Dissertation

Sweden ends here? Social movement scenes and the right to the city

Creasap, Kimberly A

2014

Overview

This study examines social movement scenes—dynamic constellations of people and places—created by Swedish autonomous movements. Social movement scenes shape action, interpersonal dynamics among activists, and how activists see possibilities for social change. Autonomous movements reject representative democracy as a form of authority and, by extension, reject state institutions. This represents a radical departure from strict norms that characterize political and public life in Sweden in which political participation generally takes the form of party membership and/or activity with trade unions with strong ties to the state. Through ethnographic observation, in-depth interviews and analysis of artifacts such as newspapers, zines, flyers, and manifestos, I examine how and why Swedish autonomous social movements use “the Right to the City” as an organizing principle to create scenes as alternative forms of urban life in Stockholm, Göteborg, and Malmö. I find that gentrification and urban development shape the possibilities for social movement scenes in each city. At the same time, autonomous movements try to create scenes that will change the political, cultural and spatial landscapes of city neighborhoods. I conclude that staking territorial claims allows activists to shape the future of everyday life in urban neighborhoods.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Scandinavian Studies / Social psychology / Social structure
• ISBN: 9781321615043, 1321615043