| 1. |
- Hall, C. Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Demarketing Tourism for Sustainability : Degrowing Tourism or Moving the Deckchairs on the Titanic?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI. - 2071-1050. ; 13:3, s. 1-15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Demarketing is generally recognized as that aspect of marketing that aims at discouraging customers in general or a certain class of customers in particular on either a temporary or permanent basis and has been increasingly posited as a potential tool to degrow tourism and improve its overall sustainability, particularly as a result of so-called overtourism. The paper provides an overview of the various ways in which demarketing has been applied in a tourism context and assesses the relative value of demarketing as a means of contributing to sustainability and degrowing tourism. It is argued that demarketing can make a substantial contribution to degrowing tourism at a local or even regional scale, but that the capacity to shift visitation in space and time also highlights a core weakness with respect to its contribution at other scales. The paper concludes by noting that the concept of degrowth also needs to be best understood as a continuum of which demarketing is only one aspect.
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| 2. |
- Folkesson, Per, 1946-
(författare)
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Katastrofer och män : Explorativa undersökningar av ett komplext förhållande
- 2005
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The present work is a doctoral dissertation in the field of social work with a gender perspective. Three case studies with an explorative approach were conducted, with the following research questions as the point of departure: a) is there a catastrophe-related gender segregation regarding men, and b) if so, what does this segregation look like in terms of related forms and phenomena? The work has its methodological basis in grounded theory, which is designed to generate theory that is firmly grounded in empirical data. Through theoretical sampling, information regarding three catastrophes was collected – the ethnic cleansing in Srebrenica in 1995, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, and the discothèque fire in Gothenburg 1998. The central finding of the empirical studies suggests that there was a catastrophe-related gender segregation regarding men in all three cases. This was primarily evident in the fact that men collectively organized to defeat the causes and consequences of the catastrophic events that had taken place. Women were evacuated from the scene while men were left behind, or ordered there to help combat the catastrophe. Other phenomena that proved to be related to the main phenomenon, i.e. catastrophe-related gender segregation, were, for example, polarized normative patterns regarding men that pointed toward correctness, loyalty, and maximal performance on the one hand, or incorrectness, cowardice, and treachery on the other, and also altered psychological states as part of a process of mental mobilization in preparation of catastrophe-controlling tasks. The catastrophes conditioned a redefinition of the relationship between men and women where the consistent structural priority given to men was temporarily suspended.To a great extent, men were collectively exposed to deadly risks, and in two of the three cases the actual mortality of men was very high. The findings have led to the conclusion that men are relatively expendable in the event of a catastrophe. This conclusion, which is part of a grounded theory of the relationship between catastrophes and men, is discussed in the final chapter of the dissertation in relation to existing theory regarding sex, gender, and patriarchy, and phenomena like dissociation, civilization, and safety.
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| 3. |
- Jönsson, Jessica H.
(författare)
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Servants of a 'sinking Titanic' or actors of change? : contested identities of social workers in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: European Journal of Social Work. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1369-1457 .- 1468-2664. ; 22:2, s. 212-224
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Historically, social workers have been an integral part of a well-developed welfare state in Sweden. However, due to the neoliberal changes, which have seen the weakening of the support system for vulnerable groups and individuals, the traditional ‘solidary role’ of social workers has rapidly altered. This has created uncertainty and dilemmas for the identification of many social workers, who still perceive themselves as promoters of ‘welfare of the people’. This article dwells, therefore, on neoliberal transformations and the changing professional identity of practitioners. The study is based on a comprehensive empirical work of interviews with social workers. The results show a growing and widespread unease with new professional roles and functions of social workers as bureaucrats within a neoliberalised organisation of public social work. Some social workers still try to find creative and new ways of working in solidarity, while others, although critical, see adjustment to the new organisational frames as a way to continue their work. It is argued that social workers are not passive actors in the process of neoliberalisation of public social work in Sweden but could actively take different stances and choose their own identifications, in order to maintain the solidary role of social workers.
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| 4. |
- Jönsson, Jessica H., 1981-
(författare)
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Servants of a 'sinking Titanic' or actors of change? : contested identities of social workers in Sweden [Passiva tjänare av ‘ett sjunkande skepp’ eller förändringsaktörer? Ifrågasatta identiteter hos socialarbetare i Sverige]
- 2019
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Ingår i: European Journal of Social Work. - : Oxford University Press. - 1369-1457 .- 1468-2664. ; 22:2, s. 212-224
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Historically, social workers have been an integral part of a well-developed welfare state in Sweden. However, due to the neoliberal changes, which have seen the weakening of the support system for vulnerable groups and individuals, the traditional ‘solidary role’ of social workers has rapidly altered. This has created uncertainty and dilemmas for the identification of many social workers, who still perceive themselves as promoters of ‘welfare of the people’. This article dwells, therefore, on neoliberal transformations and the changing professional identity of practitioners. The study is based on a comprehensive empirical work of interviews with social workers. The results show a growing and widespread unease with new professional roles and functions of social workers as bureaucrats within a neoliberalised organisation of public social work. Some social workers still try to find creative and new ways of working in solidarity, while others, although critical, see adjustment to the new organisational frames as a way to continue their work. It is argued that social workers are not passive actors in the process of neoliberalisation of public social work in Sweden but could actively take different stances and choose their own identifications, in order to maintain the solidary role of social workers.
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| 5. |
- Gray, David, 1980-
(författare)
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Ecocriticism and Sustainability Education : A Reflection on Teaching English Literature to Teacher Students in Sweden
- 2016
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ecocriticism, “the study of the relationship between literature and the physical environment”, and sustainable pedagogy (or sustainable education) approach complex cultural and ecological issues from literary and cultural studies, and education respectively (Glotfelty. 1996, p. xviii). Current research in both areas is now relatively thriving, and primary, secondary and postsecondary educational institutions around the world are increasingly focused on the promotion of sustainability, particularly since the UN Decade of Education for Sustainability Education 2005-2014. However, despite the growing connections being made between sustainability and transformative learning, there are still new possibilities for ecologically-minded, creative, relational and place-based approaches to education.Teacher education in Sweden now provides a unique opportunity to foster synergy in the relationships between subject knowledge, pedagogical practice; higher-, secondary-, and primary- educational milieus; which can positively affect society and the environment. This idea has lead me to dwell on my own experience of teaching English literature in teacher programs from pre-school to upper secondary - specifically English for Primary School Teachers 1B, 4-6 - and the potential to connect ecocritical approaches to literature and the promotion of sustainability education.The Swedish rules and guidelines for sustainable development and sustainable pedagogy, and their bearing on the literature component in the subject of English seem clear, from the national and local framework documents such as högskoleförordningen (1993:100), Dalarna University’s utbildningsplan grundlärarprogrammet grundskolans årskurs 4-6 and the English for Primary School Teachers 1B, 4-6 syllabus; as well as the Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet 2011. The latter provides a clear mission statement on the role of education in fostering citizenship with an environmental awareness towards sustainable development: Skolan ska i samarbete med hemmen främja elevers allsidiga personliga utveckling till aktiva, kreativa, kompetenta och ansvarskännande individer och medborgare […] Genom ett miljöperspektiv får de möjligheter både att ta ansvar för den miljö de själva direkt kan påverka och att skaffa sig ett personligt förhållningssätt till övergripande och globala miljöfrågor. Undervisningen ska belysa hur samhällets funktioner och vårt sätt att leva och arbeta kan anpassas för att skapa hållbar utveckling. (Skolverket, 2011).Arguably this places responsibility on the school and school teacher, as well as the whole apparatus for teacher education in higher education.And yet, there is a lack of ecocritical approaches to the study of literature in nearly all of the English literature courses, offered to teacher students at Dalarna University. In regard to the example course (English for Primary School Teachers 1B, 4-6), the following learning outcomes are given:•visa kunskap om ett urval skönlitterära texter från den engelsktalande världen•i tal och skrift kommunicera och argumentera för sina egna tolkningar av texterna med hjälp av ett antal litteraturvetenskapliga begrepp och teorier•i tal och skrift diskutera och problematisera begreppet barndom i studiet av barn- och ungdomslitteratur•argumentera för och reflektera över hur skönlitteratur och andra typer av kulturella texter kan användas i språkundervisning för yngre elever för att utveckla såväl språkfärdigheten som förståelsen för andra kulturer och samhällen•i anslutning till litteraturstudierna redogöra för och reflektera över kultur- och samhällsyttringar inom den engelskspråkiga världen samt relatera dessa till egna kulturella erfarenheter•visa kunskaper om kursplanen i engelska för åk 4-6 med fokus på litteratur- och kulturaspekter samt hur dessa kan omsättas i klassrummet.The focus on literature and its capacity to promote understanding of a wider socio-cultural perspective is evident. However, in this perspective on human culture is rarely linked to the cultural attitudes and values that have the most significant impact on the natural environment. The result of this kind of anthropocentric or human-centred thinking, can be represented in Glen A. Love’s critical question: “Why are the activities aboard the Titanic so fascinating to us that we give no heed to the waters through which we pass, or to that iceberg on the horizon?” (p. 229).Ultimately, it is my intention to pursue further research to look at the current dearth of ecocritical approaches to literature and sustainable education (both within higher education as a consequence, within the English primary classroom in Sweden), and the potential for interconnected thinking on sustainability: literary analysis, the educational milieu, and social and ecological issues. Finally this paper will offer some opportunities for “course design that is rooted in ecological principles”, citing a current pedagogical model such as the Burns Model of Sustainability Pedagogy, and examples from teaching ecocriticism and green cultural studies, which recognizes the “the study of the relationship between literature, education and the physical environment” (Burns, 2015, p. 265).
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| 6. |
- Beusch, Peter, 1967, et al.
(författare)
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MNE’s and Understanding the Role of Management Control to Tackle Societal Grand Challenges
- 2024
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Ingår i: Nordisk Workshop i Ekonomistyrning, NWES XXVII Stockholm Business School, Stockholms universitet, 11-12 januari 2024.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amidst the extensive literature on corporate sustainability, the prevailing discourse highlights the urgency of an accelerated, profound transformation in the business-society relationship. Unprecedented calls from academia, business, and the public demand more impactful contributions to sustainability and when tackling societal grand challenges. This is especially true for major stock-listed multinational enterprises (MNEs) that are important for achieving sustainability (Van Der Waal et al., 2021) due to their distinctive attributes (size, power, knowledge, etc.). Nevertheless, MNEs have often instead “been criticised as being one of the primary institutions contributing towards ‘unsustainability’ in terms of impacts on society and the environment” (Burritt et al., 2020, p. 389). Management control systems (MCS) are proposed to aid such a transformation exactly due to their recognized capacity for promoting effective change through an integration of sustainability within organizational strategy (Gond et al., 2012; Beusch et al, 2022). However, recent sustainability-focused research reveals limitations in MCSs’ ability to drive significant change within organizations (Garcia-Torea et al., 2023). Challenges emerge when aligning profit-centric objectives with ethical and responsible purposes (Bebbington and Thomson, 2013; Schaltegger and Burritt, 2018; Bebbington et al., 2020; Laine et al., 2021), leaving the outcomes of such shifts uncertain, particularly in for-profit firms (Sageder and Feldbauer-Durstmüller, 2019; Schaltegger et al., 2022). Conventional management accounting and control practices, driven by traditional business-case rationales, persist (Bebbington and Thomson, 2013; Tregidga et al., 2018). While MCS remain relevant and contribute incrementally to supporting sustainability initiatives (Beusch, 2022), they lack the capacity to bring about transformative effects in facilitating profound organizational shifts towards sustainability (Narayanan and Boyce, 2019). Most of all, however, significant gaps persist in understanding the actual value outcome and multi-stakeholder impact of organizational sustainability efforts and what this means in terms of solving societal grand challenges, underlining the need for further research (George et al., 2023; Burritt et al., 2023). The purpose of this paper is to, critically, explore to what extent the business-case for sustainability is transforming the business-society relationship in a for-profit MNE, as well as if and how MCS contribute to such change, and what the sustainable outcome thereof is. Through a combination of theoretical insights from the literature on sustainability integration and the role that MCS play in this in a longitudinal case study of a large, publicly-listed MNE, we attempt to leave the middle ground position, which often is accused of downplaying rather than highlighting social conflicts and struggles and go beyond the “rearranging [of] the deckchairs on the Titanic” (Puxty, 1987, p. 107). The findings underline that although the journey has been protracted, MCS possess a considerable potential to facilitate the reframing of a firm’s purpose in line with sustainability imperatives and subsequently partly embed this ‘novel’ purpose within the organization. However, the foremost constraint of such transformative organizational change lies in the realization of the newly established purpose as a meaningful contribution to sustainability and the real tackling of societal grand challenges. For a substantial period, the MNE’s role in fostering sustainable outcomes remained minimal, only becoming viable when shifts in the firm’s institutional context occurred that enabled the emergence of a fresh form of a ‘business case’ for sustainability. The study illuminates that the progression toward realizing sustainability outcomes within this for-profit MNE occurs at a measured pace, largely contingent on the gradual pace of external changes and evolving demands, rather than being driven by (strong) internal aspirations, strategic decisions, and ethical reflections; and this despite rather well framed, formalized, and integrated MCSs for sustainability. The findings underline the criticality of dissecting the framing, formalization, and realization of the (new) purpose for sustainability as distinct phases (George et al., 2023). The velocity of change and transition towards achieving sustainable outcomes, thus solving societal grand challenges, is significantly influenced by the degree to which sustainability issues genuinely impact the firm’s viability within its sector/industry. The paper concludes that, in the context of this particular for-profit MNE, transcending conventional boundaries and delving into broader perspectives beyond the immediate business-case is an intricate feat, often necessitating robust economic policy incentives or penalties and essentially, within at least the specific industry, unified, and substantial costs associated with unsustainability. Hence, the imperative is to ‘push’ for a fast harmonization of environmental and social sustainability issues with(in) the ‘business-case’, as waiting for business opportunities to happen on a ‘voluntary’ basis seems to be going too slowly. While alternative viewpoints might sound appealing and politically correct, they can be somewhat idealistic considering the (still) strong power and logic of the current economic system.
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| 7. |
- Elinder, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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Every man for himself : Gender, Norms and Survival in Maritime Disasters
- 2012
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Since the sinking of the Titanic, there has been a widespread belief that the social norm of ‘women and children first’ gives women a survival advantage over men in maritime disasters, and that captains and crew give priority to passengers. We analyze a database of 18 maritime disasters spanning three centuries, covering the fate of over 15,000 individuals of more than 30 nationalities. Our results provide a new picture of maritime disasters. Women have a distinct survival disadvantage compared to men. Captains and crew survive at a significantly higher rate than passengers. We also find that the captain has the power to enforce normative behavior, that the gender gap in survival rates has declined, that women have a larger disadvantage in British shipwrecks, and that there seems to be no association between duration of a disaster and the impact of social norms. Taken together, our findings show that behavior in life-and-death situation is best captured by the expression ‘Every man for himself’.
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| 8. |
- Widholm, Christian, 1968-
(författare)
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Heritage, Emotional Communities, and Imaginary Childhood Landscapes
- 2016
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Employing examples from maritime heritage attractions in Sweden this paper aims to analyze how heritage stakeholders situate their enterprises through unreflective references to childhood. A pioneer in the business of shipwreck tours started a heritage project by trying to convince investors and to create general interest in the planned tours by thoroughly referring to the thrilling documentary films about the Titanic by James Cameron. In contrast to the logistically complex and not-so-dramatic shipwreck tours that were eventually realized, the pioneer’s almost boyish appreciation of the adventurous qualities of Cameron’s documentary conveys feelings of childhood. Another stakeholder in the same project recalled a media event from his childhood when he talked about his early interest of old warships at the bottom of the sea. Thus he told me in an interview about how he absorbed the live television broadcast in the early 1960s of the rescue of the seventeenth-century warship Wasa in Stockholm. A third stakeholder, involved in another maritime heritage attraction, referred to his seemingly happy childhood as a contrast to contemporary selfishness and gentrification that, in his view, seem to threaten the surrounding landscapes of his heritage project located on a an island where he spent his childhood summers. One of several hot-tempered arguments in David Lowenthal’s classic work The Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History (1998) highlights the importance of childhood in the discourses of heritage. Since heritage merely seems to be a conspiratorial celebration of the past for Lowenthal, the childhood dimension is treated as a tool that the advocates of a specific heritage deliberately use to legitimize their version of bygone days. My research on heritage attractions confirms Lowenthal’s claim that childhood is a crucial element in heritage. Through analyses of texts and interviews pertaining to the maritime heritage attractions in Sweden, however, I contend that the use of more or less salient references to childhood could be understood as unreflective and habitual articulations. Nonetheless, even though the forms of heritage attractions may vary and the stakeholder’s so-called personality may differ, the imaginary landscapes of childhood appear to function as central prerequisites in the enterprises of heritage. However, to offer a deeper understanding of how the uses of childhood work within the logics of heritage, I propose that we move beyond Lowenthal’s critique. I propose that the references to childhood could be related to the concept of emotional communities, introduced by the historian Barbara Rosenwein (2006). The emotional community for her is a group in which people have a common stake, interests, values, and goals. These are reached through representations of emotion within in a system of norms and convention. The analysis focuses on the fabric of a social community and how emotions are discursively expressed; not unmediated feelings or emotions, which is the case in psychology. I believe that an analytical approach that makes use of the concept of emotional community with the focus on the different uses of the feeling of childhood is a way to deconstruct naturalizations, hierarchies, temporality, and spatiality within heritage.
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