This G-3 essay aimed to study how people on three American left leaning social medias appoint queer identities to historical people and the discourse around this appointment. This was studied through the theoretical lenses of queer theory and the use of history. The source material consisted of posts from Tumblr, Twitter and Reddit and it was studied both quantitatively and qualitatively through the method of conceptual history. The historical people examined were Queen Christina of Sweden and King James VI and I of Scotland and England. This essay discovered that a wide variety of queer identities were appointed to the royals. However, all queer identities appointed were identities that matched the discoveries scientists have made about the royals’ lives. Furthermore, between one third and half of all posts used sources to justify the appointment of queer identities. The use of history in all posts were found to be either existential in nature – showing a desire to find connections with other queer people through history – or moral – using history to argue against current injustice against queer people.

Another time. Definitions of time in French encyclopedias, 1690-1835 The point of departure for this study is the common conception that the idea of time became "modern" in the late 18th century, meaning among other things a new, future-oriented and empowered individual. Such a view has been expressed by scholars like Lynn Hunt, Lucian Hölscher, François Hartog, Dan Edelstein as well as Reinhart Koselleck. This thesis investigates whether such a transformation is visible in eight French encyclopedias, published between 1690 and 1835. Definitions of time-related key-words are studied from a perspective of conceptual history and discourse analysis. The result of the study indicates a change in the notion of time. However, this change does not concur with the presumed breakthrough of "modernity". The dominant change is rather words that disappear during the period. The study argues that the dichotomy of time versus eternity was questioned, which changed the expectations. Definitions eventually turned away from a predetermined future, however they did not include an individual freedom to act. A new temporal consciousness is visible with the update of history, as pointed out by Koselleck. Mythology was mocked when definitions underlined rationality. The texts substituted religion with science. Diversity between individual definitions is visible mostly during the middle of the 18th century. Finally, the study discusses a possible time lag for encyclopedias used as witnesses of a discourse. / Autres temps. Les définitions du temps des encyclopédies françaises, 1690-1835 La notion de temps au sens moderne semble avoir pris forme vers la fin du 18e siècle. Cette conception du temps comme « moderne » implique entre autres choses que l'homme est conscient de la dimension temporelle, et de sa liberté de créer son propre avenir. Depuis les années 1960, plusieurs penseurs, dont François Hartog, Lynn Hunt, Lucian Hölscher, Dan Edelstein et Reinhart Koselleck, ont abordé ce décalage de la dite notion. Dans cette thèse sont examinés les changements de la notion du temps à travers les définitions de huit encyclopédies publiées entre 1690 et 1835. Au 18e siècle, les dictionnaires et les encyclopédies jouaient un rôle important quant au savoir et à la maitrise de la langue. Les analyses des définitions sont conduites à la lumière des théories conceptuelles et discursives. Les résultats de l'étude, dont le matériau s'étend sur 150 ans, confirment un changement de la notion de temps mais non pas celui dont a parlé la recherche antérieure. Les définitions témoignent d'un certain nombre d'effacements et de substitutions de différentes parties des textes. Les textes semblent avoir été plus homogènes au début et à la fin du 18e siècle et plus hétérogènes au milieu du même siècle. Les références religieuses s'y sont souvent substituées à des textes provenant des sciences naturelles, comme par exemple la mécanique. Successivement, les explications mythologiques étaient qualifiées de purs « mythes ». La dichotomie temps—éternité est remise en question et commence à disparaître. Selon d'autres chercheurs dans ce domaine, cela signifie une des conditions d'un futur non prédéterminé. Cependant, même au début du 19e siècle, les définitions parlent d'un futur contingent et non d'un homme maître de son propre futur. Pendant cette période (1690-1835), il y a aussi eu lieu un changement dans la façon de concevoir la notion d' «histoire », un phénomène qui a été souligné par Koselleck. Ce changement semble avoir entrainé une nouvelle conceptualisation de la temporalité. Dans la thèse sont discutées les encyclopédies comme étant des sources scientifiques et la possibilité d'un « time lag » dû aux définitions comparées au discours où celles-ci sont produites. Les résultats montrent l'introduction apparemment tardive d'un nouveau discours. / <p>Masterprogram i historiska studier, inriktning idéhistoria</p>

<p>The aim of this thesis is to interpret and understand the concept of citizenship in general, and the European citizenship in particular, placed within a broad theoretical framework. Furthermore, the purpose is to examine whether the development of a European citizenship indicates an emergence of a new ‘post-national’ model of citizenship, based on residence rather than nationality or place of birth. In order to address this, the status of third- country nationals (TCN’s), who are legally long-term residents within the Union, in relation to EU citizens has been analysed from the theoretical perspectives. </p><p>Different models of citizenship provide the paper with a theoretical framework, through which the empirical data has been examined. The theoretical approaches dealt with in this paper are the liberal, the republican/communitarian and the ‘post-national’ models of citizenship respectively. Fundamental ‘key concepts’ have been derived from these different models of citizenship, which have facilitated the analysis by providing the interpretation of the EU citizenship with an analytical framework. </p><p>To find answers to the initial research questions and fulfil the aim of the paper, a qualitative and hermeneutic study has been carried out, aiming at interpreting and understanding the European citizenship placed within its socio-political context. Text and language constitute the units of analysis and, hence, a textual analysis has been conducted of official EU documents. Following a conceptual history approach, concepts are not just reflections of historical processes, but can themselves contribute to historical change by making new things imaginable. As emphasised throughout the paper, concepts embrace at the same time a ‘space of experience’ and a ‘horizon of expectation’. </p><p>The main conclusions drawn from the research can be summarised in a number of points. First, while the concept of European citizenship was originally connected to a formal and economic view upon citizenship, close to a liberal/neo-liberal notion of citizenship, the texts express an aim of a more active citizenship, emphasised in the republican/communitarian tradition. Secondly, despite a multicultural and post-national rhetoric concerning the status of long-term resident TCN’s, the gaining of ‘full’ EU citizenship can still only be attained through nationality in a Member State. Thirdly, the importance of interpreting a concept placed within its socio-political context has been clear from the study. The semantic analysis has showed a close link between the European citizenship andthe goal to create an ‘area of freedom, security and justice’ throughout the Union. This goal is interpreted as a response to recent occurrences in the world, but at the same time it expresses expectations about the EU citizenship, and it can thus itself affect future developments in this field. </p><p>To sum up, while the concept of European citizenship is post-national to the extent that it applies to all EU citizens irrespective of where in the Union they live, it is still not completely based on the principle of residence. Only nationals of an EU Member State can obtain citizenship of the Union. Thus, the concept of European citizenship, while establishing a citizenship across national borders, is still based on nationality.</p>

<p>This thesis analyses how 'public opinion' was conceptualised by Members of the Swedish Parliament (MPs) between 1848 and 1919. The source material consists of the printed minutes from parliamentary debates where issues such as religious freedom, constitutional reform and reform of the Press were discussed. What happened to the ideal of an enlightened public opinion when the development of a large-scale industrial economy changed the nature of the Press? </p><p>Two main aspects of public opinion are analysed. Firstly, the question of what MPs considered the most reliable source of public opinion is examined. The legitimacy of manifestations claiming to represent public opinion, such as written petitions, the Press, Parliament itself, quantitative estimations and also the silent opinion was discussed. In the 1910s the voices of women were also included by some MPs when assessing public opinion.</p><p>The second main aspect is how MPs envisioned the relationship between the reliability of public opinion and the conditions for public discourse. Here an important distinction was made between public opinion formed in a free and unhindered debate and that brought about by persuasion.</p><p>The study shows that public opinion was a contested concept in the Swedish Parliament. In the 1850s, Conservatives gave the religiously conservative nature of public opinion as a reason to postpone the reform of religious laws. In debating constitutional reform, on the other hand, it was the Liberals who argued that decisions should follow public opinion. In the 1910s, the Left was divided over the relationship between public opinion and the State, with some arguing that the State should intervene in the public debate to offset the negative influence of market mechanisms. Others felt that public opinion rather than legislation should set the limits of the public discourse, especially in the case of religion, but also concerning the Press.</p>

<p>In 2001 Sweden founded the government agency of VINNOVA, named after the OECD-endorsed innovation system concept. Criticising the common assumption that countries are passive and uncritical recipients of the approaches promoted by the OECD, this dissertation tries to show that Swedish actors were in fact very active and strategic as they contributed to the national adoption of the concept.</p><p>With inspiration from conceptual history and Quentin Skinner’s analysis of the rhetorical use of concepts, this study focuses on the research funding reform process between 1995 and 2001, investigating how actors trying to defend the contested institution of sectoral research used the innovation system concept to rhetorically legitimise their project. To compare these uses with earlier ways of discussing innovation in Sweden, the innovation debate that arose in relation to the industrial crises of the 1970s and 1990s has also been studied.</p><p>It was found that the early Swedish innovation debate had paid little attention to the university sector. When <i>Research 2000</i> in 1998 proposed that researcher-dominated research councils should be given control over sectoral research funding, a coalition in favour of industrially relevant research mobilised to protect its influence over research funding. The concept was now appropriated and used to rhetorically reframe the universities as part of a system with the main function of promoting innovations. By using the concept it was also possible to draw on the legitimacy offered by the OECD and science.</p>

In 2001 Sweden founded the government agency of VINNOVA, named after the OECD-endorsed innovation system concept. Criticising the common assumption that countries are passive and uncritical recipients of the approaches promoted by the OECD, this dissertation tries to show that Swedish actors were in fact very active and strategic as they contributed to the national adoption of the concept. With inspiration from conceptual history and Quentin Skinner’s analysis of the rhetorical use of concepts, this study focuses on the research funding reform process between 1995 and 2001, investigating how actors trying to defend the contested institution of sectoral research used the innovation system concept to rhetorically legitimise their project. To compare these uses with earlier ways of discussing innovation in Sweden, the innovation debate that arose in relation to the industrial crises of the 1970s and 1990s has also been studied. It was found that the early Swedish innovation debate had paid little attention to the university sector. When Research 2000 in 1998 proposed that researcher-dominated research councils should be given control over sectoral research funding, a coalition in favour of industrially relevant research mobilised to protect its influence over research funding. The concept was now appropriated and used to rhetorically reframe the universities as part of a system with the main function of promoting innovations. By using the concept it was also possible to draw on the legitimacy offered by the OECD and science.

The aim of this thesis is to interpret and understand the concept of citizenship in general, and the European citizenship in particular, placed within a broad theoretical framework. Furthermore, the purpose is to examine whether the development of a European citizenship indicates an emergence of a new ‘post-national’ model of citizenship, based on residence rather than nationality or place of birth. In order to address this, the status of third- country nationals (TCN’s), who are legally long-term residents within the Union, in relation to EU citizens has been analysed from the theoretical perspectives. Different models of citizenship provide the paper with a theoretical framework, through which the empirical data has been examined. The theoretical approaches dealt with in this paper are the liberal, the republican/communitarian and the ‘post-national’ models of citizenship respectively. Fundamental ‘key concepts’ have been derived from these different models of citizenship, which have facilitated the analysis by providing the interpretation of the EU citizenship with an analytical framework. To find answers to the initial research questions and fulfil the aim of the paper, a qualitative and hermeneutic study has been carried out, aiming at interpreting and understanding the European citizenship placed within its socio-political context. Text and language constitute the units of analysis and, hence, a textual analysis has been conducted of official EU documents. Following a conceptual history approach, concepts are not just reflections of historical processes, but can themselves contribute to historical change by making new things imaginable. As emphasised throughout the paper, concepts embrace at the same time a ‘space of experience’ and a ‘horizon of expectation’. The main conclusions drawn from the research can be summarised in a number of points. First, while the concept of European citizenship was originally connected to a formal and economic view upon citizenship, close to a liberal/neo-liberal notion of citizenship, the texts express an aim of a more active citizenship, emphasised in the republican/communitarian tradition. Secondly, despite a multicultural and post-national rhetoric concerning the status of long-term resident TCN’s, the gaining of ‘full’ EU citizenship can still only be attained through nationality in a Member State. Thirdly, the importance of interpreting a concept placed within its socio-political context has been clear from the study. The semantic analysis has showed a close link between the European citizenship andthe goal to create an ‘area of freedom, security and justice’ throughout the Union. This goal is interpreted as a response to recent occurrences in the world, but at the same time it expresses expectations about the EU citizenship, and it can thus itself affect future developments in this field. To sum up, while the concept of European citizenship is post-national to the extent that it applies to all EU citizens irrespective of where in the Union they live, it is still not completely based on the principle of residence. Only nationals of an EU Member State can obtain citizenship of the Union. Thus, the concept of European citizenship, while establishing a citizenship across national borders, is still based on nationality.

This thesis analyses how 'public opinion' was conceptualised by Members of the Swedish Parliament (MPs) between 1848 and 1919. The source material consists of the printed minutes from parliamentary debates where issues such as religious freedom, constitutional reform and reform of the Press were discussed. What happened to the ideal of an enlightened public opinion when the development of a large-scale industrial economy changed the nature of the Press? Two main aspects of public opinion are analysed. Firstly, the question of what MPs considered the most reliable source of public opinion is examined. The legitimacy of manifestations claiming to represent public opinion, such as written petitions, the Press, Parliament itself, quantitative estimations and also the silent opinion was discussed. In the 1910s the voices of women were also included by some MPs when assessing public opinion. The second main aspect is how MPs envisioned the relationship between the reliability of public opinion and the conditions for public discourse. Here an important distinction was made between public opinion formed in a free and unhindered debate and that brought about by persuasion. The study shows that public opinion was a contested concept in the Swedish Parliament. In the 1850s, Conservatives gave the religiously conservative nature of public opinion as a reason to postpone the reform of religious laws. In debating constitutional reform, on the other hand, it was the Liberals who argued that decisions should follow public opinion. In the 1910s, the Left was divided over the relationship between public opinion and the State, with some arguing that the State should intervene in the public debate to offset the negative influence of market mechanisms. Others felt that public opinion rather than legislation should set the limits of the public discourse, especially in the case of religion, but also concerning the Press.

[pt] Este trabalho tem por objetivo refletir acerca de que forma a idéia ou o conceito de legalidade transitou pelo ambiente político do período da experiência democrática brasileira do Pós-II Guerra Mundial. Naquele momento, estar ao lado da legalidade se constituiu em um elemento fundamental do discurso de grupos políticos diversos e com propostas e soluções opostas. No período posterior ao suicídio do presidente Getúlio Vargas, particularmente durante os episódios da intervenção político-militar de novembro de 1955, da crise da renúncia de Jânio Quadros e solução parlamentarista de 1961 e do golpe de 1964, as discussões em torno da legalidade assumiram o primeiro plano. Desta forma, a conquista do argumento da legalidade, para além das conspirações, ameaças e repressões, mostrou-se primordial para o desfecho dos acontecimentos. Este trabalho busca, através da análise dos usos, significados e interpretações expressos pelos editoriais dos jornais Correio da Manhã, Diário de Notícias, Tribuna da Imprensa e Última Hora, da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, afirmar que a necessidade de se manter o país sob a proteção da legalidade norteou a ação dos formadores de opinião da sociedade brasileira, fossem eles militares ou civis. Qualquer ação que não procurasse se sustentar sob o guarda-chuva da legalidade enfrentaria fortes resistências nos mais diversos setores da sociedade. Esta, mesmo sofrendo ressiginificações, se manteve sempre presente no discurso dos atores políticos envolvidos nestes episódios. / [en] This work has the objective to reflect about the ways that the idea or the concept of legality transited by the political environment of Brazilian democratic experience during the period Post-II World War. In that moment, being on the legality side constituted in a fundamental element in the speeches from a diversity of political groups and with opposite proposals and solutions. In the period after the suicide of president Getúlio Vargas, particularly during the episodes of the political-military intervention in November of 1955, the crisis of Jânio Quadros resignation and the parliamentary solution of 1961, and the coup of 1964, the discussions about legality became a priority. This way, the use of the legality argument, beyond the conspirations, threats and repressions, was shown primordial to the happenings outcome. This work seeks, throughout the analysis of the uses, meanings and interpretations expressed by editorials from the newspapers Correio da Manhã, Diário de Notícias, Tribuna da Imprensa e Última Hora, from the city of Rio de Janeiro, to affirm that the need to maintain the country under the protection of legality guided the actions of opinion formers from Brazilian society, military and civil. Any action that wasn t supported by the protection of legality would face strong resistance in the most diverse sectors of society. The concept of legality went through re-significations, but was always present in the speech of political actors involved in these episodes.

Essa pesquisa analisou os sentidos do conceito de liberdade difundidos pelo Fórum da Liberdade de Porto Alegre no período de 1988 a 1993, isto é, durante as primeiras seis edições do encontro que é anual. Organizado pelo Instituto de Estudos Empresariais (IEE), instituição voltada à formação de lideranças empresariais, o Fórum revelou-se como um espaço privilegiado para a compreensão do neoliberalismo e do perfil relativamente novo de atuação de uma “elite orgânica” durante o período da Nova República (1985 – ). Por meio de aspectos teórico-metodológicos da História dos Conceitos alemã de Reinhart Koselleck e da História do Pensamento Político de Quentin Skinner, foi possível perceber a centralidade política do conceito em questão. “Liberdade” foi um instrumento indispensável para a tradução da necessidade econômica neoliberal e para a difusão de um estímulo de predisposição à luta política pelos discursos realizados no Fórum. Desse modo, o conceito de liberdade disseminado relacionou eventos e processos históricos coetâneos a uma projeção específica e limitada de futuro proposta pelo neoliberalismo, configurando-se em elemento discursivo indispensável para a imposição dessa expectativa. / This research has analyzed the meanings of the concept of liberty put forth by the Fórum da Liberdade of Porto Alegre in the period from 1988 to 1993, in other words, during the six firsts editions of that annual encounter. Organized by the Instituto de Estudos Empresariais (IEE), an institution dedicated to the formation of entrepreneurial leadership, the Fórum became a privileged space for the understanding of neoliberalism and the relatively new operational profile of an “organic elite” in the Brazilian New Republic. Using theoretical and methodological aspects from Reinhart Koselleck‟s Germanic Conceptual History and Quentin Skinner‟s History of Political Thought, it was possible to identify the political centrality of the studied concept. “Liberty” was an indispensable instrument for the translation of neoliberal economic needs and for the propagation of a stimulus to the predisposition for political struggle by the Fórum speeches. In this manner, the concept of freedom disseminated by the Fórum conected historical events and processes to a specific and limited projection of future, becoming an imperative discursive aspect for the impositition of this expectation.