrukturerade intervjuerna och de offentliga rapporterna har tillsammans analyserats utifrån teorin och visat på samband. Slutsatser: Studiens slutsatser fastställer att AI-implementeringen till stor del bidrar till positiva förändringar i små och medelstora redovisningsföretag i Sverige, trots att begränsningar förekommer. Studien visar att AI implementeras i viss utsträckning i redovisningsprocesserna, däremot överlåts en del fortfarande till den mänskliga expertisen.Background: AI is a successful tool in business, especially in the accounting firms where AI is at the forefront. AI-implementation brings both opportunities and risks, which is important for companies to consider. SMEs are important to the society and despite limited resources, AI-implementation plays an important role for these companies. AI is efficient for work processes and results in many benefits, which is crucial for SMEs. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the diffusion, role and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on small and medium-sized accounting firms. The contribution of the study is based on analyzing AI implementation and its impact on accounting processes. Theoretical background: Four central themes emerge in the theoretical background based on the recurring keywords of the research field. Based on these themes, relevant theories have been applied from different perspectives of AI. Method: The study has applied a qualitative research method with a deductive approach. By choosing a case study design, the study has analyzed the AI implementation in selected small and medium-sized accounting firms. The study has conducted eight semi-structured interviews with respondents and supplemented the data with public reports. Results and analysis: The empirical data from the semi-structured interviews and public reports have been analyzed together with the theories and have demonstrated a correlation. Conclusions: The study concludes that AI implementation largely contributes to positive changes in small and medium-sized accounting firms in Sweden, despite limitations. The study concludes that AI is implemented to a certain extent in the accounting processes, but some processes are still left to human expertise.
Art in Transit : Temporary Exhibitions with Foreign Contemporary Art in Sweden 1945–1969
No full textAvhandlingen undersöker 410 utställningar med utländsk nutida konst vid offentliga konstinstitutioner i Stockholm och Göteborg 1945–1969. Genom en kartläggning av konstnärernas tillskrivna nationella hemvist, de konstnärliga medier som visades och de aktörer som organiserade utställningarna framträder en bred bild av utställningar med utländsk nutida konst i Sverige under denna period. Tillfälliga utställningar blev ett centralt inslag i de offentliga konstinstitutionernas verksamhet i Stockholm och Göteborg efter andra världskriget, och andelen utställningar med utländsk nutida konst ökade. De utländska utställningarna under perioden visade konst från Norden. Därefter kom konsten från västeuropeiska länder som Frankrike, Storbritannien och Italien. Även utställningar från Latinamerika visades under hela perioden, och över tid syntes allt fler utställningar från USA. Främst visades måleri och grafik i nationellt organiserade grupputställningar, medan separatutställningar var ovanliga fram till Moderna museets öppnande. En majoritet av utställningarna var resultatet av samarbeten där exempelvis företag, statliga kulturinstitut och handelskammare stod för finansiering och logistik, medan konstnärs- och konstbildningsorganisationer, gallerier och samlare stod för urvalet av verk. Därigenom kunde konstinstitutionerna erbjuda ett brett utställningsutbud, men samarbetena påverkade i hög utsträckning utställningarnas utformning. Konstbildningsorganisationer och statliga kulturinstitut visade ett brett urval, medan gallerier och samlare fokuserade på snävare konstnärliga presentationer, ofta ackompanjerade av exklusiva kataloger. Försäljning förekom i alla typer av utställningar, med verk i olika prisklasser. Konst och kommersiellt producerade bruksföremål kunde också presenteras i samma utställning för att gynna handelsfrämjande syften. Detta visar att konstutställningar spelade en roll i tidens återupprättande av internationell handel och att de fungerade som en förlängning av konstmarknaden, men också att tidens konstbildningsideal om tillgängliggörande av konst innefattade konsumtion. Nationella grupputställningar utgjorde en stor andel av utställningarna fram till slutet av 1960-talet. Formatet syftade till att visa en representativ bild av ett lands konstliv och kan härledas tillbaka till 1800-talets världsutställningar. Under efterkrigstiden började nya utställningsformer introduceras. På Venedigbiennalen 1948 visades separatutställningar med mellankrigstidens avantgardekonstnärer. Denna betoning på enskilda, banbrytande konstnärskap märktes även på Moderna museet, som från öppnandet 1958 övergav de nationella grupputställningarna till förmån för separatutställningar och stilmässigt profilerade presentationer. Även de nationella grupputställningarna anpassades till dessa förändringar under 1960-talet, då det internationella avantgardets betydelse började lyftas fram även där.This thesis examines 410 exhibitions of foreign contemporary art at public art institutions in Stockholm and Gothenburg between 1945 and 1969. By mapping the artists’ attributed nationality, the artistic media displayed and the organisers of the exhibitions, a broad picture emerges of exhibitions of foreign contemporary art in Sweden during this period. After the Second World War, temporary exhibitions became a central part of public art institutions in Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the proportion of exhibitions displaying foreign contemporary art increased. Most of these exhibitions presented works from the Nordic countries. After that, the exhibitions featured works mainly from Western European countries, such as France, Great Britain and Italy. Exhibitions showing Latin American works were also displayed throughout this period, and over time, an increasing number of exhibitions from the United States began appearing. The most frequently used artistic media were painting and graphic prints, and the dominant exhibition format was nationally organised group exhibitions, with solo exhibitions remaining rare until the opening of the Moderna Museet in Stockholm in 1958. The majority of exhibitions were organised by actors outside the art institutions, such as galleries, art education organisations, collectors, cultural institutes and chambers of commerce. As a result, art institutions were able to offer a wide range of exhibitions despite having limited resources for organising them. These various external actors had a significant influence on the design of the exhibitions. Art education organisations and foreign cultural institutes showed a wide range of artistic styles. Galleries and collectors focused on more narrow artistic presentations, often accompanied by more exclusive catalogues. Sales were common in all types of exhibitions, with works in different price ranges. Art and commercially produced utility objects could also be presented in the same exhibition where, without direct sales, trade promotion could still be encouraged. These commercial and profit-driven elements show that art exhibitions played a role in the restoration of international trade at the time and that they could function as an extension of the art market, but also that the art education ideals of the time regarding the accessibility of art often included consumption. National group exhibitions accounted for a large proportion of exhibitions until the end of the 1960s. This format aimed to present a representative picture of a country’s art scene and can be traced back to the World’s Fair exhibitions of the 19th century. In the post-war period, new forms of exhibition began to be introduced. At the Venice Biennale in 1948, solo exhibitions were held featuring avant-garde artists from the interwar period, and this emphasis on pioneering artists was also evident at the Moderna Museet, which, from its opening in 1958, completely abandoned national group exhibitions in favour of solo exhibitions and stylistically profiled exhibitions. Even in the national group exhibitions, an adaptation to this change was noticeable during the 1960s. The exhibition format was retained, but the national representatives in the international avant-garde began to be highlighted
Why do micro construction companies choose voluntary audits
No full textThis study examines which economic and structural factors are associated with micro Swedish construction firms’ decision to choose voluntary audit after the abolition of statutory audit for the smallest limited companies. Drawing on agency theory, information asymmetry and stakeholder theory, the study analyses how firm characteristics relate to audit choice in a project-based industry with volatile cash flows and strong external dependencies. The sample covers Swedish limited liability companies in construction (SNI 41–43) below the statutory audit thresholds for the financial year 2024. All firms with voluntary audit (n = 232) are included and complemented with a random sample of non-audited firms (n = 1,524), yielding N = 1,756. Variables with extreme values are winsorized (1st/99th percentile) and hypotheses are tested using binary logistic regression. The results show positive and significant associations between voluntary audit and ln (sales), board size, firm age and log total assets. Cash liquidity and profitability (ROA) are negatively and significantly associated with voluntary audit. Measures of external dependence and financial risk are not significant at the 5% level. Overall, the findings suggest that voluntary audit in micro construction firms is more closely related to governance complexity, maturity and economic scale, together with signs of economic pressure, than to the included proxies for external dependence and financial risk
Hållbarhetsrapportering och dess betydelse för privata investerare
No full textKlimatförändringar och ökade krav på transparens har gjort hållbarhetsrapportering till en central del av företags kommunikation. Regleringar och ramverk som GRI och CSRD har utvecklats för att skapa en mer jämförbar och tillförlitlig rapportering som kan användas av olika intressenter, där investerare utgör en viktig grupp. Tidigare forskning visar att investerare kan påverkas av både personliga värderingar och tankemönster, vilket kan bilda en investeringsfilosofi hos investerare. Detta förklaras med hjälp av teorier som Behavioral Finance Theory (BFT) och Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Dessa teorier kan förklara hur hållbarhetsinformation tolkas och har betydelse. De kan sedan användas på olika sätt vid investeringsbeslut. Investerare kan påverkas av personliga värderingar och tankemönster men frågan är om dessa värderingar och tankemönster kan ha betydelse av andra bakomliggande faktorer. Dessa kan vara företagsrelaterade, individuellt och socialt relaterade faktorer. Exempelvis kan det vara vilket kön investerare har eller vilken kunskap kring hållbarhetsinformation de har. Detta bildar tillsammans studiens problemformulering. Studiens syfte är att undersöka vilka faktorer som kan ha betydelse för investerares användning av hållbarhetsinformation vid investeringsbeslut, med hjälp av investeringsfilosofin. Studien använder en kvantitativ ansats med tvärsnittsdesign och ett bekvämlighetsurval. Data har samlats in via en digital enkät riktad till svenska privata aktieägare. Resultatet visar att endast faktorerna ålder och kunskap påvisar ett signifikant samband för användningen av hållbarhetsinformation vid investeringsbeslut, medan flera andra antagna samband inte kan påvisas ha betydelse inom ramen för denna studies urval och metod.Climate change and increased demands for transparency have made sustainability reporting a central part of corporate communication. Regulations and frameworks such as GRI and CSRD have been developed to create more comparable and reliable reporting that can be used by various stakeholders, where investors constitute an important group. Previous research shows that investors are often influenced by both personal values and thought patterns, which can form an investment philosophy among investors. This is explained with the help of theories such as Behavioral Finance Theory (BFT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). These theories can explain how sustainability information is interpreted and has significance. They can then be used in different ways in investment decisions. Investors can be influenced by personal values and thought patterns, and the question is whether these values and thought patterns can have significance due to other underlying factors. These can be company related, individual and social related factors. For example It can be which gender investors have or what level of knowledge they have regarding sustainability information. This together forms the study’s problem formulation. The purpose of the study is to examine which factors can have significance for investors use of sustainability information in investment decisions, with the help of an investment philosophy. The study uses a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design and a convenience sample. Data have been collected through a digital survey directed at Swedish private shareholders. The results show that only the factors age and knowledge demonstrate a significant relationship with the use of sustainability information in investment decision, while several other assumed relationships can not be shown to have significance within the scope of this study’s sample and method