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The uses of the term polarisation in Swedish newspapers, 2010–2021 Cover

The uses of the term polarisation in Swedish newspapers, 2010–2021

Open Access
|Jan 2024

Figures & Tables

FIGURE 1

Number of articles with the term polarise* and standard usageComments: The panel on the left depicts the number of articles per quarter from the polarise* query. In the panel on the right, the number from the left panel is divided by the number of articles from the baseline during the quarter.
Number of articles with the term polarise* and standard usageComments: The panel on the left depicts the number of articles per quarter from the polarise* query. In the panel on the right, the number from the left panel is divided by the number of articles from the baseline during the quarter.

FIGURE 2

Comparing the frequency with which politicians are mentioned in the context of polarisation, 2010–2020Comments: Y-axes show the average number of times that a politician was mentioned in the articles included in the news corpus.
Comparing the frequency with which politicians are mentioned in the context of polarisation, 2010–2020Comments: Y-axes show the average number of times that a politician was mentioned in the articles included in the news corpus.

FIGURE 3

The polarisation vector space split before and after 2016 and between the US and SwedenComments: The red coloured words signal affective polarisation, and the black coloured words are associated with ideological polarisation.
The polarisation vector space split before and after 2016 and between the US and SwedenComments: The red coloured words signal affective polarisation, and the black coloured words are associated with ideological polarisation.

Most commonly named entities found in sentences that included polarise*

Entities fromSame sentence mentionsMost common entities (by number of mentions)
USA5,223USA (2,417), Trump (833), Obama (323), Washington (172)
Sweden3,070Sweden (1,680), Stockholm (302), Gothenburg (218), Malmö (151)
EU2,176Europ* (700), EU (409), Russia (162), Germany (158)
Other697Israel (193), Turkey (174), Iraq (133), Erdogan (71)

Words associated with polarise* in the word2vec models

Type of polarisation2010–2015 & 2016–2021Unique 2010–2015Unique 2016–2021
issues and ideology
  • Segregering [segregation]

  • Progressiv [progressive]

  • Främlingsfientligheten [xenophobia]

  • Inkomstklyfta [income gap]

  • Tolerans [tolerance]

  • Rasismen [racism]

  • Islamofobin [islamophobia]

  • Transparensen [transparency]

  • Kunskapsklyfta [knowledge gap]

  • Politisering [politicisation]

  • Politikerförakt [politician contempt]

  • Populismen [populism]

  • Faktaresistens [fact resistance]

  • Otryggheten [lack of security]

affective
  • Misstro [distrust/suspicion]

  • Oro [worry]

  • Hätsk [virulent]

  • Osäkerhet [uncertainty]

  • Stämning [mood]

  • Infekterad [infected]

  • Fientlighet [animosity]

  • Tryck [pressure]

  • Förfäran [dismay]

  • Förhoppningsvis [hopefully]

  • Missnöje [discontent]

  • Uppskruvad [wound up]

  • Hårdna [lit. hardening]

  • Oförsonlig [irreconcilable]

  • Råare [cruder/beastlier]

  • Förgiftad [poisoned]

  • Pessimism

  • Optimism Misstänksamhet [suspicion]

Named entities mentioned most commonly in sentences that included polarise*

EntityNumber of same sentence mentions
Sweden1,680
USA1,640
Trump833
America*777
Europe*700
EU409
Obama323
Stockholm302
Gothenburg218
Israel193
Turkey174
Washington172
Clinton165
Russia162
Germany158
Biden154
Malmö151
Iraq130
France122
New York119
Åkesson117
UK117
Italy110
Poland108
Löfven102

Words associated with polarise* in the word2vec models_

Word type2010–2015 & 2016–2021Unique 2010–2015Unique 2016–2021
synonyms/antonyms/definitions/metaphors
  • Splittring [split]

  • Konflikt [conflict]

  • Motsättning [antagonism]

  • Klyfta [fig. chasm]

  • Spänning [tension]

  • Uppdelning [division]

  • Skiljelinjer [dividing-line]

  • Isär [apart]

  • Konsensus [consensus]

  • Åsiktsskillnad [difference of opinion]

  • Kontrasten [the contrast]

  • Ytterlighet [extreme]

  • Slitning [tension]

  • Spricka [rift]

  • Sfärer [spheres]

causes/outcomes
  • Misstro [distrust]

  • Förståelsen [understanding]

  • Låsning [deadlock]

  • Konfrontation [confrontation]

  • Förskjutning [shift]

  • Grogrund [hotbed]

  • Dödlägen [impasses]

  • Drivkraft [driving force]

  • Dominera [dominate]

  • Politisering [politicisation]

  • Missnöje [discontent]

  • Politikerförakt [contempt of politicians]

  • Instabilite [instability]

  • Otryggheten [insecurity]

  • Cementera [consolidate]

  • Självförstärkande [self-reinforcing]

carriers/expressions
  • Retorik [rhetoric]

  • Stämning [mood]

  • Osäkerhet [insecurity]

  • Tonlägen [tone]

  • Tonen [the tone]

  • Ensidig [one-sided]

issues/themes/
  • Segregering [segregation]

  • Progressiv [progressive]

  • Främlingsfientligheten [xenophobia]

  • Inkomstklyfta [income gap]

  • Tolerans [tolerance]

  • Rasismen [racism]

  • Islamofobin [islamophobia]

  • Transparensen [transparency]

  • Kunskapsklyfta [knowledge gap]

  • Politisering [politicisation]

  • Politikerförakt [contempt of politicians]

  • Populismen [populism]

  • Faktaresistens [fact resistance]

  • Otryggheten [insecurity]

qualitative/affective
  • Misstro [distrust/suspicion]

  • Oro [worry]

  • Hätsk [virulent]

  • osäkerhet [insecurity]

  • Infekterad [infected]

  • Fientlighet [animosity]

  • Tryck [pressure]

  • Sinande [lit. Ebbing; decrease]

  • Breddning [widening]

  • Förfäran [dismay]

  • Märkvärdig [remarkable]

  • Återkommande [recurring]

  • Förhoppningsvis [hopefully]

  • Alltmer [increasingly]

  • Uppskruvad [wound up]

  • Hårdna [lit. hardening]

  • Oförsonlig [irreconcilable]

  • Råare [cruder/beastlier]

  • Förgiftad [poisoned]

  • Pessimism

  • Optimism Misstänksamhet [suspicion]

other/unclear
  • Tendens [tendency]

  • Otakt [out of step]

  • Entusiasmen [the enthusiasm]

  • Bevakning [supervision]

  • Parallell [parallel]

  • Mönster [pattern]

  • Strömning [current]

  • Medvetenhet [awareness]

  • Hotbilden [threat scenario]

  • Öppnar [opens]

  • Miniminivåer [minimum levels]

Typical sentences in which words appeared together with the term polarisation

WordTypical SentenceTranslation
segregationminska polarise och segregationreduce polarisation and segregation
progressiv
  • Länet har en polariserad historia med markanvändning

  • och industri men också en progressiv socialdemokrati...

the county has a polarised history with land use and industry but also a progressive social democracy...
främlingsfientligheten
  • motalaföreningen kulturslussen kände att något måste

  • göras mot polariseringen och främlingsfientligheten

Motalas association kulturslussen felt that something had to be done against polarisation and xenophobia
inkomstklyftor
  • Det finns en risk att ökad arbetslöshet och skärpta

  • inkomstklyftor förstärker den politiska polarisering

  • enligt adrian cooper

There is a risk that increased unemployment and sharpened income gaps will strengthen the political polarisation according to Adrian Cooper
toleransen
  • ssr anser att debattklimatet i frågan hårdnat och blivit

  • allt mer polariserad på senare tid.

SSR believes that the debate on the issue has hardened and become increasingly polarised in recent times.
rasismendet är rasismen i sverige som är polariseradit is the racism in Sweden that is polarising
islamofobin
  • och när medierna blåser upp terrorhotet så ökar

  • Förstås också polarisering och islamofobin

and when the media inflates the terror threat, of course polarisation and Islamophobia also increase
transparensenSå transparens är viktigt om man vill minska polariseringen inom debatten.So transparency is important if you want to reduce polarisation within the debate.
kunskapsklyftorna
  • rutavdraget riskerar att öka kunskapsklyftorna och

  • därmed bidra till att skolresultaten blir än mer

  • polariserad än vad de är idag

Rutavdraget risks increasing knowledge gaps and thereby contributing to school results becoming even more polarised than they are today.
politiseringdå förvandlas politisering till polariseringthen politicisation turns into polarisation
politikerföraktet
  • politikerföraktet skapar en polarisering vilket skadar alla

  • partier

the disdain for politicians creates a polarisation, which damages all parties
populismenpopulismen och polarisering är farligPopulism and polarisation are dangerous
faktaresistent
  • tyvärr blir diskussionen i samhället

  • allt mer polariserad

  • och faktaresistent

unfortunately, the discussion in society is becoming increasingly polarised and resistant to facts
otrygghetenotryggheten och polarisering ökarinsecurity and polarisation increase
misstro
  • att det skapar polarisering och

  • misstro

that it creates polarisation and mistrust
oronoron för polariseringconcern about polarisation
hätskhätsk retorik och ökad polarisering kan gynna extremismvirulent rhetoric and increased polarisation can favour extremism
osäkerhet
  • propaganda begränsad nyhetsrapportering och

  • polarisering skapar vardaglig osäkerhet

propaganda limited news reporting and polarisation create everyday uncertainty
stämning
  • det pågår en upptrappning en allt

  • hetsigare stämning

  • och polarisering

there is an escalation, an increasingly heated atmosphere and polarisation
infekteraddebatten har blivit polariserad och infekteradthe debate has become polarised and infected
fientlighet
  • aggressiv identitetspolitik och militant antirasism

  • polariserar det skapar fientlighet och konflikt i stället

  • för solidaritet och förbrödring

aggressive identity politics and militant anti-racism polarises, it creates hostility and conflict instead of solidarity and brotherhood
tryck
  • polarisering tar sig även andra ut

  • tryck

polarisation also takes pressure off others
förfäran
  • allt mer missnöjda och frustrerade över ytligheten och

  • med förfäran över hur motsättningar och polarisering

  • äter sig in i vårt samhälle

increasingly dissatisfied and frustrated with the superficiality and with dismay at how contradictions and polarisation eat into our society
förhoppningsvis
  • frågor som väldigt gärna och ofta blir polariserad kunde

  • förhoppningsvis bli lite mer nyanserade

issues that very easily and often become polarised, could hopefully become a little more nuanced
missnöje
  • ojämlikheten i samhället ökar vilket leder till missnöje

  • och polarisering

inequality in society increases, which leads to dissatisfaction and polarisation
uppskruvad
  • samtidens debatt är polariserad och volymen är högt

  • uppskruvad

the contemporary debate is polarised and the volume is turned up high
hårdnat
  • via techjättarnas hatpremierande algoritmer har tonen i

  • sociala medier hårdnat och polarisering ökat

via the tech giants’ hate-promoting algorithms, the tone in social media has hardened and polarisation has increased
oförsonlig
  • just nu har vi en tid av mer polarisering mer hätskt

  • klimat mer oförsonlig retorik

right now we have a time of more polarisation, more violent climate, more intransigent rhetoric
råaretonen har blivit råare när samhället blir mer polariseradthe tone has become rawer as society becomes more polarised
förgifta
  • sådana överdrifter bör inte få förgifta debatten för då

  • kan vi glida in i samma polariserad debattsörja som i

  • usa

such exaggerations should not be allowed to poison the debate, because then we can slip into the same polarised debate mess as in the US
pessimism
  • pessimism misstro byråkrati fake news murar flygskam

  • tullmurar polarisering och slutenhet lägger sordin på

  • stämningen

pessimism, mistrust, bureaucracy, fake news, walls, aviation shame, customs walls, polarisation, and closed-mindedness put a damper on the mood
optimism
  • från det tidiga talets optimism till

  • talets taktfasta tristess

  • Via en polariserad kulturkamp

from the optimism of the early speech to the rhythmic boredom of the speech via the polarised cultural struggle
misstänksamhet
  • de skapade rädsla misstänksamhet

  • och har polariserat öst

  • och väst

they created fear, suspicion, and polarisation East and West
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2024-0002 | Journal eISSN: 2001-5119 | Journal ISSN: 1403-1108
Language: English
Page range: 1 - 34
Published on: Jan 19, 2024
Published by: University of Gothenburg Nordicom
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year

© 2024 Mike Farjam, Tommy Bruhn, Nils Gustafsson, Anamaria Dutceac Segesten, published by University of Gothenburg Nordicom
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.