In recent years, the European Union has faced increased Euroscepticism and Nationalism. Fostering a sense of belonging of European citizens to and with the EU is crucial to ensuring its legitimacy. However, the EU stays relatively silent on the issue of European identity and how this identity is envisaged. Is the EU a purely political community or does it also have a cultural dimension? The Europe for Citizens Program offers a unique approach in uniting both dimensions of European identity under its objectives of fostering European remembrance and promoting civic participation by connecting them to the practice of active citizenship. This case study analyzed the conceptions of European Identity within the Europe for Citizens Program 2014-2020 and what role active citizenship plays in this context. Although the current program generation does not include an objective to foster European identity, this study found that promoting and constructing this identity in a civic and cultural dimension is a prominent part of the program. Through active participation of European citizens, a sense of belonging to and with the Union is supposed to be created. Europeans are said to belong to a political community that is based on shared cultural values that entail more than just a purely civic dimension.

The rising support for right-wing populist parties and the subsequent anti-immigrant sentiment has become a focus of interest across academia, media, and public debates. In a similar vein, this thesis explores the portrayal of immigrants and citizens by the Swedish right-wing party Sweden Democrats leader and by the members of the Swedish online forum Flashback. The theoretical framework draws on the approaches- discourse theory and discursive psychology from discourse analysis that facilitated in examining the speeches and debates by the SD leader as well as the comments of the forum members. Whereas the results highlight the Sweden Democrats leader’s discourses constructing immigrants as a burden, the forum members are noted as constructing the immigrants as inherently flawed. Further, while the leader views the citizens as victims, who are denied their rights to resources and welfare, the forum members also describe themselves/citizens as victims, however, due to being denied a sense of belonging, autonomy, and prestige. The study also focused on identifying the strategies that both deploy to be persuasive. The results showed both using blame and victimization as strategies to be persuasive. The SD leader, by blaming the ruling party and victimizing the citizens is noted as aiming to create a grand discourse of- Country in Crisis, and thereby, comes across as seeking to instill fear, threat, and vulnerability among citizens. In contrast, the forum members are marked as blaming the immigrants, ruling elites as well as Swedish women, and victimizing themselves, and seem more focused on creating the discourse of People in Crisis. By doing so, they are noted as justifying their anger, disempowerment, and woundedness. Together, the leader and the forum-members discourses are viewed as creating a broader discourse that could benefit from further examination of the notions such as pessimistic persuasion, the powerlessness of us/we, and othering the insider.

The amount of global greenhouse gas emissions needs to be significantly reduced in order to reach the Paris agreement target of 1.5°C by 2050. Contemporary representative political systems have failed so far in adequately addressing the complex problem of climate change. This study looks at potential alternative or complementary decision-making and knowledge producing methods, more specifically the deliberative democratic method of citizens’ assemblies. The three core concepts discussed in this thesis are citizens assemblies, wicked problems and sustainable transformation. By critically discussing and combining these three concepts, this thesis sets out to analyze a specific Citizens’ Assembly, namely the one held in Ireland 2016-2018. The thesis analyzes both the Irish Citizens’ Assembly model proper and its recommendations. The model is analyzed through the theoretical lens of wicked problems, in order to determine to what extent the salient characteristics of the Irish Citizens’ Assembly model address complexity. In addition, the theoretical concept of sustainable transformation is used to analyze the Assembly’s recommendations, in order to determine how strong or weak they are in relation to this theory. A directed content analysis was used to help categorize the recommendations. The result of the study shows that the Irish Citizens’ Assembly model exhibited positive aspects in relation to appropriately addressing complexity. The transdisciplinary approach to knowledge production and the deliberative aspect of the Assembly process enhanced the reliability of the knowledge produced. The Assembly’s recommendations are, however, concluded to be weak as seen from a sustainable transformation perspective. The limited amount of time given to the topic of climate change by the Irish Citizens’ Assembly as well as the narrow focus of the information provided to the Assembly members are important factors in influencing this finding. Additional research is needed on the link between citizens’ assemblies, wicked problems and sustainable transformation. On the basis of the research presented in this thesis it is argued that the citizens assembly model might play a crucial part in how people and communities can deal with complex problems in the future

Att skapa en god relation till medborgaren är en utmaning för de flesta kommuner. Botkyrka kommun har länge arbetat med medborgardialoger och demokrati men ändå har medborgarnas förtroende minskat. För att vända trenden genomförde Botkyrka kommun 2013 ett perspektivskifte till Medborgarens fokus, att arbeta med istället för åt medborgarna, och införde en processorienterad organisationsförändring vid årsskiftet 2015-2016. Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka vad begreppet Medborgarens fokus innebär och hur det kan påverka planeringspraktiken. För att svara på syftet har intervju genomförts med Botkyrkas kommundirektör. En dokumentstudie har även gjorts samt jämförelse mellan Botkyrka kommuns tankar om Medborgarens fokus med managementkoncept från vården, Patientens väg, och forskningsprojektet Mellanplats.   Studien visar att ett ökat samarbete mellan kommun och medborgare önskas uppnås med Medborgarens fokus, för att tillsammans tillgodose medborgarens behov och där planeraren kan assistera och guida medborgaren genom smidigare kommunala flöden. Analysen visar att olika planeringsideal och underliggande motiv har stor påverkan på resultatet och att Botkyrka kommun därför bör skapa en tydlig formulering och arbeta för en gemensam syn på mål och syfte med konceptet Medborgarens fokus. En slutsats är att Botkyrka kommun genom Medborgarens fokus kan skapa en starkare relation med medborgarna och vinna deras förtroende om konceptet lyckas vid implementeringen. Medborgarens fokus kan leda vägen in i framtidens sätt att se på kommuners roll gentemot medborgaren. / Creating a good relation towards the citizens is a major challenge for most municipalities. The citizens' trust towards Botkyrka municipality has decreased, despite large efforts for increased democracy and public participation. In order to reverse this trend, Botkyrka municipality 2013 changed their perspective to the Citizens' focus, to work with instead of for the citizens, and made a process oriented organizational change at the shift of 2015-2016.  The purpose of this report is to examine the meaning of the concept Citizens' focus and how it can influence the planning practice. To answer this, an interview was conducted with Botkyrka's Municipal Director. A document study was also made together with a comparison between the Municipality of Botkyrka's thoughts on Citizens' focus and management concept of the healthcare sector, the Patient path, and the research project Mellanplats. The study shows that an increased cooperation between the municipality and the citizens are a desired outcome of the implementation of Citizens' focus, a cooperation to meet the needs of the citizens together and where the planners can assist and guide the citizen through smoother municipal flows.   The analysis shows tendencies of different planning ideals and underlying motives, which can greatly influence the outcome. Therefore, Botkyrka municipality should clearly formulate the concept of Citizens' focus and work towards a common view of its goal and purpose.   A conclusion is that Botkyrka municipality can, by implementing the concept of Citizens' focus, create a stronger relationship with the citizens and gain their trust if the concept has a successful implementation.  Citizens' focus  can lead the way into the future way of looking at the municipal role towards the citizens.

The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between city branding and community sport focusing on the role of citizens. Community sport means more than just organized sport events, covering all of physical activities, recreation, and leisure that are based on the region. Therefore, Community-based Sport and Recreational Physical Activity (CSRPA) is closely related to urban experience and quality of life of local residents. Specifically, the objectives of this research are to: (1) evaluate the perceptions of internal stakeholders of city branding through CSRPA; and (2) examine the possibility of considering CSRPA as branding opportunities. Participatory city branding theory provided the most relevant theoretical frameworks to shed light on co-creative image building process by leveraging citizens’ participation to CSRPA. The methodology used in the study was case study with the city of Ottawa, Canada. City representatives (n=17) took part in semi-structure interviews to elucidate their perceptions and lived experiences associated with Ottawa city branding. Citizens (n=127) participated in an online survey to express their voices surrounding city brands and sport participation. The findings of the study suggest that CSRPA constitutes an interesting opportunity to contribute to co-creative city branding by incorporating citizens’ voices and promoting collaborative public governance.

The following study provides a critical interpretation of the ten years’ administration of Rafael Correa in Ecuador. The main goal is to comprehend to which extent structural transformations were achieved during his period in power and what lessons can be drawn in order to conceptualize strategies for the complete emancipation of Latin America.

The purpose of this study explored if police officers wearing body-worn cameras contributed to an increased perception of safety among community members. Further emphasis centered on community support of body-worn cameras, officers who deployed the technology, and perceived trust of citizens geared at improving relations between police and the community. The current study set out to provide an evaluation of police body-worn cameras and their perceived safety impact on citizens (n=166). Perceptions of police officers (n=200) supporting the cameras were also examined in the sampling. A One-Same Binomial Test proved ninety-one percent of citizen respondents believed the cameras would enhance safety between officers and the public while objectively documenting police-citizen encounters. Public support for police deploying body-worn cameras exists. Officers who support the wearing of body-worn cameras in the performance of an assigned work shift favored 65% while the remaining 35% of respondents did not. Lastly, 58% of officers either “agree” or “strongly agree” that body-worn cameras are capable of improving documentation between their encounters with the public. Results of the researcher’s hypothesis concluded there is no difference supporting the use of body-worn cameras between citizens and police. Proven to fit into a larger progression of research, future studies are recommended to increase the generalizibility of the study and expand same to other regions of the country while considering an increased sample population.

Our digital world is accelerating at a rapid pace and has made technology a prime component of today’s societies. The development of digitalization affects us all in one way or another but it primarily affects our senior citizens, those who may possess a less developed knowledge within the field. How do senior citizens experience digitalization and its effects on their everyday lives?. This thesis conducted with phenomenographic semi-structured interviews aims to analyze and grasp how senior citizens experience and perceive the developing digitalization in the western world. Studies stresses how technology and digitalization increase information and communication spread in our societies and can be an efficient tool for staying in touch with relatives and close friends living far away. The results of this study, however, emphasizes on the, less talked about, negative aspects of digitalization.   The collected material consists of the answers extracted from eight interviews with male and females aged 65-80+ and these answers are categorized into similarities and differences seen in the interviews. Theoretical perspective of digital divide, ageism, visions of time, concept of experience and social imaginaries were applied to the extracted material to place the experiences in a context. The analysis clearly presents a difference between the genders and their relation to digitalization and it does relate to previous integration and knowledge with the technological field. The male interviewees communicate positive experiences with the digital world as a majority of them have been in contact with technology during their working life. The women on the other hand have more dull perceptions of digitalization and are experiencing feelings of fear of falling behind in the digital world. Self-efficacy and acceleration of time, society, and the digital world play part in how digitalization is experienced and perceived by senior citizens, a generation which may find themselves in a situation where they are unwillingly excluded from the digital society due to lack of previous knowledge and the opportunity to learn without requirements from society.

With the more profound use of sustainable developments and degrowth ideas, new trends emerge where urban planners and architects are looking for already built areas that can be re-imaginedas vibrant parts of the city. Most often, those places are post-industrial sites, which are taking a new image and purpose. Multiple examples in European cities shows that those areas are becoming a new vital urban elements and fruitful grounds for implementation of environmentally protective design solutions. However, metamorphic developments of historically important parts of the cities are often susceptible to uninspiring generic design solutions that not necessarily always meet the current needs of citizens. Therefore, this research identifies how such post-industrial zones should be redeveloped with the use of citizens' visions to produce distinctive design solutions that can additionally incorporate sustainable ideas and develop a vibrant area.This research focuses on the post-industrial case in Osijek, Croatia, an old and abandoned Iron Foundry and Machine Factory (OLT). Constructed at the turn of the century (1912.), with its distinguishable architecture, it serves as an important image and industrial heritageof the city. Recently, Osijek Municipality has proposed a plan for its regeneration. Idea became widely appreciated as it was finally decided to somehow protect this valuable public good. However, as this research identifies, the municipal plan does not incorporate any means of citizen participation, nor it goes together with citizens mentioned needs - thus pursuing a plan for developing a generic design. Using qualitative methods, this research is addressing the importance of participation in such projects, as it can focus expertson the hidden meaning and character of the place, derived from citizens’ outputs. Additionally, this research shows that methods suchas participatory workshop, can generate ideas for design solutions that can benefit both current and future users of the place. Furthermore, it suggests that citizens, even though they are notexperts on the topic – can produce interesting and valuable information that can be used by planners and architects to fully utilise and transform the area with design solutions which can incorporate people’s needs.

Hazel Brannon Smith, a prominent white newspaper owner in Mississippi before, during, and after the civil rights era was an avowed supporter of Jim Crow segregation for the first half of her career, until pressure from the white establishment and the changing political and social milieu of the 1950s and 1960s pushed her to become an ally of the black struggle for social justice. Smith's biography reveals how many historians have miscast white liberals of this period. Smith was considered a liberal by her peers, but her actions reveal the firm limits of white liberalism in the rural South during the Civil Rights era. While this dissertation undergirds scholarly research over the last twenty years which viewed the fight for civil rights from a grounds root level, it shows how Smith was unique. She never fully escaped her white paternalistic sentiments, yet she spoke out consistently against racial extremism in Mississippi in the 1960s. Based upon newspaper accounts, personal collections, oral histories and recent scholarly treatments, this work argues that the white response to the civil rights movement in Mississippi was far from uniform.