Dagens ungdom - vad är problemet?
(2013) SOPA63 20122School of Social Work
- Abstract
- Recurring statistics in the media, which describes adolescent mental illness as a growing problem in the Swedish society gave rise to an interest to pursue a research which sought to explore how young people's mental illness is constructed as a social problem. The media appears to be important in the construction of a social problem, as they through claims-making current the putative condition, have an opportunity to shape the public's perceptions and opinions about it (Loseke, 2003). Therefore, the aim of this study was to within a media context, examine a part of that process by which members of a society, define a putative condition as a social problem. The study is based on collected data consisted of 55 articles published in various... (More)
- Recurring statistics in the media, which describes adolescent mental illness as a growing problem in the Swedish society gave rise to an interest to pursue a research which sought to explore how young people's mental illness is constructed as a social problem. The media appears to be important in the construction of a social problem, as they through claims-making current the putative condition, have an opportunity to shape the public's perceptions and opinions about it (Loseke, 2003). Therefore, the aim of this study was to within a media context, examine a part of that process by which members of a society, define a putative condition as a social problem. The study is based on collected data consisted of 55 articles published in various Swedish newspapers in the year of 2010, where over the past decade this particular year published the most number of articles, concerning adolescent mental illness. Is adolescent mental illness a social problem and if so, how is the problem defined as a social problem within a media context? This is qualitative study, which from a social constructionist perspective with the terminology of Loseke (2003) and Spector and Kitsuse (1987) and Blumers (1971) theory of social problems as collective behavior, suggest conclusions that adolescent mental illness is a social problem. Within a Swedish media context adolescent mental illness is constructed as a social problem. The problem is defined as a serious and widespread problem, which society doesn’t have sufficient capacity to meet. The most serious consequence, in addition to adolescent mental health problems can lead to suicide, is that it leads to school absenteeism, which in turn increases the risk of further problems with mental health. The causal explanations referred to in the media can be found at macro-, meso- and micro levels. Solutions to the problem in the current context are presented primarily at macro- and meso level, such that Swedish society needs to prioritize more resources, both in terms of skills improvement and in terms of more professionals, dealing with the problem.
Key words: social problem, social construction perspectives, mass media, claims-making, adolescent mental illness (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/3410851
- author
- Östensson, Anna LU
- supervisor
-
- Mats Hilte LU
- organization
- course
- SOPA63 20122
- year
- 2013
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- claims-making, mass media, social construction perspectives, social problem, adolescent mental illness
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 3410851
- date added to LUP
- 2013-02-01 17:35:50
- date last changed
- 2013-02-01 17:35:50
@misc{3410851,
abstract = {{Recurring statistics in the media, which describes adolescent mental illness as a growing problem in the Swedish society gave rise to an interest to pursue a research which sought to explore how young people's mental illness is constructed as a social problem. The media appears to be important in the construction of a social problem, as they through claims-making current the putative condition, have an opportunity to shape the public's perceptions and opinions about it (Loseke, 2003). Therefore, the aim of this study was to within a media context, examine a part of that process by which members of a society, define a putative condition as a social problem. The study is based on collected data consisted of 55 articles published in various Swedish newspapers in the year of 2010, where over the past decade this particular year published the most number of articles, concerning adolescent mental illness. Is adolescent mental illness a social problem and if so, how is the problem defined as a social problem within a media context? This is qualitative study, which from a social constructionist perspective with the terminology of Loseke (2003) and Spector and Kitsuse (1987) and Blumers (1971) theory of social problems as collective behavior, suggest conclusions that adolescent mental illness is a social problem. Within a Swedish media context adolescent mental illness is constructed as a social problem. The problem is defined as a serious and widespread problem, which society doesn’t have sufficient capacity to meet. The most serious consequence, in addition to adolescent mental health problems can lead to suicide, is that it leads to school absenteeism, which in turn increases the risk of further problems with mental health. The causal explanations referred to in the media can be found at macro-, meso- and micro levels. Solutions to the problem in the current context are presented primarily at macro- and meso level, such that Swedish society needs to prioritize more resources, both in terms of skills improvement and in terms of more professionals, dealing with the problem.
Key words: social problem, social construction perspectives, mass media, claims-making, adolescent mental illness}},
author = {{Östensson, Anna}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Dagens ungdom - vad är problemet?}},
year = {{2013}},
}