Stories about Strangers Swedish Media Constructions of Socio-Cultural Risk

Negative stereotypes about immigrants and strangers exist in all societies and countries. For many, immigrants represent a threat and a challenge to the ingrained habits and traditions of the majority, which leads to friction. Using three neighboring small towns in Sweden as case studies, Stories about Strangers follows the local discourse, primarily through the daily newspaper of the communities, to assess and evaluate the views and/or prejudices about immigrants.

Bo Petersson is Professor of Political Science at the University of Lund in Sweden.