Utsatthetens dimensioner : En kvalitativ studie om kvinnor i missbruk och hur dessa relaterar till utsatthet, stigma och skam.

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was to examine and to contribute with knowledge about exposed women with substance abuse problems and alcohol abuse problems. Further, our study seeks to examine and understand different dimensions of vulnerability of being a woman with abuse problems, and also to understand the stigma and shame connected to the studied group and the found dimensions. Therefore, our study is based on six different autobiographies containing experiences and interpretations of the Swedish societies, from the women in this field.  The main result of our study shows that the studied women are vulnerable in different dimensions, connected to physical and sexual abuse, authorities, economy and family. Other results show that the exposed women with abuse problems are a stigmatized group, ascribed with negative characteristics, by the norms and values in the Swedish societies. These results reflect our society's lack of knowledge, and normalizes the stereotypes about these women. Due to the norms and values of our societies, a lot of the women in this field have untold stories because of the perceived stigma that we illustrate, which is negative since the subject needs even more attention. They tend not to ask for help, since there is an unwritten rule about this field being shameful and taboo. Goffman’s theory about stigma is a part of our study, which is strongly connected to shame, used to analyze the result of our collected data.