Maskulinitet och kriminaliteten - en konstruktion? En studie av självbiografier

Sammanfattning: Abstract Author: Anne Ignell Title: Masculinity and crime – a construction? A study of autobiographies Supervisor: Anna Rypi Assessor: Eva Palmblad The aim of this study was to examine how masculinity and a criminal lifestyle is constructed in the story telling of two autobiographies written by men who have a heavy criminal background, and to see how these two constructions relate to each other. The two autobiographies that were used in this study are written in Swedish by Swedish authors. The empirical material was examined through a qualitative content analysis and during the research of the material it was divided into the categories that follow: sexuality, class, power and criminality. These categories seemed relevant for the study after an examination of earlier research done in the field. The analysis’ epistemological base was social constructionist and the theoretical frame that was used to analyse the empirical material was James Messerschmidt’s gender theory regarding masculinity and crime. Messerschmidts concept of hegemonic masculinity played an important role in the analysis. I found that the construction of masculinity and the construction of the criminal lifestyles in the autobiographies were tightly related. It was most obvious regarding factors like class and power. Criminality as described in the books was used as a resource for constructing a hegemonic masculinity when no other resources were available. The expression of sexuality as a tool for constructing hegemonic masculinity wasn ́t as apparent related to criminality as class and power, probably because no violence or sex crimes against, for example, women or homosexuals were described in the autobiographies. Key words: constructions, masculinity, criminality, hegemonic masculinity, class.