The Imperative of Crisis : Power, Knowledge and Action in the Swedish Crisis Management System
(2023)- Abstract
- This thesis investigates Swedish crisis management. This thesis aims to contribute to crisis research
by providing critical perspectives on the role of knowledge in crisis management settings. The papers in
this thesis stem from empirical studies of the major cases of Swedish crisis management during the
last decade, including the Swedish refugee crisis in 2015, the wildfires in 2018, and the Covid-19
pandemic. Moreover, two papers concern the re-establishment of a Swedish total defence, which has
been an ongoing reform since the Crimea crisis in 2014. In crisis management settings, response work
is shaped around authentic, factual, and reliable accounts of ‘reality’ paired with seemingly value-free... (More) - This thesis investigates Swedish crisis management. This thesis aims to contribute to crisis research
by providing critical perspectives on the role of knowledge in crisis management settings. The papers in
this thesis stem from empirical studies of the major cases of Swedish crisis management during the
last decade, including the Swedish refugee crisis in 2015, the wildfires in 2018, and the Covid-19
pandemic. Moreover, two papers concern the re-establishment of a Swedish total defence, which has
been an ongoing reform since the Crimea crisis in 2014. In crisis management settings, response work
is shaped around authentic, factual, and reliable accounts of ‘reality’ paired with seemingly value-free
judgements of what needs to be done. This brings a particular form of assertiveness in the way threats
and crises are communicated in narratives that stress the important need for urgent and drastic
interventions in order to solve problems. Such imperative crisis narratives shape societal power
relations, which is a central theme in this thesis. The synthesis in this thesis contributes with critical
perspectives on Swedish crisis management by discussing the link between crisis-specific knowledge
and power and by tracing how discursive representations and operative logics condition actions and
influence in crisis management settings. In addition, the discussion draws attention to discursive
struggles and the role of affects in these settings, and how the notion of crisis and uncertainty
establishes a relation to the future in particular ways. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/783ca9be-56ff-445a-9e2a-833993bdf4bb
- author
- Svenbro, Maja LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Professor Basham, Victoria, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Sweden, crisis management, power, representations, imperative, crisis management, Sweden, power, representations, imperative
- pages
- 86 pages
- publisher
- Department of Building and Environmental Technology, Lund University
- defense location
- Lecture Hall V:A, Building V, John Ericssons väg 1, Faculty of Engineering LTH, Lund University, Lund
- defense date
- 2023-11-24 09:00:00
- ISBN
- 978-91-8039-816-9
- 978-91-8039-815-2
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 783ca9be-56ff-445a-9e2a-833993bdf4bb
- date added to LUP
- 2023-10-30 11:30:37
- date last changed
- 2023-11-01 08:09:34
@phdthesis{783ca9be-56ff-445a-9e2a-833993bdf4bb,
abstract = {{This thesis investigates Swedish crisis management. This thesis aims to contribute to crisis research <br/>by providing critical perspectives on the role of knowledge in crisis management settings. The papers in <br/>this thesis stem from empirical studies of the major cases of Swedish crisis management during the <br/>last decade, including the Swedish refugee crisis in 2015, the wildfires in 2018, and the Covid-19 <br/>pandemic. Moreover, two papers concern the re-establishment of a Swedish total defence, which has <br/>been an ongoing reform since the Crimea crisis in 2014. In crisis management settings, response work <br/>is shaped around authentic, factual, and reliable accounts of ‘reality’ paired with seemingly value-free <br/>judgements of what needs to be done. This brings a particular form of assertiveness in the way threats <br/>and crises are communicated in narratives that stress the important need for urgent and drastic <br/>interventions in order to solve problems. Such imperative crisis narratives shape societal power <br/>relations, which is a central theme in this thesis. The synthesis in this thesis contributes with critical <br/>perspectives on Swedish crisis management by discussing the link between crisis-specific knowledge <br/>and power and by tracing how discursive representations and operative logics condition actions and <br/>influence in crisis management settings. In addition, the discussion draws attention to discursive <br/>struggles and the role of affects in these settings, and how the notion of crisis and uncertainty <br/>establishes a relation to the future in particular ways.}},
author = {{Svenbro, Maja}},
isbn = {{978-91-8039-816-9}},
keywords = {{Sweden; crisis management; power; representations; imperative; crisis management; Sweden; power; representations; imperative}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Department of Building and Environmental Technology, Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{The Imperative of Crisis : Power, Knowledge and Action in the Swedish Crisis Management System}},
year = {{2023}},
}