Energy issues have always been on the global economics and geopolitics agenda, even though energy sources have been changing over time. In recent years, the awareness of Arctic offshore oil and natural gas development has escalated, yielding economic opportunities and incurring risks. The offshore Arctic is one of ‘edges’ of the global petroleum industry. The importance of these oil and natural gas resources extends beyond regional and national boarders and local economies, as these activities have become a key geopolitical, economic, and social concern. In an attempt to shed light on this growing issue, this thesis outlines the Arctic is a link in the global energy system and shows how it plays a special role. The aim of this research is to provide deeper insight into offshore hydrocarbon development activities in the Arctic. Historical approach is applied as a main conceptual framework to provide a critical link of past to the present in order to explore the origin and intensity of these activities in the Arctic. This licentiate thesis presents the results of an ongoing doctoral research project. The study provides several insights into Arctic offshore oil and natural gas resources development in the global context via an analysis of the relevant investments and technology from a country-by-country and historical perspective in the maximum period time frame between 1920 and 2025. The two papers included in this thesis explore the impact of investment and technology. This research project illustrates the importance of several factors influencing the Arctic offshore oil and natural gas production and highlights the most promising areas for cooperation at the industrial and global level. The implications of the study results can be useful for identifying and emphasizing the factors that influence offshore Arctic hydrocarbon resource development and investment trends, as well as making assumptions regarding future development. Topics for further research are discussed and refined relating to the ongoing study and the conceptual framework presented. / <p>QC 20150407</p>

We live in an ever-changing environment: globalisation is moving forward rapidly; the effects of Climate Change can be felt worldwide, anthropogenic resource extraction is ongoing and global pandemics are bringing up unexpected challenges. Evidence of these changes are everywhere, but significantly the polar regions are dramatically affected and aspect of geopolitical interest. Until now, little emphasis has been put on understanding Arctic communities’ transformations and their livelihoods due to those accelerating changes.One of these polar regions is the northernmost town of the world, Longyearbyen, on the Archipelago of Svalbard, governed through Norway under the ‘Svalbard Treaty’. The town is transforming from a mining-based community towards a service-based community, focusing on tourism, research and education. As Norway only holds sovereignty over the Archipelago but all signatory countries of the Treaty hold equal commercial rights over the island, the place is caught between geopolitical visions and local reality. The thesis at hand questions how the future of Longyearbyen is imagined in the face of accelerating global and local challenges. Based on the theoretical framework of imaginaries and explicitly Arctic imaginaries, the research uses a form of discourse analysis to investigate those. The discursive approach by Bacchi called “What’s the problem represented to be?” (WPR) was applied as a method to simplify the critical analysis of public policies. The latest policy on Svalbard’sfuture development, “The White Paper for Svalbard” from 2016, was critically examined, which presentsa clear governmental imaginary to maintain Norwegian communities on the Archipelago. Following the WPRapproach, it has further been analysed how that governmental imaginary has historically come about. In the last step, an extensive media analysis was conducted to examine how the governmental imaginary has developed, been questioned or disrupted by other emerging local imaginaries. This research portraits the common grounds, discrepancies, and entanglement of imaginaries from various levels of Longyearbyen’s community, ranging from local to institutional, to enable a profound conversation about Longyearbyen’s future. / Världen vi lever i förändras ständigt; globaliseringen rör sig snabbt framåt, klimatförändringarnas styrka kan kännas över hela jordklotet och människan fortsätter alltjämt att utvinna naturtillgångar medan globala pandemier genererar oförutsägbara utmaningar. Spår av dessa förändringar finns överallt, men polarregionerna påverkas särskilt drastiskt och har blivit av stort geopolitiskt intresse. Hittills har ytterst lite arbete lagts ner för att förstå de arktiska samhällenas omställning och uppehälle underdessa nya förutsättningar. Ett av dessa samhällen är världens nordligaste stad Longyearbyen som är belägen på ögruppen Svalbard och styrs genom Norge under Svalbardtraktaten. Staden som tidigare försörjde sig i princip uteslutande på gruvnäring har nu blivit ett tjänstesamhällemed fokus på turism, forskning och utbildning. Eftersom Norge enbart har suveräniteten över ögruppen och delar de kommersiella rättigheterna på Svalbard med övriga undertecknade länder i traktaten hamnar platsen ofta i kläm mellan geopolitiska intressen och den lokala verkligheten. Det här examensarbetet ifrågasätter hur Longyearbyens framtid framställs inför dess tilltagande globala och lokala utmaningar. Baserat på den teoretiska ramen för visioner (”imaginaries”) och uttryckligen arktiska visioner använder undersökningen en form av diskursanalys. Bacchis WPR-metod (”What’s the problem represented to be?”) användes för att förenkla och kritiskt analysera offentliga bestämmelser. Den senaste policyn för Svalbards framtida utveckling från 2016, som kallas ”The White Paper for Svalbard”, undersöktes noggrant och visade på en tydlig politisk ambition att bibehålla den norska majoriteten inom ögruppens samhällen. Med hjälp av WPR-metoden kunde dessutom den historiska utvecklingen av denhär ambitionen analyseras. Slutligen genomfördes en omfattande mediaanalys för att undersöka hur dessa politiska visioner har utvecklats, ifrågasatts eller påverkats av andra framväxande, lokala visioner. Det här arbetet porträtterar de gemensamma grunderna, avvikelserna och sammanflätningen av visioner i Longyearbyen, på såväl lokal som institutionell nivå, för att möjliggöra en djupgående diskussion kring Longyearbyens framtid.

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Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka vilken syn tekniklärare på högstadiet har på elevers förutsättningar för och intresse av teknikämnet. Uppsatsen vill även ta reda på ifall det finns skillnader mellan eleverna baserat på kön och genus och vilka hinder, respektive möjligheter, som existerar för att lärarna ska kunna bedriva en (mer) inkluderande teknikundervisning. Utifrån detta syfte har uppsatsens två frågeställningar formulerats som följer:  1a. Vad har lärare för uppfattningar om elevers intresse för och förhållningssätt till teknikämnet? 1b. Ser lärarna någon skillnad mellan könen? 2. Vilka hinder och möjligheter för en inkluderande undervisning i teknikämnet identifierar lärare? För att besvara syfte och frågeställningar har fyra tekniklärare intervjuats. Intervjuerna har genomförts i semistrukturell form, grundad i kvalitativ metod, tillsammans med en intervjuguide omfattande tio frågor. Intervjusvaren har transkriberats och utgjort uppsatsens empiriska material. Med hjälp av tematisk analys har materialet bearbetats och teman, subteman och koder har identifierats och konstruerats. Baserat på identifierade koder konstruerades tre övergripande teman: teknikintresse och förhållningssätt till ämnet (1), den könsstereotypa bilden av teknik (2) och teknikämnets utveckling och kompetens (3). Uppsatsen landar i slutsatsen att lärare anser att killar har större självförtroende i teknikämnet. De är även mer intresserade av praktiskt arbete och benägna att ”göra först, tänka sen” när de sätter igång med sitt arbete. Tjejerna är mindre roade av det praktiska arbetet som sådant utan vill veta vilket syfte en viss konstruktion eller ett visst arbete ska ha för att bli motiverade. Lärarna såg framförallt olika ramfaktorer som hinder för att utveckla undervisningen i teknikämnet så att den kan bli mer inkluderande. Det har med budget, planeringstid, material och lokaler att göra. Även teknikämnets låga status sågs som ett hinder, eftersom lärarna uppfattade att andra ämnet prioriterades högre av såväl elever som skolledning. Läroplanens utveckling sågs som någonting positivt och något som bidrog till att utveckla ämnet. Lärarna såg dock ett behov av fortbildning, både när det kommer till den nya teknik som ska undervisas om och genusperspektiv som kan bidra till en mer inkluderande undervisning. / The purpose of this essay is to investigate the view of technology teachers at junior high school on students' prerequisites for and interest in the technology subject. The essay also wants to find out if there are differences between the students based on sex and gender and what obstacles, respectively opportunities, exist for the teachers to be able to conduct a (more) inclusive technology education. Based on this purpose, the essay's two research questions have been formulated as follows:  1a. What are teachers' perceptions of students' interest in and approach to the subject of technology? 1b. Do the teachers see any difference between the sexes? 2. What obstacles and opportunities for inlcusive teaching in subject of technology do teachers indentify? In order to answer the purpose and questions, four technology teachers have been interviewed. The interviews have been conducted in semi-structured form, based on a qualitative method, together with an interview guide comprising ten questions. The interview responses have been transcribed and used as the essay's empirical material. Using thematic analysis, the material has been processed and themes, sub-themes and codes have been identified and constructed. Based on identified codes, the analysis resulted in the construction of three overarching themes: technology interest and approach to the subject (1), the gender stereotypical image of technology (2) and the technology subject's development and competence (3). The essay concludes that teachers believe that boys have greater self-confidence in the subject of technology. They are also more interested in practical work and inclined to "do first, think later" when they start their work. The girls are less amused by the practical work as such, but want to know what purpose a certain construction or a certain work should have in order to be motivated. Above all, the teachers saw various framework factors that hinder the development of teaching in the subject of technology so that it can become more inclusive. It has to do with budget, planning time, materials and premises. The low status ofthe technology subject was also seen as an obstacle, because the teachers perceived that other subjects were given higher priority by both students and school management. The development of the curriculum was seen as something positive and something that contributed to developing the subject. However, the teachers saw a need for continuing education, both when it comes to the new technology to be taught and gender perspectives that can contribute to more inclusive teaching.

This licentiate thesis describes and analyses the modern history of the socio-technical systems for urban water supply and sanitation in East Africa with focus on Uganda and Kenya. The key objective of the thesis is to evaluate to what extent the historic processes frame and influence the water and sanitation services sectors in these countries today. The theoretical approach combines the Large Technical Systems approach from the discipline of History of Technology with New Institutional Economics. Throughout, urban water and sanitation service systems are regarded as socio-technical systems, where institutions, organisation and technology all interact. The thesis consists of three separate articles and a synthesis in the form of a framework narrative. The first article provides a discussion of the theoretical framework with special focus on the application of Public Goods theory to urban water and sanitation. The second article describes the establishment of the large-scale systems for water supply and sanitation in Kampala, Uganda in the period 1920-1950. The third article focuses on the politics of urban water supply in Kenya with emphasis on the period 1900-1990. The main findings in this thesis are that the socio-technical systems for urban water and sanitation evolve over long periods of time and are associated with inertia that makes these systems change slowly. The systems were established in the colonial period to mainly respond to the needs and preferences of a wealthy minority and a technological paradigm evolved based on capital-intensive and large-scale technology. Attempts to expand services to all citizens in the post-colonial period under this paradigm were not sustainable due to changes in the social, political and economic environment while incentives for technological change were largely absent. History thus frames decisions in the public sphere even today, through technological and institutional inertia. Knowing the history of these socio-technical systems is therefore important, in order to understand key sector constraints, and for developing more sustainable service provision. / <p>QC 20101122</p>

The identity of the Tin Can Tourists of the World, the first recreation automobile organization, has been poorly defined in the historical discourse, the factors contributing to the 1919 formation of the organization in Tampa, Florida represents a landmark shift in tourism in America towards the automobile. The group’s subsequent solidification of a distinct identity gives insight beyond their organization. The thesis defines their identity as well as looks at their impact on American automobility and tourism. The thesis therefore focuses on the previously undefined concept of recreational automobility giving it definition and showing how the group helped to define it. The group’s early role in mass use and adaptation of the automobile for recreation represents the first steps in creating a market for recreational vehicles. The imposition of organization on the camping experience by the Tin Can Tourists and their influence on creating special places for the practice of their activities helped define recreational automobility. The footprint left by the Tin Can Tourists helped shape part of America’s modern tourist industry. The legacy of their ideas about recreational automobility also suggests influence they had on later groups using recreational vehicles. This thesis examines and clarifies the identity and influence of the Tin Can Tourists of the World as a window on important trends in automobility and tourism.

This thesis examines the video game industry within the United States from the first game that was created in 1958 until the shift to Japanese dominance of the industry in 1985, and how white, middle class masculinity was reflected through the sphere of video gaming. The first section examines the projections of white, middle class masculinity in U.S. culture and how that affected the types of video games that the developers created. The second section examines reflections of this masculine culture that surrounded video gaming in the 1970s and 1980s in the developers, gamers, and the media, while demonstrating how the masculine realm of video gaming was constructed. Lastly, a shift occurred after the 1980 release of Pac-Man, which led to a larger number of women gamers and developers, as well as an industry that embraced a broader audience. It concludes with the crash of the video game industry within the United States in 1983, which allowed Japanese video game companies to gain dominance in video gaming worldwide instead of the U.S. companies, such as Atari.

Die vorliegende Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit der Fragestellung, ob das Drahtziehverfahren bereits im Altertum zur Anwendung kam und nicht, wie in der bisherigen Forschung angenommen, erst im Frühmittelalter einsetzte. Um diese Fragestellung zu klären, wurden Drähte unterschiedlicher Produktgattungen untersucht und experimentalarchäologisch mit der Expertise des Goldschmieds und Restaurators Frank Willer nachgeahmt. Während einige Drähte aus einem Blech gezogen sind, konnte für den Draht des Kettenpanzers aus der Tiefenau bei Bern anhand einer metallographischen Analyse das Ziehen aus einem massiven Rohling nachgewiesen werden. Auch die Untersuchung der für das Drahtziehen benötigten Werkzeuge unterstützt die Annahme, dass das Drahtziehverfahren früher als bisher vermutet bekannt gewesen war. Durch eine materialwissenschaftliche Analyse der Zieheisen und -bronzen konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass diese Werkzeuge den Anforderungen für das Ziehen von Drähten entsprechen. Ein weiteres Argument für das Drahtziehen im Altertum besteht aus der chronologischen und geographischen Korrelation zwischen dem Einsetzen von Kettenpanzern und dem Aufkommen von Zieheisen innerhalb des Latènekreises. Für die Produktion von Kettenpanzern wurde Draht in großen Mengen benötigt, weswegen die Nutzung des im Vergleich ökonomischeren Drahtziehverfahrens naheliegend ist. Somit lässt sich das Ziehen von Drähten zwar schon vereinzelt für die Bronzezeit nachweisen, doch eine weite Verbreitung dieser Innovation geschieht erst ab der Früh- oder Mittellatènezeit mit der Nutzung von Kettenpanzern. Solch eine verzögerte Diffusion einer Innovation stellt keine Ausnahme innerhalb der Technikgeschichte dar und ist dadurch zu erklären, dass eine Innovation, die nicht fortgeführt wurde, an einem geographisch und zeitlich unterschiedlichem Punkt der Geschichte erneut auftreten kann, da es sich um eine konvergente Entwicklung handelt, bei der dieselben Rahmenbedingungen und Anforderungen vorliegen. / The doctoral thesis examines the question of whether the wire drawing process was already used in antiquity and not, as assumed in previous research, first began in the early Middle Ages. In order to elucidate this question, the wires of different products were examined and imitated experimentally with the expertise of the goldsmith and conservator Frank Willer. While some wires were drawn from a sheet metal, by metallographic analysis the wire of the mail armour from Tiefenau near Bern was drawn from a solid blank. The investigation of the tools required for wire drawing also supports the assumption that the wire drawing process was known earlier than previously assumed. A materials science analysis of the drawplates showed that these these Bronze and Iron Age tools met the requirements for wire drawing. Another argument for wire drawing in antiquity is the chronological and geographical correlation between the introduction of mail armour and the frequent use of drawplates within the Latène circle. The production of mail armour required considerable quantities of wire, so the use of the more economical wire drawing process compared to hammering or torsion techniques is obvious. Although the drawing of wire can be proven for the Bronze Age in certain cases, this innovation was not widely spread and established until the Early or Middle Latène Period onwards with the use of mail armour and the accompanying higher demand for wires. Such a delayed diffusion of an innovation is not an exception within the history of technology and can be explained by the fact that an innovation that was not continued can reappear at a geographically and temporally different point in history, since it is a convergent development in which the same underlying conditions and requirements are present.

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