Fear and insecurity in the politics of austerity. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Autto, Janne; Törrönen, Jukka; Huysmans, Jef
• Is Part Of: European journal of cultural and political sociology. Volume 9:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 83
• Page End: 111
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: Austerity -- politics of fear -- trust -- welfare state -- insecurity; Political sociology -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals; 306.2
• DOI: 10.1080/23254823.2021.1888763
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2325-4823

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper examines how fear and insecurity are deployed in disputes over austerity. Drawing on discussions on the cultures of fear and on the social and political process which weaves fear and insecurity into the fabric of society, we analyse how austerity was justified and opposed in the Finnish parliament in 2015. We bring out different renditions of fear in five registers of justification that were deployed in the dispute. The registers evoked fear with threats to national sovereignty, dangers to societal security, and threats of harm and vulnerability. In addition, the registers evoked fear by drawing rhetorical force from the welfare state identity and by intertwining fear with political trust. Even though the renditions of fear played an important role, our findings also speak against straightforward interpretation of the politics of austerity as an example of moving into a culture of fear and insecurity.