Hedersrelaterat våld - Hur kan hedersrelaterat våld förklaras, och hur används begreppet i svensk media?

The purpose of this study has been to explore definitions of violence performed in the name of honor, and the conditions under which the phenomenon occurs and is upheld. Furthermore, the study aimed at exploring how the Swedish expression for violence in the name of honor, “hedersrelaterat våld”, is used within the Swedish media. To achieve these purposes, previous research in this matter was reviewed, as well as an analysis by means of categorizing the content of news articles from two Swedish daily newspapers. Previous research has showed that this type of violence occurs foremost within cultures upholding patriarchal structures and traditions, and women’s (non-)sexuality is looked upon as being of an utmost importance for the family’s honor. The analysis of the news articles was performed from a theoretical perspective of Foucault and discourse analysis, together with previous studies on the role of media and journalism. The analysis showed a variety of contextual applications of the expression. Contexts and manners then formed the basis of the categorization, for example “Inquiries about effort” and “Exposure and victimization”. The findings were then discussed from a social construction perspective. This demonstrated that the experience of truth and reality in journalistic writing, as well as ones culture and traditions, may have a significant part in the occurrence of violence in the name of honor