Publikationer från Stockholms universitet
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Liberalism and Human Genetic Enhancement
No full textIn this paper, I address the familiar argument that heritable genome editing will lead to a dystopian future in which there are two classes of human beings: an elite with enhanced mental and physical abilities and a vast underclass of ordinary humans who do not enjoy the advantages of genetic enhancement technologies. Contrary to previous discussions, however, I assume that this development takes place in a decent, liberal democratic state. This allows ideas from political theory to be applied to the argument. I begin by describing a possible pathway to the dystopian future, building on the ideas of knowledge resistance, social distrust, and cognitive biases that lead a large part of the population to reject beneficial genetic technology. Then I ask: How should a liberal state respond to the resulting inequalities? Does liberal political theory have the resources to give us some guidance? I examine the issues from the perspective of both distributive and relational egalitarianism
A Tale of Sodium in Stellar and Planetary Atmospheres : Advancing transmission and million-star spectroscopy with 3D non-LTE radiative transfer
No full textWith ground- and space-based telescopes, astronomers have now obtained high-resolution spectra for millions of stars and discovered thousands of new worlds — exoplanets — beyond our Solar System. Astrophysics is entering a new era in which elemental abundances can be measured with unprecedented precision, not only in stars but also in the atmospheres of their planets. These chemical fingerprints provide crucial clues to stellar evolution, Galactic chemical enrichment, and the formation and composition of planetary systems. However, interpreting stellar and planetary spectra remains challenging, as the simplifying assumptions traditionally adopted in spectral modeling often introduce systematic biases. Neutral sodium (Na I) plays a particularly central role in this context, serving as both a tracer of Galactic chemical evolution in late-type stars and a diagnostic of atmospheric processes in exoplanets. It also acts as a key indicator of distinct stellar populations, such as those in globular clusters, where characteristic abundance variations reveal multiple stellar generations. Classical hydrostatic one-dimensional (1D) models assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) can systematically overestimate Na I abundances — by up to 0.5 dex in giant stars — because the simplifying approximations break down. In high-resolution transmission spectroscopy of exoplanets, additional stellar phenomena such as center-to-limb variations (CLV) and the Rossiter–McLaughlin signal during transits must also be taken into account. These stellar effects can mimic or obscure planetary absorption features, leading to false detections if not modeled correctly. Accurately treating such processes requires realistic three-dimensional (3D) radiation-hydrodynamic (RHD) stellar atmospheres combined with non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative transfer. In this thesis, I develop a state-of-the-art grid of 3D non-LTE synthetic spectra for Na I lines in FGK-type stars, based on the extended and refined Stagger-grid of RHD models. This grid enables more accurate sodium abundance determinations in large spectroscopic surveys — such as GALAH DR4, which recently published parameters and abundances for nearly one million stars — and improves the interpretation of high-resolution exoplanet spectra from instruments such as ESPRESSO on the VLT and the forthcoming ANDES spectrograph on the ELT. The thesis demonstrates several applications of these 3D non-LTE models: (i) an analysis of spatially resolved solar spectra from the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (Paper I); (ii) atmospheric characterization of four giant exoplanets observed with ESPRESSO (Paper II); and (iii) a detailed investigation of Na I abundances across Galactic stellar populations using GALAH DR4 data (Paper III). Together, these studies show that 3D non-LTE modeling provides a unified and more physically accurate framework for interpreting sodium lines in both stellar and planetary contexts
The impact of dynamic pricing and the “Stop food waste” app feature on food waste reduction in online grocery stores - a study of the Wolt online grocery platform
No full textFood waste is a universal problem, and one-third of all the food that is being produced every year is wasted. While dynamic pricing in physical retail has been successful, its effects on online grocery stores are not yet fully explored. This research inquiry is: The impact of dynamic pricing and "Stop Food Waste" app feature on food waste reduction in online grocery stores, a study of Wolt online grocery platform at Stockholm. We analysed three months of platform sales and waste data and consumer survey feedback from 50 consumers. The findings identify strong reductions in food waste. The "Stop Food Waste" function decreased mean waste by 33.06% to 14.8% by descriptive analysis. Multiple regression analysis confirmed the implementation time as a strong predictor of waste savings, while oddly, mean discount rate was also positively associated with the mean waste percentage, indicating that more severe discounts were concentrated on more difficult-to-move items. Category level outcomes revealed large declines in Dairy and Meat & Fish, where the public were very confident about cold chain handling, while Flowers & Cultivations reported more waste, which is typical of consumer resistance to visually graded produce. Integrated findings reveal that waste declined even as discounts narrowed in some categories (Dairy, Meat & Fish, Ready Meals), which suggests that the app function itself was central regardless of price. There were five qualitative themes: consumer identification of "rescuing" near-expiration products, trust obstacles and issues of quality, behavioural changes like meal planning and freezing, platform needs for transparency and timely notification, and mutual assumptions about environmental effect. Surprisingly, consumers interpreted the "Stop Food Waste" feature as an actual sustainability function, while overall dynamic pricing was understood mostly in terms of money saving. There were rebound effects, however, where some consumers over bought lower cost items, occasionally redistributing waste to other homes. This thesis shows clear evidence that online grocery stores can reduce food waste by half when using the right pricing strategies together with supportive digital features. This adds new knowledge about how technology and people interact through price algorithms, app design, and shopping behaviour to create sustainability results. The study also highlights the need for product specific approaches, AI-based personalized discounts, and more open, transparent platform designs to get the biggest benefits, instead of just shifting waste from stores to households
Changing conceptions of literacies, language & development: Implications for the provision of adult basic education in South Africa
No full textThis text is the introduction to a thesis by publication which was published in 2009. The thesis prefigures several contemporary debates in multilingual language and literacy education, notably southern and decolonial approaches which advocate theorising from and with praxis, the collaborative construction of knowledge, and a troubling of normative conceptions of language, semiosis, and citizenship. The thesis aimed to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the circumstances under which adult education, in particular adult basic education, can support and occasionally initiate participatory development, social action and the realisation of citizenship rights. It traces developments in adult basic education in South Africa, and more specifically literacy and language learning, over the years 1981 to 2001, with reference to specific multilingual contexts in the Northern and Western Cape. The thesis is based on four individual studies, documenting an arc from grassroots work to national policy development and back. Study I, written in the early 1990s, critically examines approaches to teaching English to adults in South Africa at the time and proposes a participatory curriculum model for the additional language component of a future adult education policy. Study II is an account of attempts to implement this model and explores the implications of going to scale with such an approach. Studies III and IV draw on a qualitative study of an educator development programme after the transition to democracy. Study III uses Bourdieu’s theory of practice and the concept of reflexivity to illuminate some of the connections between local discursive practices, self-formation, and broader relations of power. Study IV uses Iedema’s (1999) concept of resemiotisation to trace the ways in which individuals re-shaped available representational resources to mobilise collective agency in community-based workshops. The thesis summary provides a framework for these studies by locating and critiquing each within shifts in the political economy of South Africa. It reflects on a history of research and practice, raising questions to do with voice, justice, power, agency, and desire. Overall, this thesis argues for a reconceptualisation of ABET that is more strongly aligned with development goals and promotes engagement with new forms of state/society/economy relations
Goals Under Control: Football, Dictatorship, and Memory in Argentina and Uruguay (1978–1980)
No full textResolving diversity and ecosystem functioning in a changing sea
No full textTrophic interactions underpin ecosystem functioning by shaping energy flow within food webs. In marine systems, the high diversity of plankton forms a complex structure at the base of the food web that sustains small pelagic fish. Yet, trophic interactions are often inferred from coarse taxonomic or size-based assumptions, and the full spectrum of consumer diets is seldom resolved, limiting mechanistic understanding of ecosystem functioning. The primary objective of this thesis was to resolve the temporal dynamics of plankton and small pelagic fish, and their trophic interactions, to assess how ecosystem change alters food web topology and functioning. Using phenological indices derived from more than a decade of plankton monitoring, Project I revealed inconsistent trends across trophic levels, with the spring phytoplankton bloom occurring earlier, while zooplankton peak timings remained constant. This temporal mismatch had important ecological consequences, contributing to the decline of a key copepod species. To assess how alterations in species composition affect higher trophic levels, Project II applied DNA metabarcoding to characterise fish diets. By capturing the full dietary spectrum, this approach identified overlooked prey, including gelatinous and soft-bodied organisms. Project III applied DNA metabarcoding at larger scales, revealing limited diet overlap among the dominant small pelagic fish species, with prey availability and diversity identified as key factors shaping fish selectivity and resource use partitioning. Finally, Project IV combined decadal biomass observations and DNA inferred prey selectivity in a food web model to reconstruct energy flux from phytoplankton to fish at high taxonomic resolution, highlighting the role of diverse trophic interactions in shaping food web functioning. Together, these findings demonstrate the importance of assessing species dynamics across trophic levels at high temporal and taxonomic resolution to understand ecosystem functioning under changing environmental conditions. Moreover, this thesis illustrates that the diversity of trophic links, driven by species-specific traits, adds complexity to food web structure and contributes to the stability of energy transfer in marine systems
Pedagogical Embodied Responses Through the Video Way of Thinking
No full textThis article explores how early childhood educators can engage with children’s video recordings through embodied, artistic, and phenomenotechnical approaches. Drawing on Ben Spatz’s concept ‘the video way of thinking’ and Karen Barad’s theory of agential realism, the study reframes children as creative agents whose audiovisual expressions are materially and affectively entangled with their environments. Through a case study of a four-year-old child’s video recording, the article demonstrates how pedagogues can produce video responses using the modes of tinkering, tuning, and tracking. This method proposes a shift from representational pedagogies to response-able, embodied practices, positioning the child as an active videographer
Testifying in a non-native language as an eyewitness undermines credibility judgments but not reliability
No full textEyewitness testimony plays a critical role in legal proceedings. Yet, its usefulness hinges on both the reliability of the information from the witness, and how that information is perceived. When eyewitnesses testify in a non-native language, language barriers may shape not only what is communicated but also how their testimony is interpreted and judged. This thesis investigates whether testifying in a non-native versus native language affects the reliability and perceived credibility of honestly reported eyewitness testimonies. Across three empirical studies, I examined how language influences memory accuracy, suggestibility, the confidence-accuracy relation, observer-rated credibility, investigative questioning practices, and non-verbal behavior. Study I comprised two experiments. In Study Ia (N = 121), mock eyewitnesses provided testimony in either a non-native (English; n = 61) or their native (Swedish; n = 60) language after viewing a mock-crime video. Testimonies accuracy and suggestibility were measured, and the confidence-accuracy relation computed. Witnesses also rated their own credibility and cognitive effort when giving the testimony. No differences emerged between witness groups in accuracy, suggestibility, cognitive effort, or self-rated credibility. However, in line with the confidence-accuracy relation, witnesses were more confident overall in correct than incorrect details. Importantly, non-native speakers reported significantly lower confidence than native speakers, despite being equally accurate. In Study Ib (N = 202), mock interrogators were randomly assigned to assess either a non-native or native video-recorded testimony for credibility and to formulate follow-up interrogation questions. The interrogators judged non-native speakers as less credible than native speakers. Study II examined the interrogation questions (N = 806) formulated in Study Ib with respect to how leading, doubt-casting, and open-ended they were. No differences emerged in the types of questions posed to non-native versus native speakers. However, when interrogators perceived a witness as more credible, they posed fewer questions casting doubt, but this effect was only observed for native-speaking witnesses. Study III examined whether the presence (vs. absence) of a set of predefined non-verbal cues predicted the accuracy of 680 statements, witnesses’ self-reported confidence, and observer-rated credibility. None of the cues reliably predicted these outcomes, challenging assumptions about the diagnostic value of non-verbal cues in legal contexts. Together, this thesis provides converging evidence that language barriers can introduce bias in how eyewitness testimony is received and acted upon, not due to differences in testimony reliability, but due to how the testimonies are perceived in terms of credibility. The findings underscore the need for legal systems to better account for challenges placed on non-native speakers and to adopt practices that promote more fair credibility assessments
The (im)possibility of children's participation in professional theatre: Engagements and commonality
No full textThis article analyzes participatory measures within professional, publicly funded children's theatre. Although increasing citizen participation has been an objective of cultural policy in Sweden since the 1970s—with children a specifically targeted group—problems achieving participatory goals persist. Drawing on ethnographic data, we theorize participatory measures by applying Laurent Thévenot's sociology of engagements. Our findings suggest that participation in children's theatre falls into one of three ‘plans’: 1. A plan of expert consultants, 2. A plan for the future, and 3. A plan for artistic collaboration. We conclude that although there is potential for creating commonality, there are also obstructing challenges on the level of engagement. The article argues for an interdependent relationship between participation and commonality concerning children's participation. In conclusion, mismatched frames of engagement make us question participation as a political and social pursuit, especially in intergenerational settings, and we thus call for a turn to commonality
Silence and Sound in Heart of Darkness : Exploring Colonial Power Dynamics through Forum Theatre
No full textThis thesis examines the power dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness by focusing on how sound and silence function within the colonial discourse of the novella. Drawing on postcolonial theory, particularly the works of Homi Bhabha, Frantz Fanon, and Albert Memmi, this study argues that silence functions as a tool of colonial control, while sound serves as a subtle form of presence through which African characters maintain their cultural presence and disrupt the colonial authority. The study demonstrates how imperial ideology shapes both the colonized and the colonizers and how sound elements such as the Africans’ drumming, chanting, and rituals reveal the instability and contradictions within colonial power dynamics. Furthermore, the thesis explores Marlow’s ambivalent position within the colonial system, showing how he reproduces imperial ideology while being disturbed by its violence. Although his narrative often reflects the colonial perspective, his gradual recognition of the Africans’ humanity reveals the fractures within the colonial hierarchy. In this way, sound becomes a means that unsettles the colonial system. In addition to literary analysis, the thesis examines forum theatre as a pedagogical method for teaching Heart of Darkness in the Swedish upper secondary context. By combining postcolonial literary analysis with forum theatre, the study demonstrates how students can engage actively and critically with colonial power structures without reproducing colonial language while developing empathy and critical awareness. Thus, the thesis proposes an interactive didactic approach to teaching colonial literature that encourages critical engagement at the upper secondary level