Abstract
This dissertation analyses the relationship between religion and politics, situated in hybrid media
spaces in Sweden. This phenomenon is actualized by contestations over the visibility of religion
in public spheres, in combination with changes in the Swedish political debate where conflicts
related to the left/right scale increasingly come to focus more on value-based issues. Moreover,
the effect of digitalization and new media forums, such as Facebook, have affected public
conversation. The empirical material analyzed consists of approximately 20 000 Facebook
comments, posted as reactions to articles published by five of the largest Swedish news media
actors. The material concerns three specific media debates, regarding three Swedish political
parties. They are chosen as examples of ways in the politicization of religion is expressed with
regard to current changes regarding religion and politics in Sweden: The Green Party and the so-
called handshaking controversy in spring 2016 including two Muslim politicians, the continuous
media reports about The Christian Democrats and issues related to lgbtqi and abortion during
2015-2016, and The Sweden Democrats and the internal Church election for The Church of
Sweden in 2017. The analysis is conducted through critical discourse analysis, combining
methods for distant and close reading, such as co-occurrence analysis, topic modelling, the
rhetorical triangle and modality. The result is analyzed through a theoretical framework, which
includes the theory of politicization of religion, focusing on religion as object and subject in
political debate, and as a resource or source of conflict in border disputes. In addition, the
concept of civilizationism is used to analyze how religion is actively used in the construction
of national identity. The theory of mediatization of religion is operationalized through the
dynamics of mediatized conflicts, together with a focus on emotions as a form of subactivism.
The result contributes to previous research on religion and politics in the Nordic countries by
demonstrating how politicization of religion is taking place in various but interrelated ways
in three hybrid media discussions. A significant aspect uncovered by the analysis is how the
hybrid media milieu contributes to structuring the form as well as the content of the analyzed
discussions.
spaces in Sweden. This phenomenon is actualized by contestations over the visibility of religion
in public spheres, in combination with changes in the Swedish political debate where conflicts
related to the left/right scale increasingly come to focus more on value-based issues. Moreover,
the effect of digitalization and new media forums, such as Facebook, have affected public
conversation. The empirical material analyzed consists of approximately 20 000 Facebook
comments, posted as reactions to articles published by five of the largest Swedish news media
actors. The material concerns three specific media debates, regarding three Swedish political
parties. They are chosen as examples of ways in the politicization of religion is expressed with
regard to current changes regarding religion and politics in Sweden: The Green Party and the so-
called handshaking controversy in spring 2016 including two Muslim politicians, the continuous
media reports about The Christian Democrats and issues related to lgbtqi and abortion during
2015-2016, and The Sweden Democrats and the internal Church election for The Church of
Sweden in 2017. The analysis is conducted through critical discourse analysis, combining
methods for distant and close reading, such as co-occurrence analysis, topic modelling, the
rhetorical triangle and modality. The result is analyzed through a theoretical framework, which
includes the theory of politicization of religion, focusing on religion as object and subject in
political debate, and as a resource or source of conflict in border disputes. In addition, the
concept of civilizationism is used to analyze how religion is actively used in the construction
of national identity. The theory of mediatization of religion is operationalized through the
dynamics of mediatized conflicts, together with a focus on emotions as a form of subactivism.
The result contributes to previous research on religion and politics in the Nordic countries by
demonstrating how politicization of religion is taking place in various but interrelated ways
in three hybrid media discussions. A significant aspect uncovered by the analysis is how the
hybrid media milieu contributes to structuring the form as well as the content of the analyzed
discussions.
| Original language | Swedish |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Doctor |
| Awarding Institution |
|
| Supervisors/Advisors |
|
| Award date | 2021 Apr 16 |
| Place of Publication | Uppsala |
| Publisher | |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-91-513-1146-3 |
| Publication status | Published - 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- Religious Studies
Free keywords
- relgion
- poltics
- Sweden
- media
- hybrid media
- politicization of religion
- mediatization of religion
- emotions
- public sphere
- critical discourse analysis
- distant reading