This thesis is a comparative analysis between two books from the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. We chose to work with book 1 - Dead Until Dark and book 10 - Dead in the Family. Our analysis is based on a gender perspective, using the litterature we present in previous research and theory. The aim for the thesis was to examine how gender and sexuality is portrayed in the books. In addition, we have looked at how the books represent gender norms in society through their characters and if named characters change throughout the series. We have applied comparative analysis and Nikolajeva's scheme on stereotypical males and females in litterature. We chose to analyse the four main characters - Sookie, Bill, Eric and Sam. In our analysis we discuss how the balance of power between the characters is portrayed as well as their gender and sexuality in relation to each other. Our analysis indicate that the characters are mainly portrayed with stereotypical gender norms and the comparison between the two books shows us no or very little development of named norms. Moreover, we observed that Sookies female gender is portrayed in relation to the three male characters, Bill, Eric and Sam. In addition, the male characters gender is also described in relation to the female character. Our analysis through Nikolajeva´s scheme depicts the characters in all categories of stereotypical gender roles. Sookie could often be categorized as a normative female whilst Bill and Eric in majority were categorized as normative males. Sams character was the only one to portray both female and male characteristics. This was depicted in both books. Further more, the male genders were portrayed similar in both books although the characters were mentioned more regularly in book 1 compared to book 10. Conclusively, we discussed how the books can be used in class to teach about gender, sexuality and norms. Lastly, we stressed what the positive and negative outcomes for teachers may be and what we think is important in class not to emulate stereotypical gender roles.

Den här studien har för avsikt att belysa och behandla hur en allmänhet kan tänkas uppfatta och förhålla sig till fördomar, rasism och diskriminering. Hur uppfattningar om etnicitet, ras och nationalitet, relaterar till kulturella skillnader och hur andrafiering och stereotyper motiveras och betraktas. Informanterna i studien visar generellt en stor tolerans mot andra men visar också tydliga tendenser till andrafiering och ingruppsbias. I sina tolkningar av ”den kulturellt andre” märks att de baserar sina antaganden och resonemang på individuella och kollektiva gruppstereotyper. De accepterar inte interpersonella uttryck för rasism och diskriminering men är relativt omedvetna om vad som skapar strukturell diskriminering och de är också mer toleranta mot diskriminering motiverat av vinstintresse. / Through this study I will attempt to show how a public might understand and relate to prejudice, racism and discrimination. How perceptions about ethnicity, race and nationality relate to cultural differences and how othering and stereotypes are being motivated by the informants and how they view them. The participating informants generally show significant tolerance towards others, but also show clear tendencies of othering and in-group bias. In their interpretation of “the cultural other”, assumptions and reasoning suggests that they are based on collective and individual group stereotypes. They do not accept interpersonal racism and discrimination but are seemingly unaware of what constitutes and creates structural discrimination and they are more tolerant towards discrimination based on economic interest.

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Detta kandidatarbete handlar om hur ett främmande objekt kan påverka en betraktares uppfattning av en karaktärs förhållande till gott och ont. Kandidatarbetet utforskar ämnen som stereotyper, former, fördomar och intryck. Olika metoder används i framtagandet av karaktärerna, där bland annat former används för att förstärka uppfattningen av karaktärens ställning till gott och ont. Karaktärerna skapades i två versioner, en utan det främmande objektet och en med. En enkät skickades ut och deltagare fick poängsätta karaktärer för att sedan motivera sina val med kommentarer. Resultatet visade att ett främmande objekt har möjlighet att påverka betraktaren, där betraktarens relation till objektet har en avgörande roll i hur karaktären vinklas åt gott eller ont. / This thesis describes how a foreign object can affect an observer's perception of a character's relation to good and evil. The thesis explores topics like stereotypes, forms, prejudices and impressions. Various methods are used in the development of the characters, which include shapes that are used to enhance the perception of the character's position between good and evil. The characters were created ​​in two versions, one without the foreign object and one with the foreign object. A survey was created and the participants had to score the characters and then justify their choice with comments. The results showed that a foreign object is able to influence the viewer, where the viewer's relationship to the object has a crucial role in how the character is angled towards good or evil.

This study examines the depiction of violence in Disney films by investigating the relation between violence and the characters from the 1930’s until today with focus on a gender perspective. The films are Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Tangled and Frozen. The theoretical framework is based on the works of Devin McKinney, Henry Giroux and Slavoj Zizeks categorizations of violence. The results of the study show that the hyperreal form of violence have increased substantially, while the structural violence, such as detention, has been reduced and made visible in the narrative. There has also been a change in how the female characters relate to violence. In the earlier movies they took on a passive role, but later on they used violence in a more defensive way. In terms of the antagonists, a difference could be seen between the male and female characters. The female characters more often used other people to help them exercise violence, whilst the male characters did it themselves. The physical violence was more commonly used by the male characters, and the psychological violence was more common among the female characters.

Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka hur kvinnliga våldsbrottslingar porträtteras i media med en vetenskapsteoretisk utgångspunkt i socialkonstruktionismen. Studien har sin utgångspunkt i olika stereotyper som kan användas i medias framställning av kvinnliga gärningspersoner. För att undersöka detta har en kvalitativ innehållsanalys använts. Uppsatsen utgår ifrån en socialkonstruktivistisk ansats vilket innebär att kvinnligt och manligt ses som något som är socialt konstruerat. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna ligger i olika konstruktioner som förekommer i medias framställning av den kvinnliga brottslingen samt i genusteori. Media kan använda olika stereotypa beskrivningar av kvinnliga våldsbrottslingar och kan därför också reproducera uppfattningen om den kvinnliga brottslingen som en avvikande kvinna. Slutsatsen som dragits är att media bidrar till en ensidig bild av den kvinnliga brottslingen och att det krävs ytterligare forskning kring kvinnor och brottslighet i media då detta forskningsfält idag är förhållandevis litet. / The aim of this study was to investigate how the female criminals are portrayed in media, with a scientific theoretical basis of social constructionism. The study is based on various stereotypes that can be used in media's representation of female offenders. To investigate this, a qualitative content analysis was used. The essay is based on a social constructivist approach, which means that female and male is seen as something socially constructed. The theoretical bases are located in gender theory and the various designs which exist in Media’s image of the female offender. Media can use various stereotypical descriptions of violent female offenders and can also reproduce the perception of the female offender as a abnormal woman. The conclusion drawn is thatmedia contributes to a one-sided picture of female offenders and that further research on women and crime in media is needed as this field of research is relatively small.

Validerat; 20101217 (root)

The aim of this study is to analyze stereotypes in the ICA commercials during the period of 2014 and 2018. How are the characters represented from an intersectional perspective and how are they represented from a stereotyped perspective? Has there been any changes or developments between these years?   The used methods are an image analysis and text analysis from a semiotic perspective. Earlier studies have shown that men have more dominant roles than women in commercials. It is also shown that most women are under 30 years old, while men are older.   The results of this study show that this is still accurate today and there hasn’t been any big changes. The men in the ICA commercials have dominated roles and are older than the women who are younger than 30 and have more subordinate roles. Stereotypes are common in the ICA commercials, but at the same time they try to twist them to go against norms - for example showing a character with Down syndrome.

The aim of this essay is to look at the representation of males and females in movies and analyse whether it may be problematic in an audience perspective[EW1] . Problematic in that sense that the film industry is governed by, possibly also governing, the contemporary values and beliefs of the society. Through an historical overview of theories on media effects and audiences, we reach a point of view on whether media messages are accepted by the mass or if individuals can dismiss the whole or a part of the message. The theoretical part also includes chapters of gender, representation and stereotypes as we want to enlighten what the popular culture tells us about gender stereotypes and how it may or may not be problematic.   To reach a conclusion we have throughout the films used a coding scheme in which we count different occurrences, roles and functions the characters may have. To keep the coding as far away from subjective understandings we have included definitions of the variables. Through the result of the coding we created statistics which helped us form an analysis and conclusion of the problem formulation. In this essay we have not involved any questions directly towards the audience or individuals watching the films thus making our analysis theoretical[MOU2] .   Overall, the result of the coding scheme showed a lack of female characters. The females’ function in the films were very often as an object towards a male character. She was always someone’s other or functioned as a figure of motivation by being killed off alternatively needing to be saved. The male characters often filled the roles as heroes but had much wider variation than the females. We also discovered a pattern that the average age of the female character is lower than the male. / <p>Gabor Bora är examinator för den aktuella uppsatsen medan Per Vesterlund är examinator för hela kursen.</p>

This study aims to investigate if and how the Swedish Government represents ethnic stereotypes in an official discourse about how segregation in school will be reduced and prevented. Thus the material that I will analyse is the Swedish government's most recently delivered policy document, where solutions to reduce and prevent in school segregation from year 2018 until 2028 are explicitly proposed. The methodology that is adopted in this study is qualitative text analysis. Hence I will use pre-defined analytical tools to investigate how segregation is represented and also what norms are conveyed. Throughout the text analysis I will use previous research and theory about what ethnic stereotypes are to identify if and how ethnic stereotypes occur in the document. The results of the analysis is that a socioeconomic perspective dominates the discourse. Simultaneously traces of ethnic stereotypes also occur. The conclusion of this study is that although there is an explicit will to counter segregation in the Swedish government's official discourse, still traces of ethnic stereotypes occur in the policy document. Hence even in the case of the Swedish Social Democratic government implicit expressions of ethnic stereotypes occur, which might indicate the width of institutionalised ethnic stereotypes in society.