”Det här är ett gift i vårt samhälle som vi måste ta bort” : En diskursanalys om Moderaternas och Socialdemokraternas porträttering av gängkriminalitet som socialt problem

Sammanfattning: Gang-related crime and the increased deadly violence it has given rise to, is one of the most highlighted societal problems in our time. It is a recurring theme in public debates and it challenges the Swedish self-image as a successful welfare state. Considering that gang-related crime is a key voter issue of the upcoming 2022 elections, this study aims to explore Sweden's two largest parties', the Moderates and the Social Democrats, rhetoric ongang-related crime. This study focuses on central discourses by the parties and what effects these may have in vulnerable areas. Empirical data linked to gang-related crime has been collected from the parties' websites and social media, and Jönson's problem perspective has been applied to analyze and summarize the material. The results indicate that the parties' positions are based on preventive and punitive measures against gang members. The theoretical frame consists of critical discourse analysis and the concepts of labeling and territorial stigmatization, which in the study's analysis contribute with knowledge of how individuals, groups and neighborhoods are blamed for the causes of gang-related crime. The study's conclusion is that the political discourses reproduce and reinforce societal problems linked to gang-related crime.