The thesis aims to examine how gender structures are portrayed in the Swedish Armed Forces' advertising campaigns before and after 2018, because that is when the conscription became gender neutral. Furthermore, the thesis will discuss the potential consequences of these portrayals. To do so the methodology of the study consists of a critical discourse analysis complimented by a semiotic approach. The main finding suggests that the films prior to 2018 to some extent reproduce male-dominated discourses of how a soldier should be and reinforce traditional gender structures. In contrast, the films from 2018 and onwards challenge these dominant discourses by including more women and other signs that are not typically coded as masculine. It is assumed that this will lead to more women being recruited, as the profession of a soldier is no longer perceived as being exclusively for men, and a more inclusive environment is introduced. These assumptions are based on previous research on gender structures in military institutions, which historically have been structured around male norms and values which force women in the military to adjust to patriarchal rules. The topic is important, as a gender-equal military is believed to lead to increased safety and efficiency, which is desirable for various reasons.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-211028 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Långström, Angelina |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Statsvetenskapliga institutionen |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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