(Re)framing the Arctic : A qualitative content analysis on Swedish media and state discourses during 2017-2019

Sammanfattning: This thesis seeks to study how the Arctic is framed in Swedish media and state discourse during 2017-2019. The nexus of security studies and the Arctic are increasingly important due to the perceived opportunities and challenges rising as consequences of human-induced climate change. Despite the increasingly difficult geopolitical situation, the international cooperation of the region has been relatively uncomplicated. This paradox has created a diverged research field and a split in how the media and state discourses frame the Arctic. Previous research lacks a holistic approach of comparing two discourses in one study and a focus on Sweden. This thesis utilizes an analytical framework based on securitization and frame theory to identify frames by using the security concepts: traditional security, environmental security, and desecuritization. The study identifies a similar use of securitizing frames by the media and desecuritizing frames by the state, as defined by previous research. However, the Swedish case is distinguished by a division within the state discourse, a trend previously not identified, and the dominant use of environmental security frames. The results suggest the need for continued research on origins for media and state discourses in the growing field of Arctic security studies.