Att skapa en motståndskraftig nation : Sverige bedömt genom sex upplagor av broschyren Om Kriget Kommer

Sammanfattning: This thesis deals with a well-known part of Swedish government communication to the citizens and inhabitants of Sweden regarding the event of war or other external threats, the brochure “If War Arrives” first published in 1943. With a sixth edition named ”If War or Crisis Arrives” in May 2018 the suite of printed information has been the prime advice to the Swedes during 75 years. The aim of this thesis is to study: How, by which messages, the Swedish government and authorities try to strengthen the resilience of its society through the brochures? How has the messages from the Swedish state on how citizens should behave in war and crisis changed during the 75 years since the first edition. Do changes in the forming of the nation through the brochure reflect changed values in society and a changed national narrative? If War Arrives is part of communication that create the nation of Sweden. It must be assumed that those who produce it search a synthesis between the need to control and lead a people in endangerment and simultaneously catch the same people's self-image. To find answers to the questions a quantitative study of frequency of key words is performed. This is followed by a discourse analysis emphasising on the Swedish security discourse and the Swedish national discourse. The conclusion of the quantitative study is a surprisingly stable product with, except for one subject (description of the enemy), small changes in the messages to the citizens. Moral statements have declined but legally built requirements have increased during the six editions published. The discourse study show a slightly changing language concerning the demands on the citizens in case of war or other sever danger. The construction of the national narrative is more adjusted to the modern diversified society in a globalized world but nevertheless the inhabitants of the nation are responsible both for themselves as individuals and share a responsibility for the nation-state of Sweden. There are indications for a change in the narrative of the Swedish nation because the collective claims of expressions seemingly embraced by everybody like “our style of life” or “form of living” has changed to the phrase “… the right to live according to our own choice”. This is a rhetorical change in phrasing that suits the needs of a modern globalized nation far better.