The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to investigate how diversity takes shape in children’s picture books published in Sweden. Twelve picture books, which touch the aspect of diversity in the categories of gender, ages, culture, nation, ethnicities, language, class, sexuality and functional disorder, were chosen from the Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs catalogue for youth and children’s books 2006. They have been analysed with the conception of ikonotext and with the theory of Pierre Macherey’s image in the mirror, of how literature reflects the reality of society. To facilitate the answering of our major question on how diversity takes shape in picture books, we have divided it into two different aspects, one concerning the diversity of the characters and the other the diversity of the environment and context in which the story takes place. Our analysis shows a wide range of ages with many old single ladies. Most children are young girls, and among all the characters the females are more of initiators than the male characters. Most of the adult male characters are single fathers. The aspects of ethnicities are usually connected with different nations and cultures, and rarely described as problematic. The environment enhances different cultures and conflict of class by showing different socio-economic structures such as way of living. We have come to the conclusion that children’s picture books in Sweden show a wide range of societies, characters and environments in most of the categories concerning diversity, except sexuality, language and functional disorder. / Uppsatsnivå: D

Libraries are often associated with positive values such as democracy and equal rights. The contents of the literature on offer should therefore be of great interest to the librarian, the supplier of said literature. The topic of this Master’s thesis is the popular literary genre known as chick lit. The purpose is to investigate the love theme in Swedish chick lit, and how it relates to Anthony Giddens’ theory on love in late modernity. The genre in this instance is represented by Mossvikenfruar: Chansen by Emma Hamberg. The theoretical anchor of the Master’s thesis is sociology of literature, which focuses on the relationship between literature and society. The starting point for the analysis of the love theme is Anthony Giddens’ theory on love and late modernity. A modified version of Shlomit Rimmon-Kenans thematical method is used as an analytical tool. The reality of love is considerably bleaker (albeit humourously described) in Mossvikenfruar: Chansen than in the writings of Giddens. The similarities, however, are great. The novel contains manifestations of ‘plastic sexuality’, set apart from reproduction, and the relationship between the novel’s protagonists can be seen as an example of Giddens’ description of couple-relationship in late modernity. Although the novel ends on a heteronormative, couple-centrered note which can be considered conservative and repressive, it is argued in this Master’s thesis that it must be valued in the light of the following question: “What constitutes an equal society?” a discussion which therefore concludes the study. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this master’s thesis is to examine how elderly people are depicted in a selection of literature for children up to 10 years. The subjects examined are: lifestyle, roles and attributes. The books were collected from the databases ELSA and a local library, Borås stadsbibliotek. The books are analysed after a tool made by the authors. It was created from knowledge of similar studies and the holistic way of looking at ageing that is used in the academic study of gerontology. It means that both psychosocial and physiological factors are considered. The study showed varied forms of lifestyle for the elderly people, although most of them were living alone. Physiological incapability’s was rarely described, whereas psychological condition was more frequent described. The most common role for the elderly was either as substitutes for parents or neighbours to the child. The illustrations of the elderly often showed grey hair, a bent posture and traditional clothing. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this master’s thesis is to examine how male and female stereotypes are used to describe the characters in modern detective stories for children. We have analyzed six books in the aforementioned genre written for children between the ages of 9 and 12. This essay examines which inner qualities, appearances, activities and professions are used to describe the persons’ character in the analyzed books and if these stereotypes agree with the person’s biological sex. In this essay we use the gender definition of Professor Yvonne Hirdman. Hirdman defines a person’s gender as a socially created structure, and sex as a person’s biological sex. The method used in this essay is a qualitative text analysis. In order to identify the stereotypes occurring in the examined books, we have created our own schedule for the analysis. This schedule consists of stereotypes that different theorists, such as Nikolajeva, Svaleryd, Connell and Murphy, say are stereotypes. Our conclusion is that modern detective stories written for children contain more male than female stereotypes. Overall the characters in the detective stories are not described in a stereotyped way. The girls and the women in the books are mostly described with male stereotypes, in some cases even more so than the boys/men. The adult men are mostly described with male stereotypes although the boys were described with many of the female stereotypes; in some cases the boys had almost no male stereotypes. Society is changing and many men these days are involved in housework and spend more time with their children, a change that is visible in the modern detective stories for children.

The purpose of this Master's thesis is to examine if stereotype gender patterns are showing, and how they are showing, in the picture books that have the highest number of loan in Sweden’s three biggest cities. It is also a purpose to show if these gender patterns can be compared to the outlook on gender in the curriculum. The method used is a qualitative text analysis. 13 picture books are analyzed on the basis of Yvonne Hirdman’s theories on gender and Maria Nikolajeva’s theories on children’s literature. It is the descriptions of characters that are target for the analysis. There are four types of character description: looks, actions, relationships and inner description. These are then set in relation to gender theories. The result of the study shows that stereotype gender patterns is still present in these kinds of books but there is also a visible change. Many of the books have at least one character that is not all stereotype. Often it is the looks that are traditionally male/female. Actions are not that stereotype and a tendency towards more sensitive boys are seen. Maybe because there still is a higher number of boys than girls in the picture books. The outlook on gender is not the same as in the curriculum but there seems to be a change towards it. This change can be something that library users and librarians are aware of, but it can also be an unconscious change that is connected to the society’s outlook on gender. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine the image of the man in Swedish crime fiction. Gender theory based uponRobert W. Connell theoretical framework which discusses masculinities in plural is used. The method used is idea analysis and my supply for analyse is constructed on thebasis of Connell’s four ideal types regarding masculinity.The material in the investigation comprises of five novels published in Sweden 2007.The investigation reveals the complexity in forming masculinities; traditional male values remain mostly intact, but at the same time men must deal with emotions andrelations with women in a world where the male norm often is questioned. Men with softer values seem to produce a more stable form of masculinity, more receptive of change. Men with harder values are more prone to be unsure of themselves in general. The male body, as a function of masculinity, is furthermore hardly noticeable. The resultsdistinguishes from earlier research were the homosocial relations appeared as an important component in the formation of different masculine identities. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine how the literature criticism are in the Swedish media in the reception of the novel Mosquitoes and tigers from 2007 written by the Swedish author Maja Lundgren. A second aim is to examine how master suppression techniques have been used by the literature critics in the newspaper debate. This qualitative study is based upon a total of 52 articles and reviews from five big Swedish newspapers. The theoretical approach, literature criticism, mainly originates from the Swedish professor in Literature Science Tomas Forser and the literature scholar Gunnar Hansson. The theory of master suppression techniques founded by Berit Ås, Norwegian professor in Social Psychology, are used as an analytic tool. The method of analysis is textual, qualitative text analysis. The conclusion of this study shows that the literature criticism usually is divided in one ethical and one aesthetic part. The aesthetic criticism includes the book not being entertaining or well written or too long, and also that the form is a problem for the readers who do not know if the genre is fact or fiction. The criticism about the form issue is also ethical while the author can be vague about the truth. The ethical criticism also consists from the author using name of authentic people. Another conclusion of this study shows that mainly three of the master suppression techniques are visible in the debate: “making invisible”, “ridicule” and “heap blame/put to shame”. By merging various articles, it was possible to interpret the master suppression technique “double bind”. There was no sign of “withhold information”. This study also shows that the writer Maja Lundgren uses master suppression techniques herself. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine how the gender system is described in fantasy novels. The theoretical framework is based on Yvonne Hirdman’s theory on gender system, primarily the two basic principles: the principle of dichotomy, of separation between the sexes, and the principle of hierarchy, of man as norm. The method used is idea analysis which is a form of textual analysis. We have created three ideal types, the ideal man, the ideal woman and hierarchy, which help us to analyze the material. The result shows that the gender system is more prominent in fantasy fiction belonging to the subgenre high fantasy, than in low fantasy novels. Women in the four novels we classify as high fantasy are for the most part invisible; they only exist as wives, mothers, daughters and perhaps possible love interests for the male hero. Even in books where the main character is a girl, the women are relatively invisible. Men in these four novels are more prominent but as stereotypical as the women. In the two novels we classify as low fantasy both women and men are less stereotypical and are described more freely. The values spread by high fantasy novels are more traditional when it comes to gender issues than values spread by low fantasy novels. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine librarian images and stereotypes in Swedish and American fiction, and to discover if there are any differences between these. The images and stereotypes are also compared to those revealed in previous research. The study is based on ten novels. Five of these are written by Swedish authors and portrays Swedish librarians. The other five are written by American authors and portrays American librarians. The books were published between 1995 and 2007. Discourse analysis is used as theory and method. Quotes that describe librarians are used to illustrate images and reveal stereotypes. The analysis generates seven discourses, in which the quotes are embedded. The image that appears from the material is mainly negative. It doesn’t seem to have changed much and predominantly agrees with the image revealed in earlier research. It is possible to detect differences in the ways librarians are described in the Swedish literature and the American, but the stereotype is basically the same. The librarians in the material are primarily described as insignificant females with a drab way of dressing. The librarians lack the ability to attract the opposite sex and have little, if any, sexual experience. In lack of social life, they take refuge in reading. Some of the characters consider their job as their calling. A theme that only occurs in the American fiction is the transformation of drab and sexually inexperienced librarians into stylish and sexually active women with power to attract men. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine if the realistic youth novels of today can provide support and inspiration for its readers with the purpose of dealing with own difficulties. I have examined four Swedish novels from 2006 and studied in what way and from whom the young fictive women get advice and support. In the background section of the essay I have made studies of how it is to be a young woman in modern society. It also covers a historical perspective of the modern youth novel and presents studies based upon reading and reader-response theory of young people. I apply the theory of the psychiatrist Jan Ramström who uses a psychoanalytical and a culture theoretical perspective on young people’s development in modern society. Methodologically I use a qualitative text analysis. I have found that foremost it’s the mothers who provide support and advice to their daughters but support from other grown-ups and from institutions of society also occur. To sum up, the support consists of comfort, conversation, practical, economical and medical help, advice for the future, and also encouragement and praise. The support from friends can be practical advice and help but also someone to talk to. The descriptions of the relations between youths and supporting adults are positive. The novels show that it’s easier to get through difficulties in life when you have someone to turn to. / Uppsatsnivå: D