GRÄNSLÖS SOLIDARITET? En textanalys av begreppsanvändningen solidaritet i svensk dagspress om flyktingkrisen år 2015

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyse how the concept of solidarity is used by different actors in different contexts in Swedish newspapers, and to analyse which groups are included in the concept of solidarity in the debate on the refugee crisis in 2015. I am also briefly investigating whether it is possible to discern a change over time in the usage of the concept. The used method is a qualitative text analysis and the material are two of the biggest daily newspapers in Sweden. The surveyed period covers March to October 2015. The results show that solidarity can be found in different contexts in the debate on the refugee crisis in 2015. The most common contexts are to safeguard the Swedish society, responsibility-sharing in the EU or to help refugees. Solidarity is either used to address compassion and humanity towards refugees or used to justify that a continued influx of refugees can jeopardise the unity in the EU or the Swedish welfare state. The results also demonstrate that solidarity is used in more negative contexts where refugees are excluded. Finally, no significant change over time could be discerned in the usage of solidarity.