The aim of this thesis is to investigate how Swedish public libraries work with LGBTQ-subjects and issues, map out thoughts and attitudes of librarians in these libraries regarding specific LGBTQ shelves, also known as rainbow shelves, as well as examine how many libraries use these rainbow shelves. The study was conducted through an online survey which was sent to 428 Swedish public and integrated school libraries, and the results were analyzed using thematic analysis against a theoretical framework of queer theory. The results showed that a small majority of public libraries have chosen not to implement rainbow shelves, with many finding them excluding and discriminating with risks of outing LGBTQ-persons. Those with shelves found them to be easier to use for personnel and users, and was a powerful tool to show inclusivity toward the LBGTQ-community. Author talks, exhibits, book tips, reading lists and book clubs were the most common ways of working with the subject regardless of whether the library had rainbow shelves or not. Those with rainbow shelves were however more likely to label their LGBTQ materials, while the majority of those without the shelves didn’t label them at all, and if they did, they did so through the subject headings. The study also showed that the library staff is just as important as the library’s policies when it comes to furthering the development on social justice and LGBTQ-issues. The findings of this study show that discussions about LGBTQ-issues are prevalent public libraries and that through those the library can keep its legacy of social change alive.

Vi har valt att studera hur studie- och yrkesvägledare som arbetar på vägledningscentrum i Göteborg förhåller sig till gymnasieskolornas marknadsföring. Yrkesetiken för studie- och yrkesvägledarna är att de ska vara neutrala i sina samtal med eleverna. Gymnasieskolornas marknadsföring fokuserar inte enbart på eleverna utan även på studie- och yrkesvägledarna. Vi vill i vårt arbete se hur studie- och yrkesvägledarna förhåller sig till de etiska riktlinjerna om att vara neutral i sin vägledning med eleverna när gymnasieskolornas marknadsföring även riktas till dem. Vår frågeställning är:•Vad anser studie- och yrkesvägledare om marknadsföringen?•Hur upplever studie- och yrkesvägledare marknadsföringen och dess effekter?•Hur förhåller sig studie- och yrkesvägledare till marknadsföringen mot eleverna? Vi har valt att genomföra en kvalitativ intervjustudie med nio studie- och yrkesvägledare. Vi anser att den här studien är viktig då studie-och yrkesvägledarnas neutralitet gentemot gymnasieskolornas marknadsföring inte är så väl undersökt. Vårt resultat visar på att studie- och yrkesvägledarna påverkas av gymnasieskolornas marknadsföring och att det har svårt att alltid skilja på vad som är reklam och vad som är information. Det visar sig att de har svårt att förhålla sig neutrala i sina vägledningssamtal med eleverna.

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The purpose of this essay is to analyse some of the perspectives regarding the Swedish NATO membership. For this, I have gathered and analysed the collected information that involves statements and discussions between Swedish politicians, entrepreneurs, and military personnel in order to find arguments for and against, the Swedish NATO membership. All of the analysed arguments are from 2022.What this study has shown is that there is a collective sense of responsibility between the Swedish actors and a shared belief in shaping a new Swedish foreign policy. The result of this study also indicates that the Swedish actors call for further actions to secure an international system based on the idea of sovereignty.

This essay addresses the following question: should the state be neutral in relation to the good life? The main subject of this essay is about state neutrality. Those who are for state neutrality suggest that the state should not promote any perception of the good life. Because we do not have knowledge of what the “good life” means and consists of. Since we cannot agree on that question, the state should let everyone decide that question for themselves. Others who are against state neutrality believe that the state should promote perceptions that are good for mankind. Human nature determines what is good for man. We should also consider that Kalle's life choice does not harm Lisa. So, there are perceptions about the good life that is good and bad for man. The state should therefore not be neutral. My own main point is to criticize the idea of state neutrality with the idea that we have and can acquire knowledge about the good life. Perhaps not entirely through human nature alone, but it should be complemented by proven experience and science.

The purpose of this essay was to study how Swedish teachers of religion view and contemplate topics like diversity, neutrality, subject view and the relationship between religion and science, in teaching of the “religious belief and science” theme, at the upper secondary level. The “religious belief and science” theme is included in the basic religion course (Religionskunskap 1) in Swedish upper secondary schools and therefore it is likewise a mandatory course and, furthermore, theme, for Swedish students at this level. However, due to the multicultural nature of the current Swedish society, which includes people and students with a broad variety of cultural and religious backgrounds, it is arguably a complex task to teach a theme which include two such contrasted §phenomena, in a context which is based on natural science. Consequently, religion and religious beliefs risk being designated as abnormal. During this study, teachers were interviewed and asked about their experiences teaching this theme and about their views of the topics above, utilizing a qualitative research method. The results derived from this study were many and some results stood out. Regarding diversity among students and students´ backgrounds, the theme clearly requires planning and a certain attentiveness from teachers in order to neutralize and counteract intolerance among students. Furthermore, regarding neutrality and subject view, teachers´ own opinion and subject view in accordance to the theme seems to affect the teaching, even though teachers aspirations might be to appear neutral and to clearly take a neutral stand. Regarding teachers´ view on the relationship between religion and science, a majority of teachers consider both perspectives equally relevant and, additionally, that they bring unique perspectives on complex questions and matters.

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Syftet med denna undersökning är att undersöka hur religionslärare som har undervisat i kursen Religionskunskap 1 upplever undervisningen kring relationen mellan tro och vetenskap, en relation som innefattas av ett kunskapskrav i kursens ämnesplan.  Metoden för undersökningen är en enkätundersökning där respondenterna har besvarat frågor utifrån olika aspekter av undervisningen, och därefter givits möjlighet att utveckla sina tankar i ett skrivfält. Ovan nämnda aspekter handlar om huruvida lärarna upplever att perspektiven tro och vetenskap ges lika mycket tid i undervisningen, om undervisningsmaterialet framställer båda perspektiven på ett neutralt sätt, hur lärarna upplever att kursens styrdokument lämnar utrymme för att genomföra en undervisning som inte är neutral, och huruvida lärarna upplever att det är problematiskt om undervisning om tro och vetenskap rent generellt inte bedrivs på ett neutralt sätt. Undersökningens teoretiska perspektiv grundar sig i en rapport där Masoud Kamali behandlar andrafieringoch skapandet av ”vi” och ”dem”, i och med att skolan kan vara en plats där hierarkier från majoritetssamhället reproduceras. Undersökningens resultat visar att lärarna upplever att religionsperspektivet ges mer tid eftersom lärarna utgår ifrån att eleverna har sämre förkunskaper om religion eftersom det vetenskapliga perspektivet har ett starkt stöd i Sverige. Det visade sig också att lärarna upplever att undervisningsmaterialet är bättre på att konkretisera det vetenskapliga perspektivet. Vad gäller styrdokumenten så framkom att skolan ska bygga på vetenskaplig grund och att allt är tolkningsbart, och när det kommer till synen på huruvida en ej neutralt genomförd undervisning om tro och vetenskap är problematiskt så tryckte flera respondenter på vilken av att vara objektiv, även om alla didaktiska val påverkar neutraliteten i undervisningen. Utifrån denna undersökning så går det inte att dra några tydliga slutsatser om huruvida religionslärare faktiskt bidrar till en andrafieringi undervisningen om tro och vetenskap. För det krävs vidare forskning, förslagsvis i form av kvalitativa intervjuer för att kunna gå på djupet angående hur lärarna resonerar kring sin undervisning.

The aim of the study has been to find out children’s librarians’ views on and management of media that contains topics with a controversial nature and also to find out how this affects the public library as a democratic institution. We have conducted the study by interviewing six children’s librarians. By using Vestheim’s terms value rationality and instrumental rationality, we have been categorizing the answers from our informants and thus identified two different points of view. Our study shows that topics that the children’s librarians consider controversial among themselves and their users are: racism, discrimination of women, violence, sex, drugs, the use of language, stereotypical gender descriptions, pee and poo, Christmas and religion. Our informants also point out that it is the description of the topic in question that is most important. Our informants generally manage media with controversial topics by showing an open attitude towards the media and by not doing anything at all, but sometimes they replace it, remove it or choose not to purchase it at all. Controversies with the users are not common and if they do occur it is often adults who criticize media that they consider inappropriate for children and teenagers. Our informants mean that it is of most importance to listen to children’s and teenagers’ opinions, and they also point out that no topic is off limits on their public library. This shows that the public library can function as an important democratic arena for the children and teenagers in our society.

The purpose of this thesis is to describe and understand the existing factors behind the selection of foreign newspapers in Swedish public libraries. We wanted to study this subject because the political situation in many countries is reflected in the newspapers and can cause difficulties in the selection process. Examples of this can be how to avoid newspapers with political propaganda and with censored content. Another reason for our interest in this subject is based on our prejudice that newspapers from other countries are important for people with foreign background. To answer the question we have conducted qualitative interviews with five persons who are responsible for the purchase of foreign newspapers at four libraries. The theoretical framework consists of hermeneutics. While analyzing the interviews we have used the hermeneutic spiral as an instrument. We found several factors behind the selection of foreign newspapers and we divided them into four categories: factors for purchase, factors for none purchase, selection criterions and “signs” of “objectivity” and “neutrality”. The most significant factor for purchase was if the library received a purchase proposal from visitors. Economy was regarded as the largest obstacle for not to purchase. Furthermore, request was the most important selection criteria. All of our respondents tried to have a wide selection of political opinions represented at the library even if they only could afford one single newspaper for each region in question. In that case they purchased a newspaper as neutral as possible. Those libraries that could afford several newspapers from each region achieved political distribution by buying newspapers from different countries of publication and at the same time they could avoid buying newspapers with censured content or with political propaganda.