Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Ansvar när det passar

Andersson, Sofie Maria Elisabeth LU (2025) STVK04 20251
Department of Political Science
Abstract
This study examines how young people are discursively constructed in Swedish policy documents addressing the proposed lowering of the criminal responsibility age from 15 to 14 years, amid ongoing criminal policy debates. Using Fairclough's critical discourse analysis supplemented by responsibility theory and critical age studies, the research analyzes government directive "Skärpta straff för unga lagöverträdare" (Dir. 2023:112) and official report "Straffbarhetsåldern" (SOU 2025:11). The analysis reveals three main patterns: young people are constructed as simultaneously vulnerable and responsible, responsibility is attributed selectively depending on context, and age functions as a politically negotiable category rather than a fixed... (More)
This study examines how young people are discursively constructed in Swedish policy documents addressing the proposed lowering of the criminal responsibility age from 15 to 14 years, amid ongoing criminal policy debates. Using Fairclough's critical discourse analysis supplemented by responsibility theory and critical age studies, the research analyzes government directive "Skärpta straff för unga lagöverträdare" (Dir. 2023:112) and official report "Straffbarhetsåldern" (SOU 2025:11). The analysis reveals three main patterns: young people are constructed as simultaneously vulnerable and responsible, responsibility is attributed selectively depending on context, and age functions as a politically negotiable category rather than a fixed marker. The findings show how young people are positioned between protection and accountability, with their subject position shifting based on which discourse is activated. The study demonstrates that structural factors are rendered invisible while individual responsibility is emphasized. The research contributes to understanding how policy discourse manages tensions between child protection and social control in Swedish society. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Andersson, Sofie Maria Elisabeth LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
En kritisk diskursanalys av hur unga framställs i frågan om sänkt straffmyndighetsålder
course
STVK04 20251
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Kritisk diskursanalys, Straffmyndighetsålder, Ungdomspolitik, Ansvarstillskrivning, Åldersstudier, Sverige.
language
Swedish
id
9189860
date added to LUP
2025-08-08 11:05:29
date last changed
2025-08-08 11:05:29
@misc{9189860,
  abstract     = {{This study examines how young people are discursively constructed in Swedish policy documents addressing the proposed lowering of the criminal responsibility age from 15 to 14 years, amid ongoing criminal policy debates. Using Fairclough's critical discourse analysis supplemented by responsibility theory and critical age studies, the research analyzes government directive "Skärpta straff för unga lagöverträdare" (Dir. 2023:112) and official report "Straffbarhetsåldern" (SOU 2025:11). The analysis reveals three main patterns: young people are constructed as simultaneously vulnerable and responsible, responsibility is attributed selectively depending on context, and age functions as a politically negotiable category rather than a fixed marker. The findings show how young people are positioned between protection and accountability, with their subject position shifting based on which discourse is activated. The study demonstrates that structural factors are rendered invisible while individual responsibility is emphasized. The research contributes to understanding how policy discourse manages tensions between child protection and social control in Swedish society.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Sofie Maria Elisabeth}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Ansvar när det passar}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}