Larsson, Oscar
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to investigate the changing relations between individuals and public authorities within the Swedish crisis management system from 1995 to 2017. After the end of the Cold War, Sweden adopted a broader understanding of security that utilizes alternative governance strategies beyond sovereign means and focuses upon domestic security and the protection of vital systems. This has resulted in the emergence of collaborative arrangements involving public and private actors and as well as the extensive responsibilization of individuals. The latter has taken place since emergency and exceptionalism persist as vital concepts also in domestic security management. The present discussion argues that these two concepts restrict possibilities for democratizing security management and provides the means for harnessing the inclusion of volunteers while not granting them due voice in collaborative governance arrangements. However, responsibilization strategies include 'activation' which in turn may invoke critical agency and reflection as well as enable resistance toward the current apolitical notion of crisis management.
Keywords
Crisis management; exceptionalism; responsibilization; governmentality; biopolitics; fear
Published in
Critical Policy Studies
2020, volume: 14, number: 1, pages: 86-105
Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
SLU Authors
Global goals (SDG)
SDG16 Peace, justice and strong institutions
UKÄ Subject classification
Public Administration Studies
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19460171.2018.1530604
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/105968