Understanding swedish prepping : a mixed-method study on resilience, trust, and incentives to prepare for crises

Abstract: The focus of this thesis is individual emergency preparedness – prepping - in Sweden. Due to several threats and crises in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Swedish Parliament chose to resume emergency preparedness planning in 2017, but few Swedes are prepared themselves. This thesis, therefore, focuses on people that are interested in prepping and self-identify as prepared, with the aim of investigating how we can understand Swedish prepping today. The aim is also to reflect the results based on the concepts of resilience and trust. To guide this effort, the study examines who is interested in preparedness, what motivates them to be, and how they define being prepared for crises. Furthermore, it investigates how citizens interested in preparing for the future view Swedish emergency preparedness and their own role in it, as well as what roles social resilience and trust play in prepping. To approach these research questions, an online survey was created and distributed in four Facebook groups, followed by semi-structured interviews with members of the same groups. In total, 464 people completed the survey, and ten interviews were conducted. The result of this study finds that people preparing for crises are not a homogenous group. They differ in age, level of preparedness, interests, political standpoint, and background and they live all over Sweden. To some, prepping is about meeting basic needs, stocking up on food and gear, and planning for different events. To others it is a question about attitude and mental preparations, learning helpful skills, and how to deal with uncertainties. Preparing is, to some, a hobby that provides value when life runs on as usual and there is no crisis. Preparing for a crisis is therefore not only about the crisis but also about the act of preparing. Swedish prepping originates from upbringing and previous experiences, in combination with low emergency preparedness, which has contributed to the informants feeling that they must take responsibility, partly or completely, for themselves. Trust is important in this study, since the trust we have in organizations, political parties, and people stems from our previous experiences with those groups. Norms, social networks, and trust allow individuals to draw on social resources in their community to solve collective problems. The most resilient communities tend to be those that work together towards a shared purpose. This approach seems to be stronger in the countryside. Furthermore, the actions of preppers can contribute to resilient living conditions and increase a community’s resilience as well. But for a community to cope with and adapt to changes, more actors than just individuals such as preppers need to be involved. “Preppers” are an important part of increased community resilience, but so are the civil society, the civil defense, businesses, and agencies. The distribution of responsibility prior, during and after a crisis must be clearer. Only then can Sweden become resilient to future crises.