Heroes have long served as inspiration for artists and composers. Heroes break new trails, they are ready to fight for their cause, make sacrifices if need be and they have high moral standards, whereas anti-heroes lack one or more of these qualities. Anti-heroes are laughed at, despised, punished or even ­­­– worst of all – not taken seriously, or even forgotten!

We had three of our researchers reason and think about the concepts of heroes and anti-heroes. What is a hero to you, who are the heroes today and what happens when we let children become heroes?

Lisa Källström: Hero of our time: the girl with plaits

Lisa Källström was awarded her doctorate in Rhetoric in 2020, and is a researcher at Södertörn University. Her research has focused on the creative gaze; her doctoral thesis is titled Pippi mellan världar (Pippi between worlds) and demonstrated how book illustrations and cover images from Swedish and German editions highlight how Pippi Longstocking breaks norms. In her current project, Pippi Beyond the Border, she examines how Pippi arrived in the former East Germany. The project aims to produce a deeper understanding of issues relating to cultural exchange, censorship and opposition

Adrienne Sörbom: Heroes and anti-heroes in private diplomacy

Adrienne Sörbom is a professor of Sociology at Södertörn University, researching politics and globalisation. She has studied different forms of political involvement, such as social movements, activism, think tanks and the political organisation of business. In her current project, funded by FORMAS, Klimatpolitik och icke-statlig diplomati: nordiska företagsfinansierade tankesmedjor (climate policy and non-state diplomacy: Nordic corporate-financed think tanks) she is examining the organisation of climate policy with a focus on corporate-run think tanks.

Karin Winroth: Brand and influencers - heroes or scapegoats?

Karin Winroth is associate professor of Business Studies at Södertörn University. Keywords for describing her research interests are social media, brands, consumer culture, digital entrepreneurship and leadership. She combines these with an interest in cultural studies, because this reflects the time we live in and the ideals that shape us. Her research focuses on how we are influenced by social media, the role that brands play in the daily lives of individuals and businesses, and how contemporary consumer culture shapes the conditions of consumers, businesses and our ideas about sustainability.

Sustainability is in everyone’s interest – and so is everyone’s responsibility. This is also the main focus of the Baltic Sea Festival, where music and discussion go hand in hand and create new encounters. Liberal education, or Bildung, is central to the university’s activities, on our courses and programmes and in our research. But what actually is it, what is a well-rounded and educated person and what does it mean for a sustainable society? We asked our researchers these questions and have provided their answers here.

Marcia Sá Cavalcante Schuback

Marcia Sá Cavalcantes is a professor of philosophy and her fields of research include phenomenology, hermeneutics, existential philosophy and the links between philosophy and art. She has also examined the philosophy of exile and the need to reformulate the concept of existence based upon the experience of exile. Recently, she has explored the new forms of fascism she sees emerging around the globe, which she calls the fascism of ambiguity. Marcia Sá Cavalcante Schuback has published numerous books, of which the most recent is Ex Brasilis: brev från pandemin (Ex Brasilis: Letters from the Pandemic).

Lovisa Bergdahl

Lovisa Bergdahl, associate professor of education, has research interests that include the role of school in the creation of community, the significance of the senses and the body in in-school education, the role of the teacher in a time when authority is in crisis, and the linguistic coding of teaching in the subject of Religion. She is currently involved in two research projects: Fostrans former where they study the role of the body and senses in teaching and learning that focuses on dealing with value conflicts; and Hur kan skolan minska ojämlika utbildningsmöjligheter, which asks how schools can reduce inequality in educational opportunities.

Gloria L Gallardo Fernández

Gloria L Gallardo Fernandez is a professor of environmental science, specialising in development and global studies. Her research examines the use of natural resources in the interface between the rural and the global, and the redefinition of marine and land ownership/access, focusing on agro-pastoral commons and small-scale fisheries. Her research journey started in Chile with the subject of Sociology. One theme in her research has been a global perspective, with a strong focus on the mutual relationship between the economically rich north and the poor south.

Björn Hassler

Björn Hassler is a professor of environmental science, with a background in political science. His research relates to different aspects of cooperation between states, relating to environmental issues in the Baltic Sea region. He currently works primarily on environmental policy in relation to the cooperation between the Baltic nations on reductions in overfishing and eutrophication, as well as the physical planning of marine environments in the Baltic Sea region.