Swedish National Defence College

About: Swedish National Defence College is a education organization based out in Stockholm, Sweden. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Crisis management & European union. The organization has 218 authors who have published 569 publications receiving 8074 citations.

Is there a Need for a Fourth EU Pillar

Abstract: In his contribution to this symposium, Elgström concludes that the Swedish Presidency was successful in its strong task orientation but lacked a vision for the future of Europe. In the area of EU employment and social policy cooperation, this tension is more complex. On the one hand, the Swedish government is one of the strongest advocates of the vision of a ‘Social Europe’, including new tasks for the Union, such as employment, education systems, research and social cohesion. It has also been innovative regarding methods by successfully proposing the Title on Employment in the Amsterdam Treaty, developed into the ‘open method of coordination’ (OMC), as a model for this cooperation. On the other hand, the government has not linked the new tasks and the medium-term consequences of the ‘new and open method’ to questions affecting the Union’s future, such as subsidiarity, the division of competencies between the Union and the member states, EU democracy and pillar construction. This tension between deepening the EU (in the sense of adding new areas of cooperation) but not with regard to institutional adaptation was clearly expressed during the Presidency.

The US Congressional Discourse on Japan and China: Issues and Topics

Abstract: This chapter provides a brief overview of the main topics and issues discussed in the congressional debates analysed. The major debates on Japanese and US economic policy revolved around the question of increasing Japanese imports into the USA in the face of continuing barriers to US exports to Japan. These matters were connected to the omnipresent trade balance issue, as well as the question of Japanese investment in the USA. Notable initiatives or frameworks were launched, such as an agreement on voluntary export restrictions in 1981, the Market-Oriented-Sector-Specific talks of 1985–1986, the Plaza Accords in 1985, the FSX fighter plane agreement in 1986, the Structural Impediments Initiative in 1989 and the Framework for a New Economic Partnership Talks in 1994.

The Military Balance in the Baltic Sea Region: Notes on a Defunct Concept

Abstract: It is something of a general assumption that in the diverse field that we call International Relations the terminology associated with power politics has been closely associated with the realist approach. This is an understanding that creates a need for further clarification. As pointed out by Barry Buzan and Ole Waever in 2007, the security theory field is differentiated as European scholars have tended to be interested in a reflexive approach to the security concept, while American scholarship has focused on empirically validated cause-effect relationships relevant to policy issues (Buzan and Waever 2007). Buzan and Waever describe the social backdrop for these differences and make a contrast between “critical theory” and “problem-solving theory”. Perhaps a premature conclusion would be that terms and concepts like military balance and power politics have disappeared from the discourse of both academia and politics in Europe. They sound like an anachronism from the Cold War that many are uncomfortable with.

Power Resources Among Female Military Personnel

Abstract: The Armed Forces are one of Sweden’s largest governmental organizations and at the same time one of Sweden’s most gender-segregated and male-dominated workplaces. Recruiting more women into the organization is one of the organization’s main goals for personnel planning, along with providing them with more opportunities for career development. This study sought a deeper understanding of the power resources that can be identified and which are used by female military personnel within the armed forces. A total of 16 women were interviewed and their ranks ranged from soldier/sailor to general/admiral. The qualitative analysis of the interviews shows that female military personnel use power resources to adapt to the male-dominated organization’s demands and to even out perceived asymmetric power relationships in their daily professional work. The power resources can be explained using four themes: structural power resources, cultural and social power resources, emotional power resources, and minority perspective as a power resource. More female military personnel would have increased the task effectiveness of the military organization. To make that possible, the Swedish Armed Forces would have to discuss the prevailing masculinity norm, the meaning of being a man, and the gains of a more gender-equal organization.

Managing National Food Security in the Global North: Is collaborative governance a possible route forward?

Abstract: Many countries in the “Global North” that have enjoyed relative food security for a number of decades now face challenges that may lead to disturbances in food supplies. Global markets and global flows are not as self-evident as they were a few years ago and new modes of governance for managing national food security during crisis are required. Recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have further showed that global production systems and communications are fragile to a range of different disturbances. This article examines the possibility of managing national food security through collaborative arrangements between public authorities and private food companies through a case study of the Swedish approach to food security. The analysis is based on a theoretical framework that highlights the importance of motivation, leadership, shared understanding, and trust as four dimensions that evaluate collaborative governance in precrisis situations. We conclude that although a broader understnding of the importance of food security has emerged, collaborative governance arrangements run the risk of creating only an illusion of readiness, due to unclear mandates and clear leadership not able to advance trust, legal structures, or concrete agreements for ensuring national food security. © 2021 The Authors. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Policy Studies Organization