Digitalisering till Varje Pris? : Kritiska Perspektiv på Social Hållbarhet inom Sveriges Nationella och Komunala Digitalisering

This thesis critically examines the discourses shaping Sweden’s digitalisation strategies at both national and municipal levels, with a focus on how these strategies engage with principles of social sustainability. My study seeks to bridge the often-overlooked relationship between digitalisation and social justice, highlighting how efficiency-driven narratives can overshadow essential human and democratic values. Drawing on three interrelated theoretical frameworks, Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach (2003), Rosa’s Theory of Social Acceleration (2013), and Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) (2013) the study interrogates the textual, discursive, and social practices underpinning Sweden’s National Digitalisation Strategy (2017) and the Digitalisation Strategy for the Municipality of Örnsköldsvik (2017). Through a qualitative CDA approach, the research reveals how digitalisation is predominantly framed as a tool for economic growth, competitiveness, and rapid progress, often neglecting relational, participatory, and ethical dimensions crucial for social sustainability. Key findings indicate that both strategies consistently position citizens as passive users rather than active participants, with discourses of urgency and competitiveness overshadowing democratic deliberation. The analysis highlights a pervasive neoliberal logic, where digitalisation is framed as an inevitable and desirable process that prioritises market efficiency over care, inclusion, and justice. Moreover, while terms like “inclusion” and “trust” are frequently mentioned, they lack operational clarity and meaningful frameworks for participatory engagement. This study underscores the importance of integrating more holistic, inclusive, and justice-oriented perspectives into digitalisation strategies to avoid reinforcing existing social inequalities. By clarifying the ideological underpinnings of policy discourses and their consequences for citizenship and democratic agency, this work contributes to ongoing critical conversations on digital transformation within the welfare state and beyond. Future research should explore pathways for embedding participatory mechanisms and ethical safeguards into digital governance, ensuring that digitalisation serves as a tool for human empowerment rather than control.