The aim of this Master's thesis is to study how generational identities are conveyed in the reception of two debut novels, Jack by Ulf Lundell and Allt by Martina Lowden. Both novels have been considered literary and social expressions of their generations. The empirical material consists of 14 reviews in Swedish daily press from the time of publication of Jack and Allt, respectively. The thesis revolves around the following questions: How is the generational identity defined in terms of lifestyle practices, milieus and other social circumstances? To what extent are structured factors such as gender and class considered? How are the critics considering the reflexive project of the self? I base the theoretical framework on Anthony Giddens' theories about identity creation in the late modern society. Idea analysis is used in the classification and analysis of the textual material. The model of analysis is based on factors that by Giddens are considered to affect the identity process. The result of the analysis shows that the generational identities expressed in the two novels appear very different. In the reviews discussing Jack, the identity is based on destructive lifestyle practices and is closely related to the political environment. In the reviews of Allt the identity is connected to a literary main theme that is constructed in relation to mediated influences. The conclusion suggests an increased understanding of the individual identity as a result of a reflexive process. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine values expressed towards the Swedish literary award Augustpriset in a selection of articles from Swedish newspapers published between the years 2000-2007. The questions posed in the study are: What types of values concerning Augustpriset are expressed in a selection of cultural journalistic articles? How is the relationship between intellectual culture and commercial culture reflected in the articles? How are positive and negative standpoints justified? How can Augustpriset and the journalists be understood as parts of intraconversion on the literary field? The study’s qualitative textual analysis is theoretically based on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the literary field. The method used for analysing the articles is idea analysis using dimensions constructed from Bourdieu’s description of two polarities, the intellectual and the commercial, of the literary field. Also used as a theoretical tool is John F. English’s term intraconversion. The results of the study indicate that a majority of the journalists express scepticism towards the commercial aspects of Augustpriset, and that commercial interests are sometimes perceived to be affecting the process of nomination, voting and awarding of the award. The results also indicate that intellectual culture is given higher value that commercial culture, hence the values expressed can be assigned to the dimension constructed from the intellectual pole. / Uppsatsnivå: D

In this thesis we have examined opinions of the social web in Scandinavian Library journals. Our interest lies in aspects about the social web, and above all about Library 2.0. The central question is how this new technology, a growing digitalization, and a social web that focuses on interactivity and participation affects opinions about libraries. We have investigated opinions about Library 2.0, with respect to three different dimensions: The role of the library in society, power/hierarchy and knowledge. The method used in this thesis is idea analysis using these dimensions as analytical instrument. As theoretical framework we have used Douglas Raber’s (1996) three different strategies for public libraries, and the way in which librarians choose to meet the challenges of a changing society: The conservative response, the populist initiative and the social activism. Our main findings are:- The most enthusiastic Library 2.0-supporters are found in the field of social activism. They have a deeply democratic view, and they believe that “sharing is caring”. “Radical trust” is another important expression as is “the wisdom of the crowd”.- On the other hand, some Library 2.0-supporters are found in the populist initiative. They propose that change is the only constant and want to adapt to the market. For such scholars, the most important word is “usefulness”.- Those included in the conservative response is often sceptical about Library 2.0. They are not principally against new ideas such as interactivity, but they maintain that librarians’ authority should be protected, and they find books and reading to be the most important part of Library services.

The purpose of this master’s thesis is to describe by a gender approach what ideas and values are expressed in the novel One Night at Bullar Lake and how they do coincide to a tendency. We also want to discuss authority and class divisions and how these can be connected to the novel and the author. Our final question is to examine in what way the voice of the female author is represented in the novel. To approach our material we use Yvonne Hirdman’s theories about the construction of sexes and Susan Sniader Lanser’s work about voices of female authors, as well as Horace Engdahl’s studies about the silent voice in literature. We also use Pierre Bourdieu’s theories regarding the discussion about class divisions and authority. The method used for analysing the novel is a descriptive idea analysis where we have developed two ideal types on the basis of Åsa Arping’s research concerning the female situation around the 1840`s. The result of the study shows a novel with several meanings. Apart from the religious theme about the revivalist movement which the novel is based on, appear questions concerning the self-fulfilment and independence of women. The novel can be seen as an example of how female authors could find a way to express themselves in a literary world dominated by men.

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine how Ranma ½, one of the most popular Japanese Manga series, reflects the gender system in society. We have chosen to make use of two different gender theorists to determine if Ranma ½ follows the gender norms of society or not. The theoretical framework is based primarily on Yvonne Hirdman's theory of the two basic principles: the principle of dichotomy and the principle of hierarchy. Judith Butler's theory of performative gender is used as a complement. The method used is idea analysis of text with elements of image analysis. The idea analysis has helped us to get the ideas of masculinity and femininity as represented in Ranma ½. Our methodology allowed the use of a number of dimensions which were prepared after the thesis theoretical framework. The dimensions we chose to use in our analysis were the locations, tasks, properties, behaviour and status. The conclusion regarding Ranma ½ is that it both mirrors and breaks the surrounding society’s values on gender. There are parts of the series that enables you as a reader to interpret the series as norm breaking, but there are also parts that will enable us to interpret Ranma ½ the other way around, as norm following.

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to examine the relationship between fiction and resistance from a postcolonial and feminist perspective. More specifically, the study is an examination of this relationship in ten novels by the Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta. The resistance is studied by examining the way it is depicted in the texts, as well as whether the texts can be seen as a form of opposition. Both the resistance and its context are studied. The analysis is performed through a content analysis of ideas concerning the following four dimensions in Emecheta’s texts: intersectionality, colonialism and imperialism, traditional patriarchal structures and strategies of resistance. The study shows that Emecheta’s novels have a clear political perspective and perform a powerful critique of both imperialist exploitation and traditional patriarchal structures, whilst at the same time illustrating the way different power structures are interoperating. The main strategies for resistance in the texts are based on solidarity, decolonization and self-definition. The context for resistance that is presented to the reader in Emecheta’s novels is a highly variable reality in which different power structures interact and change, which implicates that the methods of resistance varies too. The novels depict as well as constitute resistance, through the ideas conveyed and by the act of writing. The novels present a counter argument against imperialist and patriarchal notions, at the same time as they are offering an opportunity for increased self-understanding, self-definition and transcendence of given positions.

Local history collections are fairly common among the Swedish public libraries and these collections often contain older or rare material. There are no national policies concerning the preservation of rare books at the public libraries, and the librarians of public libraries may lack that knowledge. The aim of this study is to examine librarians’ attitudes toward their libraries’ local history collections. We interviewed five librarians in the county of Västra Götaland and also made a small observation study of their local history collections. In order to research this we posed the following questions:• Which values of the phenomenon local history collections can be discerned among the examined librarians?• How do the examined librarians state their motives for the local history collection being at the library? • Which views do the examined librarians have on preserving and making the local history collection accessible? We base our analysis on the dichotomies of the cultural heritage ideals of Hazelius and Forsslund, presented by Annika Alzén. To determine what values the librarians have we created three dimensions to sort the librarians' responses in. In our study we found that all the librarians seemed to make accessibility a priority. The aspects of the local history collections that the examined librarians seemed to value the most were genealogical researchers, archives and cultural values. Their motives for the local history collection to be at the library were because the library can reach all kinds of users, and that they had expertise in preserving the materials.

Under den senaste tiden har det debatterats kring att Socialdemokraterna har kommit närmare högerpartierna i Sverige. Syftet med studien är att undersöka vad Socialdemokraterna har för ideologi idag och om partiets ideologi har förändrats under 2000-talet. Genom att tillämpa en beskrivande idéanalys av Socialdemokraternas valmanifest och partiprogram under 2000-talet, undersöks vilka socialistiska, liberala och konservativa drag det går att se hos Socialdemokraterna idag. Analysen av Socialdemokraternas ideologi utgår ifrån valda kategorier och grundar sig i teoretiska ramverk, som består av de klassiska ideologierna socialism, liberalism och konservatism. Studiens slutsats är att det går att se stora socialistiska drag hos Socialdemokraterna idag, men även vissa liberala och konservativa drag. Undersökningen visar även att Socialdemokraternas ideologi inte har förändrats under 2000-talet.

<p>Arbetet bygger på ett ifrågasättande av synen på gymnasieskolans olika delar mellan åren 1965 och 1994 som idémässigt enhetliga med ett gemensamt syfte och utveckling. Uppsatsens syfte är att problematisera denna syn utifrån ett utbildningsfilosofiskt perspektiv. Syftet konkretiseras genom två frågeställningar, den första frågeställningen behandlar vilka idéer som uttrycks i skolans kursplaner, till vilken utbildningsfilosofi idéerna kan kopplas och hur de förändras under den undersöka tidsperioden. Den andra frågan behandlar vilka likheter och skillnader i utbildningsfilosofisk grund som finns mellan de olika ämnenas kursplaner under tidsperioden. Källmaterialet bearbetas genom textanalys i form av idéanalys för att på så sätt utvinna de idéer som utrycks. Därefter används idealtyper för att kategorisera idéerna till dess utbildningsfilosofiska grund. Slutligen görs en jämförande analys för att analysera likheter och skillnader mellan de undersökta ämnenas kursplaner. Resultatet av analyserna visar på att det finns vissa gemensamma drag gällande utbildningsfilosofisk grund och utveckling under den behandlade tidsperioden, men att skillnaderna är fler än likheterna. En av de slutsatser man kan dra av resultatet är att gymnasieskolan under tidsperioden mellan åren 1965 och 1994 hade ett splittrat syfte. De olika ämnena byggde inte på samma utbildningsfilosofiska grund och därmed syftande ämnena till att påverka eleven på olika sätt.</p>

<p>Feminist initiative – an idea analysis.</p><p>On the fourth of April in the year 2005 Feministic initiative (Fi) was created, it was an main response to the slow changes in the Swedish society, which claimed to establish an equal society. Equality has become one of the major indicators of a contemporary democratic society. The Swedish government has long proclaimed to reach this goal, but even though Sweden currently lies in the front among the democratic societies, while you consider equality issues, especially between the sexes, there is still a lot that need to be done in the Swedish society. Feministic initiative began as an organization and established a political party and participated in the election during the year 2006, but failed to reach a place in the parliament. Recently Feministic initiative said that they will participate in the upcoming election in the year 2010.</p><p>It made me wonder which feministic ideals that Feministic initiative actually practices. Feminism is a broad ideology, and a reaction against the society that claims to be democratic but systematically oppresses women. This oppression created feminism; but there is different views of feminism, my main objective in this paper is to present a few different feministic directions. These are, radicalfeminism, marxistic feminism, liberalfeminism, socialistic feminism, post-modernfeminism and black (women’s) feminism. From these theories will I create a analyze frame and try to locate different kinds of feministic ideas within Feministic initiatives policy documents called <em>F! for a feministic policy, election manifest</em> and <em>platform for Feministic initiative </em></p><p>Thus, the main focus in this paper to do an idea analyze and focus on Feministic initiative, do they really use the different ideas expressed within the different types of feminism that I consider in this paper in a equal manner? The conclusion is that Feministic initiative is tendentious, Feministic initiative uses ideas, perspectives and expressions that are typical for radicalfeminism more than they use ideas, perspectives and expressions from other types of feminism.</p>