In The Democratic Contradictions of Multiculturalism, Jens-Martin Eriksen and Frederik Stjernfelt elaborate on the concept of “culturalism.” In Telos 163 (Summer 2013), Eriksen continues to analyze its intricacies under the heading “Culturalism: When the Culture becomes Political Ideology.”2 Horizontal class divisions are out, vertical cultural barriers are in. Seemingly, culture has squeezed out all other concepts. The present essay shall broaden this discussion by asking the question: What is the relation between the Counter-Enlightenment of the early nineteenth century and today's culturalism?

Background

Previous research has shown that migrants in Sweden are disadvantaged in terms of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). SRHR policies might play a crucial role in shaping migrants’ SRHR outcomes. The purpose of the study was to critically examine: a) how migrants were represented in the discourses embedded within Swedish SRHR-related policies, and b) how migrants’ SRHR-related issues were framed and addressed within these discourses.

Methods

Critical discourse analysis (CDA) was used to analyze a total of 54 policy documents. Following Jäger’s approach to CDA, discourse strands and entanglements between different discourse strands were examined.

Results

Our findings consisted of three discourse strands: 1) “Emphasizing vulnerability”, 2) “Constructing otherness”, and 3) “Prioritizing the structural level or the individual level?”.

Migrants’ representation in Swedish SRHR-related policies is often associated with the concept of vulnerability, a concept that can hold negative connotations such as reinforcing social control, stigma, and disempowerment. Alongside the discourse of vulnerability, the discourse of otherness appears when framing migrants’ SRHR in relation to what is defined as honor-related violence and oppression. Furthermore, migrant SRHR issues are occasionally conceptualized as structural issues, as suggested by the human rights-based approach embraced by Swedish SRHR-related policies. Relevant structural factors, namely migration laws and regulations, are omitted when addressing, for example, human trafficking and HIV/AIDS.

Conclusions

We conclude that the dominant discourses favor depictions of migrants as vulnerable and as the Other. Moreover, despite the prevailing human rights-based discourse, structural factors are not always considered when framing and addressing migrants’ SRHR issues. This paper calls for a critical analysis of the concept of vulnerability in relation to migrants’ SRHR. It also highlights the importance of avoiding othering and paying attention to the structural factors when addressing migrants’ SRHR.

This article introduces an approach within social work called green social. It is argued that this approach has a critical potential in its ability to respond to urgent issues concerning people’s current and future living conditions. It is further argued that in addition to its traditional involvement in problematic distribution of resources, social work can act upon linkages between social issues and issues concerning environmental and climate crisis when integrating areas of knowledge from other disciplines. Such linkages imply a revision of the construct ”person-in-environment” that traditionally denote a delimited notion of environment as the ”social environment”, thereby disregarding the biophysical environment that human beings are a part of. The article discusses concepts such as ”sustainable welfare”, ”de-growth” and ”transition” and presents examples of so-called ecosocial interventions while also making an argument for strengthening community work in Sweden.

Since July 1st, 2020, honour is viewed as an aggravating circumstance in criminal cases in Sweden, and it is suggested that honour related violence and oppression should become a criminal offence in its own right. Interventions directed towards victims of honour crimes have been implemented, but fewer have targeted the offenders. The purpose of this article is to mirror the Swedish legal and discursive framework against the perspective of the perpetrators. While we discuss findings with relevance for practitioners, particularly in the light of recent legislative changes, our main focus is set on subjective understandings of honour crimes. In particular, questions about the perpetrators’ norms and worldviews, their perceptions of the concept of honour, and their experiences of the Swedish justice system are investigated. Using court verdicts and deep interviews, we highlight important themes under the following four headlines: (1) Collectivism, norms, and traditions, (2) Complexities of honour crimes, (3) Marginalization, social vulnerability, and stereotyping, and (4) Reflections in retrospect.

This article gives insight into some of the complexities that courts will have to handle given the recent and pending changes in Swedish legislation and provides knowledge that can be implemented in social and legal work to combat honour related violence and oppression.  

Antologin belyser hur seuxalitet tolkas, bemöts och hanteras som ett socialt problem i en svensk välfärdskontext. Boken erbjuder analytiska perspektiv på sexualitet inom professionsområdet socialt arbete. Samtidigt konkretiseras frågor om sexualitet och social utsatthet genom empiriska exempel inom tre kunskapsområden: (1) Sexualitet i välfärdspolitiken, (2) Att möta frågor om sexualitet i praktiskt socialt arbete och (3) Erfareneter av sexuell utsatthet i relation till kunskaps- och professionsområdet socialt arbete.

Many countries around the world have a conscience clause allowing physicians and health care providers to opt-out of performing abortions. This practice of conscientious objection to abortion care affects both healthcare providers and women's access to abortion care. In Croatia, a conscience clause was introduced in 2003. Nonetheless, women's experiences of abortion after the introduction have not been previously studied. The aim of our study was to explore women's experiences of abortion and conscientious objection in a country with a conscience clause. The study has a qualitative inductive and explorative design. We interviewed seven (7) women in Croatia with experience of an unwanted pregnancy or abortion and analyzed the interviews using thematic content analysis. Our findings revealed one overarching theme: ‘Navigating the minefield—women's experiences of abortion in a country with a conscience clause’ and three categories: ‘Experiencing abortion—to endure a vulnerable situation,’ ‘The conscientious objection in practice—causing obstacles and stigma,’ and ‘Views on abortion—socio-cultural and religious influence’. The women perceived the abortion decision as being difficult and expressed feelings of shame, guilt, and fears of being judged in line with the general attitude toward abortion in society. They described the conscientious objection as having consequences in public healthcare by limiting their access to abortion care and affecting treatment in terms of i.e. derogatory comments, limited or lacking information about the abortion procedure and/or absent contraceptive counseling post abortion. According to the women, a shift towards more conservative ideas towards abortion seem to have taken place in the Croatian society. The conscientious objection was believed to reinforce a moralizing view of sexuality, where the women’s decisions regarding abortion became a collective concern causing stigma and involuntary social alienation. The conscientious clause made the women feel they had to navigate a ‘minefield,’ where their dependency situation and vulnerability in the abortion situation were reinforced by social stigma.

This article deals with the process of change from industrial land to recreational area on a 60 ha piece of land 12 km southeast of Malmö, southern Sweden, called Lake Arrie. The area is an abandoned gravel quarry in the midst of an agricultural landscape. We present a short background and the current situation in Arrie, setting out to capture the tendencies of the contemporary construction of nature for outdoor recreation. We then move on to discuss the salutogenic aspects of outdoor recreation, and how these can be traced in the actual landscape at Arrie. Furthermore, we open the discussion on diversity as a cherished post-modern ideal both in nature and culture. Different interests and ideologies may cause conflicts in the planning process. To capture the multitude of voices emanating among stakeholders, the process to extract local opinions through participatory processes is presented. The social and political categorisation of an area reflects the needs of a changing society. In the early industrial era, the area was an enclave of industrial ground in a completely rural setting. In the post-industrial era, it turned into a ‘wasteland’, open for nature to recolonise. This type of landscape is difficult to categorise, being an ‘inbetween-land’, neither nature nor culture, perceived as ephemeral and inferior. At the same time, the city sprawled closer, with the semi-urban populations’ need for outdoor recreation. In future, the former industrial ground will be perceived as an enclave of nature in an urban setting. When the former products of the area responded to the industrial need for gravel and limestone, the contemporary ‘products’ respond to emotional needs.

"The green parlour" is the result of a research project investigating the outdoor recreation habits and nature relations of immigrants in Sweden, with a focus on Malmö. It starts out with analyzing the traditional "Swedish" way of relating to nature, suggesting that the outdoor recreation so central to Swedish national identity is the result of modernization and urbanization. It also analyses the consequences of the migration process when it comes to relating to, orientate oneself and using nature, as an arena for both utility, i.e. picking berries, fishing etc, but also for purely recreational habits. The authors have interviewed immigrants in parks, green areas and allotment gardens all around Malmö, as well as newly arrived immigrants taking part in Swedish classes, and excursion organized to "present" Swedish nature and Swedish nature relations to immigrants. A central point in the book is that it is not ethnicity as such that forms our nature relations, but rather urbanization and modernization. Another central point is that the urbanization of the nature relations leads to a decline in ecological literacy, not among immigrants per se, but among everybody as urbanization and urbanity becomes our "second nature".

This anthology is a result of current research on processes of change in an urban setting. During the last century, Malmö in Southern Sweden has changed from a port for agricultural trade and fishing, to a highly modern, heavy industrialised city, through a severe depression and into an expanding postdindustrial, international town. This rapid change has been a challenge in all the fields that are presented in the book: the identity of the city and its' citizens, the socioeconomic facts, as expressed within the work sector and the housing sector, the ecological effects of former and contemporary green areas, the actual movements and use patterns of citizens in their everyday life, and how the city reshapes its' self reflection on a globalised market. The chapters are written by researchers in the Urban Studies Researcher Network, based on Malmö University, though some colleagues work at Lund University.

A debating article regarding the fact that humanistic and social science researchers often are assessed regarding rules of publication that are common among natural scientists. For example, the order of authors among social scientists are often alphabetical, while it among medical researcher and others, are organised according to a number of principles. This kind of cultural clashes must be openly discussed among researchers, so that one group will not be judged through the eyes of other standards.

Chapter regarding the findings of a research project on the outdoor habits of immigrants in Sweden

This article critically examines the basis for Swedish prevention strategies and policy documents concerning sexual risk‐taking, investigating in particular how risk‐taking is represented with respect to the group of middle‐aged, heterosexual individuals. These prevention strategies and policy documents seem to be built on an assumption that sexual relationships are limited to people having sex with individuals with the same sexual orientation, age, behaviour or drug use, an assumption that can be questioned. We have made a scoping review of existing research and examined Swedish national prevention strategies, analysing policy documents on sexual risk‐taking. The results demonstrate a lack of both research and interventions targeted at middle‐aged heterosexuals. We argue that research and interventions directed to heterosexuals have strong connections to fertility. Drawing on Loseke's theorization, the explanation might be that middle‐age sexual behaviour loses the “social problem game”. The blind spots observed in research and policy can also be explained by an agreement in normativity between the different claims‐makers, such as interest groups, policymakers and politicians.

This study aimed to explore how sex education in special schools in Sweden is influenced and challenged by the multicultural aspects of modern society. In particular, it sought to explore professionalls' experiences of sex education and of honour-related experiences among young people with intellectual disabilities. Data from five individual interviews and one focus groups with four professionals were thematically analysed using sexual scripts as a theoretical framework. The results reveal an ambivalent honour-related script geared toward pupils with intellectual disabilities from cultural backgrounds differing from those of the Swedish mainstream. The provision of sex education, including information about honour-related experiences, is especially important because of these young people’s vulnerability; however, addressing the subject effectively is sensitive and complicated. Colleagues with different cultural backgrounds can act as ‘culture bridges’ for professionals who lack strategies, methods and materials. Increasing professionals’ prerequisite qualifications (e.g. further education, supervision) and adopting autonomy-promoted conduct can empower pupils with intellectual disability to exercise autonomy over their sexuality outside their immediate cultural context.

Today’s multicultural society is characterized by contradictory sexual norms that may have consequences for youths with intellectual disabilities’ possibilities of choosing a partner and expressing their sexuality. However, the body of knowledge concerning the area of youths with intellectual disabilities is limited. This study aims to examine professionals’ views on honor-related experiences among youths with intellectual disabilities. The data consists of nine qualitative interviews with professionals in special schools (personal assistants and teachers). In addition, 11 professionals were included at pre-meetings while designing the study. A thematic analysis was conducted while using sexual script as a theoretical framework. The results are presented in the following themes: (1) The professionals’ perceptions of the young people’s abilities to deal with honor-related experiences; (2) The professionals’ opinions of the existence of honor-related experiences among youth with intellectual disabilities; and (3) Descriptions of the professionals’ conduct toward the youths with intellectual disabilities concerning honor-related experiences. The analysis shows an honor script geared towards youths with intellectual disabilities, which can be described as a continuum between care and control connected to cultural sexual norms and to the disability. The families’ strive for a so-called normality seem to be an important factor in understanding for example arranged marriages among youths with ID. To meet the needs of these youths, the professionals require tools to navigate between care and control in this complicated arena of contradictory sexual and cultural norms.

Growing evidence suggests that young migrants are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence. As young migrants often lack family and social networks, professionals are often the recipients of disclosures of sexual violence. This study aimed to explore how professionals experience young migrants' disclosures of sexual violence. A qualitative design was used, based on 14 semi-structured interviews with a range of professionals from the public sector and civil society in southern Sweden. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The overarching theme developed was 'coming across the hidden problem of sexual violence in an excluded population' supported by three sub-themes: 'linking structural marginalisation and vulnerability to sexual violence'; 'realising that sexual violence is one among many other concerns'; and 'taking pride in backing up young people betrayed by society'. Professionals expressed a strong sense of responsibility due to the complex vulnerabilities of young migrants and their lack of access to services. This, coupled with the lack of clarity about how to respond to disclosures of sexual violence, can lead to moral distress. There is a need to strengthen support for professionals, including recognition of ethical dilemmas and the establishment of formal connections between organisations making access more straightforward and predictable.

The chapter is an introduction to a report of a research project on gender-based sexual violence against teenage girls in Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territories and Yemen. The project dealt with honour related violence, early marriages and sexual abuse from a child rights' perspective.

This chapter aims at revealing cultural and societal aspects of the megaengineering of artificial islands and other island development projects in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is a federation established in 1971 of seven traditional sheikhdoms or emirates, located on the Arabian coast of the Persian Gulf. The largest emirate Abu Dhabi; and also the name of the capital, but perhaps most famous is the city and emirate of Dubai for its many spectacular and extravagant megaprojects. The number and size of these new island projects can be understood by studying the elaborate chapter “Infrastructure” in the latest official United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2009. This chapter recounts for several projects of this kind that will be the starting point for my article and explained below in detail: In Abu Dhabi city the yearbook mentions that the islands named Sowwah, Al Reem, Saadiyat, Yas and Lulu are undergoing reclamation. In Dubai the world’s largest artificial archipelago called The World has been finalized and the three large man-made Palm Islands are under construction with one recently being completed. In the coastal areas of the smaller and poorer northern emirates, islands are being developed as well, following the pattern of the larger emirates. 

Den islamism som står för en auktoritär världsbild och livnär sig på hatet mot icke-muslimen är ingenting annat än sverigedemokraternas spegelbild, skriver Pernilla Ouis. Hon konstaterar att det är problematiskt om Rosengårds barn och unga på sin fritid är hänvisade till religiösa aktiviteter, när stadsdelens fritidsgårdar är alldeles för få.

The article discusses the suggestion that the true clash between Western and Islamic civilizations is in the field of sexuality. Islamic morals and values regarding sex are elaborated on the basis of Islamic sources and related to the context of Swedish sexual liberalism. What conflicts can be found in questions regarding how to meet a partner for sex and/or marriage, who can be chosen as a partner, and the forced, arranged and early marriages? The sexual rights of the husband and the sexual duities of the wife are problematized. The article critically discusses the Islamic view of forbidden sexual relations and behaviour. The different understandings of sexuality are articulated in social problems such as honour-related violence, individual feelings of shame, objections to sex education in Swedish schools and the sexualization of children.

In many families with a migration background, conflicts arise that can be linked to changing norms in migration processes. These norms and generational conflicts within families are often discussed under the term “honor-related violence and oppression”. The article seeks to provide a basic understanding of the mechanisms behind such conflicts, based on the author’s previous research and other current research on the topic. Differences in norms can be seen in the World Value Survey, where Nordic countries appear as the most secular, liberal, and individualistic. This can be compared to other countries from where immigrants moved from, where the norms are more traditional, religious, and collective. The violent family conflicts we have seen in the Nordic countries have been discussed in a simplified way in terms of gender and culture. The article seeks to provide in-depth knowledge of family conflicts that can be understood in terms of kinship-organized collective societies, where shame and honor play a major role for social status, security, and well-being in the group. Complex relationships within the family can be understood in the-oretical terms from the perspective of endogamy and patriarchal connectivity, where the relationship between mother, son and daughter-in-law, and between brother and sister, are particularly important for understanding the conflicts. Both men and women can be victims and perpetrators of honor-related violence, where the collective is of great impor-tance for the practice of violence. Violence should be understood from an intersectional perspective where gender, ethnicity, religion, class, and age play a major role. However, it is not only the violence that should be noticed, but the everyday oppression that young people experience as they socialize into traditional gender roles to become “marriageable” within the group. Family therapists are well suited to be able to help families in their role as outsiders, where a proposal is to mediate between the different family members to expose the norm conflicts and find a solution.

Girls in the Middle East are often exposed to serious violations of their rights as set out in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child; these violations are particularly evident in the field of gender-based sexual discrimination and violence. The project described in this article attempts to produce a situation analysis of the exposure to sexual violence of girls aged 12-18 in three countries: Lebanon, The Occupied Palestinian Territories (the OPT) and Yemen. The article focuses on three particular types of gender-based sexual violence against teenage girls, namely honour violence, early marriages, and sexual abuse. The methods applied in the research were Focus Groups Discussions (FGDs) with about 8-12 participants in each FGD. In addition to the FGDs, life stories were also collected. The project emphasised the experiences and opinions of girls regarding the three types of sexual violence listed above. 384 teenagers participated in FGDs to express their views and experiences on sexual violence and more than thirty life stories were collected. The article explores how honour violence, early marriages, and sexual abuse are violations of the CRC and analyses the particular cultural mechanisms that underlie this gender-based sexual violence in the Middle East.

A general introduction to Islam and Muslims in Sweden.

The article discusses the riddle how the United Arab Emirates can uphold a global environmental friendly image while having an enourmous use of natural resources. They have the highest use of water, energy and largest ecological footprint in the world per capita. The article discusses this paradox in terms of the discours of ecological modernization.

Today many young Muslims have difficulties fo find a marriage partner because the traditional ways to find a partner are no longer accepted among the young and educated Muslims. The article deals with different marriage strategies among young Muslims in Europe. The terms forced, arranged and love marriage are elaborated. The changing importance of the factors for choosing a partner such as family status, wealth (and education) and love in Muslim marriages are discussed. The article calls for a rethinking of fiqh, the Islamic jurisprudence, for helping young Muslims to find a partner.

Att problematisera givna föreställningar om förövare och brottsoffer i ”hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck".