This documentary from 2015 by Erik Gandini (Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers, Videocracy) examines the social and political landscape of Sweden in terms of relationships, family and love. (There are precoded English subtitles available by clicking the CC button in the bottom left corner). The implications of such basic social elements as attachment and interaction with other people are probably obvious.
I have lived in Sweden for 20 years and am still continually surprised by the society. It is a culture of contradictions. On the one hand incredibly individualistic and with remarkably high degrees of personal freedom and choice. But on the other hand, it is totally conformist and always struggling for a homogeneity that seems to be slightly out of reach or pragmatically impossible. It is a segregated society, built along deepening ethnic and more recently economic fault lines, but at the same time social mobility is more available than in any other country I have encountered, with free education, high standards of housing and well paid jobs in a unionised workforce. It is a supremely psychological culture, by which I mean discourse is performed according to an established set of ideas, but there is little room for sarcasm, surrealist humour or satire (parody is the norm when it comes to humour). In many countries one could say the norms and proclivities of hegemonic culture are based on a consensus enforced by media, education and public opinion. But in Sweden there are few alternatives. Ideas are accepted and distributed or shared according to a very stable hierarchy of knowledge. An example that still makes me smile is how news broadcasts are often accompanied by an 'expert' who explains the rapport as part of the news. Analysis of social and political issues is conducted from the top down, and the vast majority of people do not question it.
Everything from sexuality to political dissent is organised by the State. For example RFSU - Riksförbundet för sexuell upplysning (The National Association for Sexual Enlightenment) is just one of many organisations that is state sponsored and devoted to organising the intimate lives of Swedish citizens via a complex network of media and educational channels. The annual Pride festival is also managed and financed by RFSU. In one sense the work of RFSU is very progressive, and personally I support it. But there is no alternative. Revolutionär Pride Stockholm and Anarchopride are two examples of recent attempts to radicalise Pride and move it away from the 'Pink Washing' commercialisation and political photo opportunity is has become. But any questioning of the official discourse in Sweden is shut down very quickly by an activation of a carefully controlled public opinion. I believe this level of manufactured consent and crafted public opinion comes from the same forces described in "The Swedish Theory of Love".
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