Klosterliv i svensk dagspress : En tematisk analys av representation i svensk dagspress i samband med dokumentärfilmen Nunnan – 25 år i kloster

Sammanfattning

Monastic life today evokes fascination, curiosity, and reflection in Swedish public discourse. In a society often described as secularized and individualized, monastic life appears simultaneously as something distinctive, unfamiliar, and appealing. This study examines how monastic life is represented in the Swedish daily press and identifies the dominant themes and interpretative frameworks through which it is portrayed in contemporary Swedish public discourse. The study draws on sociological perspectives on mediatization, the new visibility of religion, and individualization. The empirical material consists of ten selected newspaper articles published in the year of release of the documentary film The Nun – 25 Years in a Monastery. The material was analyzed using qualitative thematic content analysis with a primarily inductive approach, while also being informed by abductive reasoning.The analysis identifies three overarching themes. Monastic Life as a Secluded and Regulated Way of Life highlights how monastic life is described through physical separation, discipline, and distance from the surrounding society. Monastic Life as an Individual and Existential Life Choice demonstrates how the decision to enter a monastery is frequently portrayed as a personal search for meaning, authenticity, and spiritual depth. Monastic Life as a Fascinating, Unfamiliar, and Alternative Way of Life reveals how monastic life is simultaneously constructed as both attractive and deviant in relation to contemporary Swedish norms and values. The findings show that monastic life in the Swedish daily press is largely interpreted through individualized and existential perspectives rather than through traditional religious authorities or collective forms of religious practice. At the same time, monastic life is constructed as something different and partly unfamiliar in relation to a modern and secularized society. The study thus demonstrates how religion in contemporary media can be portrayed both as culturally distinctive and as a resource for meaning, identity, and existential orientation.