A challenged society: constructions of vulnerable and resilient subjects in Swedish total defence policies

This article analyses the construction of vulnerable and resilient subjects and their dialectical relationship with Swedish total defence policies. Using a post-structural policy analysis, it investigates the problem representations and subjectification processes within these policies. In these, resilience is suggested as the solution to the ‘problem’ of the challenged society, with capable, active and responsible citizens expected to come to the rescue of a society challenged by the crises, disasters and wars of the 21st century. We find that vulnerability is not only constructed as an opposite to resilience but also as a threat. Thus, in the policies, ‘the vulnerable’ are not only considered needing care and attention–but something to fear. This is not only reminiscent of the individualism and responsibilisation associated with the ideal of the resilient citizen but also a vivid example of how societal problems and welfare state challenges are securitised in processes that risk silencing other modes of subjectification and dispossesses individuals and societies of other visions. The main contribution of this paper is the exploration of the dialectical relationship between resilient and vulnerable subject, illustrating how the construction of these subject positions relies on each other rather than as being two separate entities.