The moral entrepreneurship of anti‐khat campaigners in Sweden – a critical discourse analysis

Abstract

Purpose -This article aims to analyse the discourse about khat in the Swedish newspaper media and to present the concept of moral entrepreneurship as a useful analytical tool for understanding mobilisation against khat use in the Somali diaspora. Design/methodology/approach -The material analysed consists of daily newspaper articles about khat published between 1986 and 2012. The method of analysis is inspired by the critical discourse analysis framework developed by Norman Fairclough. Drawing on Howard S. Becker's concept of moral entrepreneur, the article focuses on anti-khat campaigners who speak out against khat in the media. These are often representatives from Somali voluntary associations or organisations, who sometimes employ moral entrepreneurship. The article discusses these actors' role in framing khat use as a tangible threat to the Somali community in Sweden. Findings -When employing moral entrepreneurship, anti-khat campaigners spread a certain type of knowledge about khat that is presented to the general public via the media. The key issues that repeatedly are of concern are how khat destroys Somali families and how the use might spread to other groups. In this manner khat use is constructed as a threat to Somali social cohesion. The knowledge produced could potentially influence policy makers to introduce stricter punishments for possession, sale and use of khat, thereby possibly increasing stigma and marginalisation in relation to the Somali immigrant community. Originality/value -The literature about khat has pointed to the centrality of Somali organisations mobilising against khat in the diaspora. This article presents moral entrepreneurship as a theoretical tool to further the understanding of the mobilisation against khat and its use.

Making Up the “Drug-Abusing Immigrant”

“…But sure, there are those who can handle it at a reasonable level so to speak. (Caadil, male) Overall, the interviewees downplayed the importance of ethnicity and culture, which have been influential in dominant discourses about khat use in Sweden and Europe (Nordgren, 2013;Nordgren, 2015). This might have implications for the way khat should be thought about in settings where it is generally seen as something "foreign" and associated with certain ethnic minorities.…”

“…In the Swedish media, khat use has been described as a serious social problem affecting the Somali ethnic minority (Nordgren, 2013). Municipal projects in Scandinavia aimed at offering help to khat users have often exclusively targeted the Somali ethnic minority in ways that can be seen as overemphasizing assumed ethnic and cultural aspects of problematic khat use (Nordgren, 2015).…”

“…A common view has been that its use diverts Somali men from work and makes them withdraw from so-204 149 ciety . Furthermore, the relationship between khat use and marital breakdown has also been a frequent topic Nordgren, 2013). Male khat use within a family constellation has been claimed to cause men to not help in the domestic setting, be absent from the home, not provide for the family economically, spend limited resources on khat, be irritable after chewing sessions, not invest in their children, and have a reduced libido (Thomas & Williams, 2013, 13).…”

“…Khat use has been claimed to cause social problems of various sorts, particularly socioeconomic disadvantages and "integration problems" Carrier, 2007, chapter 7;Nordgren, 2013;Nordgren, 2015;.…”

“…Since the 1960s, khat "has traveled into lands not traditionally associated with its consumption" in tandem with the development of international airfreight . Khat was classified as an illicit drug in Sweden in 1989 and was initially associated with Africans in general, but over time it has been associated as a drug exclusively used by the Somali ethnic minority in Sweden Nordgren, 2013).…”