| 1. |
- Rataj, Marcin, et al.
(author)
-
Entrepreneurship in rural Sweden : the role of weak ties, strong ties, and 'good enough' internet access
- 2021
-
In: The Rural Enterprise Economy. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 9780367471873 - 9781032118017 - 9781003034001 ; , s. 178-192
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This chapter assesses to what extent broadband internet access and social capital influence entrepreneurship in rural Sweden. The chapter combines a quantitative assessment of the relation between broadband access and the start-up rates of micro-enterprises in Swedish municipalities between 2007 and 2012 with a qualitative case study on Dutch lifestyle migrants. Our results show that broadband access is positively correlated with entrepreneurial efforts in rural Sweden compared to larger urban regions. Nevertheless, investments in broadband access may not be the optimal allocation of public resources. Instead, the results suggest that mixing various types of social embeddedness and technical connectivity on a satisfactory, but not necessarily high, level may allow entrepreneurs to take advantage of synergies and create resilient business strategies based on local resources.
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| 2. |
- Adman, Per, et al.
(author)
-
171 forskare: ”Vi vuxna bör också klimatprotestera”
- 2019
-
In: Dagens nyheter (DN debatt). - Stockholm. - 1101-2447.
-
Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- DN DEBATT 26/9. Vuxna bör följa uppmaningen från ungdomarna i Fridays for future-rörelsen och protestera eftersom det politiska ledarskapet är otillräckligt. Omfattande och långvariga påtryckningar från hela samhället behövs för att få de politiskt ansvariga att utöva det ledarskap som klimatkrisen kräver, skriver 171 forskare i samhällsvetenskap och humaniora.
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| 3. |
- Bjarnason, Thoroddur, et al.
(author)
-
At the intersection of urbanisation and counterurbanisation in rural space: Microurbanisation in Northern Iceland
- 2021
-
In: Journal of Rural Studies. - : Elsevier. - 0743-0167 .- 1873-1392. ; 87, s. 404-414
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Micropolitan centers and other regional towns have frequently been conceptualised as drivers of economic growth in rural regions, providing an ideal balance between rural and urban amenities. However, they have also been described as “sponges” that suck the population from more rural communities in the region, perhaps only to be squeezed again into the micropolitan bucket of urbanisation. In this paper, we map long-term urbanisation and microurbanisation in Iceland and evaluate the role of micropolitan Akureyri in Northern Iceland in rural migration dynamics. We find the Icelandic rural population to be highly mobile with about nine out of ten residents in different types of communities having lived elsewhere for at least a year, and between a quarter and one-third having lived in the Reykjavík capital area. Positive net in-migration to Akureyri from more rural regions corresponds exactly to negative out-migration towards the Reykjavík capital area and the steady long-term population growth of Akureyri can, thus, be attributed exclusively to natural fertility. However, micropolitan Akureyri does not appear to exacerbate rural out-migration in Northern Iceland. Residents of smaller communities in the north are not more likely to move than other rural residents – they are simply more likely to move to micropolitan Akureyri rather than the Reykjavík capital area.
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| 4. |
- Carson, Doris A., et al.
(author)
-
New mobilities - new economies? : temporary populations and local innovation capacity in sparsely populated areas
- 2016
-
In: Settlements at the edge. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar Publishing. - 9781784711955 - 9781784711962 ; , s. 178-206
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Temporary population mobilities – including short-term labour, residential and recreational mobilities – have long been a prominent feature of human geography in sparsely populated areas. Such mobilities are often considered from a problem-centric perspective, with both academic and public discourses focusing extensively on the negative impacts that temporary populations have on local communities. Yet, temporary mobilities may also have a range of positive impacts, as they bring new people, ideas, skills, knowledge and network connections to remote communities, and thus potentially contribute to processes of local innovation. This chapter examines how different types of temporary populations contribute to local innovation capacity and new socio-economic development in remote communities. We propose a framework for analysing how different mobile populations with their particular temporal, spatial, motivational and interactional mobility characteristics impact on various forms of community capital, and subsequent innovation outcomes through the mobilisation of such capital. We then apply the framework to review five common examples of temporary mobilities in northern Scandinavia and Outback Australia, ranging from voluntary international lifestyle migrants to displaced refugee migrants, from seasonal second home-owners to short-term transit tourists, and from service to leisure-oriented Indigenous travellers. The review suggests that temporary populations offer substantial potential to boost innovation and new socio-economic development in remote communities, but that communities and institutional structures often fail to recognise and capitalise on such potential.
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| 5. |
- Carson, Dean B., et al.
(author)
-
Dipping in to the North : living, working and traveling in sparsely populated areas
- 2020
-
In: Dipping in to the North. - Singapore : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9789811566226 - 9789811566233 ; , s. 1-14
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This chapter sets the scene for this book. It introduces issues that we relate with living, working and traveling in sparsely populated areas. We explain that 'the north' is more than an area on a geographic map. We relate this with seminal previous research on sparsely populated municipalities under constant pressure due to socio-economic challenges. This chapter also provides concrete local examples of civil society-based local development. It explains how this book nuances both myths of rural areas as struggling and dull or as ideal idylls. We relate this with views of countrysides as productivist, post-productivist and multifunctional. In turbulent times due to global political struggles, climate change and the Corona outbreak, this book shows how the north of Sweden and similar areas are heterogeneous in their dos and don’ts.
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| 6. |
- Carson, Dean B., et al.
(author)
-
Epilogue : From growth to decline to degrowth? The future of Northern SPAs
- 2020
-
In: Dipping in to the North. - Singapore : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9789811566226 - 9789811566233 ; , s. 393-401
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This final chapter of the book wraps up the discussions in previous chapters and links back to the book's introductory chapter. We reflect on the future of sparsely populated areas in connection with growth, decline and degrowth. We do so through revisiting the intro-chapter's example of local development and broader historical and political perspectives on major current challenges such as the corona pandemic, climate change and the refugee crisis. What does this mean for the north? The need for rural people, places and products has not disappeared. On the contrary, change, transformation and adaptation have been pivotal for development, and this is what we have seen as examples throughout this book.
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| 7. |
- Carson, Dean B., et al.
(author)
-
Small villages and socio-economic change in resource peripheries : a view from Northern Sweden
- 2020
-
In: Dipping in to the North. - Singapore : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9789811566226 - 9789811566233 ; , s. 27-53
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many towns and villages in the inland north of Sweden were settled by independent farmers and foresters, with industry and company towns being relatively rare. In Canada and Australia industry and company towns were more common, and there is some evidence that those towns have found it more difficult to attract and retain population than what we term here as 'settler towns'. Development of alternative economic activities such as tourism has been difficult. In Sweden, however, there is no clear distinction between the recent demographic performance of industry and settler villages, and local economic activity has been relatively unimportant as most villages are well connected to regional labour markets.
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| 8. |
-
Conference proceedings for the Lifestyle migrationHub meeting28-29 November 2019Umeå University, Sweden : GERUM Geografisk Arbetsrapport (Working paper)
- 2019
-
Editorial proceedings (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Lifestyle migration refers to the relocation of citizens from affluent industrialised nations in order to find a more meaningful and relaxed life, usually in places with lower living costs and sunny or otherwise attractive climates. Often, they claim to be escaping from the “rat-race”, hectic lifestyles and pressures at work. Retirees, on the other hand, often claim to search for a more active old age by moving abroad. Scholars of lifestyle migration and tourism-informed mobilities are interested in the social conditions that lead individuals to pursue ‘the good life’ through geographic mobility and travel. Lifestyle-informed migration creates new forms of transnational community and identity. It also has important social and environmental effects on receiving communities. Studies have e.g. focused on North Europeans moving to Spain (O’Reilly 2000), or buying second homes in Malta (Åkerlund 2013), or on the migration of North Americans and West Europeans to Latin American destinations (Hayes 2015), and to South or Southeast Asia (Benson & O’Reilly 2018).
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| 9. |
-
Dipping in to the North : living, working and traveling in sparsely populated areas
- 2020. - 1
-
Editorial collection (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dipping in to the North explores how changing mobility and migration is affecting the social, economic, cultural, and environmental characteristics of sparsely populated areas of northern Sweden (and places like it). It examines who lives in, works in, and visits the north; how and why this has changed over time; and what those changes mean for how the north might develop in the future. The book draws upon deep expertise and knowledge from a range of social scientists, presenting valuable insights in an accessible style for a broad audience.
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| 10. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
A critical exploration of an emerging lifestyle mobility industry
- 2014
-
In: The 23rd Nordic Symposium on Tourism and Hospitality Research. - Köpenhamn. ; , s. 107-108, s. 107-108
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mobility to second homes, sometimes referred to as residential tourism, can be conceptually framed within the emerging concept of lifestyle mobilities. Although related, it differs from tourism in that it refers to relatively permanent movement which entails the intention and material efforts to create a home and a living in the destination context. Tourism mobility is facilitated by agents offering services and products enabling experiences of novelty, difference, authenticity, quality of life and the like. Lifestyle mobilities in many ways taps into this production system but also include products and services related to housing, furbishing and to making a living in place. On an international level the production system is further complicated. In migration studies, the concept of a migration industry refers to the amalgam of agents making a profit out of catering to the needs of migrants. This study is a joint reflection on the production dimension of lifestyle mobilities in the European context. We explore the agents brokering lifestyle for Swedes in Malta; Swedish rural municipalities’ place marketing in the Netherlands; and the role of lifestyle media in the Algarve, Portugal. We aim to answer the question: “how (if at all) could the concept of a migration industry be applied to lifestyle mobilities?”.
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| 11. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
Ambivalent Dutch lifestyle migrants in rural Sweden
- 2014
-
In: AEMI Journal. - Stavanger : AEMI. - 1729-3561. ; 12, s. 48-57
-
Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- This paper focuses on Dutch families who moved to Hällefors municipality (rural Sweden) in the early 21st century. It discusses ambivalent discourses comparing pre-migration to post-migration life. As studied in this text, the direction of the move (north), the destination (a deprived municipality) and the structure for the decision process (a municipality and an agency deliberately attracting incomers) are novel aspects to existing studies of lifestyle migration. The paper aims to examine the migration process of Dutch lifestyle migrants in Hällefors and their ambivalent attitudes towards returning. The main question addressed enhances our understanding of the motivations for a possible move away from Hällefors. This question is addressed through a qualitative study, conducted in 2011. The findings suggest that spontaneous movers are more ambivalent than long-term planning migrants. This leads to the conclusion that the permanent-temporary binary of movement is less valuable for conceptualising this group of migrants.
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| 12. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
Ambivalent Dutch lifestyle migrants in rural Sweden
- 2013
-
In: Practising the good life / the good life in practices. ; , s. 5-5
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper focuses on Dutch families who moved to Hällefors (rural Sweden) in the early 21st century. It discusses contradictory and ambivalent discourses between life before and life after migration. As studied in this text, the direction of the move (north), the destination (a problematic municipality) and the structure for the decision process (provided by a municipality and an agency actively attracting incomers) are novel aspects to existing studies of lifestyle migration. The paper aims to examine the migration process of Dutch lifestyle migrants in Hällefors and their ambivalent attitudes towards returning. The main empirical question is ‘after migrating to Hällefors, what influences the Dutch families’ attitude towards returning?’ This question is addressed through an interview study, conducted in 2011. One of the findings is that long-term planning migrants show less ambivalence than spontaneous movers.
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| 13. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Berättelser om naturen i landsbygds- och migrationsstudier
- 2022
-
Other publication (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- En bloggserie av Marco Eimermann, Stefan Kordel, Benedict E. Singleton, Natasha A. Webster, Tobias Weidinger & Jonathan Yachin. Under våren 2022 har vi publicerat ett inlägg varannan vecka i den här serien, som vi kallar ”Berättelser om naturen i landsbygds- och migrationsstudier”. Detta inom ramen för "Kunskaper för landsbygder", en SLU-blogg.
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| 14. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Downshifting Dutch Rural Tourism Entrepreneurs in Sweden : Challenges, Opportunities and Implications for the Swedish Welfare State
- 2020
-
In: Tourism Employment in Nordic Countries. - Cham : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9783030478124 - 9783030478131 ; , s. 303-325
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This chapter offers a much-needed exploration of downshifting in the context of lifestyle migration and tourism entrepreneurship. Analysing results from 12 interviews with Dutch tourism entrepreneurs in rural Sweden, it draws attention to gender issues in male and female reasoning around motivations for migration and their daily business practices. It illustrates gender differences in downshifting, since more women work in tourism, while men find employment in other sectors and in less rural areas. The authors relate this with social and spatial inequality in the Swedish welfare state. They conclude with reflections on implications of increased downshifting practices for Sweden, and suggestions for future research.
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| 15. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
Dutch migrants and the "good life" in central Sweden
- 2011
-
In: 6th International conference on population geographies, collection of abstracts. ; , s. 54-54
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the latest decade, an increasing number of Dutch counter-urban migrants have moved to the Swedish countryside. This text focuses on a number of Dutch families and their search for the good life in a problematic Central Swedish municipality. In the course of the past four years, data have been gathered during observations and interviews with migrant families, municipality officials and project managers both in Sweden and the Netherlands.This text takes a migrant perspective as most data are derived from around ten in-depth interviews with migrant families in this particular Central Swedish municipality. Central questions consider the migrants’ aspirations and expectations prior to moving, as well as their socio-cultural experiences in the place of destination. Attention is given to the migrants’ mode and sector of employment, both prior to and after migration. The aim of this paper is to examine what factors contributed to the decision of the migrants to move to this area in general and this municipality specifically. Moreover, reference is made to the temporal character of their move. The migrants’ relationship to the new home area, as well as the meanings they attach to opportunities of mobility and transnational ties are central themes in this paper.
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| 16. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
Dutch migrants in the Swedish countryside at the beginning of the twenty-first century : international lifestyle migration, transnational entrepreneurship and the Bergslagen area
- 2009
-
In: Change. - 9789512939596 ; , s. 171-
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Even though different sources may present somewhat different figures, the message is clear; the number of Dutch emigrants is rising sharply at the beginning of the twentyfirst century. A significant part of these migrants leaves for Sweden. Why are they leaving in such large numbers, and what attracts them in the country of destination?In this article, both Dutch and Swedish statistics about international migration are taken as starting point in order to describe and analyse Dutch migrants who migrated to the Swedish countryside from the year 2000 onwards. Where in the Netherlands are they from, and where in Sweden do they settle? What is their demographic and socioeconomic background? Building on these keycharacteristics, examples of Dutch settlers are taken from the Bergslagen area in central Sweden. In this article, I describe and analyse a number of different recruitment strategies, as deployed by Swedish rural municipalities. I also focus on the Dutch migrants’ prospective employment and life after migration. I argue that transnational entrepreneurship is both a trigger for migration and makes (at least a number of) them an interesting group to research. With the help of a longitudinal database, I will reveal more details about the employment of the Dutch migrants.Based on the large body of literature about international lifestyle migration and some of my previous studies, I identify particular factors that play a large role in the migrants’ decision to leave. I also focus on the migrants’ motives for choosing the Bergslagen area and for aspiring a certain postmigration lifestyle. The purpose of the article is to attempt to describe in what way the concept of lifestyle can be used in this study, as well as defining the most significant features of the postmigration lifestyle of the Dutch migrants. This article concludes with a discussion of subjects for future research on this phenomenon that I call “the orange wave”.
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| 17. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Exploring Dutch migration to rural Sweden : international counterurbanisation in the EU
- 2012
-
In: Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0040-747X .- 1467-9663. ; 103:3, s. 330-346
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper explores whether the concept of counterurbanisation, expanded with an international dimension, offers a valuable framework for understanding recent migration flows from the Netherlands to Sweden. Using a geo-referenced database comprising demographic and socio-economic variables, the post-migration employment status, employment sector and settlement location of Dutch migrants in Central Sweden are analysed. In addition, results from observation, interviews and a survey during emigration fairs are employed to describe the motives for migration from the Netherlands to Central Sweden. We argue that counterurbanisation is not an exhausted research topic, when international political, economic and socio-cultural factors are added to the study.
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| 18. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Exploring population redistribution at sub-municipal levels : Microurbanisation and messy migration in Sweden’s high North
- 2022
-
In: Journal of Rural Studies. - : Elsevier. - 0743-0167 .- 1873-1392. ; 90, s. 93-103
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To contribute to more balanced perspectives on sub-municipal population change in sparsely populated areas(SPAs), this paper closely examines a local pocket of growth in a shrinking Northern Swedish municipality.Integrating Swedish register data with in-depth qualitative insights, the geographic study examines patterns andprocesses of uneven local population dynamics linked to life course migration. This is done through a sociospatialcluster analysis containing, first, 15 aggregate socioeconomic variables for sub-municipal areas, andthen individual characteristics like birth countries, age groups, sex ratios, educational attainment, andemployment status. A Foresight approach and interviews with locals, municipal officials, and incoming lifestylemigrants complement this. Studying these individuals’ practical compromises regarding housing, income, andleisure at sub-municipal levels helps in overcoming fallacies in population change research at broader regionallevels, and illustrates the limits of relying solely on quantitative demographic change indicators. The paper showsthat urban traits in the municipal centre and rural natural amenities around a dogsledding trail combine toattract and retain different population groups. This adds to population change studies and shows that municipaladministrative centres in SPAs are not necessarily growing while other villages are declining, and that populationredistribution at the municipal level does not automatically imply the movement of people to municipal centresfrom a municipality’s minor villages.
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| 19. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
Flying dutchmen? : return reasoning among dutch lifestyle migrants in rural Sweden
- 2017
-
In: Mobilities. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1745-0101 .- 1745-011X. ; 12:1, s. 116-135
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article aims to examine return reasoning among Dutch lifestyle migrant families in Hällefors, rural Sweden. It addresses two questions: after migrating to Hällefors, what influences return reasoning among Dutch families? What does this imply for return migration and transnationalism within lifestyle migration research? The questions are addressed through analysis of Dutch migrant families’ narratives, collected in 2011 and subsequent years. The findings are related to issues of transnationalism and return migration within lifestyle migration research. As many of these intra-EU urban–rural migrants are seriously considering returning, this study draws attention to temporary lifestyle migration over longer periods.
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| 20. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Hållbara livsstilar och föreställningar om landsbygd
- 2021
-
In: Fronesis. - Malmö : Tidskriftsföreningen Fronesis. - 1404-2614. - 9789198556841 ; :72-73, s. 194-208
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Diskussioner om nedväxling, frivillig enkelhet och omställning förekommer i tidningar, radio, tv och allt fler fora på sociala medier. Där avhandlas allt från jordnära ting som grönsaksodling och självförsörjning till systemförändringar som ska förhindra överexploatering av jordens resurser eller livsstilsförändringar med syfte att hoppa av ekorrhjulet. Vi som ligger bakom den här texten är kulturgeografer och forskare på Institutionen för geografi vid Umeå universitet. Texten syftar till att presentera vår tolkning av fenomenet nedväxling inte bara med hänsyn till våra professionella erfarenheter, utan också med hänsyn till våra respektive bakgrunder och värderingar kring hållbara livsstilar.
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| 21. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
"I felt confined" : Narratives of ambivalence among Dutch lifestyle migrants in rural Sweden.
- 2015
-
In: Place and Identity. - Stockholm : Santérus Academic Press Sweden. - 9789173350440 ; , s. 31-56
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the contemporary era of globalisation and time-space compression (Janelle 1991), many rural areas in Sweden and Europe have experienced international urban-to-rural migration (Hedberg & Do Carmo 2011). For instance, Müller (1999) studies German second-home owners in Småland. Among population geographers in Sweden, the county of Värmland is well-known for its large Dutch population (Andersen & Engström 2005, Eriksson Robertson 2010). However, rural municipalities such as Hällefors have not been studied in the context of Dutch lifestyle migration to the Swedish countryside.
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| 22. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Is downshifting easier in the countryside? : focus group visions on individual sustainability transitions
- 2020
-
In: Dipping in to the North. - Singapore : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9789811566226 - 9789811566233 ; , s. 195-216
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To date, few geographic studies focus on downshifting in Sweden. We address this gap and use 'downshifting' to describe a process in which people become aware of the downsides of their hectic lifestyles, and to analyse modern society as a context from which this process arises. During the 2019 Transition Conference in Umeå, we conducted a focus group workshop to address the questions 'how do you describe your desired lifestyle?' and 'how do you relate these lifestyles with your place perceptions?'. One conclusion is that inner transition is as important as spatial relocation. The participants indicated that both urban and rural areas can enable and hinder sustainable lifestyles. Policy makers need to know how these potential downshifters reason around optimal settlement sizes.
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| 23. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Lifestyle migrants and intercultural communication in Swedish villages
- 2020
-
In: Dipping in to the North. - Singapore : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9789811566226 - 9789811566233 ; , s. 107-132
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A common assumption is that European lifestyle migrants integrate rather easily into Swedish villages because they are more culturally proximate to Swedish people. To nuance this myth, the authors combine insights from lifestyle migration studies in Swedish villages with intercultural communication models. Taking into account six dimensions of national culture and acculturation theory, this chapter discusses challenges and difficulties for incoming European lifestyle migrants and local Swedish villagers when they attempt to live and work together. In addition to individual people, and the local authorities, family structure and family dynamics, the existence of a local diaspora from the home country, as well as the attitude of the local Swedish community at an interpersonal level, all play a determining role in the final acculturation outcome.
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| 24. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
Marketing the good life in rural Sweden : how and why is it done?
- 2012
-
In: International place branding conference. - Manchester : The Institute of Place Management. - 9780955173288 ; , s. 76-91
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose – Urban-to-rural consumption-led mobility contributes to restructuring of stagnating rural areas in Europe and elsewhere. Against this background, the paper at hand explores international rural placemarketing efforts by Swedish municipalities in Dalarna and Bergslagen, toward affluent West-European migrants, exemplified by campaigns in the Netherlands. The analysis is carried out utilising the concepts of rural place marketing, rural idyll, lifestyle migration and the good life.Design/methodology/approach – Research methods employed in this paper are observation and a survey during migration fairs and information meetings, followed by an interview study.Findings – Results suggest that rural, peripheral and sparsely populated municipalities are most actively engaged in international place marketing efforts. Although numerous modes of spreading information are utilised, presence at migration fairs is increasingly essential. The engaged municipalities are highly selective considering target groups. Attracting even a few of the ‘right type’ of migrants (i.e. families and entrepreneurs from affluent countries) over the course of some years contributes considerably to maintaining a small municipality’s population and economic viability.Originality/value – Therefore, these social dimensions should be included in any type of measure of effectiveness. However, conditions and resources vary across rural areas in Sweden and elsewhere, implying that different variants of the above analysed place marketing efforts may continue to develop in rural areas of Europe and beyond.
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| 25. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Mobility transitions and rural restructuring in Sweden : a database study of holistic simplifiers
- 2021
-
In: Degrowth and tourism. - London : Routledge. - 9780367335656 - 9780429320590 ; , s. 54-68
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent years, living simply, and sustainably, has become a legitimate, or even trendy, way for individuals to contribute to a better society in the global North. Rural areas in this context are seen as a place for people who seek voluntary simplicity to resettle, for either business purposes or personal reasons. However, few research has examined the phenomenon of voluntary simplicity in quantitative manner and the mobility aspect is often missing from the general discussion of voluntary simplicity and degrowth literature. This chapter therefore looks at holistic simplifiers, as those who seek voluntary simplicity and move to smaller towns, rural areas or other less affluent or urbanized parts of the country, with the help of longitudinal register data (Statistics Sweden). The results show demographic and economic features of holistic simplifiers and some of them are unexpected, challenging some of the assumptions and definitions of voluntary simplicity. We conclude that the number of holistic simplifier is low in Sweden, and while individuals meet the overall criteria for voluntary simplicity they do not necessarily behave accordingly by cutting down on consumption and living a simpler life. Some possible reasons are discussed and questions for future studies are suggested.
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| 26. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
Narratives of ambivalence by Dutch lifestyle migrants in Hällefors, Sweden.
- 2013
-
In: Association of American geographers (AAG) 2013.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The proposed text discusses contradictory and ambivalent discourses between life before and life after migration. Hällefors is a rural Swedish municipality coping with unfavourable conditions of economic stagnation and population decline. In an attempt to turn this tide, a Holland-project was conducted between 2004 and 2007. The aim of the project was to attract a number of Dutch families, preferably with young children. This would assist in sustaining social services such as day care at a local level. Moreover, as the adults are of working age, and economically active in creative industries, an additional aim of the project was to facilitate adaptation from heavy industry to a knowledge economy. Around 50 Dutch families settled in Hällefors in the early 21st century. During and after interviews with the remaining families their attitude towards return is investigated. The aim of this study is to examine the migration process of Dutch lifestyle migrants in Hällefors and their ambivalent attitudes towards return, and thereby, to give voice to the hope, pain, nostalgia and triumph of lives lived in other places (King et al. 1995). Consequently, the empirical question is 'after migrating to Hällefors, what influences the Dutch households' attitude towards return?' This question is addressed through an interview study, conducted in 2011. As studied in this text, the direction of the move (north), the destination (a problematic municipality) and the structure for the decision process (a municipality actively attracting incomers in cooperation with an agency) are novel aspects to existing studies of lifestyle migration.
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| 27. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Nuancing holistic simplicity in sweden : A statistical exploration of consumption, age and gender
- 2021
-
In: Sustainability. - : MDPI. - 2071-1050. ; 13:15
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Studies of sustainable ways of life have hitherto made limited use of register data since, e.g., voluntary simplicity is usually identified through characteristics that cannot be found in data registers. Despite this, claims about these trends have been made in many countries, at times gen-eralising the phenomena both in academia and media, based on anecdotal examples. This article draws on a quantifiable definition of holistic simplicity (Etzioni 1998) that includes certain fully measurable aspects, such as living in more affluent suburbs, moving to less affluent places and a significant reduction in individual work income. Other aspects are partially observable in register data, such as housing and car consumption. The advantage of this study is that it combines relevant theories around voluntary simplicity with register data that capture important characteristics of the entire national population (in this case, in Sweden) and thus, to some extent, also captures the mag-nitude of the phenomena. The article aims to statistically explore different demographic groups’ probability of becoming holistic simplifiers in Sweden, regarding their consumption, gender and age. It discusses opportunities and limitations for advancing our knowledge on voluntary simplicity in Sweden, with current findings suggesting more of the same consumption patterns and only initial paths to degrowth. This is discussed in the context of individuals’ agency in a state such as Sweden, which is changing from collectivist social democratic values to more neo-liberal conditions.
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| 28. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
Promoting Swedish countryside in the Netherlands : International rural place marketing to attract new residents
- 2015
-
In: European Urban and Regional Studies. - : Sage Publications. - 0969-7764 .- 1461-7145. ; 22:4, s. 398-415
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Urban-to-rural consumption-led mobility contributes to restructuring stagnating rural areas in Europe. Against this background, this article explores international rural place-marketing efforts by Swedish municipalities towards affluent western European migrants, exemplified by campaigns in the Netherlands. The analysis is based on the concepts of rural place marketing and lifestyle migration. Research methods employed in this article are observation and a survey during migration information meetings, followed by interviews with both stakeholders and migrants. The results suggest that rural municipalities with less favourable or unfavourable geographic conditions are the most actively engaged in international place-marketing efforts. Participation in migration information meetings and the Internet are the most commonly used communication strategies. The engaged municipalities are selective in their consideration of target groups. Attracting even a few of the ‘right type’ of migrants (i.e. families and entrepreneurs from affluent countries) over the course of some years contributes considerably to maintaining a small municipality’s population and economic viability. However, although stakeholders claim that the marketing efforts have been effective and statistics point out that the number of Dutch migrants has increased, it is hard to distinguish the effect of rural place-marketing campaigns from the myriad possibilities for migrants to gather information about potential destination areas. Therefore, regional policy makers may consider shifting their focus to actively receiving potential migrants who are in the final stage of their decision process.
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| 29. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
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Promoting the "good life" in central Sweden
- 2011
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In: Geographical knowledge, nature and practice. ; , s. 68-69
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- On the one hand, certain rural areas of Central Sweden are facing challenges of economic decline and depopulation in the early 21st century. on the other hand, the number of Dutch migrating to Sweden has increased steadily over the past decade. As a result of these developments, Dutch migrants have become a target group for the promotional activities of certain Central Swedish municipalities.Against this empirical background, this paper aims to examine contemporary international place promotion of Nordic rural areas in order to attract counter-urban movers, exemplified by Central Swedish marketing campaigns towards Dutch (prospective) migrants. Methods applied are observation during emigration fairs in the Netherlands and a study of promotional material disseminated by Central Swedish municipalities through their “Holland-projects”. Moreover, an interview-study is conducted amongst municipal officials and recruiters at two organisations actively engaged in attracting Dutch and other counter-urban migrants to Central Sweden. Empirical questions considering the expectations of the recruiting municipalities are addressed in the paper. Moreover, the paper studies how the municipalities justify recruiting affluent western migrants.
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| 30. |
- Eimermann, Marco, et al.
(author)
-
Rural Place Marketing and Consumption-Driven Mobilities in Northern Sweden : Challenges and Opportunities for Community Sustainability
- 2017
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In: Journal of Rural and Community Development. - Brandon, Canada : Brandon Univ. - 1712-8277. ; 12:2-3, s. 114-126
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Similar to other northern peripheries, remote, and sparsely populated areas (SPAs) in Sweden's far north have been confronted with decreasing populations and economic stagnation, forcing local governments to more actively engage in strategies for attracting and retaining populations. This exploratory community case study considers rural place-marketing efforts in the municipalities of angstrom sele and Storuman, with a particular focus on understanding differing local strategies for attracting consumption-driven movers to "amenity-poor" and "amenity-rich" areas. The case study examines two research questions: what target groups do these municipalities envisage as desired new populations; and to what extent, and how, do they engage in rural place-marketing efforts? Our study reveals that the municipal officials' views on rural place-marketing strategies differ considerably, as angstrom sele participates in Europe's largest emigration expo while Storuman draws on its increasing tourism development to attract seasonal residents and returning young adults in the family-building stage of the life course. The findings further illustrate how production and performance aspects of mobility are essential when studying the socio-economic sustainability of everyday life in sparsely populated northern Swedish municipalities at different geographical places and levels.
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| 31. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
-
Studying Locals and Lifestyle Migrants in Sparsely Populated Northern Sweden Using Foresight "Light"
- 2021
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Other publicationabstract
- Rasmus Rasmussen (2015) views the foresight approach as a methodology for strategic local and social development, based on input from local, regional, and national actors through a structural dialogue. The approach provides a basis for action with a focus on the potential to increase living conditions in a case study area, as indicated through analysis of qualitative data, e.g., gathered via workshops. This dataset is derived from a Northern Swedish research project that applied a light version of the foresight approach to study social resilience, which Neil Adger (2000, in his abstract on p. 347) describes as “the ability of groups or communities to cope with external stresses and disturbances as a result of social, political and environmental change.” External stresses are here mainly developments in the global economy, which both mean that local jobs are lost but also that there is potential to attract lifestyle migrants escaping the rat race in densely populated European areas. The dataset files are accompanied by a Teaching Guide and a Student Guide.Methods: Action research, Populations, StakeholdersData Type: Group Transcripts, Narratives, Other, Workshops
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| 32. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
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Så upptäckte Holland Bergslagen
- 2009
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In: Fram träder Bergslagen. - Västerås : Mälardalens högskola. - 9789176687062 ; , s. 94-113
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Anmärkningsvärt nog ligger de fem svenska kommuner där det – enligt tidningen Fokus rankinglista för 2009 – är sämst att bo i Bergslagen (Norberg, Hagfors, Ljusnarsberg, Filipstad och Munkfors). Samtidigt lyckas dessa kommuner värva holländska invandrarfamiljer. Hur kan man förklara detta? Ett sätt är att studera bilder. Föreställningar om Bergslagen, så som de träder fram i värvningsarbeten och hos de holländska familjerna. Det här kapitlet beskriver de olika Hollandsprojekt som har pågått (i Hällefors och Ljusnarsberg under åren 2004–2007) och som i skrivande stund fortfarande pågår (i Ludvika och Smedjebacken från och med 2008).
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| 33. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-
(author)
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There and back again? : Dutch lifestyle migrants moving to rural Sweden in the early 21st century.
- 2013
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis has a twofold aim. First, it studies motivations and decision processes of Dutch families moving to rural Sweden, with a focus on Hällefors municipality in the Bergslagen area. Second, it explores how this migration flow can be conceptualised within migration theory. The results of the study are presented in four papers.The migrants’ characteristics are explored using variables from the Bergslagen Database. This is complemented with data from interviews with municipality officials, project leaders and Dutch families in rural Sweden.The theoretical framework consists of literature on counterurbanisation, the creative class thesis and lifestyle migration. The creative class thesis has inspired many rural place marketing projects and efforts to attract the ‘right type’ of people to stimulate rural development. Based on the interview study, I argue that lifestyle migration research offers most apt insights into the act of migration within the wider life trajectories of these Dutch families.The thesis offers new empirical data that suggest amendments to be made to the academic definition of lifestyle migration. Additional contributions consider the novel geographic direction of the migration flow (northwards), the destination (a deprived area) and the structure framing the decision process; a local authority and its deliberate attempts to attract new residents from abroad. The findings suggest transcending four binaries. First, in the context of an integrating EU, the thesis adds international dimensions to the initial story of internal counterurbanisation. Second, these flexibly mobile families transcend and combine issues of urbanity and rurality through access- facilitating technology and cheap means of long distance transport. Third, this study reiterates the importance of production as a complement to consumption in lifestyle migration research. Finally, the thesis adds dynamic issues of transience to the static permanent-temporary binary of migration.
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| 34. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Towards a cordial dialogue between lifestyle migration/mobilities and rural tourism geographies
- 2023
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In: Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0435-3684 .- 1468-0467. ; 105:4, s. 341-355
-
Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This article introduces the special issue Changing dimensions of lifestyle mobilities in turbulent times: impacts of COVID-19 outbreaks and multiple crises. It aims not just to understand the individual drivers and consequences of mobility but their interactions with local manifestations of spatial (in)justice in various meaningful places. This editorial synthesizes the four studies of population flows in proximate and remote rural areas in Europe, and puts their contributions to the fields of lifestyle migration and mobilities in context. We introduce the lifestyle migration hub meeting that inspired this special issue and a mobility spectrum around which the article revolves. We then indicate common interests of lifestyle migration and rural tourism geographies, focusing on the contributors’ use of human geographic perspectives and aided by observations from ongoing ethnographic work about the demographic future of small villages in northern Sweden. A discussion of multiple disruptions, precarity and vulnerability is linked with a review of the papers before elaborating on destinations and communities as meaningful but vulnerable places. The conclusion outlines how concerns with people’s and place’s vulnerability and precarity in multiple disruptions to mobility flows can be further explored in cordial dialogue between scholars of lifestyle migration/mobility and tourism geography.
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| 35. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
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Trails and tribulations : lifestyle migration as nature-based integration in Northern Sweden
- 2022
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In: More than 'nature'. - Wien : LIT Verlag. - 9783643912183 - 9783643962188 ; , s. 167-186
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This chapter focuses on a competitive dogsledding event – the “Gafsele Open” – near Gafsele village, in Åsele municipality in northern Sweden. Like other remote places, Åsele faces demographic and socio-economic struggles, causing debates on whether services like childcare, schools, care homes for the elderly, and other infrastructure should be concentrated in the central village (Carson et al. 2019; 2020). To address parts of these strug-gles, the municipality has engaged in rural place marketing (Eimermann et al. 2017) to encourage western European lifestyle migrants to migrate to Åsele. As elsewhere, the interaction of local and migrant population is as-sessable in terms of their integration, “successful” or not. In doing this, we examine the Gafsele Open as a potential site of “nature-based integration” (NBI). We present viewpoints from mainly western migrants, which is novel since previous studies of NBI in Scandinavian societies have mostly focused on non-western people (e.g., Gentin et al. 2018; 2019). It is beyond the scope of this chapter to consider whether western migrants integrate faster into Swedish society than non-western people (Eimermann et al. 2020). Instead, we study the Gafsele Open as an example of an institution that we interpret as a NBI project. We thus assess the extent that integration or disintegration may occur around the Gafsele Open with local and various lifestyle migrant stakeholders holding differing views on future developments. Further, the event is under pressure from climate change, the 2020 Coronavirus outbreak, and labor shortages. This sets the scene in which we connect the hitherto separate fields of NBI and lifestyle migration.
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| 36. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Transforming a dogsledding community : the 'Gafsele Open' and lifestyle migrants in sparsely populated northern Sweden
- 2023
-
In: Handbook on tourism and rural community development. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar Publishing. - 9781800370050 - 9781800370067 ; , s. 386-402
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This chapter increases our understanding of how intra-European lifestyle migrants may transform communities in sparsely populated areas (SPAs) through their engagements in civil society, using the example of a dogsledding community in Arctic Sweden. In-depth narrative analysis of interviews with international migrant dogsledders and longer-term residents shows the heterogeneity of communities in sparsely populated settings and their diverse perspectives on community transformation and renewal in response to challenges of demographic shrinkage (Eimermann et al., 2022). The case study village of Gafsele in Åsele municipality provides an interesting study context as it is home to a relatively large group of international migrants, many of whom were attracted by exceptional opportunities for dogsledding and an internationally renowned trail network. The local dogsledding club organizes an annual dogsledding event (the Gafsele Open) attracting Swedish and international participants. Balancing their incomes and lifestyles around dogsledding activities, migrants are engaging in the club and co-organizing the event as individuals and through their businesses (D.A. Carson et al., 2018; Eimermann & Singleton, 2021). This area is thus exploring its potential for local rural development through community- and nature-based tourism.
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| 37. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Who works in the North? : challenges and opportunities for employment
- 2020
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In: Dipping in to the North. - Singapore : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9789811566226 - 9789811566233 ; , s. 133-150
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Is it time for new understandings of the role of work in society? This chapter introduces the other chapters in this book's second section as it relates their contents with the meaning of work derived from sociology and political science. It discusses intrinsic motivations for work and relates these with indigenous people's traditional-ness and health issues in northern Sweden. It then relates this with old and new takes on downshifting from different angles (such as Retrotopia and Utopia). Links are also made with Thai food women entrepreneurs in rural Sweden and alternative farming and food networks in the north. This chapter argues that routinely proclaimed growth strategies should be revised to make them "adaptive" to more realistic goals.
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| 38. |
- Eimermann, Marco, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Who Works in the North? : Challenges and Opportunities for Employment
- 2020. - 1
-
In: Dipping in to the North. - Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9789811566226 ; , s. 133-150
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dipping in to the North explores how changing mobility and migration isaffecting the social, economic, cultural, and environmental characteristicsof sparsely populated areas of northern Sweden (and places like it). Itexamines who lives in, works in, and visits the north; how and why this haschanged over time; and what those changes mean for how the north mightdevelop in the future. The book draws upon deep expertise and knowledgefrom a range of social scientists, presenting valuable insights in anaccessible style for a broad audience.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Lundmark, Linda, 1975-, et al.
(author)
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Spillover, sponge or something else? : Dismantling expectations for rural development resulting from giga-investments in northern Sweden
- 2022
-
In: Fennia. - : Geographical Society of Finland. - 1798-5617. ; 200:2, s. 157-174
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The paradoxical situation of planning for growth while managing decline has long been a reality for politicians and planners in Nordic peripheries. In recent years, however, attempts to plan for demographic adaptation, smart shrinkage, and ‘right-sizing’ public services have become commonplace. While it has taken decades for this to become an accepted part of municipal planning, new opportunities are now arising in the Swedish North due to several unforeseen giga-investments. These are expected to trigger rapid socio-economic growth along the urbanized coast and in a few select inland locations. Yet the likely effects on shrinking rural and sparsely populated municipalities geographically adjacent to these investment hotspots are much less understood. Previous research suggests that such investment projects might cause pressure for rural labour and housing markets but may also offer a range of positive spillover effects and development opportunities for rural areas. We draw on structural level narratives and interviews with key informants, including local and regional political stakeholders, to identify how the prospects of the giga-investments are viewed in places that are not directly affected, and what opportunities and threats are discussed. An overarching theme identified in the empirical material concerns the a-spatiality of discourses of growth, which we divide into two concrete dilemmas: infrastructure and mobility. Our findings show that, while the investments are seen as ringing in a new ‘golden age’ for the northern region, such a-spatial understandings of regional characteristics might stand in the way of acting fast and being able to make the most of the potential spillover effects.
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| 41. |
- Nuga, Mari, et al.
(author)
-
Downshifting towards voluntary simplicity : the process of reappraising the local
- 2023
-
In: Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0435-3684 .- 1468-0467.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reappraisal of the local and living a rooted life are often highlighted by international advocates for sustainable and environmentally conscious lifestyles. The purpose of this study is to explore and theorize downshifters’ lifestyle changes, with a particular focus on their living environments and sense of place, and we draw on a theoretical framework that combines insights from previous research on downshifting and voluntary simplicity. We conducted 30 life story interviews with individuals in Sweden who consider themselves downshifters or advocates of a simpler life. These materials were analysed along the dimensions of (1) spatial adaptation and appropriation; (2) local and global scales; and (3) temporality of place. Our results emphasize the non-linearity of lifestyle changes towards simplicity where, whereby commitment to sustainability varies while personal goals rely on the previous experiences and everyday practices, values and knowledge that can improve both individual and global sustainability. Our analysis shows that sense of place is a dynamic process influenced by mobilities and flows, spatial inertia and context, and memories and emotions. Our research contributes to the recent more than- relational view on space and place with concepts from humanistic geography that further assist in understanding individuals’ sense of place.
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| 42. |
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