The study aims to examine international protest art in a local cultural policy context. The exhibition Pussy Riot and the Cossacks – Russian Tradition of Art Resistance opened in June, 2014. The study examines the exhibition process along with the reactions the exhibition gave rise to. The methods used consists of idea- and reception analysis where Geir Vestheim's ideal types about instrumental culture is used along with the concept of the arm lengths priciple. Study shows that there are differences in the opinions on the uses of art between the art gallery and its funding agencies Norrbottens läns landsting and Bodens kommun. Study also shows that the specific local context of the exhibition Pussy Riot and the Cossacks together with the viewers previous experiences plays a part in how the exhibition is percieved.

Diskussionsforum på internet har idag redan etablerat sig som ett verktyg som gemene man använder sig av vid informationssökning. Denna uppsats undersöker om vad yttrandefriheten på internetforum idag ger för implikationer på det offentliga rummet. För att undersöka och diskutera kring dessa frågor har därför litteraturstudier om det offentliga rummet genomförts. Uppsatsen jämför även rapporteringen från internetforumet Flashback Forum med traditionell massmedia i ett enskilt fall. / Discussion forums on the Internet have today already established itself as a tool that everyone can use in information retrieval. This paper examines what the implications of free speech on Internet forums have on the public sphere today. Literature studies on the public sphere have been carried out in order to examine and discuss these issues. The essay also compares, in a particular case, the reporting from the Internet forum Flashback Forum with traditional mass media.

Sociala medier är ett fenomen som växer världen över och är något som de flesta unga använder dagligen. Genom att använda olika plattformar dagligen medföljer positiva och negativa konsekvenser, bland annat att påverkas av det man exponeras för på olika sätt. Kvinnoobjektifiering på sociala medier är ett ämne som uppmärksammats mer på senare år och kan anses vara problematiskt, men det är svårt att säga var gränsen går för vad som är acceptabelt. Denna studie syftar därför till att undersöka hur unga män förhåller sig till kvinnoobjektifiering på sociala medier, vad de anser vara acceptabelt och inte, samt hur de kan påverkas av materialet. Forskningsfrågorna har besvarats med hjälp av intervjuer, teorier inom bildanalys, tematisk analys och stöd i form av litteratur som använts för att analysera materialet. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och undersökningen är genomförd med sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med unga män i åldrarna 20-25 år. En enkät som inledande studie har legat till grund för arbetet och haft inflytande på studiens syfte samt intervjuerna. En tematisk analys av kvalitativa intervjuer påvisar unga mäns syn på kvinnoobjektifierande material i sociala medier och hur de förhåller sig till det: unga män anser det vara nedvärderande och förminskande men finner ett dilemma i censurering av materialet. Vissa tror att censur på sociala medier är en bra lösning, när andra tvivlar på att det skulle lösa problemet och istället inskränka på yttrandefriheten. Analys av litteratur påvisar att kvinnoobjektifiering på sociala medier kan påverka unga män på olika sätt. Ett av dessa sätt är att de kan få en sämre kvinnosyn och normalisera ett kvinnoobjektifierande beteende, vilket kan leda till negativa konsekvenser för både kvinnor och män. Slutsatsen är att negativa konsekvenser förekommer av materialet och att censur skulle kunna motverka dem - om sociala medier är villiga att prioritera det. / <p>Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet</p>

The purpose of this study was to investigate the underlying meaning of the concept of freedom of speech in Swedish media debate in context of Swedish public libraries. The analysis was done by discourse analysis based on Laclau and Mouffe's discourse theory. The analyzed material consisted of newspaper articles, chronicles and leaders from four different newspapers:Göteborgs Posten, Svenska Dagbladet, Dagens Nyheter and Biblioteksbladet. In total, the material consisted of 9 articles. During the analysis, we noted two discourses, a cultivating discourse and a selection discourse. Thru out the debate, there is a common assessment that the citizens of society should have access to the information they desire. The librarians also have a desire to maintain a good quality of material and the best solution is to decide together with the users how to develop the collections. The skills of librarians are needed and trusted, but the user’s need should have more influence when it comes to purchasing.

ABSTRACT OCH NYCKELORD    Böneutrop har debatterats mycket i Sverige sedan våren 2018, en bidragande orsak är stiftelsen Växjö muslimer som fick tillstånd av polismyndigheten att ha högtalarsända böneutrop. Syfte är att studera religionens plats i det offentliga rummet genom att analysera böneutrop i Växjö. För att belysa händelsen använder jag kvalitativ metod, baserad på överklagan till tingsrätten, mediedebatten samt lagstiftningen. Min uppsats visar på att religionen har ett stort utrymme i det offentliga rummet i Sverige, oberoende om individen är troende eller inte.

The aim of this thesis is to examine the language used in Svenska biblioteksförbundet’s membership journal in regardto, first and foremost, the debate and controversy with the presence of right-wing journal Nya Tider at the Book-and Library Fair in Gothenburg 2016 and 2017. The examination shows that there is discord among librarians of how to interpret the mission of furthering democracy. To prioritise freedom of speech or equal value for all.

The aim of this bachelor thesis is to examine how libraries meet the challenges that have arisen with the outbreak of corona pandemic and how the democratic mission during this period has been discussed in Swedish library journals. In order to answer this we formulated following questions:  - What obstacles are discussed during the corona pandemic regarding the democratic mission of libraries?  - How is the democratic mission of libraries to contribute with knowledge and free opinion formation perceived during a crisis?  The material is analysed through concepts of freedom of speech and free opinion formation and Robert Dahl's criteria of enlightened understanding. The results show that there were opposite opinions about how to achieve the democratic values of the libraries during the pandemic. Subjects that were highly occurring concerned the digital divide, how to reach out to the library users during the circumstances and how to supply the users with information. We found that these subjects are highly related to the democratic mission of the libraries and that the pandemic brought them up to light.

Purpose – The purpose of this master thesis is to generate new knowledge and understanding how the concept of public sphere has been used and understood in library and information research of public libraries.  Design/methodology/approach –Through a systematic literatur review of  research literature of public libraries and public sphere, interpretations of the public sphere concept are mapped. Qualitative content analysis is applied for the analysis. The research questions are: 1. How is the concept of public sphere interpretated in library and information science (LIS) research about the democratic role of the public library and its role beeing a meeting place and an arena for public debate?  2. What significance can the interpretation of the concept public sphere be assumed to have for the understanding of how LIS researchers view and use the concept?  Findings – Six themes are identified: 1. Habermas original theory of public sphere from 1962. 2. A theoretical framework of public sphere, based on Habermas theory. 3. Other concepts and theories that can be applied on public libraries and public sphere. 4. A diversity of public spheres. 5. The democratic role of the public libraries and public sphere. 6. Conversation, communication, debate and public sphere.

Insult and the personal experience of being insulted constitute an ongoing societal issue. Despite the existence of a legally defined definition of insult, a new and controversial culture known as “the culture of offense” has emerged. The starting point of this study is to examine the phenomenon more closely to gain a better understanding of its nature and significance. The purpose of the study is to investigate social media as a possible cause, from the perspective of teachers, focusing on middle school students. Through a quantitative questionnaire, middle school teachers in schools located in Gävle and Uppsala were asked questions regarding students’ behavior in school in relation to their social media usage. Although only 11 respondents answered, it is evident that several individuals perceive change in student behavior associated with their media usage and a growing culture of offense. Several arguments pertaining to the culture of offense is further discussed in the text. One argument may be that the new culture has promoted a more open society where individuals are more inclined to express themselves in unjust situations. On the other hand, the importance of legal protection and freedom of speech is emphasized. The paper raises questions about how to ensure legal protection for those accused of insult and how to uphold the principle of free expression when people are afraid to voice their opinions. The text concludes by emphasizing the importance of being aware of and paying attention to new phenomena in society, even though experience of insult is subjective and vary among individuals.

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