Film och mening : En receptionsstudie om spelfilm, filmpublik och existentiella frågor

In what ways and under what circumstances can a movie be a resource for individuals and their thoughts about existential matters? This central research question has been investigated using a both quantitative and qualitative approach. First, a questionnaire was distributed amongst 179 Swedish students to provide a preliminary overview of film habits. The questionnaire was also used as a tool for selecting respondents to individual interviews. Second, thirteen interviews were conducted, with viewers choosing their favourite movie of all time. In the study socio-cognitive theory and a schema-based theoretical tool is adopted to analyze how different viewers make use of movies as cultural products in an interplay between culture and cognition in three contexts; a socio-historic process, a socio-cultural interaction with the world and inner psychological processes. Summarizing the interviews some existential matters dominated. Matters of immanent orientation were in the foreground. Transcendental questions received much less attention. Summarizing the schema-based theoretical question, assessing which cognitive schema structures the narratives were processed through, the study found an emphasis on a combination of two main cognitive structures, person schema and self schema. Detailed person schematic cognitive processes about fictitious characters on the screen and their role model behaviour were combined by the respondents with dynamic cross-references to detailed self schematic introspections about their own characteristics, related to existential matters at some very specific moments in their lives. The viewers in the study seem to be inspired by movies as a mediated cultural resource, promoting the development of a personal moral framework with references to values deeply fostered by a humanistic tradition. It is argued that these findings support theories discussing individualised meaning making, developing ‘self-expression values’ and ‘altruistic individualism’ in contemporary western society.

Charterturisme som en produkt : en sociologisk analyse af agens i oplevelsesøkonomien

Charter tourism as a product: a sociological analysis of agency in the experience economy In recent years charter tourism as a convenient and cost-effective mode of travelling has been declining. This may be related to dominating societal ideals promoting self-actualization, individual exploration and spontaneity. However, not much is known about the development of ideals and practices among charter tourists. By use of ethnographic fieldwork methodology, including pre-departure and post-travel telephone interviews, this exploratory study investigated a group of Danish charter tourists travelling to Gran Canaria. Results show that the charter tourists were active in navigating between a series of central dilemmas posed by the consumption of a mass product in an individualized societal context, thereby shaping their experiences to form a desirable tourist product.

”Alltid saknad – aldrig glömd” : Om emotionella drivkrafter inom Missing People Sweden

”Forever missed – never forgotten”: Emotion and action in a swedish voluntary search and rescue organisation The article explores the phenomenon of voluntary policing, through a case study of the voluntary search and rescue group Missing People Sweden (MPS). The article focuses on how a collectively upheld emotionology guide members’ views on the problem MPS is engaging, how this problem should be engaged, and why people should join MPS in its activities. The material used was gathered in spring 2014; through eight semi-structured interviews, document studies and four participant observations of the organisation’s activites. The results indicate that MPS members relate their views to an emotionology consisting of two separate themes; one of equality and collectivism, and one of individualism and meritocracy. The article demonstrates that the Tönniesian terms Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft can both be applied to describe the organisation’s social environment. It also demonstrates that the Tönniesian dichotomy is a theoretical concept that is suited to the analysis of voluntary policing groups.

« Moi d’ici, moi de là-bas » : La géographie imaginaire du roman Le Ventre de l’Atlantique de Fatou Diome

L’objectif de la présente étude est d’explorer la « géographie imaginaire » du roman Le Ventre de l’Atlantique, écrit par Fatou Diome. Le concept de la « géographie imaginaire » décrit les rapports de domination spatiale et la construction d’un « Autre », entièrement différent de « nous » (Saïd, 1980). Les deux pays du roman, la France et le Sénégal, sont analysés comme deux sphères inconciliables, associées aux oppositions comme nous – l’Autre, individualisme – collectivisme, rationalité - superstition. Deux images spatiales sont discutées dans ce mémoire: l’île Niodior au Sénégal et l‘océan Atlantique. L’isolation de l’île Niodior renforce la séparation en deux espaces opposés, alors que l’Atlantique constitue un élément parfois chargé de forces magiques, lié à la vie et à la mort. Evoquant l’idée d’hybridité, le roman montre également des espaces et des identités alternatifs, qui transgressent la structure coloniale.

Movies and meaning : studying audience, fiction film and existential matters

In what ways and under what circumstances can a movie be a resource for individuals and their thoughts about existential matters? This central research question has been investigated using a both quantitative and qualitative approach. First, a questionnaire was distributed amongst 179 Swedish students to provide a preliminary overview of film habits. The questionnaire was also used as a tool for selecting respondents to individual interviews. Second, focus group and individual interviews were conducted, with viewers choosing their favourite movie of all time. In the study socio-cognitive theory and a schema-based theoretical tool is adopted to analyze how different viewers make use of movies as cultural products in an interplay between culture and cognition in three contexts; a socio-historic process, a socio-cultural interaction with the world and inner psychological processes. The viewers in the study seem to be inspired by movies as a mediated cultural resource, promoting the development of a personal moral framework with references to values deeply fostered by a humanistic tradition. It is argued that these findings support theories discussing individualised meaning making, developing ‘self-expression values’ and ‘altruistic individualism’ in contemporary western society.