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Deviant Swedes in the global Covid-19 media environment

Irwin, Rachel LU (2021) In Medical Anthropology. Cross-Cultural Studies in Health and Illness 40(8). p.815-829
Abstract
During the early COVID-19 pandemic, many countries took compulsory measures to combating the virus’s spread, while Sweden took a more voluntary approach. This led to polarized reactions in the international media, with some praising it and others proclaiming it disastrous. Using the concept of “moral panic” I examine how actors within the global media environment portrayed Swedes as a deviant population, using persuasive language, exaggeration, and selective reporting, and how an amplification of media attention served to solidify the deviant label. I also argue that Sweden was made deviant partly to justify restrictive measures in other countries.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Sweden, covid-19, deviance, deviant, media, pandemic
in
Medical Anthropology. Cross-Cultural Studies in Health and Illness
volume
40
issue
8
pages
815 - 829
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85118102697
  • pmid:34696635
ISSN
0145-9740
DOI
10.1080/01459740.2021.1988594
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
600e6658-6025-41e8-a210-cb9fd88b5bb4
date added to LUP
2021-10-01 11:42:23
date last changed
2022-04-27 04:21:17
@article{600e6658-6025-41e8-a210-cb9fd88b5bb4,
  abstract     = {{During the early COVID-19 pandemic, many countries took compulsory measures to combating the virus’s spread, while Sweden took a more voluntary approach. This led to polarized reactions in the international media, with some praising it and others proclaiming it disastrous. Using the concept of “moral panic” I examine how actors within the global media environment portrayed Swedes as a deviant population, using persuasive language, exaggeration, and selective reporting, and how an amplification of media attention served to solidify the deviant label. I also argue that Sweden was made deviant partly to justify restrictive measures in other countries.}},
  author       = {{Irwin, Rachel}},
  issn         = {{0145-9740}},
  keywords     = {{Sweden; covid-19; deviance; deviant; media; pandemic}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{815--829}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Medical Anthropology. Cross-Cultural Studies in Health and Illness}},
  title        = {{Deviant Swedes in the global Covid-19 media environment}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2021.1988594}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/01459740.2021.1988594}},
  volume       = {{40}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}