1.
Jönhill, Jan Inge
(author)
Samhället som system och dess ekologiska omvärld. En studie i Niklas Luhmanns sociologiska systemteori
1997
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
This thesis is divided into two main parts. The first part is an exposé of Niklas Luhmann’s comprehensive sociological systems theory. Systems theory is a theory focusing upon the distinction between system and environment. In the first chapter the systems theoretical foundations as related to theory of science, its basic methodology, its central concepts and their historical development are presented and discussed. In the second and third chapter the presentation and discussion takes its point of departure in the two primary levels of analysis: the theory of social systems as communication systems; and the as well special as general theory of society as social system, respectively. One of Luhmann’s many challenging thesis – inspired by the phenomenology of Schutz and the second order cybernetics of von Foerster – is that the sociologist primarily is an observer of observations of (other) observations; another that social systems operate as autopoietic systems, i.e. as self-referential and “self-producing”, operatively closed, but cognitively open systems. The theory of society comprises of four parts: 1) the theory of communication media, 2) of evolution, 3) of differentiation, and 4) of society’s self-description. According to the theory of differentiation, the systems of economy, politics, law, science, family, etc., are operating as functions systems in the system of society. One conclusion of the analysis is that in modern society the distinction between inclusion and exclusion is a main, guiding distinction for the understanding of how persons are connected to society. The second part of the thesis is a systems theoretical analysis of the ecological environmental problems of society, thereby showing the relevance of systems theory in the understanding a contemporary sociological issue. The analysis is carried out around three theses: 1) Society can only relate and react to the environmental problem through communication; 2) Modern society is, to a high degree, dependent upon technology. Therefore, it is exposed to risks. Risk should be seen mainly as a form of danger caused by decisions of one’s own. Risk is thus not contrary to security, but a distinction between danger and risk; 3) Functional differentiation, which is shown to have a lot of advantages to the modern complex society, also causes great difficulties in attempting to solve environmental problems. However, this insight brings, as is shown, the only key to solutions. The environmental issue makes more urgent not only the development of an ”environmental sociology”, but first and foremost a general theory of society.
2.
Wahlin, Lottie
(author)
Den rationella inbrottstjuven? : En studie om rationalitet och rationellt handlande i brott
1999
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
Rationality as purposive action among burglars is the theme of this study. Various theories concerning rationality, Rational Choice Theory especially, are discussed. The first purpose of this thesis is to highlight the concept of rationality. Rationality is a complex concept and it is defined in various ways in the literature. The basic definition is to act in a purposive way towards a defined goal. The second purpose is to study the occurence of rational components in criminal behaviour among burglars. The action of burglary has been treated as a serie of actions, in which there are many decisions to make. Ethnographical studies and interviews have been conducted. The analyses and interpretations of the narratives render a picture of a situationally bounded rational action which also is contextually and culturally anchored. The necessity of further theoretical refinements for empirical studies covered by rationality, is emphasized. Concludingly, criminal behaviour seen through rationality as a general framwo rk has been acknowledge as being fruitful and relevant.
3.
Persson, Anders
(author)
Maktutövningens interna dynamik : Samspel och motsättningar i skola och lönearbete
1991
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
The aim of this work is to investigate the internal dynamics of power-exercising in compulsory school and wage labor. The exercise of power is structured by four interrelated power-practices: maintenance, that is the practice which produce and reproduce a power relation through, among other things, the enrolment of subordinates; acculturation, the alteration-of-man power that is exercised inside the power relation; relegation, the power resulting in the removal of subordinates out of the power relation; and justification, the construction of representations which aim at presenting power relations as reasonable and justified. The exercise of power is, further, described as a process through which four practises interplay and contradicts one another. The process is part of what is called the internal dynamics of power, which also contains how power and resistance conflict and coordinate and finally, how various ways of exercising power - coercing and the production of consent - interrelate. Inside this frame of interpretation, different phenomenons in compulsory school - the compulsory school attendance, the stress on the importance of education in the modern society and the pedagogical practices to be precise - is given a meaning. In a similar way phenomenons inside wage labor - the wage laborer´s economic dependency and labor market coercion, the social democratic reform-strategy and organizational- and management-practices - is given meaning inside the above mentioned frame of interpretation
4.
Andersson, Berit
(author)
Att förstå drogmissbruk : Praktiken, situationen, processen
1991
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
While the purpuse of the study is to understand drug abuse through experiences told by individuals in life history interviews, the analyses moves beyond the level of descriptive life history. The interview material is interpreted within a theoretical framework, where the multidimensional character of drug abuse is considered. Three perspectives are applied in the analyses: (1) Practise: Different forms of drug use are seen as socially constructed activity spheres, practises, to which individuals are reqruited and in which they qualify. 2) Context: Drug abuse is also determined by a special life situation, i.e. a combination of physical, social and psykological cirkumstances. (3) Process: Individual drug abuse is finally seen in relation to the individual´s life course, where new life conditions bring about changes in drug use, and where life conditions are constantly affected by drug use.
5.
Andersson Cederholm, Erika
(author)
Det extraordinäras lockelse : Luffarturistens bilder och upplevelser
1999
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
This dissertation, The Attraction of the Extraordinary - Images and Experiences Among Backpacker Tourists, is a study based on informal interviews with predominantly Swedish independent travellers, as well as observations and documentary analysis of the backpacker subculture. Backpacking is a type of tourism which has been gradually institutionalized. Through the institutionalization of the backpacker culture, social norms and typifications are crystallized and an image of the ideal trip is constructed, embracing experiences of adventure and participation in local cultures. Implicit in these qualities are the search for "the authentic" (in an existential as well as an essential sense). The "pure and unspoiled" is one aspect of authenticity, which seems to have a mythical, undisputed, quality. It is suggested that this mythical quality is maintained through the ritual, playful, nature of the tourist trip. However, the backpacker´s search for the ideal travel experience is continually frustrated through the institutionalization and commodification of this type of tourism. Such conditions are the points of departure of the analysis. The classical works of Georg Simmel have been a main theoretical source of inspiration. The trip is described and analysed as an extraordinary life sphere, continually contrasted to the traveller´s ordinary home-bound life. The main purpose of the study is to analyse how, in their talk and actions, the travellers reproduce this dichotomy. By this contrasting activity, a distance to the extraordinary sphere is maintained, even though, paradoxically, the travellers seek to overcome the distance through their quest for authentic experiences. The contradictory conditions of the traveller are analysed in three contrasting pairs of terms: the "Planned unexpectedness", the "Attraction of hardship" and "Intimacy at a distance". Another purpose of the study is to analyse how the image of the extraordinary - with the quest for authenticity as an example - is socially constructed. A specific type of social interaction - the triad - is analysed, consisting of "the traveller", "the 'other' tourists" and "the locals". The symbolic value of money, as an important means in the interaction of the triad, is discussed. The role of photography is analysed as an other important means for the traveller to frame the extraordinary sphere. The framing occurs on two levels: in the situation where the traveller takes the photograph, and when showing the photos back home, when the trip is over. Another way for the traveller to reproduce the dichotomy analysed in this study, is the collector´s attitude. The traveller´s search for new and unique experiences is encouraged by other travellers - often within a competitive framework - as well as within a larger social framework.
6.
7.
Aspelin, Jonas
(author)
Klassrummets mikrovärld
1999
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
Abstract This dissertation examines the educational situation from a social psychological perspective. The study is based on an empirical material from two school classes at a Swedish high school. The data have been collected through video documentation and direct observation. A number of brief episodes have been transcribed in detail, and are interpreted and analyzed in the light of interactionist theory, chiefly using as a basis Thomas J. Scheff’s theory of social bonds. The analysis concentrates on the relation between the smallest parts of communication (words and gestures) and interpersonal relations. Non-verbal communication is understood as a main source of emotional experiences. The general aim is to conceptualize the significance of the classroom microworld for the social life of the class. The study is directed towards understanding the unexpressed, implicit messages concealed in the classroom communication. When studying the imbedded, largely unconscious, almost invisible and perhaps also suppressed processes in teaching, the researcher may come close to the essence of the activity. The study shows that Scheff´s theory is useful for understanding classroom activity. It shows the significant role that social bonds, nonverbal communication and emotions play in the teaching situation. A general thesis that follows from the study is that messages of shame and pride are commonly denied in the teacher-student relation. The exploration of the microworld elucidates the notion that productive teaching is characterized by stable social bonds, differentiation between individuals, and by a social life where neither shame nor pride is suppressed. The question of why teachers and students conform to social norms is discussed, and the answer is formulated in terms of the deference-emotion-system (Scheff). Although the dissertation in great parts follows and gives strengh to Scheffs perspective, certain critical remarks are made on the foundations of Scheffs theory. A general idea in the dissertation is that insight into the classroom microworld is of decisive importance for understanding the process of socialization in school. It is moreover proposed that studies of the microworld could be a basis for developing what the author labels a relation-conscious education.
8.
Benner, Mats
(author)
The Politics of Growth. Economic Regulation in Sweden 1930-1994
1997
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
This thesis analyzes the politics of growth, the policies that in the Swedish context have enabled and complemented socio-political strategies of redistribution as well as the development of a well organized and rather peaceful labour market. The core of the analysis is a broad overview of Swedish policies of economic growth, from the emergence of the Swedish model in the 1930s up to entering the European Union in the 1990s. The analysis focuses on the predominant forms of economic regulation, the social forces that shaped regulation, the interaction between institutional structures and social mobilization and the impact of regulation on economic growth patterns. The development of growth policy is also related to labour market regulation and social policy. It is argued that policies for economic growth evolve in interdependence with the regulation of employment and redistribution. Economic regulation influences the form and content of labour market participation and social redistribution, but these regulatory spheres in their turn structure the development of growth policy. This work builds on modern and classical macrosociology, policy analysis and regulation theory. Within these traditions, it is emphasized that the capitalist economies are intertwined with social institutions. Economic regulation varies between different countries, however. National differences in regulation can be explained by institutional trajectories, social relations, the distribution of power in society etc. These considerations form the basis of the empirical part.
9.
Cuesta, Marta
(author)
Flowers to the Ocean
1997
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
The purpose of this book is to grasp the presence of Candomblé in the Brazilian society and more specifically in the city of Salvador da Bahia. Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian religion practised by approximately thirty five million Brazilians, today. Brazil is a country whose cultural diversity is characterised by social contrasts. The Candomblé religion has culturally mixed roots and as both part and product of the Brazilian society has a 'multicultural' character. This book has three aims. The first one is to grasp the experience and meaning of Candomblé emphasising the members self-perceptions, identity-construction and world views. To render intelligible these aspects I have used my field material presenting the everyday experiences of the terreiros (Candomblé house), principally the Unipó Filho terreiro and particularly the voices of the filhas and the mãe. The second aim is to analytically grasp gender and ethnicity as central constructing and shaping Candomblé practices. Theoretically, and through the concept of flexibility, authenticity and modernity I underline the continuos process of negotiations, recreation and change as central to Candomblé dynamics and impact in the wider society. Candomblé has for its practitioners historically implied political negotiations and a mixed identity; where each terreiro1s specific religious style, is a product of the interaction between different ethnic nations and gender aspects. The third aim is to contribute to a fruitful dialogue between Sociology and Anthropology in the understanding of religious phenomena.
10.
Dalquist, Ulf
(author)
Större våld än nöden kräver? : Medievåldsdebatten i Sverige 1980-1995
1998
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
This study is an attempt to analyze the social construction of media violence in the Swedish press debate 1980-1995. Altogether, 1029 articles from seven of Sweden's biggest daily and evening papers were qualitatively analyzed. Numerous claims refer to scientific 'proof' that media violence breeds personal aggression. However, a critical examination of the media effects research reveal that the alleged causal connection between violence in the media and real-life violence is the result of impaired data collection and/or improper methods of analysis. The analysis of the different claims about media violence uses the social problems construcivist theories as a point of departure. The descriptions of the objectionable media content usually has little in common with the actual films, videos and television programs available to the viewers. Claims-makers generally construct an image of the offensive media that stands in opposition to all that is considered 'good' or 'normal' — the films are described as 'brutal', 'sadist', 'racist', 'fascist' and 'sexist'. Several rhetorical techniques are used in the construction of media violence as a social problem, e.g. metaphors, extreme case formulations, contrasting devices and consubstantiations — the claim that different phenomenon basically are one and the same, most apparent in the claim that violence and pornogragphy are the same. Several different models for the conveying of media content to the audience, the alleged effect of this convayance and suggested actions regarding media violence are discerned. The study concludes with a summary of alternative causes as to why most people find media violence such a threatening phenomena.
