När staten talar om kris och krig : En analys av broschyren “Om krisen eller kriget kommer” 1943-2024

This study examines how the Swedish state has communicated security, threats,and citizen responsibility to the population through different versions of thebrochures “If Crisis or War Comes”. Drawing on securitization theory and UlrichBeck’s theory of the risk society, the study analyzes how threat perceptions, protected referent objects, and the role attributed to individuals have changed overtime. The analysis is based on a deductive qualitative content analysis of sixbrochures published in 1943, 1952, 1961, 1989, 2018, and 2024.The findings demonstrate a clear transformation in the construction of threats,shifting from a predominant focus on conventional military conflict during theSecond World War and the Cold War to a more diversified threat landscape in thetwenty-first century, including societal disruptions, propaganda, cyber threats,environmental risks, and pandemics. At the same time, the referent objectspresented as worthy of protection broaden from the state and the military toencompass societal functions, critical infrastructure, and civilian resilience. Furthermore, the study identifies a significant shift in the state’s address tocitizens, from a duty-oriented and authoritative framing in earlier brochures to anincreased emphasis on individual autonomy, responsibility, and self-preparednessin more recent editions. Overall, the study highlights how Swedish securitycommunication reflects broader changes in security policy, societal vulnerability,and risk governance over time