Communication, Defense Willingness and Democratic Resilience

The interdisciplinary research environment Communication, Defence Willingness, and Democratic Resilience (CDR) brings together researchers from the Department of Communication (IKO), the School of Economics and Management, and the Faculty of Humanities and Theology.

The research aims to develop knowledge and methodologies that enhance citizen participation and resilience in a complex communication landscape. A key focus of the research is on gender and young adult perspectives - areas often overlooked in public debates and academic discussions on defence preparedness.

Maintaining a robust defence in a democracy requires a comprehensive understanding of total defence, involving all parts of society. In democratic countries, defence willingness is often linked to a commitment to a free and egalitarian society. By asking how strategic communication contributes to mobilising citizens to defend the principles of liberal democracy, we also emphasise a critical understanding of communication and its impact on groups with a traditional low trust in total defence.

Members

Cecilia Cassinger, Associate professor, Department of Communication (PI)
Nils Gustafsson, Senior lecturer, Department of Communication (PI)
Isabelle Karlsson, PhD Candidate, Department of Communication (Coordinator)
Johan Anselmsson, Professor of Business Administration, School of Economics and Management
Alicia Fjällhed, Researcher, Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut (FOI)
Elsa Hedling, Associate Professor, Centre for European Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Theology
James Pamment, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Director of the Research Institute for Psychological Defence
Emil Stjernholm, Senior Lecturer, Department of Communication Studies