Ungt föräldraskap - En fot i ungdomsvärlden och en fot i vuxenvärlden : En studie om hur unga föräldrar bemöts och framställer sig i det svenska samhället

Young parents are a small and often stigmatized group in Swedish society. They don’t adhereto the Swedish norm concerning when parenthood should be entered into, which contributes tothe stigmatization. The aim of this study is to explore the current age-related norms forparenthood in Sweden and how young parents adhere to and deal with these norms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven interviewees. These interviews werethen analyzed with Erving Goffman's theories on stigma and the presentation of self, HenriTajfels social identity theory and in relation to age stratification. The outcome shows thatyoung parents are treated with respect and professionalism in care situations but are judged andstigmatized by other people in society, mostly other - elder - parents. The young parents of thisstudy feel that they have had to prove that they are good parents, to a larger extent comparedto elder parents. Some have also experienced difficulties in combining youth life withexpectations from adult lif