Gender equality as a Swedish norm, but who’s included? - a critical analysis of the Swedish parental insurance

Abstract: This thesis purpose is to investigate to what extent gender equality norms have developed in Sweden over the last 40 years. In order to do this I will use Carol Bacchi’s method, ”What’s the problem represent to be”, and six questions that she has created within this method. These questions are applied on four different governmental propositions, that discuss the parental leave insurance and gender equality, from the year 1973 until 2014. Together with Bacchi’s method, this thesis theoretical framework will be influenced by feminist postmodern thoughts. In the analysis, four different key concepts are identified. These concepts; The State, Family: men, women and parenthood, Work and, Flexibility and freedom of choice, are central in all four propositions. Outside the propositions, a few norms have been identified and analyzed. The most central norms are: to have an employment, the twoness norm, and the heteronorm. Even if Sweden has had good preconditions and created equally formal rights for both men and women, there are still obstacles and norms in society about how a mother, father or a parent should be. Even if gender equality norms have changed, the basic assumption, that parents should be able to combine work and family, is still central.