The aim of this study is to understand and investigate how social workers handle and cope with their emotional management in work with children who have been exposed to traumatic events. And to understand what kind of emotions that can arise before, during and after meetings with vulnerable children. But also to see and understand what kind of support different workplaces offer social workers for emotion management. This study was  conducted through six semi-structured interviews with social workers who work or have worked with children that have been exposed to trauma in Sweden. With the interviews we did an analysis with help from previous research on the subject and by a theoretical framework, Hoschchilds theroy of emotional work. The results prove that emotional work isa subject that some social workers find very difficult to handle. How social workers manage to handle heartbreaking stories from children is something that each social worker handles differently. The analysis also shows that social workers feel that the support in their workplace towards social workers has improved over the years. Emotional work and how to help vulnerable children is a challenging work and therefore is this a subject that needs more attention.

Working as a treatment assistant in Sweden is a professional role where emotions are used in the daily work. This qualitative interview study presents a result based on collected empirical evidence through eight interviews with treatment assistants across Sweden. The interviewees discuss their experiences of work and how they deal with negative emotions that arise, but also how they experience support and room for recovery. Some describe that support and skills development are offered, while others feel that it is insufficient and that it is a great responsibility for the individual to manage their emotions. They are trained in various coping strategies, which are described as necessary tools, but it would have been more relevant with other efforts to facilitate and make the work more sustainable. One of the challenges within the profession is to be able to be both professional and empathetic in one's professional role while at the same time there is a permissive emotional climate in the workplace. / Att arbeta som behandlingsassistent i Sverige idag är en yrkesroll där emotioner används i det dagliga arbetet. Därav presenterar denna kvalitativa intervjustudie ett resultat baserat på insamlad empiri genom åtta intervjuer med behandlingsassistenter runt om i Sverige. Intervjupersonerna berättar om deras upplevelser av arbetet och hur de hanterar negativa emotioner som uppkommer, men även hur de upplever stöd och utrymme till återhämtning. Några beskriver att det erbjuds stöd och kompetensutveckling medan andra upplever att det inte är tillräckligt och att det är ett stort ansvar för individen att bemästra hanteringen av sina emotioner. Flera utbildas inom olika copingstrategier vilket beskrivs som nödvändiga redskap men att det hade varit mer aktuellt med andra insatser för att underlätta och göra arbetet mer hållbart. En av utmaningarna inom yrket är att kunna vara både professionell och empatisk i sin yrkesroll samtidigt som det är ett tillåtande emotionellt klimat på arbetsplatsen.

The health of adolescent boys is complex and surprisingly little is known about how adolescent boys perceive, conceptualise and experience their health. Thus, the overall aim of this thesis was to explore adolescent boys’ perceptions and experiences of health, emotions, masculinity and subjective social status (SSS). This thesis consists of a qualitative, a quantitative and a mixed methods study. The qualitative study aimed to explore how adolescent boys understand the concept of health and what they find important for its achievement. Furthermore, the adolescent boys’ views of masculinity, emotion management and their potential effects on wellbeing were explored. For this purpose, individual interviews were conducted with 33 adolescent boys aged 16-17 years. The quantitative study aimed to investigate the associations between pride, shame and health in adolescence. Data were collected through a cross-sectional postal survey with 705 adolescents. The purpose of the mixed methods study was to investigate associations between SSS in school, socioeconomic status (SES) and self-rated health (SRH), and to explore the concept of SSS in school. Cross-sectional data were combined with interview data in which the meaning of SSS was further explored. Individual interviews with 35 adolescents aged 17-18 years were conducted. In the qualitative study, data were analysed using Grounded Theory. In the quantitative study, statistical analyses (e.g., chi-square test and uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses) were performed. In the mixed method study, a combination of statistical analyses and thematic network analysis was applied. The results showed that there was a complexity in how the adolescent boys viewed, experienced, dealt with and valued health. On a conceptual level, they perceived health as holistic but when dealing with difficult emotions, they were prone to separate the body from the mind. Thus, the adolescent boys experienced a difference between health as a concept and health as an experience (paper I). Concerning emotional orientation in masculinity, two main categories of masculine conceptions were identified: a gender-normative masculinity and a non-gender-normative masculinity (paper II). Gender-normative masculinity comprised two seemingly opposite emotional masculinity orientations, one towards toughness and the other towards sensitivity, both of which were highly influenced by contextual and situational group norms and demands, despite that their expressions are in contrast to each other. Non-gender-normative masculinity included an orientation towards sincerity, emphasising the personal values of the boys. Emotions were expressed more independently of peer group norms. The findings suggest that different masculinities and the expression of emotions are intricately intertwined and that managing emotions is vital for wellbeing. The present findings also showed that both shame and pride were significantly associated with SRH, and furthermore, that there seems to be a protective effect of experiencing pride for health (paper III). The results also demonstrated that SSS is strongly related to SRH, and high SRH is related to high SSS, and further that the positioning was done in a gendered space (paper IV). Results from all studies suggest that the emotional and relational aspects, as well as perceived SSS, were strongly related to SRH. Positive emotions, trustful relationships and having a sense of belonging were important factors for health and pride was an important emotion protecting health. Physical health, on the other hand, had a more subordinated value, but the body was experienced as an important tool to achieve health. Even though health was mainly perceived in a holistic manner by the boys, there were boys who were prone to dichotomise the health experience into a mind-body dualism when having to deal with difficult emotions. In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that young, masculine health is largely experienced through emotions and relationships between individuals and their contexts affected by gendered practices. Health is to feel and function well in mind and body and to have trusting relationships. The results support theories on health as a social construction of interconnected processes. Having confidence in self-esteem, access to trustful relationships and the courage to resist traditional masculine norms while still reinforcing and maintaining social status are all conducive to good health. Researchers as well as professionals need to consider the complexity of adolescent boys’ health in which norms, values, relationships and gender form its social determinants. Those working with young boys should encourage them to integrate physical, social and emotional aspects of health into an interconnected and holistic experience. / Tonårspojkars hälsa är komplex och det finns förvånansvärt lite forskning gällande hur tonårspojkar uppfattar, konceptualiserar och upplever hälsa. Därför var det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling att undersöka tonårspojkars uppfattningar och upplevelser av hälsa, emotioner, maskuliniteter och subjektiv social status. Denna avhandling består av tre delstudier: en kvalitativ, en kvantitativ och en mixed metod studie. Den kvalitativa studien syftade till att undersöka hur tonårspojkar uppfattar begreppet hälsa och vad de tyckte var viktigt för att uppnå hälsa, samt deras syn på manlighet, känslohantering och potentiell påverkan på deras välbefinnande. För detta ändamål genomfördes individuella intervjuer med 33 unga pojkar i åldern 16-17 år. Den kvantitativa studien syftade till att undersöka sambandet mellan stolthet, skam och hälsa i tonåren, och data samlades in genom en postenkät där 705 ungdomar deltog. Syftet med mixed metod-studien var att undersöka sambanden mellan subjektiv social status (SSS) i skolan, socioekonomisk status (SES) och självskattad hälsa (SRH) samt att undersöka innebörden av begreppet subjektiv social status. Data från en enkät kombinerades med intervjudata av 35 ungdomar i åldern 17-18 år. I den kvalitativa studien analyserades data med hjälp av Grounded Theory metoden. I den kvantitativa studien användes statistiska analysersåsomchi-två-test samt uni- och multivariabel logistisk regressionsanalys. I mixedmetod-studien användes en kombination av statistiskaanalyser ochtematisknätverksanalys. Resultaten visade att det fanns en komplexitet i hur unga pojkar uppfattade, upplevde, hanterade och värderade hälsa. På en teoretisk nivå uppfattade de hälsa som holistisk men när det handlade om att hantera svåra känslor, var de benägna att separera kroppen från sinnet. Således upplevde de en skillnad mellan hälsa som begrepp och hälsa som upplevelse (I). Gällande den känslomässiga maskulina orienteringen, identifierades två huvudkategorier av maskulina föreställningar: könsnormativ och icke-könsnormativ maskulinitet (II). Könsnormativ maskulinitet bestod av två till synes motsatta maskulinitetsorienteringar, en mot tuffhet och den andra mot känslighet, som båda var starkt påverkad av kontextuella och situationella gruppnormer och krav, trots att deras uttryck kontrasterade varandra. Icke-könsnormativ maskulinitet inkluderade en inriktning mot uppriktighet som betonade de personliga värdena för pojkar; känslor kunde uttryckas mer oberoende av kamratgruppens normer. Resultaten tyder på att olika maskuliniteter och känslouttryck är starkt sammanflätade och att känslohantering är avgörande för välbefinnandet. Resultat visade också att upplevelser av skam och stolthet var signifikant associerade med självskattad hälsa, och att stolthet verkar ha en skyddande effekt för hälsa (III). Vidare visade resultaten att det finns ett starkt samband mellan subjektiv social status och självskattad hälsa och att mycket god självskattad hälsa är relaterad till hög subjektiv social status. Positioneringarna gjordes i en starkt genuskodad skolmiljö (IV). Resultat från allastudier visarattde känslomässiga ochrelationellaaspekternavaravgörandeförhälsa, liksomden subjektivt upplevda statussomvar starktrelaterad tillsjälvskattad hälsa. Positivakänslor och tillitsfulla relationer, och att känna tillhörighet och stolthet varviktiga faktorerförhälsa. Fysiskhälsa å andra sidan hadeettmerunderordnat värde menkroppen var ettviktigt verktyg för attuppnåhälsa. Även omhälsauppfattadespå ett holistiskt sätt av de flesta pojkarna, fanns det pojkar som varbenägna att dela upp hälsoupplevelsen i kropp och sinne när det gällde att hantera svåra känslor. Sammanfattningsvis visar denna avhandlingatt den unga, manligahälsantill stor delupplevs genomkänsloroch relationermellanindivider och derassammanhang som är starkt genuskodade. Resultaten stöderteorier omhälsasomensocial konstruktionav sammankopplade processer. Hälsa är att må och fungera bra i kropp och sinne och ha tillgång till tillitsfulla relationer. Att ha självkänsla, tillgång till förtroendefulla relationer och att våga stå emot traditionella maskulinitetsnormer utan att tappa status bidrar positivt till hälsa. Forskare samt yrkesverksamma måste ta hänsyn till komplexiteten i unga pojkars hälsa, där normer, värderingar, relationer och genus utgör dess sociala bestämningsfaktorer. De som arbetar med unga pojkar bör uppmuntra dem att integrera fysiska, sociala och känslomässiga aspekter av hälsa till en sammanlänkad helhetsupplevelse.

This study examines how Swedish feminist comic artists express emotional regimes and feeling rules as displayed by comic characters. Guided by Arlie Russell Hochschild’s understanding of feeling rules and emotion management together with Erving Goffman’s decoding behavior methodology this study seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of gender emotion management norms. The study uses triangulation, combining analyzes of five semi-structured interviews with Swedish feminist comic artists and visual analysis of roughly 130 comic panels from a selection of Swedish feminist comic books. The findings indicate that Swedish feminist comic artists question and challenge existing feeling rules and, render new visual representations of male and female’s emotion management through their comic characters. Four character design techniques are found (1) mirroring, (2) non-stereotypical representation, (3) removing the male gaze, and (4) not emphasizing differences between male and female characters. A unique connection between expected emotion management and comic character’s body type is also found. This new finding implies that emotions and body type might be important to examine in future research. Unlike previous studies, the visual analysis suggests that emotion and gender need to be examined through several instruments to gain a more nuanced result. The findings motivate treating comics as a culturally significant source of data for future research.

Emotion AI är ett forskningsområde som syftar till att teknik ska kunna känna igen och reagera på mänskliga känslotillstånd, vilket kan implementeras i form av chattbotar. Chattbotens roll är idag framträdande inom kundtjänstområdet och används för att stärka kundservice. Tidigare forskning visar att det råder brist av kvalitativa studier om hur chattbotar responderar på och hanterar känslor som uppstår när människor interagerar med chattbotar i vardagen. Syftet med studien är därav att skapa förståelse för hur känslor hanteras av chattbotar och vilka upplevelser som genereras vid kundtjänstinteraktion mellan människa och chattbot.  Studien antog en kvalitativ ansats och inleddes genom en förstudie som identifierade fyra chattbotar, vilka användes vidare till intervjustudien. Datainsamlingen har genomförts med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer och kompletterades med observation. Analysen identifierade fyra typer av upplevelser av chattbotarnas förmåga att respondera på känslointeraktion: bekräftelse, missförstånd, problemlösning och ideal chattbot. Studien diskuterar hur chattbotar påverkar människans känsloupplevelse och hur chattbotar bör designas i kundtjänstinteraktion. Slutsatsen är att det inte finns behov att utveckla chattbotar med väldigt komplex känsloförmåga och känslomässig förståelse har visats vara sekundärt i kundtjänstinteraktion. Dock bör chattbotar designas med en enklare form av känslomässig förmåga eftersom det kan skapa mervärde genom att kunderna känner sig förstådda. / Emotion AI is a research area aimed at technology recognizing and reacting to human emotions, which can be implemented in the form of chatbots. The chatbot's role is today prominent in the field of customer service and is used to strengthen customer service. Previous research shows that there is a lack of qualitative studies on how chatbots respond to and manage emotions that arise when people interact with chatbots in their everyday life. The purpose of the study is therefore to create an understanding of how emotions are handled by chatbots and what experiences are generated during customer service interaction between humans and chatbots.  The study adopted a qualitative approach and was initiated through a feasibility study that identified four chatbots, which were used for the interview study. The data collection was carried out using semi-structured interviews and supplemented by observation. The analysis identified four types of experiences of chatbots' ability to respond to emotional interaction: affirmation, misunderstanding, problem-solving, and ideal chatbot. The study discusses how chatbots affect the human emotional experience and how chatbots should be designed for customer service interaction. The bottom line is that there is no need to develop chatbots with very complex emotional abilities and emotional understanding has been shown to be secondary in the customer service interaction. However, chatbots should be designed with a simpler form of emotional ability as it can create added value in the form of making customers feel understood.

Denna kvalitativa studie undersöker emotionshantering och känsloregler i polyamorösa förhållanden. Polyamorösa utsätter sig för situationer där emotionshantering med största sannolikhet är av vikt, där svartsjuka samt emotionen compersion (även kallad medglädje) kan uppstå, och har därmed upplevelse av att hantera svartsjuka och compersion som är värdefull att undersöka. Studiens forskningsfrågor var 1) Hur den polyamorösa personen har lärt sig om polyamorösa sociala normer och förväntningar gällande emotioner svartsjuka och compersion i parrelationer, 2) Hur den polyamorösa personen själv hanterar emotioner av svartsjuka och compersion i sina relationer Samt 3) Vilka förebilder personen har gällande hanteringar av emotioner svartsjuka och compersion, samt och hur utvärderar hon sina egna erfarenheter. Den teoretiska ramen i studien är baserad på teorin om social identitet samt privata emotionella system. Materialet samlades med hjälp av semi-strukturerade djupintervjuer med fem polyamorösa kvinnor, där det sedan användes en tematisk analysmetod. Resultatet visade att den polyamorösa personen lär sig känsloreglerna i den polyamorösa kontexten genom att interagera med andra med samma sociala identitet (antingen genom sin partner eller genom socialisationsarenor såsom sociala medier), samt att dessa normer påvisar kommunikationsfaktorn som en viktig norm som hjälper den polyamorösa individen i sin emotionshantering. Denna norm menar flera respondenter är någonting som fungerar för dem i deras egen emotionshantering, och när de uppfyller den här normen leder det till att de utvärderar sina erfarenheter av emotionerna svartsjuka och compersion som goda. Däremot underströk flera respondenter att de inte hade några förebilder att jämföra sig med, utan jämförelser sker i störst utsträckning med den större monogama gemenskapen. / This qualitative study examines emotion management and emotion rules in polyamorous relationships. Polyamorous people are exposed to situations where emotion management is most likely important, where jealousy and the emotion compersion can occur, and thus have experience of dealing with jealousy and compersion that is valuable to investigate. The research questions of the study were 1) How the polyamorous person has learned about polyamorous social norms and expectations regarding emotions jealousy and compersion in couple relationships, 2) How the polyamorous person herself handles emotions of jealousy and compersion in their relationships, and 3) What role models the person has regarding management of emotions jealousy and compersion, as well as and how she evaluates her own experiences. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the theory of social identity and private emotional systems. The material was collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews with five polyamorous women, where then a thematic analysis method was used. The results showed that the polyamorous person learns the emotional rules in the polyamorous context by interacting with others with the same social identity (either through their partner or through socialization arenas such as social media), and that these norms demonstrate the communication factor as an important norm that helps the polyamorous individual in their emotion management. This norm, several respondents believe, is something that works for them in their own emotion management, and when they meet this norm, it leads them to evaluate their experiences of the emotions such as jealousy and compersion as very good. On the other hand, several respondents emphasized that they had no role models to compare themselves with, but that comparisons are made to the greatest extent with the larger monogamous community.

Emotions constitutes a large part of social work and social workers use their expertise to handle emotions of others while coping with their own. The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate the emotions that social workers experience, and how they manage their own emotions working with clients with both problematic substance use and mental illness. The study is based on eight semi-structed interviews with social workers, working closely with this specific client-group. We have analyzed our data according to Hochschild’s theory of “emotional labor”, by using a thematic analysis.   The results shows that the work involves a wide range of emotions, where frustration, helplessness, joy and curiosity are the most common emotions. Being able to manage emotions and the way in which one does so appears to be strongly linked to professionalism. It appears that social workers should not show too much of their emotions, but not too little either. The results also show that the emotion management takes place in two different arenas, in the client meeting and in the workplace, and the emotion rules differ markedly depending on the arena. Managing emotions together with colleagues and through supervision also proved to be important for maintaining professionalism.

This study focuses on correctional officers’ values and perceptions of their workplace, the people they work with and for, and members of the general public. Although prior research has investigated correctional staff members’ feelings about their occupation, far fewer studies have implemented a comprehensive qualitative, microsociological approach. The author conducted 20 in-depth interviews with current and former correctional officers (COs) in public-supported facilities. Additional data were collected through two public Facebook pages designated for COs and citizens interested in the criminal justice system. The study offers insights about the significance of COs’ feelings about their work and how the correctional environment affects their lives at work and away from the workplace among the non-incarcerated public. How COs contend with the devalued nature of correctional work and how female COs deal with a male-dominated workplace are primary analytical themes.

Research over the last several decades offers clear evidence that mothers experience considerable pressure in carrying out the expectations of contemporary mothering, including expanded responsibilities relating to child and family health (Hays, 1996; Wolf, 2013). While we know that these pressures produce negative impacts, we know less about the strategies and tools mothers use to cope with these anxieties as they try to "do it right" (Villalobos, 2014). At the same time, research suggests that mothering is increasingly digitally-embedded, as mothers look to the internet and social media for information and support (Schoppe-Sullivan et al., 2017). This study thus explores how mothers use Facebook groups to inform health and parenting decisions. Drawing on data generated through a digital ethnography incorporating 18 months of participant observation, discourse analysis, and interviews with 29 mothers across two sets of divergent, specialized sets of Facebook groups (focusing on “evidence-based” and “natural” health and parenting), I advance three key, interconnected arguments. First, I apply theories of boundaries and boundary-work to show how specialized Facebook groups become persuasive ideological spaces for mothers who seek certainty around their healthcare beliefs and decisions. Next, I apply the concept of echo chambers to argue that mothers involved with these specialized Facebook groups engage in siloed health learning that shapes health beliefs, decisions, and even conversations with healthcare providers. Finally, I show how mothers engage in a form of digitally-mediated emotion management by turning Facebook groups that confirm their parenting ideology in order to alleviate anxieties associated with neoliberalism and individualist parenting, and to feel better about their maternal performance. I ultimately conclude that the turn to digital platforms for certainty, reassurance, and good feelings is both a logical expression and a reflection of the latest wave of maternal responsibilization.