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- Bengtsson, Bo, et al.
(author)
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Hyresboendets roller - lokal organisering och boinflytande i förändring
- 2007
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Changing Roles in Rental Housing – Local Organisation and Tenant Participation in Transition Since the 1970’s a wide-ranging system of tenant participation and local organisation has developed in Sweden, based on local tenant associations(LTAs). These are the smallest organizational units within the Swedish tenant movement, which is uniquely strong, with high membership rates, institutionalised market power and considerable political influence. LTAs have been granted some influence on the management of their estates through centralised agreements between landlords and regional tenant unions.Lately these forms of tenant participation and local organisation have been challenged through centralisation within the tenant movement and an increasing general interest in alternative, less formal modes of local organisation and co-operation between landlords and tenants.Some observers foresee that the traditional forms based on LTAs and collective agreements will be successively replaced by a multitude of more informal solutions. This study investigates the validity of such claims by scrutinizing the development that has taken place in local organisation and tenant participation during the last decade or so. This is done by testing how LTAs have adjusted to the new conditions, and mapping and examining the alternative forms that have developed.The theoretical point of departure is that LTAs, as well as other local voluntary organisations of tenants, have four different roles to fulfil: (1) to function as a democratic unit for members and esidents (‘democratic community’); (2) to act as the base organisation within the tenant movement (’grass-roots organisation); (3) to represent all residents in the estate towards the landlord (’voice’); (4) to organise and support social interaction in the estate (’social organiser’).The study is based on several empirical materials, including (a) two questionnaires (1997 and 2005) directed to 350–400 chairpersons of LTAs (the sample included a panel of LTAs that received the questionnaire on both occasions); (b) a questionnaire directed to 100 tenants who are active in alternative forms of local organisation; (c) a questionnaire to 1,000 ordinary tenants in five municipalities; (d) process-oriented case studies of 32 LTAs between 1990 and 2006; and (e) case studies of four estates with alternative forms of local organisation.Between 1997 and 2005 the number of LTAs went down from 3,500 to 2,500. Those still existing take on the same roles as before and at almost the same level of activity. In the role as democratic community, tenants’ attendance at LTA general meetings is still relatively low, and the competition for seats on the board is almost non-existent. There is a slight female majority among LTA board members, whereas immigrants are poorly represented.In the role as grass-roots organisation, despite diminishing formal LTA influence within the tenant movement, LTAs and higher levels still co-operate regularly and in mutual respect. In the role as voice towards the landlord, most LTAs still have agreements on tenant participation, although the level of influence has gone down somewhat, in particular on economic issues. Finally, in the role as social organiser, LTAs still take great responsibility for leisure activities in their estates. All three roles as grass-roots organisation, voice and social organiser are considered to be important by LTAs. The role as the voice of the tenants in relation to the landlord is seen as the most important of the three, and the individual tenants responding to the questionnaire share this opinion. Most boards feel equally responsible to non-member residents as to members of the tenant union.Our case studies give some indications about the LTAs that have disappeared in the last decade. The 15 LTAs that were terminated since 1990 had lower levels of activity in all the four roles than the 17 still in existence. The case studies also indicate that the difference between development and decline can be explained in terms of institutionalisation: that associations grow successively less dependent on individual activists. In five extensive case studies we have identified how processes of institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation arise and develop. These studies also illustrate that institutionalisation, cannot be taken for granted but is vulnerable to shifts in population and in relations to the landlord, including the sale of the estate.The alternative organisational units are far too few to replace the 1,000 LTA units that have disappeared. They sometimes engage individuals who have not been previously active, by means of openness to all tenants and informal modes of working. Still their activities have important similarities with those of LTAs, though many alternative units emphasize the role as social organiser more and, not surprisingly, the role as grass-roots organisation less than LTAs. Furthermore, without formal agreements, many of the alternative units have a weaker position to act as voice than LTAs. It is too early to say something definitive about the prospects of institutionalisation of the alternative forms. In most estates they still seem to be dependent on a few active tenants who put in a lot of effort in the activities.
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- Bengtsson, Bo, 1947-, et al.
(author)
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Lokal kontroll och kollektivt handlande : En utvärdering av självförvaltning i Bostads AB Poseidon i Göteborg
- 2003
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Local Control and Collective Action. An Evaluation of Self-Management in the Municipal Housing Company Poseidon in Gothenburg. This report presents an evaluation over three years of a programme on ’local democracy and self-management’ in the municipal housing company Poseidon in Gothenburg. The point of departure is the assumption that a programme of this type has to offer both local control and individual motives for collective action if it is to be sustainable. Tenants must be able to influence housing conditions together, as well as to have some individual motivation to take part in the activities. The evaluation is based mainly on three data sources: (1) a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of 1400 tenants; (2) a number of questionnaires distributed to all tenants who are active in the self-management, all chair-persons in local tenants associations (LTAs) in Poseidon’s housing stock, and all Poseidon’s ’area hosts’, who are responsible for the local management of the estates; (3) intensive studies of the processes of self-management in seven local housing estates. Use has also been made of official and company statistics, earlier surveys, programmes, agreements, minutes and other documents, as well as interviews with key informants, observations from meetings and inspections in the estates. The report includes a comprehensive evaluation in terms of tenants’ local control and collective action and a number of special studies on particular themes and perspectives.By Autumn 2002 self-management had been established in all Poseidon’s districts and in a considerable share of the housing stock. The number of active tenants was estimated at 800–1000. They are organised in about 80, mainly informal and rather loosely defined groups. The ambitious programme aiming at considerable local decision-making proved to be unrealistic, and activities today are based on informal collaboration between local staff and active tenants, in a few cases formalised in ’estate associations’. Initially both the area hosts and the representatives of the local tenants movement were rather sceptical of the self-management, but both groups have gradually acquired a more positive attitude.At the time of the tenant questionnaire (January 2001) no more than one fourth of all tenants knew about the project, but since the knowledge was clearly better in those districts where activities were most developed, the share today is probably considerably higher, perhaps nearly 40 per cent. Ordinary tenants consider that most physical aspects of the outdoor environment has been improved, in particular the care of plants and lawns. In contrast they see only minor positive effects on social relations. Active tenants, LTA chair-persons and area hosts all judge that the self-management has had clear positive effects on the outdoor environment and on tenants’ influence, as well as on the social ties and general well-being among residents. Tenants, and not only active tenants, feel an improved sense of control over their housing conditions.A majority of the active tenants are women. While women have been engaged in all types of activities, men have primarily taken on physically demanding tasks. Tenants with foreign background are somewhat fewer among the active than their share of the population, but still they are better represented than usual in local housing activities. This may be due to the informal organisation and the orientation towards practical work. The self-management also seems to have stimulated a higher growth in commitment and sense of responsibility among tenants with foreign background than among those with Swedish background.The active tenants are on average 55 years old; the active women on average nine years younger than the active men. The share of age pensioners is high, and a large number of the somewhat younger activists are also without gainful employment. The active tenants take part in organisational and political life somewhat more than the population in general. Their prime mover is a ’norm of local utility’, i.e. a norm that prescribes that they take part if it would mean a positive contribution to the common good of their neighbourhood. Economic incentives are less prominent, and the participation of one’s neighbours is rarely seen as a prerequisite of taking part oneself. The tenants’ most important resources are time in and knowledge of the estate, and the work carried out comprises an important contribution to the management of Poseidon’s housing stock.The intensive studies – in most cases in housing estates with a relatively high level of activity – confirm this picture. They also make clear that the self-management activities are dominated by informally organised practical work outdoors. The case studies also show that the mode of interplay between active tenants and local staff is formed to a large extent by local conditions and traditions. The decentralised organisation of Poseidon’s housing management has been of particular importance to the actual influence of the tenants. The decentralisation of decision-making has made it meaningful to keep up a continuous and goal-oriented dialogue about the different issues that have been raised locally.The self-management has improved the outdoor environment and strengthened the ties between the active tenants as well as their identification with the estate. However, the effect on ecological issues has been limited, and so have the direct economic effects on housing management. Conflicts have been few and the informal conflict management has been on the whole successful. The absence of formally democratic elections, decision-making and accountability has sometimes been a problem when controversial issues have come up on the local agenda. Still many active tenants in the case-study estates are sceptical of introducing more formal procedures. By now the self-management has reached a certain degree of institutionalisation within the company. In contrast the prospects of institutionalisation among tenants still seem uncertain. The absence of democratic forms of decision-making could make it difficult to deal with issues about rents, periodic maintenance and repair, local rules of conduct, etc. A crucial condition for Poseidon’s self-management to be sustainable is that the positive attitudes of the company and the local staff will continue, another that a workable division of responsibility between the tenants association and the self-management can be developed. The most plausible scenario is a development towards a higher degree of differentiation. This would mean some estates without local collective action, other estates remaining on the current level of informal work on the outdoor environment, and still other moving towards formal local democracy and influence.
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- Bergsten, Zara, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Att blanda? : En undersökning av planerares och allmännyttiga bostadsbolags syn på planering för en allsidig hushållssammansättning
- 2007
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Social mix is a pressing issue for both researchers and policy makers in the western world. How can this be achieved and what effects can be expected for individuals as well as the wider society? A lot has been written about this in the international literature but less has been written on the Swedish case. The research that has been carried out for Sweden is often done on a very local scale or at a highly aggregated and statistical level. Few of these studies are concerned by the practical level of planning. The authors’ therefore saw a need for in-depth studies on the Swedish case and particular for studies at the intermediate municipal level. To capture the local perspectives on planning for social mix this interview study is targeting municipal planners and actors at the municipal owned housing companies in 31 of the largest cities in Sweden. The study aims to find out whether the policy goal of social mix, introduced in the 1970s, still is relevant and how a planning for social mix can be done. What measures are used, what possibilities and difficulties are associated with social mix strategies? The authors begin with placing social mix as a policy goal in an international and historical perspective and this is followed by a discussion and presentation of the main results of the study in hand. In this report the authors’ conclude that social mix is a goal placed at the agenda although it might not be placed at the very top of the agenda. Further the physical restructuring of the housing stock is seen as the most important way to achieve social mix. They also conclude that the ability to achieve a social mix is to a great extent depending on the municipal housing companies and since their existence is questioned this makes this planning goal even more interesting to do further studies on.
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Forskning om funktionshinder pågår 2010:1
- 2010. - 19
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Editorial collection (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- s. 2. Nytt ljus på tillgänglighetens. 4. Platser viktiga för identitetens. 5. Stiftelsen Sunnerdahls Handikappfonds. 6. Crip – om att omfamna sitt stigmas. 7. Norrbacka-Eugeniastiftelsen utlyser medel till forskning och utvecklingsarbetes. 7. Läsvärts. 8. FAS delar ut programstöd till forskning om funktionshinders. 9. Hallå där! Karin Jöreskogs. 9. Örebrokonferensen 13-15 aprils. 10. Avhandlings. 12. Kalendern
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- Fransson, Urban, 1948-
(author)
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Äldrelandskapet : äldres boende och flyttningar
- 2004
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This report deals with the geographical distribution of elderly people in Sweden. The future development of the numbers of inhabitants belonging to the workforce is discussed in relation to the numbers of elderly inhabitants that are not part of the workforce, and this is put in relation to the expected changes in Western Europe.There are significant differences across Sweden in terms of age-structure and the so-called dependency ratio. This imbalance provides the context for how the welfare of the elderly may develop in the future. The report also provides an overview of Swedish and international research concerning migration of the elderly. Many Swedish municipalities have a significant share of elderly inhabitants and the geographical mobility of this population is small. The extent of elderly interregional migration is analyzed in terms of which categories of municipalities attract or repel this population as estimated by their migration patterns. The report provides an insight into how the next generation of elderly, those who were born in the 1940ies, may migrate within the near future. Help and support from the relatives of the elderly has grown in importance over the years and is expected to continue doing so in the years to come. Although a majority of elderly have relatives in their geographical proximity, a significant share does not. This may have a negative effect on the ability of the elderly to stay in their houses and environments that they are familiar with and where they have accumulated place specific capital, which they are at risk of reducing if moving becomes necessary. The report also provides examples of municipalities where elderly people lack suitable housing in their neighbourhood even if they wanted to move.
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- Gustafson, Per, 1966-, et al.
(author)
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Att ta kontroll över resandet : Travel management och tjänsteresor med tåg
- 2010
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Over the past few decades, business travel has increased substantially, with both individual and organizational consequences. Many larger companies and public authorities therefore attempt to implement policies, regulations and standardized routines for their travel. The concept of travel management describes such activities pursued on a professional basis, by employed travel managers. The purpose of this report is to investigate travel management in Sweden and, in particular, to examine business travel by train in relation to professional travel management. The report mainly draws on interviews with travel managers, but empirical data also include interviews with sales personnel at travel agencies and at SJ (the state-owned Swedish railway company), interviews with frequent business travellers, and travel policy documents. To begin with, six important tasks for a travel manager are identified: 1) developing and implementing a travel policy, 2) cooperating with a travel agency, 3) making agreements with suppliers, 4) creating standardized payment routines, 5) collecting and analyzing travel statistics, and 6) communicating and gaining support within the organization. These different tasks are then described and analyzed in some detail, and specific attention is given to how the railway as a transport system works in relation to the practice of travel management. Moreover, two separate chapters in the report examine business travel by train from the travellers’ perspective and how environmental considerations in travel management may promote travel by train.
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- Urban, Susanne, 1966-
(author)
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Grannskap, idé och planering : en genomgång av svenska och internationella studier med anknytning till grannskapsplanering
- 2004
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Begreppen grannskap och grannskapsenheter har förekommit länge i diskussionen kring planering, såväl inom fysisk som social planering. Under senare år har också en etnisk dimension kommit in i debatten och då ofta i anslutning till det som ibland brukar benämnas utsatta bostadsområden. En fråga är vilka diskussioner som har förts kring grannskap och hur dessa har utvecklats över tiden. Andra rågeställningar är: Kan man påverka människor och deras förhållande till varandra genom den fysiska miljön? Hur bör det goda grannskapet utformas? Vad är det som gör att ett grannskap förändras? Vid studier av segregation, segmentation och polariseringsprocesser, är det av intresse att få en begreppsdiskussion kring den geografiska dimensionen i grannskapsenheten, liksom en social dimension. orskningen om grannskap är mycket omfattande och det är självklart omöjligt att täcka alla diskussioner. Dessutom har en del översikter gjorts, dock ingen på svenska under senare år. Det finns därför ett intresse av en uppdatering av den senare forskningen som är gjort i Sverige, men också något om forskningen utomlands. Texten är tät med referenser för att underlätta vidare forskning inom de olika delområdena. Vi har inom projektet ”Välfärdsstat i trångmål – om att värdera och mäta boendesegregation”, finansierat av Byggforskningsrådet (projekt nr 960440-4) låtit göra en litteraturstudie kring grannskap. Vidare har det HSFR-finansierade projektet ”Integration ifrågasatt” (828/97) bidragit till finansieringen av studien. Denna har gjorts av Susanne Urban vid Sociologiska institutionen vid Stockholms universitet, vilken har skrivit föreliggande rapport. Vid seminariebehandlingen vid IBF opponerade Mats Franzén vid Institutet för bostads- och urbanforskning, Uppsala universitet på rapporten och vid den slutliga behandlingen av studien opponerade Lars Hjärne, Högskolan i Gävle. Redigering och layout av rapporten har gjorts av Gunilla Bloom Lundqvist.
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