The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to explore the information practices present in hobby genealogy. The thesis uses a qualitative content analysis to analyse two popular Swedish genealogy magazines published between 2016 and 2019. The study investigates the information sources, objects, competences and emotions that the practice is built on. Our theoretical framework is centred around Reckwitz’ ideas of practice theory (2002), and the practice theory model introduced by Shove, Pantzar, and Watson (2012). The study finds that the information practices within hobby genealogy are heterogenous and extensive, and that information is a central part of the practice. The study also finds that emotions and motivations are important parts of understanding how the practice is maintained.

The intention of this thesis is to take a closer look at the information practices of SFI students, a group that is not researched much in regards to their behavior of handling, processing and searching for information and news. This was done using a survey that was sent out to 90 students at an SFI school and it resulted in 59 students answering, furthermore this empirical data was then analyzed using Reckwitz (2002) basic ideas about practice theory, further built on Shove, Pantzar & Watsons (2012) thoughts on the different concepts, as well as Savolainen's (2007, 2008) thoughts on information practice. Findings show that a majority of the respondents search for both information and news with the help of the internet, and furthermore is sharing as well as receiving information and news to and from others of great importance. The study also finds that the respondents think of information as knowledge and learning, and that information and news is something that can be helpful in regards to being aware of ones surroundings and the rest of the world. Findings show as well that the global COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact in regards to how the respondents search for information and news, and how they perceive it.

Digitalisation and access to informationAn interview study about information practices in an increasingly digitalised society This essay is about the increased digitalisation in society in relation to available information and the digital divide. The title of the essay suggests that there is a relationship between digitalisation and accessibility. Being connected via the internet and having access to digital information, news, municipal functions, and social media requires that you have both the technical hardware and the competence to use it. The thesis of this essay intends to shed light on aspects of digitalisation and access to information. An interview study of people who are between 70-80 years old shows that increased digitalisation in society does not automatically mean that groups become digitally excluded. The digital divide does not arise by itself or with given conditions but can rather be described as a grey area. Several different factors and conditions interact where challenges, obstacles, opportunities, and attitudes are affecting. For those who have access to digital technology and knowledge to use it, it is easy to access information and be involved in society. But those who feel digital exclusion are continuing to be excluded without receiving help and knowledge about digital information and technology. The faster the digital development goes, the greater the risk of falling behind in the digital divide.

The Corona pandemic and its need for social distancing and feelings of fear have affected consumers worldwide and their shopping practices when it comes to food and groceries. Previous research has shown that in normal conditions it is difficult to change shopping practices and consumers routines, but that major changes in the outside world led to new or changing practices. Changed food shopping practices are a consequence of the Corona pandemic and there is a gap in previous studies when it comes to crises in the form of pandemics as they are highly unusual. The purpose of this study is to understand how consumers have changed their food shopping as a result of the pandemic from a practice theoretical perspective. We want to give an insight into where, when and how the consumer buys groceries, but also try to understand what it is that drives the consumer to a certain form of food shopping in crises in the form of a pandemic. To study this, we have used a practice theoretical perspective and conceptualized food shopping as a social practice. The analysis was based on a qualitative method in the form of a combination of focus groups and individual interviews. The study involved 23 participants divided into four focus interviews, five individual interviews and one interview with two ICA suppliers/consultants. By applying a practice-theoretical perspective to food shopping practices, the study was able to provide an insight into how consumers have changed their food shopping as a result of the pandemic and what drives the consumers to do so. The study shows that food shopping practices have changed during the pandemic and that societal crises to this extent can change strongly implemented and routinized patterns. We found that hoarding was a consequence and can be motivated by fear and “the herd effect”. At the same time, it is a concept with negative and shameful associations. We also found an increase in e-commerce. This was justified by the fact that the consumer’s main motive for shopping online was due to the risk of infecting or becoming infected themselves. Another change in food shopping practices that we observed was shopping with protection. Lastly, we found a new form of shopping called collective shopping, which is a practice that occurs temporarily and may involve a transition back to the normal state. The results of the study aim to contribute to knowledge for marketers and other practitioners to prepare society for disruptions due to other pandemics in the future. / Coronapandemin och dess följder har lett till ett behov av social distansering och känslor av rädsla har påverkat konsumenter världen över och deras shoppingpraktiker när det kommer till dagligvaror. Tidigare forskning har visat att det i normala tillstånd är svårt att förändra shoppingpraktiker och konsumenters rutiner men att större förändringar i omvärlden kan bidra till nya eller förändrade praktiker. Förändrade matshoppingpraktiker är en följd av Coronapandemin och det finns ett gap i tidigare studier när det kommer till kriser i form av pandemier då de är högst ovanliga. Syftet med denna studie är att förstå hur konsumenter har förändrat sin matshopping till följd av pandemin utifrån ett praktiksteoretiskt perspektiv. Vi vill ge en inblick i var, när och hur konsumenten handlar dagligvaror, men också försöka förstå vad det är som är driver konsumenten till en viss form av matshopping i kriser i form av en pandemi. För att studera detta har vi använt oss av ett praktikteoretiskt perspektiv och konceptualiserat matshopping som en social praktik. Analysen baserades på en kvalitativ metod i form av en kombination av fokusgrupper och enskilda intervjuer. I studien deltog 23 deltagare uppdelade i fyra fokusintervjuer, fem enskilda intervjuer och en intervju med två ICA-leverantörer/konsulter. Genom att applicera ett praktikteoretiskt perspektiv på matshoppingpraktiker kunde studien ge en insikt i hur konsumenter har förändrat sin matshopping till följd av pandemin och vad som driver konsumenten till det. Studien visar att matshoppingpraktiker har förändrats under pandemins gång och att samhällskriser i denna omfattning kan förändra starkt implementerade och rutiniserade mönster. Vi fann att hamstring var en följd av pandemin och kan motiveras med bland annat rädsla och “the herd effect”. Samtidigt är det ett begrepp med negativa kopplingar och som tycks vara skambelagt. Vi fann även en ökning av e-handel. Detta motiverades med att konsumentens viktigaste motiv till att handla just online var att minska kontakt med andra människor på grund av risken för att smitta, eller själva bli smittade. Ytterligare en förändring i matshoppingpraktiker som vi uppmärksammade var att handla med skydd. Slutligen fann vi en ny form av shopping kallad för kollektiv shopping, vilket är en praktik som sker tillfälligt och kan därmed innebära en övergång tillbaka till det normala tillståndet. Studiens resultat ämnar bidra med kunskap för marknadsförare och andra utövare för att förbereda samhället inför störningar till följd av andra pandemier i framtiden.

The aim of this thesis is to explore medical librarians information practice in a pedagogical context. The empirical material was produced by 6 semi-structured interviews at 5 different hospital libraries during April and March 2023. A practice-oriented approach was used by the theoretical lens of Social Practice by Shove, Pantzar and Watson. In the analysis it was thematised by the practice elements material, competences and meanings. The findings show that medical librarians informationpractice in a pedagogical context work with many different materials and have competences that are of importance for students, hospital staff and researchers. They adapt their teaching and guidance for the user and their level. The different meanings that the medical libraries user and organization put on the medical library and their services has an impact on their ability to reach more of their users and their development.

This master thesis explores Swedish public libraries and their practices in relation to welcoming Ukrainian refugees following the Russian invasion in 2022. A qualitative study drawing on semi-structured interviews with librarians (n=9) from various parts of Sweden forms the empirical foundation. A theory of practice framework influenced by Kemmis (2011) is then employed to analyze the material using qualitative content analysis, capturing the cultural-discursive, social, and economic-material dimensions of practice, as described by Pilerot and Hultgren (2017).   The results showed that the number of Ukrainian refugees visiting the libraries has been substantially lower than expected. Still, the libraries offered information and literature in Ukrainian alongside with language and children’s activities. The analysis showed that the activities and therefore the practice have been influenced by the dimensions of practice to a high degree The experiences of the refugee crisis in 2015 seem to greatly influence the activities of today, and it is likely that the combined experiences of the refugee crises in 2015 and 2022 will be of value for the future practice.   The importance of competences related to meeting individuals in socially exposed situations, and the importance of language- and cultural competence, are highlighted in the thesis. As is the need for both further research into and political recognition of the work being done by libraries in relation to refugees and social inclusion more general.     This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science. / PubLIB for Refugees: https://sites.google.com/view/publib-for-refugees/home

Sedan början på 2000-talet har det skett en förvandling i detaljhandelslandskapet. Flera företag har valt att övergå från fysisk butik till att istället bedriva e-handel. I samband med smartphonens ökade användning har detaljhandelslandskapet förändrats ytterligare, där tekniken möjliggjort ett nytt sätt för konsumenter att förhålla sig till shopping. Smartphonen har alltså blivit ett verktyg som tillämpas i konsumenters vardag och tillkommer i flera shoppingrelaterade syften. Tidigare forskning kring mobilshopping kan delas in i två fält; forskning som fokuserar på acceptans, motiv och incitament, och sedan forskning som fokuserar på praktiker och handlingar. Med tanke på att det sistnämnda fältet är så pass outforskat, har denna studie antagit ett praktikteoretiskt perspektiv för att på ett djupare plan kunna analysera hur mobilshopping fungerar i praktiken. Syfte Syftet med vår studie är att få en bredare insikt i hur mobilshopping fungerar i praktiken genom att analysera hur konsumenter använder sin smartphone på olika sätt för att shoppa. Detta genom att anta en praktikteoretisk ansats för att analysera fenomenet mobilshopping. Metod Studien utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsmetod där 15 semistrukturerade intervjuer ligger till grund för datainsamlingen. Ytterligare har studien antagit ett praktikteoretiskt perspektiv, där sekundärdata samlats in kring praktikteori som fenomen, både praktikteori kopplat till konsumtion samt praktikteori kopplat till mobilshopping. Uppsatsen utgår således från ett urval som baseras på livssituationen hos de olika deltagarna för att på så sätt kunna se hur dessa skiljer sig åt i deras mobilshopping. Slutsats Uppsatsen visar att en praktik kan se olika ut beroende på vem som utför den då individer är unika i sitt sätt att utföra praktiken. Trots vetskapen kring detta fann vi att det finns vissa likheter mellan vissa grupper med olika livssituation, då vissa hade liknande bakomliggande meningar, brukade samma material och hade jämlik kompetensnivå i sin mobilshopping. Det resulterade i tre olika sätt att utföra mobilshopping på bland våra fem grupper, det vill säga ett målinriktat, strategiskt och vanemässigt sätt. Slutligen kan resultatet i vår studie framöver bidra till en ökad förståelse för mobilshopping som praktik. Studien ger inte bara ökad förståelse inom fältet konsumentbeteende, utan även för detaljhandlare. / Since the beginning of the 2000s, there has been a transformation in the retail landscape. Several companies have chosen to switch from a physical store to e-commerce. As the usability of the smartphone is increasing, the retail landscape is also under development, whereas technology has made it possible for a new way for consumers to pursue their shopping. Therefore, smartphones have become a tool in consumers' everyday lives and are used for several shopping-related purposes. Previous research on mobile shopping can be divided into two fields; research that focuses on acceptance, motives and incentives, and research that focuses on practices and actions. Given that the latter field is rather unexplored, this study has adopted a practice-theoretical perspective in order to be able to analyze on a deeper level how mobile shopping works in practice. Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to gain a broader insight into how mobile shopping works in practice by analyzing how consumers use their smartphone in different ways to shop. This is done by adopting a practical theoretical approach to analyzing the phenomenon of mobile shopping. Method The thesis is based on a qualitative research method where 15 semi-structured interviews form the basis of our data collection. Furthermore, the study has also inducted a practice theory perspective, where secondary data is collected on practice theory as a phenomenon, practice theory linked to consumption and finally practice theory in relation to mobile shopping. The essay is thus based on a selection based on the life circumstances of the various participants and how they differ in their mobile shopping. Conclusion The thesis shows that mobile shopping as a practice can look different depending on who performs it, as individuals are unique in their way of performing the practice. Nevertheless, we found that there are certain similarities between certain groups with different life circumstances. Each group had similar underlying meanings, used the same material and had equal levels of competence in their mobile shopping practices. This resulted in three different ways of performing mobile shopping among our five groups, i.e, goal-oriented, strategic and habitual way. To sum up, the results of our study in the future can contribute to an increased understanding of mobile shopping as a practice. As well as provides increased understanding in the field of consumer behavior and thereby contribute with a clearer approach for retailers. This thesis is written in Swedish.

Syftet med uppsatsen var göra en jämförelse mellan två kommunala insatser mot hemlöshet, Bostad Först och Boendetrappan. Studien genomfördes i form av en allmän litteraturstudie. Litteratursökningen genomfördes i databasen EBSCO och resulterade i nio utvalda artiklar. All empiri analyserades utifrån Fribergs analysmodell. Två teorier användes för att analysera resultatet, empowerment och kritisk praktikteori. Resultatet visade fler fördelar än nackdelar med Bostad Först och fler nackdelar än fördelar med Boendetrappan. Resultatet visade också att det fanns både likheter och olikheter mellan insatserna där likheterna speglade organisatoriska förutsättningar och hinder medan olikheterna visade på olika arbetssätt med klienterna. Slutsatsen i denna studie var att Bostad Först bedömdes vara mer effektivt för långsiktig lösning av hemlöshet. / The aim of this study was to make a comparison between two municipal social services efforts against homelessness, Housing First and the Traditional Housing Staircase Model. The study was conducted in the form of a general literature study. The literature search was performed in the EBSCO database and resulted in nine selected articles. All empirical data was analyzed using Fribergs analytical model. Two theories were used to analyze the result, empowerment, and critical practice theory. The result showed more advantages than disadvantages with Housing First, and more disadvantages than advantages with the Traditional Housing Staircase Model. The result also showed that there were both similarities and differences between the two social service efforts where the similarities reflected organizational conditions and obstacles, while the similarities showed different methods of working with the clients. The conclusion of this study was that Housing First was assessed to be more effective for a long-term solution of homelessness.

Bibliotherapy is the practice of using literature for health-promoting purposes and is conducted worldwide using various methods and targeting different groups. In a Swedish context, bibliotherapy has begun to receive attention in both the general public and the library sector. Although previous research indicates bibliotherapy's health-promoting effects, collaboration in the field is relatively unexplored, especially within healthcare settings. This bachelor’s thesis studies the experiences and collaboration of hospital librarians and hospital staff within the shared bibliotherapy practice in hospital libraries. Six semi-structured, in-depth interviews with hospital librarians and other hospital professionals were conducted. The results show that successful bibliotherapy collaborations between these professions not only occur but also help to increase the visibility and legitimacy of hospital librarians in healthcare. Additionally, bibliotherapy contributes to the creation of meaningful collaborations between colleagues as well as patients. By applying the elements from Shove, Pantzar and Watson’s theory of practice, we were able to further analyze bibliotherapy as a shared practice in hospital libraries. Conclusions show that collaboration within bibliotherapy can legitimize both the bibliotherapy practice and hospital librarians.

The increased interest in relationship marketing and the potential of the Internet as a platform for relationship building activities have given rise to new ways for companies to interact with their customers, such as services based on a freemium pricing model. Based on the premise that relationships are processes consisting of interactive moments of value-creating activities, value is considered subjective, relative and dependent on the context in which the activity takes place. Value is therefore variable given its context and cannot be pre-defined without nuances being lost. Despite the Internet's given role in societal development, our understanding of what contributes to customers' intentions to build relationships with online services is yet to mature. As the music industry is well established on the Internet, alongside the change in how music is consumed, it is thus appropriate to examine activities in accordance with a freemium based service that distributes music online, since it still lacks in academic understanding. This study aims to provide insights about virtual relations and how online services that provide cultural content should relate to there users as well as contributing to the ongoing academic discussion regarding value and how it is manifested by highlighting contextual impact on relational activities. For a rapprochement of relations to online services in cultural industries, this study assumed a practice perspective. In accordance with practice theory and action research, primary data was collected through participatory observation set in users' natural social environment, with a targeted sample of informants well familiar with the object of study - the online service Spotify. The results show that value in virtual relationships arise inter-subjectively between users, where value is relative to past experiences, changeable over time, and expressed through individual and collective activities afforded by current context. If usage of a service is part of the daily routine, it also becomes a part of the user's identity, which the user, in order not to disrupt the routine, is willing to make sacrifices to uphold, thus maintaining their identity and ongoing relationship to the service provider. The more affordances a service provider manages to convey, the more meaningful a relationship is considered to be. The affective dimension of cultural products, especially music, allows for interpersonal coordination, and emotional convergence, where value is created inter-subjectively through collectively shared practices, allowing us to share feelings and experiences and enjoying how the closeness of interpersonal relationships contribute to our everyday lives. The inter-subjective value creation process thus also works as a process of humanizing the virtual relationship. / Det ökade intresset för relationsmarknadsföring och Internets potential som plattform för relationsbyggande aktiviteter har gett upphov till nya sätt för företag att interagera med sina kunder, till exempel genom freemium-tjänster. Utifrån premisserna att relationen är en process av interaktionsögonblick av meningsskapande aktiviteter, förutsätts värde vara subjektivt, relativt och beroende av kontexten i vilken aktiviteten utspelas. Värde är således föränderligt givet kontexten och kan inte på förhand definieras utan att nyanser går förlorade. Trots Internets givna roll i samhällsutvecklingen, saknas fortfarande förståelse för vilka parametrar som bidrar till kunders intentioner att bygga relationer med online-tjänster.    Då musikindustrin är väl etablerad på Internet, parallellt med att det skett en förändring av hur musik konsumeras, är det således motiverat att undersöka aktiviteter förenliga med en tjänst som distribuerar musik online, baserad på affärsmodellen freemium, då den akademiskt sätt ännu befinner sig i sin vagga. Studiens syfte är att ge insikter om virtuella relationer för hur online-tjänster med kulturellt innehåll ska förhålla sig till sina användare och bidra till den pågående akademiska diskussionen om hur värde manifesteras genom att belysa kontexters inverkan på relationer. För ett närmande av relationer till online-tjänster inom kulturella industrier, antogs för denna studie ett praktikperspektiv. I enlighet med aktionsforskning inhämtades primärdata genom deltagande observation i användarnas naturliga sociala miljö, baserat på ett målinriktat urval av informanter väl bekanta med studieobjektet - online-tjänsten Spotify. Resultatet visar på att värde inom virtuella relationer uppstår intersubjektivt mellan användare, är relativt mot tidigare erfarenheter, är föränderligt över tid, och kommer till uttryck genom individuella som kollektiva aktiviteter beroende av rådande kontext. Är användningen av tjänsten en del av den dagliga rutinen, blir användningen en del av användarens identitet, med påföljden att användaren är beredd att göra uppoffringar för att inte bryta rutinen och på så vis upprätthålla sin identitet och relation till tjänsten. Ju fler affordanser tjänster lyckas förmedla, desto mer meningsfull upplevs relationen.   Den affektiva dimensionen som kulturella produkter för med sig, särskilt musik, möjliggör för interpersonal koordination och emotionell sammanstrålning, där intersubjektivt värdeskapande kollektivt tillskjuter värde i den gemensamma upplevelsen, då vi tillåter oss att dela våra känslor och upplevelser och njuta av den närhet som mänskliga relationer bidrar till i våra vardagliga liv. Det intersubjektiva värdeskapandet bidrar till ett förmänskligande av den virtuella relationen.