The Modern Gender Gap? A comparative analysis of young men´s and women’s views on national security

Abstract: When examining individuals' perspectives on political issues, gender appears to be a crucial indicator. Political issues are viewed differently by men and women, according to previous research. Data from previous research also show that men and women have different perspectives on national security. However, previous research is, to a large extent, quantitative. To broaden the knowledge of the issue, therefore, this study examines the question: Is there a gendered difference in perceptions of national security among youths in Sweden? If so, what are the differences in perception, and how might this impact support for the Swedish Armed Forces? The study is a case study carried out in Sweden. The material is based on comprehensive data from 10 focus groups with Swedish upper secondary school students. The findings indicate that women are more likely to perceive threats of harm, violence, and structural issues. Men do not perceive the threat of violence as a threat to the same extent; however, they generally thought it was more important for Sweden to have a strong defense than women. Both men and women were positive about international involvement. However, women appear to choose diplomatically oriented international institutions, like the UN, over military alliances like NATO. On the contrary, men were more optimistic about NATO than the UN. The disparity between men and women in their perception of national security may be a possible explanation for why the Swedish armed forces struggle to recruit more women to the institution.