Arbete, framtid och ideologi - En ideologianalys av Svenskt Näringsliv och LO och debatten om sänkta lägstalöner

Sammanfattning: The essay explores the legitimizing, rationalizing, universalizing and naturalizing effects of ideology with focus on the Swedish trade union LO and employers’ organization Svenskt Näringsliv. The material consists of two reports both concerning the issue of lowering the minimum wage. Ideology is discussed in relation to the use of expert knowledge and how the use of expert knowledge can be read as ideological. The use of expert knowledge is viewed not just as a means to improve policy output but also as a way of legitimizing and substantiating organizations and policy proposals. The method used is Evert Vedung’s analysis of ideas. The reports are seen as a conscious act of rational ideology production. The essay emphasizes a negative definition of ideology as possibly both conscious and unconscious depending on the social and material structure of society. The result shows that Svenskt Näringsliv uses expert knowledge at a much higher extent than LO in the studied reports, since they see an ideological and strategic benefit in turning the issue from ideology to technocracy. LO on the other hand do not turn to expert knowledge, and instead seeks their legitimacy in feminism and portraying themselves as an antagonist to Svenskt Näringsliv.