English collective nouns and their agreement patterns have been extensively studied in corpus linguistics. Previous research has highlighted variability within and across English varieties (e.g., Levin 2001; Depraetere 2003;Hundt 2006). This thesis complements earlier research by examining diachronic agreement patterns of 20 collective nouns in American (AmE)and British English (BrE). This study employs classic corpus linguistics methods, analysing data from 1810–1909. It covers collective nouns from six semantic domains: EMPLOYEES (e.g., crew), FAMILY (e.g., couple), MILITARY (e.g.,army), POLITICS (e.g., government), PUBLIC ORDER (e.g., police), and SOCIETY (e.g., generation). The corpora used are the Corpus of HistoricalAmerican English (COHA) for AmE, and the Old Bailey Corpus (OBC) and the Corpus of Late Modern English Texts (CLMET) for the BrE variety. Almost 10,000 tokens of agreement with collective nouns were analysed, making this the most extensive diachronic study on this topic to-date. The results challenge the assumption that the shift towards more frequent singular agreement with collective nouns is an “American-led” process (Collins 2015: 29, see also Bauer 1994: 61–66). The evidence gathered in this thesis suggests that AmE was lagging behind BrE in the development towards a higher frequency of singular agreement with collective nouns during the 19th century, indicating a “colonial lag” (cf. Marckwardt 1958:77; Hundt 2009a: 27–28). However, a further investigation reveals that AmE, in the early 20th century, rapidly overtakes BrE in the development towards singular agreement, a process which can be interpreted as a socalled ‘kick-down’ development as defined by Hundt (2009a: 33). The study finds differences in agreement preferences among specific nouns, leading to the exclusion of the PUBLIC ORDER category, i.e., the nouns watch, patrol, and police from the investigation, as these seemingly never were conceptualised as collectives by English-speaking communities in Britain or in North America. Furthermore, differences are also detected between the different semantic categories within the two varieties investigated. For example, POLITICS and SOCIETY nouns show a strong singular preference in AmE but are variable in BrE. EMPLOYEE nouns gradually shifted towards singular agreement in both varieties, except for staff, which appears to lean towards a preference for plural agreement inBrE. Additionally, certain semantic categories exhibit similar agreement patterns in both AmE and BrE, FAMILY nouns with variable agreement, and MILITARY nouns with a pronounced preference for the singular. In search for underlying reasons behind the development of agreement with collective nouns, this study applies a variety of different methods to investigate certain factors. Monofactorial analyses of verb type and the distance between verbs and pronouns to the collective do not significantly indicate an impact on agreement patterns. A complementary logistic regression confirmed the preference for singular verbal agreement over the plural in the investigated data as well as a higher likelihood for the plural in pronominal agreement. Other factors showed no significant influence. Lastly, prescriptivism was identified as a factor that influenced the significant shift towards singular agreement in early-20th century AmE. Ananalysis of American publications offering advice on agreement found a correlation between stricter rules on singular agreement as well as teaching recommendations and agreement patterns in AmE. This suggests that modern English variation in collective noun agreement resulted from a conscious change, driven by language ideology and nationalism, to distinguish AmE from BrE through singular agreement preference.

Many students with intellectual disability experience significant difficulties in assimilating written text through reading and even more struggle with writing. This dissertation aims to investigate whether assistive technologies such as text-to-speech and speech-to-text contribute to providing more opportunities for students with intellectual disability to assimilate and produce text. The first study in the dissertation was a crosssectional study that examined reading and listening comprehension abilities among 70 students with mild or moderate intellectual disability in the age group of 16 to 22 years. The results showed that the students had weak decoding and reading comprehension skills and better listening comprehension. This was particularly evident for students with moderate intellectual disability. In the second study, five fourth-grade students with mild intellectual disability received a decoding intervention. Using a single-subject design, the study demonstrated that all students increased the number of decoded words after the intervention, albeit to varying degrees. For some students, additional decoding training could prove beneficial, while others require alternative approaches. The third study employed a quasi-experimental wait-list control group design involving 41 students with mild or moderate intellectual disability in upper secondary school for pupils with intellectual disability. The purpose was to investigate whether the students further increased their listening comprehension abilities after a period of intervention with text-to-speech. Additionally, there was an interest in monitoring the development of decoding skills during the intervention. The results confirmed that the students assimilated text better through listening and improved even further with listening comprehension training, but no significant differences were found. The students also improved in decoding despite not specifically training for it. The fourth study utilized a single-subject design with four students with mild intellectual disability aged 10 to 14 years. The students were trained to use speech-to-text to produce words and sentences in writing. Three of the students could hardly produce anything in writing via handwriting, while one student could read and write traditionally. However, the results showed that all students increased the number of produced words and sentences and their text quality compared to writing by hand or keyboard. In summary, the results of the four studies demonstrate that many students with intellectual disability have significant difficulties assimilating and producing text through reading and writing traditionally. Most of the students also demonstrated better listening comprehension than reading comprehension. When alternatives such as text-to-speech and speech-to-text were provided, the conditions for understanding the content of written text and the opportunities for producing written text improved. An important conclusion that can be drawn from the studies is also that students with moderate intellectual disabilities may be assumed to face greater difficulties than they actually do if they are only offered traditional reading and writing methods.

The aim of this thesis is to better our understanding of the relationship between physical education and health as a school subject and the school's overall mission. Drawing on an educational perspective, the intention is to interrogate students' perceptions of knowledge, learning and assessment in the subject. With this thesis, I want to contribute to the ongoing discussion about what constitutes knowledge in physical and health and open up for reflections on alternative perspectives on knowledge in the subject. The thesis is a compilation consisting of three empirical studies presented in four articles, study one and the first two articles are also part of my licentiate thesis. In study two, two classes at an upper secondary school were followed during their physical education and health classes for one whole school term. The data in study two consists of interviews, observations, informal conversations and teacher-student grade discussions. Study three comprises observations and conversations with students from two classes participating in six lessons each on ball games.The data analysis in both study two and three are based on non-affirmative theory where both subject-specific knowledge and generic knowledge are central. The analysis shows that the students perceive that they learn subject-specific knowledge as well as generic knowledge but, for the most part, reproductive and affirmative learning is associated with subject specific knowledge. However, the studies also show that the students may use this affirmative (sporting) knowledge in a final individual “healthproject” and somewhat alter the reproduced and affirmative content, to achieve their personal health goals and this learning may then be seen as more non-affirmative. At the same, some students are not able to achieve this reproductive and affirmative learning, which can mean that their knowledge “toolbox” is more limited for the final health project and, by extension, health in a lifelong perspective. In order to enrich and enhance the educational outcomes for students in physical education and health, the pervasiveness of reproductive and affirmative knowledge needs to be challenged by a more non-affirmative way of thinking.

Schools and educational institutions collect large amounts of data about students and their learning, including text, grades, quizzes, timestamps, and other activities. However, in primary and secondary education, this data is often dispersed across different digital platforms, lacking standardized methods for collection, processing, analysis, and presentation. These issues hinder teachers and students from making informed decisions or strategic and effective use of data. This presents a significant obstacle to progress in education and the effective development of Educational Technology (EdTech) products. Visual Learning Analytics (VLA) tools, also known as Learning Analytics Dashboards (LADs), are designed to visualize student data to support pedagogical decision-making. Despite their potential, the effectiveness of these tools remains limited. Addressing these challenges requires both technical solutions and thoughtful design considerations, as explored in Papers 1 through 5 of this thesis. Paper 1 examines the design aspects of VLA tools by evaluating higher education data and various visualization and Machine Learning (ML) techniques. Paper 2 provides broader insights into the VLA landscape through a systematic review, mapping key concepts and research gaps in VLA and emphasizing the potential of VLA tools to enhance pedagogical decisions and learning outcomes. Meanwhile, Paper 3 delves into a technical solution (data pipeline and data standard) considering a secure Swedish warehouse, SUNET. This includes a data standard for integrating educational data into SUNET, along with customized scripts to reformat, merge, and hash multiple student datasets. Papers 4 and 5 focus on design aspects, with Paper 4 discussing the proposed Human-Centered Design (HCD) approach involving teachers in co-designing a simple VLA tool. Paper 5 introduces a scenario-based framework for Multiple Learning Analytics Dashboards (MLADs) development, stressing user engagement for tailored LADs that facilitate informed decision-making in education. The dissertation offers a comprehensive approach to advancing VLA tools, integrating technical solutions with user-centric design principles. By addressing data integration challenges and involving users in tool development, these efforts aim to empower teachers in leveraging educational data for improved teaching and learning experiences.

This thesis consists of three separate papers on optimal income taxation and redistribution. 

In the first paper, Tagging Birthplace for Optimal Tax Policy, Redistribution, and Welfare, I study the design of optimal tax policy based on individual's birthplace. 

Using Swedish population register data and numerical simulations, I examine the relationship between regional origin and optimal tax policy for income redistribution. 

By aggregating birthplaces into four regions based on population size, I find higher optimal marginal tax rates for individuals born in larger cities and areas relative to their less populous counterparts. Moreover, average tax rates are lower for those born in less populated areas, further underscoring interregional redistributive efforts. Importantly, I emphasize that tagging individuals based on their place of birth facilitates more targeted tax policies, leading to substantial welfare gains. 

The second paper, Optimal Redistribution and Long-Term Unemployment, extends the theory of optimal redistributive taxation to address the dynamics of long-term unemployment. We analyze the interplay of education policy, public employment initiatives, unemployment benefits, and income taxation to achieve redistributive goals while addressing the challenges of unemployment. Our findings highlight the need for overprovision of education and expansion of public employment programs, alongside targeted redistribution, to mitigate long- term unemployment. Policy simulations demonstrate the adaptability of this approach to different preferences and productivity differentials. We emphasize the importance of taking long-term unemployment into account when designing effective redistributive policies. 

The third paper, Taxation of Housing In A Mirrleesian Context When Urban Land Is Scarce, investigates the optimal taxation of housing in a Mirrleesian framework, taking into account heterogeneity among agents in labor productivity, land ownership, and location (urban or rural). We distinguish between land, which is scarce in urban areas, and structures, which require maintenance that can be done at home or purchased. Calibration to Swedish register data reveals significant welfare gains from housing taxes, especially when distinguishing between urban and rural areas and between structures and land. We justify housing taxes by capturing land rent, a source of inequality. We find that taxing structures is justified if one is constrained from taxing land rent, as scarcity spills over to structures via zoning constraints. In rural areas, property taxes should be low or negative, given regional redistribution concerns. Subsidizing professional maintenance services is advisable to optimize time allocation and mitigate income tax distortions. Our analysis shows indirect distributional effects of structure and maintenance taxes on urban land prices, which influence the direct effects of taxation. 

Förmåga att formulera sig i text har betydelse för måluppfyllelse i skolan och elevers framtida delaktighet i samhället. Skrivande och läsning är integrerade processer, där läsning kan förbättra textens sammanhang och tydlighet. En betydande andel elever möter dock utmaningar i grundskolan på grund av läs- och skrivsvårigheter eller dyslexi. Emellertid är assisterande teknik (AT) tillgänglig i exempelvis ordbehandlingsprogram och kan stödja elevers textproduktion. Tal-till-text innebär diktering av skriftspråk, medan talsyntes möjliggör lyssning på text. Denna avhandling inom psykologi undersökte effekten av AT på elevers textproduktion. Avhandlingen fokuserade också på strategier för introduktion av tal-till-text, elevers erfarenheter av AT, samt teknikens potentiella kompletterande roll i skolors undervisning i textproduktion.

Avhandlingens fyra studier omfattar 202 elever, huvudsakligen i åldrarna 9–12 år. Studierna I-III inkluderade elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter eller dyslexi, medan studie IV inkluderade elever med varierade läs- och skrivfärdigheter. Studie I, en randomiserad kontrollerad studie, undersökte främst effekten av en AT-intervention på läsförmåga och förmåga att lyssna på text. En uppföljning, studie II, genomfördes fem år senare. Denna studie bestod av en kvalitativ tematisk analys av intervjuer med ett urval av deltagarna från Studie I. Syftet var att beskriva deras erfarenheter av AT i skolan. Studie III tillämpade en multiple-baseline single-case-design för att undersöka effekterna av en praxisbaserad AT-intervention på textproduktion, inklusive elevers hantering av tekniken. I Studie IV, en repeated-measures group-design, jämfördes tal-till-text med tangentbordsskrivning.

Resultaten visar att tal-till-text kan stödja textproduktion hos elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter eller dyslexi. Individuella variationer i utfallet kräver anpassat stöd. För mellanstadieelever indikerar resultaten fördelar såsom förbättrad textlängd, korrekthet och skriftspråklig variation. Talsyntes kan underlätta effektiv granskning och redigering av text. Elevernas erfarenheterav AT belyser både möjligheter och utmaningar i skolan. Dessa erfarenheter inkluderar skolans stöd, elevernas perspektiv på AT och dyslexi, samt deras användning av AT under skolgången.

Taligenkänningsfel och optimal användning av AT i skolmiljön behöver adresseras för att förebygga svårigheter i dess tillämpning. Detta tillvägagångssätt underlättar användningen av tal-till-text i syfte att överbrygga hinder och stimulera elevers utveckling i textproduktion.

Resultaten diskuteras mot bakgrund av kognitiv teori för textproduktion samt AT-teori, med praktiska implikationer för skolan och framtida forskning.

The complex realm of intimate partner violence (IPV) against men by female partners continues to be under-researched in Sweden. The lack of knowledge and recognition regarding the impacts and dimensions of violence that men face can severely affect their self-perception and masculinity. The thesis is anchored in the objective to describe and analyse men’s lived experiences of (diverse dimensions of) violence perpetrated by a female partner, the men’s reactions to their experiences, and what subsequent effects these experiences have on their sense of self and masculinity. Employing a narrative methodology, the study captures the experiences of 21 men to illuminate the complexities of male vulnerability and victimhood. Although no man explicitly voiced being a victim of IPV, the men’s narratives implicitly convey the essence of being subjected to something and indicate that the men’s experiences do not fit with the public and prevailing narratives of gender and IPV.

The thesis employs a hermeneutical approach to delve into the men’s narratives, integrating theoretical frameworks on masculinity, liminality, possible self, and the concepts of epistemic injustice, definitional hegemony, and definitional dialogue. These concepts frame the men’s struggle for recognition and understanding within societal and authoritative contexts, where their experiences often clash with prevailing narratives of gender, IPV, and institutional biases. The findings portray the men’s efforts to reconcile traditional masculinity while they are in limbo and trying to (re)construct their sense of self. The intricate dance between outward perception and inner turmoil invites a critical re-evaluation of complicit masculinity within the realm of IPV, urging a departure from rigid masculine archetypes towards a more inclusive, empathetic understanding of masculinity that embraces the multifaceted realities of these men’s lives. Such findings have led to the development of the concept of piloting masculinity, which illustrates the men’s trajectory of entering and leaving liminality, while reconstructing their identities into a new possible self and embracing vulnerability. 

This thesis provides a comprehensive understanding of the men’s lived experiences, challenging conventional gender narratives and highlighting the need for a more inclusive discourse on IPV that acknowledges male victims. It emphasises the necessity for systemic changes in order to recognise and support men better through IPV and its aftermath.

Claiming that cultural heritage must be preserved for sustainable urban development and for the benefit of future generations is common practice in cultural heritage management and urban planning. But when cultural heritage is used as a resource in urban transformation processes, do current heritage practices, including archaeology, promote the socially sustainable urban futures they aim to achieve? 

This research aims to generate new knowledge on how Swedish contract archaeology can contribute to sustainable urban development and goodliving environments in an informed and innovative manner. By adopting a broad perspective, I explore how cultural heritage is utilized as a resource in urban transformation and design processes to promote social sustainability. Employing an interdisciplinary theoretical framework, I examine how the social sustainability effects of current heritage practices, including archaeology, affect sustainable futures making. The research includes three case studies on urban transformation: the Caroli quarter in Malmö (1967–1973), the Valnötsträdet quarter in Kalmar (2008–2018), and the ongoing transformation of Kiruna town. 

The results highlight how contradictions between legislation's focus on the past and cultural and urban planning's future-oriented goals institutionalize ideas about cultural heritage value and the perception that preservation is a sustainable heritage practice in itself. Consequently, archaeology is rarely seen as a process or practice that promotes social sustainability. Instead, focus is on the value of the built historic environment and stories about the past, assuming that using these elements in development and design processes will promote present and future sustainability values, such as attractiveness, security, social cohesion, and collective identities. However, the results show that expected social sustainability goals are rarely met due to a lack of citizen participation and a lack of understanding of what is required to achieve these goals in the present and for the imagined futures. I argue that to effect change, it is necessary to explore futures literacy in theory and practice, deepen comprehension of how archaeology and heritage practices contribute to social value, and broaden participation in discussions and decisions regarding how cultural heritage can be used as a resource in urban development processes.

Metallförorenad mark utgör globalt sett stora risker för människors hälsa och miljön. I denna avhandling kartläggs hur stor den generella risken är för att metaller sprider sig från förorenad mark i Sverige till lokala grundvattenmagasin i sådan grad så att grundvattnets tjänlighet äventyras. Avhandlingen undersöker vidare de förhållanden som påverkar metallers löslighet och spridning till grundvatten specifikt runt glasbruk i Glasriket i Småland. Eftersom spridning av metaller från förorenad mark inte bara påverkas av förutsättningarna i den förorenade källzonen, så utfördes de geokemiska analyserna för ett av studieobjekten (Pukebergs glasbruk) både på provmaterial från källzonen och från den underliggande jorden.

Resultaten visar att enbart metallkoncentrationer i jord generellt ger en dålig uppfattning om risken för kontaminering av grundvatten. De undersökta glasbruken är ett exempel på områden där generella riskbedömningsmodeller förutsäger en betydande förorening av lokalt grundvatten, men så är inte fallet i realiteten. Trots höga metallkoncentrationer och en hög lakbarhet av materialet på deponin i Pukeberg, så immobiliseras metallkatjoner effektivt i den naturliga jorden. Anjoner har en högre lakbarhet, men även deras spridning bort från källområdet är begränsad. Den geokemiska modell som tillämpades på datan från Pukeberg hade dock tydliga svårigheter att prediktera den observerade lösligheten hos de flesta metall(oid)er, och kunde således inte helt avslöja processerna bakom den observerade retentionen/lösligheten av metaller. Våra resultat understryker nödvändigheten av att fortsatt utveckla metoder och förstå vilka mekanismer som är mest inflytelserika för föroreningars fastläggning/frisättning från förorenad jord och dess omgivning.

Avhandlingen bedömer också riskerna med att konsumera grönsaker som odlats nära glasbruksområden, samt att dricka vatten från privata brunnar. Resultaten visade att koncentrationerna av As, Cd och Pb i grönsaker var måttligt förhöjda, men tillräckligt höga för att kunna resultera i ett dagligt intag av As och Cd över toxikologiska gränsvärden för individer med hög exponering. När det gäller exponeringen via dricksvatten var As den enda metall av fem (As, Cd, Sb, Ba, Pb) med potential att resultera i ett intag över tolerabla nivåer för individer med hög vattenkonsumtion. Detta berodde dock inte på att As-koncentrationerna i dricksvatten från privata brunnar var förhöjda relativt regionala bakgrundsnivåer, utan snarare på de låga doser som tolereras för detta element.

Following a class of fourteen-year-old students through their scheduled week’s lessons, this ethnographic study has the aim to contribute to the understanding of lower secondary school subjects as literacy practices from a multimodal perspective, and thereby illuminate what it can mean for students to create meaning as they move within and between these subjects. The research questions focus on how teachers offer students opportunities to create meaning and how students create representations of their meaning-making. The study is grounded in social and multimodal perspectives, theoretically framed by new literacy studies, social semiotics, and designs for learning.  

The empirical material, collected over four weeks and encompassing eight school subjects, consists of video observations, documented artifacts, and interviews. The analyses are conducted from different perspectives and levels of detail, using tools such as the learning design sequence model, the writing wheel, and categories from systemic functional grammar for multimodal analysis. 

The analyses reveal a pattern of two types of literacy offerings. In the first offering, the teacher provides knowledge representations of subject content, and students are given the opportunity to transform these into oral and written representations as tools for learning. Many students choose not to create such representations, and the written representations that are created seem to become tools for learning only to a limited extent. In the second offering, students are given the opportunity to create their own knowledge representations, which are then displayed for assessment or presented as a contribution to the subject content. The multimodal design of the knowledge representations emerges as a knowledge area in its own right, and all students participate in some way with outward-directed meaning-making. 

The in-depth analyses provide a more multifaceted picture of the two literacy offerings: students’ movement within and between different school subjects is also a movement between different patterns of how resources, purposes, and acts of meaning-making are used. The study’s results further highlight the dynamic nature of literacy practices, both in the relationship between the teacher’s offering and the students’ participation, and through the presence of literacies from various social practices.