Victimhood in Swedish political discourse

• Published in: Discourse & society Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 292 - 306
• Main Author: Aronson, Olov
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.05.2021; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Constructionism; Discourse analysis; Legislatures; majority; minority; Minority groups; Morality; normal; normality; Offenders; parliamentary debates; Political discourse; Political majority; Politicians; Politics; Positioning; Positioning theory; poststructuralism; social liberalism; Speeches; Sweden; victim; victimhood; Victimization; Victims; Sweden; normal; politics; Constructionism; positioning theory; speeches; poststructuralism; minority; social liberalism; parliamentary debates; Sweden; victimhood; discourse analysis; majority; victim; normality
• ISSN: 0957-9265; 1460-3624; 1460-3624
• DOI: 10.1177/0957926520977216

In contemporary politics, the category of victimhood confers rights and recognition. An inclusive discussion about the construction and conferral of victimhood, which includes individuals from different social backgrounds, need be informed by the possible uses of victimhood in political discourse. The present study investigates how individuals and groups are positioned as victims by mainstream Swedish politicians. A constructionist discourse analysis inspired by positioning theory was performed of eight longer political speeches and fifty-six addresses to the Swedish parliament, held over the course of a year. The results suggest that individuals in the ‘normal’ majority, comprising the most numerous and normatively dominant group of society, were positioned as victims. Heterodox minorities, which had fundamentally different morals and political ambitions compared to the ‘normal’ majority, were positioned as offenders. The study argues that a more inclusive construction of victimhood could be accomplished by engaging with heterodox minorities through dialogue.