How familiar are you with other northern european states? (UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Finland)? There is a definite cultural gradient in Europe - and I'm wondering do you feel just estranged by nothern european values in general and not specifically sweden. As a finn I don't really feel there is especially anything weird in Sweden when visiting there (except they have more capital than finland so their nordic wellfare system is a bit more robust than ours - then king of the hill in nordic wellfarestateism being Norway with their oil).