Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Historical ethnographic and early psychoanalytic epistemologies on 'fetishism' focus primarily on the fetish 'object', whereby the subject of 'fetish practices' was identified, pathologised and/or socioculturally invalidated primarily on the basis of affiliation with a taboo object. Such uncritical reliance on dualist, oppositional thinking and divisive, psychopathologising tendencies attenuates subjectivities and agency, and is inconsistent with contemporary postcolonial and queer scholarship. Contemporary discourses around (gay male sexual) 'fetishism', lodged in the definitions and diagnostic criteria of sexual 'fetishism' in the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases, efface the subjectivities of sexual subjects who incorporate material objects into their sexual scripts. I argue that these classifications should be completely revised, since more appropriate subject-oriented epistemologies on sexuality incorporating material objects should acknowledge the constitution of the subject as phenomenologically taking place through intersections between materiality and discourse. This implies that no separate psychopathology of 'fetishism' can exist, since subjects, material objects and discourse cannot be effectively separated from each other.In contradistinction, a subject-oriented approach should, I suggest, be adopted, oriented around the (non-essentialist) constitution and lived experiences of sexual subjects, rather than on human or inanimate objects of sexual attention. This approach focuses on the necessary role of the human(sexual) body, which is neither entirely discursively nor materially constructed, but rather is engaged in a complex interaction with subjectivities, discourse and the phenomenal world. The(non-unitary) 'self' is him/herself subject, object and part of a cultural environment, experientially delineated through 'embodiment', with the phenomenological paradigm allowing for validation of sexual expression from an inclusive perspective, to develop complex cartographies of subjectivities.Based on this foundation, the thesis argues that the embodied sexual experience of the 'gay male fetishist' subject therefore serves to link him, objects and environments dialectically. Rather than being the 'object' of supervening drives, he is a valid agent, exploring his subjectivity and orienting himself in relation to his environment through his embodied experience. 'Sexual fetish' practices therefore function as connecting (rather than divisive) forces in human relations with the world. At the same time, consensual, non-harmful 'gay male fetish' sexualities are potentially selftransformative and socially transformative practices, called on as resources for recognising personal value.

As representations of queer and trans* youth become increasingly numerous and diverse in mainstream teen television, this thesis explores the social processes of normalization present in the elaboration of queer and trans* youth characters in the 2010-2011 seasons of Pretty Little Liars and Degrassi. The methodology involves a critical discourse analysis of racialized queer youth identities on Pretty Little Liars and white trans* youth identities on Degrassi, complemented by an analysis of their political economy of production and their circulation of discourse surrounding sexuality and gender identity in online youth communities. Drawing upon literature on homonormativity and emerging literature on transnormativity in mainstream media texts, this thesis illustrates that despite their amenability to dominant social power structures, contemporary televisual representations of queer and trans* youth identities achieve meaningful cultural work through the creation of new societal frameworks for youth to engage with non-normative sexualities and gender identities.

This thesis considers the lived experiences of LGBTTQIA+ students who currently attend or have attended Trinity Western University (TWU), a private Christian university that requires all staff, students and faculty to sign a community covenant expressing marriage is between a man and a woman. Importantly, TWU is currently seeking to start a law school, which faces great opposition due to TWU’s historical and current exclusion of queer folks. Subsequently, this thesis draws on data gathered from six qualitative interviews with current or past TWU students who also identify as LGBTTQIA+, women and/or gender non binary with the hope of making space for those folks while also offering criticisms and recommendations for TWU to consider. Additionally, this thesis seeks to provide clinical recommendations for counsellors and psychotherapists as they work to support folks at the intersections of spiritual and sexual identity in an affirmative and supportive manner.

The purpose of this essay is to examine religious themes in the novel The Well of Loneliness by author Radclyffe Hall. The novel has been analysed using a hermeneutic method, with focus on the religious world picture of the novel and the faith of the lgbt characters. Conclusions regarding the religious world picture is a world where God is closely linked to nature. All humans, including lgbt people, are a natural part of his creation. The hatred towards lgbt people can be traced to humans, not God. The novel centers around the religious beliefs of lgbt people outside the realm of institutional religion. Their religious beliefs are often closely linked to their lgbt experiences, and characterized by belief in a god who does not condemn them. Their close relationship to nature can be interpreted as a part of their relationship to God.

Hälsodiskursen i dagens Sverige kretsar till stor del kring kroppsligt utseende, där en smal kropp är det normativa. Ansvaret för kroppen läggs på individen och de personer som inte följer normen kommer märka av detta på olika sätt i sitt liv. Allt från att de blir särbehandlade i klädaffärer till att bli nekad jobb på grund av att du är tjock. Denna uppsats syftar till att genom antropologiska metoder och queer fenomenologi utforska självidentifierade tjocka kvinnors upplevda verklighet av att vara tjock i ett samhälle som framhåller den smala kroppen, och på så sätt ställa sig kritisk till den befintliga hälsodiskursen i Sverige. Vidare lyfts porträtteringen av den tjocka kvinnokroppen i det offentliga rummet, exempelvis genom tidningar inom välmående och hälsa, och hur tjocka personer kan bli bemötta i offentliga rummet. Uppsatsen bygger främst på intervjuer med fyra självidentifierade tjocka kvinnor och det är dessa intervjuer som ligger till grund för analysen. Det huvudsakliga resultatet pekar på att den upplevda verkligheten som tjock är lika varierad som antal tjocka personer, men gemensamt är att alla har behövt förhålla sig till det offentliga rummets porträttering och behandling av den tjocka kroppen. Det sker genom en rad olika praktiker och mentala tankemönster vilka har fått jobbas fram av individen själv. Vidare visar resultatet att den tjocka kvinnokroppen fortfarande endast får ta en liten plats i magasin inom kategorin hälsa och välmående. När en tjock kropp finns med i tidningarna porträtteras den i bästa fall som neutral och i annat fall som ett mellanstadie där det klargörs att alla kan och borde ha en smal kropp för att vara hälsosam, ett påstående som kan kontrasteras med intervjupersonernas upplevelser av att må fysiskt och psykiskt bra oavsett kroppsstorlek.

The past few decades have seen a surge in awareness of issues related to both gender and sexual identity, which has shaped our understanding and use of these terms. However, there is a lag between awareness and practical changes, which can also be seen within education; teaching materials and practices change slowly, and the social and linguistic changes that are currently taking place are only partially visible in education. In the present study, gender and sexuality are approached from two perspectives: by analysing two EFL textbooks for upper secondary school and examining inclusive language use and representation of non-heteronormative identities, as well as by identifying attitudes and ideas expressed in interviews with three EFL teachers. The results show that LGBTQ+ representation is still scarce in these two textbooks; even though heterosexuality is not overtly reinforced in lexical choices, non-heteronormative relationships are not included. In addition, gender is still mostly portrayed as a binary, and gender issues are largely linked to male-female equality. In terms of the interviews, a general finding is that the participants are all aware of the importance of including and giving a voice to different gender and sexual identities when planning their teaching. However, deeply rooted traditions and the gender binary still play a role in how LGBTQ+ topics are perceived and addressed. Overall, it appears that teachers display more awareness and active inclusion of non-binary and non-heteronormative identities than what can be found in the textbooks.

En icke tämjd berättelse om min yrkeslivsresa. Jag är driven från entreprenörskap, företagsledning och inkomst-status till konst och konstnärskapet. Texten är skriven ur känslan av flyk och ensamhet i mitt tidigare yrkesliv, i längtan att komma hem, via det okända, det outsägbara. Till det fria, sanna, inkomst-osäkra egna skapandet som självändamål.  ”Konsten är ständigt på flykt undan till nya gömslen, medan civilisationen inkräktar på urskogarna.” Hans Larsson: 'Intuition' sid 15

Fetischister är en sexuell minoritet vars sexualitet karaktäriseras av en inriktning mot någon sak, något annat än kön. Svensk lagstiftning kommunicerar en normerande bild av att endast sexualiteter riktade mot kön kan vara grundläggande och utgöra en persons sexuella läggning, övriga tillskrivs att vara sexuella beteenden med svaga konstitutiva kopplingar. I detta projekt undersöks något som inte undersökts kvantitativt tidigare; huruvida fetischisters egna upplevelser stämmer med lagstiftningens antaganden om gruppen. Eftersom lagstiftning är värderings- och tankenormerande och ytterst reglerar hur vi organiserar samhället är det högst angeläget att ta reda på hur det förhåller sig. Fetischisters upplevelser har fångats i en kvantitativ undersökning med 2028 respondenter. Resultaten av undersökningen har jämförts med fyra antaganden om fetischister som lagstiftningens förarbeten utgår från. Analysen pekar mot att: Fetischism kan vara såväl sexuellt som ickesexuellt och något som kan röra tankar, känslor och beteenden på ett konsistent sätt över tid. Att som lagstiftningen porträttera fetischism som ett strikt sexuellt beteende som ställs i kontrast till något personlighetsanstruket framstår därmed som otillräckligt. Denna undersökning synliggör att det finns en fetischistisk orientering, en fetischistisk sexuell preferens. Förarbetenas utgångspunkt att enbart könsinriktade sexualiteter har att göra med sexuell preferens är därmed en förenkling som framstår som felaktig. Undersökningen har visat att fetischism kan vara något grundläggande, stabilt, ej frivilligt valt och uppkommet i tidig ålder. Därmed stämmer inte förarbetenas antagande att dessa egenskaper är unika för sexualiteter riktade mot kön. Fetischistisk sexualitet har potential att vara en individs sexuella läggning då sexualiteten kan genomsyra sexuell praktik, identitet och preferens på ovan nämnda sätt. Därmed stämmer inte lagstiftningens bild av att enbart sexualiteter riktade mot kön kan vara sexuella läggningar. Den sammantagna analysen visar att fetischisters upplevelser inte stämmer med de antaganden om gruppen som lagstiftningen baseras på. Fetischism kan ligga till grund för flera olika situationer; både något som för en person kan utgöra ett svagare sexuellt intresse likväl som något som för en annan person kan vara grundläggande, såsom dennes sexuella läggning. Lagstiftningen återspeglar inte detta. / Fetishism refers to sexuality focused on a specific thing; an object, a body part or, in some cases, a more abstract phenomenon. Swedish law states that only sexualities focused on sex/gender can be considered fundamental to a person – in Sweden referred to as a person’s ”sexual disposition” or ”läggning”; roughly equivalent to ”primary sexual orientation”. Sexualities focused on anything other than sex/gender are considered sexual behaviours with weak constitutive connections. This research project examines quantitatively how the self-percieved experiences of fetishists compares to the assumptions about the group made in Swedish law texts. Data focused on the experiences of 2028 fetishists has been collected through an Internet survey 2019 – 2020, specifically targeting persons with a fetishistic sexuality in a sexological sense. The respondents identified as 74.7% men, 19.3% women and 6.0% other gender, with an average age of 41.4 years. The results from the survey indicates: Fetishism can have sexual as well as non-sexual aspects. Fetishism can influence thoughts, emotions and behaviours in an individual consistently over a very long period of time. The law’s depiction of fetishism as a strictly sexual behaviour that is discursively portrayed in contrast to personality appears to be inadequate. The results highlights a fetishistic sexual preference. The law’s assumption that only sex/gender focused sexualities can be relevant for a persons sexual preference or orientation consequently appears to be misleading. The results shows that fetishism can be constitutive to a persons sexuality: It can be a profound and enduring sexual pattern, not voluntarily chosen and emerging in early age. Consequently, the law’s assumptions that those properties are unique for sex/gender focused sexualities appears to be inaccurate. Fetishism has the potential to be an individual’s sexual disposition (primary sexual orientation), as it can characterize an individual’s sexual practice, identity and preference in a constitutive way. Consequently, the law’s definition of sexual disposition (primary sexual orientation) as only being relevant to sexualities focused on sex/gender appears to be false. The research indicates that the Swedish law’s assumption about fetishism does not correspond with the self-perception of fetishists themselves. The result suggests that fetishism is a heterogenous sexuality, which for some fetishists can consist of a less constitutive sexual interest, while it in others can be a more fundamental sexual disposition (primary sexual orientation).

The image of Northern Sweden has long been subjected to stereotyping, and the stereo­typed image of the Northerner is widely spread in various media contexts within Sweden. Historically, Norrland has been regarded as a wide wilderness, and the Norr­landic literature in turn has typically been studied in terms of the pastoral genre, the romanti­cism of the wilderness, or from an eco-critical perspective. The study of masculin­ity within modern Norrlandic literature, however, is largely overlooked, de­spite the undeniable stereotyping of Norrlandic males within other forms of media. This the­sis aims to solve this anomaly by providing insights into the creation processes of masculinity in three contemporary Norrlandic novels. In the novels Smekmånader [Honeymoons, 2017] by Mikael Berglund, Solidärer [Solidarians, 2017] by Anna Jörgensdotter, and Silvervägen [The Silver Road, 2018] by Stina Jackson, the construct of Norrlandic masculinity is examined through close-reading. The questions of how Norrlandic masculinity is constructed is examined through a theoretical framework combining the hegemonic masculinity of R. W. Connell, the gender performativity and queer studies of Judith Butler, the frontstage and backstage perspective of Erving Goffman, and the creation of emotions of Sara Ahmed, in the reading of three contemporary novels following male protagonists—each seeing their identity challenged while on a journey far away from home. Viktor of Honeymoons is constructed as a brave cry-baby or a highly sensitive person whose self is disintegrated in the absence of his wife Maija. He is furthermore constructed as a person offering emotional comfort, despite being deeply void of such comfort himself. Ingemar of Solidarians is constructed as a mummy’s boy or a dreamer who ends up as a martyr, who always requires the presence of a woman—his mother Eivor, Klara whom he is wooing, or Conxa whom he meets in the war in Spain—in order to advance from a mere lust to an actual event of action. His emotions are slightly supressed. Lelle of The Silver Road is constructed as an emotionally blunted vigilant or a nervous wreck, who readily succumbs to aggression and violence towards other men, in his lack of emotional cathexis to a physical person. He is struggling with his perceived failure in his role as a father, and is furthermore driven to action by his need of reconciling with his past. Nonetheless, none of the male protagonists exhibits a lasting hegemonic masculinity. The study concludes that the analysed novels contribute to a new form of Norrlandic literature which challenges the traditional and stereotypical ideas of rural masculinity.

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