Global Studies

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Exogenous shocks and the search for a pragmatic economic security equilibrium
(2025-05-08) Kolkman, Adriaan; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
The global economy and society have recently faced significant exogenous geopolitical shocks, such as the Covid-19 crisis and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. People in countries like Sweden and The Netherlands might not directly feel insecure by the threat of a physical war starting soon in the Western-European region. However, they might feel the economic consequences of these events with rising energy, gas and transport prices. This thesis aims to research how the changing international (economic) security environment may have influenced the perspective of foreign trade and investment practitioners in Sweden and The Netherlands on maintaining economic security, since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. This research has shown that perspectives of practitioners in both countries and on EU level have been influenced significantly. The research also highlighted interesting commonalities and differences in these changes. For several reasons in Sweden there was less of an eye-opener on how to manage economic security and Sweden seemed better prepared to maintain economic security than The Netherlands. Shared thoughts were that economic security should be handled more at an EU level, while avoiding economic securitisation and harming the powerful open economies, as this is a present concern. This research also showed that finding the economic security equilibrium that balances between an open welcoming economy and a strictly monitored economy with many protective measures is a question that likely is ever evolving due to these ever-changing external factors and hence will require continuous further study and research.
Mobility and borderland identity: People choosing to stay in Southern Lebanon during the new wave of conflict in the fall of 2023
(2025-03-18) Andersson, Miranda; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
Lebanon is experiencing one of its worst political and economic crises in its history, marked by a complete financial meltdown and escalating tensions between religious sects. Regional tensions, both historically and presently, have profound effects on the stability between Israel and Lebanon. In the fall of 2023, following Israel’s devastating military offensive in Gaza, the tension quickly spread to Southern Lebanon. The conflict has resulted in near daily cross-border attacks, including targeted assaults on the natural environment. Conflicts between Lebanon and Israel have previously caused significant displacement within Lebanon. During the new wave of conflict in Southern Lebanon in the fall of 2023, in contrast to the majority, some people chose to stay immobile. This thesis examines whether identity, proximity to the Israeli border, and strong place attachment in Southern Lebanon are influencing decisions to stay, with particular attention to environmental warfare. Empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews, and a theoretical framework based on mobilities was applied. A qualitative content analysis of the data reveals that identity plays a critical role in shaping the mobility decision of southern Lebanese during the current conflict. Additionally, the research shows that attacks on the natural environment impact mobility in various ways, from forcing displacement to fostering the development of resistant ecologies. The findings of this research contribute to a better understanding of the complex factors driving mobility in conflict-affected regions and highlights the importance of considering both social and environmental dimensions.
The Risk Factors of the Children of Climate-Induced Migrants of Bangladesh
(2025-01-29) Saila, Ummee; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of climate change and climate-induced migration across the globe. While the causes of migration and the well-being of the climate migrants have been extensively studied, the literature on the impact on children is thin. In this study, I examined the well-being of twenty children of ten families who migrated to Dhaka city from the disaster-prone southern part of the country, with data collected by a structured questionnaire and some open-ended questions. The empirical analysis shows that migrant families were affected by natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, and extreme heat in the last five years so extensively that these pushed them to migrate to Dhaka city. Food security, health services, and employment opportunities were at stake before migration. Weighing in their costs and benefits, the migrant families found urban slums a better option than living at the mercy of nature in villages. Children are one of the worst victims of natural disasters. They are dependent both on nature and on the support of their parents for survival. My results show that child labor increased after migration compared to before-migration situations. Children’s health also deteriorated along with their playing opportunities. In short, though the adult are better off, the children are not after migrating to slums in cities. It takes big tolls on children’s wellbeing, both current and future. I tried to analyze my findings with the, human security perspective, relational approach to risk and relate them to outcome vulnerability and contextual vulnerability. This study has significant policy implications for the betterment of the physical and mental health of the slum children who are mostly the victims of climate change induced migration. Further research is required to fully comprehend the impact of climate change induced migration on well-being of the slum children.
THE SILOED UMBRELLA: An intersectional reading of climate policy in Malmö, Sweden.
(2024-12-18) Lundgren, Angelica; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
This thesis presents a critical policy analysis of the inclusion/exclusion of social factors and questions of equity in climate policy in Malmö municipality by using intersectional theory. The objective of the paper is to 1) investigate how climate policymakers view social factors and questions of (in)equity and 2) explore how social justice can further be incorporated in policymaking through an intersectional framework Researching how people/institutions understand multifaceted social aspects, how they believe themselves to operationalize it and what they really do, is surely complex. Not only is it complex, but an intersectional analysis requires attention to contextuality. This project therefore led to a qualitative mixed-method which looks at the organization, the key documents and asks the government officials how they view the issue. The results showed that there is a strong inclusive ambition expressed in both policy documents and interviews. Simultaneously, some obstacles exist when including social factors relevant to climate. The findings can be divided into three categories: Organizational, conceptual (framing) and inclusive obstacles. An intersectional lens reveals that in the same manner as environmental issues have been deprioritized over other issues, such as economy and development - Social aspects have gotten deprioritized over ecological or technical. Institutional structures, processes, framing of issues and in extension policy responses follow a historical trajectory of prioritizing/deprioritizing certain issues. Even if individual government officials are trying to create change, more extensive structural changes are needed to truly move away from the historical path.
The Class Reunion of Old Souls; Tourism of Spiritual Growth in San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala
(2024-10-29) Niemiharju, Maria; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
Since the end of Guatemala’s civil war in 1996, the Mayan village of San Marcos La Laguna has attracted a large number of spiritual seekers from the Global North in search of spiritual growth and meaning. Consequently, San Marcos has become a so-called global spiritual hub for those identifying as non-religiously spiritual. Through in-depth interviews and participant observation, this thesis explores how the expatriates and visitors in San Marcos describe their spiritual journey and the role their conceptions of the typical Western way of life play in the narratives. The findings indicate that their spiritual journeys were often preceded by an existential crisis, commonly triggered by a traumatic event or deep-rooted anomie they experienced in their home societies. The Western lifestyle and its emphasis on materialism and consumption was eschewed. The thesis further explores how the spiritual community of San Marcos was perceived by members, suggesting that the sociality members experienced resembles Turner’s “communitas”. These aspects of non-religious spirituality are explored through the concepts of self-spirituality and commodification of the self, which can be regarded as reflections of Western individualism and late capitalism. Although I argue that non-religious spirituality contains replications of the thing it resists, the entrepreneurs interviewed were driven by a strong calling to live their purpose and be “of service” to the world around them.
Navigating Informality: A Study of the Unbanked Poor in Dar es Salaam
(2024-10-02) Said, Bahati; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
The intersection of informal economic structures and government policy frameworks poses significant challenges for financial inclusion and socio-economic development, particularly for street vendors in Dar es Salaam. Despite policy efforts aimed at formalizing this sector, these vendors often marginalized and operating on the fringes of the economy continue to face substantial barriers to accessing financial services and achieving economic stability. This study investigates the institutional incoherence that underpins these barriers, utilizing a qualitative methodology that includes interviews with street vendors, government officials, and financial institution representatives. Through this approach, the study provides an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences of street vendors, offering a nuanced understanding of the socio-economic dynamics that contribute to their continued financial exclusion. The research makes three key contributions to the study of informal economies and financial inclusion. Empirically, it provides detailed accounts of the challenges faced by street vendors, filling a critical gap in our understanding of their daily struggles and interactions with formal institutions. Theoretically, the thesis advances institutional theory by highlighting the failures in governance and policy that perpetuate exclusion and by proposing a framework for more inclusive and responsive institutional reforms. Practically, the research offers actionable recommendations for policymakers, emphasizing the importance of a human rights-based approach to development, the need for tailored financial products, and the potential of technological innovations to bridge the gap between formal and informal economies. By addressing these issues, the thesis not only contributes to the academic discourse on financial inclusion and socio-economic development but also provides a roadmap for creating a more equitable and sustainable economic environment in Tanzania and similar contexts.
Constructing Gender Deviance? Violence Against Women in Politics in Media Coverage of German Women Ministers
(2024-10-02) Klein, Ida Marie; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
Despite increased women's political participation, Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP), a form of gender-based violence (GBV), deters further engagement and gender equal-ity in politics. Former academic work suggests that GBV incidents occur when individuals chal-lenge traditional gender norms. Perceiving people as gender deviants can be seen as stemming from external societal discourse, in which media plays a part. Since media is also ascribed as the fourth power in politics and democratic societies, this thesis explores, by focusing on media coverage of German women ministers, whether and how media discourse portrays women in political leadership roles as challengers of the gender regime and its norms and thus potentially contributes to VAWP. Through Critical Discourse Analysis using Krook’s (2022) Semiotic Vi-olence Approach as guidance, 42 online media articles were examined, revealing a significant prevalence of media evaluation that portrays women ministers as incompetent, untrustworthy, disruptive, and unqualified to mark them as a violation of gender norms. A sexist discourse was evident conveying the indirect message ‘good’ women do not pursue political power, by ques-tioning the women minister’s personalities. Simultaneously, the discourse ascribed German women ministers to a more passive and submissive role in politics, penalizing a display of agency, dominant behavior, and visibility. However, women ministers seem to be tolerated if they work discreetly, not attracting too much attention to their existence and political work, as this is less contrary to the gender regime and its norms.
ENTANGLED DREAMS AND FRAGMENTED SCHEMES: NAVIGATING 5G’S PROMISE FOR A GREEN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IN THE BLACK COUNTRY
(2024-10-02) Fragapane, Sophia; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
This thesis critically examines the socio-technopolitical landscape of the Black Country region, birthplace of the industrial revolution. The region is poised at the forefront of the UK’s Ten Point Plan, promising a green industrial revolution. It explores these promises of 5G technology as the catalyst for equitable green and digital transformations, addressing the complex interplay between technological advancement and the entanglements and fragmentations among various stakeholders and public-private partnerships. Theoretically, the research is anchored in the Social Construction of Technology (SCoT) and empirically it employs critical cartography to navigate the interpretative technopolitical flexibilities of emerging technologies. Using multimodality and expert interviews (n = 6), it unveils the interplay of conflict and cooperation that informs the implications for digital sovereignty and social justice. Set against the backdrop of the Black Country’s transition from deindustrialisation to promised reindustrialisation, this inquiry probes the myriad of challenges and prospects that 5G infrastructures herald. Contributing to Global Studies, the thesis weaves together Science and Technology Studies (STS) with Global Political Economy (GPE), shedding light on the technopolitical sphere of 5G networks and their societal reverberations, discussed utilising literature from the anthropology of infrastructure. It offers a nuanced panorama of the socio-technopolitical ecosystem enveloping 5G deployment and its extensive consequences for research, policymaking, and practice. The thesis posits that the development and deployment of 5G must be steered to ensure equitable access and benefits for all stakeholders, nurturing a socio-technopolitical arena to bolster secure, sustainable green and digital transformations, attuned to the specificities of the region.
Laughter and Loathing Analysing Anti-Immigration Memes from 9gag.com
(2024-07-04) Frenning, Måns; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
This thesis is an analysis of memes with anti-immigration messages from the Internet forum 9gag.com. It seeks to uncover the racist discourses within the memes, and to seek further understanding of how the inherent humour in memes are used to reproduce the racism. Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis is applied, which contains of analysis of three dimensions. In this thesis, the first dimension is text analysis which in this thesis is multimodal, the second dimension an analysis of the discursive practices, and the third dimension an analysis of how whether the discursive practices affect how people communicate and understand migration and humour. Through the three-dimensional analysis different types of racist discourses along with instances of othering, de- and infrahumanisation, and right-wing populism are detected. These discourses are shown to be enhanced by the incongruous elements and superior/inferior dichotomy which are used to generate the humorous aspect that memes are known for. The analysis also shows that the humour may be used as a veil to spread racism more easily, and celebration of the drowning of refugees in some of the memes indicate that this allows for more extreme and violent discourses to be reproduced as well. The thesis adds onto the literature about racist humour and the public discourse on the Internet.
In the mirror of the “Other” Young Thai women´s reflection of Self in relation to gender roles and perceptions of the “Other”
(2024-07-04) Erber, Denise; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
While Thailand has never been formally colonized, its society continues to be impacted by the nation’s identity construction of “Thainess” as a response to the spread of “Westernization” in Asia. This thesis explores how colonial ideas of the Other, the “farang”, impact ideas of Self among four young Thai women living in Bangkok. Ethnographic fieldwork, in the form of participant observation and semi-structured interviews, was conducted. Using a post-colonial and intersectional lens, this paper asks how young Thai women see themselves reflected in their female Other, the expatriate, and in what spaces these feelings of Otherness manifest itself in their daily lives. Discussions revealed emotions of envy and admiration for the “Western” expatriate lifestyle and freedom that interlocutors saw themselves denied. As a patriarchal society, traditional gender roles in Thailand continue to influence young Thai women´s experiences of Otherness. The initial physical or racial differences Thai interlocutors saw, directly translated into broader social, cultural, and economic differences and a perceived “white privilege”, resulting in a mixture of emotions, such as envy, admiration, or sadness, discontent. To cope with these feelings of Otherness, interlocutors created symbolic boundaries between themselves and the Other, reproducing socially constructed binaries of “Thai” versus “Farang” that inform the racial divide in Thai society. The thesis underlines the importance of being sensitive to the historical, socio-cultural contexts in which processes of othering, boundary creation or differentiation occur and how race and gender intersect with other factors to shape ideas of Otherness.
The Paradox of Women’s Electoral Participation What Brazilian women can tell us about democracy
(2024-07-04) Dirke Lundberg, Tora; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
Globally, women and men participate in politics to different degrees and in different ways, although women tend to be less engaged, interested and knowledgeable about politics. Yet, they still vote to a greater extent than men in modern democracies. This phenomenon is known as the paradox of women’s electoral participation and the reason for it eludes scholars till this day. In trying to understand the paradox, scholars have mostly looked to western or European democracies for answers and in doing so, a sense of civic duty has been suggested as an explanation. Brazil is a country with a surplus of women casting their votes, even though it possesses many characteristics that are usually associated with low participation generally, and low participation of women in particular. Because of this, Brazil is expected to be an especially intriguing context in which to investigate what gendered aspects might drive women to vote. Through doing qualitative semi structured interviews, this thesis investigates how civic duty might motivate women in Brazil to vote. The thesis finds that although this explanation partly resonates with women in Brazil, it becomes evident that the role of civic duty is far more complex than estimated by previous research. The thesis concludes that the women in Brazil for most part have political motives when voting – indicating that rather than being apolitical, as previously thought, they are political in a different way and, most importantly, motivated to vote by other factors than civic duty towards the state.
MEDIA FRAMING AND ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE Construction of the 2019 Brazilian Amazon fires in national and international news
(2024-07-04) von der Heide, Kim; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
In August 2019, large numbers of fires in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest caught international political and media attention, often alluding to their global climatic significance. The local situation however is complexly entangled with various local and global socioeconomic processes that lead to the disproportionate environmental impact on local communities. Considering the media’s importance in public problem-perceptions and policy-making, this study is thus concerned with the framing of the events and local populations in the Brazilian Folha de São Paulo (FSP) and international New York Times (NYT) in late August 2019, and discusses its findings within a framework of environmental justice. The results of the qualitative, abductive framing analysis show that both newspapers mainly construct the fires within political frames. Both FSP and NYT omit frames of justice and rarely highlight implications for the local population, instead focusing on international political, environmental, conflictual and economic aspects. The newspapers frequently thematize local farming and Brazilian economic policies as drivers of the fires, while neglecting global responsibilities in economic, climatic, or post-colonial terms. I argue that this does not only overlook issues of distributive and restorative environmental justice, but also constitutes a form of environmental injustice itself with regard to recognition and representation, hence perpetuating existing inequalities. Therefore, I identify the need for stronger consideration of human aspects, local particularities and interactions with the global in environmental media reporting on the Amazon.
Peace Without Peace? The Colombian Quest to an Everyday Without Violence
(2024-01-30) Keizer, Dominique; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
Environmental peacebuilding (EP) as a field of study has attempted to transition from Western notions of peace and development by including ecological rights. By looking at the case of the Colombian Peace Agreement 2016 that followed EP premises, this thesis aims to question the liberal approaches to human rights and peacebuilding. Specifically, indigenous knowledge shall act as a guideline to broaden the understanding of ecological destruction in natural resource extraction and its impact on society. The analysis is based on two research questions. Namely, how can the incorporation of indigenous perspectives on socio-environmental conflicts provide insights into human rights violations following the ratified Colombian Peace Agreement in 2016? In what ways can poststructuralism enhance our understanding of the diverse ontological perspectives surrounding the 2016 Colombian Peace Agreements and land dispossessions resulting from extractivism? As an objective, this study aims to contribute to the research gap by including multiple perspectives in the research of EP. Scholarship in this context tends to be based on Western knowledge-making, replicating the unequal power structures within scholarly work. In terms of methodology, qualitative content analysis is employed, guided by a research design that incorporates a feminist lens with a focus on marginalised groups. While there is not a specific feminist method, the feminist lens serves as a tool to inform the research question, theoretical framework, and overall research ethic throughout the process. With that in mind, findings and discussion are meant to portray how the indigenous philosophies’ perspectives towards Western liberal approaches can help to understand more comprehensively the ongoing conflict. The dominant discourse promoting economic growth has led to the neglect of marginalised and vulnerable communities, leading to various forms of direct and indirect violence.
A qualitative study of foreign aid and China’s role in economic and human development in Zambia
(2024-01-26) Njekwa Ryberg, Sue-Ellen; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
The precedent of unrivaled lending in Zambia, to a great degree, and courtesy to the World Bank, has generated a normative and financial frame that puts forward economic prosperity as only being made manifest through lending in perpetuality. Zambia has in recent decades found itself in between both West and East spheres of power in terms of foreign aid and this has had an impact on its development. This study is based on a qualitative thematic analysis approach exploring the dynamic interlinkages between foreign aid on the one hand and economic and human development in Zambia on the other hand during the period of 2010-2020. More specifically I answer the following research questions: How has foreign aid towards Zambia changed in the last decade? What is the role of China within foreign assistance to Zambia? And what are the interlinkages between Chinese loans and economic and human development in Zambia? This study connects to the theoretical perspective of the dependency theory which is used to help interpret the data and propose explanations of the underlying causes and impacts related to that of foreign aid and economic development in Zambia. The results of this indicate that the impact foreign aid has had on economic and human development in Zambia is mostly undesirable, due to it not being distributed across all tiers of society, in particular the half of the populace living in poverty.
Taiwanese Immigrants’ Perception of the Ethnic Hierarchy in Sweden
(2024-01-26) Chen, Yi-Chieh; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
Ethnic hierarchy tends to exist in a multi-ethnic society. Sweden has a long history of receiving immigrants (Bentsen, 2021; Törngren, 2020). According to the Central Statistics Bureau of Sweden’s (SCB) statistics at the end of 2021, foreign-born immigrants (excluding those from Nordic countries) account for nearly 18% of the total population in Sweden. This high percentage and the diversity of immigrants in the total population raise the importance of ethnic hierarchy in Sweden. This research explores how the ethnic hierarchy looks like in Sweden from Taiwanese immigrants’ perspective. As a small ethnic group with allegedly privileged backgrounds, how they see the ethnic hierarchy in Sweden and how they think about how the Swedes see the ethnic hierarchy are the focus of this research. Moreover, how they position themselves in the ethnic hierarchy is also included. Meanwhile, why they perceive the ethnic hierarchy in a particular way may relate to their intergroup contact experience, political climate, and how they think about the role of ‘blending in’ in Swedish society. According to empirical findings from semi-structured interviews, the Taiwanese informants tend to put Swedes, Europeans, and white people in the upper part of the hierarchy, then put Asians in the middle, black people, Middle Easterners, and refugees at the bottom. To explain the ethnic hierarchy, the informants commonly use several indicators related to differences between groups or ethnicities and stereotypes of specific groups.
Constructing Spaces of Intervention in Gothenburg's Urban Periphery; The production of “vulnerable areas” in the City’s official documents
(2024-01-26) Lennartsson, Melissa; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
This study explores the construction of the “vulnerable area” by critically analyzing the assumptions, representations, and discourses that inform official documents targeting such neighborhoods. By conducting a qualitative content analysis on local policy produced in the City of Gothenburg, this thesis finds that such texts – through their imagination of space – produce “vulnerable areas” as spaces of intervention in need of extraordinary treatment. The label “vulnerable area” implies a geographical demarcation, which allows problematization and interventions to be concentrated to, and kept within, a particular space. Measures are spatially limited to these places and aim to integrate, civilize, educate, moralize, and responsibilize the (migrant) population. In the construction of these places as criminal and insecure “parallel societies,” this thesis identifies a safety/security nexus which conflates increased security, control, and surveillance with the safety of citizens. The discourse of safety and security positions “vulnerable areas” as threats to the stability and social cohesion of “the good city” and the well-being of its legitimate members. The “vulnerable area” is thus constructed as the antithesis to the vision of “the good city,” which builds on neoliberal ideals of growth and prosperity. This thesis makes the argument that punitive strategies aimed at “vulnerable areas” are typical features of the neoliberal state, which is repressive at the bottom of the spatial hierarchy while remaining laissez-faire in relation to the holders of economic and cultural capital.
SOCIAL HERITAGE AS LEVERAGE: Recognising the Social Dimension of Heritage in Sustainable Urban Development
(2024-01-26) Lilja, Kajsa; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
In 2015, numerous countries committed to supporting the United Nations' Agenda 2030, which aims to address global challenges such as urban growth and climate change through the Sustainable Cities and Communities goal (SDG11). During this time, experts in heritage and urban development began emphasizing the significant role that cultural heritage plays in sustainable urban development. However, the urban planning field recognizes that the three pillars of sustainability – economic, environmental, and social – are not always equally considered, with the social dimension often overlooked in urban (re)development processes. This thesis argues that a similar issue is occurring with the social aspect of cultural heritage. As cities inevitably evolve, it is the responsibility of urban developers to ensure the well-being of citizens, including their sense of connection to both their current and future environments. This thesis introduces the concept of social heritage, which refers to citizens' socio-intangible relationship with the built environment and its heritage, as a significant aspect to consider in (re)development processes. Social heritage can act as a bridge between the familiar and unfamiliar while also reinforcing citizens' rightful position in urban development. To investigate this theory, the thesis examines the public preservation debate surrounding the swimming facility Valhallabadet in central Gothenburg as a case study, utilizing content analysis and interviews to present insight into stakeholders' roles and perspectives on social heritage in (re)development processes. In conclusion, by prioritizing the social aspects of cultural heritage, researchers and developers can gain a better understanding of how the built environment affects the people who inhabit and use it, contributing to the creation of sustainable and inclusive urban spaces.
Syrian Refugees in Turkey: An Analysis of Role of the Labour Exploitation in their Integration into the Labour Market
(2023-02-14) Çerçel, Şebnem; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
This study investigates the role of labour exploitation in the integration of Syrian refugees into the Turkish labour market. Vulnerability, control, and consent are key elements in shaping labour exploitation. Informal employment among Syrian refugees is common both within the formal and informal sectors, which makes the line between them blurry. Labour exploitation plays a significant role and forms gaps and differences between citizen employees’ and refugee employees’ labour market participation. Legal restrictions, state policies, and the unwillingness of employers to comply with regulations also contribute to their labour exploitation and create an obstacle to their full labour market integration. This case study analyses Syrian refugees’ labour exploitation from two perspectives, including transactional and structural, based upon semi-structured interviews, secondary sources, and legislation. The theoretical framework consists of three parts: the concept of labour exploitation, dual labour market theory, and labour market integration. Three hypotheses of dual labour market theory are employed while evaluating results within structural labour exploitation.
Participation, Empowerment and Power Dynamics in the Digitalisation of Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa; Ethnographic Research on the Smallholder Farmers’ Use of Mobile Platforms for Agricultural Development in Kenya
(2023-02-09) González Bujedo, Álvar; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
Information and Communication Technologies, such as mobile phones, are hoped to contribute to rural development and poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Based on that mobile platforms bundle diverse digital services, including financing, marketing, and value chain management, they are supposed to be of support to smallholder farmers. This thesis aims at bringing a farmer-centred perspective on the farmers’ participation in the digitalisation of African agriculture. By using ethnographic research methods that help to grasp the narratives and everyday politics of smallholder farmers in Meru County, Kenya, this thesis answers the question of how mobile platforms shape, and are shaped by, smallholder farmers’ practices so that they can contribute to empowerment. It found that mobile platforms have a limited scope in empowering rural farmers. Digitalisation is not a single process and depending on how mobile platforms are designed that farmers are excluded or encouraged to participate in digital markets or financing services. By tackling individual farmers, digital participation still adapts farmers to markets rather than structurally adjusting markets to farmers’ needs. Mobile platforms also provide input loans on packages that increase farmers’ dependence on input, and which can jeopardise farmers’ operations and participation in more globalised and competitive markets. Therefore, farmers still rely on traditional methods for financing their farming practices, while mobile platforms are perceived as emergency tools. Rather than regulatory organisations, mobile platforms are intermediaries subjected to price fluctuations, politics, and other macro processes, which require to be regulated to work for the benefit of farmers.
A qualitative study on Invisible Racism, Racial Bias and Inequality among Afro-Swedish Healthcare Workers in Sweden
(2023-02-09) Nnopuechi, Jennifer; University of Gothenburg/School of Global Studies; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för globala studier
For many years, migration and racialization has formed a central theme widely discussed in our world today. The central notion of difference; vis-à-vis what is not seen, that is, absence of a certain element portray a huge standing in issues of race in recent times. Thus, while migration has existed for many years, communities of color continue to be perceived as “foreign matter” in white societies (El-tayeb 2008). Such is the case in Sweden, where racism is typically seen to be invisible to the naked eye. While it is widely portrayed and hugely imbibed with a considerable amount of this happenings visible in society on a daily basis, there seem to be a case of ‘selective blindness’ where ‘white bodies’ have somehow come together unequivocally to see what they want to see. This has been made possible due to the fact that there exist a form of understanding which prohibits ‘racism’ from being discussed in the Swedish society. The aim of this research is to analyze labor market discrimination, racial bias and invisible racism on African-Swedish health care workers in Sweden. My focus is on displaying the invisibility of racism among Afro-swedes in Sweden and how they cope with it. Thus, drawing on the experiences of 8 African-Swedish healthcare workers with the aid of a qualitative research analysis, the findings suggest that a huge gap of invisible racism/bias exist in the Swedish labor market. The study also reveal that the labor market is tough on minority groups in Sweden and tougher for people of color as they have to work twice as hard, go through much more to be employed and identified as Swedish in the society.

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