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Holmberg, Arita, DocentORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-0389-6095
Alternative names
Publications (10 of 45) Show all publications
Holmberg, A. (2024). Bodies that challenge the military social order: unpacking institutional resistance against veganism in the military. Critical Military Studies, 10(1), 19-39
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Bodies that challenge the military social order: unpacking institutional resistance against veganism in the military
2024 (English)In: Critical Military Studies, ISSN 2333-7486, E-ISSN 2333-7494, Vol. 10, no 1, p. 19-39Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article contributes to the literature theorizing military social order, embodiment, and resistance in IR. The military institution is known to resist change, and much research have been devoted to challenges to the gendered order of the military. One area that has received little attention, however, is the reluctance of many militaries in the West to facilitate veganism during service in spite of the increasing demand for vegan food options, diversity, and sustainability. Drawing on research on the military social order and gender theory, I conduct an unpacking of conflicting elements and representations of military and vegan bodies, and theorize this reluctance as institutional resistance. Typically, the military does not offer motivations for its stance – which makes it difficult to detect and counter. As a consequence, vegans are silenced and excluded, not facilitated to enter the military. This is a challenge to increasing attempts at governing sustainability and diversity in the military.

Keywords
Military social order, veganism, body, institutional resistance, human/non-human animal relations, sustainability
National Category
Political Science Other Social Sciences
Research subject
Political Science
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-11479 (URN)10.1080/23337486.2023.2188730 (DOI)
Available from: 2023-03-10 Created: 2023-03-10 Last updated: 2024-02-15Bibliographically approved
Holmberg, A. & Alvinius, A. (2024). Organizational resistance through organizing principles: the case of gender equality in the military. Gender in Management, 39(3), 313-327
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Organizational resistance through organizing principles: the case of gender equality in the military
2024 (English)In: Gender in Management, ISSN 1754-2413, E-ISSN 1754-2421, Vol. 39, no 3, p. 313-327Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Purpose – Previous studies show that the implementation of gender equality encounters resistance in military organizations, but it is often invisible or seen as confined to anonymous structures or troubled individuals. This paper aims to show how the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) use organizational principles to resist implementing gender equality measures.

Design/methodology/approach – The study is a qualitative analysis of discursive strategies in the SAF’s 2013–2018 annual reports to government.

Findings – The organizing principles of instrumentality and distance, while existing in parallel with gender equality efforts, actually pursue logics that prevents the SAF from implementing gender equality. The principle of instrumentality in this context means that gender equality in the SAF is of secondary interest to organizational members. The principle of distancing from the problem includes strategies that alienate female from male officers.

Originality/value – The contribution of this paper is the finding that the use of organizing principles represents conscious organizational resistance to go gender equality efforts. This kind of use needs to be revealed and criticized to change military organizations.

Keywords
Organizational resistance, Discursive strategies, Gender equality, Organizing principle, Military organization
National Category
Gender Studies Political Science
Research subject
Political Science; Leadership and Command & Control
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-11732 (URN)10.1108/GM-05-2022-0180 (DOI)
Available from: 2023-08-07 Created: 2023-08-07 Last updated: 2024-03-14Bibliographically approved
Alvinius, A. & Holmberg, A. (2023). Blaming and shaming in the shadow structure: individual resistance towards genderequality work as expressions of social conflict. Feminist Media Studies, 23(1), 83-100
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Blaming and shaming in the shadow structure: individual resistance towards genderequality work as expressions of social conflict
2023 (English)In: Feminist Media Studies, ISSN 1468-0777, E-ISSN 1471-5902, Vol. 23, no 1, p. 83-100Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article explores individual resistance related to a military organization’s gender equality work as expressed in online contexts. Resistance is explained as expressions of wider social conflicts, grounded in experiences of threats towards military masculinities, challenged by societal and political transformation processes perceived as feminine. The data consists of defence-related blogs and comments. A thematic analysis finds that individual resistance can be understood as blaming and shaming strategies. Five sub-themes are identified: blaming the “feminised” organization, blaming and shaming women’s abilities to serve, individualisation of structural problems, verbal violence and violations, and objectification of men working with and supporting gender equality initiatives. The analysis exemplifies how social conflict is transferred to organizations through individual resistance. As gender equality policies are questioned, organizations need to confront resistance also within the online context.

Keywords
individual resistance, gender equality, military, shadow structure, online context
National Category
Gender Studies
Research subject
Statsvetenskap med inriktning mot strategi och säkerhetspolitik; Ledarskap under påfrestande förhållanden
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-10293 (URN)10.1080/14680777.2021.1973062 (DOI)000695973400001 ()
Available from: 2021-09-15 Created: 2021-09-15 Last updated: 2023-06-20Bibliographically approved
Rinaldo, A. & Holmberg, A. (2023). Der Umgang mit Weiblichkeit durch visuelle Verkörperung: Die Darstellung von Frauen auf den Instagram-Accounts der schwedischen und schweizerischen Streitkräfte. In: Moehlecke de Baseggio, Eva; Schneider, Olivia; Szvircsev Tresch, Tibor (Ed.), Soziale Medien und die Streitkräfte: (pp. 91-118). Cham: Springer
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Der Umgang mit Weiblichkeit durch visuelle Verkörperung: Die Darstellung von Frauen auf den Instagram-Accounts der schwedischen und schweizerischen Streitkräfte
2023 (German)In: Soziale Medien und die Streitkräfte / [ed] Moehlecke de Baseggio, Eva; Schneider, Olivia; Szvircsev Tresch, Tibor, Cham: Springer, 2023, p. 91-118Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [de]

Als ‚gendered Organisation‘ basiert die organisationale Identität des Militärs unter anderem auf dem, was als stereotype Männlichkeit angesehen wird: starke, mutige und zähe Männer repräsentieren den idealen Krieger. Die zunehmende Zahl weiblicher Soldaten bedroht diesen Teil der Organisationsidentität. Soziale Medien wie Instagram dienen als Mittel zur Reflexion der Organisationsidentität. Der folgende Beitrag untersucht daher, wie die Streitkräfte mit der geschlechtsspezifischen Natur des Militärs umgehen, indem er die Darstellung von Frauen auf den Instagram-Profilen der schwedischen und der Schweizer Armee vergleicht. Unter Berücksichtigung des gesellschaftlichen Kontextes sowie der militärischen Besonderheiten beider Länder wird analysiert, ob Geschlechterstereotypen im Militär hervorgehoben oder reduziert werden und wie der weibliche Körper in Bezug auf die militärische Identität behandelt wird. Eine visuelle Inhaltsanalyse der Instagram-Posts aus dem Jahr 2018 zeigt, dass Frauen im Falle der schwedischen Streitkräfte in stereotypen männlichen Rollen dargestellt werden, während die Instagram-Bilder der Schweizer Armee, die Frauen zeigen, stereotype weibliche Attribute hervorheben.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Cham: Springer, 2023
Keywords
Verkörperung der Geschlechter, Visuelle Inhaltsanalyse, Soziale Medien, Militär, Organisationale Identität
National Category
Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies)
Research subject
Statsvetenskap med inriktning mot strategi och säkerhetspolitik
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-11791 (URN)10.1007/978-3-031-26108-4 (DOI)978-3-031-26107-7 (ISBN)978-3-031-26108-4 (ISBN)
Note

Translation from: (2020) Managing Femininity Through Visual Embodiment: The Portrayal of Women on the Instagram Accounts of the Swedish and the Swiss Armed Forces, in: Social Media and the Armed Forces 

Available from: 2023-09-11 Created: 2023-09-11 Last updated: 2024-01-08Bibliographically approved
Alvinius, A. & Holmberg, A. (2023). External, non-governmental resistance in relation to interstate war: an analytical framework. European Security, 1-19
Open this publication in new window or tab >>External, non-governmental resistance in relation to interstate war: an analytical framework
2023 (English)In: European Security, ISSN 0966-2839, E-ISSN 1746-1545, p. 1-19Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

The Russian war against Ukraine in February 2022, unleashed an unprecedented wave of non-governmental, external resistance directed against Russia. In many ways, previous literature on war and resistance does not capture the characteristics of this phenomenon. Besides noting the presence of civilian war protests outside of the warzone, most research has focused on internal resistance during war. In this article, we draw on a wider array of resistance literature and present an analytical framework that allows us to capture the broad elements of non-governmental, external resistance during war – including the power-resistance nexus at work. The analytical framework sorts the various kinds of resisters, it categorises the form of resistance and the targets pursued. The usefulness of the analytical framework is demonstrated through an exploration of empirical examples and illustrations drawn from media reports gathered during the first 10 days of the war in Ukraine. It is concluded that new analytical tools are necessary in order to capture non-governmental, external resistance during war as it is waged in Europe in the 2020s.

Keywords
Ukraine; Russian occupation; non-governmental external resistance; analytical framework; power-resistance nexus
National Category
Political Science
Research subject
Statsvetenskap med inriktning mot strategi och säkerhetspolitik; Leadership and Command & Control
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-12099 (URN)10.1080/09662839.2023.2284747 (DOI)
Available from: 2024-01-04 Created: 2024-01-04 Last updated: 2024-01-05
Holmberg, A., Holmberg, M. & Alvinius, A. (2023). Människans sociala relationer med djur: En utmaning för totalförsvaret?. Sociologisk forskning, 59(4)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Människans sociala relationer med djur: En utmaning för totalförsvaret?
2023 (Swedish)In: Sociologisk forskning, ISSN 0038-0342, E-ISSN 2002-066X, Vol. 59, no 4Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [sv]

Kriget i Ukraina har redan fått många återverkningar, även i samhällen som inte direkt skakas av de fruktansvärda krigshandlingarna. I traditionella och sociala medier funderar människor kring vad som skulle hända om det blev krig i Sverige och hur detta skulle påverka vår vardag och våra relationer. En ofta förbisedd fråga i detta sammanhang är relationen mellan människor och djur. I denna artikel diskuteras hur totalförsvaret som samhällsorganisation och verksamhet kan utmanas av 2020-talets normer om förhållandet mellan människor och djur och djurs status som säkerhetssubjekt. Mot bakgrund av den traditionella totalförsvarstanken presenterar vi ett antal områden där djurens relationer med människor kan tänkas väcka frågor och komma i konflikt med delar av totalförsvaret: synen på säkerhet, juridiken i kris och krig samt utvecklingen av den sociala relationen mellan människor och djur. Artikeln avslutas med tankar kring hur ett totalförsvar som inkluderar djur skulle kunna se ut samt kring hur dagens totalförsvar i så fall skulle behöva förändras.

Keywords
försvarspolitik, totalförsvar, djur, människa-djur studier, Ukraina
National Category
Public Administration Studies Political Science
Research subject
Political Science; Leadership and Command & Control
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-11480 (URN)10.37062/sf.59.24243 (DOI)
Available from: 2023-03-10 Created: 2023-03-10 Last updated: 2023-06-09Bibliographically approved
Holmberg, A. & Pahv, B. (2022). Caught between Progressive and Traditional: The Swedish Military Managing Diversity. In: Grazia Scoppio; Sara Greco (Ed.), The Power of Diversity in the Armed Forces: International Perspectives on Immigrant Participation in the Military (pp. 151-168). McGill-Queen's University Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Caught between Progressive and Traditional: The Swedish Military Managing Diversity
2022 (English)In: The Power of Diversity in the Armed Forces: International Perspectives on Immigrant Participation in the Military / [ed] Grazia Scoppio; Sara Greco, McGill-Queen's University Press, 2022, p. 151-168Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
McGill-Queen's University Press, 2022
Series
Human Dimensions in Foreign Policy, Military Studies, and Security Studies Series ; 19
National Category
Political Science
Research subject
Political Science
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-11041 (URN)9780228011101 (ISBN)
Available from: 2022-08-22 Created: 2022-08-22 Last updated: 2022-12-14Bibliographically approved
Holmberg, A. & Alvinius, A. (2022). Children as a new climate precariat: A conceptual proposition. Current Sociology, 70(5), 781-797
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Children as a new climate precariat: A conceptual proposition
2022 (English)In: Current Sociology, ISSN 0011-3921, E-ISSN 1461-7064, Vol. 70, no 5, p. 781-797Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article proposes that children constitute a new climate precariat. This conceptualization contributes to a more comprehensive theoretical understanding of the vulnerability of children in relation to the climate crisis. Previous literature tends to treat climate change in an abstract fashion that renders today’s children invisible. Climate precarity consists of three main elements of vulnerability: temporality problems, insecurity and an identity vacuum. In relation to temporality and security, children are suffering from the potential loss of a sustainable future, which spurs the need for urgent action and constant consciousness – in the present. World leaders’ inaction creates an uncertainty regarding whom should be held responsible for taking action in guaranteeing children the future which climate change is at risk of depriving them. The concept of climate precarity could be used to explain children’s collective action in relation to the climate crisis. Children’s concerns in relation to the climate crisis suggest that agency and empowerment are spurred through their resistance towards these vulnerabilities.

Keywords
agency, children, climate crisis, climate precariat, security, vulnerability
National Category
Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Research subject
Statsvetenskap med inriktning mot strategi och säkerhetspolitik; Ledarskap under påfrestande förhållanden
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-9699 (URN)10.1177/0011392120975461 (DOI)
Available from: 2021-02-03 Created: 2021-02-03 Last updated: 2022-08-02Bibliographically approved
Holmberg, A. (2021). Swedish teachers’ views of security in schools: narratives disconnected from the national security discourse. Critical Studies on Security, 9(3), 226-240
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Swedish teachers’ views of security in schools: narratives disconnected from the national security discourse
2021 (English)In: Critical Studies on Security, ISSN 2162-4887, E-ISSN 2162-4909, Vol. 9, no 3, p. 226-240Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

National security discourses have entered teacher’s classrooms. A strand of largely critical literature in education studies have noted that new security tasks clash with the roles of teachers. However, few studies have yet approached this audience about their views on security. This article analyses how Swedish teachers conceive of security in relation to the school system. Data consists of semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals, conducted in medium-sized municipalities in Sweden. The analysis finds that teachers maintain a conceptualisation of security that focuses on the individual. Simultaneously, teachers rarely adopt national security discourses (except regarding school violence) and several argue against emphasising the concept of security in relation to schools. The results offer an opportunity to analyse the views of teachers as audiences in relation to the extension of the security field into the educational domain.

Keywords
security, teachers, audience, school security, Sweden
National Category
Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies)
Research subject
Statsvetenskap med inriktning mot strategi och säkerhetspolitik
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-10409 (URN)10.1080/21624887.2021.1985695 (DOI)000709281400001 ()
Available from: 2021-10-21 Created: 2021-10-21 Last updated: 2022-09-12Bibliographically approved
Holmberg, A. (2021). The framing of environmental citizenship and youth participation in the Fridays for Future Movement in Finland – commentary to Huttunen and Albrecht (2021-06-27). Fennia, 199(1), 144-146
Open this publication in new window or tab >>The framing of environmental citizenship and youth participation in the Fridays for Future Movement in Finland – commentary to Huttunen and Albrecht (2021-06-27)
2021 (English)In: Fennia, E-ISSN 1798-5617, ISSN 0015-0010, Vol. 199, no 1, p. 144-146Article, review/survey (Other academic) Published
Abstract [en]

This is a commentary to the article "The framing of environmental citizenship and youth participation in the Fridays for Future Movement in Finland" by Janette Huttunen and Eerika Albrecht. In the piece I reflect on the analysis and results of this interesting research, focusing in particular on adult's depoliticization of children's protest and the potential collective social and political impact of the Fridays for Future movement for youth.

Keywords
children, climate protest, adult, Fridays for Future
National Category
Sociology
Research subject
Statsvetenskap med inriktning mot strategi och säkerhetspolitik
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-10192 (URN)10.11143/fennia.108085 (DOI)000680828300013 ()
Available from: 2021-06-29 Created: 2021-06-29 Last updated: 2021-09-22Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-0389-6095

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