I uppsatsen undersöks hovbildhuggaren Johan Tobias Sergels teckningar av samtida föräldraskap från 1700-talets andra hälft – en dramatiskt föränderlig period i Sveriges och Europas historia, präglad av upplysningsfilosofins omvälvande framväxt. Flertalet teckningar skildrar Sergels egen familj, och kung Gustav III i relationen till sonen och tronarvingen Gustav (IV) Adolf. Genom bildanalyser med stöd i en semiotisk begreppsapparat, samt analys av Sergels samtid, utforskas teckningsmotivens betydelser och hur de kan förstås i den historiska kontexten. Undersökningen visar hur två tydligt definierbara teman återkommer i Sergels teckningar (ömhet, intimitet och fysisk interaktion och pedagogik och utbildning), och hur motiven kan förstås som uttryck för upplysningsfilosofiska idéer om föräldraskap och familjelycka. Särskilda bildelement kan tolkas som tecken för strömningens progressiva moder- och faderskapsideal, som uttryckts av bl.a. upplysningsfilosofen Jean-Jacques Rousseau i Émile ou de l’education (1762), och återkommer i läroboken Barnabok (1780), tillägnad den då tvåårige Gustav (IV) Adolf. Undersökningen visar också hur Sergels skildringar av den egna familjen och det kungliga faderskapet, kan betraktas som konstnärliga tolkningar av då rådande familjeförhållanden. Ett urval brev till och från Sergel, samt tidigare forskning, styrker bilden av att Sergel, hans sambo Anna Rella och kung Gustav III praktiserade föräldraskap i linje med centrala upplysningsfilosofiska värden.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this master’s thesis is to examine the relationship between mothers and sons in Mustafa Can’s Tätt intill dagarna: Berättelsen om min mor (Close to the days: The story of my mother) from 2006, Theodor Kallifatides’ Mödrar och söner (Mothers and sons) from 2007 and Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous from 2019. These novels examine themes of migration and motherhood through the perspective of the sons, who all write semi-autobiographically about their mothers.   This thesis uses a broad theoretical framework, with postcolonial theories of hybridity and double consciousness alongside motherhood studies as the primary sources. Works by Frantz Fanon, Homi K. Bhabha, Sara Ahmed, and Marianne Hirsch, are, alongside others, used in purpose of creating a nuanced understanding of the relationships between mother, son and place, as these relations are portrayed in the novels.   The analysis is divided into three chapters, where the novels are represented by one chapter each. The final part of the thesis is a comparative discussion, in which the novels are read alongside each other, in order to draw conclusions on the ways in which these authors represent the relations between mother and place, and how this affects the sons’ feelings of identity. In summary, this thesis shows that the mothers play an important role in their sons’ subject formations, and that the sons’ relationships with their home countries are affected by, or correlated to, their relationships with their mothers. This is done using imagery of nature, portrayals of language barriers, and other descriptions of fragmented identities.

The objective of this study is to investigate what the narrative of The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas (Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis), read in english translation by Herbert Musurillo, seeks to persuade its reader about, and how. The study takes a theoretical starting point in professor Ross S. Kraemer’s critical perspective on ancient narratives about women as sources not necessarily communicating historical truths and actualities of real women in the ancient world, but are more likely to be narratives consciously constructed by male authors using female characters as rhetorical tools to discuss or explore differing subjects such as gender and identity. Through the method of narrative criticism and reader-response criticism this study answers the following research questions: how are women being described in the narrative of The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas, and what function(s) do these descriptions of women have in the narrative of The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas?  The study shows that women are described as either weak feminine mothers or, according to Greco-Roman antique conceptions of gender and sexuality, a masculine male, transformed from a former state of femininity and motherhood. The descriptions are closely tied to the bodies of the women and there is a clear hierarchy where the masculine martyr is ascribed a higher status with a point of view closely related to that of God’s. The descriptions of women have both ideological and theological functions as a way to discuss questions regarding power, motherhood and masculinity. The hierarchy between the characters functions as a rhetorical tool to exemplify what can stand in the way for christians to seek martyrdom, which in the perspective of the narrative is the way someone, through her body and masculine behaviour in the face of torture and sexual humiliation, can communicate the truth about God’s power to the assembled crowds of onlookers. Contrary to previous studies, this study shows that the text communicates ascetic tendencies towards its readers concerning motherhood and are not to be interpreted as a celebration of women or femininity. The descriptions of women functions as a way to demonise the empire - but not the empire's perspective on gender. This is also a contrast to previous feminist studies of the text. The masculine male transformed from a former phase of femininity and motherhood is the exception that proves the rule about the perception of female weakness and lower status in power. The text appropriates the gender power order and the Greco-Roman ancient construction of gender and sexuality to ascribe the martyrs and God the true power. The rhetoric of female weakness being transformed in to masculine strength, self-restraint and body control through the works of God, functions to convince readers about the narratives ideological perspective and message about the martyrs being the true rulers. The motive is that the antagonist, the empire, the main masculine power in the world, is defeated and proven to be false through submissive feminisation.

Bakgrund och problem: Revisionsbranschen har beskrivits som en manlig bransch där den kvinnliga rollen inte stämmer överens med den stereotypiska bilden av en revisor. Numera är revision inte bara ett manligt yrke men det sägs att kvinnornas möjligheter till att nå högre positioner i branschen påverkas av olika faktorer. Det är jämställt mellan män och kvinnor bland de lägre positionerna men inte bland de högre. Sverige är ett av de mest jämställda länderna i Europa men trots det så är det inte jämställt bland de högre positionerna i revisionsbyråerna. Tidigare studier har funnit att det finns faktorer som hindrar kvinnorna från att avancera uppåt i karriärtrappan men vad det är som påverkar svenska kvinnliga revisorer med barn är ännu outforskat. Därmed är denna studie ämnad till att bidra med forskning kring kvinnors upplevelser och hinder som mödrar inom revisionsbranschen i Sverige.  Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för jämställdhets- problematiken i de högre positionerna i revisionsbranschen, och om moderskap kan vara en faktor som kan förklara kvinnornas underrepresentation på de högre positionerna i branschen.   Metod: Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ metod och det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med kvinnor i revisionsbranschen.  Slutsats: Studien visar att det inte är moderskap som utgör ett hinder för kvinnor utan det är istället att vara föräldraledig och att arbeta deltid för att kunna balansera familjelivet med arbetslivet som skapar hinder. Vidare är det dessa faktorer som påverkar kvinnornas karriärer. Moderskapet leder till att kvinnor gör andra val än innan de fick barn. Dessa val innebär att mammor förändrar sina karriärmål och visar på att de prioriterar annorlunda efter att de fått barn och således är föräldralediga under en längre period eller arbetar deltid för att ha tid med barnen när de fortfarande är små och beroende av sina mammor. / Background and problem: The audit industry has been described as a male industry where the female role does not match the stereotypical image of an auditor. Nowadays, auditing is not only a male profession, but it is said that women's opportunities to reach higher positions in the industry are affected by various factors. It is equal between men and women among the lower positions but not among the higher ones. Sweden is one of the most equal countries in Europe, but despite that, it is not equal among the higher positions in auditing firms. Previous studies have found that there are factors that prevent women from advancing up in the career ladder, but what it is that affects Swedish female auditors with children is still unexplored. Thus, this study is intended to contribute with research on women's experiences and obstacles as mothers within the auditing industry in Sweden. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to create an understanding of the gender equality problem in the higher positions in the auditing industry, and whether motherhood can be a factor that can explain the underrepresentation of women in the higher positions in the industry. Method: The study has been done using a qualitative method and the empirical material has been collected through semi-structured interviews with women in the audit industry. Conclusion: The study shows that it is not motherhood that constitutes an obstacle for women, but instead it is being on parental leave and then if necessary working part-time to be able to balance family life with working life that creates obstacles. Furthermore, it is these factors that affect women's careers. Motherhood leads women to make different choices than before they had children. These choices mean that the mothers change their career goals and show that they prioritize differently after having children and therefore take parental leave for a longer period or work part-time to have time with the children when they are still young and dependent on their mothers.

The aim of this essay is to examine how the Norwegian textile artist Hannah Ryggen depicts the mother and the motherhood in her tapestries. The study also investigates how the view of the depicted mother can be interpreted. The analyses are performed using Erwin Panofskys three-step analysis from a gender theoretical perspective. The material analyzed are three Flemish woven tapestries: Unwed Mother (1937), Liselotte Hermann Decapitated (1938) and Mothers Heart (1947). The results show that Ryggen depicts the mother and the motherhood in a wide range of aspects in the examined tapestries. Some of the most prominent aspects found are how the mother often is criticized, in her motherhood, and also as a woman in a patriarchal society. The examination shows how Ryggen uses her unique combination of traditional techniques of weaving to raise awareness of political as well as social issues during her contemporary time. Thus, she emphasizes the mother’s important role in society.

Surrogacy arrangements have become an option for many involuntarily childless couples. Although surrogacy arrangements are not regulated in Sweden, there is an implied prohibition contained in the Genetic Integrity Act which makes it impossible to facilitate such arrangements under the Swedish health care system. However, many couples go abroad to fulfill their dream of having a child. The paper discusses whether surrogate arrangements can change the view of biological / genetic motherhood. The unwritten maternity presumption makes it difficult to determine the legal parenting of children born through surrogacy arrangements, which puts the child in a lawless position. Why have surrogate arrangements become controversial? The motherhood presumption has been used as a way to mark ethical resistance to surrogate arrangements. This is evident partly from preliminary work on the presumption and the presumption and it´s definition. Arguments that are weighted heavily for the legislation are that surrogate arrangements can be harmful to women and children and that it is considered a violation of the human dignity principle. The legislator believes that a woman's body is used in such cases as a means of achieving someone else's goals. The legislator also states that it can be difficult for the birth woman to give up the child during the exchange. There are different ways to implement a surrogate arrangement and one is considered better than the other. The debate that has been made in Sweden has been that; either both forms, altruistic and commercial surrogate arrangements should be banned, or that they should only allow altruistic surrogate arrangements. Altruistic for some is considered more accepted because this form of surrogate arrangement is about a woman carrying the child without agreeing on money in exchange. In commercial surrogate arrangements, the woman carries the child in exchange for compensation, which is not considered acceptable in society. One problem that is highlighted in the paper is that there are clear differences between commissioning father and commissioning father with genetic linkage to the child in surrogate arrangements. The differences arise when the parties are to be determined as legal parents. Based on practice it appears that men's genetics are recognized to a greater extent than women by the legislature. The genetic mother becomes powerless without the consent of the genetic father. As a result of our investigation, we believe that surrogacy arrangements need regulation in Sweden. What is considered most ethically justifiable is to legalize altruistic surrogacy. When egg donation was legalized in Sweden the same discussion took place as it is today with surrogacy arrangements, whether it is ethically justifiable or not. Today egg donation is not unusual when a woman´s eggs are unusable, and we believe the future will be the same for surrogacy arrangements. Surrogacy arrangements will be normalized in society and therefore the legislation should also keep up. The view of who the child´s mother is will be expanded, and more people will be involved, if surrogacy arrangements are legalized. The child will have the opportunity for a larger network of parents and in altruistic contexts, the woman who carries the child will have a close connection without being a legal parent and guardian. / Surrogatarrangemang har blivit ett alternativ för många ofrivilligt barnlösa par när de vill bilda familj. Det är inte reglerat i Sverige och det är heller inte lagligt att utföra sådana behandlingar inom den svenska hälso-sjukvården pga. ett implicit förbud enligt genlagen. Detta medför att många par åker utomlands för att uppfylla drömmen om ett barn. Det som diskuteras i uppsatsen är huruvida surrogatarrangemang bör legaliseras i Sverige och om surrogatarrangemang kan ändra synen på biologiskt/genetiskt moderskap. Den oskrivna moderskapspresumtionen gör det svårt att fastställa det rättsliga föräldraskapet till barn födda genom surrogatarrangemang vilket sätter barnet i en rättsosäker position. Varför har surrogatarrangemang blivit kontroversiellt? Moderskapspresumtionen har använts som ett sätt att markera etiskt motstånd mot surrogatarrangemang. Detta framgår dels av förarbeten till presumtionen och den utformning som den fick år 2003. Argument som vägt tungt för lagstiftningen är att surrogatarrangemang kan vara skadligt för kvinnor och barn samt att det anses vara en kränkning mot människovärdesprincipen. Lagstiftaren menar att en kvinnokropp används i sådana fall som medel för att åstadkomma någon annans mål. Lagstiftaren framför även att det kan vara svårt för den födande kvinnan att ge upp barnet efter födseln. Det finns olika vägar att genomföra ett surrogatarrangemang och det ena anses bättre än det andra. Debatten som framförts i Sverige har handlat om att antingen bör båda formerna, altruistiskt och kommersiellt surrogatarrangemang, förbjudas eller endast tillåta altruistiskt surrogatarrangemang. Altruistiskt anses för vissa mer accepterad eftersom denna form av surrogatarrangemang handlar om att en kvinna bär barnet utan att avtala om pengar i utbyte. I kommersiella surrogatarrangemang bär kvinnan barnet i utbyte mot ersättning vilket inte är lika accepterat av samhället.  Ett problem som belyses i uppsatsen är att det uppstår tydliga skillnader mellan beställande män och beställande kvinnor med genetisk koppling till barnet i surrogatarrangemang. Skillnaderna uppstår när parterna ska fastställas som rättsliga föräldrar. Med utgång i praxis framgår det att män genetiskt erkänns i större utsträckning än kvinnor av rättstillämparen. Den genetiska modern blir maktlös utan den genetiska faderns samtycke. Resultatet av denna undersökning blev att surrogatarrangemang är i behov av reglering i Sverige. Det som anses mest etiskt försvarbart är att legalisera altruistiska surrogatarrangemang. När äggdonationer legaliserades i Sverige pågick ungefär en likadan diskussion som det idag gör kring surrogatarrangemang, huruvida det är etiskt försvarbart eller inte. Idag är äggdonationer inget ovanligt när en kvinnas ägg är obrukbara och vi anser att framtiden kommer se likadan ut för surrogatarrangemang. Surrogatarrangemang kommer normaliseras i samhället och därför bör även lagstiftningen utvecklas i takt med samhället. Synen på vem som är barnets moder kommer att utvidgas och fler personer involveras, om surrogatarrangemang legaliseras. Barnet kommer få möjlighet till ett större nätverk av föräldrar och i altruistiska sammanhang kommer kvinnan som bär barnet ha en nära anknytning utan att vara rättslig förälder och vårdnadshavare.

This paper examines in what way the heterosexual matrix is challenged by Stephenie Meyer in Breaking dawn (Så länge vi båda andas). By doing a thematic study on the various family constellations appearing in the novel, I search for the queer elements in it. I discuss incest, family building and motherhood, and find that there are numerous queer elements associated with the themes I have chosen. I conclude that the Cullen family challenges the heterosexual matrix, despite not being typical queer vampire characters. I also find that building a successful family is not based on gender or constellation otherwise, but is instead dependant on democracy and equality. Bella has a desire to taste the blood of both her daughter and her father, interpreted as an incestuous desire. I find similarities between Bella’s extreme motherhood behaviors and how drag show artists parody gender. / Denna uppsats undersöker på vilka sätt Stephenie Meyer utmanar den heterosexuella matrisen i Så länge vi båda andas. Genom att göra en queerteoretisk temastudie utifrån temat familj undersöker jag de queera elementen i texten. Jag behandlar incest, familjebildning och moderskap och kommer fram till att det finns många queera inslag i mina valda teman. I min analys drar jag slutsatsen att familjen Cullen, trots att de inte är klassiska queera vampyrkaraktärer ändå utmanar den heterosexuella matrisen. Jag kommer även fram till att framgången i en familjebildning inte ligger i kön, eller konstruktion, utan i demokrati och jämställdhet. När Bella åtrår sin faders och dotterns blod tolkar jag detta i sin kontext som ett incestuöst begär. Jag jämför extremismen i Bellas moderskap med hur dragshowartisten parodierar genus.

Surrogacy arrangements have become an increasingly popular way for childless people to build a family. Yet many jurisdictions do not regulate surrogacy. Even in the ab-sence of surrogacy regulation, if a jurisdiction has no specific legal rules that clarify parenthood following surrogacy, the result is often uncertainty in relation to the legal parental status of the surrogate mother, her spouse or cohabitant, any possible donors, and the commissioning parents. This, in turn, leaves the surrogate-born child’s family law status uncertain.   This thesis examines the legal aspects of parenthood and how it is, or could be, determined in Sweden following surrogacy arrangements. Important aims are to estab-lish whether the current national laws regulating family law can sufficiently protect the interests of the surrogate-born child and the parties to surrogacy arrangements, with an emphasis on interests connected to family law status; to examine the ways in which other jurisdictions (England and Wales, and Israel) have responded to similar issues; and to identify problems and propose alternative solutions in relation to the specific issue of establishing legal parenthood following surrogacy at a domestic level, either with or without State regulation of surrogacy agreements.   Consideration is given to whether it might be appropriate to re-evaluate or qualify the existing presumptions of parenthood, in particular the unwritten presumption of maternity. Several alternatives for the transfer of legal parenthood from the surrogate mother, and her spouse or cohabitant as the case may be, to the commissioning parent or parents are also examined. In addition, the ethical implications of surrogacy ar-rangements are explored in order to provide an insight into the way in which subcon-scious or hidden values might make it difficult for a State to regulate certain areas of private life such as parenthood.   The starting point for the thesis is that it is in the best interests of the child to have parents at birth and that this interest must be prioritised over an intended parent’s interest in becoming a parent. This view is based on and is consistent with existing Swedish law and policy.