Purpose: The purpose of this study is to clarify and analyze alienation, as a social phenomenon described in two teenage books. The study will also examine the creation of sympathy towards main characters and what impact the novel as a whole could have on it. The intention is also to uncover the role of the Other, as well as to visualize the creation of distance between different ethnic groups. Method: The study is based on a qualitative text-analysis. It includes four different dimensions, including the author’s background and the researcher´s interpretation. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that it´s possible to find values in both of the novels, and therefore makes it possible to create opinions and statements that may contribute to alienation. It also demonstrates that alienation can appear in different forms based on the characters different background. Question formulation: What attitudes and values towards immigration, ethnicity and alienation can be found in the two novels? How are they conveyed in the two novels? What differences and similarities could be found in the characters' ethnic alienation?

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka mellanstadieelevers attityder till elektroniska böcker i undervisningen. Detta gjordes genom fokusgruppsintervjuer i en femteklass där eleverna dagligen läste e-böcker via inläsningstjänst. Resultatet visade att de intervjuade eleverna var positiva till användningen men att ett fåtal elever skulle föredra att läsa i pappersböcker. Trots att eleverna var positiva konstaterade de att vissa aspekter med e-boken kan förbättras exempelvis genom att ha texten på skärmen och att kunna markera ord från den. Dessutom visade resultatet att en svårighet var de tekniska problem som uppstod. Dessa var långsamt internet och långsamma datorer som tog mycket värdefull lektionstid.

This thesis examines the literature promotion towards adults in an established literary magazine. The basis for the study are the different surveys noting the decline in the populations reading and writing abilities. The aim of the thesis is to investigate the attitudes towards, and images of, reading and literature appearing i the magazine Vi Läser, from 2011 to 2015. The research questions are concerned with the beliefs and perceptions in regards to reading that Vi Läser convey, and what aspects of literature the magazine emphasizes. As a theoretical basis the critical discourse analysis as formulated by the linguist Norman Fairclough has been utilized. It is supplemented with Pierre Bordieus work on social differentiation and the theory of reading dimensions outlined by Sten Furhammar. A close reading has been applied to the selected issues of Vi Läser, whereby three dominant discourses has been made visible. These are termed ”the prestige discourse”, ”the utility discourse” and ”the pleasure discourse”. The studys findings are put in relation to the relevant discursive and social practices. The discursive practice examined is the realm of printed journals. This proved to be marked by a variety of approaches towards reading, and it was found that the discourses prevalent in Vi Läser constituted only a small selection of the mediated images of the activity. The social practice of interest is the realm of the public library. The findings illustrate a considerable congruence between the images of reading promoted in Vi Läser to that of official documents and reports. At the same time, it is stated that adults are a low priority in the context of the public library. Vi Läsers literature promotion is considered to have an important role to play in this regard. Finally, it is suggested that public libraries embrace Vi Läsers pleasure discourse in its literature promotion towards adults. This is a two years master’s thesis in Archive, Library and Museum Studies.

Det övergripande syftet med denna studie var att få fram förskollärares syn på högläsning i förskolan och hur förskollärare använder både spontan och planerad högläsning. Studien gjordes genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer och deltagarna som intervjuades var fyra förskollärare som jobbade inom samma kommun. Resultatet visade att förskollärare som deltog i studien tyckte att högläsning är viktigt för språkutveckling liksom bokvalet. Resultatet visade även att användningen av planerad högläsning kunde kopplas till pågående projekt och läsvilan. Den spontana högläsningen användes mest som ett tillfälle att låta barnens inflytande gå igenom och även som ett tillfälle att läsa böcker på ett mer ingående sätt. Avslutningsvis visar studien att pedagoger kan se på högläsning som en viktig del i förskolans verksamhet och inte bara som en rutin. / The overall aim of this study was to obtain pre-school teachers' views on read-aloud in preschool and the preschool teachers use of both spontaneous and planned read-aloud situations. The study was done by qualitative semi-structured interviews and the participants interviewed were four preschool teachers who worked within the same city. The results showed that preschool teachers' views on reading aloud was that they thought reading aloud was important for language development and how they read a book and book choice was important. The results also showed that the use of planned reading aloud could be linked to ongoing projects and reading relaxation. The spontaneous reading aloud was mostly used as an opportunity to let the children´s will go through, but also as an opportunity to read books in a more detailed way. Finally, the study shows how teachers can see read-aloud as part of the preschool that is not just a routine, but an important part of the pre-school that is important for children’s development.

E-books have gained significant success in english speaking countries but in Sweden the e-book market is growing slowly. Research shows that young adults aged 16-29 read e-books more than other groups among the Swedish population. Previous studies regarding young adults’ reading experiences and attitudes toward e-books have shown opposite and sometimes conflicting results. Some studies have found that young adults prefer print books to e-books whilst others have found that young adults appreciate the reading experience e-books offer. The aim of this master’s thesis is to contribute to a deeper understanding regarding young adults’ reading experiences of, and attitudes toward, e-books. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with eight young adults between the ages of 19-27. A thematic interview analysis was administered. The theoretical framework consisted of phenomenology with an emphasis on the essence of experiences. Lifeworld phenomenology was used to understand the basis of the experiences. The concepts haptic dissonance and embodied reading were used as further approaches to discuss the findings. The study found that Swedish young adults are generally positive toward e-books. They appreciate the flexibility and accessibility that e-books offer. A majority of the respondents find the experience of reading e-books pleasant and many feel that they have the ability to become completely immersed in the e-book reading experience. However, all respondents experience a strong emotional connection with the printed book and for some the e-book cannot completely replicate that experience.

This paper examines how teachers and librarians are helping children and young people withdyslexia/reading and writing difficulties. The examination has taken place in a small municipalityin Skaraborg County. Seven teachers in the municipal schools and the chief librarian inthe municipal library have been interviewed as well as an advising county librarian.In the municipal schools the pupils have access to literature in easy language and computerswith programs training reading, writing and spelling. In some schools there are textbooks ontape too. In the municipal library and in the county library disabled readers can loan literatureon tape and literature in easy language.The conclusion of the examination is that children and young people with dyslexia/readingand writing difficulties need all sorts of aids in reading and writing. More cooperation betweenteachers and librarians would benefit these pupils.

The purpose of this thesis is to gain insight into children`s voluntary reading in their spare time. I have focused on printed books and none of the digitally published Medias. I want to examine how children experience the power adult`s exercise over their chose of books and also why they choose the books they do. The method of this study is qualitative with interviews of six 10 years old children. I conducted the interviews detachedly and I have used two different point of view for my study; Aidan Chamber`s ”Reading Circle” and Barbro Johanssons opinions if children`s participation in terms of their voluntarily book selection.I have also studied other researchers and author´s writings about literacy, children´s reading habits, adults´ attitudes to children´s reading and children´s passion for reading.During my study it became clear that children who like to read prefer to read detective stories for children, a result that also earlier investigations reached. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The main objective of this essay is to present the views of nine Swedish publishers and four other agents in the literary field regarding the possibilities of and obstacles to publishing fiction in an electronic format. Furthermore, whether or not electronic publishing is today actually a viable alternative. A substantial part of the essay functions as background to our interview findings and is based primarily on material originating from the Sociology of Literature field. The introductory chapter expounds the methodological and theoretical basis of the essay and is followed by a chapter placing our study in a larger, international media, context. Chapter three deals with the past decades’ restructuring of the publishing sector, the professional functions involved in traditional publishing and Pierre Bourdieu’s theories on the cultural and economic forces at work in the literary field. The fourth and fifth chapters present the many roles of the traditional printed book, as well as new media for the distribution and consumption of literature, and looks at the kind of partnerships evolving between agents in e-publishing. The main emphasis is, however, placed on the following sections: Chapter six, which exemplifies a few of the existing national and international web publishers; and chapter seven, which presents our examination based on qualitative interviews with publishers and other agents connected with the Swedish book industry. The essay finishes with a discussion of our findings and concludes that, despite new media and textual carriers, the traditional book remains the main player regarding the production, distribution and consumption of serious fiction, as far as the traditional Swedish publishers are concerned. / Uppsatsnivå: D

This thesis studies how readers of the electronic book (the e-book) use and perceive the electronic medium as a carrier of fiction. In this study it is assumed that fiction is mostly read in printed format. Therefore it is interesting to ask why some readers choose to read on screen. As there are all too few studies conducted on how readers perceive and use the e-book as a medium, this study aims to enrich an undeveloped research area. The study is based upon a qualitative questionnaire. It focuses on the e-book as a carrier of written text, which means that e-books such as mp3-books are not taken into account. The media theory Uses and Gratifications is used as a perspective from which the results are analysed. The theory also provides the reader of the study with a cognitive framework and a context in which the study is placed. The results are analysed using themes constructed from the answers of the respondents. Among the diverse result, the major conclusion is that there are two different reading situations, which decide how the respondents experience and use the e-book. The first reading situation is limited, because of the use of desktop computer or laptop when reading, in which the respondents are emotionally attached to the paper book. The other situation is flexible because of the use of palm computer or mobile phone, which makes flexible reading possible for the respondents who appreciate the e-book and the paper book as two separate media. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The increased popularity of e-books in the Swedish publiclibraries started a debate in newspapers and library journalsbecause of the increase in costs, which this popularity hadled to. The main subject of the debate was the businessmodel provided by the e-book vendor Elib, which accordingto some ruins the libraries financially. In this thesis, opinionarticles have been analyzed using a theoretical model ofcultural politics by the Danish Library and Informationscience researcher Dorthe Skot-Hansen. The results of thestudy showed that people from the library field, publishersand authors were the ones contributing to the debate. Theanalysis of the articles showed that the model of culturalpolitics which consists of four general motives: socialchange, education, economic growth and entertainment wasvisible in the articles. The motive of economic growth wasthe most dominant perspective in the articles, followed byeducation and social change. The arguments used in thearticles were different according to which part in the debateone had. Authors of articles from the library field were themost dominant part, using argumentations of the libraries asinsitutions contributing to social change, culturalexperiences and education. The perspective of economicgrowth was the most covered one in the articles, concerningthe economic situation for the libraries, the authors andpublishers rights to economic compensation for the lendingof e-books. The analysis of the articles also showed aconcern about the book markets and the libraries’ positionsin the digital society, a development which has lead to aninsecurity concerning the economics. / Program: Bibliotekarie