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- Otto, Opira
(author)
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Trust, identity and beer : institutional arrangements for agricultural labour in Isunga village in Kiryandongo district, midwestern Uganda
- 2013
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis explores the role and influence of institutions on agricultural labour transactions in Isunga village in Kiryandongo District, Midwestern Uganda. It primarily focuses on how farmers structure, maintain and enforce their labour relationships during crop farming. The study is based on semi-structured interviews of twenty households and unstructured interviews with representatives of farmers associations. These interviews show that other than household labour, the other common labour arrangements in the village include farm work sharing, labour exchanges and casual wage labour. Farm work sharing and labour exchanges involve farmers temporarily pooling their labour into work groups to complete tasks such as planting, weeding or harvesting crops on members' farms in succession. This is done under strict rules and rewarded with 'good' beer and food. Against this background, the study asks what institutions really are, why they matter and what we can learn about them. Literature suggests that institutions influence labour transactions by their effects on transaction costs and the protection of contractual rights. However, literature does not suggest which institutions are best for agricultural labour transactions. Taking institutions to be the 'rules of the game', with farmers as 'players' who strategically use these rules to their advantage, the study focused on the interaction between institutions and farmers. The major findings of the study are: (a) farmers' choices of institutions are influenced by the characteristics of transactions, the costs of using institutions for handling labour dealings, the fairness and predictability of the outcome of contract enforcement mechanisms, and socio-cultural factors such as kin/ethnic status, morality and affection, (b) formal institutions in Isunga are either weak, ineffective or absent. So, farmers rely heavily on institutions embedded in social norms and networks to structure their transactional relationships, to ensure the performance of the respective parties, and to settle disputes if they arise. The study concludes that agricultural labour transactions in Isunga involve judgements of personal characteristics and social roles expressed as reputation and trustworthiness.
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| 2. |
- Olausson, Inger, 1969-
(author)
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Market gardens in Sweden 1900-1950 with four case studies from Stockholm County
- 2015
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In: ISHS Acta Horticulturae 1108XXIX International Horticultural Congress on Horticulture: Sustaining Lives, Livelihoods and Landscapes (IHC2014): V International Conference on Landscape and Urban Horticulture and International Symposium on Sustainable Management in the Urban Forest. - : International Society for Horticultural Science. - 9789462611023 ; 1108, s. 123-129
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The links between market gardens and cities were symbiotic until the mid-1900s. In my thesis about market gardens in Sweden 1900-1950, four market gardens in Stockholm County are investigated, trying to find out how different resources and strategies contributed to the businesses competitiveness. Two of the market gardens belonged to mansions with all the staff employed. The other two were established as family businesses by entrepreneurs without employees. Garden products are sensitive to bumps, heat, low temperatures, etc. Due to this, the access to a nearby market was necessary at that time. The development of the trade with garden products was linked to a fast-growing population in the cities, the growing demand for garden products, and the development of the transport sector. From the growing city, gardeners bought horse manure, garbage, or anything that produced heat to the hotbeds when it decomposed. Most of the market gardens were small family businesses situated on small plots. In the 1930s and 1940s in 75% of the businesses a maximum of three people were engaged. The production was both resource-demanding and labour-intensive. The use of hotbeds and greenhouses extended the growing season and made it possible to grow all year around. The gardenerRSQUOs dependence on merchandises increased like an avalanche to beat the growing competition on the market. The import, often of high quality products, was growing very fast and affected the interest for garden products. It forced the domestic horticulture industry to increase the quality and effectiveness of the production.
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| 6. |
- Olausson, Inger
(author)
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En blomstrande marknad : handelsträdgårdar i Sverige 1900-1950 med fyra fallstudier i Stockholms län
- 2014
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Avhandlingen syftar till att fördjupa förståelsen för handelsträdgårdarnas verksamhet och trädgårdsnäringens utveckling i Sverige under perioden 1900–1950. Den är ett bidrag till forskningen om den yrkesmässiga, kommersiella trädgårdsodlingens historia i Sverige efter industrialismens genombrott, vilket är ett eftersatt forskningsområde. Handelsträdgårdar var trädgårdsodlingar med yrkesmässig produktion av grönsaker, blommor, bär, frukt och ettåriga utplanteringsväxter. Det var en intensiv och resurskrävande produktion på friland, i drivbänkar och växthus. Fyra handelsträdgårdar i det som vid tiden var Stockholms län, studeras som fallstudier. Två var herrgårdsträdgårdar med anställd arbetskraft och två enskilda familjeföretag, vilket möjliggör en jämförelse mellan dessa båda typer av handelsträdgårdar. Källmaterialen har bland annat bestått av räkenskaper, korrespondens, dagböcker, fotografier och insamlingen av sådant material utgjorde en del av avhandlingsarbetet. Teorier och begrepp har hämtats från företagsekonomi och entreprenörskap och har använts för att synliggöra, tydliggöra och resonera kring skeenden i fallstudierna. Frågeställningarna rör handelsträdgårdarnas resursbehov, strategier, konkurrenskraft, sortiment och flexibilitet. Några av de teman som behandlas mer ingående är trädgårdsmästarens kunskap och kunskapsuppbyggnad, odling och odlingsteknik, det odlade sortimentet, handelsträdgårdarnas lokalisering, avsättningen av trädgårdsprodukter samt sociala, politiska och ekonomiska förändringar i samhället som påverkade trädgårdsnäringen och dess aktörer. Under tidsperioden ökade efterfrågan av trädgårdsprodukter och både den inhemska produktionen och importen av dessa varor ökade. Under de båda världskrigen begränsades importen vilket gynnade odlingen inom landet. Vid seklets början var närheten till städer och tätorter betydelsefull för att få tillgång till viktiga resurser, framför allt en marknad för avsättningen av de ömtåliga, skrymmande produkterna och tillgång till gödsel, latrin och annat avfall till varmbänkarna. Den ökande konkurrenssituationen för odlarna bidrog till att produktion, odlingsteknik och sortiment förändrades liksom handel och transportsystem. Det organisatoriska avståndet mellan producent och konsument blev längre liksom det i tid och rum. Då mellanhänderna blev fler förändrades kraven på produkterna mot en ökad tålighet och enhetlighet.
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| 7. |
- Beier, Ulrika, et al.
(author)
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Fisk och fiske i Mälaren
- 2015
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Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Nära en tredjedel av Sveriges befolkning bor i Mälardalen. Mälaren är Sveriges tredje största sjö och en av de artrikaste beträffande fisk. Sjön är både flikig och mångsidig. Ömsom kantas den av slätter med intensivt jordbruk och stora vassområden, ömsom av karga klippor och grusstränder. Här finns omväxlande små och stora öar, grunda vikar, trånga sund och stora, djupa fjärdar. Mälaren har förorenats under århundraden och är fortfarande delvis övergödd. Trots det tjänar den som landets största dricksvattentäkt. Två miljoner människor får dricksvatten från Mälaren. Länge har fokus varit på sjöns vattenkvalitet, både för att dricka och bada i. Mälaren är också viktig som fiskesjö. Fiske i Mälaren innebär oftast rekreation men sjön försörjer också cirka trettio yrkesfiskare. Sist men inte minst - fisken i Mälaren är en viktig del i dess ekosystem. Genom näringsväven återkopplar fisken oundvikligen till vattnets kvalitet. I den här rapporten vill vi sätta Mälarens fisk i fokus. Vi ska berätta om fiskarter som är viktiga för ekosystemet och fisket samt om hur fisken i Mälaren undersöks.
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| 8. |
- Bengtsson, Erik, et al.
(author)
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Aristocratic Wealth and Inequality in a Changing Society: Sweden, 1750–1900
- 2019
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In: Scandinavian Journal of History. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1502-7716 .- 0346-8755. ; 44:1, s. 27-52
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The role of the European nobility and their ability to retain their political and economic power are part of the debate on the modernization of Europe’s economy. This paper contributes to the literature by exploring the wealth of the Swedish nobility as the country evolved from an agrarian to an industrial economy. We use a sample of 200+ probate inventories of nobles for each of the benchmark years 1750, 1800, 1850 and 1900. We show that the nobility, less than 0.5 per cent of the population, was markedly dominant in 1750: the average noble was 60 times richer than the average person, and the nobles held 29 per cent of all private wealth. 90 per cent of the nobles were richer than the average person. By 1900 the advantage of the nobles’ wealth had declined; the group held only 5 per cent of total private wealth. At the same time, stratification within the nobility had increased dramatically. One group of super-rich Swedish nobles, often large land owners from the high nobility, possessed the biggest fortunes, but a large minority of nobles were no richer than the average Swede.
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| 9. |
- Bengtsson, Erik, et al.
(author)
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Mercantilist Inequality : Wealth and Poverty in Stockholm 1650-1750
- 2019
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This paper maps social structure, poverty, wealth and economic inequality in Stockholm from 1650 to 1750. We begin by establishing the social structure, using census data and other sources. To study wealth and poverty, the main sources are a sample from the wealth tax of 1715, and probate inventory samples from 1650, 1700 and 1750. These provide detailed and sometimes surprising insights into the living standards of both the poor and rich. Stockholm in this period was a starkly unequal city, with the top decile of wealth holders owning about 90 per cent of total wealth. We argue that this inequality was the result of deliberate policy – the Mercantilist conviction of “just rewards” for each and every one according to his or her standing. The case of Stockholm shows the need for the historical inequality literature to consider class and power relations to understand the determinants of inequality.
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| 10. |
- Bohman, Anna, 1975-, et al.
(author)
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How Frames matter : Common Sense and Institutional Choice in Ghana’s Urban Water Sector
- 2014
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In: Journal of Environment and Development. - : Sage Publications. - 1070-4965 .- 1552-5465. ; 23:2, s. 247-270
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ideas on what is best practice to provide more people in rapidly growing low- and middle-income cities with adequate water supplying services have changed during the 20th century. By applying a frame-theoretical approach, this article analyzes institutional choice in Ghana’s urban water sector. Special attention is paid to two major events: first, the establishment of the state water utility, Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation, in 1965, and, second, the reform process in the 1990s and early 2000s that aimed at private sector participation in urban water management. By unraveling the arguments and the taken-for-granted assumptions underlying the two reforms, the article shows how the perceived space for policy alternatives available to decision makers at a certain point in time has been largely constrained by the dominant frames in a particular historical context. This conclusion is supportive of the argument that rationality is a highly contextual and time-dependent concept.
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