Description
In order to ensure civilian involvement in preparedness efforts, governments must reach large swaths, if not all, of the population. In this paper, we investigate how preparedness efforts are communicated to different audiences using a variety of tools. These mobilisation efforts need to be diverse and adapted to different parts of the population so as to ensure total defence. As such, we examine popular culture as a channel for preparedness communication, by analysing TV series such as Nedsläckt land on SVT, the Swedish public broadcaster. There are a number of reality show-type TV series in which different people are exposed to different crisis-like scenarios which they have to respond to and ‘survive’. In this paper, we thus ask: What particular threats and responsibilities are emphasised in these popularized narratives of coming wars and/or crises? How does this material appeal to and engage different audiences, such as through gamification of preparedness, humour, or reflecting common formats such as reality tv shows. Through our analysis of the televising of the concept of total defence, we emphasise how defence policy seeps into our homes as entertainment.
