I media under de senaste åren har en mörk bild av unga svensk-somalier vuxit fram bland annat kopplat till gängkriminalitet. Det påverkar även de unga svensk-somalier som inte hamnat snett. Som en kontrast till dem som hamnat i kriminalitet, arbetslöshet och utanförskap lyfts svensk-somaliska högskolestudenter fram i denna studie. Syftet var att skapa förståelse för deras identitetsskapande och upplevelse av meningsfullhet samt hur det påverkar deras välbefinnande. Studien utgick ifrån ett socialpsykologiskt perspektiv och analyserades med hjälp av teorierna KASAM och social identitetsteori samt begreppen etnicitet, mellanförskap och dubbel kulturell tillhörighet. Metoden var kvalitativ och kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med 10 respondenter. Respondenterna var högskolestuderande med svensk-somalisk ursprung i åldern 21-24 år. Resultatet visade att etnicitet, religionstillhörighet, familj, vänner och föreningsliv varit viktigt i identitetsskapandet. Religion, familj och målmedvetenhet beskrevs som viktiga delar för att skapa meningsfullhet. Dessutom var det vanligt att motgångar och negativt bemötande vändes till en motivationskälla. De framgångsfaktorer för välbefinnande som framkom var gemenskap, socialt stöd, tro, målmedvetenhet och att vända motgångar till motivation. / In the media in the recent years, a negative picture of young Somali-Swedes has emerged, among other things linked to gang crime. It also affects the young Somali-Swedes who have not gone astray. As a contrast to those who ended up in crime, unemployment and exclusion, Somali-Swedish university students are highlighted in this study. The aim was to create an understanding of their identity formation and experience of meaningfulness and how it affects their well-being. The study was based on a social psychological perspective and has been analyzed with the help of the theories Sense of Coherence (SOC) and Social Identity Theory (SIT) as well as the concepts of ethnicity, in-betweenness and dual cultural belonging. The method was qualitative and qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten respondents. The respondents were university students of Somali-Swedish origin aged 21-24. The results showed that ethnicity, religious affiliation, family, friends and participation in civic society were important in the formation of identity. Religion, family and sense of purpose were described as important elements in creating meaning. In addition, it was common that adversity and negative treatment were turned into a source of motivation. The factors of success for well-being that were found were community, social support, faith, purposefulness and turning adversity into motivation.

No description available.

The rise of crowdsourcing practices has revolutionized the way in which organizational tasks can be performed. One application of crowdsourcing that has been receiving growing attention over the past decade is using the crowd to collect environmental data that is needed to monitor, manage and predict environmental events. Most projects are still in their initial stages and since these projects often require high levels of citizen participation, there is a need to better understand the motivations for individuals to(dis)engage in these crowdsourcing projects, especially when long-term participation is required. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to explore the motivations of individuals that participated in a crowdsourcing project for environmental data collection. Building on Self-Determination Theory, Social Exchange Theory and Social Identity theory, a case was studied of an organization that successfully motivated citizens from all over the world to use their drones to collect geographic climate data. In total, ten interviews were conducted with the drone-operators. The findings suggest that participants felt intrinsically motivated to engage because they wanted to do good, cared about climate change and were passionate about flying drones. Additionally, they experienced extrinsic motivations such as the possibility of gaining future job offers, recognition, and experience. Moreover, since participation was deemed relatively easy and straightforward, costs of participation were low and outweighed by the benefits. Finally, feeling part of a wider community made the participants more motivated to engage. Using crowdsourcing to collect environmental data on a wider spatiotemporal scale can help guide policy-making that mitigates or manages the impacts of climate change. Future projects would benefit from more and diversified research that support the design of long-term participation schemes, as the success of the projects depends on the level of citizen engagement.

This dissertation argues for the renewal of Chinese evangelical spirituality by critical engagement with Christian mysticism. The dissertation argues that Chinese evangelicals can pursue life transformation by appropriating the Christian mystical tradition within the Chinese context while retaining core evangelical distinctions. It discloses that Chinese evangelicals have inherited some elements of the Christian mystical tradition. Purposeful review and critical engagement with Christian mysticism provide Chinese evangelicals with meaningful themes, lively witnesses, and practical insights for reimaging the pathway of future spiritual theology in their social-cultural context. Thus, it contributes to the sparse academic research on mainland Chinese spiritual theology and argues that Christian mysticism plays a particular role in its unique development. Furthermore, this dissertation holds that Chinese evangelical leaders should and can work together to lead Christians to acquire spiritual maturity while they are travelling on this spiritual pathway. It proposes an integration of biblical leadership and the social identity theory of leadership for leading a constructive change to the evangelical community. Such as proposal of change manifests the contribution of this dissertation to the fusion of theory and practice in spiritual or practical theology.

No description available.

No description available.

På senare tid har de uppmärksammade härjningarna och våldsamma metoderna som används av Islamiska Staten i Irak och Syrien (ISIS) bidragit till en ökad oro och diskussion om vad som får muslimska ungdomar ifrån väst att ansluta sig till sådana hänsynslösa organisationer. Mot bakgrund av detta ville jag undersöka vilka tankar och antaganden som konstruerar en muslimsk ungdoms världsbild avseende identitet och tillhörighet. Denna studie syftar därför till att uppnå ökad förståelse för hur fenomenet radikalisering kan relateras till identitetsskapande hos muslimska ungdomar och vilka processer i identitetsskapandet som kan utgöra en risk för vägen mot radikalisering. För att lyckas med detta har jag utfört semistrukturerade utforskande djupintervjuer med muslimska ungdomar i Malmö. Min avsikt med denna studie har inte varit att utgå från att alla muslimska ungdomar är, eller har potential för att bli radikaliserade. Min avsikt har snarare varit att utforska hur identitet och tillhörighet kan säga något om vägar (pathways) till radikalisering oavsett av religiös tillhörighet. För att analysera informanternas berättelser har begrepp och ramverk från Social identitetsteori använts. Studien påvisar en stabil grund för bi-kulturell identifiering med en svensk och en muslimsk kontext bland ungdomarna som ingått i denna studie. Samtidigt går det att spåra en kluvenhet i att på grund av sin religiösa identitet inte alltid accepteras fullt ut i alla sammanhang och en känsla av medialt utpekande av muslimer som grupp. Informanternas berättelser synliggör också en upplevd intern konflikt bland muslimska samfund då terrorism som utförs i islams namn tvingar medlemmar i gruppen att både internt och externt markera ställningstagande i frågan om religiöst motiverat våld och terrorism. Denna konflikt i kombination med ett upplevt utanförskap som svensk muslim kan i sig vara grunden för att vissa ungdomar vänder sig in i andra delar av den muslimska gruppen för att söka acceptans och bekräftelse. I denna process finner en del av dessa ungdomar radikala och extrema rörelser. Dessa rörelser är isolerade från omvärldens intryck vilket möjliggör för extremism att gro. När medlemmar inom en sådan grupp vill öka sin status kan beteende och handlingar eskalera vilket kan leda till våld och terrorism. Ett sätt att förhindra denna väg mot radikalisering av unga muslimer skulle således kunna vara att skapa förutsättningar för muslimska ungdomar att kunna känna tillhörighet i sina olika sociala identiteter som både svensk och muslim. / As the brutality and violent means of the Islamic state in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has become evident a general concern and public discussion has emerged about what makes young Muslims from the Western world to join such devious organizations. In light of this I wanted to examine the thoughts and assumptions that constructs the feelings of identity and belonging of young Muslims in the city of Malmo. This study thus aims to create a wider understanding of how the phenomenon of radicalization can be related to identities of Muslim youth and how the processes of forming identity can compose a risk for the individual to find pathways to radicalization. To accomplish this explorative semi-structured interviews with young Muslims in Malmo was conducted. My intention with this study has not been to assume that all Muslim youth is, or has the potential to become radicalized. My intention rather has been to explore how identity and belonging can tell something about routes (pathways) to radicalization regardless of religious affiliation. To analyze the stories of the young Muslims who participated in this study concepts and frameworks from Social Identity Theory has been applied. This study shows that among the young Muslims participating in this study there is a stable basis for a bi-cultural identification with both a Swedish and a Muslim context. It is though possible to trace some ambivalence in the bi-cultural identity of these individuals as their experience as being Muslims e.g. their religious identity are not always compatible or fully accepted in all contexts. Additionally the participants also perceive that Muslims as a group is being publicly singled out and criticized by media. The stories also reveals a perceived internal conflict among Muslim communities as terrorism conducted in the name of Islam compels members of the Muslim group to both internally and externally mark position concerning religiously motived violence and terrorism. This conflict joint with the experience of exclusion among Swedish Muslim can potentially become the reason for some young Muslims to turn into the wide range of Muslim communities in search for acceptance and affirmation. In this process some individuals will find radical and extremist movements. The isolation these movements/groups experience from outside impressions then enables extremism to flourish inside the group. When members of such a group strives to improve individual status the behavior and actions of the group can escalate which in turn can result in violence and terrorism. Thus to avoid this pathway to radicalization the solution lies in creating conditions that allows for young Muslims to feel belonging and inclusion in their bi-cultural identities as being both Swedish and Muslims.

This research investigates the impact of social identity on employee engagement with companyowned social media platforms and how employees' identification with their organization influences their willingness to engage with these platforms. Drawing on Social Identity theory (SIT), this study explores how constructs like social categorization, social identification, and social comparison shape employee behaviors on company-owned social media (CoSM). A qualitative methodology was employed, involving 15 semi-structured interviews with employees from Northvolt, a Swedish battery manufacturer. Participants ranged from Quality Control Associates to Team Leaders, providing a comprehensive view across different roles within the company. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and insights relevant to the research questions. Findings indicate that social identity significantly influences employee engagement on CoSM through themes such as Professionalism and Representation, Sense of Belonging and Unity, In-group Favoritism and Fairness, and Shared Values and Mission Alignment. Employees align their social media activities with professional and company values, contributing to a sense of belonging and unity while navigating the dynamics of in-group favoritism and shared organizational values. The study also reveals that employees' identification with their organization affects their willingness to engage with CoSM platforms, driven by themes such as Commitment to Organizational Goals, Influence of Leadership Actions, Job Satisfaction and Loyalty, and Personal Values and Organizational Fit. Engagement on CoSM reflects and reinforces commitment to organizational goals, influenced by leadership behaviors and aligned with personal values and organizational mission. The research highlights the practical implications of using CoSM for enhancing employee engagement, suggesting that organizations can leverage these platforms to foster a cohesive and committed workforce. Theoretical implications emphasize the role of SIT in understanding digital interactions within organizational contexts. Limitations include the focus on a single organization and the qualitative nature of the study, suggesting avenues for future research to explore diverse organizational settings and quantitative analyses. / Denna forskning undersöker effekten av social identitet på anställdas engagemang med företagsägda sociala medieplattformar och hur anställdas identifiering med sin organisation påverkar deras vilja att engagera sig i dessa plattformar. Med utgångspunkt i teorin om social identitet undersöker denna studie hur konstruktioner som social kategorisering, social identifikation och social jämförelse formar anställdas beteenden på CoSM. En kvalitativ metod användes, 15 semistrukturerade intervjuer med anställda från Northvolt, en svensk batteritillverkare. Deltagarna var allt från kvalitetskontrollmedarbetare till teamledare, vilket gav en heltäckande bild av olika roller inom företaget. Data analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys för att identifiera mönster och insikter som är relevanta för forskningsfrågorna. Resultaten tyder på att social identitet i hög grad påverkar medarbetarnas engagemang på CoSM genom teman som Professionalism och representation, känsla av tillhörighet och enighet, favorisering och rättvisa inom gruppen samt gemensamma värderingar och uppdragsanpassning. Anställda anpassar sina aktiviteter i sociala medier till professionella värderingar och företagsvärderingar, vilket bidrar till en känsla av tillhörighet och enighet samtidigt som de navigerar i dynamiken i gruppfavorisering och delade organisatoriska värderingar. Studien visar också att medarbetarnas identifikation med sin organisation påverkar deras vilja att engagera sig med CoSM-plattformar, som drivs av teman som engagemang för organisatoriska mål, inflytande av ledarskapshandlingar, arbetstillfredsställelse och lojalitet samt personliga värderingar och organisatorisk passform. Engagemang i CoSM återspeglar och förstärker engagemanget för organisatoriska mål, influerat av ledarskapsbeteenden och i linje med personliga värderingar och organisationens uppdrag. Forskningen belyser de praktiska konsekvenserna av att använda CoSM för att öka medarbetarnas engagemang, vilket tyder på att organisationer kan utnyttja dessa plattformar för att främja en sammanhållen och engagerad arbetsstyrka. Teoretiska implikationer betonar SIT:s roll för att förstå digitala interaktioner inom organisatoriska sammanhang. Begränsningar inkluderar fokus på en enda organisation och studiens kvalitativa karaktär, vilket föreslår vägar för framtida forskning för att utforska olika organisatoriska inställningar och kvantitativa analyser

The pervasive threat of disinformation poses a challenge to societal stability and security. By investigating articles produced by three Iranian state-owned media outlets through the method of reflexive thematic analysis, this thesis presents four themes which are perceived to produce harmful narratives against Sweden in the context of the Quran crisis: (i) Swedish police as a supporter of Quran burning, (ii) Swedish government as allowing and supporting Quran burnings, (iii) Sweden as controlled by the US/Israel, (iiii) Swedish democracy as flawed. By applying the lens of social identity theory to these identified themes, the thesis investigates the production and dissemination of narratives produced by Iranian state media, elucidating the detrimental impact on Swedish security. By focusing on the creation of narratives, this thesis contributes to existing research on disinformation and the connection between narratives and disinformation. It also contributes to the growing need for literature regarding Iranian disinformation which has not yet been studied in-depth. The findings show, among other things, that the Swedish Government and police (outgroup) are perceived as enemies who constitute a threat to the survival of the Muslim community (ingroup). Swedish authorities are framed as hostile toward Iran, and the implication from Iranian leaders to act through a collective response regarding the desecration of the Quran. Further, the thesis suggests that there is a need to study the actors producing harmful narratives regarding Sweden and to study the Swedish identity within the disinformation phenomenon to gain better resilience against disinformation.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Joyce Baptist / This report describes the role of cultural socialization in the ethnic identity formation of internationally adopted children. This report explores the process of integrating the child’s birth culture and the complexities that are involved in raising internationally adopted children. The theoretical frameworks of identity development and social construction will be used to provide a conceptual understanding of the process of ethnic identity development. This report will describe the use of Narrative Therapy and Child-centered Play Therapy to facilitate the process of identity development. Implications for clinical practice will be discussed.