The question regarding male circumcision in Sweden became a relevant topic within the public debates during the last three years. Due to the Swedish political party, Centerpartiet’s decision to strive for a ban on male circumcision, this debate surfaced after the 28th of September. Participation in the public debate came from different directions and perspectives on male circumcision. In this thesis I focus on different actors and their public opinions in debate articles published between the years of 2018-2019. The aim of this thesis is to examine how critical arguments are constructed from perceptions of a decreasing significance of religion within late modern societies. This results in a motivation to ban the performance of male circumcision without medical indication. By using the qualitative text analysis of systematic text condensation this thesis closer categorizes the arguments into the three themes of “children’s bodily integrity”, “the delimitation of medicalization” and “the religious other”. In addition to this, the thesis also looks into the argument from the analytical framework on argumentation analysis in order to distinguish “normative” and “factual” arguments in the debate. To look closer at the constructions of the critical arguments within the debate this thesis uses the theoretical framework of Sara Ahmed (2011). From a phenomenological inspired perspective this thesis further looks into the argument’s correlation and construction of a collective body. This in particular is the construction of the secular- in relation to the religious body. Constructions of the religious body allows for secular ideas to circulate around national symbols and principles, which results in an exclusion of religious motives and perspectives. The thesis further sheds light on the cultural imbedded “medical gaze”, from the theoretical perspective on medicalization of Karin Johannisson (2013). This thesis aims to examine the reproduction of the medical superiority within debates on questions regarding the human body, like the one on male circumcision. The thesis illustrates the complexity of religious visibility within the Swedish context. Although the critical arguments reject the religious motives of male circumcision, the debate increases the religious visibility in the public debates.

Konflikten mellan allmänna och enskilda intressen är central för fysisk planering. Fysik planering får sin legitimitet genom att vara den kraft som väger dessa intressen mot varandra och slår vakt om allmänhetens intressen. Särskilt i översiktsplanering, där en mångfald av intressen på en omfattande geografisk skala ska hanteras, är denna konflikt mellan allmänna och enskilda intressen tydlig. I takt med att allmänintressets teoretiska utgångspunkter har förändrats har dock idén om ett entydigt allmänintresse blivit alltmer ifrågasatt. De rationella, nyliberala samt postmoderna planeringsteorierna ger alla olika svar på vad allmänintresset är och hur den fysiska planeringen bör hantera det. Denna studie av allmänintressets planeringsteoretiska influenser genomförs i form av en kvalitativ textanalys där ett antal översiktsplaner från olika år studeras och ställs i förhållande till ett antal planeringsteorier. I analysen undersöks vilka planeringsteoretiska ställningstaganden som influerar hur allmänintressen definieras i översiktsplanerna, samt hur dessa definitioner har förändrats över tid.  I den undersökta empirin observeras ett antal utvecklingar där allmänintresset alltmer blir influerat av postmodernism, men hanteras genom en fortsatt rationell planeringsprocess. Översiktsplanerna framställer allmänintresset som alltmer flertydigt och enskilda intressen ges mer uppmärksamhet i de senare översiktsplanerna. Det praktiska resultatet av detta verkar vara en mer försiktig översiktsplanering där allmänintressen i allt större uträckning formuleras vagt och opreciserat.

In the 21st century data has become a very valuable resource, being collected by individuals, companies, organizations and governments. Unfortunately, as more and more data is being collected, more time is also spent on locking it up, centralizing power and knowledge to a few actors. Open data is an idea and field of research, with a clear aim to make data available to everyone without restrictions. Among various benefits, it has been suggested that open data has great economic potential, but since most people lack the necessary skills to make use of the data there needs to be an actor which creates a service around it. However, despite the predictions of wealth open data service creation is still in its infancy; few services are being created and most projects do not last beyond prototype stage. This thesis investigates reasons for why many open data applications (ODAs) do not continue developing and how one can overcome these obstacles. The study is carried out as a multiple case study on five Swedish cases that all were created during a publicly funded hackathon, Hack for Sweden. The cases are analyzed from multiple perspectives, including common reasons for startup failure, market failure theory and business model analysis. Findings suggest that the failure of an ODA is a multi-dimensional problem, which is in line with previous research on general startup failure. The study concludes that failure of an ODA can be attributed to factors related to the product and the entrepreneur(s), but also to general characteristics of ODAs. These characteristics come into play when the ODA aims to create value for society or a public actor. In such cases the study concludes that in order for more ODAs to develop sustainably and create value in the long-term, actors from the public sector must support and cooperate with ODA-creators in the development of the services. / Under 2000-talet har data blivit en mycket värdefull resurs och samlas in av individer, företag, organisationer och offentlig sektor. I takt med att mer och mer data samlas in spenderas tyvärr också mer tid på att begränsa åtkomsten till datan - vilket centraliserar makt och kunskap till ett fåtal aktörer. Öppna data är en idé och forskningsområde som syftar till att tillgängliggöra data för alla, utan restriktioner. Utöver transparens och andra demokratiska fördelar har det föreslagits att öppna data har en signifikant ekonomisk potential, men eftersom de flesta saknar nödvändiga kunskaper för att dra nytta av datan behövs det en aktör som bygger en tjänst kring den. Trots förmodan att öppna data har en stor ekonomisk potential ligger öppna data-tjänsteskapandet fortfarande i sin linda; endast ett fåtal projekt skapas och de flesta fortsätter inte efter prototyp-stadiet. Den här studien undersöker anledningar till varför många öppna data applikationer (ODA - akronymen följer den engelska termen "Open Data Application" för att undvika missförstånd) inte fortsätter utvecklas och hur man kan hantera dessa problem. Studien är utformad som en flerfallsstudie av fem svenska projekt som alla skapades under det offentligt finansierade hackathonet - Hack for Sweden. Fallen analyserades ur ett flertal perspektiv, däribland vanliga anledningar till varför startup:s misslyckas, toeri kring marknadsmisslyckanden, samt affärsmodellsanalys. Studiens resultat visar att orsaken till varför många ODA-projekt misslyckas är ett multidimensionellt problem, vilket är i linje med tidigare forskning på startup-misslyckanden i allmänhet. Studiens slutsats är att ett ODA-misslyckande kan tillskrivas faktorer kopplat till produkten och entreprenören, men också generella attribut hos ODAs. Dessa attribut har en avgörande roll när ODAn ämnar skapa värde för samhäller eller offentlig sektor. I sådana fall är slutsatsen att för att fler ODAs ska kunna utvecklas hållbart och skapa värde långsiktigt, måste aktörer från offentlig sektor finansiera och samarbeta med ODA-skaparna i utveckligen av ODAn.

In our society it’s implied that humans have a duty to work. In his article “The Duty to Work” the philosopher Michael Cholbi (2018) challenging that normative narrative of our contemporary society. Cholbi hold the thesis that the common argument of fair play is invalid in our industrialized society and therefore are most individuals living in the circumstances of such society free from the interpersonal duty to work. I will in this paper analyse Cholbis’ arguments and try to bring nuance to the debate by bringing in other perspectives such as empirical studies about empty labor (meaningless work) of sociologist Roland Paulsen (2015). I will also try to show how structural powers hinders the individual to both talk and act outside of the norms of our work centred culture. The duty to work can be described in two aspects, the interpersonal duty to work, but also personal. I will argue that for most individuals, either personal or interpersonal duty exists.

Many recent studies confirm that the fantasy genre is based on ancient myths. Contemporary authors of fiction create new versions of myths, often using ancient “natural” and cultural symbols. Neil Gaiman is one of these tellers of modern myth. His works offer multiple possibilities for interpretation of well-known stories, reworked in a new way and filled with new layers of significance. Using Jungian archetypes as a prism for the analysis, this essay focuses on the possibility to relate the motif of the Triple Goddess, a triad of magical or divine female figures, present in many of the Western Europe mythologies, to female characters from Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples and The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Through a close reading of selected passages of the text, this essay exemplifies how Neil Gaiman uses archaic symbols and the motif of the Triple Goddess to connect his audience to the collective unconscious via manifestations of the anima archetype, one of many aspects of the collective unconscious. / Flera nutida studier slår fast att fantasigenren har sitt ursprung i gamla myter. Samtida författare i genren skapar nya myter och använder ofta symboler från gamla kulturer och naturfenomen. En av dessa författare är Neil Gaiman, en förmedlare av moderna myter. Välkända berättelser och historier får ett nytt liv genom hans kreativa stil och fantasi, fyllda med nya betydelser och tolkas ur många olika synvinklar. Genom användningen av Jungianska arketyper som en analytisk metod, fokuserar denna uppsatsen på att koppla den Tredelade gudinnan med kvinnliga karaktärer i Neil Gaimans Snow, Glass, Apples och The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Den Tredelade gudinnan är förknippad med en triad av magiska och gudomliga kvinnliga figurer, närvarande i flera västeuropeiska mytologier. Genom när läsning av särskilda avsnitt i texten, exemplifieras hur Gaiman använder arkaiska symboler för att koppla läsaren till det kollektiva omedvetna. Dessutom tydliggörs likheten mellan den Tredelade gudinnans personifikation och manifestationer av arketypen anima, som en av flera aspekter av det kollektiva omedvetna.

Minority protection mechanisms in international law aim to guarantee certain individual rights to persons belonging to ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, such as freedom of culture, religion and language. These rights can be considered to be of collective interest for minority group identity and therefore often require the possibility of collective enjoyment. In addition to general human rights and principles of non-discrimination, minority protection can alternately be ensured through minority specific rights. However, minority specific rights would not operate effectively without evolving a concept of collective (or group) rights in international law. Hence, while this kind of approach can provide legal methods for balancing the interests of individuals, groups and the state, it creates the possibility of conflicts with the international framework of individual rights. The ottoman millet system sets a historical example of minority protection instruments based on a collective concept of human rights. Furthermore, the ottoman history offers an illustration of what could go terribly wrong with a collective rights model. By analyzing the millet system and the ottoman legal reforms in the nineteenth century I will discuss reoccurring issues with collective rights. I will argue that incorporating collective rights within a structure founded on individual rights is a problematic way of protecting individuals belonging to minorities and other vulnerably ethnic groups. Looking through the historical development of universal human rights some important aspects of its main principles will be brought up in this paper.

<p>The aim of this thesis is to use a power perspective to describe the workers’ struggle for co-determination in the Swedish labour market during the period 1890–1939. The study explores how trade unions in general attempted to limit article 23, which asserted employers’ control over hiring and dismissal. At the same time the study clarifies differences in union power between various groups of workers. The prevalent historical view regarding the distribution of power in the labour market is thus questioned.</p><p>The study shows that workers were not powerless before the Saltsjöbaden agreement in 1938. In certain areas workers, through their unions, already at the beginning of the 20th century had fairly good possibilities of influencing both hiring and dismissal. Collective agreements that were entered into before the defeat of the workers in the great conflict in the Swedish labour market in 1909, as well as collective agreements signed during the 1920s and 1930s, can make both the Saltsjöbaden agreement and present-day regulations look “hostile to workers”. In collective agreements workers achieved considerable limitations of employers’ arbitrary freedom to hire and dismiss workers. Certain unions could control their labour market efficiently by means of a labour exchange of their own. The development, however, varied over time and between different trade unions. Business cycles generally influenced how much power unions could exert. Access to power resources and other conditions varied between different workers’ groups. While some attained considerable power over hiring and dismissal, others had no possibilities of taking part in decision-making.</p>

The aim of this thesis is to use a power perspective to describe the workers’ struggle for co-determination in the Swedish labour market during the period 1890–1939. The study explores how trade unions in general attempted to limit article 23, which asserted employers’ control over hiring and dismissal. At the same time the study clarifies differences in union power between various groups of workers. The prevalent historical view regarding the distribution of power in the labour market is thus questioned. The study shows that workers were not powerless before the Saltsjöbaden agreement in 1938. In certain areas workers, through their unions, already at the beginning of the 20th century had fairly good possibilities of influencing both hiring and dismissal. Collective agreements that were entered into before the defeat of the workers in the great conflict in the Swedish labour market in 1909, as well as collective agreements signed during the 1920s and 1930s, can make both the Saltsjöbaden agreement and present-day regulations look “hostile to workers”. In collective agreements workers achieved considerable limitations of employers’ arbitrary freedom to hire and dismiss workers. Certain unions could control their labour market efficiently by means of a labour exchange of their own. The development, however, varied over time and between different trade unions. Business cycles generally influenced how much power unions could exert. Access to power resources and other conditions varied between different workers’ groups. While some attained considerable power over hiring and dismissal, others had no possibilities of taking part in decision-making.

This master thesis aims to investigate participatory art with focus on socially engaged art. The study is based on  Hannah Arendt’s theories of plurality, the public space and the work of art as a ”thought-thing” where the sensory experiences are central. The human’s social life is based on appearances, and individuals appear in front of each other. These appearances are based on a variety of perspectives. The purpose of the essay is to understand what vulnerability means for the art form, and how we as viewers can approach the artwork. By taking a theoretical point of view, the process draws support from Arendt's claim about the work of art as a ”thought-thing”. This is also the method for the thesis where the thought and it’s exploration have a central place and contribute to an organic process. This process follows the events that occur in the outside world like a ”train of thoughts” that connects and develops as a chain.          During this process there have been two great world events that have affected peoples freedom and ability to meet: the pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine. This led to the study being influenced by art initiatives linked to Ukraine.           The study begins with identifying the roles and perspectives in the artwork and then continues to discuss how to approach the analysis. This led to see the artwork as several parts that form a whole with the conclusion that the hermeneutic circle would form an appropriate method. The spectator’s pre-understanding is the starting point of the interpretation and helps to reach a deeper understanding of the subject. Finally the analysis results in an interpretation of the French artist JR’s work The Resilience of Ukraine that takes place in Liviv in March 2022. This participatory artwork illustrates the Ukrainian people’s situation in the war between Russia and their country.           The conclusion of the study is that it is important to see whose vulnerability it is that shapes the artwork and that vulnerability is an aesthetic perspective that enables a deeper understanding of the world. The spectator is an active agent that takes part in the appearances even when not formally invited to join the event. With it’s pre-understanding and ability to interpret, the role activates and the spectator gains a deeper understanding of the situation or the artwork. It is the ability to gain deeper understanding that is central for the spectator.

The primary purpose of this thesis is to analyze the rhetorical transformations of the Swedish self-image during the NATO process, particularly through the lens of democratic propaganda as described by the French philosopher and sociologist Jacques Ellul. It explores how this image is constructed and communicated in Swedish media, with a specific focus on the public service broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT). The research methodology employed in this thesis is a thematic-oriented close reading approach. The analysis concentrates on passages that primarily discuss the image of Sweden, examining them within the framework of Jacques Ellul's theory of democratic propaganda. The study explores the characteristics of democratic propaganda, its mechanisms, and manifestations. Of particular interest are aspects related to how democratic propaganda can help the state reinforce collective myths about the ideals of democracy as reflected in the analyzed material. Rather than using a specific rhetorical analysis method such as topic analysis or cluster analysis, the study is guided by the questions motivated by the theory itself.