SKAM: An Analysis of the Representation of First-Generation Muslim Youth Within Western Media
Skam, a Norwegian television series airing from 2015-2017 gained international notoriety from audiences during its running time. Its worldwide popularity prompted remakes of the show in different countries across the world. The show follows a group of five friends, every season focusing on one of them as the central character for the season. This format stayed consistent throughout remakes of the show following the order of the original seasons. Due to this format, I wanted to analyze a specific season to find what the remakes decided to change and why from a sociological standpoint. I chose to study season 4, which focuses on the character Sana Bakkoush, a Morrocon, Muslim girl living in Norway. The main themes that were either amplified or more nuanced throughout the remakes were Islamophobia, views on immigration and the relationship between the Sana and Yousef counterparts. In this paper I focus on the remakes Druck (Germany) and Skam France, asking how the changes of these themes reflect on the societal values of each country.
