I skuggan av fängelsedomen : en rättssociologisk studie av rättens påverkan för anhöriga till frihetsberövade

Sammanfattning: Social norms in society dictate desirable behaviour according to the social environment. To break the law is often considered to go against these norms and the legal system imposes measures which in certain cases lead to incarceration for the person who has committed a crime. To break social and legal norms can lead to exclusion and even stigmatization. This thesis aims to examine which consequences a prison sentence can have on the person’s relatives. The main research question will be answered through the analysis of interviews conducted with relatives over 18 years of age, in order to find out whether they have experienced stigmatization as a result of their situation. The study focuses upon the relative’s internal experience in the form of thoughts and feelings in order to establish connections between their behavior and possible stigmatization. The results showed that there is a variety of factors that interplay in the process of stigmatization, out of which I discuss the following four: individual conditions, coping abilities, support and shame. The consequences for the relatives were many, but stigmatization of the relatives could not be determined as a direct consequence of the incarceration.