Honour culture is a constructed social problem and can be defined on the basis of several different ideas. The phenomenon of honour culture is complex and multidimensional and from a constructivist perspective, the concept of honour culture leads up to unwarranted fears and stigmatization of people living with honour norms. This qualitative study shows how several young boys and girls live with a culture of honour without feeling oppressed or limited. The purpose was to use the survey to shed light on how young people think about their opportunities in life in a context of honour. Although they expressed several rules that entailed limits and prohibitions, they meant that it was not something they perceived as problematic. There are extensive studies about violence, oppression and murder that are linked to the honour context. It shows that the strong family bond that characterizes the honour culture is based on the fears that young people have of their parents. They fear the consequences of breaking the norms of honour but also for disappointing their parents. Based on this study, it appears that young people have good opportunities to shape their own lives, but the respondents accentuate that the parents and the relationship with them are both important and meaningful. The parents’ desire and will for how they should live their lives weighed just as heavily as their own will, and so they were willing to compromise in order to please the parents. The reason, according to the respondents, was the high level of trust they had in their parents.

This is a qualitative study that explores the thoughts and experiences of honour culture of young men who have previously been living in a residential care home for unaccompanied children. The data was collected through four semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The social constructionist theory was used together with previous research in order to analyse the results. The results of this study show that the informants highly associate honour culture with women, and therefore feel burdened with the fact that they are expected to guard females both in and outside their own families. Results also show that males are subjected to honour based oppression in different forms. Furthermore, it was found that honour culture is connected to shame and a fear of being ostracized from the family or the community.

The honour-related violence and opression got more attention in the years 1999 and 2002, when two young women were murdered in the name of honour in Sweden. Honour-related violence is associated with a so called honour culture, which for many symbolize the oppression of a women. It is a fact that not only girls and women are victims of this culture but also many young men and boys are exposed. The aim of this study is to illustrate how individual social workers handle cases where boys and young men are exposed to violence and oppression on the basis of the theory of discretion. In this study a qualitative research strategy has been used which involves the implementation of semi-structured interviews in the collection of empirical data. This is because I am interested in social workers own experiences and perceptions but also for having my researched questions being answered. The results show that in all five communities there are no local guidelines or plan to work for an effective management of honour-related cases.

The purpose of this study was to examine professionals' experiences of working with youngwomen who are exposed to honor-related violence and oppression. The study also aimed toexamine how these professionals' approach the issue of honor. To answer the questions, aqualitative method was used. The method involved semi-structured interviews withprofessionals who work with the target group in question. The professionals inquired for thestudy were eight people including: social workers that work at women's aid, school nurses,and counselors. To conduct the study, the researchers arranged telephone interviews withtwo of the professionals. The remaining candidates were interviewed in physical attendance.Furthermore, the analysis method used on the empirical data was coding and thematization.Additionally, the empirical data was examined by using previous research and selectedtheories. First, the results of the study showed perceived difficulties among the interviewees,in making an assessment and acting righteously in different situations regarding honorissues. Second, the results also showed the importance of having a well-functioningrelationship between authorities and organizations, and how their alliance according to theinterviewees hypothetically work. Moreover, the study emphasizes the necessity for expertsto expand their expertise in order to effectively comprehend and assist women inhonor-related situations.

The aim of this study is to examine Swedish teachers’ experiences and perspectives on honour-related oppression and violence amongst students as well as how to recognise and manage honour-related issues amongst the students. Furthermore, the study aimed to identify possible associations between religious groups or religion in general and honour-culture. This was done through a qualitative phenomenological method with semi-structured interviews of six teachers working in different schools in Stockholm. The six participating teachers had different backgrounds yet three of them had backgrounds in the Middle East. The empirics of this study has been analysed through three theoretical frameworks: social constructivism, ethnocentric and cultural relativism and finally individualism and collectivism. The results of this study show that Swedish teachers find managing honour-related issues amongst students complicated as they find themselves unaware of official procedures. All six teachers express the importance of this issue, although the three teachers with backgrounds in the Middle East find managing honour-related issues easier due to their language skills. The Arabic language was found closely associated with students who experience honour-related oppression and violence. The parents of these students were found as the main factor of the issue as they often come from societies with values that differ from the Swedish democratic values. Working with the parents was found as the main solution for the issue. The mapping of these students is made through listening to their opinions and values and if they are influenced by honour-culture. Also, the teachers find that certain students do not attend some compulsory school-activities, like swimming, due to their parents which was found to be a common thing amongst students who live in honour-culture. A point was made to look at the participating teachers’ background and what was found was that all teachers had religious backgrounds. This can imply that religious teachers feel a need to participate to prevent common prejudice regarding honour-culture being related to religion. This also suggests that teachers with religious backgrounds feel a certain liability for students who live in honour-related conditions. However, all informants expressed clear distance from the statement of religion and honour-culture being related. Moreover, connections between Islam and honour-culture are commonly made, however, previous research argue that honour-culture is related to religiousness in general rather than a specific religious group which my study verifies.

Syftet med denna studie var att sprida ljus över det svenska bemötandet av den så kallade ‘hederskulturen’. Studien gör detta genom att undersöka svenska myndigheter och svenska ideella verksamheter, med ett distinkt fokus på kvinnan, och tvångsäktenskap som en del av den tidigare nämnda hederskulturen. Tidigare forskning har visat att den svenska kulturen och hederskulturen är varandras motsatser. Forskningen har också påvisat komplexiteten av att existera inom hederskulturen, speciellt i Sverige, och hur detta kan påverka den enskilda individen (i detta fall kvinnan) på olika sätt. Vad tidigare forskning inte har visat är på vilket sätt Sverige hanterar den problematiska hederskulturen och denna studie ämnade då att fylla den kunskapsluckan. För att undersöka hur myndigheter och ideella verksamheter bemöter hederskulturen ställdes följande forskningsfrågor; hur ser svenska myndigheter och ideella organisationer på den svenska hedersutsatta kvinnan när det gäller tvångsäktenskap? Vad är kvinnans ställning inom den svenska kulturen och vad är hennes ställning inom hederskulturen? Hur sker det praktiska bemötandet av hederskulturen? För att besvara forskningsfrågorna genomfördes sex semistrukturerade intervjuer baserade på ett målinriktat urval. Genom att använda den ‘mångkulturella triaden’ och ‘individ- och gruppcentrerat tankesätt’ som ett teoretiskt ramverk visade det sig att den individuella kvinnan är en del av två kollektiv; hederskulturen och den svenska kulturen, som i sin tur kan leda till en inre och yttre konflikt. Därtill visade det sig att även fast Sverige är ett individualistiskt land, så arbetar myndigheter ibland med ett gruppcentrerat tankesätt. Resultatet visade att bemötandet av hederskulturen skiljer sig från ideell organisation till organisation, men även mellan de ideella verksamheterna och myndigheter och drar slutsatsen att ett holistiskt och systematiskt bemötande är nödvändigt. / The purpose of this qualitative study was to highlight the Swedish treatment of the so-called ‘honour culture’. It does so by examining Swedish authorities and Swedish non-profit organisa­tions, with a distinct focus on the woman and on forced marriage as part of said honour culture. Previous research has shown that Swedish culture and honour culture are opposites. It has also shown that the complexity of existing within the honour culture, especially in Sweden, and how it can affect the individual woman in different ways. It has however not shown the distinct way Sweden deals with the problematic honour culture itself. To investigate how authorities and non-profit organisations deal with honour culture the following research questions were asked; how does Swedish authorities and non-profit organisations view the Swedish woman, affected by honour culture, in regards of forced marriage? What are the women’s standing within honour culture and what is their standing within the Swedish culture? How does Swedish authorities and non-profit organisations deal with honour culture? To answer the research questions six semi structured interviews were performed based on a strategic selection process. Using ‘the multicultural triad’ and ‘individual and group-centred mindset’ as theoretical framework it is shown that the individual woman in this case is a part of two collectives; the honour culture and the Swedish culture which can result in conflict. It is further shown that though Sweden is an individualistic country its governmental treatment is sometimes group centred. The results show that the treatment of honour culture differ from organisation to organisation, but also between organisations and authorities and concludes that a holistic and systematic treatment is needed.

Aim: The aim of the study is to examine how professionals works with boys and men with honour-related problems and how they describe their work with the vulnerable group and what kind of differences there are in the help depending on what gender the victim have. Method: Qualitative interview study, the interviews are analyzed with a hermeneutic science theory. Result: The study shows that even though boys and men can be victims of honour-related violence they are rarely noticed as victims. They are mostly seen as the perpetrator. But the study shows that they could have a double role as both a victim and a perpetrator. The image and norms of boys and men only as the perpetrator is an obstacle for them to seek help, but also prevents them from getting the help they need. A consequence of this is that the help are limited for boys and men that are victims of honour-related violence. This can be understood from the social constructions of how society regards the rolls of victims and perpetrators, but also how professionals defines honour-related violence. Conclusion: All of the respondents stresses the need of more knowledge about honour-related violence and especially that boys and men can be victims as well. The possibility to get professional help and support are differnt depending on gender, boys and men have fewer options.

This Master Thesis investigates how the Swedish Newspapers Expressen and DN are using sources and expertise in their portrayal of honour related violence. Which sources are they using, and in which way are these sources being used? 40 articles written between January 1 2017 – March 31 2018 have been chosen for a qualitative analysis step one. In the second step 10 articles have been chosen for a deeper analysis. In the third step three journalists have been interviewed about the articles they have been written in the subject honour-related violence. The method frame analysis have been used. The results of the qualitative analysis shows for example that it is many of the articles that have a strong dramaturgy, and that the use of emotive words are different in various type of articles. The study also shows that the use of sources and expertise are different in DN than in Expressen, and that the use of sources and expertis are remarkable different from other kinds of articles in journalism. / I denna magisteruppsats undersöks på vilket sätt de två svenska dags- och kvällstidningarna DN ochExpressen skriver om hedersrelaterat våld, vilka källor de använder sig av och på vilket sätt dessa källor används. 40 artiklar skrivna mellan 1 januari 2017 – 31 mars 2018 har valts ut för det första steget i studien. I det andra steget görs en djupare kvalitativ analys av 10 artiklar. I det sista steget genomförs intervjuer med tre journalister på de utvalda tidningarna som skrivit flera artiklar om hedersrelaterat våld. Analyserna har genomförts med hjälp av metoden gestaltningsanalys (framing). Studien visar bland annat att användningen av källor och expertis skiljer sig åt mellan tidningarna, att många artiklar lätt kan placeras i en dramaturgisk modell, och att förekomsten av värdeladdade ord har olika betydelse beroende på vilken typ av artikel som skrivs. Studien visar även att källor och expertis i skildrandet av hedersrelaterat våld, på många sätt skiljer sig markant från andra ämnen inom journalistiken.

This essay uses frame analysis to study changes in the descriptions of the hymen in Swedish printed press from 1989-2015. The study shows that the traditional story about the hymen has significant power in the dominant culture and affects the idea of what the hymen is and what is believed to be its functions. The study also showcases how our ideas about the hymen are socially constructed since the descriptions can shift widely but still be considered as the truth. The concept of the hymen has gone through a change over time, from a story of a hymen that breaks during first intercourse, to the hymen being a myth that doesn’t exist at all, to then emerge into the idea of the vaginal corona – another version of a hymen that is different from the traditional image. The study also shows that the traditional frame for describing the hymen does live on, and that the vaginal corona has not replaced the idea of the traditional hymen.