In this investigation I will go to the bottom of the idea of progressivism by using one of the symbols of its consequences: The Titanic disaster. The purpose is to analyze the claims of Walter Lord, comparing his story with the historical development of the 1900’s and Thomas S. Kuhns theory of paradigm shifts. According to Lord the Titanic disaster changed humans’ view on the world and their place in it, leading to a paradigm shift. By using the method of hermeneutics and critical discourse analysis I will show that Lords claims, depending on the perspective, are somewhat exaggerated. Instead Titanic would become a powerful symbol for the critics of the current paradigm, which is that of progressivism. Even if the Titanic disaster led to some changes, the idea of progressivism has been able to modify and adapt itself, reproducing the current societal paradigm of progressivism.

Since the start of 2020 the coronavirus has spread across the world like wildfire. The pandemic has so far killed over one hundred thousand people in its global rampage, and has subsequently left many countries in economic and political ruins. Political opinion makers have used the crisis to highlight and concretize perceived societal flaws, and one source for this type of criticism is the social media platform Reddit, where memes are used in different forums about American politics. This study examines corona related political memes on the subreddit r/PoliticalHumor, and emphasizes and discusses what opinions, ideologies and discourses that take place on the self proclaimed politically neutral forum during the corona crisis. The theoretical framework firstly defines political memes thanks to various studies about the specific subject, supported by theories surrounding participatory culture by Henry Jenkins. We also use the theories of social constructivism, semiotics, internet social activism and a critical discourse analysis (CDA). The CDA is also the main method of the study, where we use Anabela Carvalho’s CDA model fitted for media texts. Johnny Saldaña’s thematic quantitative analysis model, and Roland Barthes semiotic analysis model about denotation and connotation further helps us to dissect and analyze the memes. The results show us that the political memes regarding corona on r/PoliticalHumor are predominantly critical towards the American power elite, and use the corona crisis to highlight the perceived flaws of the US hegemony rather than to support it. This political critique is presented in three major discourses; distrust of the power, othering of the political opponents and a collapse discourse. As a tool for opinion making in an international crisis, political memes might follow these three major discourses in other contexts.

I denna uppsats studeras den svenska strategin för klimatanpassning, i syfte att skapa förståelse för hur risk och sårbarhet framställs inom arbetet. Den globala uppvärmningen gör att negativa effekter av klimatförändringar blir vanligare, vilket även gör att katastrofer blir mer förekommande. Det är därför avgörande att samhället anpassas efter ett förändrat klimat och de risker som följer. Inom arbetet med klimatanpassning finns olika syn på risk och sårbarhet, där vissa pekar på att eftersom alla grupper i samhället inte drabbas lika hårt av klimatrelaterade konsekvenser och katastrofer behöver social kontext tas hänsyn till. Tidigare forskning menar att arbetet med klimatanpassning riskerar att bli ineffektivt och orättvist om sociala faktorer utelämnas, därför talar flera forskare för att integrera ett intersektionellt genusperspektiv. För att skapa förståelse för det svenska arbetet med klimatanpassning ställer denna uppsats frågor om hur risk och sårbarhet framställs, förstått ur intersektionell riskteori, och vilka effekter som dessa framställningar kan tänkas få. För att besvara frågeställningarna tillämpas en poststrukturalistisk ansats med hjälp av Bacchis “What is the problem represented to be”, WPR-metoden. Denna uppsats resultat visar att det finns varierande framställningar av risk och sårbarhet inom svensk klimatanpassning, där exempelvis risker kopplas till fysisk miljö, snarare än människor, och när sårbara grupper beskrivs är det oftast utan någon hänsyn till intersektionella faktorer. Detta bekräftar till stor del vad tidigare forskare har kommit fram till. Det verkar dock finnas motstånd inom diskursen om klimatanpassning, som utmanar de dominerande framställningarna, vilket tyder på att det finns potential att skapa en strategi för klimatanpassning som är både effektiv och rättvis.

The main objective of this thesis is to present a detailed analysis of the currently achieved level of common interconnection between adaptation measures to climate change and disaster risk reduction approach in selected documents. The analysis was based on a group of predetermined keywords. The theoretical basis for this research is the concept o environmental security. According to the selected theoretical concepts the thesis identifies current obstacles of the synergy of both types of measures, and offers suggestions and solutions to overcome them. Results of the analysis showed an insufficient level of interconnection between measures, especially in the internationally binding agreements. They define only the widest context of their implementation and, moreover, do not work with the aspect of building and sustaining environmental security at all. Nationally binding documents on the contrary show a detailed mutual interconnection of the both types of measures. They are sector-oriented and complement each other in the terms of more effective implementation of measures. They are as well the only documents referring directly to the need of building environmental security, as one of the basic preconditions for maintaining the overall security of natural and socioeconomic systems. Key words:...

Key words: coping, disaster psychology, Integrated Rescue System, mass causalty incident, police, psychology in crisis management, psychosocial support, resiliency, risk and protective factors. This work focuses on the area of coping in members of intervening Integrated Rescue System (IRS) bodies in rescue and disaster work following a mass traffic accident. The assumptions is that a vast mass traffic accident is a type of disaster that places increased demands on coping not only for affected citizens concerned, but also on intervening professionals. It is an unexpected, urgent, and emotionally and physically demanding event that requires flexibility, heightened cooperation between different professions, and a non-standard work performance. It is an event where it is not possible to apply routine operative procedures and management. A specific group, which this work explores in depth, is that of police officers. This professional group can be expected, in the given context, to be subjected to an increased burden in comparison to other IRS bodies - medics and firefighters. The reason for this consideration is the following list of burdensome specifics, which relate to the work of police officers in mass disasters: worse material equipment for intervention and worse availability of basic needs,...

While aiming to reach results (such as improved health status) humanitarian workers in aid organizations such as Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (RCRCM)[1], make use of outcomes in related global forums, standards and networks. Common concepts discussed related to humanitarian action are the following ones: effectiveness, local ownership and mutual accountability. In addition, concepts such as Results Based Management (RBM), highlighting the importance of delivering and accounting for results influences humanitarian organizations. Donors such as governments are pushing for RBM. The RBM reform impacts Swedish aid policy and RCRCM in Sweden, represented by Swedish Red Cross. However researchers and civil society actors find that RBM is not a silver bullet to facilitate results.   Dialogue with beneficiaries goes back to the beginnings of humanitarian action, but dialogue using social media to capture beneficiaries’ views started only around a decade back.   In this case study, I investigate RCRCM and focus on Swedish Red Cross. In particular I explore the following research problem: how does beneficiary communication and accountability using social media contribute to reaching and measuring results?   My data includes individual and focus group interviews and RCRCM guiding documents. Conclusions include that: indeed beneficiary communication and accountability contributes to reaching results and have potential to better capture results. Direct RCRCM organizational benefits are potentially huge given RCRCMs extensive worldwide community level network. The benefits include better access, more relevant activities and funding opportunities. However challenges include perceived lack of expertize, management commitment and generally slow change of mind set with regards to downward accountability. [1] A) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), B) the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and C) national societies in 189 countries around the world (see section 2.1) / När biståndsarbetare i hjälporganisationer som rödakorsrörelsen (RCRCM)[1], arbetar för att nå resultat (såsom bättre hälsa för utsatta människor) använder de sig ofta av de ambitioner som vuxit fram i biståndsrelaterade globala fora, nätverk och standards såsom: effektivitet, lokalt ägarskap samt ömsesidigt ansvarsskyldighet och ansvarsutkrävande. Samtidigt har begrepp som ”result based management” (RBM) fått stort inflytande på humanitära organisationer när det gäller vikten av att nå och visa på konkreta resultat. Finansiärer, såsom regeringar, ställer allt tuffare krav på RBM metodik används genom ett starkt inflytande på svenskt bistånd och därmed på RCRCM i Sverige, företrätt av Svenska Röda Korset. Dock finns både forskare och humanitära organisationer civila som hävdar att RBM knappast är någon patentlösning vare sig för att nå eller visa på resultat. Medan dialog med biståndsmottagare funnits så länge bistånd funnits har systematisk dialog med hjälp av sociala medier för att få förmånstagarnas synpunkter bara skett ett tiotal år. I denna fallstudie undersöker jag RCRCM med fokus på Svenska Röda Korset. I synnerhet studerar jag följande forskningsproblem: hur bidrar dialog med och ansvarighet gentemot förmånstagare som sker med sociala medier till att nå och mäta resultat?Mitt material inkluderar individuella- och fokusgruppsintervjuer samt studier av RCRCMs styrdokument. Slutsatser inkluderar att: direkta organisatoriska fördelar för RCRCM av dialog med mottagare är potentiellt enorma givet RCRCM världsomspännande lokala nätverk. Fördelarna inkluderar ökad möjlighet att nå de mest utsatta, mer relevanta insatser och bättre finansiering. Bland utmaningarna som lyfts är brist på expertis och ägarskap hos organisatio-nens ledning och svårighet till byte av ’mind set’ vad gäller nedåtgående ansvarighet. [1] A) Internationella rödakorskommittén (ICRC), B) Internationella rödakors-och rödahalvmånefederationen (IFRC) och C) nationella föreningar in 189 länder i världen (se sektion 2.1)

In an increasingly interconnected, and electricity-reliant world, households are asked to build up their resilience to crises. Local, distributed electricity production within a microgrid with capability to operate disconnected from the larger grid has been shown to be an effective tool for increasing power system resilience in the past. The energy production of local renewable sources is, however, not sufficient in meeting normal household energy demand. This thesis explores whether the forming of communities can be utilised to reduce energy demand and as a result, increase the resiliency of both the community and urban environments. The analysis of household energy use and the subsequently developed toolbox provide insights into energy use both under normal societal function and during a crisis. Through living and cooking together as a community, significant energy-efficiency gains were possible, exceeding those reasonably achieved within each individual household. Community was further determined to be important in the planning and development of more resilient combinations of renewable energy, going beyond solar power. When implemented in theoretical scenarios, energy communities at a building and block level could provide sufficient energy for the households’ most immediate needs without major sacrifices of wellness. The scheme proposed is argued to require not only monetary investments, but also larger societal shifts. Producing sufficient quantities of electricity within urban environments will mean a large change in how cities are experienced. Public understanding and acceptance for such a change is likely to be necessary. Through the implementation, the role of the municipality would go from action-taking to mostly laying the groundwork for the formation of communities, as well as advising these as they achieve higher household resilience. Most critically, however, there is a need for the broader population to embrace working together in communities.