Att styra mottagaren genom text : En kritisk diskursanalys av myndigheters textmallar

Sammanfattning

In Sweden, high rates of unemployment and sick leave necessitate frequent contact between individuals and the Swedish Employment Agency and the Social Insurance Agency. While agency communication is a vital tool for governance, the standardised text templates mediating these interactions represent a significant research gap. This study addresses this gap by analyzing how power, responsibility, and governance are constructed in 19 official text templates collected from these agencies. The methodology employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), examining the material through three analytical layers: the text layer, the actor layer, and the transtextual layer. The theoretical framework combines Zygmunt Bauman’s theory on neoliberal welfare logic with Norman Fairclough’s concept regarding the technologisation of discourse. Key findings demonstrate that these templates function as disciplinary instruments. Through strong modality and rigid timeframes, agencies guide recipient behavior, positioning individuals in subordinate administrative categories. However, the analysis also reveals that templates integrate service and support by using language aimed at making complex regulation understandable for the recipient. Furthermore, the standardisation of communication and explicit legal references are constructed as essential for legal certainty, ensuring equal treatment and transparency in the administrative process. The implication highlights a fundamental tension. While standardised communication provides administrative efficiency and legal certainty, it simultaneously individualises social risks and potentially marginalises individuals who cannot conform to rigid bureaucratic structures.