Moder Svea fjättrad : En narrativ analys av Sverigedemokraternas politik med fokus på historiekultur och historiebruk

Sammanfattning: The subject of this thesis is derived from the scientific problem of the encounter between history and politics. The aim is to analyse the Sweden Democrats' use of history which manifests itself in their political rhetoric. Specifically, the importance of their interest in history in their struggle to attain dominance over the interpretation and arrangement of Swedish history as a whole. My primary sources consist of the party's official magazine, election manifestos, and party programs. I approach these sources from a hermeneutic perspective and analyse the structure of their national narrative with the principal aim of understanding the power of attraction the party holds for its members and voters. In the analysis, I show how the Sweden Democrats employ existential, ideological, and political-pedagogical uses of history; how their interpretation of Swedish history is anchored in the works and historical culture of practicing historians during the turn of the twentieth century; how changes in which concepts dominates their narrative over time has led to a shift from emphasis on the grand heroes from the past to references to “Folkhemmet” (Peoples Home), as being the most important symbol of the unicity in Swedish history; how the structure of their narrative creates connections and parallels between past, present and future; and that the Sweden Democrats are conscious of the products within Swedish historical culture which have been, and still are, successfully used to maintain an active historical consciousness. Subsequently, I infer that the conclusion of their narrative is that Sweden is disintegrating into a country divided against itself, due to excessive immigration and the crumbling of the once successful welfare state. The moral of their narrative is that the only way to restore Sweden to glory is to return to the social order which prevailed during the middle of the twentieth century.