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Maskulinitet och kriminaliteten - en konstruktion? En studie av självbiografier

Ignell, Anne LU (2014) SOPA63 20141
School of Social Work
Abstract
Abstract
Author: Anne Ignell
Title: Masculinity and crime – a construction? A study of autobiographies Supervisor: Anna Rypi
Assessor: Eva Palmblad

The aim of this study was to examine how masculinity and a criminal lifestyle is constructed in the story telling of two autobiographies written by men who have a heavy criminal background, and to see how these two constructions relate to each other. The two autobiographies that were used in this study are written in Swedish by Swedish authors. The empirical material was examined through a qualitative content analysis and during the research of the material it was divided into the categories that follow: sexuality, class, power and criminality. These categories seemed relevant for the... (More)
Abstract
Author: Anne Ignell
Title: Masculinity and crime – a construction? A study of autobiographies Supervisor: Anna Rypi
Assessor: Eva Palmblad

The aim of this study was to examine how masculinity and a criminal lifestyle is constructed in the story telling of two autobiographies written by men who have a heavy criminal background, and to see how these two constructions relate to each other. The two autobiographies that were used in this study are written in Swedish by Swedish authors. The empirical material was examined through a qualitative content analysis and during the research of the material it was divided into the categories that follow: sexuality, class, power and criminality. These categories seemed relevant for the study after an examination of earlier research done in the field. The analysis’ epistemological base was social constructionist and the theoretical frame that was used to analyse the empirical material was James Messerschmidt’s gender theory regarding masculinity and crime. Messerschmidts concept of hegemonic masculinity played an important role in the analysis. I found that the construction of masculinity and the construction of the criminal lifestyles in the autobiographies were tightly related. It was most obvious regarding factors like class and power. Criminality as described in the books was used as a resource for constructing a hegemonic masculinity when no other resources were available. The expression of sexuality as a tool for constructing hegemonic masculinity wasn ́t as apparent related to criminality as class and power, probably because no violence or sex crimes against, for example, women or homosexuals were described in the autobiographies.

Key words: constructions, masculinity, criminality, hegemonic masculinity, class. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ignell, Anne LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOPA63 20141
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
constructions, masculinity, criminality, hegemonic masculinity, class
language
Swedish
id
4611180
date added to LUP
2014-09-01 09:09:37
date last changed
2014-09-01 09:09:37
@misc{4611180,
  abstract     = {{Abstract
Author: Anne Ignell
Title: Masculinity and crime – a construction? A study of autobiographies Supervisor: Anna Rypi
Assessor: Eva Palmblad

The aim of this study was to examine how masculinity and a criminal lifestyle is constructed in the story telling of two autobiographies written by men who have a heavy criminal background, and to see how these two constructions relate to each other. The two autobiographies that were used in this study are written in Swedish by Swedish authors. The empirical material was examined through a qualitative content analysis and during the research of the material it was divided into the categories that follow: sexuality, class, power and criminality. These categories seemed relevant for the study after an examination of earlier research done in the field. The analysis’ epistemological base was social constructionist and the theoretical frame that was used to analyse the empirical material was James Messerschmidt’s gender theory regarding masculinity and crime. Messerschmidts concept of hegemonic masculinity played an important role in the analysis. I found that the construction of masculinity and the construction of the criminal lifestyles in the autobiographies were tightly related. It was most obvious regarding factors like class and power. Criminality as described in the books was used as a resource for constructing a hegemonic masculinity when no other resources were available. The expression of sexuality as a tool for constructing hegemonic masculinity wasn ́t as apparent related to criminality as class and power, probably because no violence or sex crimes against, for example, women or homosexuals were described in the autobiographies.

Key words: constructions, masculinity, criminality, hegemonic masculinity, class.}},
  author       = {{Ignell, Anne}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Maskulinitet och kriminaliteten - en konstruktion? En studie av självbiografier}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}