Bland blåklint och tomtepålar. Om det kulturella tillståndet i Folkpartiet Liberalerna

Abstract

Learning party organisational culture through ritual. The case of the Swedish Liberal Party

This article deals with the question whether there has been a change of organisational culture within the Swedish Liberal Party. The empirical basis of the study is a comparison between the party culture as we know it from previous research, and the culture as expressed in speeches by the newly installed party leader at the party congress where he was elected. The problem is analysed using anthropological concepts of culture and ritual, the theoretical point of departure being that the party congress constitutes one of the most important rituals in a party, and as such is used by the party to demonstrate its own culture. The conclusion is that no cultural change has taken place, and that the Liberal Party’s culture of nuance and skepticism appears to be a solid one.