Total defense as a happy object: gendering mobilization of civil defense in Sweden
Journal: Critical Military Studies
Year: 2022

For the past years, the national rhetoric in Sweden has changed. Due to the Russian actions in Ukraine and Crimea, efforts towards mobilizing military and civil preparedness increased. The concept of the ‘total defence’ was reintroduced and has led to shifting priorities in Swedish politics, serving as a happy object and remedy in times of security threat and social anxiety. The article critically examines what this mobilization requires from the civil society actors. Drawing on a wide scope of