Mediedebatter och policyförslag - diskursanalys av mediedebatten om surrogatmoderskap och Statens medicinsk-etiska råds policyförslag

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study was to elucidate and analyse the debate on surrogate motherhood that has been held in Sweden for the last ten years (2003-2013) and furthermore to see how and to what extent the arguments that were used in the debate, also were found on a national policy level. The method that was used for this was discourse analysis. The empirical data were based on debate articles and editorials from the most prominent Swedish newspapers, from which two dominating discourses could be distinguished with different contents and patterns. Whether these two discourses have had an impact on national policy level or not was investigated by analysing a report dealing with the topic, Assisted reproduction – ethical aspects (2013:1), published by the Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics, “Smer”. The study had a social constructivistic starting point and also applied Carol Bacchi’s theory on policy analysis, What’s the problem represented to be? (WPR). The study showed that the discourses from the debate in Swedish media have gotten a big impact in Smer’s report both in terms of it being characterized by a for - and against-distinction (dichotomy), and in terms of the use of arguments.