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Vapnet som splittrar: En WPR-studie om representationen av personminor i Sverige och Finland

Johansson Kauppi, Vanja LU and Kruusmägi, Olivia LU (2026) FKVK02 20261
Department of Political Science
Abstract
As Finland withdraws from the Ottawa Treaty during 2026, a legal dissonance emerges within the closely integrated Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation. This study examines how anti-personnel mines are constructed as a problem in Sweden and Finland respectively, following Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Using a WPR analysis (What's the Problem Represented to Be) combined with strategic culture theory, parliamentary and armed forces discourses in both countries are analysed.

The analysis shows that the Swedish discourse is pluralistic, encompassing four problem constructions: anti- personnel mines as a humanitarian, legal, environmental and economic problem, as well as the Ottawa Treaty as an obstacle to Swedish-Finnish... (More)
As Finland withdraws from the Ottawa Treaty during 2026, a legal dissonance emerges within the closely integrated Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation. This study examines how anti-personnel mines are constructed as a problem in Sweden and Finland respectively, following Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Using a WPR analysis (What's the Problem Represented to Be) combined with strategic culture theory, parliamentary and armed forces discourses in both countries are analysed.

The analysis shows that the Swedish discourse is pluralistic, encompassing four problem constructions: anti- personnel mines as a humanitarian, legal, environmental and economic problem, as well as the Ottawa Treaty as an obstacle to Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation. The Finnish discourse is, by comparison, uniform: the Ottawa Treaty is simply constructed as a problem of security and freedom of action. In Finland, the military subculture sets the agenda while the political subculture legitimises it, whereas the relationship between subcultures in Sweden is characterised by tension. These differences are explained through the country's distinct strategic cultures, where Sweden is shaped by a normative and peace promoting self image and Finland by operational autonomy and territorial integrity. The study contributes to research on how humanitarian norms are renegotiated in a deteriorating security environment. (Less)
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author
Johansson Kauppi, Vanja LU and Kruusmägi, Olivia LU
supervisor
organization
course
FKVK02 20261
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Ottawa treaty, Anti-personnel mines, Swedish-Finnish Cooperation, Strategic Culture, WPR
language
Swedish
id
9228988
date added to LUP
2026-06-16 15:14:29
date last changed
2026-06-16 15:14:29
@misc{9228988,
  abstract     = {{As Finland withdraws from the Ottawa Treaty during 2026, a legal dissonance emerges within the closely integrated Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation. This study examines how anti-personnel mines are constructed as a problem in Sweden and Finland respectively, following Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Using a WPR analysis (What's the Problem Represented to Be) combined with strategic culture theory, parliamentary and armed forces discourses in both countries are analysed. 

The analysis shows that the Swedish discourse is pluralistic, encompassing four problem constructions: anti- personnel mines as a humanitarian, legal, environmental and economic problem, as well as the Ottawa Treaty as an obstacle to Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation. The Finnish discourse is, by comparison, uniform: the Ottawa Treaty is simply constructed as a problem of security and freedom of action. In Finland, the military subculture sets the agenda while the political subculture legitimises it, whereas the relationship between subcultures in Sweden is characterised by tension. These differences are explained through the country's distinct strategic cultures, where Sweden is shaped by a normative and peace promoting self image and Finland by operational autonomy and territorial integrity. The study contributes to research on how humanitarian norms are renegotiated in a deteriorating security environment.}},
  author       = {{Johansson Kauppi, Vanja and Kruusmägi, Olivia}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Vapnet som splittrar: En WPR-studie om representationen av personminor i Sverige och Finland}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}