"En alldeles vanlig medelklassfamilj" - Familjeskildringar i den svenska politiska debatten

This thesis examines how ‘family’ is portrayed in the Swedish political debate, in parliament and in articles written by politicians. The aim is to discern dominating discourses in how the term ‘family’ is defined, by studying the politicians' use of language. This essay also studies how different families are portrayed as either good or bad and how family is depicted as an important part of people's lives as well as society. It is evident that hegemonic discourses can be found within the Swedish political debate. Families are generally portrayed as a mother, a father and one or several children, which for instance excludes same-sex couples, single parents and families with more than two parents. It is also often assumed that a ‘normal’ family earn their living by working. This description of an ordinary family is closely connected to how a “good” and “bad” family is portrayed. In a “good” family the parents spend time with their children, which shape harmonious children. A “bad” family is a family in which the parents do not work, or where children are exposed to violence, or an immigrant family, where violence and oppression of women are depicted as cultural phenomena