This study is a discourse analysis of 15 child protection cases in Sweden, analysing a total of 30 verdicts from both the Court of Administrative Law and the Administrative Court of Appeal. The study’s first aim was to analyse the construction of parenthood and parental abilities in court verdicts concerning the removal of children due to environmental factors according to The Care of Young Persons Special Provisions Act. The second aim of the study was to analyse if a parent’s gender, class, or ethnicity affected the outcome of the courts’ verdict. The results were analysed using Michél Foucault’s theories on discourse and power and Tina Mattsson’s theories on categorization and intersectionality. The study found that parents were characterized by their conceived flaws in parenting in relation to what needs they were deemed as not fulfilling for their children. Those parents were also seen as deviating from the norm. One of the key aspects influencing the court’s verdict was if the parent displayed insight into their perceived problem and showed a willingness to change and cooperate with authorities. The results also showed that verdicts where children were placed into the custody of the social services tended to be based on a child protection paradigm, whereas verdicts where parents could keep custody were based on a child welfare paradigm. Another finding was that mothers were more likely to be seen as primary caregivers than fathers, and therefore more likely to be deemed as unfit parents. A mother’s mental illness was seen as a sign of unfit parenthood. Parents with substance abuse issues were often deemed unreliable as parents. Non-European parents who controlled their children were seen as the most deviant from the norm. Their children were seen as having to choose between either “freedom” or their family. An intersectional analysis showed how social injustices were maintained in the current discourse of child protection through marginalization. Finally, implications for social work were discussed based on the findings of the study.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-43436 |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Creators | Ibragimova, Alia |
| Publisher | Malmö universitet, Malmö högskola, Institutionen för socialt arbete (SA) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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