| 1. |
- Ezz El Din, Mahitab, 1972-
(författare)
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Beyond Orientalism and Occidentalism : Identity constructions in Arab and Western news media
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study examines how the media construct the identities of the Other by creating various ‘us’ versus ‘them’ positions (Othering) when covering non-violence-based intercultural conflicts in Arab and Western news media. Othering in this study is understood as an umbrella concept that in general terms refers to the discursive process of constructing and positioning the Self and the Other into separate identities of an ‘us’ and a ‘them.’This process is analysed using a mixed method approach. A content analysis is used to map the data, and then a closer examination of the discourse is conducted using a qualitative approach inspired by critical discourse analysis. Two empirical studies are conducted based on this analysis: 1) the case of the Swedish newspaper Nerikes Allehanda’s publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohamed in 2007 and 2) the media coverage of the headscarf ban in French state schools in 2004. This study also employs Galtung’s Peace Journalism model as a frame of reference in the conclusions to discuss how this model could contribute, if applied in journalistic texts, to more balanced constructions of intercultural conflicts.The results show that Othering is a central discursive practice that is commonly adopted in both Arab and Western media coverage of non-violent intercultural conflicts, but it appears in different forms. Many of the previous studies have devoted considerable attention to rather conventional dichotomous constructions of Eastern and Western Others. The present study, in contrast, brings to the fore more non-conventional constructions and, while recognizing the occurrence of the conventional constructions, goes beyond these binary oppositions of ‘us’ and ‘them’. Variations in the types of identity constructions found in my study can be attributed to the mode of the article, the actors/voices included, the media affiliations and the topic and its overall contextualization.The different types of identity constructions in the media coverage may bring about a less black and white understanding of an event and help bring forth a more nuanced picture of what is going on and who is doing what in a conflict situation. Their occurrence in the media can possibly be linked to a new vision of a global society that does not necessarily constitute homogenous groups with the same characteristics, but rather is more consistent with a hybrid identity.This research is timely, as with the recent arrival of large groups of migrants from the Middle East, the ‘fear of Islam,’ and the right wing propaganda regarding Muslims as a threat is increasing. Islamophobia can be seen as a new form of racism used by elites to serve particular agendas. If media practitioners applied a more critical awareness in their writings so as not to reproduce culturally rooted stereotypes, which can inflame conflicts between people and nations, we might see less hostility against migrants and achieve a less racist world.
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| 2. |
- Jaldestad, Ellen
(författare)
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Job Crafting: Changing and adapting work as one piece of the puzzle for a sustainable working life
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: This thesis focuses on job crafting as one way to increase work-related well-being and enable people to extend their working lives. The studies included were conducted within two different contexts, namely the manufacturing industry and public healthcare. These two contexts struggle with, for example, challenging working environments and staff shortages, as well as enabling older workers to extend their working lives. Job crafting, an active form of job redesign, can be defined as employees actively changing the physical and cognitive boundaries of work to better suit the person’s abilities and desires. These kinds of bottom-up-driven strategies to change and adapt work have been found to increase employee well-being and productivity, as well as reduce staff turnover. According to previous research, job crafting thus has positive effects on both people at work and their organizations. Previous research also shows that organizational structures as well as individual factors can facilitate and enhance employees’ job crafting. There is, however, a lack of studies focusing on how to best promote and facilitate employee-driven job crafting in practice. Aim: This thesis aimed to explore job crafting as one part of a health-promoting and extended working life. Job crafting was analysed in relation to an extended working life among blue-collar workers in one company in the manufacturing industry, and in relation to being able to work and feel well within public healthcare and manufacturing industry. Methods: Data was collected at one global manufacturing company and different workplaces within Swedish public healthcare. In the manufacturing company, data was collected from 100 blue-collar workers as part of an age management project focusing on factors influencing employees’ retirement decisions. The respondents represented older employees in three different countries: Sweden, the Netherlands, and France. These respondents completed a questionnaire and participated in semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data was descriptively analysed and the qualitative data was analysed with content analysis. Within public healthcare, a questionnaire was first administered to 421 healthcare employees at two times (T1-T2), six to eight months apart. A response rate of 59% provided data from 250 respondents. Secondly, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 healthcare employees and five managers. The quantitative data from the survey was analysed with SEM analysis, whereas the qualitative data was analysed with reflexive thematic analysis. Findings: Factors that influenced blue-collar workers’ decisions about retirement and an extended working life included perceived health and economic situation, task characteristics, support from colleagues and managers, work autonomy and work setup, and national pension schemes. Job crafting strategies that were perceived as health-promoting among blue-collar workers included adapting work whenever possible, asking colleagues for help to finish work, and changing their way of thinking about work. For some, these strategies were considered as contributing to being able to extend working life. Among the healthcare employees, health-promoting job crafting strategies included asking for new assignments and opportunities for professional development, organizing work in close cooperation with others, and involving patients in the planning of daily activities. These strategies were derived from different motives, including crafting for their development, crafting for a common good, crafting for manageability, and crafting for meaningfulness in work. Working conditions such as having support from managers and colleagues, and formal autonomy in work, facilitated job crafting among the healthcare employees. The health-promoting crafting strategies were connected to increasing work-related sense of coherence through comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. Job crafting strategies and motives were said to change over time, for example in relation to work-life balance and work experience, among respondents in both contexts. Within both contexts, it was also indicated that a strong inner drive for personal development sometimes outweighed hindering structural conditions when employees crafted for their development and manageability in work. Conclusions: Factors that influenced the retirement decisions were found on different levels within the blue-collar workers’ work context. Perceived antecedents of health-promoting job crafting among the respondents within both contexts in this thesis were found in organizational structures, workplace conditions, and individual factors. Job crafting motives and strategies were also said to change over time and were influenced by both individual factors and workplace-related conditions. From the findings in this thesis, it is suggested to further explore how to facilitate job crafting on the different work-system levels, as well as to plan job crafting interventions directed to healthcare employees and older blue-collar workers within the manufacturing industry.
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| 3. |
- Wallhagen, Marita
(författare)
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Environmental Assessment Tools for Neighbourhoods and Buildings in relation to Environment, Architecture, and Architects
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis explores Neighbourhood and Building Environmental Assessment Tools’ (NBEATs’) function as assessment tools and decision support, and their relation to environment, architecture and architects. This is done by analysing, testing, and discussing a number of NBEATs (LEED-NC, Code for Sustainable Homes, EcoEffect, LEED-ND, BREEAM-C, and ENSLIC-tool), their manuals and use. Moreover, professionals’ (architects’) self-rated opinions regarding use and knowledge of NBEATs and environmental aspects are surveyed.Similarities and differences in NBEATs are found regarding: content, structure, weighting and indicators used. Indicators distinguished as procedure, performance and feature are used to varying extents to assess social, environmental and technical aspects. NBEATs relation to environmental sustainability has limitations due to: non-transparency, tradable indicators, relative measures, low criteria levels, limited life cycle perspective, and exclusion of relevant environmental aspects, such as embedded toxic substances, nutrient cycles, land use change, and ecosystem services. Ratings and architecture are influenced by NBEATs in varying ways. Higher criteria levels would probably increase their impact on architecture. Thus more research regarding NBEATs and links to architectural design, theory and practice is welcomed.There is limited use of NBEATs as decision support in early design phases such as in architectural competitions. Architects rate the importance of environmental aspects high, but few rate their skill in handling environmental aspects high. This calls for increasing knowledge and know-how of environmental strategies and solutions among architects and adaptation of NBEATs to early design processes. The values NBEATs reflect and the values we want them to create is also important. To support ‘environmental’ architecture, an increased socio-eco-technological system perspective is put forward, and other measures besides NBEATs are needed.
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| 4. |
- Öhlund, Sten-Erik
(författare)
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Interoperability Capability to interoperate in a shared work practice using information infrastructures : studies in ePrescribing
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The ability to interoperate between systems, people, and organizations is considered an important issue within eHealth in order to deliver patient centered care. The achieving and improving of interoperability is a complex undertaking involving the evolution of an information infrastructure, sharing of knowledge and resources, governance of the interoperation between organizations, people and work practices, and handling of economic and legal matters.This thesis contributes with practical knowledge on improving interoperability, based on active participation in and empirical studies of improving interoperability in ePrescribing. A case study describes and analyzes the evolution of ePrescribing in Sweden since the early pioneering years in 1980s, its growth and consolidation before the reregulation of the pharmacy market in 2009. Apractical theory on ePrescribing is presented. A unique field experimental study measuring improvement of interoperability in ePrescribing, before and after a major intervention to improve the quality of ePrescriptions between 2004 and 2009 is presented.Furthermore, a practical theory on interoperation and interoperability is presented. Interoperability is seen as the exercised capability of organizations through their agents to interoperate in a shared work practice in an effective, efficient, and satisfactory manner based on a common ground in a mediated, prescriptive, and non-personal communicative setting using an information infrastructure for mediating interoperation.
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| 5. |
- Breazu, Petre, 1978-
(författare)
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Representing the Roma in Romanian Media : A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this thesis, I addressed the representation of the Roma in Romanian newspapers, television news, and social media. I focused on Romania, a country with the largest Roma population in Europe, and where the Roma have historically experienced centuries of discrimination and social exclusion. I conducted an in-depth Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) to reveal what kind of discourses are used to represent this minority group, after Romania joined the European Union. The analysis in this thesis confirms the well-documented discourses in reference to Roma as criminal, uneducated, dirty, immoral, and as resisting assimilation into wider society. In addition, this research shows how these discourses have been incorporated into newer forms specific to the current political climate across Europe, increasingly dominated by right-wing populist politics, where minority groups, such as the Roma have become easy targets for politicians to justify their political failures and are scapegoated for lack of jobs, declining economic prosperity, instability, fears of immigration and of the loss of national autonomy and traditions. The detailed MCDA analysis allowed me to show how racism can be communicated in a variety of ways, not so much in relation to biological differences but in terms of culture, behaviour, traditions and national values. The multimodal approach was instrumental in showing how different media, with their different affordances have their specific way of avoiding overt racism while nevertheless the ideology remains. We see how the combination of different modes help to communicate the civil nature of violent actions, such as camp evictions, or the representation of poverty as a choice, rather than embedded in the social structures. Moreover we see on social media how ‘simple fun’, in the form of humour and ridicule, is loaded with extreme forms of racism that even call for ethnic cleansing.
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| 6. |
- Eriksson, Björn
(författare)
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Electrochemical evaluation of new materials in polymer electrolyte fuel cells
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) convert the chemical energy in hydrogen to electrical energy and heat, with the only exhaust being water. Fuel cells are considered key in achieving a sustainable energy sector. The main obstacles to wide scale commercialization are cost and durability. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate new materials for PEFC to potentially lower cost and increase durability. To lower the amount of expensive platinum catalyst in the fuel cell, the activities of Pt-rare earth metal (REM) alloy catalysts have been tested. To improve the lifetime of the carbon support, the carbon corrosion properties of multi walled carbon nanotubes have been evaluated. To reduce the overall cost of fuel cell stacks, carbon coated and metal coated bipolar plates have been tested. To increase the performance and lifetime of anion exchange membranes, the water transport has been studied.The results show that the Pt-REM catalysts had at least two times higher specific activity than pure platinum, and even higher activities should be obtainable if the surface structures are further refined.Multi-walled carbon nanotubes had lower carbon corrosion than conventional carbon Vulcan XC-72. However, once severely corroded their porous structure collapsed, causing major performance losses.The carbon coated metallic bipolar plates showed no significant increase of internal contact resistance (ICR) by cycling, suggesting that these coatings are stable in fuel cells. The NiMo- and NiMoP coated bipolar plates showed low ICR, however, presence of the coated bipolar plates caused secondary harmful effects on the polymer membrane and ionomer.Considering the water transport through anion exchange membranes it was found that most membranes showed very similar water transport properties, with more water detected at both the anode and cathode when a current was applied. The most significant factor governing the water transport properties was the membrane thickness, with thicker membranes reducing the backflow of water from anode to cathode.The results indicate that all of the new tested materials have the capability to improve the lifetime and reduce cost and thereby improve the overall performance of PEFC.
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| 7. |
- Eriksson, Max, 1981-
(författare)
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Changing attitudes to Swedish wolf policy : wolf return, rural areas, and political alienation
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In 1966, the grey wolf was listed as a protected species in Sweden. Since then, the Swedish wolf population has increased in size, making human-wolf encounters more common, particularly in rural areas. Previous qualitative research has shown that segments of the rural population perceive the wolf to be incompatible with traditional rural life. Some also believe that the return of the wolf was orchestrated by urban interests, and perceive the wolf policy as a vehicle for the consolidation of urban power in rural areas. Thus, the return of the wolf can be assumed to aggravate pre-existing urban-rural tensions, resulting in conflicts over wolf policy, which Swedish wolf governance could be ill-equipped to handle. In view of this, this thesis is an examination of,how environmental, socio-political, and institutional factors affect varia-tions in public attitudes to the Swedish wolf policy over time, and discuss their policy implications.Drawing on extensive survey material collected in Sweden in 2004, 2009, and 2014, the wolf policy is approached from a political science perspective. This thesis is an attempt to bridge a number of existing gaps in literature related to wolves and policy, individual and collective level explanatory factors, and attitude change. The underlying assumption is that environmental, socio-political and institutional factors are likely to impact attitudes to wolf policy. Environmental change is found to be relevant, as direct experiences with wolf have increased over time, a development that was also associated with an increase of support for a more restrictive wolf policy (Paper I). Regarding socio-political change, politically alienated individuals were less likely to support the current wolf policy, and more likely to favor either more, or less restrictive policy options compared to other individuals. Rural areas displayed higher levels of political alienation than urban areas, and people living in rural areas were more likely to favor a more restrictive wolf policy (Paper II). Furthermore, individuals living in municipalities in which a high proportion of residents had grown up in a rural area, tended to favor a more restrictive wolf policy, an effect which could also be associated with political alienation (Paper III). Finally, institutional change was examined through an analysis of public support for the actors within the Wildlife Management Delegations (WMDs). In general, the interest groups represented in WMDs where found to reflect the representation preferred by the public. However, findings show a fundamental value divide in relation to natural resources, among the Swedish public, which is also reflected within the WMDs (Paper IV).The return of the wolf has caused part of the general public to want fewer wolves in Sweden. This attitudinal change is related to a growing divide between urban-rural areas in Sweden, and associated with a general pattern of political alienation. Thus, the wolf policy has become a symbolic issue around which rural citizens rally their fight against urban interests for political autonomy.
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| 8. |
- Granheimer, Klara, 1989-
(författare)
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Public procurement of engineering services : Task characteristics, control modes and effects on adaptability
- 2022
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Previous research has emphasized the importance of engineering services and adaptability in the early stages of construction projects. Public clients usually procure engineering services from private companies, which makes their procurement strategies important in creating incentives for adaptability and innovation for the service providers. Due to the high uncertainty and clients’ lack of understanding of the tasks they procure, the procurement of services is argued to be challenging – especially for public clients. Despite this, studies on the procurement of engineering services are scarce, as is research on the effects on adaptability. The purpose of this thesis, therefore, is to increase the understanding of organizational control in the public procurement of engineering services, by focusing on task characteristics, control modes and their effects on adaptability.A single case study of the Swedish Transport Administration was analyzed using the three models developed in the appended papers, i.e., the expanded control model, the procurement model for services and the classification model. The empirical data, consisting of interviews, observations and documents, were analyzed using visual mapping and flexible pattern matching.The findings illustrate that uncertainty is the task characteristic that differs between the early phase of construction (i.e., physical planning) and subsequent stages (i.e., tender document), while knowledge of the transformation process is the task characteristic that differs between a standard contract and an environmentally sustainable contract. Thus, when procuring engineering services including carbon reduction goals where new solutions are needed, new procurement strategies are necessary. In order to cope with the high uncertainty and low knowledge of the transformation process, social control is preferable. In addition, using social control will enhance the service providers’ willingness to adapt. These findings are important in the procurement of engineering services because uncertainty and the client’s understanding of the tasks are two of the main aspects that make engineering services difficult to procure.By combining task characteristics, control modes and their effects on adaptability, this thesis illustrates the importance of focusing on the entirety of organizational control. For example, even though process control and social control both incentivize the service provider to adapt to change, process control is less suitable for a public client when uncertainties are high. In addition, when choosing control modes related to the specification and reward system, it seems more efficient to provide the same incentives (i.e., process control may be combined with social control), whereas output control should not be combined with any other control mode. This shows the importance of combining the three variables and that the three main models of this thesis can be important tools. This knowledge and the models may therefore be useful to academics as well as practitioners. The results contribute to the scarce research on the procurement of engineering services for construction projects, as well as to the control literature.
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| 9. |
- Heuman, Anna, 1990-
(författare)
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Negotiating standard language ideology : Metalinguistic discussions in mundane, online interaction
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis investigates how ordinary language users enact language policy and thus negotiate (standard) language ideology in mundane, online interaction. The language policy work is found in metalinguistic discussions on various social media. The discussions have been triggered by deviations from standard written language, mostly on the level of orthography. The discussions mainly target different aspects of standard language ideology. The three studies included in this compilation thesis identify discursive strategies and reveal the contradictory ideologies underpinning the discussions.The discussions are analysed with an interactional and procedural focus, highlighting the unfolding negotiations of standard language ideology. The results show that standard language ideology is prevailing which, in turn, enables certain realisations. When drawing on standard norms, the participants can use strategies that do not include explicit arguments. However, the discussions also include contradictions and strategies that challenge traditional standard beliefs. These results illustrate the mundane, vivid metalinguistic negotiations in which standard language ideology is primarily enforced, but also challenged.The results illuminate how standardisation is not a mythical and imperceptible process, but one of constant and visible iteration, also in very mundane situations. Furthermore, the pervasiveness of standard language ideology could make it harder for those who deviate from it to be listened to or even to participate at all. In this way, everyday metalinguistic discussions are one among many language policy activities that can enforce loyalty to the standard variety and its position as unmarked.
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| 10. |
- Svensson, Birgitta, 1974-
(författare)
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Barn som riskerar att fara illa i sin hemmiljö : Utmaningar i ett förebyggande perspektiv
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BaksidestextBarnmisshandel är ett omfattande folkhälsoproblem med långsiktiga negativa konsekvenser för den enskilda individen och för samhället i stort. Förebyggande insatser kan vara livsavgörande för de utsatta barnen. Denna avhandlings övergripande syfte var att öka kunskapen om barn som riskerar att fara illa i sin hemmiljö samt att identifiera utmaningar i ett förebyggande perspektiv. Två områden har studerats:(1) Våld mot barn med långvarig sjukdom/funktionsnedsättning(2) Förskolan som upptäckande och stödjande arenaGemensamt för inriktningarna är att barn med långvarig sjukdom/funktionsnedsättning och barn i förskoleåldern utgör särskilt sårbara grupper, som löper ökad risk att fara illa i sin hemmiljö. De har också unik kontakt med professionella med möjlighet att upptäcka och agera vid oro.Avhandlingen bygger på fyra delstudier; en nationell kartläggning riktad till skolelever, en intervjustudie med föräldrar samt två förskolestudier. Resultaten från studierna diskuteras utifrån identifierade utmaningar i ett förebyggande perspektiv. Utmaningarna inkluderar emotionella hinder samt behov av ett mer nyanserat och proaktivt förhållningssätt för att kunna utveckla tidiga insatser till barn och föräldrar.
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