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Spreading a Norm-based Policy? Sweden's Feminist Foreign Policy in International Media

Rosén Sundström, Malena LU ; Zhukova, Ekatherina LU orcid and Elgström, Ole LU (2021) In Contemporary Politics 27(4). p.439-460
Abstract
Since 2014, Sweden has pursued the world's first Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP). However, the effectiveness of its policy promotion depends on how Sweden's efforts to spread this norm-based policy are perceived and evaluated by other states. We argue that a policy promotion effort has to be perceived as legitimate, coherent and salient by target populations in order to be effective. We investigate the extent to which it is the case in national newspapers of 17 countries, representing world and regional powers. We demonstrate that most coverage of the FFP is rather modest, notably in non-Western countries. Further, we argue that the coverage of Sweden's FFP in foreign media is influenced by three challenges: (1) an absence of a universal... (More)
Since 2014, Sweden has pursued the world's first Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP). However, the effectiveness of its policy promotion depends on how Sweden's efforts to spread this norm-based policy are perceived and evaluated by other states. We argue that a policy promotion effort has to be perceived as legitimate, coherent and salient by target populations in order to be effective. We investigate the extent to which it is the case in national newspapers of 17 countries, representing world and regional powers. We demonstrate that most coverage of the FFP is rather modest, notably in non-Western countries. Further, we argue that the coverage of Sweden's FFP in foreign media is influenced by three challenges: (1) an absence of a universal definition of FFP; (2) a clash between ideals of FFP and Swedish “traditional” security and commercial interests; (3) an uneasy relationship between the concept of feminism and media in many countries. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Contemporary Politics
volume
27
issue
4
pages
439 - 460
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85102953411
ISSN
1469-3631
DOI
10.1080/13569775.2021.1902629
project
Sweden as a Norm Entrepreneur: The Case of the Feminist Foreign Policy
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b6867099-8962-4527-9edc-98a00ae4ba44
date added to LUP
2021-03-10 14:02:30
date last changed
2024-12-10 12:30:20
@article{b6867099-8962-4527-9edc-98a00ae4ba44,
  abstract     = {{Since 2014, Sweden has pursued the world's first Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP). However, the effectiveness of its policy promotion depends on how Sweden's efforts to spread this norm-based policy are perceived and evaluated by other states. We argue that a policy promotion effort has to be perceived as legitimate, coherent and salient by target populations in order to be effective. We investigate the extent to which it is the case in national newspapers of 17 countries, representing world and regional powers. We demonstrate that most coverage of the FFP is rather modest, notably in non-Western countries. Further, we argue that the coverage of Sweden's FFP in foreign media is influenced by three challenges: (1) an absence of a universal definition of FFP; (2) a clash between ideals of FFP and Swedish “traditional” security and commercial interests; (3) an uneasy relationship between the concept of feminism and media in many countries.}},
  author       = {{Rosén Sundström, Malena and Zhukova, Ekatherina and Elgström, Ole}},
  issn         = {{1469-3631}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{439--460}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Contemporary Politics}},
  title        = {{Spreading a Norm-based Policy? Sweden's Feminist Foreign Policy in International Media}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13569775.2021.1902629}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13569775.2021.1902629}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}