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Ondska : En komparativ analys av Frankenstein & Dvärgen
No full textThe purpose of this essay is to explore the complex question of Evil, how we define evil actions and how evil is portrayed in the two novels: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Dvärgen by Pär Lagerkvist. What are the similarities and differences in how evil is portrayed and how reliable are the dwarf and the monster as narrators? To answer these questions, I will do a comparative analysis of the two novels based on a few set perimeters for how to define evil.Slutgiltigt godkännandedatum: 2025-08-27</p
Advancing the visual turn in tourism, hospitality and leisure studies
No full textPurpose This conceptual paper aims to inspire further advancement of the visual turn in tourism, hospitality and leisure studies. It offers an updated overview of the implications of different philosophical positions for visual data and provides insights into both big and small data studies. Future research possibilities within the visual turn in these fields of studies are also discussed. Design Given the conceptual nature of this paper, the lines of arguments are largely informed by existing literature in both the wider social sciences and humanities as well as the multidisciplinary fields of tourism, hospitality and leisure studies. While not attempting to provide a systematic review, this paper critically discusses both the wide variety of visual data types used in tourism, hospitality and leisure research, as well as the relevant, philosophy of science informed, theoretical framing of visual research. Findings This paper offers insights into possible futures for the visual turn in tourism, hospitality and leisure, while being neither prescriptive nor favouring a particular philosophical position or methodology. Some of the key directions for the future of the visual turn in fact, are expected to be influenced by the very diversity of approaches. Namely, both big and small data studies are expected to play a significant role in visual tourism, hospitality and leisure studies in the future, in much the same way the studies underpinned by the broad umbrellas of paradigms belonging to a variety of different paradigms will. Originality The originality of this paper lies in its offering of an updated meaningful synthesis of relevant literature which spans across disciplines and fields of studies to offer both an overview of the current state of the visual turn in tourism, hospitality and leisure studies, and visions for its future. This is supported through an updated table outlining the key paradigms and their implications for visual data, and an emphasis of the important roles both big and small data studies play in knowledge production in these fields of studies.
EPINET-Lite : Rethinking Mixed Convolutions forEfficient Light Field Disparity Estimation Network
No full textConvolutional neural networks are widely used forlight field disparity estimation. However, many state-of-the-artdeep learning models are computationally expensive due to their reliance on standard convolutions with varying kernel sizes. In this paper, we analyze the effect of various advanced convolution operations with different kernel sizes for feature extraction in a state-of-the-art light field disparity estimation network. Based on this investigation, we propose an optimized mixed convolution layer to extract relevant features using multiple kernel sizes in parallel, while maintaining significantly lower computational cost. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach reduces model complexity by up to 4.2× while also improving disparity estimation accuracy. These findings make the proposed convolutional operation more practical for lightfield applications, where efficient spatial and angular feature extraction is essential for improved model performance
Orchestrating public sector innovation processes for digitalization
No full textPurpose While research on innovation is extensive, less is known about public sector innovations (PSI) as distributed processes based on both internal and external knowledge. Research has shown that the public sector often imitates private firms’ innovation processes, particularly when introducing new solutions such as digital processes. This occurs despite the fact that the public sector’s goal is not profit, but rather the provision of quality services. In this paper, we explore the consequences of such imitation for PSI processes related to digitalization, with a particular focus on how innovation orchestration functions in these settings. Design/methodology/approach Empirically, the paper is based on a regional government initiative that used orchestrators to intermediate innovation processes. Interviews and focus groups were the main data source, complemented by internal documents from the initiative. Findings The study develops five propositions that highlight the paradoxical nature of PSI orchestration: the need for top management involvement, which can also stifle innovation; the necessity of orchestrator engagement in implementation, which limits their boundary-spanning role; the benefits of organizing innovation away from daily routines, which simultaneously hampers implementation; the tendency for collaborations among diverse stakeholders to emerge as outcomes rather than drivers of the process; and how the public culture orients the process to resources rather than value. Originality/value The paper contributes to previous research by addressing PSI. More specifically, it does so by integrating such research with innovation orchestration. The paper highlights how these processes differ substantially from those in the private sector, particularly with regard to the ability to orchestrate relational aspects as an antecedent to innovation
Impact of COVID-19 on audit fees in Chinese family firms : exploring the roles of ownership, management and directorship
No full textPurposeThis study investigates how family ownership and involvement in management and directorship influenced audit fees in Chinese family firms during the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging China's unique cultural and institutional context.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from the China Stock Market and Accounting Research Database, the study analysed 18,889 firm-year observations from family-owned listed firms over the 2015-2022 period, employing two-way fixed-effect regressions, robustness tests and controls for endogeneity. Pre- and post-COVID-19 periods (2015-2018 versus 2019-2022) were compared to assess the impact of family governance on audit fees during the pandemic.FindingsThe results reveal a significant negative relationship between family ownership and audit fees during COVID-19, compared to the insignificant negative pre-crisis association. Family involvement in management consistently reduced audit fees across the whole period, while directorship showed no significant effect. The findings indicate that Confucian-inspired familial alignment mitigated Type I agency problems, reducing audit risk without significantly increasing Type II agency conflicts.Practical implicationsFamily firms can leverage trust-based management to strengthen resilience and reduce external oversight costs, while auditors can optimise procedures for Chinese family firms, reducing costs associated with lower perceived risk. Policymakers could consider tailoring regulations to acknowledge culturally specific governance strengths.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the audit fee literature by emphasising the moderating influence of Confucian values and China's cultural and institutional environment. By demonstrating reduced audit fees in Chinese family firms during a global crisis, the study challenges Western-centric agency theory predictions
Dialect Speakers Report Stronger Regional Social Identity Than non-Dialect Speakers in Sweden
No full textPrevious research on the relationship between language and social identity has mainly focused on national or ethnic groups. Here, we investigated this relationship at the intra-national level in Sweden by exploring whether regional social identity was stronger among dialect speakers compared to non-speakers, and how it varies across regions. Additionally, we examined the association of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) with regional social identity and dialect knowledge to measure individual differences that could be interlinked with social identity. Swedish residents (N = 840) reported their regional identity, dialect knowledge, completed measures of regional social identity, and filled out the RWA and SDO scales. Results indicated that dialect speakers reported higher regional social identity than non-speakers. Regional social identity was higher in Norrland compared to Mid Sweden and Stockholm, but otherwise similar across the country. Regional social identity correlated positively with RWA, but in non-dialect speakers only, and negatively with SDO for all speakers. These findings suggest a correlation between dialect knowledge and regional social identity, but also that the relationship between regional social identity and RWA varies based on dialect knowledge, highlighting the complex interplay between language, identity, and personality
Att odla en feministisk forskningsgemenskap : Forum för genusforsknings strategi 2025–2028
No full textFamiljevårdarens upplevelser av vård i livets slut : En litteraturöversikt
No full textBakgrund: När patienten hamnar i livets slutskede är dennes tillstånd kraftigt nedsatt och vården ändras från att vara livupphållande behandling till symtomlindring och patienten hamnar i palliativ vård. Ungefär 56,8 miljoner människor i världen hamnar i palliativ vård vilken syftar till att lindra lidande och främja livskvaliteten med hjälp av de fyra hörnstenarna, symtomlindring, teamarbete, kommunikation och närståendestöd. Denna vård bygger på en helhetsbild som tar hänsyn till patientens psykiska, fysiska, sociala och existentiella behov samtidigt som stöd till de närstående ska erbjudas under och efter vårdperioden. Syfte: Syftet är att belysa familjevårdarnas upplevelser av att vårda sina närstående i livets slutskede i hemmiljö. Metod: Studien baseras på en litteraturöversikit av kvalitativa artiklar., där två databaser PubMed och CINAHL användes för att hitta de artiklar som besvarade syftet och var relevanta för resultatet. Därefter granskades artiklarna och analyserades med Graneheim och Ludman (2017) innehållsanalys. Sedan delades de i olika huvudkategorier och subkategorier. Resultat: Bygger på 15 kvalitativa artiklar som har två huvudkategorier och fem subkategorier. Huvudkategorin Emotionella svårigheter belyste känslorna som familjevårdarna upplevde under vårdperioden med den anhörige. Svårighet att hantera nya krav belyste vad familjevårdarna behövde göra för att kunna vårda den anhörige hemmaoch vilka uppgifter de hade. Den belyste också familjevårdarnas upplevelser i mötet med vårdpersonalen, vilka stöd som behövdes och vad detta stöd bidrog till. Diskussion: I metoddiskussion diskuterades både styrkor och svagheter med denna litteraturöversikt. I resultatdiskussion diskuterades huvudfynderna utifrån varje subkategori, vilket var både lösningar och negativ påverkan på familjevårdarna.2025-11-05</p
Frekvens Collective
No full textMusiken har följt oss människor i tusentals år, och längs vägen har vi hittat sätt att paketera den. Det började med skivor som sedan gav oss albumomslagen. Dessa omslag är inte bara skyddande förpackningar; de är reklambärare, identitetsskapare och känsloförmedlare. Omslagen lockar oss med sina genomtänkta färger, spännande bildkompositioner och tydliga typografi som tillsammans skapar stämning och atmosfär. Bakom varje omslag ligger medvetna val. Symmetri som lugnar, asymmetri som utmanar, logotyper som förstärker varumärken och illustrationer som öppnar dörrar till kreativitet. Den här undersökningen utforskar hur olika genrer använder design för att sticka ut, väcka känslor och bygga kopplingar till oss som betraktare. Det handlar om mer än bara yta; det handlar om hur visuella uttryck formar vår upplevelse av musik, stärker banden mellan skapare och lyssnare och påverkar vilka berättelser som får ta plats. Utifrån detta har jag skapat Frekvens Collective. Genom att skapa Frekvens Collective, ett skivbolag och en butik, vill jag bygga en plats där musik inte längre göms bort i algoritmer eller begravs under förutsädda mallar. Här får varje artist ett eget rum att uttrycka sig fritt, bortom genregränser och marknadskrav. Omslagen får spela huvudrollen igen, inte som förutsägbara genrekoder, utan som berättelser och konstverk som skapar närhet mellan skapare och lyssnare. Projektet bygger vidare på insikterna från undersökningen: att design och visuella uttryck har makt att forma hur vi upplever musik, hur vi väljer, hur vi minns. Genom att frigöra designen från förväntade normer och istället låta varje artist och varje omslag tala på sina egna villkor, öppnas dörrar till större kreativ frihet, tillgänglighet och gemenskap. Det här är mer än bara ett skivbolag. Det är ett försök att vårda musikkulturen, ge den utrymme att andas och ge lyssnarna möjlighet att upptäcka, känna och bli berörda, till och med utan att behöva köpa eller förstå allt på förhand. Vi måste vårda skapandet. Och vi måste göra det öppet