Title: Turning Women into Soldiers or Turning Women into Men? A Semiotic Analysis of the Swedish Armed Forces’ Communication Targeting Women
The purpose of this study is to conduct a semiotic analysis of The Swedish Armed Forces campaign “Många har många frågor” which is directed to women. The aim is to find out if the external communication challenges or reinforces the perception of the organization as traditionally masculine. In addition, the study analyses recurring themes and values in the campaign and how they relate to The Swedish Armed Forces masculine ideal. The study also examines if the campaign challenges or reinforces gender norms. The study proceeded from theoretical perspectives such as feminist theory, the theory of organizational identity and semiotics. The method of the study was based on Roland Barthes method in semiotics. The material was analyzed by the analytical tools such as denotation, connotation, paradigm and syntagm. The results of the analysis showed a paradox in The Swedish Armed Forces external communication intended for women. In the campaign feminine gender norms are challenged since the women portrayed in the campaign are given masculine qualities. However, the masculine ideal is not challenged within The Swedish Armed Forces as an organization, as the campaign reinforces the notion that masculinity dominates.