PROFILERING GENOM KULTUR Sveriges ambassad i Wien som kulturförmedlare: Studie av nationell profilering i en europeisk och multilateral miljö 2020–2025

Abstract

The present thesis examines how Sweden is culturally profiled by the Swedish Embassy in Vienna within a European and multilateral context during the period 2020–2025. The study draws on concepts of cultural diplomacy, nation branding, and soft power to examine how culture is used as a diplomatic practice, in an environment characterized by international organizations and European norms. The study is based on a qualitative case study and applies a deductive content analysis of the embassy’s public communication, primarily social media posts, documentation of cultural activities, and a complementary interview with an embassy official. The analysis focuses on how cultural activities are framed, the values and themes emphasized, and how Sweden is positioned in relation to Europe and the EU. The results show that the embassy’s cultural work is largely characterized by cooperation, dialogue, and relational practices rather than explicit national promotion. Cultural activities are frequently organized in collaboration with local and international partners and framed around shared values such as democracy, inclusion, and cultural exchange. Nation branding and soft power thus emerge mainly as outcomes of these practices rather than as explicitly stated strategies. By focusing on embassy-level practice, the study adds empirical insight into how cultural diplomacy operates in a multilateral European setting.