Preparedness Beyond Emergencies: Civil Society Organizations, Legitimacy, and the Framing of Crisis Preparedness in Sweden

Abstract

Abstract This thesis examines how Swedish civil society organizations (CSOs) construct and communicate their role in crisis preparedness through online communication, and what perceived gaps between civil society and the state emerge through this discourse. Drawing on a qualitative digital ethnographic approach, the study analyzes Facebook posts and selected organizational reports from the Swedish Red Cross, Save the Children Sweden, Stockholms Stadsmission, and Civil Rights Defenders across the periods 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024- 2026.
Four central themes emerged from the material: complementarity, gap-filling, responsibility-shaping, and legitimacy construction. Together, these themes illustrate how CSOs not only provide support during crises, but also actively shape public understandings of vulnerability, preparedness, and responsibility. The findings show that preparedness is repeatedly framed as broader than emergency response alone and intricately connected to welfare systems, social inequality, trust, and social inclusion.
The analysis further demonstrates how online communication functions as a strategic form of public positioning through which organizations construct legitimacy and frame themselves as socially necessary actors within preparedness systems. By examining how preparedness is communicated and negotiated through digital platforms, the thesis contributes to research on civil society, crisis preparedness, and development studies by highlighting the importance of communication, framing, and social conditions in contemporary preparedness discourse.

Popular Abstract

In recent years, crisis preparedness has become a growing topic of discussion in Sweden. Major events such as the 2018 wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic, together with increasing economic insecurity and social vulnerability, have raised concerns about how societies prepare for crises and who is expected to support people when existing systems are under pressure.
This thesis explores how Swedish civil society organizations (CSOs) communicate about crisis preparedness online. The study focuses on four organizations; the Swedish Red Cross, Save the Children Sweden, Stockholms Stadsmission, and Civil Rights Defenders, and analyzes Facebook posts together with selected organizational reports. By examining their Facebook posts during the time periods of 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024-2026, the thesis studies how these organizations describe their role in society, how they communicate about responsibility, and how they position themselves in relation to the state.
Communication suggests that crisis preparedness is framed as something much broader than emergency response alone. Rather than focusing only on extraordinary events such as natural disasters, wars, or pandemics, the organizations repeatedly connect preparedness to everyday social conditions. Issues such as poverty, loneliness, housing insecurity, mental health, exclusion, and access to welfare support are presented as closely linked to society’s ability to cope with crises.
Across the collected material, CSOs describe themselves as flexible, locally rooted, and able to respond quickly to social needs. Their communication emphasizes close contact with vulnerable groups, local knowledge, volunteer engagement, and the ability to provide support in situations where public institutions are perceived as limited or overstretched. Social media functions as more than a tool for spreading information. Through Facebook, the organizations actively shape discussions about crises, vulnerability, inequality, and societal responsibility. As such, communication itself becomes part of preparedness work by influencing how problems are understood and which forms of action appear necessary or legitimate. Finally, the thesis argues that crisis preparedness should not only be understood as a technical or institutional issue, but also as a social and political one. Preparedness emerges as closely connected to trust, welfare systems, social inclusion, and societal resilience. By examining how CSOs communicate online, the research contributes to a broader understanding of how preparedness is negotiated and constructed in contemporary Sweden.

• author: Lewitski, Caroline
• supervisor: Laura van Oers
• organization: Master of Science in Development Studies
• course: SIMZ31 20261
• year: 2026
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Social Sciences
• keywords: crisis preparedness, civil society organizations, legitimacy, framing, vulnerability, preparedness communication, Sweden
• language: English
• id: 9238864
• date added to LUP: 2026-06-25 10:27:12
• date last changed: 2026-06-25 10:27:12