The Back of the World is a novel about crime, performance, and the nature of employment in the 21st Century.

(in English): The thesis deals with online labour markets. They are differentiated against job portals and have their characteristics and specific variations relevant to workers and employers analysed. The thesis also differentiates a Talent Market. The analysis identifies geographical distribution of workers as well as the workforce composition related to primary area of expertise. A significant borderline between the dominant fields of work in the east and west is found. The analysis also focuses on fees imposed by individual portals and their relation to the utility of a given portal. In the conclusion, recommendations concerning choosing the most suitable market with regard to the nature and length of the project are given.

This practice-based research discusses critical responses to the structural pressures of 'independent' curating under neoliberalism. The study argues for politicising project-making in accordance with such values as equality, collective autonomy and interdependency. The argument contributes to current debates about the practical plausibility of politicising project-related modes of production in the expanded field of art. The thesis acknowledges that 'independent' curators are culturally and economically dependent on the same apparatus that they want to contest. My work approaches this basic contradiction as a practical and conceptual challenge that prompts a series of questions as to how to practice within the apparatus, whilst at the same time resisting the social pressures of the very same system. The methodology merges sociological analysis of the social conditions of 'independent' curating with the tacit knowledge of the forms of curatorial resistance elicited by the pressures discussed. Thus, I set aside the aesthetical contents of curatorial projects and focus on their social forms. Utilising Walter Benjamin s concepts from The Author as Producer (1934), I argue that to politicise project-making, an 'independent' curator is required to intervene in the social apparatuses of curatorial production. The thesis reveals a number of social pressures, which manifest themselves in 'independent' curatorial practice and analyses tactics that 'independent' curators develop in response to those pressures. I interpret the examples of curatorial practice, submitted to evidence my argument, both as symptoms of those social pressures and as sites of politicised, curatorial intervention. To analyse politicised curating, I introduce two central terms 'the apparatus of project-making' and 'radical opportunism'. These terms facilitate the analysis of the intrinsic contradictions and ethical complexities of politicised curating. I apply this conceptual framework to the different aspects of project-making, analysing temporal structures, modes of governance and competitive features of the apparatus, alongside politicised, curatorial responses to the pressures discussed. In order to discuss curatorial tactics that respond to the social pressures of project-making, I introduce new terms, such as 'free/slowness', 'neither a project nor an institution' and 'interdependent curating', discussed in the consecutive Chapters.

This master thesis is focused on freelance type work available though on-line marketplaces such as oDesk and ways to get hired. First chapter introduces on-line working and lead though the world statistics powered by oDesk. Numbers present working hours, geographical coverage and skills distribution. It makes reader familiar with advantages and disadvantages of freelancing. Second chapter is related to on-line job marketplaces, in particularly to oDesk (www.odesk.com). It focuses on pros and cons of oDesk business model and website features comparing them with main competitor Elance (www.elance.com). Third chapter disclosures positioning, branding, pricing and marketing aspects of freelance. It guides through example of starting contractor's career on oDesk considering possible scenarios of future development. Master thesis contains 81 pages, 15 Figures, 5 Tables and 10 Appendixes.

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This master’s thesis investigates how freelancers experience job precarity and asymmetrical power relations which have been established within the media production industry as well as the relevance and value of coworking spaces providing a workspace with the possibilities of knowledge sharing, networking and community building, as a framework in order to challenge their precarious working conditions. Furthermore, the research aims at examining the participants’ experiences in a qualitative manner to explore those rather new concepts of freelancing and coworking spaces as previous research has failed to address the individual experiences of how freelancers deal with the nature of work in the media production industry.Situated in the context of the structural changes within media production towards a project-based nature of work and the decrease of permanent employment, freelancers are increasingly facing precarious working conditions such as uncertainty and instability.Applying the theory of structure and agency as theoretical framework, it is discussed to what extent freelancers are influenced by the established structures, rules and norms within the media production industry and how their agency is enabled within these structures.Using a qualitative research approach, this study is based on an investigation of the experiences and knowledge of eleven freelancers working in the media production industry and who are users of coworking spaces by the means of semi-structured interviews. In summary, this thesis reveals that the majority of the participants experience asymmetrical power relations and precarity to a high degree. Furthermore, freelancers who seek for communities in order to challenge their precarious working conditions, experience coworking spaces as highly valuable concept in order to increase the possibilities for their individual agency. Having investigated those rather novel concepts, this thesis serves as a starting point for examining further research on freelancers’ individual experiences of their working conditions.

Cette recherche explore le journalisme indépendant dans le contexte contemporain de convergences socio-techno-médiatiques. Je questionne ici l’existence d’un lien entre les pratiques de pige et de convergence en journalisme et son apport dans le développement de l’univers journalistique. Il s’agit d’une étude exploratoire et empirique, consacrée aux expériences des journalistes indépendants et développée autour des concepts de tactique, résistance, liberté et gouvernance. J’ai constitué ainsi un cadre théorique à partir de l’articulation théorique de Michel Foucault relative au pouvoir. Je défends l’idée selon laquelle la pige et la convergence en journalisme sont chacun des mouvements libres qui coexistent et qui, ensemble, constituent une force motrice pour le dispositif de pouvoir que le journalisme représente dans un système démocratique avancé. La liberté de mouvement des journalistes indépendants leur permet de mener plus loin le journalisme dans le contexte actuel de convergences et d’augmenter l’horizon d’applicabilité de ce domaine de la communication de masse. / This research explores the independent journalism in the contemporary context of socio-technological and media convergences. Here I question the existence of a connection between freelance and convergence practices in journalism, and its contribution to the development of the journalistic world. This is an exploratory and empirical study, focused on freelancers’ experiences and developed around the concepts of tactics, resistance, freedom and governance. I have thus formulated a theoretical framework, supported by Michel Foucault’s accounts related to power. I argue that freelancing and convergence are free movements, co-existing and forming a driving force for the institution of power represented by journalism in advanced democracies. In this current context of convergences, this freedom allows freelancers to challenge the limits of journalism, hence increasing the scope of applications within this greater realm of mass communication.

The analysis of creative processes reveals that there are behaviors, techniques, and resources that have proven to be indispensable when embraced by advertising creatives in order to achieve big ideas. There are specific behaviors that clearly define successful creatives, and there are techniques and resources that creatives commonly use to arrive at big ideas. Some of these behaviors, techniques, and resources are well-known and time-tested, while others are proposed here for the first time, backed by research. This report aims to improve the productivity of creativity. / text

Cette recherche explore le journalisme indépendant dans le contexte contemporain de convergences socio-techno-médiatiques. Je questionne ici l’existence d’un lien entre les pratiques de pige et de convergence en journalisme et son apport dans le développement de l’univers journalistique. Il s’agit d’une étude exploratoire et empirique, consacrée aux expériences des journalistes indépendants et développée autour des concepts de tactique, résistance, liberté et gouvernance. J’ai constitué ainsi un cadre théorique à partir de l’articulation théorique de Michel Foucault relative au pouvoir. Je défends l’idée selon laquelle la pige et la convergence en journalisme sont chacun des mouvements libres qui coexistent et qui, ensemble, constituent une force motrice pour le dispositif de pouvoir que le journalisme représente dans un système démocratique avancé. La liberté de mouvement des journalistes indépendants leur permet de mener plus loin le journalisme dans le contexte actuel de convergences et d’augmenter l’horizon d’applicabilité de ce domaine de la communication de masse. / This research explores the independent journalism in the contemporary context of socio-technological and media convergences. Here I question the existence of a connection between freelance and convergence practices in journalism, and its contribution to the development of the journalistic world. This is an exploratory and empirical study, focused on freelancers’ experiences and developed around the concepts of tactics, resistance, freedom and governance. I have thus formulated a theoretical framework, supported by Michel Foucault’s accounts related to power. I argue that freelancing and convergence are free movements, co-existing and forming a driving force for the institution of power represented by journalism in advanced democracies. In this current context of convergences, this freedom allows freelancers to challenge the limits of journalism, hence increasing the scope of applications within this greater realm of mass communication.

This study examines through an equality lens, the lived experiences of nine female leaders in the male-dominated film industry in Sweden. The aim was to explore how women perceived equality in their workplace, their perception of the issue, and the coping strategies used by these women. In-depth interviews were done through a qualitative phenomenological approach. The theoretical framework used in this thesis is gendered organizations by Acker (2012), a social psychological perspective of gender gaps by Garcia and Hanek (2022), and how women can contribute to inequality by Parks-Stamm et al. (2008). I found themes influenced by a gendered industry, including masculine stereotypes and norms that affect employee behavior, and unintentionally contribute to organizational inequality.  My findings illustrate career obstacles for female leaders, in contrast to males who for instance, benefit from brotherhood, and loose requirements such as social skills. To succeed, women must work hard, act suitably, educate- and convince themselves, and use creative tactics for approval. I highlight strategies such as the competitive strategy to become “one of the boys”, and the chameleon strategy by adapting like a stereotypical female or male by mindset, male behaviors, or using male outfits. And specialization strategy, to ally with other women. Strategies were used to get access to particular environments and reach different goals. Two women didn’t experience gender discrimination, and the issue of equality was perceived in various ways. Collaborating with men had mutual benefits, as male mentors were well-intentioned, and male dominance didn’t exclusively drive inequality. My research also revealed contradictions in female rivalry showing disloyalty, abusive, unfavorable, and competitive behaviors rooted in self-protection and limited opportunities. However, the study illuminates the challenges and strategies of female leaders in a male-dominated industry. The women are creative, brave, and inspiring for other women by navigating against all odds in a profession they love.