| 1. |
- Biström, Elin, 1980-
(författare)
-
Creating sustainable citizens? : constructions of sustainable development in textbooks
- 2022
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- There is a general consensus that education is crucial for achieving sustainable development. Education for sustainable development aims to foster citizens capable of participating independently and actively in creating a sustainable future. The overarching aim of this thesis is to contribute to knowledge on the relationship between education and sustainability. Specifically, the objective is to analyse how content on sustainable development is constructed in educational materials. Theoretically, the thesis is guided by sociological perspectives on environmental problems, knowledge, education and individualisation. The empirical data consists of textbooks in biology, civics, geography, home and consumer studies, and religion for Swedish lower secondary schools. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the empirical material. The thesis examines how textbook content on sustainable development is organised and constructed. A key focus of the analysis relates to how multidimensionality and relationships between the dimensions of sustainable development are constructed in textbooks. The social dimension of sustainability is analysed in particular detail. Further attention is directed to how conflicts and the politics of sustainable development are constructed in textbooks. Constructions of change and historical contextualisation of sustainable development are also highlighted. A key result is that textbooks put a disproportionate focus on the ecological dimension of sustainable development. Parts of the social dimension of sustainable development, such as sexuality and gender equality, are generally not presented as sustainability issues. Another relevant result is that textbooks tend to obscure the complexities of sustainable development. Political conflicts, which are crucial for understanding sustainability challenges, are often rendered invisible. Both androcentric and anthropocentric perspectives also characterise textbook content about sustainability. Furthermore, the analysis shows that teleological and utopian narratives are dominant in the textbooks’ content about change and historical contextualisation of sustainable development. These conditions might challenge the potential role of education as part of sustainable development.
|
|
| 2. |
- Lindahl, Jonas, 1978-
(författare)
-
In search of future excellence : bibliometric indicators, gender differences, and predicting research performance in the early career
- 2020
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The governance of higher education institutions and science have endured significant changes during the last decades, emphasizing competitiveness, performance, and excellence. Embedded in this development is an increased use of bibliometric indicators as decision support tools in contexts of e.g., employment, appointment, and funding. These changes have gradually extended to the early career phase and the doctoral education.The aim of this thesis is to make a contribution to an ongoing discussion about the predictability of research performance and the reasonability of using bibliometric indicators in the early career, with a focus on gender differences. The thesis revolves around three overarching research questions focusing the early career and the doctoral education: (1) the degree to which research performance, as operationalized with bibliometric indicators, is predictable; (2) the degree to which gender differences in early career performance can be explained by research performance during the doctoral education; and (3) to what degree factors such as collaboration and supervisor behaviour, might affect gender differences in research performance.The main results suggests that research performance in the early career, as operationalized by bibliometric indicators, is predictable. Individuals who publish larger volumes, publish more in high prestige journals, and more excellent research early in their career, are more likely to attain excellence later on. The results also indicates that gender differences in performance can be observed as early asduring doctor education and that these differences partly explain the observed performance differences between males and females in the early career.Finally, the results suggests that gender differences in performance during doctoral education can largely be explained by the doctoral student’s collaborative networks and supervisor behaviour. It is concluded that while research performance, as operationalized by bibliometric indicators, duringthe early career is predictable, there are gender differences in performance that have to be taken into consideration. If they are not, the use of these types of performance indicators in science policy and management might increase the gender gap in science.
|
|
| 3. |
- Mitchell, Jeffrey, 1986-
(författare)
-
Prejudice in context over time : how demographic, economic and social conditions influence anti-immigrant attitudes in adolescents and adults
- 2020
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background Thesis explores the contexts that influence anti-immigrant attitudes in both adolescents and adults, and how contexts influence changes anti-immigrant attitudes in societies over time. Whereas previous research into anti-immigrant attitudes has either focused on micro socialization factors in adolescence, or threat inducing factors in adulthood; this thesis forwards an approach that synthesizes these two ideas. This approach includes four aspects: 1) Macro level contexts influence of prejudice during adolescence 2) Macro contextual factors, not strictly limited to direct competition over resources are important for prejudicial attitudes 3) These contexts are potentially changing over time, and changes in conditions should be related to changes in attitudes, and 4) The effects of these macro contexts on prejudicial attitudes during adolescence cast a long shadow over the rest of people’s lives.Methods The methods used in this thesis employ a diverse range of datasets from Sweden (YeS), Germany (CILS4EU), the United States (GSS) and Europe (ESS) to measure attitudes towards immigrants. Each of these datasets allow for both comparative and longitudinal analysis with multi-level models, and contextual indicators that expand with each study from classrooms to regions, and finally countries.Results The findings support the proposed approach. Demographic, economic and attitudinal contexts in adolescence influence attitudes about immigrants. Similarly, changes in contexts over time are also important. In contrast, only historic demographic and economic conditions experienced in adolescence, and contemporary levels of social trust influence attitudes in adults.Conclusion This thesis makes both a theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature on anti-immigrant attitudes. By combining previous approaches it draws attention to both different types of contexts and when they should be important in relation to anti-immigrant attitudes. It also shows empirical evidence for each aspect of this approach with longitudinal analyses.
|
|
| 4. |
- Åkerlund, Mathilda, 1991-
(författare)
-
Far right, right here : interconnections of discourse, platforms, and users in the digital mainstream
- 2022
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: This thesis explores the far right online beyond the study of political parties and extremist far-right sites and content. Specifically, it focuses on the proliferation of far-right discourse among ‘ordinary’ internet users in mainstream digital settings. In doing so, it aims to bring the study of far-right discourse and the enabling roles of digital platforms and influential users into dialogue. It does so by analysing what is communicated and how; where it is communicated and therein the roles of different socio-technical features associated with various online settings; and finally, by whom, focusing on particularly influential users.Methods: The thesis uses material from four different datasets of digital, user-generated content, collected at different times through different methods. These datasets have been analysed using mixedmethods approaches wherein interpretative methods, primarily in the form of critical discourse analysis (CDA), have been combined with various data processing techniques, descriptive statistics, visualisations, and computational data analysis methods.Results: The thesis provides a number of findings in relation to farright discourse, digital platforms, and online influence, respectively. In doing so it builds on the findings of previous research, illustrates unexpected and contradictory results in relation to what was previously known, and makes a number of interesting new discoveries. Overall, it begins to unravel the complex interconnectedness of far-right discourse, platforms, and influential users, and illustrates that to understand the far-right’s efforts online it is imperative to take several dimensions into account simultaneously.Conclusion: The thesis makes several contributions. First, the thesis makes a conceptual contribution by focusing on the interconnectedness of far-right efforts online. Second, it makes an empirical contribution by exploring the multifaceted grassroots or ‘non-party’ dimensions of farright mobilisation, Finally, the thesis makes a methodological contribution through its mix of methods which illustrates how different aspects of the far right, over varying time periods, diversely sized and shaped datasets, and user constellations, can be approached to reveal broader overarching patterns as well as intricate details.
|
|
