Sammanfattning

In this paper we explore the Swedish Government's vision for the forest sector: The Forest Kingdom - with values for the world, launched in 2011. We use the issues of climate change and gender equality to demonstrate implicit "values" that underpin this recent forest policy initiative. Drawing on new institutionalism, critical discourse theory and gender as an analytical category, we conceptualise values as important governance mechanisms mediated through discourse. We analyse key documents of the Forest Kingdom, along with press releases, governmental bills and reports and direct attention to problem representations and subject positions (identity offerings) produced. Our findings demonstrate how climate change is turned into a business opportunity and a means to secure growth and employment throughout Sweden. Women are represented as potential employees and active forest owners connected to the needs of the industry, rather than as active citizens involved in forest policy-making. Climate change and gender inequality are thereby displaced from the political to an economic sphere, linked to industrial needs, private forest ownership and profit rather than to public and collective decision-making. Values underpinning these representations are economic growth, individualism and faith in markets. The emphasis on production is not dissimilar from previous forest policies, which until 1993 primarily were oriented towards timber production.

Nyckelord

Sweden; forest governance; values; discourse

Publicerad i

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research
2015, Volym: 30, nummer: 3, sidor: 235-245

SLU författare

• Holmgren, Sara

  • Institutionen för skogens produkter, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Arora Jonsson, Seema

  • Institutionen för stad och land, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Globala målen

SDG5 Uppnå jämställdhet och alla kvinnors och flickors egenmakt
SDG8 Verka för varaktig, inkluderande och hållbar ekonomisk tillväxt, full och produktiv sysselsättning med anständiga arbetsvillkor för alla
SDG10 Minska ojämlikheten inom och mellan länder
SDG13 Vidta omedelbara åtgärder för att bekämpa klimatförändringarna och dess konsekvenser


UKÄ forskningsämne

Statsvetenskap (exklusive studier av offentlig förvaltning och globaliseringsstudier)


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2014.1002216

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/65607