"Gropen dom har grävt åt oss fem-femmor" : En fallstudie av 15 brevskrivande patienter vid S:t Sigfrids kriminalavdelning under åren 1948–1952

Sammanfattning: This study aimed to answer three main questions: (1) How are the 15 patients at St. Sigfrid’s criminal ward described in the documentation during the years 1948-1952; (2) How can these descriptions be contrasted with the image of the patients through their own words and actions, considering factors such as a) power relations including various forms of resistance and b) the balance between care and punishment; and (3) How can the study be made relevant and utilized within the framework of the objectives of history and psychology according to the curriculum? To answer these questions a text analysis was conducted where the patients’ documentation and letters were read, interpreted, and summarized. The results showed that the documentation was focused on evaluating the patients on a scale ranging from diligent and cooperative to aggressive and threatening. The image of the patients through their own words was more complex. Forms of resistance and strategies were plenty and grouped into categories of conformity and rebellion. Regarding care and punishment, the boundary between the two was not always clear, and they were often equated with each other; moreover, the care they received was in several ways considered worse than a regular punishment. In totality the result highlighted the necessity of a complementary approach. Finally, the study was particularly suited for developing the students’ critical approach to both sources and interpretation. Additionally, the cases could be utilized to stress the overall complexity of human beings.