Bibliotek och bibliotekarier i riksdagen : En diskursanalytisk studie av framställningen av bibliotek, bibliotekarier och bibliotekarieprofessionen i två riksdagsdebatter

Sammanfattning

This study examines through discourse analysis how libraries, librarians and the librarian profession are presented in debates regarding two political initiatives in the Swedish Parliament – tillträdesförbudslagen (SFS 2021:34) and anmälningsplikten för offentliganställda. The purpose of the study is to examine said areas as well as contribute with knowledge on discourse at a national political level. The research questions are: How are libraries, librarians and the librarian profession presented by politicians in the chamber debates? Are there common or distinguishing features in the representations within and between the debates? How are such features expressed? What discourses can be identified in the debates? The study has a social constructionist perspective and uses a combined theoretical framework based on discourse theory and discourse psychology. The examined material consists of 17 records of proceedings in the Chamber. The analysis shows that there are both common and distinguishing features in the representations of libraries, librarians and the librarian profession. The most significant representations identified concerns what the library should or should not be, the library as a safe/unsafe place, the libraries/librarian’s connection to democracy, what the library offer and who has the right to it, librarians social action possibilities, as well as a purification strive of the signs. The study also shows that discursive aspects previously identified by researchers are constructed in the debates, as well as a ‘market discourse’ and ‘unsafe library discourse’. In addition to answering the study’s research questions and fulfilling its purpose, the study has by examining an unusual material in the library and information science field, and by combining discourse theory and discourse psychology also exemplified how such studies can be carried out and what research merits it can provide. This is a two-year master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.