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. To analyze these majority-minority encounters, this study uses perspectives from sub-fields of theoretical study that are closely related but rarely, if ever, brought together. These include perceptions of socio-cultural risk; stereotype formation, scapegoating, and enemy images; mass media reporting on immigrants; and the study of everyday practices or the mundane. 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.