Logotyp: till Försvarshögskolans hemsida

This thesis aims to examine The Swedish Women's Voluntary Defence Organizations (Svenska Lottakåren/SLK) membership development during the period of 1924–2023 in comparison with four other popular movements. SLK is an organization open only to women which makes it unique in relation to other voluntary defence organizations and popular movements. During the 19th to 21st century Sweden underwent major social changes due to industrialization and the introduction of new laws such as universal and equal suffrage. An active associational life is considered a benefit to the society by constituting an important political resource for both the state and the individual. Sweden has a long and unique tradition of associations.

The study uses annual and activity reports, both the number of members in addition togovernment grants. This is compared to SLK´s memberships and to four other popular movements: The Swedish Federation for Voluntary Defence Education and Training (Svenska Försvarsutbildningsförbundet), the sports and scout movements and the political parties. This in addition to three survey factors: Government grants and funds, willingness to defend and gender. Yvonne Hirdman's gender theory will be used to interpret the results and enables a deeper analytical understanding of SLK's membership development as they are only open for women. The use of a comparative method and descriptive statistics makes it possible to examine the four popular movements with SLK based on the three research factors.

The study’s conclusion is that several popular movements have lost members during the survey period due to the individual's decrease of free time. It is also possible to state that volunteerism can arise in the event of a crisis, however, it is debatable how much impact a crisis has. If one is to proceed with the premise that the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 represents the largest security risk in Europe since the Second World War, the number of members for the voluntary defence organizations should be significantly higher than the current numbers gained during these years. Based on the survey factors, Hirdman's gender theory and data on women's increased employment in the labour market, it is possible to discern trends in SLK's membership development. As female employment increases, SLK's member numbersdecreases. Furthermore, with the application of Hirdman's theory on SLK, it is possible to draw the conclusion that a 100 percent female organization is out of date in a society based on equality. Single-sex organizations do not seem to have a future, whether the organization consists of 100 percent women or men, which is an explanation to the negative membership development of SLK. Instead, an organization that includes more gender identities will endure.