This essay studies and compares three clergymen that were stationed in Sápmi during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and their writings that deal with the Saami population of the northern parts of Sweden. How they portray the Saami people and their culture is analyzed though postcolonial concepts as Edward Said’s othering and other concepts by the likes of Loomba, Lincoln and Pratt.  The three priests portrayal of the Saami people and their culture are similar In that way that they all confirm some of the colonial stereotypes of the Saami during the time they were writing. But especially one of the priests stands out in his effort to give a nuanced portrayal of the Saami people.

This study deals with the historical development around the arguments for women's eligibility for the priesthood in the Church of Sweden between the years 1923-1950. Based on two government investigations in 1923 and 1950, I present the argument that emerges and how this relates to the gender order and social structures of the time. My purpose of the study is to provide an insight into the multifaceted debate that this issue gave rise to. My questions are: what arguments for or against the female priesthood were put forward in these investigations and how were these related to understandings of male and female? I will methodically use a qualitative text analysis based on the hermeneutic spiral and take as a starting point the gender theories of previous research to answer these questions. The study shows how the presented arguments in several ways formed a distinction between men and women. The argument was also developed during these years and the study shows how it is connected with an overall changed gender order and societal structures.

The purpose of this study is to see how present the heteronormative is perceived to be within Christian contexts in Sweden today. I have conducted an interview study with priests, pastors, and deacons who either belong to the Swedish Church or the Equmenia Church to get an insight into what their experiences are about norms connected to gender identity and sexuality. I have also included a perspective on the culture of silence that has been shown to be present in previous research to see if it is something the informants have noticed in their workplaces. The interviews have been of a qualitative nature and carried out semi-structured. The material on which the analysis is based is the experiences of the informants. The study's theoretical framework is based on Judith Butler's gender theory of heteronormative and what consequences this can have for those who do not fit into the template for how the norm says a person should be. The results show that heteronormativity is present in the Swedish Christian contexts today, but that there are many people who want to work so that everyone can feel welcome. All informants believe that silence arises in some way related to LGBTQI, even if not all mention a pronounced culture of silence. There is still much to do so that the church can be a safe place for all people, but there are people who want to work for a church that affirms the identities of all people.

This is a study of spiritual leadership to examine the spiritual leadership in the Swedish church. I have interview eight priests about their work as a spiritual leader. Some of them worked in the north of Sweden in small communities. Others work I community nearby a bigger city in north of Sweden. They are all leaders of the staff in their church and I find that they had too much administrative work to do and some felt that they didn`t have enough time for the spiritual leadership. They all say that Jesus Christ was their ground and the new testimony. They all thought that a spiritual leader should inspirit and support people, some of them thought about their own church and the people around were like their ships and they will help and look after everybody. Some of them though to be a spiritual leader is a work and when they didn`t work their own family was the most important. Spiritual leadership can be to inspire and support other people.

Inledning: Svenska kyrkan införde 2011 en ny modell för verksamhetsindelning. Syftet var bland annat att skapa en gemensam intern redovisning där kyrkans grundläggande uppgift delas upp på kostnadsställen. Syfte: Uppsatsen syftar till att undersöka vilken styrning som passar för Svenska kyrkan. Förutsättningarna för att möjliggöra en styrning för ökad måluppfyllelse kommer att studeras. Uppsatsen syftar också till att utvärdera användningen av Svenska kyrkans nya verksamhetsindelning och motivera hur organisationens ledning och styrning kan förbättras. Metod: Studien genomfördes som en explorativ utvärderingsstudie och undersöker om den nya verksamhetsindelningen förändrat styrningen. En enkätundersökning skickades ut till alla kyrkoherdar och ordförande i kyrkoråd. Svarsalternativen var en attitydskala mellan 1-5 som analyserades med hjälp av medianer. Resultat: Svenska kyrkan är en organisation som styrs av traditioner och värderingar, men ändå har infört ett traditonellt ekonomistyrsystem. Organisationen har förutsättningar för att styras med hjälp av normer och värderingar så länge avstånden mellan ledning och verksamhet är små. I takt med att organisationen växer och blir mer komplex krävs en annan typ av styrning. Den mest effektiva styrningen för Svenska kyrkan skulle vara en målstyrning där ledningen sätter upp mål med tillhörande mått. Sedan har den anställde möjlighet att själv avgöra på vilket sätt målen ska uppnås. / Introduction: The Swedish church have introduced a new accounting model. The aim was to create a common internal accounting where the Church's fundamental mission is divided into cost centers. Purpose: The paper aims to examine the most effective management for the Swedish Church. The paper also aims to evaluate the use of the Swedish church's new accounting system and motivate how the organization's leadership and management can be improved. Method: The study was an exploratory evaluation study to examine how the new method changed the management. A questionnaire where sent to all vicars and chairmen of the church council. The answers within an attitude scale between 1-5 was analyzed by using medians. Results: The Swedish church is an organization managed by traditions and values but yet has introduced a traditional management control systems. The organization has potential to be controlled using values as long the organization is small. As the organization grows, a different type of control is needed. The most effective control for the Swedish Church would be a target management where the management sets goals and related measurements. Then, the employees has the opportunity to decide how the objectives will be achieved.

What does the Swedish church Västerås stand for today according to the employees and how do they want to profile themselves to the target group? What image and what expectations does the target group have of the Swedish church Västerås? How can the Swedish church Västerås communicate uniform, with the intent to create mutual value with the target group? The purpose of the study is to make recommendations to the Swedish church Västerås for their prospective communication plan by examining their profile and target group's image and expectations of the organization. The study also aims to examine how the Swedish church Västerås can communicate their brand uniform. The study applies a qualitative research with deductive approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of the employees and focus groups with a sample of the target group. Better match between profile and image means that SkVs employees better understand the organization and can communicate more uniform which leads to a stronger brand identity. If SkV understands what is relevant for their target group, they can reduce the total cost of customer delivered value and thus increase the total value. By increasing brand awareness SkV can create positive associations, by focusing on what is most relevant to the target group, which is less religious aspects of the business and a more emotional relationship. This contributes to increased value for SkV and the target group when a mutual relationship is created. / Vad står Svenska kyrkan Västerås för idag enligt de anställda och hur vill de profilera sig mot målgruppen? Vilken image och vilka förväntningar finns hos målgruppen på Svenska kyrkan i Västerås? Hur ska Svenska kyrkan Västerås kommunicera enhetligt med avsikt att skapa ömsesidigt värde med målgruppen? Studiens syfte är ge rekommendationer till Svenska kyrkan Västerås för den blivande kommunikationsplanen genom att undersöka deras profil samt målgruppens image och förväntningar på organisationen. Studien syftar även till att undersöka hur Svenska kyrkan Västerås kan kommunicera sitt varumärke enhetligt. Studien tillämpar en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med deduktiv ansats. Data samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med personal samt fokusgrupper bestående av ett urval av målgruppen. Bättre överensstämmelse mellan profil och image innebär att SkVs anställda får större förståelse för organisationen och kan kommunicera mer enhetligt vilket leder till en starkare varumärkesidentitet. Om SkV förstår vad som är relevant för sin målgrupp kan de minska den totala kostnaden för customer delivered value och på så sätt öka det totala värdet. Genom att öka varumärkeskännedom kan SkV skapa positiva associationer till varumärket, genom det mest relevanta för målgruppen med mindre religiösa inslag i verksamheten och en mer emotionella relation. Detta bidrar till ökat värde för SkV och målgruppen då en ömsesidig relation skapas.

<p><p>The purpose of this essay is to examine clergywomen’s experience of discrimination within the Swedish church as to clergywomen’s opinions about their work and their work situation and how they handle contingent discrimination. The method used in this essay is qualitative, and in order to create an understanding of the topic we have used semi structured interviews and text analysis. Three clergywomen have been interviewed and in addition to this we have studied four clergywomen's reports to JämO regarding gender discrimination. The analysis is based upon a social constructivist perspective and Hirdman's gender system theory. The clergywomen that were interviewed experienced that they have unique qualities that male priests lack. Two of the interviewees stated that they have never been discriminated within the Swedish church. However, all three clergywomen described situations where female- and male priests are treated differently. Our conclusions are that clergywomen are using different kind of strategies to handle discrimination on their workplace. Two of the reports to JämO regarding discrimination were about the possibility to get recruited, and the other two were about differences in wages. In three of the cases JämO could not prove discrimination and in one case were rejected in the work tribunal.</p></p>

The purpose of this essay is to examine clergywomen’s experience of discrimination within the Swedish church as to clergywomen’s opinions about their work and their work situation and how they handle contingent discrimination. The method used in this essay is qualitative, and in order to create an understanding of the topic we have used semi structured interviews and text analysis. Three clergywomen have been interviewed and in addition to this we have studied four clergywomen's reports to JämO regarding gender discrimination. The analysis is based upon a social constructivist perspective and Hirdman's gender system theory. The clergywomen that were interviewed experienced that they have unique qualities that male priests lack. Two of the interviewees stated that they have never been discriminated within the Swedish church. However, all three clergywomen described situations where female- and male priests are treated differently. Our conclusions are that clergywomen are using different kind of strategies to handle discrimination on their workplace. Two of the reports to JämO regarding discrimination were about the possibility to get recruited, and the other two were about differences in wages. In three of the cases JämO could not prove discrimination and in one case were rejected in the work tribunal.

<p>The aim of this paper is to describe and explain how the separation between state and church effects the power relations between state and religious groups and organizations. Former state church, The Swedish church, is in this paper, not included in the definition of religious groups. The reform (“stat-kyrka reformen”) took place between 1995 and year 2000.I’m examining if religious groups had any influence on the reform. My expectation is to give a clearer picture of religious groups and its power position in Swedish politics and society. A process-tracing method is used. I use different theories, theory of power and influence and theory of collective action. The reason for the decision to separate church and state was to handle social changes such as increasing secularism, pluralism and multiculturalism. This paper can however conclude that the state, after the reform, has shown an even greater, less secular, determination to connect with religious groups. I can also conclude that these religious groups had influence on the reform itself, partly because of its power resources and partly because its ability for collective actions.</p>

<p>This thesis deals with questions concerning ongoing constructions of heterosexuality as a norm in the Swedish church. Empirically the study is based partly on interviews with thirteen homo- and bisexual priests, one district visitor and one church politician and partly on some of the church’s own inquiries and documents concerning the question of Christianity and ”deviant” sexuality.</p><p>The aim for this study is to examine how norms for sexuality, coexistence and gender are repeated in the documents created by the Swedish church itself about homosexuality and Christianity and to discern how these norms are present and have sense – are reproduced, challenged and transformed in life stories of Christian homo- and bisexual individuals. To be able to see how the notion of homosexuality as abnormal is reproduced, secured and challenged I have chosen to interpret texts, observations and life stories from a critical discourse perspective. In this theoretical tradition it is central to stress how, or rather to investigate what strategies are used to produce and maintain notions of ”abnormality”.</p><p>One dominating view in the discussions within the church is that homosexuals and heterosexuals have equal value but that partnership cannot be equated with marriage. This understanding is expressed in my examples of formations of heteronormativity within the church.</p><p>In the interview persons’ narratives there are discourses represented that are articulated in the church’s own inquiries but the narratives also express counter discourses. They speak about themselves in relation to, for example, imperative heterosexuality, homosexual ideals, core family ideals, theological way of thinking and dichotomizing understanding of gender. I have identified several ”uses” in the narratives and all of them are contained in an overall Christian homosexual ”us”.</p><p>Instead of viewing themselves as being ”wrong” some of the interview persons have moved the problem to the heteronormativity. Experiences of not being part of the norm have made them strong and willing to struggle and fight for their rights. This position, outside the norm, is by some viewed positively. The homosexuals’ experiences of oppression have led to a desire to liberate the church from homophobia and show ”the true” church, where no one is discriminated.</p><p>Homosexuals are accepted within the church, but only as deviants. This way heterosexuality is being made the superior category. Its meaning and superior position cannot be questioned according to many of the church’s representatives. Still, this is exactly what is happening when homosexuals are increasingly visible to the public and when they challenge the heterosexual norm. This provocation makes the heterosexual norm visible and forces representatives of the norm to deal with it!</p>