Coming dissertations at Uppsala university
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Land & Liberty : On the Natural Monopoly of Violence
Link: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-526372
This thesis explores the analytical relationship between geoism, also known as left-libertarianism, and libertarian anarchism. Geoists argue that private property in land is unjust since no one has created the land. Furthermore, they contend that such landownership is the root cause of many social problems, generating systematic inequality and poverty. Hence, geoists argue that the economic rent of land should be shared equally among all. Similarly, libertarian anarchists claim that states are inherently unjust and that state-created privileges are the root cause of many social pathologies. Accordingly, they reject state authority and argue that society should instead be organized via voluntary associations. While both geoism and anarchism can be interpreted as versions of libertarianism, they are rarely discussed in relationship with each other. In this thesis, I seek to address this research gap.
I argue that we can understand the territorial authority of states as a form of landownership, thereby facilitating a dialogue between these traditions. As an implication of this, I argue that the anarchist rejection of states can be extended to a rejection of landownership, while the geoist rejection of landownership can be extended to a rejection of state authority. However, it is often assumed that states are necessary to bring about an equal distribution of rent, rendering geoism and anarchism incompatible. Thus, this thesis also seeks to address the question of whether these ideologies are compatible, exploring possible non-state mechanisms for achieving a geoist distribution of rent. Finally, the thesis also considers political strategies that activists could use to achieve a more equitable distribution of rent, independent of state policy.
Thus, this thesis seeks to provide an original contribution to the libertarian literature. The “geo-anarchist” position I explore is barely mentioned in the current academic literature. Nonetheless, I strive to show that it is not only a logically coherent position but also that it seems to follow from many of the internal commitments of libertarian theory.
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Urban Dynamics and Contemporary Challenges : Essays on Housing and Neighborhood Amenities
Link: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-526751
Essay I (with Che-Yuan Liang) We use microdata on the Swedish population and housing stock to investigate how building new homes affects the housing distribution across income groups. While primarily rich people move into new homes, poor people are well represented among in-movers to vacated homes. As homes age and deteriorate, they filter down; it takes approximately 30 years for new homes to reach an even income distribution. We also find that in municipalities with higher construction rates, every income group gets better access to newer housing and housing space. Overall, we conclude that new homes, even those initially primarily inhabited by rich people, lead to substantial trickle-down effects.
Essay II (with Fabian Brunåker, Matz Dahlberg, and Che-Yuan Liang) Using almost three decades of full-population register data with detailed geo-coded information on how and where all individuals in Sweden live, their moving patterns, and their socio-economic characteristics, this paper examines if new large-scale housing construction is a suitable policy tool for revitalizing poor neighborhoods. The answer is yes. We find that not only do new large developments of market-rate condominiums lead to an increase in the average income of 15% in the poorest quartile of neighborhoods, but the average income rises by 10% also in pre-existing homes. We do not find any signs of displacement of incumbent residents.
Essay III Homeowners often oppose new housing due to a fear of declining property values. However, the effect on prices is theoretically ambiguous. In this paper, I study the impact of new large-scale housing on housing prices using Swedish registry data, data on housing prices, and neighborhood amenities. I find that new housing increases prices in low-income neighborhoods. In contrast, high-income neighborhoods experience a decline in prices, including within their pre-existing housing stock. The latter could partly stem from a suggested increase in densification.
Essay IV Can policymakers affect spatial inequalities by providing local amenities? In this study, I explore the effects of schools on neighborhoods by studying school closures. Using geo-coded, full-population Swedish microdata, I find that school closures decrease the share of high-income earners, primarily attributed to individuals with children. This effect is more pronounced in urban areas, while rural areas become depopulated. These effects align with pre-existing trends, indicating that school closures exacerbate initial spatial inequalities.
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Environmental exposures, body composition and pulmonary function : How can we improve diagnostics?
Link: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-526832
Pulmonary diseases are influenced by numerous factors such as lifestyle, environment, genetics, and adipose tissue. A common factor for these diseases is that early and accurate diagnosis is beneficial for effective treatment. The improvement and development of diagnostic tools, including nanotechnology, offers the potential for more reliable diagnosis.
The main aim of this thesis was to improve our understanding of respiratory assessment through a comprehensive approach. This approach included studying the effectiveness of training and feedback in conducting spirometry tests to accepted diagnostic standard (paper I). Evaluating the association of body impedance analysis (BIA) and waist circumference in assessing the decline in lung function induced by excessive adipose tissue (paper II) and investigating the effects of weight change on lung function (paper III). In addition, the thesis investigated the potential of inhaled nano particles in individuals with impaired lung epithelium as a possible new diagnostic method (paper IV). Overall, these studies aimed to improve lung function diagnostics to make them more reliable, accessible and to advance the development of cutting-edge technological methods.
Our results show that the use of structured on-line feedback improve the quality of spirometry and that there is a potential gender differences in the effects of excess adipose tissue on lung function. Data also demonstrated a difference in clearance of inhaled nanoparticles between healthy and patients with impaired alveolar integrity, opening the possibility for new diagnostic approaches.