Att bli en UNESCO litteraturstad : En diskursanalys av Göteborgs ansökan att bli en UNESCO litteraturstad

The aim of this thesis is to create knowledge on discursive formations surrounding literature that is being produced and/or reproduced in Sweden today. This is achieved by studying how the project group members responsible for writing the Gothenburg application to become a UNESCO City of Literature, and other key players involved in this process, argue for the values of literature and why a membership in the UNESCO creative cities network would be beneficial for Gothenburg city, its citizens and the literary field. To this end, both documents related to the process of getting Gothenburg’s candidature approved by UNESCO and interviews with the project group members responsible for writing the application to UNESCO are studied and analyzed. Eight interviews were conducted with members of the project group using a semi-structured qualitative interview methodology. The theoretical framework for this thesis consists of a foucauldian discourse analysis, ideology and studies of institutional logics in Swedish cultural politics. While analyzing the collected material, I was able to identify several dominating discursive formations about literature and literary work, as well as minor, competing discursive formations, that can all be recognized in how Swedish cultural policy have been discussed historically. These are later related to overarching ideological and political structures that are connected to them. Key findings include that literature is portrayed as a human right, as essential to a healthy, sustainable democracy and as something with inherent value. The project group members navigate predominant discursive formations and ideological understandings of literature, creating an environment where literary work is prioritized