This thesis investigates the political discourse surrounding the controversial act of Quran burnings in Sweden, focusing on the positions of leaders from the three largest political parties between April 2022 and October 2023. Utilizing a theoretical framework that differentiates between consequentialist and non-consequentialist perspectives, it examines the politicians’ arguments for justifying and limiting freedom of expression in this context. Initially, both the Social Democratic Party and the Moderate Party predominantly adopted a non-consequentialist stance, underscoring freedom of expression as a fundamental democratic right, irrespective of its consequences. However, as challenges related to national security and international relations emerged, their positions evolved, revealing internal inconsistencies and a shift toward a consequentialist approach. By August 2023, the Moderates proposed a review of the Public Order Act, incorporating national security considerations, while the Social Democrats suggested amendments to laws against racial hatred to include religious desecrations. In contrast, the Sweden Democrats consistently maintained a non-consequentialist stance, emphasizing the democratic principle of upholding free expression. This study’s findings highlight the complexities and challenges of maintaining consistent political principles amidst changing societal and international landscapes. It underscores the importance of clear foundational principles in the discourse on freedom of expression, contributing to the broader understanding of democratic values in contemporary Sweden.

The Quran burnings in Sweden have made international headlines and have taken its place as one of the most controversial happenings of the year 2023. Due to this, the phenomena have made its way into the political arena of Sweden, being widely discussed by the main political actors of the country. This study aims to analyze Magdalena Andersson (Social Democrats) and Jimmie Åkesson’s (Sweden Democrats) communication regarding the matter with the key objective to analyze the usage of Populism as well as Blame and responsibility when the two actors speak about the Quran crisis. The thesis main method will be a rhetorical analysis. The study found that both Andersson and Åkessons communication regarding the Quran burnings contains populistic traits. Andersson uses more blame in her communication and Åkesson more accountability. Åkesson does unlike Andersson not construct the Quran burnings themselves as a crisis, but rather the sequence of events the phenomena consequently started as such. Due to the results in how blame is communicated, recommended suggestions of further studies could be analyzing if the Swedish political communication has become more hostile by doing a comparative analysis on the present and previous years of political actors communicating.

Information influence from authoritarian states poses significant challenges for democracies all around the world. The projecting of strategic narratives has become a key-strategy in cross border influence. Utilizing the theoretical framework of strategic narratives, this study seeks to comprehend information influence in Russian state media. Specifically, how state-owned Sputnik portrays Sweden concerning the Quran burnings in the country during year 2023. With the use of a narrative analysis the study has investigated how the narratives were constructed and were able to identify recurring patterns in the news reporting. The strategic narratives that was found were (1) Sweden as an Islamophobic country, (2) Ridiculing of Sweden (3) Sweden as a divided country (4) Positive image of Russia (5) Sweden as a country in conflict (6) Sweden as a state in decline.

Year 2023 saw significant international attention on Sweden due to Quran burnings, with over 2 million posts and articles recorded. This event, reminiscent of the 2005 Muhammad cartoon controversy, emphasizes the need to study governmental crisis communication strategies. Our research aims to analyze Sweden's response and identify communication patterns for improvement. The purpose of our study is to, through qualitative content analysis and theories within crisis communication and framing, examine how the government figurated the Quran burnings in 2023 and attempt to identify patterns, changes, and areas for improvement in their communication. We opted for qualitative content analysis to dissect various text materials. This method enables careful examination and categorization of extensive text, deepening our understanding of the subject. Our study examines press releases, press conferences, and social media posts from 2023. The diverse selection allows for nuanced insights into governmental actions and responses, enhancing our analysis. Using a coding scheme, we systematically categorized the collected data, providing a comprehensive view of their approach. The government employed a combination of strategies and communicative measures to address the Quran burnings and their effects. Initially emphasizing the protection of the constitution as paramount, the government later shifted focus to combatting the portrayal of Sweden as incapable of handling such events. Following the Brussels terrorist attack, the messaging underscored the severity of the situation and the government's collaborative security measures, including legislative changes. Throughout the year, the government maintained a dual strategy of highlighting the seriousness of the situation while emphasizing constitutional protection. The study's findings offer insights into crisis communication and framing within the context of the Quran burnings in 2023. While specific to this case, they may inform similar crises for governments or organizations needing effective communication strategies to manage situations and build public trust.

The purpose of this bachelor thesis was to examine how traditional news media vis-à- vis alternative news media in Sweden portrayed the Quran burnings and the riots which followed during august in the summer of 2020. With the basis in framing theory and intermedia agenda setting we examined these research questions: How do the news papers frame the Quran burnings? What discourses are reproduced? How do the traditional news papers and the alternative news papers framing of the Quran burnings differ from each other?  The qualitative methods used in this bachelor thesis were Robert Entmans framing theory combined with Rens Vliegenthart &amp; Stefaan Walgraves intermedia agenda setting theory. Also, we used different theories regarding populism, clash of civilizations and freedom of speech in order to find various themes in the reporting. For instance, the study applies Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory of the carnivalesque to examine how the alternative news paper Samnytt framed the Quran burnings.  Through examining news articles, we discovered several preexisting frames and some additional ones. The results showed that the traditional news papers framed the Quran burnings in a laconic way as an intolerant act against Muslims, while the alternative news papers framed the Quran burnings as a clash of civilizations and simultaneously as an act of freedom of speech. In relation to the alternative news papers overly dramatic and sensationalistic discourse, the traditional news papers discourse was more moderate. In this way the populist discourse in the alternative news media and their focus on the “man on the street” is an example of how the alternative news media defines itself as an opposition to the hegemonic “elite” news media institutions. In the alternative news papers, we also found one specific frame concerning anti-Semitism in Malmö, which was not given the same amount of attention by the traditional news papers.  The result of this study shows differences in framing, in line with previous research regarding alternative news media and populism, that could be an example of how the alternative news media is born and defines itself as an alternative to a narrative they deem wrong or lacking in traditional news media. This is primarily an effect of the fact that the traditional news papers lacked diversity in their interviewees since they mostly relied on authority sources, or in one case their own opinion piece writer, to tell the story. The results of this study highlights processes and effects that lies at the core of several phenomenon in this sphere, therefore it should be used to further the research on framing, alternative news media and populism. / <p>En kvalitativ analys av traditionella kontra alternativa nyhetsmediers gestaltning av koranbränningarna i Malmö 2020. </p>

Segregation is increasing in Sweden, and the political discourse about violence in Swedish suburbs has intensified dramatically throughout the last years. Segregated areas are often described as dangerous areas with a lot of insecurities. In this paper, I´m going to present a case study of Botkyrka municipality which is in south Stockholm. The purpose of this study is to see if media and political discourse are stigmatizing Botkyrka or not. By interviewing people living in Botkyrka, I get their perspective of living in Botkyrka municipality. This case study can be exemplifying a case study of suburbs in Stockholm as the discourse can be similar to other suburbs in Stockholm. This case study is following an abductive qualitative approach using theories as neighborhood-effect, segregation, and territorial stigma to answer the research questions “Does the image of Botkyrka municipality presented by political actors and media create territorial stigmatization of Botkyrka municipality?” and  “What are Botkyrka municipality as an organization doing to decrease segregation, and what are the biggest challenges in their work?” Interviews are conducted both randomly in chosen areas and in-depth interviews with chosen respondents. Findings from this case study show that certain areas of Botkyrka are stigmatized, that citizens in Botkyrka refer to some areas as dangerous, which is also presented in political discourse and media, as events taking place in these areas are referred to Botkyrka, it creates a territorial stigma of Botkyrka municipality. As some neighborhoods in Botkyrka is affected more negatively by school segregation, youth in these areas face a higher risk of getting excluded from society and fall into a destructive way of living, as influences among youth living in low-economic neighborhoods are strong predictors of negative behaviors, such as drug abuse, crime, and participation in the job market. Territorial stigma and the neighborhood-effect becomes obstacles in the work of decreasing segregation, further, inequality is an obstacle in the work of decreasing segregation. The unequal access to different key resources as housing, education, and jobs are great challenges in process of decreasing segregation.

Introdução. O uso de tecnologias computacionais em pesquisas na área de saúde pública é cada vez mais acentuado devido às facilidades providas ao pesquisador. Em particular, o SIG (Sistema de informação geográfica) auxilia na fusão de dados dispostos em tabelas e mapas contendo aspectos geográficos do local de estudo, através da sobreposição de camadas. Tal fusão possibilita uma nova leitura dos dados associados à dimensão do espaço. Neste aspecto, os programas SIG são ferramentas ideais para estudos de geografia da saúde. Em estudos ecológicos de causa/efeito envolvendo variáveis ambientais e os efeitos deletérios à saúde humana, as tecnologias de geoprocessamento constituem um interessante recurso para gerar hipóteses para estudos mais aprofundados sobre o tema. Objetivo. Este estudo objetivou a construção de um SIG que agregou elementos para verificar a correlação entre os produtos da queima de palha de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum sp) e a incidência de problemas respiratórios em regiões de entorno afetadas por tais produtos, através das técnicas de análise espacial possíveis com recursos computacionais de geoprocessamento. Metodologia. O desenvolvimento deste trabalho consistiu em coletar e organizar dados de queimadas e internações por afecções respiratórias no período de 2000 a 2004, seguindo da estruturação de um SIG em duas abordagens. Na primeira, considerou-se a abrangência do estado de São Paulo. Foram criadas cartas temáticas das variáveis e identificadas áreas de interesse para estudos em escala local. A segunda abordagem consistiu na construção de um SIG abrangendo a meso-região de Bauru, utilizando a técnica buffer para observar a intersecção dos agravos de saúde em áreas de queimada. Resultados. Foram elaboradas cartas temáticas e uma análise das correlações espaciais encontradas nas duas abordagens e observou-se maior incidência de doenças respiratórias em regiões onde há ocorrência da prática de queimadas em culturas canavieiras. Assim sendo, o material produzido constitui um conjunto de dados que permite ao pesquisador checar hipóteses para subsidiar posteriores estudos no âmbito da saúde ambiental. / Introduction. The use of computational technologies in researches on public health field is more and more present due to easier tolls available to researchers. In particular, GIS (Geographic Information System) helps to merge tables and maps which contain geographic aspects of the site being studied by overlapping layers. Such merging makes a new understanding of the data linked to the dimension of space possible. Concerning GIS, it is an ideal tool for studying the health geography. Ecological researches analyze causes and effects involving environmental variables and the deleterious effect to human health. Geoprocess technologies are an interesting resource to generate hypotheses for future deeper studies on the subject. Objective. This study aimed at the construction of a GIS that added elements to verify the correlation between the products of the sugar-cane straw burning (Saccharum sp) and the incidence of respiratory problems in the neighborhood and near regions affected by such products by using special techniques analysis with computational resources of geoprocess. Methodology. The development of this work consisted of the collection and organization of data on such burnings and the incidence of respiratory diseases officially registered from 2000 to 2004 in the studied regions. After that, GIS structure was accomplished on two approaches. Firstly it covered the State of São Paulo. Thematic maps based on the variables have been created and, thus areas of interest, in local scale, have been identified. The second approach consisted of the construction of a GIS which covered the meso-region of Bauru by using buffer technique to observe the intersection of the harmful effects on health in such regions. Results. Thematic maps have been elaborated as well as the analysis of space correlations found in both approaches. As a result, higher incidence of respiratory diseases in regions where such fires had occurred has been observed. Thus, the resulting data will enable any hypothetical researcher to check hypotheses in order to assist his or her further studies in the scope of the environmental health.

Introdução. O uso de tecnologias computacionais em pesquisas na área de saúde pública é cada vez mais acentuado devido às facilidades providas ao pesquisador. Em particular, o SIG (Sistema de informação geográfica) auxilia na fusão de dados dispostos em tabelas e mapas contendo aspectos geográficos do local de estudo, através da sobreposição de camadas. Tal fusão possibilita uma nova leitura dos dados associados à dimensão do espaço. Neste aspecto, os programas SIG são ferramentas ideais para estudos de geografia da saúde. Em estudos ecológicos de causa/efeito envolvendo variáveis ambientais e os efeitos deletérios à saúde humana, as tecnologias de geoprocessamento constituem um interessante recurso para gerar hipóteses para estudos mais aprofundados sobre o tema. Objetivo. Este estudo objetivou a construção de um SIG que agregou elementos para verificar a correlação entre os produtos da queima de palha de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum sp) e a incidência de problemas respiratórios em regiões de entorno afetadas por tais produtos, através das técnicas de análise espacial possíveis com recursos computacionais de geoprocessamento. Metodologia. O desenvolvimento deste trabalho consistiu em coletar e organizar dados de queimadas e internações por afecções respiratórias no período de 2000 a 2004, seguindo da estruturação de um SIG em duas abordagens. Na primeira, considerou-se a abrangência do estado de São Paulo. Foram criadas cartas temáticas das variáveis e identificadas áreas de interesse para estudos em escala local. A segunda abordagem consistiu na construção de um SIG abrangendo a meso-região de Bauru, utilizando a técnica buffer para observar a intersecção dos agravos de saúde em áreas de queimada. Resultados. Foram elaboradas cartas temáticas e uma análise das correlações espaciais encontradas nas duas abordagens e observou-se maior incidência de doenças respiratórias em regiões onde há ocorrência da prática de queimadas em culturas canavieiras. Assim sendo, o material produzido constitui um conjunto de dados que permite ao pesquisador checar hipóteses para subsidiar posteriores estudos no âmbito da saúde ambiental. / Introduction. The use of computational technologies in researches on public health field is more and more present due to easier tolls available to researchers. In particular, GIS (Geographic Information System) helps to merge tables and maps which contain geographic aspects of the site being studied by overlapping layers. Such merging makes a new understanding of the data linked to the dimension of space possible. Concerning GIS, it is an ideal tool for studying the health geography. Ecological researches analyze causes and effects involving environmental variables and the deleterious effect to human health. Geoprocess technologies are an interesting resource to generate hypotheses for future deeper studies on the subject. Objective. This study aimed at the construction of a GIS that added elements to verify the correlation between the products of the sugar-cane straw burning (Saccharum sp) and the incidence of respiratory problems in the neighborhood and near regions affected by such products by using special techniques analysis with computational resources of geoprocess. Methodology. The development of this work consisted of the collection and organization of data on such burnings and the incidence of respiratory diseases officially registered from 2000 to 2004 in the studied regions. After that, GIS structure was accomplished on two approaches. Firstly it covered the State of São Paulo. Thematic maps based on the variables have been created and, thus areas of interest, in local scale, have been identified. The second approach consisted of the construction of a GIS which covered the meso-region of Bauru by using buffer technique to observe the intersection of the harmful effects on health in such regions. Results. Thematic maps have been elaborated as well as the analysis of space correlations found in both approaches. As a result, higher incidence of respiratory diseases in regions where such fires had occurred has been observed. Thus, the resulting data will enable any hypothetical researcher to check hypotheses in order to assist his or her further studies in the scope of the environmental health.

A acelerada dinâmica de uso das terras e a elevada incidência de pontos de queimadas observadas na região da Amazônia Legal, na última década, atingiram proporções alarmantes, atraindo as atenções de políticos, ambientalistas e da sociedade em geral. Diferentes políticas, estratégias e ações de monitoramento e controle das queimadas foram propostas no decorrer desse período, com o objetivo de conter o deslocamento e o avanço da fronteira agrícola sobre as áreas de vegetação natural remanescente, mais especificamente sobre a Floresta Tropical Úmida. O Estado do Mato Grosso, localizado na região da Amazônia Legal, apresenta características especiais para o entendimento das relações entre a ocupação das terras e a incidência das queimadas, pois congrega em seu território uma importante diversidade ambiental e sócio econômica, favorecendo o desenvolvimento das análises propostas. Esta tese procurou identificar e mapear a dinâmica de queimadas no Estado do Mato Grosso e explicar suas principais condicionantes, baseando-se em análises espaciais e estatísticas, desenvolvidas com os dados de queimadas e de variáveis ambientais, econômicas e sociais. / The increasing dynamics in land use and the elevated incidence of fires observed during the last decade in the Legal Amazon have reached an alarming scale that attracted the attention of politicians, environmentalists and the society in general. Different policies, strategies and monitoring actions to the control of fires were proposed during this period, with the goal of restraining the movement and the advance of the agricultural frontier over the remaining natural vegetation, especially on areas of Tropical Rain Forrest. Mato Grosso State, located in the Legal Amazon, presents special characteristics for the understanding of the relationship between land occupation and the incidence of fires, for it congregates in its territory an important environmental and socioeconomic diversity. Based on spatial and statistical analyzes developed from fire data, as well as on environmental, economical and social variables, this thesis focuses on the identification, mapping and explanation of the main driving forces of fire dynamics in Mato Grosso State.

A acelerada dinâmica de uso das terras e a elevada incidência de pontos de queimadas observadas na região da Amazônia Legal, na última década, atingiram proporções alarmantes, atraindo as atenções de políticos, ambientalistas e da sociedade em geral. Diferentes políticas, estratégias e ações de monitoramento e controle das queimadas foram propostas no decorrer desse período, com o objetivo de conter o deslocamento e o avanço da fronteira agrícola sobre as áreas de vegetação natural remanescente, mais especificamente sobre a Floresta Tropical Úmida. O Estado do Mato Grosso, localizado na região da Amazônia Legal, apresenta características especiais para o entendimento das relações entre a ocupação das terras e a incidência das queimadas, pois congrega em seu território uma importante diversidade ambiental e sócio econômica, favorecendo o desenvolvimento das análises propostas. Esta tese procurou identificar e mapear a dinâmica de queimadas no Estado do Mato Grosso e explicar suas principais condicionantes, baseando-se em análises espaciais e estatísticas, desenvolvidas com os dados de queimadas e de variáveis ambientais, econômicas e sociais. / The increasing dynamics in land use and the elevated incidence of fires observed during the last decade in the Legal Amazon have reached an alarming scale that attracted the attention of politicians, environmentalists and the society in general. Different policies, strategies and monitoring actions to the control of fires were proposed during this period, with the goal of restraining the movement and the advance of the agricultural frontier over the remaining natural vegetation, especially on areas of Tropical Rain Forrest. Mato Grosso State, located in the Legal Amazon, presents special characteristics for the understanding of the relationship between land occupation and the incidence of fires, for it congregates in its territory an important environmental and socioeconomic diversity. Based on spatial and statistical analyzes developed from fire data, as well as on environmental, economical and social variables, this thesis focuses on the identification, mapping and explanation of the main driving forces of fire dynamics in Mato Grosso State.