Decentralisation, variation and categorization – The current state in Sweden

• The responsibility for support, services and education for people with intellectual disability was decentralised to the local authorities in the beginning of the 1990ths. During the main part of the last 20 years the development in Sweden was dominated by economic problems. The new disability legislation 1994, evaluates to have neutralized the deteriorations that the economic /financial problems of society could have brought for the living conditions of people with intellectual disabilities. At the same time the development was denoted by a change from a passably /rather equivalent national situation for people with intellectual disabilities to a greater variation at the local level.Factors such as organization, economy and political government at the local level, together with an increased stress on the capacity of the individuals to look after their own interests, have resulted in the growth of differences in living situation and living conditions. The local authorities finished the deinstitutionalisation in the beginning of 2002. In addition to that, an increasing political interest of private entrepreneurship in the field of disability and a rise of categorization of children and youth as intellectual disabled has occurred. Categorization has first been noticed in special programmes at school but recently also in daily activities for people of a working age. The rise of categorization can be linked to a change to medical and individualistic based explanation of disability, which has opened up for growth of segregated activities. Examples of resistance against categorization and segregation among young people with intellectual disabilities are noticed. Empowerment by self- organized groups is a new trend.In conclusion, the development in Sweden can be described as small steps towards normalization as a consequence of deinstitutionalisation along with a greater variation of living conditions due to decentralisation. At the same time an increased categorization has markedly expanded the group which counts as intellectual disabled. 

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)