Who are "the immigrants"? - A discourse analysis on forming “immigrants” as a group in the Swedish party leader debates of 2013 and 2017

Abstract: Using Laclau’s and Mouffe’s discourse theory, this thesis examines how the discursive formation of ”immigrants” as a group has developed in the Swedish party leader debates of 2013 and 2017. During these years the number of immigrants had a record year and the conversation and politics on immigration changed drastically in Sweden. This thesis is used to find out if the discourse on the conversation on immigrants, forming them as a group, has changed as well as the politics during this time. I found that three antagonizing discourses occurred in the 2013 debate. Two of these discourses formed “immigrants” as an opposite to the group “the Swedes”, one framing “immigrants” as something positive for Sweden and one as something negative. The third discourse avoided defining “immigrants” as a group entirely. In 2017 this third discourse disappeared as the other two gained popularity. My conclusion is that the antagonizing discourses on forming the group “immigrants” has changed from 2013 and 2017. This because as long as a group is described in relationship to “us” and “our” need for “them”, the step between defining “immigrants” as something positive to being something negative for Sweden is not big.