Sweden’s Approach to COVID-19 in the Context of a Poised National Self-Image
At the beginning of the Pandemic, Sweden took a different path from her Nordic neighbours and many other countries, namely by not implementing a “forced mass lockdown” or applying stringent restrictions. This paper sets out to examine Sweden’s national strategy for responding to COVID-19. This resea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/rccs/13440 |
| _version_ | 1811250481950883840 |
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| author | Anne Kubai |
| author_facet | Anne Kubai |
| author_sort | Anne Kubai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | At the beginning of the Pandemic, Sweden took a different path from her Nordic neighbours and many other countries, namely by not implementing a “forced mass lockdown” or applying stringent restrictions. This paper sets out to examine Sweden’s national strategy for responding to COVID-19. This research seeks to address the extent to which the underlying concepts of Swedish “ethos” and “tradition” influenced or shaped the national strategy to avoid forced mass lockdown during the pandemic. To prevent an enforced lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19, the Swedish government presented a range of different measures, both “voluntary and legally binding”. The strategy employed by the Public Health Authority was based on notions of “individual responsibility” and “mutual trust” between the government and the citizenry. The guidelines were often ambiguous and left to individuals to interpret for themselves. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:05:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6490eede4d5f49abaf8425c51144fa94 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0254-1106 2182-7435 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:05:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais |
| spelling | doaj.art-6490eede4d5f49abaf8425c51144fa942022-12-22T03:26:05ZengCentro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de CoimbraRevista Crítica de Ciências Sociais0254-11062182-74352022-09-011286188Sweden’s Approach to COVID-19 in the Context of a Poised National Self-ImageAnne KubaiAt the beginning of the Pandemic, Sweden took a different path from her Nordic neighbours and many other countries, namely by not implementing a “forced mass lockdown” or applying stringent restrictions. This paper sets out to examine Sweden’s national strategy for responding to COVID-19. This research seeks to address the extent to which the underlying concepts of Swedish “ethos” and “tradition” influenced or shaped the national strategy to avoid forced mass lockdown during the pandemic. To prevent an enforced lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19, the Swedish government presented a range of different measures, both “voluntary and legally binding”. The strategy employed by the Public Health Authority was based on notions of “individual responsibility” and “mutual trust” between the government and the citizenry. The guidelines were often ambiguous and left to individuals to interpret for themselves.http://journals.openedition.org/rccs/13440COVID-19individual responsibilitymutual trustPublic Health AuthoritySweden |
| spellingShingle | Anne Kubai Sweden’s Approach to COVID-19 in the Context of a Poised National Self-Image Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais COVID-19 individual responsibility mutual trust Public Health Authority Sweden |
| title | Sweden’s Approach to COVID-19 in the Context of a Poised National Self-Image |
| title_full | Sweden’s Approach to COVID-19 in the Context of a Poised National Self-Image |
| title_fullStr | Sweden’s Approach to COVID-19 in the Context of a Poised National Self-Image |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sweden’s Approach to COVID-19 in the Context of a Poised National Self-Image |
| title_short | Sweden’s Approach to COVID-19 in the Context of a Poised National Self-Image |
| title_sort | sweden s approach to covid 19 in the context of a poised national self image |
| topic | COVID-19 individual responsibility mutual trust Public Health Authority Sweden |
| url | http://journals.openedition.org/rccs/13440 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annekubai swedensapproachtocovid19inthecontextofapoisednationalselfimage |