Field of work

Anna’s doctoral project explores the boundaries of democracy and the conditions of civil society, focusing on how democracy and civil society are articulated in Swedish politics, public debate, and state policy documents. By analyzing the role of language in defining the boundaries of democratic discourse, she examines how certain actors become marginalized or labeled as threats, and what consequences this may have.

The project is based on a paradox: Sweden is often regarded as a model of democratic stability, yet in the name of defending democracy, rhetorical and political mechanisms have emerged that in practice restrict civil society participation. The study highlights how democracy is defined through processes of inclusion and exclusion: how concepts, labels, and narratives shape what Wendy Brown calls democracy’s constitutive outside: the non-democratic “other” against which democracy defines itself.

The dissertation consists of four articles that together illuminate how policy, legislation, and labeling interact in this process, based on analysis of both policy texts and the lived experiences of civil society actors. Her research interests include democratic theory, shrinking civic space, radical democratic, decolonial and postcolonial perspectives, labeling and discursive governance, and the role of religion and minorities within the social contract.

Anna regularly carries out investigations and educational assignments for nonprofit organizations such as the Swedish National Forum for Voluntary Organizations and various churches, as well as for public bodies such as the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society, the innovation agency Vinnova, and the County Administrative Boards.
She is also a democracy speaker within the civic education initiative ViMåstePrata (“We Need to Talk”) and is frequently invited as a lecturer, writer, and discussion leader on democracy-related topics, particularly in relation to civil society, popular education, faith, and social engagement.