In a world of systemic environmental destruction and growing social inequality, it is important to explore how decision-making institutions communicate about development and how they attempt to achieve social and environmental sustainability. The institutions define the problems, suggest the strategies, make the policies and set the targets in order to address the present socio-ecological crisis. Using the following key research question, this study focuses on one of these institutions, the Swedish Government: What ideologies and discourses underpin the Swedish Government’s National Strategy for Sustainable Regional Development Throughout the Country 2021-2030, and how consistent are they to the purpose of the strategy?  In order to answer the question, this research uses critical discourse analysis based on Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model for empirical research in communication, culture and society. Through a framework of postdevelopment and postcolonial feminist theories, this study questions mainstream discourses that are still today reinforced by decision-makers and practitioners within regional development in Sweden. It further examines a potential discourse paradox in the national strategy: In order to solve social and environmental problems, the document promotes economic and technological solutions that are based on the same logic of infinite growth, unidirectional progress and competitiveness that may have caused the problems.  Through explaining and discussing the discourses within a wider social context, this analysis concludes that the Swedish national strategy for regional development reinforces discourses that are problematizing and may impede the purpose of contributing to social, economic and environmental sustainability throughout the country. The study discusses how this can have negative effects on social and environmental relationships not only in Swedish regions, but also globally, and suggests ways for future regional development to become more contributive to social equality and environmental protection.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-06-28T17:38:34Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Edilange Luiz Pereira.pdf: 9341302 bytes, checksum: 4952a4d86c21484114ee60a673aa3199 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-28T17:38:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Edilange Luiz Pereira.pdf: 9341302 bytes, checksum: 4952a4d86c21484114ee60a673aa3199 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-14 / FACEPE / No cenário contemporâneo a economia e a cultura são abordadas como questões fundamentais para as políticas de desenvolvimento, tendo em vista o reconhecimento das agências dedicadas a ele e que a cultura o favorece, cria emprego e promove a coesão social, tornou-se imperativo promover o empoderamento das atividades culturais. Nessa perspectiva, a economia criativa e suas categorias passaram a ser tomadas como estratégias para a formulação e implementação de políticas, focando, principalmente, na promoção e distribuição das manifestações culturais para propiciar o crescimento econômico. Como marco das iniciativas da economia criativa brasileira, está a proposta metodológica para identificação de polos criativos e a instituição do programa de incentivo. Em 2011, a Bomba do Hemetério se tornou polo criativo, na condição de um território expandido que agrega uma diversidade de agremiações carnavalescas, algumas delas consideradas de fundamental importância para o Carnaval de Pernambuco. Pode-se dizer que o cenário cultural local tornou possível o seu reconhecimento como polo criativo. A comunidade recebeu uma iniciativa de desenvolvimento local realizada a partir da articulação do poder público e de instituições não governamentais. Com base nisto, esta pesquisa se dedicou à análise da cultura carnavalesca da Bomba do Hemetério afim de desvelar os discursos que caracterizam essa cultura como recurso de desenvolvimento local. Utilizamos como lente teórica a teoria do Pósdesenvolvimento e, por meio da interpretação do arquivo inspirada na Análise de Discurso Foucaultina, foram reveladas três formações discursivas: uma sobre a cultura local e suas tradições, outra evidencia a cultura local como fonte de sobrevivência e outra aponta para a política de economia criativa. / In the contemporary scenario the economy and culture are addressed as key issues for development policies, considering the recognition of dedicated agencies and a culture that favors it, creates jobs and promotes social cohesion, it has become imperative to promote the empowerment of cultural activities. From this perspective, the creative economy and its categories came to be taken as strategies for the formulation and implementation of policies, focusing mainly on promotion and distribution of cultural events as economic growth factors. The methodological proposal for identifying creative centers and the institution of the incentive program is a starting point of initiatives of the Brazilian creative economy. In 2011, Bomba do Hemetério district became a creative center, as an expanded territory that aggregates a variety of carnival groups, some of them considered of fundamental importance for the Pernambuco Carnival. It can be said that the local cultural scene has made possible its recognition as a creative center. The community received a local development initiative carried out through the articulation of government and non-governmental institutions. Based on this, this research was dedicated to the analysis of Bomba do Hemetério district carnival culture in order to unveil the discourses that characterize this culture as a local development resource. We used post-development theory as theoretical lens and, by interpreting the file inspired by Foucauldian Discourse Analysis, three discursive formations were revealed: one on the local culture and its traditions, the other highlights local culture as a source of survival and another points to the creative economy public policy.