Maps have longed been recognized as instruments of power and persuasion. With the recent proliferation of maps in the media and on the Internet has come an increasing desire among groups advocating for environmental and social change to have access to maps (the product) and mapping (the process) to more effectively promote their agendas. However, this is not as simple as it seems. Far from being neutral conduits of "truth," maps are constructed by a myriad of social interactions among heterogeneous actors (human and technical) that left unacknowledged can lead to an untapped potential of the power of maps. Adopting actor-network theory's (ANT) theoretical framework that accepts nonhuman entities as actors in the social, and its methodological protocols, this study contributes to the needed empirical evidence relating to the ways in which maps and mapping behave and function in society, particularly in the grassroots advocacy context and neighborhood scale, through a case study of the products, and thereby the process, of the Coalition for a Livable Future?s (CLF) Regional Equity Atlas four-year endeavor. The purpose of this study is to account for and expose the complexity of relations among data, technology, people, and organizations that underlie it and the ways in which these relations affected the atlas itself. Four interrelated themes emerge from this study. The first relates to CLF's contribution to equity mapping discourse including its participatory approach to equity mapping, its definition of equity, and the subsequent impacts of both of these things on the mapping process. The second relates more specifically to the contributions of the embedded ideologies that are integral to the GIS software that was used and the roles that they played. The third theme is the importance of process in community-based mapping projects and the recognition that they are social processes in the comprehensive sense that ANT theorists advocate. The fourth theme relates to how maps work, specifically, maps as maps versus the idea of maps.

The discovery of solidus coins on the islands of Öland and Gotland, propose a contactbetween Scandinavia and the Roman Empire during the Migration Period (AD 400-550), buthow did the Scandinavians get access to these coins? In this essay, I will study thestampidentity and coin embossing from 572 coins found on Öland and Gotland. The aim is tounderstand where the coins were minted and during which periods there was a big influx ofsolidus coins to Scandinavia. But also, to understand what European regions the people ofÖland and Gotland were in contact with. This essay will also map certain events that are vitalfor understanding why the solidus coins are found in Scandinavia.

The municipalities' vision of using City Information Modeling (CIM) and Digital Twins (DT) inurban planning, requires prerequisites in place. A prerequisite is BIM, which together with GIS can create CIM.BIM implementation for a municipality involves major challenges and one such challenge is the lack of BIMmodels for existing buildings and infrastructure. However, this study is limited to planned development inconnection with land allocation. BIM implementation for the land allocation process within a medium-sizedSwedish municipality involves many involved actors and thus the need for a mobilization of the involved actorsfrom an ANT-inspired perspective. The purpose of this study is therefore to analyze how an actor network canbe mobilized to implement BIM in the land allocation process. A case study method has been chosen in thisthesis, considering that a well-defined case is identified, and the approach enables a variety of data collectionmethods that have been inspired by the autoethnographic approach because the researcher belongs to the focalactor in the process.

The increasing demand for female-centred services and devices in the digital era has challenged traditional notions of privacy. This thesis explores how users perceive privacy issues in period- tracking applications provided by various developers. By utilising mixed-method research and adopting an ethnographic methodology within the framework of Actor-Network Theory, this study examines the trade-off of sensitive data in exchange for predictions through agential roles in the use of period-tracking applications. The results reveal that users desire control over whom they share their menstrual information with and feel confident doing so with non-human actors, the period-tracking application. Users are unaware of the developers' access to their data and the potential selling of it to third parties. The study highlights the power dynamics between users, period-tracking applications, and developers and their impact on perceived privacy. The research emphasises the mediating role of the period-tracking application in trust and power dynamics as users perceive privacy differently in the digital and physical worlds. The thesis proposes a podcast prototype that demonstrates the impact of technology on user behaviour and their willingness to compromise their privacy. The prototype aims to evokes emotions and encourages reflection on how non-human actors can influence decision-making. The podcast prototype emphasises user's need for more awareness of how data is used and highlights the potential dystopian future. Through this demonstration, the thesis aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between human and non-human actors in the digital world and their effect on individual privacy.

Den här uppsatsen handlar om framväxten av kryptovalutor och blockkedjeteknik i den globala ekonomin. Kritik har riktats mot bankers och andra centraliserade intermediärers finansiella system, i form av ineffektiva processer, tillkommande avgifter och att användarnas integritet undermineras. I takt med kritiken har tillkomsten av kryptovalutor och blockkedjeteknik vuxit fram och det sker en snabb utveckling inom detta område. Intresset ökar i samhället där aktörer försöker adaptera den nya teknologin samtidigt som centraliserade organisationer vill förbli konkurrenskraftiga på marknaden. Tidigare har det varit en mer negativ inställning gentemot kryptovalutor men uppfattningen har börjat förändras.  Intentionen med studien är att undersöka framväxten av kryptovaluta och blockedjeteknologin. För att uppnå studiens syfte har vi kartlagt vilka aktörerna är och hur de förhåller sig till kryptovaluta. I denna studie har Actor-Network Theory (ANT) använts som teoretisk referensram och bidrar till resultatets uppbyggnad. Centralt inom teorin är att olika aktörer interagerar med varandra och tillsammans bygger ett nätverk som strävar efter att stabiliseras. Studiens empiri har samlats in genom en dokumentstudie.  Resultatet visar att nätverket kring kryptovalutor har blivit stabiliserat över tid men inte fullständigt institutionaliserat eller allmänt accepterat i samhället. Ledande aktörer utöver myndigheter och makthavare har hjälpt till att forma nätverket och bidragit till kryptovalutors utveckling. Däremot framgår det att aktörer som banker har andra incitament bakom användningen av teknologin där de ser fördelarna men väljer att inte i dagsläget adaptera teknologin fullständigt. / This thesis explains the emergence of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in the global economy. An increased criticism has been noticed against banks and other centralized organizations financial systems. The main critics evolve around its inefficient processes, the additional fees that intermediaries are demanding for their services, and that the users integrity tends to be undermined. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology has emerged as a counteractive answer to these criticisms, and there is a rapidly growing development in the area. Cryptocurrencies are given more attention in society which shows by the increase of private investors and organizations who are trying to take advantage of the new technology. Centralized organizations have been passive towards cryptocurrencies in the early stages to stay competitive in the market. There has been a general negative attitude towards cryptocurrencies in the past, but these perceptions are changing. The intention of this study is to investigate the emergence of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. To achieve the purpose of the study, we have mapped who these contributors are and how they relate to the phenomena. In this study, actor-network theory (ANT) has been used as a theoretical framework and contributes to the structure of the results. Central to the theory is that different types of participants interact with each other and together build a network that strives to form a stable structure. This studys empirical data has been determined through a document study.  The results show that the network around cryptocurrencies has been stabilized over time but is not fully institutionalized. There is still progression to be made until it will become widely accepted in society. Leading actors in addition to authorities and those in power have in one hand helped shape the network and contributed to the development of cryptocurrencies. On the other hand, it appears that involved actors such as banks have other incentives for engaging in the technology, since they seem to have taken notice of the benefits of it but choose not to fully adapt the technology yet. This essay is written in Swedish.

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There is strong interest across industries and academia in exploring the potential of innovation to address global sustainability issues and hence assist in making a paradigm shift towardsmore sustainable practices. To overcome the challenges of sustainability it is not enough to inject incremental solutions but a paradigm shift should suggestively be aimed at. As a result Sustainability innovation is being approached more holistically as opposed to in the past when it mostly focused on process, product or organisational innovation. The concept ‘SustainabilityOriented Innovation’ (SOI) considers this holistic view and looks at innovation as a process or trajectory and considers sustainability from a both social, environmental as well as an economic perspective. For holistic solutions to arise it is evident that challenges need to be solved togetherin multi actor networks and not in an insular manner. Yet, researchers have in the past focused mostly on who should govern or be involved in sustainability innovation whilst there is a lack in understanding how it should be accomplished collectively. Understanding how different parties such as civil society, public authorities and industries can collaborate to create valuable solutions can be imperative for future sustainable development.By combining SOI with Actor Network Theory (ANT) this paper sheds light on how actors engage in SOI processes and form a multi-actor network. Actor Network Theory helps deciphering the innovation process, viewing it as non-linear and continuously evolving negotiation between multiple actors rather than as an insular and linear process. Two SOI cases are examined through the theoretical lens of ANT to investigate the innovation process through moments of translations rather than static stages. As the integration of SOI and ANT is under researched this paper makes a theoretical contribution by integrating the theories and thus enriching this area. Findings emphasise how the focal actor, in a SOI process, engages with other actors in the multi-actor network. The findings can hence assist actors in initiating or transitioning towards Systems building approach by shedding light on how to navigate the complexities of the process and engage with other actorsinvolved. / Det finns ett starkt intresse för både industrier och akademiker att utforska potentialen av innovationför att lösa överskuggande globala hållbarhetsproblem. För att övervinna hållbarhetsutmaningarnaräcker det inte med att injicera inkrementella lösningar, utan ett systemperspektiv bör anammasoch ansträngningar riktas mot att främja ett paradigmskifte. Hållbarhetsinnovation börjarlångsamt närma sig ett mer holistiskt tillvägagångssätt, från att tidigare fokuserat på process,produkt eller organisatorisk innovation. Konceptet “Sustainability Oriented Innovation” (SOI)anammar denna helhetssyn och ser innovation som en process eller resa och beaktar hållbarhet urbåde ett socialt, miljömässigt och ekonomiskt perspektiv. För att det ska uppstå systembyggandeoch holistiska lösningar är det uppenbart att utmaningarna måste lösas tillsammans, i nätverkav ett flertal individer samt samhällsaktörer och inte på insulära vis. Tidigare har forskare ändåfokuserat mest på vem som ska styra eller vilka som ska vara inblandade i hållbarhetsinnovation,medan det saknas en förståelse för hur det ska uppnås kollektivt. Det är därför avgörande förframtidens hållbarhetsutveckling att förstå hur olika parter, som det civila samhället, myndighetersamt industrier kan samarbeta för att skapa värdefulla lösningar.Genom att kombinera SOI med Actor Network Theory (ANT) utforskar denna text hur aktörerengagerar och interagerar i SOI-processer samt bildar mångfaldiga aktörnätverk. ANT hjälpertill att dechiffrera innovationsprocessen genom at beakta den som ickelinjär och kontinuerlig,som en förhandling mellan flera aktörer snarare än en ensidig och linjär process. Två olika typerav SOI processer undersöks genom ANTs teoretiska lins för att belysa dem genom ‘moments oftranslations’ snarare än statiska faser eller steg. Eftersom integrationen av SOI och ANT nästintilluteblivit i litteraturen är detta ett teoretiskt bidrag som berikar förståelsen för att kombinera de tvåteorierna. Resultaten betonar hur den centrala aktören, i en SOI-process, engagerar och interagerarmed andra aktörer. Slutsatens belyser hur man navigerar komplexiteten i hållbarhetsprocesser ochengagerar berörda aktörer. Den beskriver därmed hur organisationer och individer i praktiken kaninitiera eller övergå till holistiska metoder och anamma systemperspektiv.

Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att tillsammans med ett posthumanistiskt perspektiv undersöka fenomenet socialt samspel i förskolan med fokus på hur ickemänniskor deltar i detta samspel. Empirin för studien samlades in, under vad som liknas vid en mindre fältstudie, på en förskola i Stockholm. I uppsatsen analyserar jag videoupptagningar från de deltagande observationerna tillsammans med ett antal performativa begrepp utifrån posthumanistisk teori. I dessa analyser blir det tydligt hur ickemänniskorna går att förstå som performativa agenter, som på många olika sätt deltar i samspelandet och formar barnens agerande och de roller barnen får. Genom att jag lyfter fram ickemänniskorna, och även sådana man ofta inte tänker på som så betydelsefulla som t.ex. små golvytor, en trälåda och ett bord, går det att förstå barnens agerande och samspelande, inte som uttryck för hur barnen verkligen är, utan som artikuleringar och översättningar av olika ickemänniskors kommunikation. Med hjälp av det posthumanistiska perspektivet går det även utifrån analysen att se många exempel på hur barnen samspelar med ickemänniskorna i sig. Studiens resultat och slutsatser visar på hur förskolans material, saker och miljöer både kan underlätta, stödja och försvåra för barns samspel och relationer och belyser den etiska aspekten av pedagogers uppmärksammande av förskolans ickemänniskor och deras betydelse för det sociala samspelet.

This study investigates the meaning of the creative process within Bohus Stickning. With the use of Actor-Network-Theory in combination with Material Culture Theory, a framework of actors and networks has been made. By utilizing different forms of material and spoken sources, the study uses specifically tailored methods to make sure to unlock the pieces that, the material can bring to the puzzle. To give a contextualized answer to how and why the creative process took the form it did, the investigative part takes the form of a chronological presentation of the actors that played an important part for the creative process. The results of the studies have shown that Bohus Stickning’s founder and creative director, Emma Jakobsson’s background played a significant part in the direction of the company and its creative output. Her choice to lead Bohus Stickning towards a more modern approach close to the way continental fashion and art was produced, gave the organization a unique brand unlike anything else in Sweden at the time. Not only did their unique stans make Bohus Stickning a worldwide known brand, but also their level of quality, a result of highly competent staff, who worked within the company, made a big difference.

Science Fiction movies have in recent decades become sources of information and interpretation, in other words, a window that reflects the time period in which they were made. While the role of technology has been researched in science fiction material, not much focus has been put into researching specific types of technology. This paper attempts to do just that by investigating the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the two science fiction movies, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Arrival. Primarily using the Actor-Network Theory (ANT), complemented by aspects of the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) and the theory of Social Construct of Technology (SCOT), this paper highlights the role of ICTs as active agents. Through a comparative method, selected scenes featuring examples of technologies whose purpose depends on the intentions of non-technological agents such as humans are given, adding an interpretative angle. The generational differences are highlighted throughout the analysis by the networks they create, as well as the power dynamics between civilian and military actors. We find that the Actor-Network Theory can be a great framework to use with science fiction cinema to investigate these subjects.