The burka ban - liberation or oppression? A discourse analysis of the Danish ‘burka ban’ from a gender equality perspective

This thesis concerns the recent debate about the so-called cover ban in Denmark, which has been known in media as the ‘burka ban’. The ban involves an illegalization of covering of the face that does not have a justifiable cause like weather conditions. Through a discourse analysis of media articles the aim of this thesis is to identify which arguments are represented in this debate. The material for the analysis is found in the two major Danish newspapers; Politiken and Berlingske. The analysis is inspired by the theories of Norman Fairclough. The theoretical framework of the thesis is centered on theories regarding gender equality and feminism, and the analysis focuses on the discourses of these topics that are reproduced in the debate. The results show how the discourse of gender equality is the most prominent in the debate, and it shows how this discourse is naturalized. Within this discourse, there is an element of liberation of women, and this liberation is presented as the goal for all women. Furthermore, only the majority has access to this discourse, and it is not possible for the minority to negotiate it in any way. I discuss how the debate can be seen as an expression of the discourse about Islam in Denmark in general, as well as how the ban can be seen in a context of objectification of the female body