Browsing by Subject "ydinperhe"

Into Family examines how family is constructed in opinion pieces of Finland's most popular newspaper Helsingin Sanomat in 1990–1994 and 2010–2014. The research aim was to study what kind of discourses are constructed in the opinion pieces referring to nuclear family. The aim was also to compare discourses between years 1990–1994 and 2010–2014. The research method was critical discourse analysis which focuses on how societal power relations and inequality are constructed and reinforced through the use of language. The research questions are: how family is constructed in the opinion texts in Helsingin Sanomat and how discourses in 1990–1994 differ compared to 2010–2014 concerning equality? Studies show that heteronormative nuclear family is usually seen as "normal" family. In the beginning of this study, I assumed that discourses of nuclear family would reveal intersecting ideas of family. Therefore the context of the study was put up with discourses concerning nuclear family. The data was collected from the electronic archive of Helsingin Sanomat using all different forms of the keyword nuclear family. The analysis was made using critical discourse analysis to find out how societal power relations were constructed concerning family. Heteronormative nuclear family was constructed as self-evident family. It held hegemonic position in the discourses of both datas. Even so, family discourses, that had different ideologies about values clashed with each other. These differences constructed with conservative and liberal values. The comparative study showed that discourses of family had transformed to be more polyphonic and equal. Anyhow family discourses constructs and reinforces inequality by treating heteronormative nuclear family as normal and ideal. In any case family discourses have transformed to be more equal.