Barn födda utanför äktenskap : Komparativ studie mellan Öckerö och Styrsö

Sammanfattning: This study investigates children born out of wedlock. It is based on birth – and baptism records from two island on the west coast in Sweden, named Styrsö and Öckerö. The essay is divided in three different periods in the intervals between 1860-1945. It’s a comparative study between the islands and the aim is to research how many children are illegitimate and if these children have a known or unknown fader. Its later compered to each other and the national statistic in Sweden.  The result of the study is that the islands have a low number of children born out of wedlock compared to the national statistics. The theory that is applied on the study is social control and social vulnerability. Both islands have little too no contact to the mainland and the strict rule of the orthodox religion has an impact on controlling the people but is later questioned by the free churches that currents on the island in the 1870th century. The social vulnerability starts with the mother for even having a relationship or sexual intercourse out of wedlock and then when the child is born it doesn’t have the same prerequisites as the children born with parents that are married.