This dissertation studies the fictional and non-fictional responses of David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Franzen, and Richard Powers to their felt anxieties about the vitality of literature in contemporary culture. The intangible nature of literature's social value marks the literary as an uneasy, contested, and defensive cultural site. At the same time, the significance of any given cultural artifact or medium, such as television, film, radio, or fiction, is in a continual state of flux. Within that broad context I examine some of the cultural institutions competing with literature for public attention, as well as some of the cultural developments impacting the availability of public attention for literary concerns. With Wallace, I study his efforts in fiction and essays to establish an anti-ironic mode of literary rebellion, in opposition to the culturally pervasive tone of self-protective irony modeled by television. Franzen opens discussion about the transience of cultural authority, a situation in which the imprimatur of the academy, for instance, confers a cultural significance different in kind but not degree from the imprimatur of a popular televised book club. My study of Franzen in particular demonstrates the impact of proliferating sites of cultural authority, addressing the emergence of middlebrow culture and audiences from contested space to authoritative cultural arbiter. The chapter on Franzen also examines the increasing role of corporate interests in the production of cultural artifacts with an eye toward their financial viability more than their cultural impact. And finally, my study of Powers focuses on the animosity between the sciences and the humanities. Powers produces fiction that serves as an indispensable tool for communicating between disparate and otherwise isolated disciplines, and for helping those specialized fields synthesize their information with others.

The perpetual evolution of the value of heritage in urban development is producing newsocio-spatial realities, shaped by different relationships of power at multiple scales.Heritage has always played an important role in the construction of individual andgroup identities, but is now increasingly seen as a capital for the making of cityidentity. Although professional heritage practices have attempted to embrace a similaror parallel vision, they are likely to overlook how interventions in heritage challengeidentity, meaning and sense of place. This thesis employs methods of discursiveanalysis to investigate the evolution and the appropriation of heritage in three sociopoliticalcontexts: Botswana, a post-colonial society; Palestine, an occupied society;and Sweden, a developed Western society. It also uncovers the ways authority is put towork through the discursive field of heritage in historic environments.Heritage in Palestine under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, British Mandate, and theIsraeli Occupation has been engulfed by both armed and discursive struggles overhistory, identity, and superiority. Narratives of the ‘Holy Land’ in addition to thepressures of the occupation forces and international interventions have shaped currentheritage practices in the Historic City of Nablus. In Botswana, Western planning ideashave been promoted in both the colonial and post-colonial eras, with little attention tolocal culture. The socio-spatial realities this produces have divorced the Batswana fromthe familiar and played an authoritarian role in defining valuable heritage in thedevelopment of Shoshong village and Sowa town. Heritage in the town of Ystad,Sweden, has since the late nineteenth century been regulated and legitimized through aconsistent inscription of a medieval identity on the town landscape, overlooking socialand spatial consequences.These findings are presented in four papers that each addresses a specific aspect ofheritage in urban development. An introductory monograph links the articles,developing theoretical analyses on how heritage-authority relations. This discussiongoes beyond direct practices of authority in management of physical heritage. Instead,it uncovers how heritage is utilised to gain and reinforce authority over identity politicsin historic environments. It also sheds light on how discursive struggles over meaningin the three cases are influenced by a ‘universalized heritage discourse’. In thisdiscourse, heritage is perceived as physical things representing a specific version of thepast, framed by European values and controlled by professional expertise andconventional knowledge. This discourse is rooted in the ‘authorized heritage discourse’that emerged in Europe in the nineteenth century and disseminated globally throughinternational treaties on heritage. Situating site-specific interventions in their social,cultural, and political contexts would allow for productive dissonance, rather thannarrow mediations of competing views. The virtue of working with heritage in the faceof authority at different spatial scales is stressed as one way to build sufficient capacityin heritage practices, capacity that would allow individuals and social groups to freelynegotiate their identity against any intervention in their spaces of heritage. / Den ständigt pågående omvandlingen och utvecklingen av det kulturella arvetproducerar nya rumsliga villkor, formade av såväl intern socio-politisk dynamik somexterna krafter. Kulturarv har alltid spelat en central roll i individers och gruppersidentitetsskapande och uppfattas nu allt oftare även som ett kapital i konstruktionen avstäder och regioner. Dock saknar kulturarvspraktikerna ofta förståelse för de sociopolitiskakonsekvenserna och kan därmed inte på ett medvetet sätt hantera dessaaspekter. Denna avhandling undersöker utvecklingen av det kulturella arvet och dessinverkan i tre socio-politiska kontexter: Botswana, ett postkolonialt samhälle; Palestina,ett ockuperat samhälle; och Sverige, ett västerländskt samhälle. En analys av lokalainterventioner i de tre områdena visar hur auktoritet kommer till uttryck genomdiskurser om kulturarvet i historiska miljöer.I Palestina har - under det ottomanska styret, det brittiska mandatet och den israeliskaockupationen - det kulturella arvet utgjort en arena kännetecknad av såväl militär somdiskursiv kamp för historia, identitet och makt. Så till exempel präglar narrativ om ’detheliga landet’ nutida praktiker kring kulturarv i den av historien präglade stadenNablus. I Botswana har västerländskt utvecklade idéer för stadsplanering praktiseratsunder både den koloniala och den postkoloniala eran, vilket formaturbaniseringsstrategier ofta utan hänsyn till lokal kultur. Den sociala och rumsligaverklighet som därigenom skapats har lett till en tilltagande distansering mellanBotswanierna och deras kulturarv. Detta fick avgörande konsekvenser vid definitionenav värdefullt kulturarv under utvecklingen av Shoshong village och Sowa town. IYstad har det kulturella arvet under sena nittonhundratalet reglerats och legitimeratsgenom framhållandet av en medeltida identitet, en identitet som starkt formatstadsmiljön men men vars sociala och rumsliga konsekvenser inte beaktats.Dessa resultat presenteras i fyra artiklar, som var och en lyfter en specifikfrågeställning kring kulturellt arv. I en ”kappa” kopplas artiklarna samman ochanalyseras särskilt med avseende på hur det kulturella arvet involveras iauktoritetsskapande,. Analysen visar att auktoritet kommer till uttryck genomdiskursiva praktiker kring kulturellt arv. Samtidigt som varje fall präglas av enkontextuell och situerad diskurs, påverkas alla av en ’universell kulturarvsdiskurs’.Inom ramen för denna universella diskurs uppfattas kulturarv som fysiska tingomgärdade av sociala och kulturella erfarenheter ofta kopplade till europeiskavärderingar, under kontroll av professionella experter och i linje med konventionellkunskap. Denna diskurs har sina rötter i den ’auktoriserade kulturarvsdiskursen’ somväxte fram i Europa under artonhundratalet och spred sig globalt genom internationellkultursamverkan. En av avhandlingens slutsatser är att en situering av platsspecifikainterventioner i sina komplexa sociala, kulturella och politiska kontexter kan erbjuda enför samhället produktiv dissonans, snarare än den begränsning som oundvikligen blirföljden av ambitionen att snabbt komma fram till konsensus. Genom att synliggöra hurauktoritet kommer till uttryck genom kulturarvets olika rumsliga nivåer, kan en ökadkapacitet och förståelse för socio-politiska aspekter också byggas upp ikulturarvspraktiken. / QC 20120424

Background: The description of different characters in soapoperas are often exaggerated to catch the viewers interest and to present an exiting content. The phenomenon that takes place in soapoperas can often relates to every-day- life-situations. The viewers should recognise them selves in the content, the imaginary situations and the characters should be normal but at the same time exaggerated and twisted to catch the viewers attention. This means that the characters in Rederiet should have connections to the real world and this makes it interesting to study how the different styels of leadership are descibed. Purpose: The purpose is to analyse and compare three choosen characters in the soapopera Rederiet, from existing leadership thoeries. To identify leadership on three hierarchical levels – head of machinery, superintendent and captain – and to analyse how leadership are descibed in the soapopera. Realization: The study is based on videotaped episodes of the soapopera Rederiet. Conclusion: The mediate illustrations can be compared to the scientific theories. The three managers are different from eachother. Leadership depends on the managers acting, in the soapopera and in real life. The mediate illustrations shows that leadership are different and dependent on personality and hierarchical position. This holds for Rederiet and for real organizations.

This essay inquires with the local authority´s rights versus obligations towards its members in agreement situations, where according to civil law compete with the according to public law.These situations become more and more common, since the public is often integrated in today´s trade and industery. Within this analyses there are statements made by HD about what is the applicable judgement concerning this complex area. HD´s different views and opinions have partly been critizesed by the auther.

The Chronica regni Gothorum is the first Latin national history of Sweden. Completed after 1471 by a canon of Uppsala, Ericus Olai, it testifies to the articulation at the Swedish arch see of the dominant political issues of the day: the status of the Swedish realm in the union with Denmark-Norway, and the relations between the king, aristocracy and ecclesiastical leadership. This thesis analyses the discourse on authority in the Chronica. It investigates the normative basis of Ericus’s treatment of contemporary political issues as a source for the social-political outlooks of Sweden’s ecclesiastical power elite, a group not previously studied in this respect. In particular, it argues for the importance of two prescriptive assumptions on social order, which lie at the heart of the authority discourse in the Chronica: God divided the world into self-governing peoples and realms, and He instituted the lay and clerical orders as parallel hierarchies of societal authority. The thesis situates the production of the Chronica within the educational concerns of the Uppsala institution. It scrutinizes the commonplaces – derived from various fields of knowledge – through which Ericus articulated his dualist and nationalist assumptions. The realization of these notions in his historical account is examined in sections of the text where matters of importance for the Uppsala church are evident. Special attention is paid to Ericus’s account of the royal martyr, St Erik, the so-called Engelbrekt rebellion, and the contemporary strife between the Uppsala church and the kings. The thesis ends with a study of the reception of the Chronica in the 1520s, a time when the Reformation and the consolidation of a strong national monarchy in Sweden brought the authority issues addressed by Ericus to conclusion.

This ethnographic study is on a sacred patrilineage, on the Ulusoy family members who are widely accepted by the Alevi Bektasi communities as the descendants of the eponymous founder of the Bektasi Order, Haci Bektas Veli. In line with the Shi&rsquo / ite tradition, it is claimed that Haci Bektas Veli inherited the batin, the esoteric aspect of the knowledge and the type of spirituality of this knowledge - walaya, by genealogical chain traced back to Ahl-al Bayt, and therefore undertook an initiating and supervisory role over his adherents. As the progeny of Haci Bektas Veli, the &Ccedil / elebis, namely the Ulusoy family, have also become the heirs of his sacred authority which was also inherited by their descendant through blood and transmigration. The Ulusoys have undertaken the role of spiritual guides and leaders of some other sacred dede (sacred guide) lineages called ocaks, as well as of the disciples of those ocaks, to regulate and supervise their life in accordance with the batin, divine knowledge. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to explore the maintenance and reproduction of the hereditary sanctity of the Ulusoy family during the Republican period during which, due to the secularization and modernization attempts of the Republic, the sanctity and sacred authority of the family has not been recognized as a social distinct category. To this end, I firstly examine the historical background of the family by situating the family in the Ottoman period. Having found out the continuities and ruptures in exercising of the sacred authority of the family over the disciples after the establishment of the Republic, I focus on the transformation of the sanctity and new forms of it by employing the concepts of space/place / kinship and, gender.

Purpose: The overall purpose of this thesis is to provide an analysis of the effects of the documentation requirements on transfer pricing and provide a clearer picture of the documentation requirements in transfer pricing. Furthermore, the purpose is to analyze whether the chosen method of Superfos is adequate related to the new regulations. Background: In 2007, new regulations concerning the documentation of transfer pricing was enacted in Swedish law based on OECD guidelines. This change has led to new internal guidelines for companies regarding their transfer pricing work since the requirements apply to both Swedish owned companies and foreign owned companies. Furthermore, with this change, a great uncertainty about the requirements is shared by companies. Method: This thesis has been conducted as a qualitative case study with Superfos as the case company. A deductive approach has been used and the collection of data consists of both primary and secondary data. Primary in the form of an interview with the finance manager at Superfos and secondary through the use of the Swedish tax authority's stated guidelines concerning transfer pricing as well as books, journals and databases. Conclusion: In the conclusion we present a clarifying model of the documentation in transfer pricing based on the data collected for this thesis. In six steps, a clarifying picture of the overview, company structure, transactions identification, functional analysis, comparability analysis and results is provided.

This is a case study about the Maasai and their land rights. The Maasai are semi-nomadic pastoralists, living in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. It is said that they came to this area, now called Maasailand, about 300 years ago. In the beginning, they were independent and free to walk and graze their cattle without limitations and regulations. But when the British and German colonizers of these countries came to Maasailand, they discovered the advantages of its nature and started creating reserves. The Maasai were not strong enough to resist and it resulted in a land loss of two thirds for them. This has forced them to change their livelihood. They have to combine their pastoral lifestyle with other ways to make a living. The main purpose with the study is to look at how the land loss has affected the Maasai and their livelihoods. The essay is mainly built on secondary sources, but also on a field work from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with qualitative interviews. This is used here, in order to give an example of a conservation area where the Maasai and the wildlife successfully coexist. To be able to understand the changes in Maasai livelihoods, the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach has been adapted. With this approach, a more holistic view of the changes can be made. The land losses have not always brought negative results for the Maasai. They have been able to adapt a multiple livelihood, including pastoralism, agriculture and tourist industry. The Maasai might benefit more by adapting different assets; instead of only rely on one.

The physical redevelopment of Canadian downtown cores has been seen as a primary issue in economically and socially revitalizing urban areas. In the case of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the Citys South Downtown area is in need of such rejuvenation. In 2004 redevelopment plans for the area are underway; Saskatoon has set out a proposal to redevelop both its riverfront area and adjacent South Downtown. In order to accomplish the goal of a revitalized South Downtown, the authors of a successful redevelopment proposal must first identify a suitable user population for the area, namely the population of Saskatoon in its entirety, including the Citys disadvantaged central neighbourhood residents. The purpose of this thesis is to define the socio-economic traits of this potential user population for Saskatoons South Downtown in order to recommend facilities and services that should be included in the redevelopment effort. Census data for the fifty-one census tracts that comprise the census metropolitan area of Saskatoon are used to define the social and economic characteristics of this user population. After reviewing the populations socio-economic situations, as well as the social and business organizations that are currently located in the area, recommendations regarding appropriate, requisite facilities and services can be ascertained. These recommendations could then be implemented in the undertakings currently transpiring in Saskatoons South Downtown. Along with defining the socio-economic character of the user population, this study also examines past redevelopment proposals for Saskatoons South Downtown area in an attempt to understand the historical context of the area. The three main past plans for the South Downtown area include: The Meewasin Valley Project (also known as Moriyamas 100 Year Plan), the Mayors Task Force Report, and Princeton Developments South Downtown Master Plan. All of these failed attempts share many common design traits, culminating in the general goal to develop the area into a commercial, residential and recreational area that would cater to the upper-class residents of the city as well as higher-income tourists and visitors to the area. While it must not be assumed that plans which exclude lower-income populations are inherently wrong and destined to be unsuccessful, by targeting such an exclusive population as the primary users of a South Downtown redevelopment, the authors of the previous plans had inadvertently sought to develop an elite district of Saskatoon, financially inaccessible to a vast majority of the citys population. Defining the socio-economic traits of a user population that is comprised of all Saskatonians, and implementing facilities and services that cater to them, would result in an area that is not discriminating; all peoples regardless of life situation or neighbourhood of residence would be able to enjoy an interesting and revitalized South Downtown area of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

This study examines the effect that divided or unified government, in the United States of America, has on the delegation of trade authority to the President. Using a qualitative analysis approach, I examine competing views and formulate an independent opinion based on the peoples’ preferences and evaluation of the principles of America’s Constitutionalism. I conclude that overemphasis on the impact of divided government is misleading because trade issues provide the primary mechanism which determines the implementation of America’s trade policies, and the principles of Constitutionalism are valuable guidelines. Blended with the discussion is the awareness of an American ethos which challenges formulation of trade agreements in an era of increased globalization.