This qualitative study aims to explain why Denmark, despite being a liberal democracy, resorts to drastic solutions causing different degrees of citizenship amongst its citizens. Existing literature can’t explain why such drastic methods, leading to juridical differences among citizens, are being used towards citizens in liberal democracies who can’t objectively be perceived as traditional threats to national security. Using literature regarding ontological security and the Copenhagen School’s Securitization Theory this thesis observes security as a matter of identity and being rather than survival. Combining methods of process-tracing and discourse analysis this study examines the portrayal of the citizens in the so-called “ghetto” both in the prime ministers' new years speeches ranging from 1994 to 2018 and in the proposals with actions regarding the “ghettos”. The study has found that the citizens of the “ghetto” are perceived and portrayed as different from the regular Danish citizen and therefore it is possible to perceive and portray them as a threat to the Danish identity and society. Since the “ghetto” is perceived as a threat to Danish identity all actions become legitimate due to the fact that if nothing is done Denmark is not believed to remain Danish.

Does actors desire something more than survival in international politics? The Swedish neutrality politics that was developed during the Cold war can be described as a part of a national self-image, a type of political identity which constituted Sweden´s narrative nationally and internationally. The political identity commenced a change during 2009 with the solidarity politics, an adaption to the changed situation in the Baltic Sea as well as in Europe. The defence policy for Sweden 2016-2020 describes that a new Total defence with a strengthened defence economy is needed to face this situation. The traditional concepts of security within international relations usually derives from the survival of the actors and the interests that this entails. Theories about ontological security argues instead that the purpose of an actor´s actions aims to maintain its self-identity needs. Ontological security can therefore be used to understand the underlying motives and drives that causes policy changes such as defence policies. This study shows that the motives and drives behind the new Swedish Total defence according to Brent J. Steels perspective on ontological security can be understood as a will to uphold Sweden´s ontological security. The drives for Sweden´s actions can be described as a will to maintain the continuity in the biographical narrative as a sovereign, democratic and solidarity actor both nationally and internationally. The motives behind the decision-making processes are formed by the Swedish identity as a strong advocate of human rights and conflict prevention and war. Certain discrepancies can be understood in the chosen empiricism and Swedish action regarding shortcomings in the long-term material supply, defence economy and personnel supply within the total defence. This can be interpreted as potential threats towards the Swedish ontological security.

Flertalet motioner som berör förslag om visitationszoner i utsatta områden har överlämnats till Sveriges riksdag. Förslagen behandlar att polisen, efter åklagarbeslut, bör ges möjlighet att upprätta tidsbegränsade samt geografiskt avgränsade visitationszoner, där kroppsvisitation och husrannsakan får företas utan att någon konkret misstanke om brott föreligger. Samtliga motioner framhåller ett påtagligt behov av det utökade tillämpningsområdet. Behovet motiveras med hänvisning till en oroväckande brottsutveckling. I synnerhet bedöms ökningen av narkotika- och våldsbrottslighet utgöra ett allvarligt hot. Visitationszonernas potentiella införande har emellertid kritiserats mot bakgrund av deras ingripande i integriteten, reproduktion av fördomar samt att de riskerar undergräva förtroendet som polisen söker främja i det brottsförebyggande arbetet i utsatta områden. Uppsatsen syftar till att analysera hur legitimeringen av utökade polisiära befogenheter kan problematiseras utifrån teorin om ontologisk säkerhet, med ett fördjupande tillägg av ett perspektiv på politisk geografi, samt en postkolonial förståelse. Uppsatsen tillämpar Lene Hansens (2006) poststrukturalistiskt grundade diskursanalys med material av de till dags dato 32 framlagda motioner som förespråkar visitationszoner. Den ontologiska säkerhetsteorin kontextualiserar ett subjekts självuppfattning, vilken avses upprätthållas vid mötet med ett existentiell hot. Den postkoloniala teorin möjliggör vidare en maktorienterad förståelse som ger en historisk kontinuitet till det samtida upplevda behovet av säkerhetssökande strategier. Uppsatsen visar hur den Andra i utsatta områden konstrueras som ett hot gentemot stabiliteten i den svenska ontologiska säkerheten. Upprätthållandet av den svenska ontologiska säkerheten blir därmed avhängig utökad kontroll av den Andra genom geografiskt avgränsade visitationszoner. Genom uppsatsens teoretiska integrering möjliggörs en nyanserad förståelse kring hur visitationszoner i utsatta områden legitimeras. Genom detta tillskrivs den svenska ontologiska säkerhetens politiska geografi en historisk kontinuitet som grundas i det postkoloniala arvet samt dess samtida neokoloniala maktstrukturer.

Ontological security theory has served the field of international relations well by providing a theoretical lens through which the continuous behaviours of states can be understood. This study aims to contribute to furthering the development of ontological security theory by demonstrating its explanatory power even in the context of altered state behaviour. Employing a narrative methodological approach the study investigates the coexistence between states' ontological security pursuits in the form of identity continuity on one hand and political policy change on the other. This is achieved by examining political discourse surrounding a case of political policy change, the Swedish shift in stance towards NATO. The analysis of the study reveals that a pursuit of identity continuity and hence ontological security has coexisted with the political policy change, facilitated by narrative adaptations.These narrative adaptations entail making the political change compatible with the already established state identity. This allows for change in certain aspects while preserving continuity in areas necessary to fulfill the state's need for ontological security.

Uppsatsens syfte är att studera hur USA (re)producerar eller säkrar en specifik version av sin identitet genom att lämna det internationella kärnenergiavtalet med Iran eller JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). Studien går bortom de traditionella perspektiven inom säkerhetsstudier och inkluderar identitet som något som kan bli hotat och skyddat. Enligt poststrukturalisten David Campbell säkrar den amerikanska staten sin identitet genom representationer av fara eller genom porträtteringen av den Andra som ett hot i diskurser. Dessa identitetsrepresentationer analyseras i Donald Trumps JCPOA-tal med hjälp av Laclau och Mouffes diskursiva metod. Studien visar att Iran bidrar till att ge USA en bild av sig själv som en fredsfrämjande stat, som en ansvarsfull världsledare som tar ansvar över den nationella, regionala och internationella freden och säkerheten. / The aim of the study is to investigate how the U.S. (re)produces or secures a particular version of its political identity through its foreign policy towards Iran. More specifically through its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal or JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). The study goes beyond conventional security studies and includes identity as something that can be threatened and secured. Accordning to the Poststructuralist David Campbell the American state secures its identity through representations of danger or through the depiction of the Other as a threat in discourse. These identity representations are analyzed in Donald Trumps JCPOA statements with the help of Laclau and Mouffes discourse analytical method. The study shows that Iran provides the U.S. with a sense of it self as a peace promoting state, a responsible world leader that takes responsibility over national, regional and international peace and security.