Svensk självbild och konflikt: En kvalitativ innehållsanalys av rolluppfattningar och konflikter i utrikesutskottet
(2026) STVK04 20252Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- This thesis examines Swedish national role conceptions and the extent of role contestation in the Swedish Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (Utrikesutskottet) in the context of Sweden’s recent changes in security and foreign policy. Drawing on role theory, particularly the concepts of national role conception and domestic role contestation, the study investigates (1) which national self-images are articulated in committee positions and party reservations and (2) which conflicts emerge between competing role conceptions. Using a deductive qualitative content analysis, the study analyses the committee’s statements and party reservations in thirteen committee reports published in 2025. Role categories were developed from previous... (More)
- This thesis examines Swedish national role conceptions and the extent of role contestation in the Swedish Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (Utrikesutskottet) in the context of Sweden’s recent changes in security and foreign policy. Drawing on role theory, particularly the concepts of national role conception and domestic role contestation, the study investigates (1) which national self-images are articulated in committee positions and party reservations and (2) which conflicts emerge between competing role conceptions. Using a deductive qualitative content analysis, the study analyses the committee’s statements and party reservations in thirteen committee reports published in 2025. Role categories were developed from previous research and refined through an initial test of the coding scheme against a subset of the material.
The analysis identifies five recurring national role conceptions: small-state realist, moral actor, development promoter, European integrationist, and cooperation partner. The “cooperation partner” role, emphasising participation in international organisations as an intrinsic value, constitutes an empirical contribution beyond earlier typologies in the Swedish case. The study also finds clear patterns of contestation, primarily between the governing bloc and the opposition. The most frequent contestation concerns the tension between small-state realist and moral actor roles, indicating disagreement over what roles Sweden should play in international politics. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9217355
- author
- Lundberg, Simon LU and Svensson Klingenfors, Jacob LU
- supervisor
-
- Martin Hall LU
- organization
- course
- STVK04 20252
- year
- 2026
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- national role conception, role contestation, nationell självbild, rollkonflikt, foreign policy, Sweden, Committee on Foreign Affairs, utrikesutskottet
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9217355
- date added to LUP
- 2026-01-26 11:48:28
- date last changed
- 2026-01-26 11:48:28
@misc{9217355,
abstract = {{This thesis examines Swedish national role conceptions and the extent of role contestation in the Swedish Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (Utrikesutskottet) in the context of Sweden’s recent changes in security and foreign policy. Drawing on role theory, particularly the concepts of national role conception and domestic role contestation, the study investigates (1) which national self-images are articulated in committee positions and party reservations and (2) which conflicts emerge between competing role conceptions. Using a deductive qualitative content analysis, the study analyses the committee’s statements and party reservations in thirteen committee reports published in 2025. Role categories were developed from previous research and refined through an initial test of the coding scheme against a subset of the material.
The analysis identifies five recurring national role conceptions: small-state realist, moral actor, development promoter, European integrationist, and cooperation partner. The “cooperation partner” role, emphasising participation in international organisations as an intrinsic value, constitutes an empirical contribution beyond earlier typologies in the Swedish case. The study also finds clear patterns of contestation, primarily between the governing bloc and the opposition. The most frequent contestation concerns the tension between small-state realist and moral actor roles, indicating disagreement over what roles Sweden should play in international politics.}},
author = {{Lundberg, Simon and Svensson Klingenfors, Jacob}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Svensk självbild och konflikt: En kvalitativ innehållsanalys av rolluppfattningar och konflikter i utrikesutskottet}},
year = {{2026}},
}