This thesis is a contribution to the research of media discourse. During the last decades the media landscape has changed dramatically. These changes have been especially evident in German TV programs and the rise of private TV channels. The purpose of this thesis is to explore some of these changes more thoroughly, focusing on the live TV coverage of three soccer matches during the Soccer World Cups of 1974 and 2006 in Germany. The major research question is how these commentaries changed over the years. The thesis analyses how the reporters describe the players, the team and the coach, as well as the sport and the match itself. The relationships between the reporters and their respective audiences as well as the changing functions of the reporters are subsequently examined. The methodological approach used is Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 2001; Fowler 1985; van Dijk, 2001). It provides a framework that allows analysing of language in its cultural and social context. Hence, discourse is seen as “language as a form of social practice” (Fairclough, 2001, p.18). Cultural and social contexts as well as extralinguistic factors such as images and sounds are also considered part of the discourse. The overall results indicate that in 2006 soccer has taken on greater importance in the lives of the audience. Live broadcasts of soccer matches have turned more and more into spectacles. This has led to phenomena such as the media’s growing preoccupation with entertainment (“infotainment”). Besides that, an increased presence of the ‘private’ in the public sphere can be discerned. In conclusion, this thesis identifies five principles prevalent in current live media broadcasts: commercialization, individualization, emotionalization, identification, and globalization. Even though some of these principles had already begun to emerge in the 1974 broadcast, their presence in 2006 attests to their increased importance in the German media landscape over time.

The purpose of the study is to expose how the US newspaper New York Times and the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter mediate the war in Afghanistan. Furthermore a comparison is done to map out possible differences and similarities. To fulfill the purpose of the study a critical discourse analysis has been used. The results have shown both differences and similarities between the newspapers. The main conclusions are tendencies of correspondence with previous research and theoretical base, such as the furtherance of elite sources, the promotion of the national political agenda and the national identity and an obvious construction of us and them.

Abstract The purpose of this essay is to study how undocumented migrants situation is constructed inSwedish massmedia discourse. The purpose has also been to study how the compromisedhuman rights of undocumented migrants in Sweden are legitimated in massmedia discourseand how resistance is constructed. The following main questions have been processed in this essay: - How are undocumented migrants and their situation constructed in Swedish massmediadiscourse?- How is society’s part in the situation constructed? Following questions are related to the main questions:- How is the situation that undocumented migrants face in Sweden legitimated in discourse?-What social consequences do the constructions have for undocumented migrants and for theSwedish society? The questions have been answered through a discourse analysis on empirical materialconsisting of ten news clips from Swedish public service television SVT and ten articles fromthe online editions of the main national newspapers Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Aftonbladet and Expressen. The analysis was done with analytic methods from discursivepsychology and with the sociological theories at hand in this essay. The conclusions drawn from the analysis are that the situation is constructed according todifferent interpretative repertoires drawing on humanitarian discourses and economicdiscourses, which lead to separate social consequences and ideological categorisations of ”usand them”. The rethoric constructions of the situation in massmedia contributes to thelegitimation of the marginalisation of undocumented migrants in Sweden through the focus onpolitical and financial aspects and the legal status of the migrant before human rights. / Sammanfattning Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur irreguljära migranter, eller ”papperslösa” flyktingars situation konstrueras diskursivt i svensk massmedia. Syftet är även att studera hur ”papperslösa” flyktingars villkorade mänskliga rättigheter i Sverige legitimeras diskursivt i massmedia och hur konstruktioner av motmakt görs. Följande frågeställningar behandlas i uppsatsen: - Hur konstrueras ”papperslösa” flyktingar och deras situation diskursivt i svensk massmedia?- Hur konstrueras samhällets roll i situationen? Följande underfrågor är relaterade till frågeställningarna:- Hur legitimeras situationen som ”papperslösa” ställs inför i Sverige diskursivt?- Vilka sociala konsekvenser kan konstruktionerna ha för ”papperslösa” och för samhället? Frågeställningarna besvaras genom en diskursanalys av ett empiriskt urval bestående av tio nyhetsinslag som sänts i Sverige Television och tio nyhetsartiklar från Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Aftonbladet och Expressens Internetupplagor. Analysen genomförs med diskurspsykologiska analytiska verktyg utifrån de befintliga sociologiska teorierna. Resultatet visar att situationen konstrueras enligt skilda tolkningsrepertoarer som bygger på humanitära och ekonomiska diskurser som leder till olika sociala konsekvenser och ideologiska kategoriseringar av ”vi och dom”. Resultatet visar även att retoriska konstruktioner av situationen i massmedia bidrar till att legitimera att ”papperslösa” individer marginaliseras i Sverige genom att fokus i rapporteringen ligger på politiska och ekonomiska aspekter samt ”papperslösa” individers legala status framför mänskliga rättigheter.

The marketing campaign ”Låna dig rik” [Get rich by lending] involved 25 public libraries in three regions; Kronoberg, Kalmar and Blekinge. This paper examines 28 news-articles concerning this campaign, found in eight publications in the responding regions. The purpose of this is to determine to what extent the description of the campaign found therein responded to the intents of its founders and to what extent the public had a say in these articles. The result found indicates that the overall image of the campaign presented in the news-articles was well in correspondence with the intents of the campaign itself but that the public views where arguably absent.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka om det går att finna relevanta skillnader i framställandet av mannen över tidsperioden 1999 till 2011. Om en förändring har skett vill vi försöka ta reda på hur den ser ut. Utifrån en socialkonstruktivistisk utgångspunkt och med hjälp av begreppsliga redogörelser av genus, maskuliniteter och homosocialitet ämnar vi analysera de båda livsstilsmagasinen Café och Slitz. Vi kommer särskilt ta fasta på studier om massmedia och dess inverkan på människors vardagliga liv. Metoden som används för att vi närmare ska kunna analysera materialet är kritisk diskursanalys, som går ut på att skärskåda textens grundläggande meningssammanhang. Materialet vi utgår ifrån är begränsat till alla Cafés och Slitz utgåvor från 1999. För att se om förändring skett analyserar vi två utgåvor av Café från 2010 och sex från 2011, samt sex utgåvor av Slitz från 2009 och tre från 2011. Därigenom är vår ambition att försöka presentera en intressant bild av denna mångnyanserade kontext och dess diskursiva aspekter. Det generella resultatet är följande: i Slitz har vi inte funnit någon relevant skillnad, men däremot i Café finner vi en diskursiv skillnad från 1999 till 2011. / The purpose of this essay is to examine whether it is possible to find relevant differences in the presentation of the man over the time period from 1999 to 2011. If a change has occurred, we want to try to find out how it looks like. From a social constructivist approach and using conceptual explanations of gender, masculinity and homosociality, we intend to analyze the two Swedish lifestyle magazines Café and Slitz. We will take particular note of studies on mass media and its impact on people's everyday lives. The method used to enable us to further analyze the material is critical discourse analysis, which is to scrutinize the basic sentence context of the text. The material we assume is limited to all Café’s and Slitz’ editions from 1999. To see if changes are made, we analyze two editions of Café from 2010 and six from 2011, and six editions of Slitz from 2009 and three from 2011. Thus, our aim is to try to present an interesting picture of these multi-nuanced contextual and discursive aspects. The general results are as follows: in Slitz, we found no relevant difference, but in the Café, we find a discursive difference between 1999 to 2011.

Because water is basic to life, an ethical dimension persists in every decision related to water. By explicitly revealing the ethical ideas underlying water-related decisions, human society's relationship with water, and with natural systems of which water is part, can be contested and shifted or be accepted with conscious intention. Water management over the last century has privileged immediate human needs over those of future generations, other living beings, and ecosystems. In recent decades, improved understanding of water's importance for ecosystem functioning and ecological services for human survival is moving us beyond this growth-driven, supply-focused management paradigm. Environmental ethics challenge this paradigm by extending the ethical sphere to the environment. This research in water ethics considers expanding the conception of whom or what is morally considerable in water policy and management. <br /><br /> First, the research proposes a water ethic to balance among intragenerational equity, intergenerational equity, and equity for the environment. Second, the proposed ethic acts as an assessment tool with which to analyse water policy. <em>Water for Life: Alberta's Strategy for Sustainability</em> is the focal policy document for this analysis. This document is an example of new Canadian policy; it represents the Government of Alberta's current and future approach to water issues; and it implicitly embodies the ethical ideas that guided the document's production. To assess Water for Life's success in achieving the principles of the proposed water ethic, this case study used discourse analysis, key informant interviews, and comparison to a progressive international policy document, <em>Securing Our Water Future Together</em>, the 2004 White Paper of Victoria, Australia. <br /><br /> Key conclusions show that <em>Water for Life</em> is progressive by embracing full public participation, a watershed approach, knowledge-generation initiatives, a new planning model, and water rights security. However, barriers exist that can disrupt the strategy's success, including the first-in-time first-in-right water allocation system, the strategy's lack of detail, inadequate protection of aquatic ecosystems, ambiguity of jurisdiction over water in First Nations communities, and under-developed connections between substantive issues. The thesis also outlines recommendations for Alberta and implications for other jurisdictions. Additionally this research offers guidelines and an assessment tool grounded in broad ethical concepts to water policy development; and it encourages making ethical ideas explicit in assessment and formation of equitable and sustainable water policy.

This thesis is a contribution to the research of media discourse. During the last decades the media landscape has changed dramatically. These changes have been especially evident in German TV programs and the rise of private TV channels. The purpose of this thesis is to explore some of these changes more thoroughly, focusing on the live TV coverage of three soccer matches during the Soccer World Cups of 1974 and 2006 in Germany. The major research question is how these commentaries changed over the years. The thesis analyses how the reporters describe the players, the team and the coach, as well as the sport and the match itself. The relationships between the reporters and their respective audiences as well as the changing functions of the reporters are subsequently examined. The methodological approach used is Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 2001; Fowler 1985; van Dijk, 2001). It provides a framework that allows analysing of language in its cultural and social context. Hence, discourse is seen as “language as a form of social practice” (Fairclough, 2001, p.18). Cultural and social contexts as well as extralinguistic factors such as images and sounds are also considered part of the discourse. The overall results indicate that in 2006 soccer has taken on greater importance in the lives of the audience. Live broadcasts of soccer matches have turned more and more into spectacles. This has led to phenomena such as the media’s growing preoccupation with entertainment (“infotainment”). Besides that, an increased presence of the ‘private’ in the public sphere can be discerned. In conclusion, this thesis identifies five principles prevalent in current live media broadcasts: commercialization, individualization, emotionalization, identification, and globalization. Even though some of these principles had already begun to emerge in the 1974 broadcast, their presence in 2006 attests to their increased importance in the German media landscape over time.

Between 2006 and 2008 the German television series “Türkisch für Anfänger“ (Turkish for Beginners) about the life of a multiculturally blended family in Berlin was aired on the television network ARD. This thesis analyzes the gender construction of the six main characters in order to find out which concepts of gender they mirror, and how they perform their gender identities. This analysis of gender is carried out in close interaction with other categories of identity such as ethnicity or age. The theoretical foundation for the study is feminist post-structuralist discourse analysis (FPDA), which is interested in the multiple power relations in which individuals are embedded in their social interactions. These structures of power are reflected in their gender constructions. The approach assumes that in each situation several competing discourses are available for individuals within which they need to position themselves. With the help of the FPDA this master’s thesis investigates these discoursive structures subjects adopt to negotiate their relationships and identities. In addition, the thesis relies on Erving Goffman’s concept of face-work and his metaphor of playing a role in social interaction which is meant to be a theatrical stage. His work is applied to the gender construction of the subjects mainly to underline that gender also needs to be performed. The gender construction of the six characters is analyzed on three different levels: their language use, their nonverbal behaviour, and camera editing. Therefore the analysis focuses on verbal communication, nonverbal behaviour and paralinguistic features, and the media components. The analysis of eleven selected scenes shows that the gender constructions of the characters and the performance of those constructions are not stable, but rather fluid. They continuously shift between different gender identities, sometimes positioning themselves at the same time as powerful and powerless within and towards varying discourses. Thus each character constructs a number of different gender identities during the course of the series, as well as within particular scenes.

Although significant growth has occurred in some areas of the grief and bereavement literature, little attention has been paid to the phenomenon of adult child loss from the perspective of parents. Simultaneously, there have been mounting challenges to the traditional grief work hypothesis, which translates 'detachment' as healthy grieving, by proponents of the 'continuing bond' model. While the notion of an ongoing connection with the deceased seems to more accurately describe the experience of bereaved parents, there has been minimal research to explore evidence for this. The intent of this qualitative study was to examine the written and spoken discourse of parents bereaved of adult children in an effort to understand the ways that language is used to give account to that experience and to discern something of the nature of the parent-adult child relationship in death. A discourse analytic approach (Potter & Wetherell, 1987) was taken in order to understand more specifically the function, structure, and variability of written and spoken accounts of bereaved parents. Discourse was collected from diverse sources, including solicited written submissions, face-to-face interviews, published writings and Internet chat between bereaved parents. The findings revealed a range of discursive devices and practices available to participants, through which they achieved reconstructions of their deceased adult children, their relationships with their children, and their experiences of parental bereavement. The most prominent result was the discovery of the use of extreme case formulations (Pomerantz, 1986) by bereaved parents. This particular discursive device had only previously been identified in contexts of conflict. Additionally, participants used categorization, detailed description, characterization, comparison, contrast, paradox, evidence-building, and metaphor as discursive strategies and devices. The social actions performed in the process included: constructing/reconstructing, convincing, remembering, evaluating, describing, and demonstrating parental investment. The discursive content ranged from talk of how special the child was, to the constancy of thoughts about the deceased child. There was also discursive evidence in support of the of 'continuing bonds' model. This study promises to inform the literature on parental bereavement as well as to widen the field of discursive psychology to now include research in grief and loss.

This thesis examines the relationship between worker identity and workplace practices from the perspectives of white and Aboriginal women working in a multinational forest company in the northern prairies. Over the course of three manuscripts I demonstrate the salience of ascribed and constructed identities of women to their experiences and representations of forest employment and corporate discourse. Setting the context for the remainder of the thesis, the first manuscript presents an analysis of employment segregation by gender and Aboriginal identity in Canadas forest sector in 2001 using segregation indices. Results demonstrate that forest employment was vertically segregated by both gender and Aboriginal ancestry in the forest sector in 2001. Men and women of First Nations ancestry were over represented in less-stable and lower paying occupations in woods based forest industries, and both white and First Nations women were over represented in forest services and clerical occupations. To explore womens perceptions of company practices of diversity management and restructuring, I then analysed interviews with women working in forest processing using critical discourse analysis. In my second manuscript, I demonstrated how womens representations of diversity management practices were linked to their social identities in terms of Aboriginal identity and class. Yet, as a whole, these representations prompted a questioning of the meaning of difference within diversity management, and of diversity managements ability to further the interests of marginalised workers. My third manuscript examining representations of restructuring, argues that there is a two way relationship between womens identities as workers and their representations of restructuring. Whether women reproduced or resisted restructuring was linked to their presented work identities and restructuring and practices in turn were helping to shape womens worker subjectivities. Results from this thesis demonstrated that how women represent themselves and workplace practices is related to their different experiences in the specific set of social relations of forestry work in the northern prairies.