Osäkra problem – men självklara insatser. En diskursanalys av Socialstyrelsens framställning av missbrukande föräldrar och deras barn

Sammanfattning: The aim of the study was to investigate how substance-abusing parents, and children with substance-abusing parents, are portrayed in national guidance documents published by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen). The method used was discourse analysis, and the theoretical framework was social constructivism and discourse theory. It was found that the publications carried two key messages: substance-abusing parents are insufficient as parents, and their children are at risk of experiencing difficulties such as violence and inadequate care. However, it was also noted that the publications did not clearly state that substance abuse always causes problems for the families. Despite this, it was taken for granted that substance-abusing parents and their children generally need support (interventions) from social services, and that social services should intervene in the lives of these families. Using Foucault’s theory of pastoral power, this contradiction was suggested to be an expression of how the modern welfare state is entitled to intervene in the lives of individual citizens, even when the background to these interventions is not thoroughly explained. Topics relevant for future research include if/how the publications are used among social workers working with substance-abusing parents and their children, and – by extension – if/how the publications influence their work.