A symbolic landscape of Morocco is the square Jemaa el-Fna, in the Medina of Marrakech, listed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Jemaa el-Fna square welcomes thousands of tourists each day, and the tourism industry is the second largest contributor to Morocco's GDP. However, the square currently faces serious threats due to urbanization and intensive tourism.This study aims to uncover the interconnections and tensions between cultural heritage and tourism, centering on Jemaa el-Fna square. Through an observational study, interviews with tourist operators and a survey for visitors, the study can reveal that tourism leads to commercialization and an overdependence on the tourism industry. The study demonstrates how institutional initiatives aim to preserve Medina's traditional and cultural aspects and thus are involved in shaping how heritage is created and maintained. The study concludes that the relationship between cultural heritage and tourism is indeed an intricate relationship. The tensions in the relationship expresses itself in the overdependence of tourism, the commercialisation of heritage and the power imbalance that has impacted the site historically and in the present. Meanwhile, the heritage tourism at the site seems to be an active process with tourists being involved in the cultural heritage they observe and engage in, making them a part in shaping the Moroccan heritage at present.

Denna studie undersöker utmaningar och möjligheter för företag i Stockholms skärgård i relation till säsongsbetonad turism och hållbar utveckling. Studien fokuserar på att förstå hur dessa företag hanterar de ekonomiska, ekologiska och sociala effekterna av säsongsvariationer, samt hur de samarbetar med andra aktörer för att främja hållbarhet. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer med fem företag inom restaurang, hotell- och kulturbranschen, avslöjar studien att säsongsvariationer påverkar den ekonomiska stabiliteten och resursutnyttjandet hos företag markant. Företagen tillämpar olika strategier för att mildra dessa effekter, såsom att organisera evenemang under lågsäsongen, diversifiera sina tjänster och justera prissättningen baserat på säsongens efterfrågan. Miljöutmaningar, inklusive avfallshantering och infrastrukturella begränsningar, lyfts också fram, vilket visar på behovet av förbättrat samarbete med lokala myndigheter. Socialt sett kvarstår problemet med att behålla personal under lågsäsongen, där företagen försöker erbjuda kontinuerliga anställningsmöjligheter. Studien drar slutsatsen att medan säsongsbetonad turism medför betydande utmaningar, kan effektivt samarbete och innovativa strategier möjliggöra driften av hållbara verksamheter i skärgården. Förslag på framtida forskning är att inkludera perspektiv från andra intressenter, såsom kommuner och turister, för att få en heltäckande förståelse av komplexiteten i att hantera säsongsvariationer inom turism.

This dissertation examines how firms extend competitive strategies into nonmarket environments by shaping sociopolitical discourse - the dynamic forum determining which sociopolitical issues are discussed, how they are framed, and whose perspectives hold sway. To strategically shape sociopolitical discourse, firms seek disproportionate influence over market competitors and sociopolitical actors, competing with both countervailing and similar voices. By leveraging this influence, firms reshape the competitive landscape to their advantage. The first chapter examines how firms use lobbying to limit competitors' influence on sociopolitical discourse, focusing on negative lobbying to counter competitor-supported legislative proposals that disproportionately benefit rivals. It also examines how these strategies intensify in low-growth industries, where zero-sum dynamics heighten competitive pressures to block rivals from gaining strategic advantages. The second chapter investigates how corporate leaders, through targeted political contributions, shape the discourse around their priorities, amplifying their influence on public-facing messaging in ways that outweigh other sociopolitical actors. The third chapter analyzes how media firms compete for virality by crafting content that drives public engagement, often drawing disproportionate attention to specific narratives and shaping sociopolitical discourse. These chapters demonstrate how firms use sociopolitical discourse as a core element of their broader competitive strategy, shaping both market outcomes and the sociopolitical landscapes that influence competitive dynamics.

This research aims to investigate the diverse uses of thermal springs and to develop strategies to identify those most appropriate for Sagole with due regard given to the economic, social and environmental aspects. The aim specifically determines the optimum use of the Sagole thermal spring. The following potential uses for Sagole were identified, discussed and analysed in terms of the environmental, social and economic aspects: tourism, aquaculture and geothermal education. The potential cost and benefit of each were also analysed. According to the research finding, the establishment of a Geothermal Education Centre appears to be the most sustainable project with the highest Feasibility Index. It is followed by Health Tourism and then Aquaculture. / Environmental Sciences / D. Phil. (Environmental Management)

This thesis examines the reception, generation, and use of economic ideas in the British Liberal Party during the period between its decline in the inter-war years and its revival under Jo Grimond. It uses archival sources, party publications, and the political press to reconstruct the Liberal Party’s internal discourse about economic policy from the 1920s to the 1960s, and sets this discourse in the context of wider economic and political developments: the ‘Keynesian revolution’ in economic theory and British public policy, recurrent political interest in economic planning, and growing concern about relative economic decline. The strength of the two-party system which developed after the First World War meant that the Liberal Party spent most of this period in opposition, and even in the coalition governments of 1931-2 and 1940-5 Liberals had limited input into economic policy-making. As historians have frequently noted, however, the party played an important role in introducing Keynesian ideas to British politics through Lloyd George’s 1929 pledge to ‘conquer unemployment’, and seemed to anticipate the post-war managed economy in important respects. At the same time, the party maintained a close relationship with the economics profession, and vocally championed free trade and competitive markets. This thesis highlights the eclecticism of the Liberal Party’s economic heritage, and its continuing ambivalence towards state intervention. Although Liberals were early and sincere supporters of Keynesian demand-management policies, and took a close interest in economic planning proposals in the 1920s, 1940s and 1960s, their interventionism was frequently constrained by their internationalism and their support for free markets. Most Liberals, then, were neither unreconstructed Gladstonians nor unequivocal supporters of Britain’s post-war settlement. Rather, successive party leaders sought to integrate new economic knowledge with traditional Liberal commitments, in order to make both a credible contribution to policy debates and a distinctive appeal to the electorate.

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M.A. (Social Work) / Assistance with a disability grant has made a number of positive contributions, especially to improving the life of its beneficiaries. In addition to the increasing number of job demands by a multitude of people in the country, there are also thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS who apply, especially those who have no income, for a disability grant to meet their basic needs and promote positive health. Throughout the study, it has been identified that the disability grant not only benefits individual beneficiaries in most instances, but also benefits their families and plays a major role not only in ensuring food security, but is extended in meeting other basic needs of the households. By its nature, the disability grant is not permanent social assistance as beneficiaries only qualify for a period ranging from six to 12 months. The cancellation of the grant also leaves the beneficiaries in a vulnerable condition as on cancellation, some beneficiaries are not in a position to provide for themselves financially. For the purpose of the study, purposive sampling was selected for its convenience in getting information relevant to the study. The study was guided by its goal which was to explore the need for developmental programmes for HIV positive disability grant applicants, with the purpose of improving food security and self-reliance. The objectives of the study included the interrogation of grantees on their desire, or not, to be self-reliant, to solicit their ideas for developmental programmes, to consult with social workers who are experienced in the field of Antiretroviral (ARV) intervention on alternative developmental programmes for disability grant re-applicants, and to make recommendations to social workers regarding appropriate developmental programmes for disability grant re-application. Practically, South Africa has no alternative assistance which will ensure continuous food security once the grant has lapsed. This raises a need for initiatives to address this situation as it was discovered that disability grant beneficiaries feel that they can participate in income-generating activities and thereby take more control of their lives and be economically sufficient. Other factors that were identified included a will to change and self-determination. These factors were therefore identified as better tools to be utilised and invested in to encourage them to do things for themselves, as meeting their basic needs is their individual responsibility, especially in cases where the individual‟s medical condition has improved. These interventions need to consider the socio-economic factors of the grant applicants as services provided to them should not treat other factors in isolation since the focus has been on medical aspects; hence assistance with disability grants is only provided when they cannot provide for themselves due to poor health and poor physical strength.

Air pollution is a global problem and concern that affects every nation around the world.One of the chemical elements that is part of bad air quality is Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).Children are a vulnerable group to air pollution due to their immature health system, thusplanning for safe and healthy neighborhoods is essential for their future development.Sweden is a one of the international leaders of sustainable development, with Gothenburgone of the main cities in the country that has an impressive ecological concern. The purposeof this study is to measure the exposure of children, ages 0 – 15 years old, to NO2 on aneighborhood level in Gothenburg.With the use of the software ArcGIS 10.6.1 and the spreadsheet Microsoft Excel, it waspossible to analyze the neighborhoods where children live and are exposed to bad air qualityas well as identify family neighborhoods that might also be high pollution areas. The resultsshow different conclusions between the age groups of children while the mean levels of airpollution are mostly concentrated in the city center.

Swedish travelers’ consumption has increased in relation to better economic conditions and demographic changes. In 2017, domestic leisure travelers’ consumption increased and the reason for such a changed tourism industry which is due to a changed behavior among travelers. One major reason is that internet and social media has had a major impact on the tourism industry (TIllväxtverket, 2017). Social media has developed new marketing techniques such as Influencer Marketing (IM) and Viral Marketing. The purpose of this study is to find out how travelers are affected by IM when choosing a destination, as a basis for this research the writers created a web survey where the target group was Swedish travelers who like to travel, the survey was answered by 188 respondents. The writers used netnography to review ten influencers to build their own interpretation of the subject and the result suggests that influencers have a role as an information source (eWOM) but are not the decision-making source for travelers’ consumption.

This thesis studies the learning process between foreign and local knowledge in a community of organic farmers by the name Atitlán Organics in Tzununa, rural Guatemala. Foreign settlers with formal education and contemporary farming experience work alongside indigenous local Guatemalan farmers in this community, which also takes on international volunteer workers. These people of various background and differing intentions cooperate to develop the community and its business of organic food production while learning from each other. The foreigners bring global theories that relate to farming such as permaculture designs and scientific knowledge while the Guatemalans know the local land and how to work with it. This thesis outlines the learning process between these different competencies and presents a nuanced discussion on how these types of knowledge exchange can be beneficial for the people and the community. Diverse competencies can complement each other and enhance collaborative work but limitations can also occur due to difficulties of understanding other socio-cultural contexts, while risks of neo-colonial tendencies and western knowledge hegemony lure in these situations. The discussion in this thesis highlights the importance of mutual consciousness about this process in the community and what that can be done to enhance collaborative learning while avoiding such risks.