ABSTRACT This article analyzes representations of privilege and social inequality in the science fiction TV series Äkta människor (Real Humans) (2012–2013), produced by Sweden’s national public TV broadcaster (SVT). Set in the near future or a parallel present, Real Humans explores an alternative version of Sweden in which more and more human workers are replaced by a type of humanoid robot called “Hubots”. Reviewers and scholars have interpreted the series in light of various contemporary social and political issues, many of which pertain to not only technology, but also social inequality amongst humans. This article connects Real Humans specifically to the recent increase in paid domestic labor in Scandinavia, and argues that the series deals with moral conflicts associated with being privileged and outsourcing household and care work. This is especially evident in the series’ representation of Inger Engman, a Swedish mother, wife, and full-time employee, and her ambivalent relationship to her household and care work Hubot Mimi. Through Inger and Mimi, Real Humans explores moral and affective dimensions of privilege, and brings to mind concerns expressed by parents in Scandinavia who employ domestic workers and au pairs. Inger’s conflicted relationship to Mimi also evokes the concept of maternal guilt. As I show, Real Humans is one of several contemporary Scandinavian narratives that use the au pair figure to comment on social and gender inequality in a globalized age, yet the series stands out in its debt to the science fiction genre. In sum, Real Humans is not only a rare and noteworthy example of a Scandinavian science fiction TV series—it also invites the viewer to reflect on the connections between privilege, social (in)equality, and work in contemporary Scandinavia.

中文翻译：

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在替代瑞典中谈判特权和社会不平等：《真实人类》 /ÄktaMänniskor（SVT，2012-2013年）

摘要本文分析了瑞典国家公共电视广播台（SVT）制作的科幻电视连续剧《人类》（2012-2013）中特权和社会不平等的表现。设置在不久的将来或并行出现的“真实人类”探索了瑞典的替代版本，其中越来越多的人类工人被一种称为“ Hubots”的类人机器人取代。评论者和学者根据当代的各种社会和政治问题来解释该系列，其中许多问题不仅涉及技术，而且涉及人类之间的社会不平等。本文将“真正的人”与斯堪的那维亚最近有偿家庭佣工的增加联系起来，并认为该系列文章涉及与特权相关的道德冲突以及将家庭和护理工作外包。在瑞典母亲，妻子和全职员工英格·英格曼（Inger Engman）的系列代表中，以及她与家庭和护理工作Hubot Mimi的矛盾关系中，这一点尤其明显。通过英格（Inger）和咪咪（Mimi），“真实人类”探索特权的道德和情感层面，并让人想到斯堪的纳维亚父母雇用家庭佣工和保姆的担忧。英格（Inger）与咪咪（Mimi）的矛盾关系也唤起了母亲的内concept感。正如我所展示的，“真实人类”是当代几个北欧叙事之一，它们使用互惠生形象评论全球化时代的社会和性别不平等现象，但该系列在科幻小说类型的欠债中脱颖而出。总共，