Never say never to Nato
(2024) SKOK11 20241Department of Strategic Communication
- Abstract
- This thesis investigates the communication strategies employed by the Social Democratic Party regarding their significant shift in stance on Nato membership over a seven-month period, influenced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. The two research questions examined are how this radical shift has been discursively justified and framed, as well as how the tone and content have changed as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. Key political figures analyzed include former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and former Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research utilizes a thematic discourse analysis with framing as the primary theoretical framework.... (More)
- This thesis investigates the communication strategies employed by the Social Democratic Party regarding their significant shift in stance on Nato membership over a seven-month period, influenced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. The two research questions examined are how this radical shift has been discursively justified and framed, as well as how the tone and content have changed as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. Key political figures analyzed include former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and former Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research utilizes a thematic discourse analysis with framing as the primary theoretical framework. It considers the historical context of the Social Democrats' longstanding commitment to military non-alignment as the optimal strategy for Sweden's security. The study draws on prior research that uses the fear of abandonment to explain the radical shift, examines strategic communication within international relations, and analyzes Angela Merkel's significant policy change regarding nuclear power. The findings suggest a notable transformation in the discourse's tone and language, highlighting that the shift was framed differently pre- and post-invasion, while the justification for the shift was minimally communicated and supported by other factors. Additionally, the discussion highlights the effectiveness of the strategic communication tools used during the shift. However, it raises questions about the justification of the shift, given that it was not communicated transparently. This study contributes to strategic communication by illustrating how political communication must evolve rapidly in response to critical events. (Less)
- Popular Abstract (Swedish)
- Den här avhandlingen undersöker kommunikationsstrategierna som använts av Socialdemokraterna under deras betydande omställning mot ett medlemskap i Nato under en sju månaders period, påverkad av Rysslands invasion av Ukraina den 24e Februari 2022.
Studien fokuserar på två forskningsfrågor som undersöker hur den radikala förändringen diskursivt har rättfärdigats och inramats, samt hur tonen och innehållet har förändrats till följd av Rysslands invasion av Ukraina den 24 februari 2022. De politiker som analyseras inkluderar tidigare statsminister Magdalena Andersson och tidigare försvarsminister Peter Hultqvist. Genom en kvalitativ fallstudieansats så har en tematisk diskursanalys används med gestaltningsteorin som primärt teoretiskt... (More) - Den här avhandlingen undersöker kommunikationsstrategierna som använts av Socialdemokraterna under deras betydande omställning mot ett medlemskap i Nato under en sju månaders period, påverkad av Rysslands invasion av Ukraina den 24e Februari 2022.
Studien fokuserar på två forskningsfrågor som undersöker hur den radikala förändringen diskursivt har rättfärdigats och inramats, samt hur tonen och innehållet har förändrats till följd av Rysslands invasion av Ukraina den 24 februari 2022. De politiker som analyseras inkluderar tidigare statsminister Magdalena Andersson och tidigare försvarsminister Peter Hultqvist. Genom en kvalitativ fallstudieansats så har en tematisk diskursanalys används med gestaltningsteorin som primärt teoretiskt ramverk. Den tar hänsyn till det historiska sammanhanget av Socialdemokraternas långvariga åtagande till militär alliansfrihet som den optimala strategin för Sveriges säkerhet. Studien bygger på tidigare forskning som använder fear of abandonment-teorin för att förklara den radikala förändringen, undersöker strategisk kommunikation inom internationella relationer och analyserar Angela Merkels liknande policyförändring angående kärnkraft. Studiens resultat tyder på en märkbar förändring i Andersson och Hultqvists diskurs, ton och språk, vilket framhäver att skiftet inramades olika före och efter invasionen. Motiveringen för förändringen kommuniceras minimalt och rättfärdigades av andra, utomstående faktorer. Diskussionen visar också att de strategiska kommunikationsverktyg som användes under skiftet var effektiva. Den väcker däremot frågor om huruvida skiftet var berättigat, med tanke på att det inte kommuniceras på ett transparent sätt. Den här studien bidrar till strategisk kommunikation genom att illustrera hur politisk kommunikation måste utvecklas snabbt som svar på kritiska händelser. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9154943
- author
- Buskas, Alexandra LU and Talmet, Louise LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SKOK11 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Nato, Framing, Diagnostic Framing, Prognostic Framing, Motivational Framing, International Relations, Public Policy, Social Democrats, Fundamental shift, Political communication, Strategic Communication, Discourse
- language
- English
- id
- 9154943
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-04 11:06:33
- date last changed
- 2024-06-04 11:06:33
@misc{9154943,
abstract = {{This thesis investigates the communication strategies employed by the Social Democratic Party regarding their significant shift in stance on Nato membership over a seven-month period, influenced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. The two research questions examined are how this radical shift has been discursively justified and framed, as well as how the tone and content have changed as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. Key political figures analyzed include former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and former Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research utilizes a thematic discourse analysis with framing as the primary theoretical framework. It considers the historical context of the Social Democrats' longstanding commitment to military non-alignment as the optimal strategy for Sweden's security. The study draws on prior research that uses the fear of abandonment to explain the radical shift, examines strategic communication within international relations, and analyzes Angela Merkel's significant policy change regarding nuclear power. The findings suggest a notable transformation in the discourse's tone and language, highlighting that the shift was framed differently pre- and post-invasion, while the justification for the shift was minimally communicated and supported by other factors. Additionally, the discussion highlights the effectiveness of the strategic communication tools used during the shift. However, it raises questions about the justification of the shift, given that it was not communicated transparently. This study contributes to strategic communication by illustrating how political communication must evolve rapidly in response to critical events.}},
author = {{Buskas, Alexandra and Talmet, Louise}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Never say never to Nato}},
year = {{2024}},
}