Röda drömmar, blå ramar: En diskursteoretisk analys av de svenska Socialdemokraternas partiprogram och budgetar
2025 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesisAlternative title
Red dreams, blue frames : A discourse-theory based analysis of the Swedish Social Democrats’ party programs and budget proposals (English)
Abstract [en]
In a time of neoliberal discursive hegemony, which previous research has related to depoliticization of economic questions, rising of far right-movements, ever-increasing commodification of nature and human relations, negative economic outcomes and an inability to tackle rising inequality and climate issues, a discourse theory based analysis was conducted to investigate whether the Swedish Social Democrats can be understood to reproduce neoliberal discourse regarding economic issues, as some of their European counterparts have done since the financial crisis. Aside from the main purpose of examining whether neoliberal discourse reproduction was present, the study also examines whether discursive shifts have taken place from 2013 to 2024 and tries to elucidate how a narrow understanding of economic issues, shaped by neoliberal discourse, constrains possibilities for other understandings, and contributes to a depoliticization of economic questions. Using a thematic-analysis method and analysing the material through a discourse theoretic lens, which is resting on work by Laclau and Mouffe, the study concludes that, apart from a leftward turn in the articulation of the last party program, the Swedish Social Democrats reproduce a hybrid discourse with strong neoliberal influences. While expressing socialistic goals in party programs, suggested reforms in budget proposals are defensive and indicative of a narrow corridor provided by neoliberal hegemony. The results are theorized to be a limiting sign for any form realistic electorate opposition to a, always contextually bound and sometimes incoherent, neoliberal status quo.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 48
Keywords [sv]
Nyliberalism, Diskursanalys, Socialdemokraterna, Socialdemokrati
National Category
Social Sciences Political Science
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-102901OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kau-102901DiVA, id: diva2:1933200
Subject / course
Political Science
Educational program
Political Science (180 ECTS credits)
Supervisors
Examiners
2025-02-042025-01-302025-02-04Bibliographically approved