The thesis delves into the concept of digital afterlife and its potential impact on the relationship between the deceased and the bereaved. Here the study explores the notion of being digitally immortal to stay in touch with the people left behind. It uses speculative design to envision future technologies that could enable digital resurrection, allowing individuals to interact with virtual representations of their loved ones. A participatory design workshop using speculation as a thought experiment was organized to create artefacts using a generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) program. These ideas and digital artefacts were set in the preferred future using the “what if” narrative to discard the aspect of feasibility and help participants visualize contexts and scenarios as well as open critical discussions. The study reveals various forms of digital afterlife, from realistic avatars in VR environments to abstract representations, and the importance of presence and immersion in creating a sense of connection with the deceased. Additionally, it discusses the tension between control and autonomy, as bereaved individuals seek to maintain power over the digital presence of loved ones, while also empathizing with the rights and autonomy of the deceased within the virtual realm. The speculative design approach facilitates critical discussions on the potential societal impact of digital afterlife technologies, highlighting the importance of responsible design and regulation. Finally, in accordance with the posthumanism lens, the complexity observed by the entanglement of the digital and the virtual realm has been demonstrated.

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In reading The story of Edgar Sawtelle, this essay applies posthuman studies with animal studies and disability studies to analyse how the communication between species occur and how boundaries are expanded. Non-verbal language is closely examined and argued to be just as viable as verbal language in the making of relationships and subjects in literature. By applying posthumanism, biological research and a non-anthropocentric way of thinking one can evolve from the notion that humans are the only subjects which matter, something that has been verified because non-human animals never have been given a voice or an acknowledgment of a language. What happens in a novel when the main protagonist is lacking the ability to speak verbally, when verbal language is what has constructed human exceptionalism over all the other species? / Denna uppsats tillämpar posthumanistiska studier med djurstudier och funktionshinder-studier för att analysera hur kommunikationen mellan arter äger rum och expanderar gränser i David Wroblewskis roman The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Icke-verbalt språk undersöks och argumenteras vara lika betydande som verbalt språk vid skapandet av relationer och subjekt i litteratur. Genom att applicera posthumanism, biologisk forskning och ett icke-antropocentriskt sätt att tänka kan man avveckla tanken om att människan är det enda subjekt som räknas, detta är något som enbart verifierats eftersom icke-mänskliga djur aldrig fått någon agens eller bekräftande att de har rätten till en röst. Vad händer i en roman när protagonisten saknar förmågan till verbalt språk, när det verbala språket är central som verkning i mänsklig exceptionalism?

Introduction: This is a two years master's thesis in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies. The purpose of this thesis was to critically examine discourses of sustainable cultural tourism, and how different sustainability dimensions and ideals can coexist and be applied in practice. The starting point was a case study of the World Heritage Site “The Hanseatic town of Visby”, where the relationship between the conservation and the availability of the world heritage site was investigated. The research questions that were formulated were which actors and agendas that cooperate in the production of sustainable heritage tourism, how global and national guidelines for sustainable cultural tourism correspond to the local development work of the Visby world heritage city, which are the prominent discourses in the documents on sustainable heritage tourism in the world heritage city of Visby and how they are described as well as whether there is opposition between the conservation and the availability of cultural heritage, and what potential solutions to such opposition can look like. Theory: Prior to the study, previous research on sustainability, sustainable heritage tourism and the world heritage site Visby has been studied and used as a springboard for the thesis research questions. The theoretical perspectives that were used in the analysis consisted of theories regarding sustainable tourism, posthumanism, system theory and authorized heritage discourse, AHD. Method: The method chosen for the study was Laclau & Mouffes discourse analysis. This enabled a closer examination of the development plans and documents on sustainable heritage tourism produced by local, national and global actors. This was complemented with short interviews with thirteen stakeholders. Results and analysis: The result and analysis showed that several different actors and agendas are involved in the production of sustainable heritage tourism. However, there are difficulties in letting all actors get their voices heard and being part of the decision-making process, such as the local population, which are often disregarded. In addition, interaction between different actors could get better with more clearly defined areas of responsibility. The result also showed that, in particular, the concepts of sustainability and sustainable develop-ment were used in the documents about the development of the world heritage city of Visby, but the concept of sustainable heritage tourism was rarely used. The Swedish National Heritage Board and the region of Gotland are currently working on developing sustainable tourism strategies. At present, however, there is unclear correspondence between global guidelines and local application, where it is up to the municipalities to interpret and apply Unesco’s guidelines themselves, which may be difficult since the guidelines are quite general and vague. The study also showed that there are three clear discourses in the documents about sustainable heritage tourism. Under the overall discourse of sustainable tourism in Visby there is an ecological discourse, an economic discourse and a social discourse. In all documents, sustainable tourism is described as consisting of three discourses, but there is great freedom of interpretation in the use of the term. The discourses are also prioritized and described differently in different documents. Conclusion: The study's conclusion is that there are both oppositions and solutions. Both documents and interviews show that there are oppositions between ecological, economic and social interests in a place like the world heritage site in Visby. At the same time, there are also various suggestions for how the different dimensions can coexist and the actors were generally optimistic. Basically, it is about finding a balance between conservation and accessibility, taking into account both contemporary and future interests. Suggested solutions are to work further with information and knowledge, improve interaction between different actors, work with conservation-based development, productize heritage, better interaction with the local society, develop creative industries in historical buildings, and include visitors in the conservation work. However, most voices agree that the issue is difficult and complex and requires more knowledge and research.

Syftet med denna studie är att försöka utreda vilken roll arkitektoniska icke-människor spelar för skapandet av socialt samspel i en ekoby. För att utreda detta utgår studien från ett antal posthumanistiska teoribildningar, främst actor-network theory och begreppet materielldiskursiv. Dessa teoribildningar anser att även icke-människor, så som hus och brevlådor, ska ses som medskapare till världen men att deras agens bestäms av vilka andra aktörer de kopplar ihop sig med i nätverk. Genom observationer och intervjuer med sju boende i en ekoby har material insamlats om det sociala samspelet i ekobyn. Empirin vittnar om att många olika icke-människor spelar en roll för skapandet av det sociala samspelet som uppstår där. Det handlar bland annat om att gemensamhetshus ger plats för gemensamma aktiviteter, att öppna gräsytor möjliggör lek och att brevlådor uppmanar till rörelse. I sig själv skapar dock inte de arkitektoniska icke-människorna socialt samspel. För att de ska få den betydelsen behöver de användas och tolkas av andra aktörer. Svaret på frågeställningen blir följaktligen att de arkitektoniska icke-människorna spelar en roll för att socialt samspel uppstår i ekobyn men vilken roll de spelar är beroende av vilka andra aktörer som de kopplar ihop sig med. / The purpose of this study is to try to investigate the role that architectural non-humans play for the creation of social interaction in an eco-village. In doing this, the study uses a number of post-humanist theories. Mainly actor-network theory and the material-discursive concept. These state that even non-humans, like houses or mailboxes, are to be seen as co-creators of actions, but that their possible roles are decided by which other actors they attach to in a network. Through observations and interviews with seven residents of an eco-village, the information was gathered. The empirical data shows that many different non-humans are taking an active role in the creating of the social interactions that goes on in the eco-village. To mention a few, the community hall gives room for group activities, open lawns create a possibility for child’s play and mailboxes call for physical movement. In themselves, however, the nonhuman actors do not create social interaction. It is only when used by and interpreted by other actors that they gain their active role. The answer to the question would consequently be that the architectural non-humans in the eco-village do play an active role in the creation of social interaction but that the role is dependent on the other actors that they connect to.

Den här studien har sin utgångspunkt i ett posthumanistiskt perspektiv – ett perspektiv som försöker få syn på materialiteten och dess roll i pedagogiska praktiker. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur whiteboardtavlan används i förskolan och vilka relationer den tycks producera. Som insamlingsmetod användes deltagande videoobservation, som analysmetod - Aktör-nätverksteori (ANT). Observationerna gjordes på en storbarnsavdelning på en kommunal förskola i nordvästra Stockholm. Utifrån Aktör-nätverksteorin kunde tavlan förstås som en materiell-diskursiv aktör som ihop med andra aktörer ingår i olika nätverk i ett ständigt flöde av kopplingar och översättningar. Men den kan också förstås som en ”effektskapare” bortom de effekterna som den var tänkt att bidra med – och där många överraskande effekter träder fram i den fria leken. Om whiteboardtavlan på samlingen begränsar barnens möjligheter att agera fritt och bidrar till att en maktrelation förskolläraren-barn skapas och upprätthålls, så är det helt andra roller som gäller i den fria leken: tavlan skapar möjligheter till lärande och kreativitet, inbjuder till lek och samarbete och blir en mötesplats för olika barnkonstellationer. Den framgångsrika relationen barn-tavlan skulle dock inte varit möjlig utan andra aktörer i nätverk: pennor, suddborsteen, pennfacket och barnens fingrar/händer. Även kamrat- och mediakulturer i form av Angry Birds träder fram i den fria leken och kan ses som en diskursiv aktör som får allt mer inflytande i förskolans praktiker. Tavlan agens i den fria leken kan förstås som en viktig ”effekt” som inte är särskilt uppmärksammad av pedagogerna. Med whiteboardtavlan som aktör i rummet blir både barn och pedagoger något annorlunda.

The aim of this thesis is to gain knowledge of how automated decision-making in Swedish public authorities affects the ability to comply with the Swedish principle of public access to official records. This is done through a Posthumanist analysis of seven qualitative interviews. With the help of the actor-network theory concept of the nonhuman actor the underlying computer programs of automated decision-making is understood as an actor who, in interaction with human actors, affects the public sector´s ability to provide the public with valuable information about how they run their organizations. The interviews were conducted with employees at two Swedish public organizations: The Swedish Board of Student Finance and Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. The respondents were asked what kind of insight in the underlying computer programs for automated decision-making that they themselves and the public thought was needed. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and provided the material for the analysis. The study shows that the employees share the opinion that insight in the automated decision-making systems are not necessary for the public. As a consequence of this, the system developers are left with exclusive knowledge of how the public sector is making decisions and the decision-making becomes invisible for a majority of the public. This is not in line with the aim of the principle of public access to official records. This is a two years master’s thesis in Archival Science.

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att bidra med kunskap om hur förskollärare och specialpedagoger beskriver lärmiljöns betydelse för att främja barns utveckling och lärande i en förskola för alla. Arbetet syftar vidare till att bidra med kunskap om hur specialpedagoger kan bidra med sin kompetens i att utforma lärmiljön för barns utveckling och lärande i undervisningen i förskolan. Fem specialpedagoger och fem förskollärare intervjuades i semistrukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuerna transkriberades och analyserades utifrån Systemteori, Posthumanism och KASAM. Resultatet visade att tillgången till specialpedagogisk kompetens och utbildad specialpedagog på förskolan varierar och får betydelse för hur lärmiljön planeras i en förskola för alla. Beroende av hur nära specialpedagogen är verksamheten så fördelas ansvaret på att utforma lärmiljöer olika. Det är varje pedagogs intresse, förhållningssätt och engagemang som styr hur den fysiska, sociala och pedagogiska lärmiljön utformas i undervisningen i en förskola för alla. Specialpedagogerna beskriver att det är pedagogernas förhållningssätt, bemötande och engagemang som blir avgörande för lärmiljöerna. Dock utifrån hur rektorn skapar förutsättning för detta. Förskollärarna beskriver att de ser sig själva som ansvariga för utformningen av lärmiljöerna. Specialpedagoger och förskollärare i denna studie anser att utformningen av lärmiljön inomhus får betydelse för barns utveckling och lärande i en förskola för alla. De specialpedagogiska implikationerna vi sett är att ett medvetet förhållningssätt, bemötande och engagemang hos pedagogerna på förskolan är betydande för vad som finns i lärmiljöer och hur tillgängliga förskolans lärmiljöer blir i en förskola för alla. / The aim of this thesis is to contribute knowledge about how preschool teachers and special educators describe the importance of the learning environment to promote children's development and learning in a preschool for all. The work further aims to contribute knowledge about how the special educator can contribute with his competence in designing the learning environment for children's development and learning in teaching in preschool. Five special educators and five preschool teachers were interviewed in semi-structured interviews. Five special educators and five preschool teachers were interviewed in semi- structured interviews. The results showed that the availability of special educational competence and trained special educator in the preschool varies and becomes important for how the learning environment is planned in a preschool for all. Depending on how close the special educator is to the activity, the responsibility for designing learning environments is distributed differently. It is each educator's interest, attitude and commitment that governs how the physical, social and pedagogical learning environment is designed in the teaching in a preschool for all. The special educators describe that it is the educators, conscious attitude, attitude and commitment that are decisive for the learning environments. However, based on how the principal creates the conditions for this. The preschool teachers describe that they see themselves as responsible for the design of the learning environments. Special educators and preschool teachers in this study believe that the design of the indoor learning environment is important for children's development and learning in a preschool for all. The special educational implications we have seen are that a conscious attitude, attitude and commitment among the educators in the preschool is significant in learning environments and how accessible the preschool's learning environments will be in a preschool for everyone.

Kriget i Ukraina har nu pågått i mer än ett år och medfört stort lidande, framför allt för den ukrainska civilbefolkningen. Detta krig orsakar även omfattande skador på miljön och olika icke-mänskliga aktörer inom denna. Vilket övervakas och rapporteras av både ukrainska myndigheter och internationella forskare. Kriget är mycket välbevakat av internationell massmedia, vars rapporter gällande kriget och effekterna av det utgör det grundläggande materialet för denna kritiska diskursanalys. Syftet med denna analys var att identifiera vilka värden som diskuterades av media och om krigets miljöpåverkan inkluderades i denna diskussion. Vidare syftade en fördjupning inom analysen till att undersöka om det fanns kunskapsluckor i mediediskursen gällande krigets miljöpåverkans potentiella effekter på de värden som bedömdes som centrala i diskursen. Analysen genomfördes på ett material bestående av 10 texter som hämtats från Svenska Dagbladets ledarsida. Inom analysen identifierades 10 värden; Hälsa, Ekonomi, Kultur, Politik, Internationell handel, Miljö, Religion, Samhällsfunktioner, Mänskliga rättigheter och Krigsförbrytelser. Analysen gjordes utifrån ett teoretiskt ramverk baserat på politisk ekologi, posthumanism samt teorier kring diskurs respektive ecocide som begrepp. Detta pekade på att samtliga 10 värden diskuterades ur ett rent antropocentriskt och humanistiskt perspektiv. I den fördjupade analysen diskuteras det faktum att det förekommer kunskapsluckor i diskursen, och att potentiella miljörelaterade hot har identifierats som relevanta gällande diskursen för 7 av de 10 värdena. Hälsa, Mänskliga rättigheter, Ekonomi, Internationell handel, Politik, Miljö och Krigsförbrytelser. Hoten förekommer främst i form av omfattande kemiska föroreningar samt topografiska och hydrologiska störningar. Vidare diskuteras även möjligheterna för lagföring av krigsförbrytelser i form av grova miljöbrott via den juridiska definitionen av ecocide. / The war in Ukraine have now been waged for over a year and caused great suffering, especially for the civilian population. But it also causes great damage to the en-vironment and non-human actors within it. Which is being monitored and reported by both Ukrainian authorities and international researchers. The war is well covered by international media, whose reports regarding the war and its effects is the material for this Critical Discourse Analysis. The objective of this study was to identify what values were being discussed by the media, and if the environmental ef-fects were portrayed. The analysis further explored the more in-depth question regarding if the environmental effects of the war could pose a risk to the values that were deemed central within the media discourse. The analysis was conducted upon a material consisting of 10 texts, collected from the editorial pages of the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. During the analysis 10 values were identified: Health, Econ-omy, Culture, Politics, International Trade, Environment, Religion, Community func-tions, Human rights, and War crimes. The analysis was conducted using a theoretical framework consisting of political ecology, posthumanism and theories regarding the terms discourse and ecocide. The analysis pointed to the fact that all 10 values were discussed from a purely anthropocentric and humanism-based perspective. Within the in-depth analysis the discussion states that there are knowledge gaps in the discourse, and that potential environmental threats can be identified as relevant to the discourse regarding 7 of the 10 values. Health, Human rights, Economy, International Trade, Politics, Environment, and War crimes. The threats mainly consist of extensive chemical pollution and topographic and hydrological disturbances. Furthermore, the discussion also includes the possibilities of prosecution of war crimes in the form of large scale environmental crime, through the juridic definition of ecocide.

Denna vetenskapliga essä utforskar begreppet animalitet som en aspekt av det levande som människan delar med andra djur. Essän tar sin utgångspunkt i en protest mot hur människan som djur begränsas inom yrkeslivet. Genom att belysa hur människans traditionella förhållande till andra djur bidragit till ett förnekande av den egna animaliteten, prövar essän en tanke om övertro på mänsklig förmåga och vilka konsekvenser den kan få för den yrkesutövande. Med stöd av posthumanistiska teorier och metoden diffraktion utvecklas begreppet animalitet, vars framträdande mening tolkas ”på andra sidan” om; liv, död, professionalitet, idéhistoria, hundar, djur-etik samt författarens egna gestaltningar och insikter av yrkesutövning inom handledning och utbildning. Avslutningsvis görs en kritisk analys av digitala utbildningars avsaknad av mänsklig kroppslighet. Essäns samlade undersökningar visar en etisk och animalistisk yrkesutövning som behövs för att kunna använda specifika kroppsliga förmågor i syfte att skapa förståelse och trygghet inom fenomenet utbildning. / This scientific essay explores the concept of animality as an aspect of the living that humans share with other animals. The essay takes its point of departure in a protest against how man as an animal is limited in professional life. By highlighting how man's traditional relationship with other animals contributed to a denial of his own animality, the essay tests a thought about over-reliance in human ability and what consequences it can have for the professional. With the support of posthumanist theories and the diffraction method, the concept of animality is developed, whose prominent meaning is interpreted "on the other side" of; life, death, professionalism, history of ideas, dogs, animal ethics as well as the author's own portrayals and insights of professional practice in supervision and education. In conclusion, a critical analysis is made of digital education's lack of human physicality. The essay's collected investigations show an ethical and animalistic professional practice that is needed to be able to use specific bodily abilities in order to create understanding and security within the phenomenon of education.