A Holmberg
Biographic Data
| ID | 39435 |
|---|---|
| NAME | A Holmberg |
| GIVEN NAMES | A |
| FAMILY NAME | Holmberg |
| SIGNATURE | HOLMBERG A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Swedish Defence University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0389-6095 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 79 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Non-Human Animals as Resources for Political Communication During War
Transnational Encounters with the Non-Human Animal as a Refugee
Following the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the Spring of 2022, both traditional and new media were full of images of fleeing humans, often accompanied by non-human animal companions. Consequently, the EU and individual European states had to manage animals crossing borders, seeking safety and shelter. This article explores how animals become part of a geopolitically significant security composition as refugees. Animals and their geog…
Freeze my Semen and I Will Join the War
This article explores and theorizes an aspect of war in the 2020s that has not previously been recognized in social science literature: The practice of soldiers freezing their semen before joining the military. The security-demography nexus has been studied mainly as a state concern-whether a state should limit or expand its population depending on different factors. In this context, women have been the main targets of biopolitical reproduction e…
Food security in light of the war in Ukraine
This article argues that knowledge of the global food system of the 2020s that is present in food studies is overlooked in defence studies. The implications of this are that the security and defence policy understanding of what determines food security is insufficient, as illustrated by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Whether or not there is an explicit strategy to exploit food security in war, a war between two important food producers affe…
Bodies that challenge the military social order
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,…
Organizational resistance through organizing principles
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…
Människans sociala relationer med djur
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 samhällsorgani…
Children as a new climate precariat
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 ide…
Blaming and shaming in the shadow structure
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 individua…
Swedish teachers' views of security in schools
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…
The many gendered faces of teachers’ views on schools and security
This article analyses the gendered nature of teachers’ views on schools and security. Current research on security emphasizes masculinity and the absence of femininity in relation to the security field – traditionally dominated by the military and emergency rescue services. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the areas of society that are new to the security field. Schools, pupils and teachers are gendered in many ways. What happens when sec…
Children's protest in relation to the climate emergency
This article explores children's resistance in relation to the climate emergency through a thematic analysis of climate activist Greta Thunberg's speeches. Two themes, new to the literature, are identified: (1) need for political and social change focusing on the climate emergency, resistance towards laissez-faire behaviour and exhortations, and (2) resistance targets including the political leaders, capitalist ideologies and older generations. T…
How pressure for change challenge military organizational characteristics
This article elaborates on how structural, normative and functional pressures for change may challenge military organizational characteristics. We problematize theoretically and exemplify empirically what consequences these pressures can have on military organizational characteristics, arguing that they constitute major challenges for managing in particular normative pressures for change. The empirical examples suggest that bureaucratic, hierarch…
Silence‐breaking butterfly effect
Systemic violence against women in the military has existed for decades, but they have mostly refrained from public resistance. However, in the context of the #MeToo movement in Sweden, 1768 women published a call for an end to violence and sexual harassment in the military. We analyse this call as a public resistance effort against the military and find that #MeToo is: (i) challenging the norms of the hyper‐masculine military organization, makin…
A demilitarization process under challenge? The example of Sweden
During the past decades, the process of militarization that characterized Sweden after the Second World War has been replaced by a process of demilitarization. With the debates following the war in Georgia 2008 and the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, this process of demilitarization appears under challenge. This raises questions about the nature of these processes and the problems facing the attempts at turning them around. The article intr…
The Centrality of Non-traditional Groups for Security in the Globalized Era
Journal Article The Centrality of Non-traditional Groups for Security in the Globalized Era: The Case of Children Get access Charlotte Wagnsson, Charlotte Wagnsson Swedish National Defence College Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Maria Hellman, Maria Hellman Swedish National Defence College Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Arita Holmberg Arita Holmberg Swedish Nationa…
Silence‐breaking butterfly effect
Systemic violence against women in the military has existed for decades, but they have mostly refrained from public resistance. However, in the context of the #MeToo movement in Sweden, 1768 women published a call for an end to violence and sexual harassment in the military. We analyse this call as a public resistance effort against the military and find that #MeToo is: (i) challenging the norms of the hyper‐masculine military organization, makin…
Children's protest in relation to the climate emergency
This article explores children's resistance in relation to the climate emergency through a thematic analysis of climate activist Greta Thunberg's speeches. Two themes, new to the literature, are identified: (1) need for political and social change focusing on the climate emergency, resistance towards laissez-faire behaviour and exhortations, and (2) resistance targets including the political leaders, capitalist ideologies and older generations. T…
The Centrality of Non-traditional Groups for Security in the Globalized Era
Journal Article The Centrality of Non-traditional Groups for Security in the Globalized Era: The Case of Children Get access Charlotte Wagnsson, Charlotte Wagnsson Swedish National Defence College Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Maria Hellman, Maria Hellman Swedish National Defence College Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Arita Holmberg Arita Holmberg Swedish Nationa…
How pressure for change challenge military organizational characteristics
This article elaborates on how structural, normative and functional pressures for change may challenge military organizational characteristics. We problematize theoretically and exemplify empirically what consequences these pressures can have on military organizational characteristics, arguing that they constitute major challenges for managing in particular normative pressures for change. The empirical examples suggest that bureaucratic, hierarch…
A demilitarization process under challenge? The example of Sweden
During the past decades, the process of militarization that characterized Sweden after the Second World War has been replaced by a process of demilitarization. With the debates following the war in Georgia 2008 and the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, this process of demilitarization appears under challenge. This raises questions about the nature of these processes and the problems facing the attempts at turning them around. The article intr…
Children as a new climate precariat
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 ide…
Bodies that challenge the military social order
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,…
Blaming and shaming in the shadow structure
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 individua…
Non-Human Animals as Resources for Political Communication During War
Organizational resistance through organizing principles
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…
Människans sociala relationer med djur
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 samhällsorgani…
Swedish teachers' views of security in schools
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…
The Centrality of Non-traditional Groups for Security in the Globalized Era
Journal Article The Centrality of Non-traditional Groups for Security in the Globalized Era: The Case of Children Get access Charlotte Wagnsson, Charlotte Wagnsson Swedish National Defence College Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Maria Hellman, Maria Hellman Swedish National Defence College Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Arita Holmberg Arita Holmberg Swedish Nationa…
A demilitarization process under challenge? The example of Sweden
During the past decades, the process of militarization that characterized Sweden after the Second World War has been replaced by a process of demilitarization. With the debates following the war in Georgia 2008 and the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, this process of demilitarization appears under challenge. This raises questions about the nature of these processes and the problems facing the attempts at turning them around. The article intr…
How pressure for change challenge military organizational characteristics
This article elaborates on how structural, normative and functional pressures for change may challenge military organizational characteristics. We problematize theoretically and exemplify empirically what consequences these pressures can have on military organizational characteristics, arguing that they constitute major challenges for managing in particular normative pressures for change. The empirical examples suggest that bureaucratic, hierarch…
Silence‐breaking butterfly effect
Systemic violence against women in the military has existed for decades, but they have mostly refrained from public resistance. However, in the context of the #MeToo movement in Sweden, 1768 women published a call for an end to violence and sexual harassment in the military. We analyse this call as a public resistance effort against the military and find that #MeToo is: (i) challenging the norms of the hyper‐masculine military organization, makin…
The many gendered faces of teachers’ views on schools and security
This article analyses the gendered nature of teachers’ views on schools and security. Current research on security emphasizes masculinity and the absence of femininity in relation to the security field – traditionally dominated by the military and emergency rescue services. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the areas of society that are new to the security field. Schools, pupils and teachers are gendered in many ways. What happens when sec…
Children's protest in relation to the climate emergency
This article explores children's resistance in relation to the climate emergency through a thematic analysis of climate activist Greta Thunberg's speeches. Two themes, new to the literature, are identified: (1) need for political and social change focusing on the climate emergency, resistance towards laissez-faire behaviour and exhortations, and (2) resistance targets including the political leaders, capitalist ideologies and older generations. T…
Blaming and shaming in the shadow structure
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 individua…
Swedish teachers' views of security in schools
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…
Children as a new climate precariat
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 ide…
Organizational resistance through organizing principles
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…
Människans sociala relationer med djur
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 samhällsorgani…
Food security in light of the war in Ukraine
This article argues that knowledge of the global food system of the 2020s that is present in food studies is overlooked in defence studies. The implications of this are that the security and defence policy understanding of what determines food security is insufficient, as illustrated by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Whether or not there is an explicit strategy to exploit food security in war, a war between two important food producers affe…
Bodies that challenge the military social order
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,…
Non-Human Animals as Resources for Political Communication During War
Transnational Encounters with the Non-Human Animal as a Refugee
Following the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the Spring of 2022, both traditional and new media were full of images of fleeing humans, often accompanied by non-human animal companions. Consequently, the EU and individual European states had to manage animals crossing borders, seeking safety and shelter. This article explores how animals become part of a geopolitically significant security composition as refugees. Animals and their geog…
Freeze my Semen and I Will Join the War
This article explores and theorizes an aspect of war in the 2020s that has not previously been recognized in social science literature: The practice of soldiers freezing their semen before joining the military. The security-demography nexus has been studied mainly as a state concern-whether a state should limit or expand its population depending on different factors. In this context, women have been the main targets of biopolitical reproduction e…
Political science (14 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Law (11 works) · Gender, Security, and Conflict (9 works) · Law (8 works) · Social science (8 works) · Politics (7 works) · Public relations (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Gender Studies (5 works)