In this essay the author analyses four works in the historical fiction genre: George Shipways’ Imperial Governor (1968), Lindsay Davis’ The Silver Pigs (1989), Simon Scarrow’s The Eagle’s Conquest (2001), and Adrian Goldsworthy’s Vindolanda (2017). All these works feature elements of the conquest and rule of Britain by the Roman empire. The study seeks to ascertain how the novels depict Roman imperialism and compare this to contemporary academic theoretical discourse, mainly post-colonialism and its influence on ancient studies and ancient archaeology. In this way, the study shows how the novels reflect British historical culture and the cultural memory of the Roman empire. The study has been conducted with the use of a qualitative text analysis. The results have been compared to the contemporary academic theoretical discussion. The result of this study indicates that historical fiction prior to the 1990s were mostly influenced by terminology and theoretical perspectives that are heavily tied to the 19th century British imperial projects. Postcolonial discourse, introduced in classical studies during the 1990’s, resulted in a change in perspective and the voices of the conquered peoples were considered far more frequently. The Roman imperial perspective was handled with more nuance and criticism. The result also indicates that the literary works, in line with their academic contemporary discourse, relate the discussion of ancient Roman imperialism to modern imperialism, especially British imperialism, thus affecting the British cultural memory and identity.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how Mayareligiosity is portrayed and expressed in visual media in the form of series and films. The study also aims to investigate why Mayareligiosity is portrayed and expressed in that way and to discuss what reasons may be behind this. Based on the study´s purpose, the following questions have been formulated:  1.       How is mayareligiosity portrayed in these films and series? 2.       Why is mayareligiosity portrayed in this way?   The empirical material for this candidate's thesis consists of three visual media in the form of two films, The Fountain (2006) and Apocalypto (2006), and a series, Maya and the Three (2021). Based on previous research, background and postcolonial theory, the films, and series’ portrayal of Mayareligiosity is presented, analyzed, and discussed. It was possible to find several similarities between the portrayals in the visual media and there were also some differences. A division that was made was based on from what perspective the Mayareligion was portrayed, from the inside or from the outside. Discussion about how the perspective affects the portrayal and what this means followed. The foundations of how and why Mayareligion is portrayed the way it is can be found in post-colonial theorizing. It is based in a colonial history with power relations between colonizers and colonized and power relations around historiography. It is expressed through orientalism, binarism and subaltern groups. The discussion shows how a film industry built on Christian foundations and in Christian contexts leaves traces in films and their actions, partly in post-colonial perspectives.

Integration is perceived as an important political matter in Sweden. Despite the high priority of integration interventions, people with migrant backgrounds hold a marginalised position and are excluded from Swedish society. On this basis, the aim of this study was to understand how integration is constructed and how people with a migrant background are categorised in Swedish integration interventions. To achieve the aim of this study two texts that regulate integration interventions conducted by the Public Employment Service Agency and Swedish municipalities were examined. The regulating texts were examined by conducting a poststructural discourse analysis according to the analytic tool “What´s the problem represented to be” by Carol Bacchi. The findings of the study have been conceptualised using postcolonial theory, intersectionality, and ideas regarding postraciality which are derived from critical race theory. The study shows that people with a migrant background are categorised and constructed as the Others in relation to what is perceived as Sweden and Swedishness in the examined integration interventions. By colonial and racist discourse, the Swedish cultural identity is constructed as superior, while the Others cultural identities are constructed as inferior. The study also shows that employment is depicted as crucial to integration. Integration is expected to be achieved through the acquiring of knowledge and experience by people with a migrant background. Sweden’s structural racism is at the same time made invisible. The integration interventions can consequently increase exclusion of people with a migrant background by being characterised by colonial and racist ideas, despite their aim to favour inclusion. The study suggests that through awareness of colonial and racist power structures that influence social work, Swedish integration interventions could favour participation in society on equal conditions.

This doctoral thesis examines how Sami women were represented in Swedish and Sami press during the years 1966, 1986 and 2006. Moreover, it problematises how the image of "the Sami woman" was constructed and represented in the press, in relation to the (re)production of normality and deviance, with special attention to the concepts of ethnicity and gender. The thesis adopts a theoretical framework informed by post-colonial theory and intersectional analysis, and the empirical study was approached through critical discourse analysis. Concepts such as orientalism, intersectionality, and strategic essentialism are central to the study, and the thesis includes discussions on ethics, reflexivity, knowledge and power as well as scrutinizing the hegemonic Western perspective in connection to Sami related research. As the main source materials, the Sami magazine Samefolket, and the Vilhelmina Sami press clippings archive were used. In addition to the articles, some of the women who appeared in the newspapers and magazines were interviewed, providing a valuable complement to the printed source materials. The study shows that Sami women were represented in a stereotypical manner in both Samefolket and in the Swedish press, with clear connections to the image of the Sami as it was formulated in the Swedish Sami policy during the 20th century. The balance between Sami and Swedish ethnicity was given increased attention over time, and women approached the theme by expressing themselves through various forms of art such as literature, film, photography or other extroverted activities. The importance of Sami women for the Sami ethno-political mobilisation appears to be more significant than has previously been noted, however women act from artistic platforms aswell as the traditional political arenas. As the dominant Swedish society, including members of the media, generally hold a low level of knowledge about Sami societies the discussion on Sami society, history and culture is kept at a rudimentary level. As a consequence, opportunities for in-depth discussions that represent the Sami from heterogeneous and alternative perspectives are limited. / <p>20160120: författaren har numera efternamnet Drugge. /ME</p>

Syftet med uppsatsen var att studera om och hur bilder i läroböcker gjorde skillnad mellan elever som läser gymnasieämnena Svenska och Svenska som andraspråk. En kvalitativ dokumentär metod användes där bildmaterialet analyserades med hjälp av en semiotisk bildanalys grundad på de tre metafunktionerna inom SFL. Analyserna tolkades vidare med ett postkolonialt perspektiv. Båda böckerna hade samma grafiska formgivare och bildredaktörer, var utgivna med ett års mellanrum av samma förlag och kunde därför anses vara intressanta att jämföra. Resultatet visade att bilderna i böckerna i flera av fallen satte andraspråkseleverna i ett utanförskap med lägre grad av aktivt agerande, skillnader som även framkom i styrdokumenten för de båda ämnena. Genom en postkolonial kritisk granskning av bilderna med senare koppling till styrdokumenten drogs slutsatsen att elevgrupperna inte likställdes i vare sig styrdokument eller läroböcker.

The purpose of the paper is to investigate how different religious groups such as Muslims and Christians are presented in the digital magazine Samtiden. Furthermore, the purpose is to investigate whether and how different religions differ in their presentation and whether there is a clear agenda related to emerging beliefs.  The actual selection I chose to start from is the year 2018 where articles in relation to my keywords and delimitations have been shown. They have then been analyzed through a qualitative text analysis with the ambition to be able to answer my questions and the purpose of investigating how different religious groups such as Muslims and Christians are portrayed in the digital magazine Samtiden. By starting from my theoretical starting points about postcolonial theory, anti-emigration, post-secular theory and gender perspective, I, along with methodological approaches, have got tools to be able to analyze the material in a successful way.  My results show how the representation of religions is manifested and what distinguishes them from where it appears that stereotypical categorizations such as Muslims are cruel, violent and perceived as a threat while Christians appear to be victims of Muslim aggression. The Christian and "Swedish" appear to be intertwined and constitute "we" while Muslims are portrayed as "them".

Studien syftar till att undersöka om, och i så fall hur, Sametingets egna myndighetskommunikation bidrar till att konstruera ojämlika maktrelationer mellan samer och den svenska staten. Remissvar och pressmeddelanden med Sametinget som avsändare studeras genom en kritisk diskursanalys med fokus på hur kunskap, handlingsmöjligheter och handlingsbegränsningar framställs för de båda aktörerna. Studien görs med ett teoretiskt ramverk som inbegriper diskursteori, representationsteori och postkolonial teori. Resultatet visar att det i Sametingets diskurs framkommer fyra teman: Distans till en passiv stat och närhet till ett aktivt Sameting; Samer har en särställd kultur och unik kunskap som inte iakttas av staten; Statens handling och makt är inte legitim och Rovdjurspolitiken är ett problem som behöver åtgärdas. Genom dessa teman framkommer att kunskap som samer besitter inte framställs på samma sätt som kunskap som svenska staten besitter. Samernas unika kunskap framställs som något som borde ligga till grund för politiska beslut och myndighetsutövning medan statens kunskap framställs vara ogrundad och otillräcklig. Detsamma gäller för framställningen av handlingsutrymme, aktörernas handlingsmöjligheter framställs olika. Samernas och Sametingets handlingsmöjligheter framställs ofta som begränsade medan staten framställs ha för stora handlingsmöjligheter särskilt mot bakgrund av att staten varken själva har tillräcklig kunskap eller tar samernas kunskap i beaktande. Slutligen visar studien att Sametinget ifrågasätter den rådande maktrelationen mellan samer och staten och således i stora drag inte bidrar till att bibehålla rådande maktrelation. / This thesis aims to study if communication from Sametinget contribute to the construction of unequal power relations between Sámi people and the Swedish government. In a critical discourse analysis comment letters and press releases from Sametinget where analysed with a focus on how both of the actors’ knowledge and scope of action is depicted. The thesis’ theoretical framework consists of discourse theory, theory of representation and postcolonial theory.  The results show four main themes in Sametinget’s discourse: Distance from a passive government and proximity to the active Sametinget; The Sámi people has a specific culture and unique knowledge that is not sufficiently observed by the government; The government’s actions and power are not legitimate and The current politics of predatory animals is a problem that needs to be solved. Furthermore, the themes show that knowledge of the Sámi people is depicted differently from the government’s knowledge. The Sámi people’s unique knowledge is depicted as something that should, make up the foundation for political decisions and legislation. Meanwhile, the government’s knowledge is depicted to be unfounded and insufficient. The same goes for the depiction of scope of action, where the actors scope of action is depicted differently. The Sámi people’s and Sametinget’s scope of action is often depicted as limited while the government’s scope of action is depicted as being to large. Lastly, the thesis concludes that Sametinget questions the current power relation between the Sámi people and the government and is therefore generally not contributing to the maintaining of current power relations.

The protagonist Martha in Doris Lessing’s Martha Quest is born to white British settler parents and grows up in a British colony in southern Africa in the 1930s. Although officially the coloniser rather than the colonised, Martha tries to reject this role mentally, verbally, and physically. This essay aims to show that a postcolonial reading of Martha in relation to the colonial context helps in understanding her double consciousness and, more specifically, her inability to find a real or lasting sense of home. Using Homi Bhabha’s concept of unhomeliness, the essay argues that Martha does not truly feel at home anywhere, because the “unhomely” always disturbs the “homely.” Through close reading of the text, it shows how Martha tries to find a sense of home in four areas of her life: her physical home, nature, her body, and her mind. This essay finds that despite Martha’s efforts in moving from her family home to rented accommodation, from the bush to the city, from girlhood to womanhood, and from her individual thoughts to the solidarity of others, she still does not feel at home anywhere. Whenever she starts to feel comfortable in a place or situation, unhomely moments, such as reminders of her nationality, race, or class, always disturb the homely feelings of belonging. Ultimately, Martha cannot escape her unhomeliness. / Huvudpersonen Martha i Doris Lessings Martha Quest är dotter till vita brittiska bosättare och växer upp i en brittisk koloni i södra Afrika på 1930-talet. Trots att hon formellt sett är kolonisatören snarare än den koloniserade, försöker Martha att avvisa denna roll mentalt, verbalt och fysiskt. Denna uppsats syftar till att visa att en postkolonial tolkning av Martha i förhållande till det koloniala sammanhanget bidrar till en förståelse av hennes dubbla medvetande och mer specifikt hennes oförmåga att hitta en verklig, eller bestående, känsla av hemma. Med hjälp av Homi Bhabhas koncept gällande o-hemlikhet argumenterar uppsatsen för att Martha inte känner sig riktigt hemma någonstans, eftersom det ”o-hemlika” alltid stör det ”hemlika.” Genom en noggrann läsning av texten visar den hur Martha försöker hitta känslan av ett hem inom fyra områden av sitt liv: sitt fysiska hem, naturen, sin kropp och sitt sinne. Denna uppsats konstaterar att trots Marthas ansträngningar att flytta från sitt familjehem till ett hyresrum, från land till stad, från ung flicka till kvinna och från sina individuella tankar till solidaritet med andra, känner hon sig fortfarande inte hemma någonstans. När hon börjar känna sig bekväm på ett ställe eller i ett läge, stör o-hemlika ögonblick i form av påminnelser om hennes nationalitet, ras eller klass alltid hennes hemlika känslor av tillhörighet. I slutändan kan Martha inte undgå sin o-hemlikhet.

<p>My aim with this essay is to examine the relationship between identity positions and spatial positions in Jean Rhys novel Wide Sargasso Sea (1966). Through this I wish to show how Wide Sargasso Sea problematize the analytical cathegory "women", as well as classic western canon, and feministic eurocentric readings of the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte to which Wide Sargasso Sea correspond.</p>

<p>This paper is intending to examine the intercultural aspects of two teaching aids used in Swedish schools today. How does the material take the students prerequisite in consideration? Is every student included in the material in order with the standpoint and laws in the Swedish school system? And if they are not, who is the outsider in this occasion? With intercultural pedagogy lies the idea that everyone is unique and that teachers has an opportunity to develop and make student grow mentally. Intercultural endeavor is to learn to accept our differences and see them as assets instead. The theory’s used in this paper in mostly the postcolonial theory with its dividing between "us" and "the others".</p>