Utanförskapet misstänkliggjort - En komparativ diskursanalys av Socialdemokraterna och Moderaterna mellan 2010 - 2022

Sammanfattning: As a result of Rasmus Paludan's planned burning of the Koran during the Easter weekend, several riots broke out in different parts of Sweden. Some party leaders condemned the violence but also linked the events to growing social exclusion in society. This study examines the changes within the discourse of the Moderates and the Social Democrats as regards the concept of social exclusion. Using Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s discourse theory to analyse parliamentary debates between 2010 and 2022, the study found major discursive changes. Primarily, new perspectives emerged regarding what constitutes “Swedish society” and what does not. Oftentimes, different forms of exclusion were used as an opposing backdrop to define these constituent parts. Both parties show a discursive tendency to highlight the importance of employment and non-dependency on welfare. Additionally, the exclusion was found to be more frequently described along aspects such as foreign background, religion and culture as well as sometimes inferring causality therein. Finally, each party has redefined their definitions of societal identity through increased exclusivity in discursive practices of demarcation. This may affect the likelihood of certain subject positions to successfully combine cultural or religious identity with the political ideal of the general citizenry.