Råslätt : A discourse analysis of three versions of a neighborhood

The aim of this study is to examine how different actors of the society speak about and portrays the Råslätt neighborhood.Further we study how using different terms to describe the area can come to affect the area and its residents. This study is done by using a qualitative method in the form of document analysis based on official documents from three different actors of the society and we also conducted three interviews with representatives from each actor. Different themes are examined that have been identified using a discourse analysis. Through the themes three different discourses were created and identified which are being used by the actors in describing Råslätt. The discourses are then compared with each other. The result shows that there are similarities and differences between the discourses in how Råslätt is described. The result shows that the terms used in the different discourses create different versions of the Råslätt neighborhood. The result also shows that, within the discourses the actors of society consciously relate to their use of languageand that the decision of using or not using a particular term has been made with insight to the risk of stigmatization that might emerge. In conclusion the result shows that the language used by the actors of society affect how they justify their own work