Sammanfattning Studien syftar till att ge fördjupad kunskap om svenskt internationellt biståndsarbete samt hur problem formuleras och lösningar konstrueras av biståndsorganisationernas arbetsätt.  Studien är genomförd med en kvalitativ metod och det empiriska materialet har inhämtats genom intervjuer. Intervjuerna genomfördes med tre ledande personer från två svenska biståndsorganisationer som arbetar på internationell nivå. Vidare inryms i studien observationer från dessa två biståndsorganisationer. Studiens teoretiska perspektiv är den postkoloniala teorin, teorin om konstruktion av sociala problem samt begreppen kolonialism och eurocentrisk diffusion. Resultatet i studien visar att de studerade biståndsorganisationerna i stora drag har ett liknande tillvägagångssätt i sitt arbete med internationellt bistånd. De arbetar utifrån att ha en stödjande roll gentemot mottagarna av biståndet så att mottagarna kan definiera sina behov och vara aktiva i lösningarna tillsammans med de svenska biståndsorganisationerna.  Samtidigt agerar de kontrollerande gällande huruvida biståndsorganisationernas egna visioner och värderingar ska vara styrande i utformningen av hjälparbetet.   De svenska biståndsorganisationernas mål är att kunskapsbilda, medvetandegöra och ombilda befintliga lokala organisationer för att förbättra människors levnadsvillkor till det bättre i utsatta länder. För att detta ska vara möjligt är det avgörande att samarbeta med lokala organisationer som är likasinnade med de svenska biståndsorganisationerna.  Studien påvisar att det finns en idé om att påverka mottagarna av biståndet genom eftersträvan av att de ska anamma de svenska biståndsgivarnas egna visioner och värderingar. Detta framkommer tydligt genom de svenska biståndsorganisationernas arbetsätt samt deras delaktighet vid formuleringar av problem och konstruktioner av lösningar hos biståndsmottagarna. Vidare framkommer att biståndsorganisationernas kunskapsgivande och ombildning av lokala organisationer bidrar med att västerländsk kunskapssyn sprids ut i världen. / The study aims to provide profound knowledge of Swedish international aid work and how problems are formulated and solutions designed by aid organizations working methods. The study is conducted using a qualitative approach and the empirical material has been collected through interviews and observations. The interviews took place with three leading figures from two Swedish aid organizations working at international level. Furthermore, are observations from these two aid organizations part of the studies method. The studies theoretical perspective is the post-colonial theory, the theory of constructions of social problems and the concept of colonialism and eurocentrism diffusion. The result of the study shows that the studied organizations have broadly similar procedures in their work with international aid work. The organizations work on a paradoxical basis. On the one hand they have a supporting role to the recipients of aid so that the recipients can define their own needs and be active in the solutions along with swedish aid organizations. On the other hand, the organizations acts controlling where their own vision and values are guiding the relief effort. The swedish aid organizations aim is to educate, raise awareness and transform existing organizations in the countries they operate in order to improve people's lives for the better in vulnerable countries around the world.  For achieving this purpose, it is crucial for them to work with local organizations that are like-minded the swedish aid organizations.  This study shows that there is an idea to affect the recipients of aid in pursuing them to embrace the Swedish donors' own visions and values. This is clearly shown by the Swedish aid organizations working methods as well as their involvement in the formulation of problems and constructions of solutions of aid recipients. Furthermore, it appears that the aid organizations' knowledge rewarding and transformation of local organizations contribute to Western conception of knowledge spread out in the world.

The roots of international voluntary work can be said to stem back to the 19:th century missionary work. It is thus nothing new with westerners wanting to spread their knowledge or help the poor in other countries. However, relatively recently the international voluntary work or, as termed in this thesis, volunteer tourism have become more like an industry. Both the older phenomenon of non-profit organizers of volunteer travels and the newer, nowadays more visible, alternative of commercial companies are to choose from. Within this relatively new landscape of volunteer travels, this study seeks to understand the volunteers’ and the volunteer experience through a comparison of non-profit and profit organizers of volunteer travels. To do this, open-ended interviews were conducted with 14 former volunteers who had travelled with various organizers. The interviews took place in Stockholm, March-April 2015. The theoretical framework is based on critical theories, social movement theory and theories about (volunteer) tourism. The study showed that the experiences of and motivations for volunteering were quite similar between the groups. However, the volunteers’ who had travelled with non-profit organizers were in retrospect less focused on the aim of “helping” and they had to a larger extend revalued the aim and concept of volunteering. The most common least satisfactory part of the travel was the working situation. For all, the in general most valuable outcome of the travel was a cultural insight (exchange) rather than making a difference or helping, which is the common image marketed by many volunteer travel organizers.

More than 200 years have passed since Haiti cut loose from the French colonial empire. A lot has happened since, both to Haiti as a state and to the society as a whole. This study investigates the critiqued relevance of postcolonialism in the 21th century, taking stance in the question of language of instruction in the Haitian school system. Through a qualitative interview based method of data gathering and a comparison with a postcolonialistic theoretical framework, this study first examines the reasons why the recommended use of Haitian creole as language of instruction, rather than French, has been sparsely implemented with the supposed effect of keeping the majority of Haitians in poverty. Secondly it discusses the conclusions drawn on the issue and what they say about the role of colonial societal structures globally. After establishing proof for the prevalence of colonial societal structures as reasons for the dominance of the French language in Haiti, this report suggests further studies on the subject of the relevance of postcolonialism as a model of explanation for contemporary societal phenomena.

Racial discrimination can occur in many ways – intentional and non intentional – and in many places – perhaps most observed in the labor market. The Swedish labor union, LO, is an important party in this market, and discusses the issue frequently in a number of different documents. These documents are being analyzed as discourse in this study, with attention paid to the rhetoric regarding “immigrants”, i.e. how “immigrants” are being portrayed. A postcolonial perspective is applied, which focuses on the structure surrounding binary oppositions between a “we” and a subordinate “Others”. Earlier studies within this perspective have noticed discriminating reproduction of “immigrants” in different discourses, which is being created through concepts concerning cultural stereotyping and generalization. In a similar way this study will show how a discourse produces different semantic uses of the word “immigrant” and how these uses are linked to the subordinate “Others”. By drawing conclusions from these oppositional hierarchies, tendencies of the discriminating reproducing of “immigrants” are found within the selected LO documents.

This master thesis constitutes a review of literature from a post-colonial perspective to analyze the current conflict in south Sudan between the ethnic groups, the Nuer and the Dinka. The method used in this work is qualitative, with elements of hermeneutics. The work is based on the theories of postcolonial theory and the ethnicity and assumes the thesis of the grooves of the colonial era are also found in south Sudan and in particular by the ethnic groups that today live in the country. The aim of the thesis is to investigate the role of the colonial times have been, in the question of how the ethnic pattern looks in today's south Sudan, but also find out how the emergence of the current conflict in the country can be seen as a colonial consequence. The result shows that colonialism had a major impact on the population in the southern region and by the policy, the oppression and the new ranking structures in south Sudan strengthened the hatred between the ethnic groups and the conflict between the Nuer and Dinka could live on.

Denna uppsats undersöker samers utrymme och framställning i svenska dagstidningar. Tidigare forskning visar hur nyhetsmedia innehar en växande makt i att påverka hur olika grupper i samhället uppfattas och behandlas. Bland annat exemplifierar den tidigare forskningen hur urfolk och minoriteter begränsas i sitt mediala utrymme och framställs på ett homogent och fördomsfullt sätt. I föreliggande studie undersöks vilket utrymme den samiska befolkningen får i svensk nyhetsrapportering, vad för typ av samerelaterade nyheter som uppmärksammas samt hur samerna framställs i rapporteringen. Metoden som har använts för att besvara frågeställningarna är en innehållsanalys med både kvalitativa och kvantitativa inslag, där tidningsartiklar från tre svenska dagstidningar har studerats under tidsperioden av ett år. Resultatet visar bland annat hur samerna får ett begränsat medialt utrymme och att när de väl uppmärksammas är det ofta ett stort fokus på kulturella nyheter, medan händelser som kan anses viktiga för den samiska befolkningen marginaliseras. Därefter har resultatet analyserats utifrån den postkoloniala teorin, och därmed kunde samband urskiljas mellan Sveriges historiska relation till den samiska befolkningen och medias framställning av dem. / This paper examines the Sami peoples representation in Swedish newspapers. Previous research show that news media holds a growing power in affecting how different groups are perceived and being treated in today’s society. It shows how indigenous people and minorities are limited in the news media and portrayed in a homogeneous and biased way. This study examines to which extent the Sami population is being seen in the Swedish news media, what kind of Sami related news that are being reported and, how the Sami people are being presented. The method used to answer the thesis questions is a content analysis with complementary qualitative and quantitative elements. Articles published in three Swedish newspapers during the period of one year have in this study been examined. The result indicates that Sami culture is given a lot of space in the reported news, while other important events and questions concerning the Sami people are less visible. The result is analyzed on the basis of postcolonial theory, and connection could thus be distinguished between Sweden's historical relationship with the Sami population and the media's presentation of the group.

Sverige rankas ofta som ett av världens mest jämställda länder och år 2015 uttalade den socialdemokratiska regeringen, med Margot Wallström i spetsen, sina utrikespolitiska ambitioner med avsikt att föra den feministiska kampen framåt. Regeringen menade nämligen att den svenska jämställdhetsmodellen, med dess verktyg för jämställdhetsintegrering, borde vara tongivande också på den internationella arenan. Studien har därmed ämnat att undersöka det feministiska utrikespolitiska fältet, där syftet varit att studera hur utrikesförvaltningen och regeringskansliet positionerar Sverige i en internationell kontext. Hur beskrivs svensk jämställdhetspolitik och vad innebär den feministiska utrikespolitiken i praktiken? Genom ett diskursanalytiskt angreppssätt i kombination med intersektionella- och postkloniala teoretiska ramverk, har materialet brutits ned och kritiskt granskats, för att framhäva vilka sanningsregimer och attityder som ligger latent inskrivna i regeringens språkbruk. Detta för att få förståelse för vilka motsättningar och målkonflikter som påverkar implementeringen av de 'universella jämställdhet' som proklameras. Vilka individer avser regeringen hjälpa?

The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to study how race is represented in four of Försvarsmakten’s video commercials published between 2016 and 2020. Försvarsmakten is a Swedish authority that in recent years has focused on increasing gender and ethnic equality within the organization, which interests us to examine if and how their efforts are transformed in their marketing communication. Considering media’s influence on the ideals and norms that exist in our society, media representations make an interesting and important area to critically study and question. Especially as previous research has shown that ethnic minorities are underrepresented or portrayed in a stereotypical or negative way that upholds racial discrimination, both in media and in reality. The aim of this essay is therefore to study if there is a difference in the representation of white people and people of color (POC) in the selected video commercials, as well as to interpret potential underlying messages and ideologies. The theory and method that will be applied is postcolonial theory and multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA). A positive tendency is shown in the final results with both white people and POC acting in leading roles and background roles. However, there is no interaction between whites and POC in any scene, and in most cases they are represented in homogeneous groups which can indicate segregation. Further on we can distinguish a difference among the roles that the characters play. Whereas POC are portrayed as civilians in all commercials, white people are portrayed as soldiers in two of the commercials. The commercials are seen as inclusive to some extent, but they don’t fully represent an integrated and equal society from a multicultural perspective. Rather, they give the impression of focusing more on gender equality within the organization as women frequently are pictured in the commercials, even as soldiers

Denna kvalitativa studie ämnar undersöka hur västerländska företag har konstruerat sin varumärkeskommunikation i samband med Black Lives Matter-rörelsen. Utifrån ett teoretiskt ramverk baserat på semiotik, visuell retorik och postkolonialism granskar studien retoriska strategier i reklamfilmer för att utläsa de myter företagen kommunicerar. Genom att respondera på samhälleliga förändringar kan företag skapa positiva associationer till sig själva, vilket utgår från den kulturella kontexten kommunikationen verkar inom. Varumärken har möjligheten att preservera, förvandla och utmana rådande maktstrukturer genom den reklampåverkan de har på mottagaren. Studien belyser således den problematik gällande hur företag kommunicerar värderingar och budskap utifrån en annan kultur. Genom en jämförelse av Gillettes hyllade respektive Pepsis kritiserade reklamfilm möjliggörs även förståelsen för hur mottagarnas reaktioner kan förstås i relation till Black Lives Matter utifrån ett postkolonialt perspektiv.    Analysenheterna granskas genom en kombinerad semiotisk och kritisk visuell analysmetod med relaterade verktyg. Studien visar hur Pepsis myt inte faller naturligt inom den kulturella kontexten, där den verkar förminskande mot Black Lives Matter-rörelsen. Varumärket sätts i centrum, då produkten blir en symbol för myten och tydliga maktrelationer kan avläsas. Gillettes retoriska strategier svarar istället på de kulturella koder som rörelsen utgår från, där varumärket tas ur fokus och reklamfilmen kommunicerar jämlika förhållanden. / This qualitative study intends to examine how western companies have constructed their branding communication in conjunction with the Black Lives Matter movement. From a theoretical framework based on semiotics, visual rhetoric and postcolonialism reviews the studies rhetorical strategies in commercials to read out the myths the companies communicate. By responding to societal changes can companies create positive associations to themselves, which is based on the cultural context the communication operates within. Brands have the opportunity to preserve, transform and challenge the current power structures through the advertising impact they have on the receiver. The study illustrates the issue concerning how companies communicate values and messages from a different culture. By comparing Gillette’s praised, respectively Pepsi’s criticized commercial, makes it possible to understand how the recipient's reaction can be understood in relation to Black Lives Matter from a postcolonial perspective.    The units are examined through a combined semiotic and critical visual analysis method with related tools. The study shows how Pepsi´s myth does not fall naturally within the cultural context, where it has a diminishing effect on the Black Lives Matter movement. The brand is placed in the center, as the product becomes a symbol of the myth and clear power relations can be read. Gillette's rhetorical strategies instead associate with the cultural codes that the movement conveys, where the brand is taken out of focus and the commercial communicates equal conditions.

This study critically examine what discourses are found on five websites of Swedish volunteer travel agencies and whether they reflect postcolonial and racialized structures between the global north and the global south. Thus, the study aims to focus on the relationship between whites and non-whites to shed light on potential unequal racial power relations. Furthermore, the portrayal of the volunteers and recipients has been analyzed in accordance with van Dijk's critical discourse analysis, inspired by intragroup discourse about others. The study identified three overarching discourses, discourses about the representation of the recipients, discourses about the representation of the volunteers and discourses about the representation of the countries. The result identified an unequal power relationship characterized by colonial and racial logics. A postcolonial distinction between “us and them” was demonstrated through the ways the volunteer was presented as superior to the inferior recipient. Furthermore, this study shows through analysis of the With Savior Industrial Complex, that the recipients' needs where emphasized to recruit inexperienced volunteers. Thusly, showing that the travel agencies benefit from the notion that the recipients in the global south needs “the white savior”.