Total defense as a happy object : gendering mobilization of civil defense in Sweden
(2023) In Critical Military Studies 9(4). p.497-512- Abstract
For the past years, the national rhetoric in Sweden has changed. Due to the Russian actions in Ukraine and Crimea, efforts towards mobilizing military and civil preparedness increased. The concept of the ‘total defence’ was reintroduced and has led to shifting priorities in Swedish politics, serving as a happy object and remedy in times of security threat and social anxiety. The article critically examines what this mobilization requires from the civil society actors. Drawing on a wide scope of material, including interviews, observations, news articles, and policy documents, our analysis shows that gender-based power and norms are integral to rebuilding the Swedish total defence. Moreover, different forms of benign masculinist... (More)
For the past years, the national rhetoric in Sweden has changed. Due to the Russian actions in Ukraine and Crimea, efforts towards mobilizing military and civil preparedness increased. The concept of the ‘total defence’ was reintroduced and has led to shifting priorities in Swedish politics, serving as a happy object and remedy in times of security threat and social anxiety. The article critically examines what this mobilization requires from the civil society actors. Drawing on a wide scope of material, including interviews, observations, news articles, and policy documents, our analysis shows that gender-based power and norms are integral to rebuilding the Swedish total defence. Moreover, different forms of benign masculinist protection mask processes of asymmetric influence and power distribution and renders any position of critique suspicious.
(Less)
- author
- Ericson, Mathias ; Svenbro, Maja LU and Wester, Misse LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- civil defence, gender, happy objects, Masculinist protection, total defence
- in
- Critical Military Studies
- volume
- 9
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 497 - 512
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85144159747
- ISSN
- 2333-7486
- DOI
- 10.1080/23337486.2022.2156837
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c1f8ad14-ac3b-424e-a73c-3dc604a191a7
- date added to LUP
- 2023-01-24 13:40:10
- date last changed
- 2024-01-09 15:47:46
@article{c1f8ad14-ac3b-424e-a73c-3dc604a191a7,
abstract = {{<p>For the past years, the national rhetoric in Sweden has changed. Due to the Russian actions in Ukraine and Crimea, efforts towards mobilizing military and civil preparedness increased. The concept of the ‘total defence’ was reintroduced and has led to shifting priorities in Swedish politics, serving as a happy object and remedy in times of security threat and social anxiety. The article critically examines what this mobilization requires from the civil society actors. Drawing on a wide scope of material, including interviews, observations, news articles, and policy documents, our analysis shows that gender-based power and norms are integral to rebuilding the Swedish total defence. Moreover, different forms of benign masculinist protection mask processes of asymmetric influence and power distribution and renders any position of critique suspicious.</p>}},
author = {{Ericson, Mathias and Svenbro, Maja and Wester, Misse}},
issn = {{2333-7486}},
keywords = {{civil defence; gender; happy objects; Masculinist protection; total defence}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{497--512}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Critical Military Studies}},
title = {{Total defense as a happy object : gendering mobilization of civil defense in Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23337486.2022.2156837}},
doi = {{10.1080/23337486.2022.2156837}},
volume = {{9}},
year = {{2023}},
}