Denmark in Afghanistan: Security discourse and the image of the nation-state

Abstract: In the present-day world, a state is only one of a number of social actors, each of which has its own identity, functions and structure. The successful functioning and even existential survival of the state is dependent on various factors, including its capacity to face the challenges of the processes of globalisation, including new threats which emerge from the development of communication technologies (e.g. Internet and the quick spreading of information) or transportation (e.g. long-range missiles which can reach a target even on another continent). Possessing the ability to execute power through laws and constitutions, states are trying to adjust to this new situation. One of the ways of achieving the state’s security is through international relations. In order to construct and maintain these relations, the state relies on building a certain image and reputation for itself. Using the example of the Danish engagement in the military operation in Afghanistan I examine how the state’s authorities (representatives of the executive power) use security discourse to construct a certain image of Denmark. The theoretical basis of the present paper embraces a poststructuralist approach to theories of discourse, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), and securitization (Copenhagen School). CDA as a method is applied in order to study the empirical textual data and is supplemented by discourse analysis applied to the visual data.