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Publications (10 of 27) Show all publications
Olsson Skog, F. & Lundström, R. (2024). Voices of reason, voices of moralization: analysing moralizing discourse in scientific claims in news media in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, 2020-2022 (1ed.). In: Morena Tartari; Cosimo Marco Scarcelli; Cirus Rinaldi (Ed.), Folk devils and moral panics in the COVID-19 pandemic: (pp. 108-119). London: Routledge
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Voices of reason, voices of moralization: analysing moralizing discourse in scientific claims in news media in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, 2020-2022
2024 (English)In: Folk devils and moral panics in the COVID-19 pandemic / [ed] Morena Tartari; Cosimo Marco Scarcelli; Cirus Rinaldi, London: Routledge, 2024, 1, p. 108-119Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
London: Routledge, 2024 Edition: 1
Series
The COVID-19 Pandemic Series
National Category
Sociology
Research subject
Sociology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-221691 (URN)9781032591490 (ISBN)9781032591513 (ISBN)9781003453222 (ISBN)
Available from: 2024-03-01 Created: 2024-03-01 Last updated: 2024-08-13Bibliographically approved
Olsson Skog, F. & Lundström, R. (2022). Heroes, victims, and villains in news media narratives about COVID-19. Analysing moralising discourse in Swedish newspaper reporting during the spring of 2020. Social Science and Medicine, 294, Article ID 114718.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Heroes, victims, and villains in news media narratives about COVID-19. Analysing moralising discourse in Swedish newspaper reporting during the spring of 2020
2022 (English)In: Social Science and Medicine, ISSN 0277-9536, E-ISSN 1873-5347, Vol. 294, article id 114718Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This paper explores news media discourse about COVID-19 during the spring of 2020 in Sweden, aiming to provide an understanding of how moralising discourse is employed in narratives about public health risks and responses. We investigate print news media content about the corona virus and COVID-19 during the early stages of the outbreak, guided analytically by framework focusing on the relationship between moral panics and moral regulation. We direct attention, first, to how both moral majorities and villains, i.e., ‘folk devils’, and heroes are constructed in the news. Secondly, we look at how visions for interventions are produced discursively in relation to such constructions. Our findings suggest that moralising discourse largely target risk behaviours and health care claims of middle-class groups. We also find that news media discourse about the pandemic in Sweden is marked by attacks on government interventions that are distinctly different from observations in other contexts. In conclusion, we discuss these observations in relation the political and discursive context, and the potential impact of moralising discourse on the legitimacy of public health interventions and the welfare state. Finally, we also discuss how our findings can inform theoretical discussions about political populism, moralising discourse and public health.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2022
Keywords
Coronavirus, COVID-19, Moralising discourse, News media, Public health, Sweden
National Category
Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-192062 (URN)10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114718 (DOI)000791270600006 ()2-s2.0-85123313830 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2022-02-03 Created: 2022-02-03 Last updated: 2025-02-20Bibliographically approved
Biström, E. & Lundström, R. (2021). Action Competence for Gender Equality as Sustainable Development: Analyzing Swedish Lower Secondary Level Textbooks in Biology, Civics, and Home and Consumer Studies. Comparative Education Review, 65(3), 513-533
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Action Competence for Gender Equality as Sustainable Development: Analyzing Swedish Lower Secondary Level Textbooks in Biology, Civics, and Home and Consumer Studies
2021 (English)In: Comparative Education Review, ISSN 0010-4086, E-ISSN 1545-701X, Vol. 65, no 3, p. 513-533Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Gender equality constitutes a central aspect of sustainable development. Education is commonly viewed as crucial for achieving both sustainable development and gender equality, and many argue that fostering action competence is a key element in such educational efforts. This article directs attention to the ways in which textbook content about sustainable development and gender equality may support and/or hinder the promotion of action competence. We analyze content about gender equality and sustainable development in Swedish lower secondary school textbooks in biology, civics, and home and consumer economics. We find that sustainable development and gender equality are organized as separate, rather than integrated, topics in textbooks. The analysis also shows that the social dimension, in particular, and multidimensionality, in general, of sustainable development are poorly described. Content about gender equality is furthermore marked by anthropocentric perspectives and weak historical contextualization. All of these traits, we argue, hinder rather than support how textbooks may promote action competence.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
University of Chicago Press, 2021
Keywords
Sustainable development, Education, ESD, Gender equality, Social sustainability, Textbooks, Sweden, Utbildning för hållbar utveckling, hållbarhet, jämställdhet, läromedel, sverige
National Category
Gender Studies Didactics
Research subject
Sociology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-187982 (URN)10.1086/714607 (DOI)000662285400001 ()2-s2.0-85108344491 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2021-09-29 Created: 2021-09-29 Last updated: 2022-05-02Bibliographically approved
Goossen, M., Johansson Sevä, I. & Lundström, R. (2021). Suspicion of Welfare Overuse in Sweden: The Role of Left–Right Ideology, Anti‐Immigrant Attitudes and Gender. Scandinavian Political Studies, 44(2), 115-139
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Suspicion of Welfare Overuse in Sweden: The Role of Left–Right Ideology, Anti‐Immigrant Attitudes and Gender
2021 (English)In: Scandinavian Political Studies, ISSN 0080-6757, E-ISSN 1467-9477, Vol. 44, no 2, p. 115-139Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

In this study, we explore individual differences in suspicion of welfare overuse in Sweden. Focusing on previously underdeveloped areas, we find that the hitherto observed negative relationship between political interest and suspicion of welfare overuse is only valid for those who sympathize with political parties to the left (and to a lesser extent the Green Party). Conversely, individuals who sympathize with centre‐right parties or right‐wing populists differ little internally depending on their level of political interest. We also find a strong positive correlation between anti‐immigrant attitudes and suspicion about welfare overuse. Finally, we find that women are less suspicious of welfare overuse than men are, and that this cannot be attributed to gender differences in material risks or resources, education, experiences of welfare services, general trustfulness, anti‐immigrant sentiment or political orientation. Neither do gender differences vary according to strength of gender identification. Thus, being suspicious about welfare overuse is not likely to be perceived as a typically masculine or feminine posture. Based on our findings, we argue that future studies exploring partisan or ideological differences in perceptions of welfare overuse need to consider these in conjunction with political interest and political context; that rising anti‐immigrant sentiments pose a particularly serious threat to the legitimacy of welfare states, given their strong connectedness to suspicion of welfare overuse; and that gender differences in perceptions of welfare overuse are more fruitfully addressed through a lens of gender relations, rather than gender role stereotypes.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
John Wiley & Sons, 2021
Keywords
Welfare overuse; Public opinion Partisanship Political rhetoric Gender Anti-immigrant attitudes
National Category
Sociology Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-176589 (URN)10.1111/1467-9477.12190 (DOI)000583799100001 ()2-s2.0-85096682214 (Scopus ID)
Projects
Välfärdsopinion 2017
Funder
Forte, Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, 2016‐00255
Available from: 2020-11-09 Created: 2020-11-09 Last updated: 2023-03-24Bibliographically approved
Biström, E. & Lundström, R. (2021). Textbooks and action competence for sustainable development: an analysis of Swedish lower secondary level textbooks in geography and biology. Environmental Education Research, 27(2), 279-294
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Textbooks and action competence for sustainable development: an analysis of Swedish lower secondary level textbooks in geography and biology
2021 (English)In: Environmental Education Research, ISSN 1350-4622, E-ISSN 1469-5871, Vol. 27, no 2, p. 279-294Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article examines the affordances and limitations of textbooks for promoting action competence for sustainable development. Based on a content analysis of Swedish lower secondary level textbooks in geography and biology, we investigated how content about sustainable development is organised and formulated, the ways its multidimensional character is described, and how conflicts relating to achieving sustainability are addressed. We found that for both subjects, textbooks provided a fair amount of content about sustainable development, but that relations between its ecological, economic and social dimensions and between different subjects are routinely underdeveloped. We also found that the content about sustainable development obscures complexities and conflicts that are crucial for understanding the challenges involved with achieving sustainability, and taking action. In conclusion, we argue that such textbooks substantially limit the potential for promoting action competence for sustainable development, i.e. through cross-curricular approaches and critically assessing problem-oriented actions at collective and individual levels.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Routledge, 2021
Keywords
Action competence, sustainable development, education for sustainable development, textbooks, biology, geography, lower secondary school
National Category
Didactics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-178534 (URN)10.1080/13504622.2020.1853063 (DOI)000596365300001 ()2-s2.0-85097151639 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2021-01-14 Created: 2021-01-14 Last updated: 2022-05-02Bibliographically approved
Lindgren, S. & Lundström, R. (2019). Tube therapy: Dealing with mental health problems in social video comment threads. First Monday, 24(5)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Tube therapy: Dealing with mental health problems in social video comment threads
2019 (English)In: First Monday, E-ISSN 1396-0466, Vol. 24, no 5Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

In this paper, we examine forms of communication and types of peer support that may arise in relation to mental health problems in peer-produced forums of social video comment threads. We focus specifically on how young fans of young YouTube celebrities (YouTubers) use this social media space to communicate with other YouTubers as well as with other fans about issues related to mental health. Through a semantic analysis, where topical themes in comment discussions are mapped, we address topics concerning mental health conditions in social video fandom discussions. At an overarching level, we are interested in how peer support is realized in the complex relationships between YouTubers and audience members, as well as among audience members. In our analysis, we focus on both the relationships between the individual and the collective, and between cooperation and competition in discussions. In concluding, we reflect upon what hindrances or possibilities for peer support exist in this relatively new and participatory social media setting.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
University of Illinois at Chicago University Library, 2019
Keywords
Social media, mental health, peer-support, YouTube, influencers
National Category
Sociology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-190601 (URN)10.5210/fm.v24i5.9569 (DOI)2-s2.0-85133779919 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2021-12-20 Created: 2021-12-20 Last updated: 2024-10-16Bibliographically approved
Lundström, R. (2018). Greening transport in Sweden: the role of the organic intellectual in changing union climate change policy. Globalizations, 15(4), 536-549
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Greening transport in Sweden: the role of the organic intellectual in changing union climate change policy
2018 (English)In: Globalizations, ISSN 1474-7731, E-ISSN 1474-774X, Vol. 15, no 4, p. 536-549Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article engages with the role of the individual in transforming union organizations by discussing the experiences of Ulf Jarnefjord and his efforts to introduce climate change policies into the Swedish Transport Workers’ Union [Transportarbetareförbundet]. Research investigating the integration of climate change policies into the agenda of Swedish trade unions has identified a disconnect between policy development among leaders on the one hand, and engagement among members on the other. Employing the life-history interview method, and the analytical concept of ‘organic intellectual’, this article focusses on the ways in which Ulf, as a regional health and safety officer, has experienced engaging with climate change issues in relation to both members and the leadership of his union. His experiences point to the importance of learning about how climate change and production impact on the everyday lives of members for developing and mobilizing support for climate change policies in unions.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Taylor & Francis Group, 2018
Keywords
Trade unions, Sweden, climate change, life history interview, organic intellectuals, technological fix
National Category
Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-149175 (URN)10.1080/14747731.2018.1454677 (DOI)000430500900007 ()2-s2.0-85045444258 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council
Available from: 2018-06-16 Created: 2018-06-16 Last updated: 2023-03-23Bibliographically approved
Lundström, R. (2018). Spaces for support: Discursive negotiations of supporter positions in online forum discussions about suicide. Discourse, Context & Media, 25, 98-105
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Spaces for support: Discursive negotiations of supporter positions in online forum discussions about suicide
2018 (English)In: Discourse, Context & Media, ISSN 2211-6958, E-ISSN 2211-6966, Vol. 25, p. 98-105Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article investigates self-organized peer-to-peer support in online forum discussions about suicide. It analyzes how the discursive strategies through which participants introduce themselves as supporters relate to the support they provide. The analysis shows that the strategies employed to construct supporter identities commonly draw on what has been described as 'somatic individuality' - by which the management of biological 'risks' are framed as individual responsibilities - and by negotiating tensions between different perspectives on suicide. These are; (a) a discourse focusing on psychiatric knowledge and psychopharmaceuticals (b) a discourse focusing on social context and personal relationships, and (c) a critical stance towards the established care system. Negotiations between these condition, and are also conditioned by, power relations in the forum. These dynamics regulate the ways in which participants can use an online forum in order to move away from crisis points by discursively attempting to enter a supporter position. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2018
Keywords
Suicide, Social support, Online support, Peer support, Discursive psychology
National Category
Sociology (Excluding Social Work, Social Anthropology, Demography and Criminology)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-152878 (URN)10.1016/j.dcm.2018.04.002 (DOI)000446287100012 ()2-s2.0-85046165414 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council
Available from: 2018-10-31 Created: 2018-10-31 Last updated: 2025-02-17Bibliographically approved
Lundström, R. (2017). Going green - turning labor: a qualitative analysis of the approaches of Union officials Working with environmental issues in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Labor Studies Journal, 42(3), 180-199
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Going green - turning labor: a qualitative analysis of the approaches of Union officials Working with environmental issues in Sweden and the United Kingdom
2017 (English)In: Labor Studies Journal, ISSN 0160-449X, Vol. 42, no 3, p. 180-199Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

What conditions shape the introduction of climate change issues into trade union organizations? This article analyzes life-history interviews with two union organization leaders working with climate issues—one in Sweden and one in the United Kingdom—discussing how their individual backgrounds, as well as the different organizational and national contexts in which they work, create different conditions and strategies for developing an environmental union agenda. The analysis discusses how the strategies of the Scandinavian leader focus on policy development, and compares this with how the U.K. union leader focuses primarily on the interests of, and conflicts with, members when integrating climate change in their respective organizations.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage Publications, 2017
Keywords
trade unions, climate change, environment, life-history interviews, union leadership
National Category
Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-146617 (URN)10.1177/0160449X17704054 (DOI)2-s2.0-85032733195 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2018-04-13 Created: 2018-04-13 Last updated: 2023-03-24Bibliographically approved
Lundström, R. (2016). Secondary victimization and the collective identity of crime victims: A qualitative analysis of Swedish crime news discourse. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, 17(1), 36-52
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Secondary victimization and the collective identity of crime victims: A qualitative analysis of Swedish crime news discourse
2016 (English)In: Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, ISSN 1404-3858, E-ISSN 1651-2340, Vol. 17, no 1, p. 36-52Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article presents an analysis of how secondary victims of murder—in this context, the parents or close family members of a primary murder victim—are represented in Swedish crime news discourse. The study is based on a discourse analysis of media coverage of secondary victims, and statements made by them, in relation to four highly publicized murder cases during the last two decades. The analysis shows that portrayals of secondary victimization reinforce the conflictual character of victim–offender relationships in the news, but also limit the conditions for talking about the significance of social support, mediation and reconciliation for crime victims. News representations of crime victims become less clearly marked by the characteristics of the ‘ideal’ victim as secondary victims, and persons who are explicitly critical toward the legal system, claim victimhood. Furthermore, the identity of the crime victims’ movement as a collective becomes destabilized when the category of the victim is widened to include individuals whose interests are framed as subjective, rather than related to the needs of other crime victims or the general public. In sum, increased media focus on secondary victims may thus undermine the legitimacy of victim claims in public discourse.

Keywords
Crime victims, victimization, secondary victims, discourse analysis, crime journalism
National Category
Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-146618 (URN)10.1080/14043858.2016.1161941 (DOI)2-s2.0-84988443622 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2018-04-13 Created: 2018-04-13 Last updated: 2018-10-18Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-4939-8569

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