The physical landscape is a patchwork of different physical and immaterial structures and networks built up through time, where nature and culture cooperate in processes of shaping the landscape. Since the first settlers in Sweden the grass meadow has taken a central part in the agricultural practices, but today little of this landscape remains. As the most biodiverse land type in Sweden, the loss of meadows states a threat to many endangered species. To maintain an agricultural landscape with high variation in land use, where biological values and cultural environments are maintained, the current landscape pattern and activities must be redesigned. This thesis takes it departure from the territory of Småland as a region defined by its long agricultural practises. The research aims to provide new learnings and insights from the agricultural landscape through historic and modern activities and patterns, to understand how ecological processes and human actions has influenced the landscape. Theories and methods supporting the research and design choices are Actor-Network Theory, landscape ecology and case studies from the agricultural landscape. Actor-Network Theory is used to prevent braking down a complex problem into static actors, but to instead recognise the links and connection the actors already make. In this case the main actors are agricultural tools and structures, landscape elements, landscape ecology, plants and animals. Through a set of design guides based on landscape design principles and the understanding of the rules actors follow in the landscape network, a new diverse landscape pattern can emerge, defined as a meadowscape. As architects we have the possibility to thorough understanding the rules and logic of historic and modern actors in the landscape, rethink their patterns and use them to create a new type of landscape that cater both ecological activity.

Nanotechnology has captured the attention of governments and corporations around the globe. It has become the subject and context for numerous conferences, media articles, websites and scientific research papers. Nano enthusiasts and government officials claim that it is an area that promises new understandings of nature, and use of that understanding to build technologies that might change our lives. Despite the growing hype surrounding this new science, what appears to be lacking is scholarly literature that examines its growth and expansion from a social science perspective. This study addressed this limitation through a sociological analysis of the network of actors, events, rhetorical strategies, practices and instrumentation that went into the construction and growth of nanotechnology. Relying heavily on actor-network theory (ANT), this study focused on a small part of the total network referred to as the knowledge education production process, which involved the enrollment of high school teachers into the nanotechnology network through a series of collaborative workshops -- the Nanotechnology Curriculum Development Project (NCDP) -- with Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Virginia Tech) scientists over a period of two years. By investigating how the nanotechnology network was constructed and maintained, this case study examined the relevance of ANT as nanotechnology moved beyond the laboratory into the public domain of high school education. It looked at the intermediary role of high school science and math teachers and revealed the function of conflict, power, authority, hierarchy, interests, motivations, gender and race in the construction and expansion of scientific networks. / Ph. D.

No description available.

<p> </p><p>The generation of domestic waste is at present less than 1 kg/day per person in Thailand, but generated amounts keeps steadily growing. This trend is closely connected to an increasing population and economic growth, something that is creating waste management issues. The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) outside Bangkok has the potential of being a leader in sustainable development in the Southeast Asian region, however a substantial opportunity is being missed – best environmental practices are currently not prioritized. Only 4 % of the total waste generated on campus is recycled at AIT, 3 % is composted and 93 % is taken to the municipal waste disposal site. Fluorescent light bulbs and other hazardous household waste are disposed on the campus dumpsite. Some measures have been undertaken in order to improve the solid waste management (SWM) at AIT, e.g. a new waste collection facility has been built in the outskirts of campus, where more space is provided in order to facilitate waste separation.</p><p>The field research for this study was carried out at AIT and the goal was to examine the SWM network, the problems and to analyse the recycling habits on campus. To investigate and visualize the actors involved in the SWM at AIT, the Actor-Network theory (ANT) was applied as an analytical framework. The generation of waste is the macro actor i.e. the reason for the existence of SWM. Other actors are the AIT students and staff (produce waste), the new Campus Environment and Development Committee – CEDC (the controlling part), environmental awareness (attitude towards recycling), and waste collectors.</p><p>The results from the survey witness of that people have a positive but somewhat cautious attitude towards the sustainability of source separation. Separating waste at source is a key mechanism for solving the SWM problem but people are uncertain of how to separate each waste fraction. There is a strong need to designate a coordinator of the SWM at AIT and as long as there is a lack of leadership, a goal of environmentally sustainable practices cannot be reached. The new CEDC is currently not performing any actions towards an integrated SWM.</p><p> </p> / <p> </p><p>Idag produceras mindre än ett kilo hushållsavfall per dag och person i Thailand men mängden växer stadigt med ökad befolkning och bättre ekonomiska förutsättningar vilket leder till sophanteringsproblem. Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) i Thailand har  potential att vara en ledstjärna inom hållbar utveckling i Sydostasien men en stor möjlighet går om intet – den bästa miljömässiga tillämpningen i sophanteringsfrågan prioriteras inte. Endast 4 % av soporna återvinns på AIT, 3 % komposteras och 93 % hamnar på den kommunala soptippen. Lysrör och annat farligt hushållsavfall dumpas på universitetets soptipp. Vissa åtgärder har vidtagits för att förbättra sophanteringen på AIT, t.ex. har en ny sopanläggning byggts i utkanten av campus med ökad kapacitet för sopsortering.</p><p>Fältarbetet för uppsatsen genomfördes på AIT och målet var att kartlägga sophanteringen, nätverket kring den, problemen runtom, samt att analysera återvinningsbeteendet på detta universitetscampus. För att gestalta och utreda aktörerna som är involverade i sophanteringen på AIT, använde jag Actor-Network theory som ett analytiskt verktyg. Själva produceringen av hushållssopor är makroaktören, dvs. skälet till sophanteringens existens. Andra aktörer är studenterna och de anställda på universitetet (skapar sopor), den nya kommittén för Miljö och Utveckling på campus (den kontrollerande delen), miljömedvetenhe (inställningen till återvinning) och sophämtarna.</p><p>Resultaten från enkätunderökningen vittnar om att människorna har en positiv men försiktig inställning gentemot hållbarheten i källsortering. Källsortering är grunden för att lösa sophanteringsproblematiken men folk är osäkra på hur de ska sortera avfallet. Det finns ett stort behov av en avfallshandläggare för sophanteringen på AIT och så länge bristen på ledarskap kvarstår, kan inte målet om miljömässig hållbarhet nås. Den nya kommittén för Miljö och Utveckling på campus genomför för tillfället inga handlingar i riktning mot en integrerad sophantering.</p><p> </p>

Med det här kandidatarbetet vill vi belysa en alternativ väg att gå för att ge även de karaktärer som inte är knutna till det narrativa en större och mer betydelsefull plats inom digitala spel. Tillsammans med Bruno Latours Actor-Network Theory undersöker vi relationer mellan bland annat tid, plats och den vardagliga människan. Med observationer som startpunkt undersöker vi hur en identitet kan brytas ner för att omformas till något nytt, något som kan skapa en känsla av unikt och levande till den annars relativt tomma existens som är en ickespelbar karaktär. För att ta det här steget blir begreppet persona en viktig beståndsdel i skapandet av något mer lekfullt och livfullt. Genom att forma identiteter baserade på observationer och sedan förstå relationen mellan dessa identiteter och dess fiktiva egenskaper skapar vi personas med egna behov och bekymmer.   Detta kandidatarbete kommer att förklara olika metoder och processer till att skapa karaktärer och sedan analysera och diskutera resultatet i form av animationer där individers unika egenskaper och attribut förklaras och visualiseras. / With this bachelor thesis we want to shine a light upon an alternative path to take when it comes to giving characters that is not hard knitted to the narrative a greater and more meaningful place inside a digital game. Together with Bruno Latour's Actor-Network Theory we research the relations between time, place and the everyday person. With observation as a starting point we look at how we can break down an identity to reshape and make something new from it, something that can create a lifelike and unique feeling in the otherwise relatively plain and empty existence that is a non-playable character. For us to be able to take that step we include the concept of persona, an important factor in creating something more full of fun and life. Through the shaping of identities based on observation and understanding the relationship between these identities and their fictive attributes a persona is created with its own needs and worries.  This bachelor thesis will also explain the methods and processes needed to create characters followed by analysing and discussions based on the results, the animation of the unique attributes of individuals and how it is explained and visualised.

This study explores the social, technological economic, and environmental development of single-family residential water conservation programs at the Austin Water Utility and asks: What makes a conservation program successful? I hypothesize that water conservation programs will be successful if both institutional-producer goals and citizen-consumer goals are satisfied. While the findings suggest that this may be partially true, it also has become clear that my original actor-network model was too simple to predict the various types of influences on program success. Not only did I find other significant ‘actors’ involved in water conservation, I also found that utility and participant groups themselves represent a wide variety of interests. This study seeks to answer the research question by creating a series of narratives that critically explore water infrastructure and water conservation programs in Austin, Texas. Through a methodological lens referred to as ‘critical constructivism,’ I use mixed methods to analyze and interpret historic documents, interviews, and quantitative data as primary sources. Literature from Science and Technology Studies (STS) are used as secondary sources. This study will add to a body of knowledge that describes how and why we manage our environmental resources. The subject of conservation is especially relevant as urban growth continues with fewer affordable opportunities to increase regional water supplies. As we enter an era of expected water conflict, knowing how to conserve water effectively will help provide more opportunities for sharing a common resource amongst communities, industry, agriculture, and the environment. / text

I det här kandidatarbetet har jag valt att undersöka hur man kan förnya erfarna bilisters körkunskaper som har kört bil i 30-40 år genom en anpassad E-learning applikation. Mitt mål är att förnya erfarna bilisters körkunskaper, så de får lära sig uppdaterade regler, vägmärken och körsätt. Detta för att förbättra trafikmiljön. För att kunna undersöka problemområdet skapade jag en lärplattform tillsammans med erfarna bilister där jag använder mig av körkortsregler, vägmärken, filmklipp och frågesport för att testa deras kunskaper. Genom att lysa upp dem viktiga aspekterna i de nya reglerna och körsättet samt få erfarna bilister att testa sina kunskaper på ett roande sätt via körkorts frågesporten får man användarna att förnya sina kunskaper  via deras nyfikenhet till ny information som har hänt 30-40 år senare efter dem tagit körkort. / In this bachelor thesis I have chosen to investigate how you can renew experienced drivers driving skills that have been driving for 30-40 years through a customized e-learning application. My goal is to renew the drivers driving skills as they learn the new rules , road signs and driving style to improve the traffic environment . In order to investigate the problem area , I created a learning platform with experienced drivers, where I use driving rules , road signs , movie clips and quizzes to test their knowledge. By highlighting the important aspects of the new rules and driving style, as well as getting experienced drivers to test their skills in a entertaining way, through driving license quizzes,   users will be able to renew their skills through their curiosity to new information that happened after 30-40 years  later they have taken a driving license.

Este trabalho pretende analisar os aspectos do trabalho voluntário de tradução e, em qual medida, ele interfere nas relações socioculturais e sociedade. Para tanto, tomaremos como objeto de estudo um grupo de tradutores voluntários que atuam na Organização Não-Governamental Soka Gakkai Internacional. Como se pretende estudar os agentes que participam desse processo, como parte de uma estrutura social, utilizaremos a teoria de actor-network de Bruno Latour (2005). Com o intuito de analisar a função e o desenvolvimento dos tradutores voluntários envolvidos no processo, sua experiência pessoal e profissional e suas relações socioculturais, utilizaremos a noção de habitus discutida por Pierre Bourdieu (1972; 1990; 2003). Com base nos estudos preliminares, pressupõe-se que os atores que desenvolvem esse trabalho voluntário de tradução compartilham princípios e disposições semelhantes, ou seja, possuem basicamente os mesmos habitus e negociam as regras que regem o seu trabalho de acordo com a prática, e não partindo da teoria. Finalmente, busca-se confirmar a premissa de que, para o grupo em questão, os valores que permeiam o seu trabalho, a despeito da recompensa financeira, agregam novas características ao trabalho de tradução, sob uma concepção mais humanista e social. / This article aims to analyze translation as volunteering work as long as to what extent it influences socio-cultural relations and society. Thus, the object of our study is a group of volunteers who work as translators for the Non-Governmental Organization Soka Gakkai International. As we intend to study the agents who participate in this process, considering them to be part of a social structure, the empirical data are discussed against the background of the Actor-Network-Theory by Bruno Latour (2005). We also intend to analyze the role and development of the volunteering translators involved in the process, their background and socio-cultural relations, which will be framed in terms of Pierre Bourdieus concept of habitus (1972; 1990; 2003). Based on preliminary studies, we may argue that the actors who take part in this translation volunteering work share similar principles and dispositions, that is, they have the same habitus and their starting point is not the theory, but they negotiate the rules of translation according to their practice. Finally, we intend to confirm the hypothesis that, for this group, the value of their job is beyond the financial reward, and bring new characteristics to translation.

Este trabalho pretende analisar os aspectos do trabalho voluntário de tradução e, em qual medida, ele interfere nas relações socioculturais e sociedade. Para tanto, tomaremos como objeto de estudo um grupo de tradutores voluntários que atuam na Organização Não-Governamental Soka Gakkai Internacional. Como se pretende estudar os agentes que participam desse processo, como parte de uma estrutura social, utilizaremos a teoria de actor-network de Bruno Latour (2005). Com o intuito de analisar a função e o desenvolvimento dos tradutores voluntários envolvidos no processo, sua experiência pessoal e profissional e suas relações socioculturais, utilizaremos a noção de habitus discutida por Pierre Bourdieu (1972; 1990; 2003). Com base nos estudos preliminares, pressupõe-se que os atores que desenvolvem esse trabalho voluntário de tradução compartilham princípios e disposições semelhantes, ou seja, possuem basicamente os mesmos habitus e negociam as regras que regem o seu trabalho de acordo com a prática, e não partindo da teoria. Finalmente, busca-se confirmar a premissa de que, para o grupo em questão, os valores que permeiam o seu trabalho, a despeito da recompensa financeira, agregam novas características ao trabalho de tradução, sob uma concepção mais humanista e social. / This article aims to analyze translation as volunteering work as long as to what extent it influences socio-cultural relations and society. Thus, the object of our study is a group of volunteers who work as translators for the Non-Governmental Organization Soka Gakkai International. As we intend to study the agents who participate in this process, considering them to be part of a social structure, the empirical data are discussed against the background of the Actor-Network-Theory by Bruno Latour (2005). We also intend to analyze the role and development of the volunteering translators involved in the process, their background and socio-cultural relations, which will be framed in terms of Pierre Bourdieus concept of habitus (1972; 1990; 2003). Based on preliminary studies, we may argue that the actors who take part in this translation volunteering work share similar principles and dispositions, that is, they have the same habitus and their starting point is not the theory, but they negotiate the rules of translation according to their practice. Finally, we intend to confirm the hypothesis that, for this group, the value of their job is beyond the financial reward, and bring new characteristics to translation.

Teknologi har blivit en viktig del i barn och ungdomars liv. Spel, kommunikation, bloggar, skolarbeten och att umgås via sociala nätverk tillhör aktiviteterna online. Syftet med den här litteraturstudien var att utifrån ett teoretiskt perspektiv där bland annat Actor-Network-Theory (ANT) ingår belysa och utforska barns och unga människors interaktioner på och med Internet och det lärande och förutsättningar för hälsa som kan skapas. Tjugotre artiklar från tidskrifter med en disciplinär bredd, som bland annat innefattar utbildningsteknologi, psykologi, socio-logi och mediakunskap, har studerats. Interaktion var ett genomgående tema i artiklarna. Barn och ungdomar interagerade med varandra och med andra på olika sätt och med olika syften. Delaktighet och gemenskap var viktiga begrepp. Kamratstöd online har visat sig vara betydelsefullt för unga med allvarliga sjukdomar. Många av de populära spelen är onlinespel som kan spelas av ett stort antal spelare samtidigt. Spelarna umgicks med sina vänner, lärde känna nya människor, hjälpte varandra genom olika uppdrag i spelet och firade uppnådda mål tillsammans. Olika roller framträdde i de olika kontexterna, både självvalda och tilldelade av andra. Det lärande som uppstod i de olika kontexterna var situerat och bestod likaväl av akademiska kunskaper och digitala färdigheter som av social kompetens, socialisering och ”livsfärdigheter”. Den teoretiska referensramen i uppsatsen var inspirerad av bland andra Latour, Bandura, Antonovsky samt Lave och Wenger. Jag kallar den ”Del i det hela” och menar att ett aktörskap i ett heterogent nätverk med en gemensam aktivitet kan bidra till en känsla av sammanhang (KASAM), en känsla av mening. Dessa delar har betydelse för vår hälsa – den psykiska, den sociala samt den existentiella hälsan. / Technology has become an important part of children and young people’s lifes. Games, communication, blogs, school work and hanging out in social networks are examples of online activities. Using a theoretical perspective including Actor-Network-Theory (ANT), the aim of this literature review was to illustrate and explore children and youth’s interactions on and with the Internet, and the learning processes and conditions for health that can emerge. Twenty-three articles from journals of different disciplines, such as educational technology, psychology, sociology, and media science, were included. Interaction was a constant theme throughout the articles. Children and young people interacted with each other and with others in different ways and with different purposes. Participation and fellowship were important concepts. Online peer support has shown to be significant for youth with severe disease. Many of the popular games are online games that can be played by many players simultaneously. The players socialized with their friends, got to know new people, helped each other through various missions in the game and celebrated achieved goals together. Different roles appeared in the different contexts, some self-selected and some assigned by others. The learning processes that occurred in the different contexts were situated and consisted of academic knowledge and digital skills, as well as of social competence, socialization and life skills. The theoretical framework used in this essay was inspired by Latour, Bandura, Antonovsky, and Lave and Wenger. I call it “Part of it all” and believe that an actorship in a heterogeneous network with a collective activity may contribute to a sense of coherence (SOC), a sense of meaning. These elements are significant for our health – the psychological, the social, and the existential health.