Samvetsfrihet - En mänsklig rättighet eller abortmotstånd? - En kvalitativ innehållsanalys om porträtteringen av samvetsfrihet i relation till barnmorskeyrket i svensk media

Abstract

In the UN Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18 highlights the right to freedom of conscience. Despite conscience being a human right, there are differing opinions on its implementation within the professional role of a midwife. Within the EU, there is consensus on the issue between countries, and Sweden stands out by not accepting a conscientious objection clause in healthcare. The discussion revolves around accepting a conscientious objection clause which risks limiting women's access to abortion care, which has also been demonstrated in countries where its use has become widespread among midwives. Therefore, the study aims to examine the Swedish media debate on freedom of conscience in relation to the professional role of midwives. The study is carried out through a qualitative content analysis of debate articles and editorial articles published in the newspapers Aftonbladet, Expressen, and Dagen. The study's research questions are: How are the underlying viewpoints expressed and portrayed in the debate from a feminist perspective? And How is the main factor that distinguishes the position for and against freedom of conscience portrayed in the articles based on the portrayal of “the other”? Through the questions, the aim is to highlight the debate and examine what is actually being said in order to create understanding, in striving towards a sustainable implementation of human rights. Result-wise, similar arguments were used to demonstrate opposing viewpoints, indicating the complexity of the debate. Additionally, the study highlighted how the view on responsibility differed between those who spoke for and those who were critical of an implementation of a conscientious objection clause.