Pandemics, Securitization, and the Powers of Functional Actors

Abstract Pandemics are a recurring phenomenon that, in addition to their devastating effects on human life and health, have profound economic, social, and political consequences, affecting national and international security. The framing and subsequent management of pandemics by different state actors is therefore an important research topic. Securitization theory has for the past three decades been a central approach in the study of how issues come to be framed as security threats and how such framings shape policy responses. This article seeks to advance this research agenda by examining and theorizing the role of so-called functional actors in securitization. This is an understudied category of actors who, while external to formal decision-making, nonetheless affect threat construction and security agenda setting in various ways. Drawing on insights from research on policy professionals, the article develops a more nuanced framework for understanding how functional actors operate within securitization processes and how their authority and influence vary across contexts. The theoretical assumptions are illustrated by four cases of securitization processes related to pandemics, namely the management of A(H1N1)/Swineflu and Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 in Sweden and Denmark. The article finds that the relationship between securitizing and functional actors plays a significant role in shaping how threats, such as pandemics are managed. The cases show not only how various actors adopted different functions within securitization, but also the dynamics of these processes. By highlighting the dynamic roles of functional actors, the article contributes to a more differentiated understanding of securitization. While the current study focuses on pandemics, this research agenda has broader implications for analyzing contemporary security challenges, where authority and expertise are increasingly dispersed across a range of actors.