Vem finns med på framtidståget? -En studie av Karlskronas kollektiva identitet, såsom den upplevs av stadens befolkning, jämfört med hur den framställs av stadens makthavare
Collective identityKarlskronaCity marketingChanging Collective identityCitiesSocial sciencesSamhällsvetenskaperPolitical and administrative sciencesStatsvetenskapFörvaltningskunskapSocial SciencesLaw and Political Science
The first purpose of this thesis is to investigate if, how, and why the perceived collective identity in the town of Karlskrona has changed. Collective identities can due to their socially constructed nature change rapidly in light of new collective experiences. The reason for suspecting such a change in Karlskrona is the immense impact that the change in the global economy, according to Saskia Sassen, has on cities. By interviewing politicians and media representatives from Karlskrona the perceived identity is drawn. The second purpose of this thesis will then be to test if the identity as it is perceived by Karlskronas habitants differ from the one that town officials present through city marketing. This is done by comparing the results from the interviews with marketing material from Karlskrona aimed at investors, visitors and habitants. By doing so I conclude that, one; the perceived collective identity has changed and is probably still being reformed, and two; the identity as it is being presented in Karlskronas marketing differ from how it is perceived by the habitants, mostly by being more one sided.