Living in an era where success is embraced as a life style, raises concerns that the alternatives to become, to grow and mature have been limited to a single variety – one where only triumph matters. This is a view that is spread through contemporary popular culture, whether it be in social media, video games, tv-series, films or books. One of its origins can be found in Christopher Vogler’s dramaturgical template The Hero’s Journey. A common motif used in The Hero’s Journey is the Quest-motif; a knight on an adventure seeking the holy Grail; or Indiana Jones on search for the Arch. One of the foremost examples of the Quest-motif in English literature is the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but the hero in this tale does not come of age through success, but rather through shame and failure. By comparing the original 1400-century alliterative poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, with the 2021 film adaption The Green Knight, and relating them to the Hero’s Journey, the aim of this essay is to show that the ways to become are altered in the adaptation and to argue that the film is moulded to fit with the Hero’s Journey. This essay proposes that contemporary story telling lacks alternative ways to become, since modern narrative structures are focused on Coming of Age through success in accordance with the Hero’s Journey. If storytellers can create a greater awareness of the discourse of success and how they themselves are subjects of malleability of this discourse, maybe the contemporary audiences will experience narratives that provide a variety of ways to become, creating a world shaped by diversity and inclusion.

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The environmental impacts that will affect earth due to continued population growth are staggering. They can be seen through the depletion of finite resources, increased pollution, and climate change. These environmental fluctuations will no doubt have a significant impact on how 21st century societies are designed. In order to reduce the potential catastrophes that these environmental issues will bring forth, societies must learn to adapt and accept new methods of building their cities.This paper delves into how the building industry can help address the issues that the world is facing environmentally. The goal of the study is to develop an understanding of how the building industry can push sustainable building practices. It looks at how Skanska AB, the largest Nordic building company, has focused their internal strategies to push towards sustainable building practices. This paper hopes to determine how with the help an internal rating tool, a global organization can reduce their environmental impacts. Through the examination of Skanska’s Color Palette™, key learnings were gained that could be used to reveal how private corporations can make good business sense out of sustainability. The paper also illustrate how Skanska has identified gaps between traditional certification tools and goals of true sustainability, and what that means for the built environment. The paper presents a case study of Skanska’s Color Palette™ as a key aspect of the company’s environmental journey. It looks at how the company was able to repair their reputation and illustrates how they have proved that they are serious about their goal of pursuing a sustainable future. The study involved secondary analysis of both public and Skanska documents, theoretical analysis and 4 semi-structured interviews.The analysis proved that the Color Palette™ is a tool that has great value for private corporations and is something that should be studied by other organizations seeking to reduce their environmental impacts. However, it was clear that if the earth is to progress sustainably, public policy, markes and internal organizations will all have to work together.

The role sustainability plays in today's society has increased in recent years, driven by the effects of global environmental challenges that the world is facing and an increase in regulations related to sustainable practices. To survive in today's competitive and challenging market, companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of integrating sustainability into their marketing strategies and business models.  The main goal of marketing is to reach and influence consumers' decision-making together with satisfying and building profitable relationships with customers, which is what the customer journey does by placing customers at the centre. Explaining why the concept of the consumer decision journey has been widely adopted among marketers in recent years. Companies very much depend on their relationships with their customers. Making it important to have the customer’s needs and wants in mind to grow and survive. The customer journey can be a useful framework in assessing and evaluating the decision-making process by mapping the touch points toward the purchase and thereby further improving the customer experience and relationship building with brands.  However, there is a gap in empirical research on sustainability coupled with the customer journey, and thereby also a gap connecting those fields with battery-powered products. This study aims to fill the research gap by investigating the critical points in the customer journey to identify where the sustainability aspect of battery-powered gardening products has a greater impact. To investigate the aim, a mixed research method approach was used in the form of primary data and secondary data. The primary data was collected through a mixed research approach by conducting interviews with employees at Husqvarna, and formulation of a questionnaire distributed on Facebook groups where the target group of gardening owners was reached. Secondary data was collected through scientific articles, literature, and reports.  Results show that sustainability is not viewed as a priority for customers, but rather a bonus. Customers value the attributes that follow with sustainable products, more than the product being sustainable itself and prioritise attributes that directly benefit them, such as ergonomics, quality and price. The lack of transparency among companies as well as inefficient communication strategies, hinders sustainable purchase behaviour.  Findings further indicate that customers are affected differently by sustainability in the different phases of the customer journey, however, sustainability seems to play a bigger part of the customer journey in the post-purchase phase.   This contributes to information about customer behaviour, needs, and views on sustainability that can help guide corporate sustainability initiatives and improve communication, products in the form of product development, and marketing strategies. / Medvetenheten om hållbarhetens betydelse har under de senaste åren ökat i samhället, vilket påverkats av de globala miljöutmaningar som världen står inför samt ökning av regleringar relaterade till hållbara metoder. För att överleva dagens konkurrensutsatta och utmanande marknad har företag därmed allt mer insett vikten av att integrera hållbarhet i sin marknadsföringsstrategi och affärsmodell. Huvudmålet med marknadsföring är att nå och påverka konsumentens beslutsfattande, samt att tillfredsställa och bygga lönsamma relationer med kunderna, vilket är vad kundresan, customer journey (CJ), gör genom att sätta kunderna i centrum, som i sin tur förklarar varför konceptet konsumentresa har blivit allmänt utnyttjat bland marknadsförare under de senaste åren. Företag är beroende av relationerna med sina kunder, det är därmed viktigt att som företag ha kundens behov och önskemål i åtanke för att växa och överleva. Kundresan kan vara ett användbart ramverk för att bedöma och utvärdera beslutsprocessen genom att kartlägga kritiska moment som leder till köp, och därigenom ytterligare förbättra kundupplevelsen och relationsbyggandet mellan kund och varumärke. Det finns en lucka i empirisk forskning inom hållbarhet kopplat till kundresan, och därmed också en lucka som förbinder dessa områden med batteridrivna produkter. Den här studien syftar till att fylla följande lucka genom att identifiera kritiska punkter i kundresan där hållbarhetsaspekter för batteridrivna trädgårdsprodukter är som viktigast. För att undersöka syftet användes en kombinerad forskningsmetod i form av primär- och sekundärdata. Primärdata samlades in genom en kombinerad forskningsansats där intervjuer genomfördes med anställda på Husqvarna, och utformning av ett frågeformulär som distribuerats i Facebook-grupper där målgruppen trädgårdsägare kunde nås. Sekundärdata samlades in genom vetenskapliga artiklar, litteratur och rapporter. Resultaten indikerar att hållbarhet inte betraktas som en prioritet för kunderna, utan snarare som en extra förmån. Kunderna värdesätter de egenskaper som följer med hållbara produkter mer än att själva produkten i sig är hållbar, och prioriterar egenskaper som direkt gynnar dem, såsom ergonomi, kvalitet och pris. Bristen på transparens bland företag samt ineffektiva kommunikationsstrategier utgör hinder för hållbart köpbeteende. Vidare tyder resultaten på att kunder påverkas olika av hållbarhet under olika delar av kundresan, men hållbarhet verkar spela en större roll i efterköps fasen.  Detta bidrar till värdefull information och insikt om kundbeteende, behov, samt syn på hållbarhet, vilket förhoppningsvis kan leda till att förbättra företags hållbarhetsinitiativ, kommunikation, produkter i form av produktutveckling, samt marknadsföringsstrategier.

Is it possible to conceive of migrants as active stakeholders of migration and asylum policies rather than passive objects of political and humanitarian intervention? In the public discourse on migration, migrants' voices are largely ignored and their political future in the reception country is often that of ascribed muteness and disenfranchisement. Yet, migrants have a voice, a history, a context, and therefore, potential aspirations to a political existence. In this dissertation, I propose an empirical study of the migratory journeys that occurred during what has been known as "the summer of migration," which described the incoming of migrants via the Aegean Sea and through the Western Balkans to Germany and the rest of Northern Europe. Based on field observations in initial reception centers for asylum seekers in Hamburg and semi-structured interviews with fifteen participants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan who came to Germany between 2015 and 2016, this dissertation proposes an analytical framework that provides a critical approach to the migration management regime and migrants migratory journey narratives. The claim of this dissertation is double. First it argues that it is analytically necessary to systematize the production of immanent knowledge about migrants' journeys through their own subjectivities. Such a perspective enables a deeper understanding of the impact of human mobility on state sovereignty, borderscapes and the workings of the migration management regime. Second, it is equally necessary to politically contribute to the normalization of integrating migrants' voices in the public debate and discourse to address oppressive practices of migration management and control. / Ph. D.

<p dir="ltr"><b>Background</b></p><p dir="ltr">Recent developments in cancer therapeutics have allowed increased use of Oral Anticancer Medications (OAMs), including in the treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. Patients with breast cancer may face key barriers in managing their OAMs at home. These challenges can lead to sub-optimal adherence and lower the overall quality of life. Designing interventions that enhance the patient experience with use of OAMs requires a deeper understanding of barriers faced by patients as they navigate their cancer care journey. The objective of this study was to identify the unmet medication management needs of patients with breast cancer who are receiving OAMs and co-design an early prototype intervention with patients to support medication management needs of patients with breast cancer.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Methods</b></p><p dir="ltr">Two phases comprise this study. Phase 1 involved patient-journey mapping to characterize the longitudinal experience of OAMs use among patients diagnosed with breast cancer. In phase 2, we conducted participatory design (PD) workshops to develop a prototype tool to address OAM needs identified in phase 1. All participants were recruited from an outpatient breast cancer clinic in Indianapolis. Eligible participants were: 18 years of age or older, diagnosed with breast cancer, and currently receiving an OAM. All participants completed a brief sociodemographic and health information questionnaire. In phase 1, enrolled persons participated in a journey mapping exercise through semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted either in-person or remotely via Zoom, based on participant preference. For each interview, two researchers and the participant collaborated to create individual patient journey maps to generate a concise visual storyboard focused on medication use experiences related to OAMs. The journey maps helped capture treatment timelines, key markers of medication use, and specific barriers faced by patients. Individual journey maps were consolidated to generate personas representing groups of patients with related characteristics, treatment types, goals, and unmet needs. In phase 2, three rounds of PD workshops were conducted using the focus group format to develop an early prototype intervention. In round one (inspiration stage), participants defined the problem space and prioritized a list of challenges amenable to solutions; in round two (ideation stage), participants generated multiple possible solutions and design ideas; and in round three (convergence stage), two design concepts were selected and evaluated by participants.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Results</b></p><p dir="ltr">In phase 1, 12 interviews (11 females and 1 male) were completed. The median age of participants was 65.5 years (range, 37-75). Participants were divided into two groups based on their prescribed medication types: (1) specialty medication (palbociclib or ribociclib; n=4 patients) and (2) traditional medication (tamoxifen, anastrozole, or exemestane; n=8 patients). We defined ‘Specialty’ medications as those that require specialty pharmacies and ‘traditional’ medications as those obtainable in local community pharmacies. To represent participants across these two broad categories of medications, two personas were created. Participants who had been prescribed specialty medication reported difficulty navigating the insurance process during medication fills, while participants who prescribed traditional medication did not. Notably, the word “prior authorization” was not used by participants to explain the issues they experienced. While all participants reported having side effects from their medications, sub-optimal adherence (n=2) was reported among the traditional medication group only. Other participants taking traditional medications either found their own ways to manage side effects or simply reported: “dealing with side effects as I don’t want cancer.” Participants expressed coping with side effects by enduring them. Participants had few strategies to manage their side effects, often stating that “they didn’t think of reaching out to the doctor,” when asked. Additionally, participants mentioned needing more financial and emotional support during their treatment journey. In phase 2, each PD session was conducted with 4-5 participants and 2 researchers (the design panel). Participants identified key challenges including difficulties navigating resources and information as well as managing medication side effects. The design panel prioritized two design concepts, which were subsequently developed into two prototypes: 1) a physical breast cancer handbook; and 2) an interactive treatment navigation app for use on tablet and smartphone devices. Our team plans to consolidate, further develop, and evaluate these prototypes in subsequent work as a follow up to this pilot study.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Conclusion</b></p><p dir="ltr">This study provides insight into the patient experience with OAMs. The personas created can be applied in designing interventions tailored to breast cancer patients’ needs and goals, while the consolidated journey maps identify potential areas for improvement. Adequate patient education and enhanced tools and processes are necessary to manage medication side effects effectively, ultimately leading to improved medication outcomes and assisting patients in navigating their treatment. The two design concepts require further revision prior to implementation and pilot testing.</p>

In recent years there has been an increase in the usage of social media. This trend coincided with the increase in promotion via influencers and with overall growth in public interest in health and fitness. This has led to an opportunity for new marketing strategies, namely influencer marketing. Through empirical observations we have identified early adopters of the influencer marketing strategy growing exponentially, especially in the sports wear fashion industry where relatively young companies have taken market share from bigger companies. Literature has shown influencer marketing to be beneficial to target customer segments efficiently and cheaper compared to traditional means of marketing. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine how companies in the sportswear fashion industry use influencer marketing, how influencer marketing affects the consumers buying process and post-purchase behavior. By analyzing various factors of influencer marketing and the customer journey we have gained valuable insights into the interaction dynamics between companies, influencer and consumers and into what constitutes a successful influencer marketing campaign. In order to conduct this study, a theoretical framework has been designed centered on theories about influencer marketing, consumers' journey and brands. The study has used a qualitative method where 8 semi-structured in-depth interviews with industry representatives have been carried out. The respondents come from four different sportswear fashion brands and are well versed in this subject. The authors have considered all ethical aspects and made sure that non-identifying information is included that can be traced or linked back to the respondents. The interviews were conducted via Zoom and over the phone and the authors chose to do a thematic analysis to answer the research question: How do brands use social media influencers to affect consumers' journey within the sportswear fashion? The results from this study indicate that brands can use social media influencers to influence consumers' journey in sportswear fashion. The biggest and foremost reason brands can influence the consumer journey is the choice of influencers. A developed model from empirical data and analysis has been created to explain this process. The model shows how brands start by choosing an influencer, what factors influence the choice, then who the influencer should be and the desired characteristics, and finally how influencers affect consumers, how consumers react and the relationship between all parties.

<p>A commonly held assumption among literary critics is that the motif of the European journey is exhausted in American literature in the post-World-War-II period. Challenging this view, the present study claims that the Old World journey narrative lives on, but in new guises, and that it continues to be a forum for the discussion of American national identity. Studying four novels about Americans traveling to Europe – William Styron’s Set This House on Fire (1960), Mary McCarthy’s Birds of America (1971), John A. Williams’s The Man Who Cried I Am (1967) and Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying (1973) – this thesis examines the ways in which the European journey is utilized for a questioning of “America.” Informed by the political debates of their time, which lead, for example, to the displacement of hegemonic ideologies such as nationalism, they share a critical stance vis-à-vis the conventional construction of national identity. They represent, however, different strands of the contemporary political counterculture; while the first two texts view national identity from the center of American society, addressing a moral and an ideological/intellectual critique, respectively, the last two represent marginal perspectives, that of the African American and feminist protest movements. The function of the European setting in the four novels is also scrutinized: in all of them the European setting provides the backdrop for a story that deals, almost exclusively, with American culture; it serves in a variety of ways, for example as a many-facetted stage, an experimental ground, or a zone of liberation. The Coda sketches recent developments in the 1980s and 1990s, finding the motif of initiation and the figure of the independent warm-hearted American girl to persist and the myth of American innocence to continue to be contested. </p>

A commonly held assumption among literary critics is that the motif of the European journey is exhausted in American literature in the post-World-War-II period. Challenging this view, the present study claims that the Old World journey narrative lives on, but in new guises, and that it continues to be a forum for the discussion of American national identity. Studying four novels about Americans traveling to Europe – William Styron’s Set This House on Fire (1960), Mary McCarthy’s Birds of America (1971), John A. Williams’s The Man Who Cried I Am (1967) and Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying (1973) – this thesis examines the ways in which the European journey is utilized for a questioning of “America.” Informed by the political debates of their time, which lead, for example, to the displacement of hegemonic ideologies such as nationalism, they share a critical stance vis-à-vis the conventional construction of national identity. They represent, however, different strands of the contemporary political counterculture; while the first two texts view national identity from the center of American society, addressing a moral and an ideological/intellectual critique, respectively, the last two represent marginal perspectives, that of the African American and feminist protest movements. The function of the European setting in the four novels is also scrutinized: in all of them the European setting provides the backdrop for a story that deals, almost exclusively, with American culture; it serves in a variety of ways, for example as a many-facetted stage, an experimental ground, or a zone of liberation. The Coda sketches recent developments in the 1980s and 1990s, finding the motif of initiation and the figure of the independent warm-hearted American girl to persist and the myth of American innocence to continue to be contested.