People who are racialized in Sweden as ‘Asian’—a panethnic category—come from different countries or ethnic backgrounds and yet, often face similar, gender-specific forms of discrimination which have a significant impact on their whole lives. This thesis centres women who are racialized as 'Asian', focusing on how their racialization affects, and is shaped by, their social, professional and intimate relationships, and their interactions with others—in particular, with white majority Swedes, but also other ethnic minorities. Against a broader context encompassing discourses concerning ‘Asians’ within Swedish media, art and culture, Swedish ‘non-racist’ exceptionalism and gender equality politics, the narratives of nine women are analysed through the lenses of the racializing processes of visuality and coercive mimeticism, and epistemic injustice.

Denna studie undersöker om/hur genusmönster produceras i det verbala språket inom musikundervisning, ledd av musikterapeut, i grundsärskolans träningsinriktning. Undersökningen utgår från forskningsfynd gällande pedagogers reproducerande av genusmönster inom området skola och förskola och ämnar undersöka de av dessa fynd som faller inom ramen för den verbala kommunikationen inom kontexten musikundervisning i grundsärskolans träningsinriktning. Fem lektioner i fem klasser/grupper fördelade på tre musikterapeuter har studerats. Sammanlagt 23 elever, 9 flickor och 14 pojkar finns med i materialet. Lektionerna filmades och utskrifter av lektionerna skrevs, utifrån vilka analysen gjordes. Resultatet indikerar att samma genusmönster som observerats i tidigare forskning gällande förskola och grundskola endast observeras i enstaka delar av materialet samt att vissa genusmönster försvinner och andra förändras vilket indikerar att elever inom ramen för musikundervisning i grundsärskolans träningsinriktning befinner sig i en annorlunda kontext vad gäller genus än barn i förskola och grundskola. / This study investigates how gender is reproduced concerning verbal communication within music lessons led by music therapists in compulsory school for children with severe learning impairments. The study is based on earlier research regarding teachers reproduction of gender patterns within pree school and compulsory school, and aims to examine whether similar productions of gender patterns can be foundconcerning verbal communication in the context of compulsory school for children with severe learning impairments. Five lessons in five classes/groups conducted by three music therapists were included in the material. 23 pupils, 9 girls and 14 boys participated. The lessons were video recorded and transcripts were made of each lesson out of which the analyses were made. The result suggests that patterns similar to those observed in earlier research could only be observed in small parts of the material and that some of the gender patterns are not visible and others are different which suggests that pupils within the music education in compulsory school for children with severe learning impairments are situated in a different context regarding gender than children in preschool and compulsory school.

The premises of the Swedish tax deduction for domestic services (RUT) could in part be said to be based upon the assumption that formal employment will lead to social and gender equality. But is this always the case? The purpose of this paper is to examine ways in which the experience of influence and inclusion has been affected by formal employment amongst women from migrant backgrounds working in the Swedish domestic service sector. This group could be described as one of the more disadvantaged in society. To what extent do they experience an increased sense of influence and inclusion due to their work? Using a feminist, intersectional approach based on gender, social class and ethnicity, the experiences of these women have been analysed in order to answer the research question. Unlike related, previous research, this paper is based on a best-case scenario. Yet it still reveals a limited experience of influence and inclusion amongst women from migrant backgrounds. Working in the Swedish domestic service sector hasn’t affected their experience to any greater extent. Although the RUT employment can be said to strengthen these women’s resources in various ways, for instance by coming to the conclusion that you won’t be satisfied with poor working conditions, which in turn can lead to trade union membership, the opposite is also present. Negative assumptions about the capabilities of domestic workers and the exhausting nature of the work act as barriers. The combined experience can therefore be described as limited. If the purpose is to increase social and gender equality by affecting these women’s experience of influence and inclusion, there are other, more efficient ways, than RUT employment, to do it.

Humour has for a long time been regarded as something unproblematic that in general shouldn’t be taken seriously, and humour research has mainly focused its positive functions and effects. However, humour is indeed a social and discursive practise that, just like others, have social implications. The aim of this essay is, informed by an intersectional perspective, to problematize and critically examine stand-up comedy as discursive practise and to make visible how humour build upon dominating discourses in society. The aim is also to examine the self-contradictory dimension of the jokes. In a critical discourse analysis of Özz Nûjen’s show Dålig stämning (2013), using PC (political correctness) as an overall analytical framework, the analytical categories ‘women’ as well as ‘ethnicity and culture’ are focused. My conclusion is that in all cases of Nûjen’s prerogative of interpretation, ‘stupidity’, as the lowest common denominator, sticks to symbols, bodies and phenomenon that are associated with something deviant or negative. By what is not expressed, a white, normative Swedish PC-identity is constructed as the abstract, preferable subject. Nûjen’s stand-up comedy, i.a. in expressions of self-contradiction, proves to mainly reinforce social norms. Consequently, negative preconceptions and biased representations of reality are cemented. Though Nûjen does contribute to sociocultural change to some extent, the elaborations of the jokes in most cases prove to sustain the social order. A renegotiation of identities is therefore made strictly limited. However, in one case, Nûjen does challenge the notion of identities as fixed and essential, when renegotiating the master status and construction of “The ethnical Other woman”.

The main purpose of this dissertation is to analyse and identify problems arising from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency’s (SSIA) perceptions of parents, as they appear in the brochures targeted at expectant or new parents between 1974 and 2007. The aim is to distinguish who are being pointed out, constructed, and normalised as parents; and to analyse the functions of the recipients and the senders respectively. The aim is to be considered in the light of the SSIA’s commitment to gender equality, a policy that promotes equal access to the insurance of parents to share the parent’s insurance more equally. The dissertation is based on a theoretical framework that may principally be described as a feminist discourse analysis, which, among other things, means that a constructivist approach is of central importance. In addition, an intersectional perspective is an important starting point, putting the focus on the interaction and interdependence between different social categorisations. In four analysing chapters, the material is being tackled from different approaches or angles. In the first chapter, a picture is drawn of the institutional and political context that sets the prerequisites of the insurance regulations as well as the way the texts have been written and may be understood. The second chapter presents an analysis, in the terms of space deixis, of whom is/are being pointed out and positioned as recipient/s by SSIA. In the third chapter, an analysis of the normalised notions of parents that are identified in the texts; and of what parents are being favoured and described as ‘normal’. In the fourth chapter, the functions of the different actors are being analysed, showing how the relationship between the SSIA and the parents is constructed from in the texts. The results show that, in all brochures, parenthood is strongly gender-marked and that gender equality, above all, is to be understood as a quantitatively even distribution between mothers and fathers. In today’s brochures, the agency identifies and normalises recipients who primarily are biological mothers with orderly conditions, living in nuclear families with biological children. The older brochures have a higher level of gender neutrality in their texts, where mothers and fathers are placed equally and at the same distance from the position of the sender. The newer brochures, however, represent a wider range of social categorisations, and thus present a more complex picture of parenthood. The results also show that the function of SSIA in the texts is primarily economic, and that there is no obligation for parents to share the parent’s insurance equally, despite the political resolutions that impose this task on the agency.

Undersökningen syftar till att utforska en postsekulär variant av integrationsbegreppet, genom att kritiskt granska aktuell forskning om integration. Detta genom ett explorativt begreppsstudium som primär metodologisk ansats, ett allmänt litteraturstudium som sekundär ansats, samt ett intersektionellt perspektiv som komplementär teoretisk ansats. Undersökningens postsekulära teoretiska ramverk utgörs av Zygmunt Baumans teori om flytande modernitet, Charles Taylors teori om den dialogiska funktionen, och Seyla Benhabibs teori om deliberativ demokrati. Undersökningen visar på fem centrala dimensioner av det postsekulära integrationsbegreppet; (i) mer än enbart religion, (ii) förändrade maktförhållanden och villkor, (iii) intersektionalitet, (iv) samtida aktivism, och slutligen (v) ideal och visioner. Den första dimensionen syftar till att problematisera den vetenskapliga debatten om postsekularitet, och påpeka dess ensidiga betoning på religion och religiositet i relation till sekulära samhällen. Den andra dimensionen syftar till att undersöka maktförhållanden och villkor, med grund i historiska, ekonomiska, sociala och globala faktorer. En tredje dimension belyser den mänskliga identitetens komplexitet och dess transformation, utifrån maktrelationer och tillhörighetskategorier. Den fjärde dimensionen som trädde fram accentuerade begrepp som deliberativ demokrati, omförhandling, försoning och solidaritet. Fokus lades främst på socialt engagemang och gräsrotsinitiativ som former av aktivism. Den femte och avslutande dimensionen anspelar på idealets och visionernas betydelse, och hur dessa träder fram i samtida sekulär kontext. Med grund i undersökningens resultat, är det möjligt att påvisa hur traditionella förståelser av integrationsbegreppet framträder som otillräckliga och kontraproduktiva i strävan efter jämlik och inkluderande integration. / The purpose of this study is to explore a postsecular alternative to the concept of integration, through a critical examination of current research on integration. This is achieved through an explorative conceptual study as the primary method, a general literature study as the subordinate method, and an intersectional perspective as a complementary theoretical approach. The postsecular theoretical framework of this thesis consists of Zygmunt Bauman’s theory of liquid modernity, Charles Taylor’s theory of the dialogical function, and Seyla Benhabib’s theory of deliberative democracy. The study presents five central features of the postsecular concept of integration as being; (i) more than just religion, (ii) change in power relations and conditions, (iii) intersectionality, (iv) contemporary activism, and lastly (v) ideals and visions. The first feature aims to scrutinize the scientific postsecular debate, and point out its one-sided emphasis on religion and religiosity in relation to secular societies. The second feature aims to examine power relations and conditions, constituted by historical, economic, social and global factors. A third feature illuminates the complexity and transformation of identity, with regards to power relations and categories of belonging. The fourth feature which appeared in the study emphasized concepts like deliberative democracy, renegotiation, reconciliation and solidarity. The focal point being social commitment and grassroots- levels of initiatives as forms of activism. The fifth and concluding feature refers to the significance of ideals and visions and how these appear in contemporary secular context. Based on this study, it is possible to claim how traditional understandings of the concept of integration appear inadequate and counterproductive in the endeavor of an equal and inclusive integration.

The world is facing a global waste crisis due to half of the waste produced not being collected, treated or safely disposed of. Waste not managed in a proper way causes air and water pollution and has negative health and social impacts on people living or working close to the waste. Alt- hough evidence shows that implementing gender approaches improves environmental issues, and the majority of waste pickers are women, few organisations focused on waste management are implementing gender mainstreaming into their work. This case study examines gender main- streaming within the organisation Women in Informal Employment: Globalising and Organising (WIEGO) in relation to environmental issues. WIEGO is an international organisation working to increase the voice, visibility and validity of the working poor, with a special emphasis on women, with a core project that supports cooperative waste picker women in Brazil. The study was conducted through two interviews on local and international level and the analysis of 20 documents describing WIEGO and its work. The theories and concepts of gender mainstreaming, intersectionality, Feminist Political Ecology and Environmental Justice were used to analyse the results. The study showed that WIEGO was implementing gender mainstreaming in their opera- tive work, in the policy framework and in the waste picker projects in Brazil which has resulted in physical and emotional improvements for WIEGO employees internationally and waste pick- ers in Brazil. <<< / Världen står inför en global avfallshanteringskris där hälften av allt avfall som produceras inte insamlas, hanteras eller kasseras på ett säkert sätt. Avfall som inte hanteras säkert skapar luft- och vattenföroreningar och har negativa hälsosamma och sociala effekter för människor som lever eller arbetar nära avfallet. Trots att forskning visar att genusperspektiv förbättrar miljö- problem, och att majoriteten av avfallshanterare är kvinnor, fokuserar få organisationer som hanterar avfall på ”gender mainstreaming” i sitt arbete. Denna fallstudie undersöker ”gender mainstreaming” i organisationen Women in Informal Employment: Globalising and Organising (WIEGO) i relation till miljöproblem. WIEGO är en internationell organisation som arbetar med att öka inflytandet, synligheten och validiteten hos fattiga arbetande, med ett särskilt fokus på kvinnor, med ett kärnprogram som stöttar kooperativ av avfallshanterande kvinnor i Brasi- lien. Studien genomfördes med två intervjuer på lokal och internationell nivå och analys av 20 dokument som beskriver WIEGO och dess arbete. Teorierna och koncepten ”gender mainstrea- ming”, intersektionalitet, Feministisk Politisk Ekologi och miljörättvisa användes för att analy- sera resultaten. Studien visar att WIEGO använder sig av ”gender mainstreaming” i sitt opera- tiva arbete, i sitt policyramverk och i avfallshanteringsprojekten i Brasilien, vilket resulterat it fysiska och emotionella förbättringar för WIEGOs internationellt anställda och för de avfalls- hanterande kvinnorna i Brasilien.

Den här studien vill bidra med kunskap kring normkritisk pedagogik inom dramapedagogiken i Sverige. Det genom att belysa det svenska DRACON-projektet ur ett normkritiskt perspektiv. Det svenska DRACON-projektet är en del av det internationella DRACON-projektet vars övergripande syfte var att bygga  en bro mellan drama och konflikthantering. I bakgrunden till den här studien beskrivs dramapedagogik, svensk dramaforskning och internationell dramaforskning utifrån kritiska teorier. Normkritisk pedagogik är en kritisk pedagogik som vänder blicken mot maktstrukturer och privilegier istället för att fokusera på minoriteter eller förtryckta grupper. I det teoretiska perspektivet förklaras och fördjupas begreppet normkritisk pedagogik utifrån feministisk teori, queerteori, postkolonial teori och kritiska vithetsstudier, funktionalitet, intersektionalitet och kritisk pedagogik.   Syftet med den här undersökningen var att genom ett kritiskt makt- och identitetsperspektiv belysa det svenska DRACON-programmet. Det utifrån forskningsfrågorna: Vilka föreställningar om makt och identitet finns inbyggda det svenska DRACON-programmet? Hur förhåller sig dessa föreställningar till den normkritiska pedagogikens syn på makt och identitet?   Studien genomfördes utifrån textanalys av boken DRACON i skolan. Analysen strukturerades med hjälp av en analysmall. Resultatet tyder på att DRACON-programmet i Sverige är inkluderande och försöker ta tillvara på alla deltagares erfarenheter. Samtidigt verkar programmet sakna ett ifrågasättande av kön och genus och fördjupade analyser kring makt. Spår av postkolonialism framträder i någon enstaka lek. / The general aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of, so called, norm-critical pedagogy (normkritisk pedagogik) as part of Drama in Education in Sweden. This through looking at the Swedish DRACON-project from a norm-critical point of view. The Swedish DRACON-project is a part of the international DRACON-project which aimed at building a bridge between drama in education and conflict management. Norm-critical pedagogy is a Scandinavian term for critical pedagogy that focuses on the structures of power and privilege, rather than the oppressed. The pedagogy is explained in this paper and has its roots in queer pedagogy, queer theory, feminist theory, postcolonial theory and intersectional perspectives.   The aim of this study was to look at the Swedish DRACON-project from the critical point of view of power, privilege and identity.  The study examines the following questions: What conceptions of power and identity can be found in the Swedish DRACON-program? How do these conceptions relate to norm-critical perspectives of power, privilege and identity?   The examination is done through text analysis of the book DRACON i skolan(DRACON in school). The results indicate that the Swedish DRACON-project is inclusive and tries to seize the experiences of all participants. At the same time the project seems to lack the questioning of gender and the immersing of analyzing power structures.

I den här avhandlingen undersöks hur privilegierade representationer av femininitet och maskulinitet tar sig uttryck och konstrueras i samtida museipraktiker med fokus på Nordiska museet i Stockholm. Studien visar hur dessa musealt imaginära representationer samverkar med intersektionella aspekter som klass, etnicitet, nationalitet och sexualitet. Avhandlingen diskuterar också epistemologiska och ontologiska frågor om hur historiska narrativ skapas och hur museala artefakter kan förstås. Huvudargumentet är att de dominerande representationerna skapas med hjälp av en reducerad matris av stereotypa skript för kön, klass, etnicitet, nationalitet såväl som sexualitet, vilket kan ses som uttryck för en fallogocentrisk betydelseekonomi. Denna undersökning av samtida skript på Nordiska museet har använt teoretiska tankegångar och analytiska redskap från de överlappande kunskapsfälten sexual difference, queer- och sexualitetsforskning, genus/könsmaktforskning, kvinnohistorisk forskning, maskulinitetsforskning, postkolonial feministisk forskning, samt feminist studies of science and technology. Ett pluralistisk feministisk nomadologisk metateoretiskt ramverk har skapats för att analysera och försöka förstå det empiriska materialet utifrån de nämnda teorierna. Världen och däribland museernas verksamhet är så komplex och mångfasetterad att många olika genusteoretiska ingångar krävs för att kunna läsa och förstå olika gestaltningar. I avhandlingen ritas en översiktskarta över de fallogocentriska museala skripten upp bredvid vilken en partiellt situerad terrängkarta placeras som kastar ljus över det musealt imaginära. / This study investigates how privileged representations of femininity and masculinity are created in contemporary work at The Swedish National Museum of Cultural History, Nordiska museet, in Stockholm. The thesis shows how these representations closely intersect with the museal imaginaries of class, ethnicity, nationality and sexuality. The study gives rise to ontological questions of how historical narratives are produced and how museal artifacts are apprehended. The main argument is that the dominating representations are created through a reduced matrix of stereotyped scripts for gender, class, ethnicity, nationality and sexuality that can be understood as reflections of a phallogocentric order. This exploration of contemporary scripts at Nordiska museet is performed with analytic tools from the overlapping fields of sexual difference, queer and sexuality studies, gender studies, women’s studies, masculinity studies, post colonial feminist studies and feminist studies of science and technology. A pluralistic feministinformed nomadological metatheoretical frame is used as an umbrella to embrace these theoretical approaches. The complexity of the social world and of a museum demand different theories to be applied to different situations. A general map of the phallogocentric museal scripts is drawn, besides which a partial and locally accounted one is juxtaposed that gives shape to the museal imaginary.

This essay examines the theories of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Queer Legal Studies (QLS). CRT scholars argue that racism is not simply the product of individual prejudice but is also embedded in the legal system and other institutions. QLS scholars argue that LGBTQ+ people are subject to discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity, and that the law must be reformed to protect their rights. The first part provides a theoretical and historical background to the theories. The second part presents an empirical study of the theories' impact on Swedish law. The third part analyzes the Swedish constitutional provision on discrimination RF 2:12, with a focus on race and sexual orientation. The fourth part provides a practical analysis of Swedish court cases using the theories' methods. The fifth and final part discusses the theories' potential for the future of Swedish law. The Swedish development of anti-discrimination legislation can be understood through Hübinette and Lundström's periodization of Swedish race relations and proposes a future period of "White Understanding" and argues that the Swedish self-image is still influenced by the politics of the 20th century. The essay finds that the shame of the racist policies of the past has influenced the language of Swedish legislation. More importantly, the essay finds that the interests of the state have been prioritized over the interests of minorities. The empirical study found that the theories have had little impact on Swedish legal sources. However, the theories had a brief period of increased influence between 2004 and 2008. It also found that the theories have had some influence on the Swedish Supreme Court, as evidenced by the cases of Skattefjällsdomen and Girjasdomen.