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Navigating the market of welfare services: The choice of upper secondary school in Sweden

Panican, Alexandru LU orcid and Hjort, Torbjörn LU (2014) In Nordic Journal of Social Research 5. p.55-79
Abstract
Due to increased market orientation and deregulation, welfare

services in Sweden have taken on the form of market-based services.

The body of research on deregulation and privatization is quite

substantial regarding the implications of this kind of development.

However, studies of the actual process of how choices are made are

less common. This article discusses the implications of greater

freedom of choice for Swedish citizens in diverse socioeconomic

situations, focusing on factors that limit opportunities for choice.

Deregulation and the increasing number of alternatives affect the

relationship between the citizen and the welfare state in several... (More)
Due to increased market orientation and deregulation, welfare

services in Sweden have taken on the form of market-based services.

The body of research on deregulation and privatization is quite

substantial regarding the implications of this kind of development.

However, studies of the actual process of how choices are made are

less common. This article discusses the implications of greater

freedom of choice for Swedish citizens in diverse socioeconomic

situations, focusing on factors that limit opportunities for choice.

Deregulation and the increasing number of alternatives affect the

relationship between the citizen and the welfare state in several ways.

The Swedish school system is used here as an example of an

empirical field. The analytical focus of the article consists of two

different kinds of restrictions on choice: structure-based and agencybased.

One conclusion is that both affluent and underprivileged

citizens have limited choices. Another conclusion is that social citizenship, when freedom of choice is stimulated, can reproduce and

even increase social and ethnic segregation. An additional potential

consequence is that, when we consider social rights in their tangible

form, the development of greater freedom of choice is focused

increasingly on the consumer’s range of choices and less on the

quality of the service offered. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
deregulation, market orientation, welfare services, Sweden, market-based services, privatization, freedom of choice, citizen, limit opportunities, underprivileged citizens, citizenship, rights, social rights, reproduce, social segregation, ethnic segregation, consumer, quality, school system
in
Nordic Journal of Social Research
volume
5
pages
55 - 79
publisher
Universitetsforlaget AS
ISSN
1892-2783
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
13db0565-f910-47ba-85b3-6a3766cede92 (old id 4522679)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:06:11
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:50:46
@article{13db0565-f910-47ba-85b3-6a3766cede92,
  abstract     = {{Due to increased market orientation and deregulation, welfare<br/><br>
services in Sweden have taken on the form of market-based services.<br/><br>
The body of research on deregulation and privatization is quite<br/><br>
substantial regarding the implications of this kind of development.<br/><br>
However, studies of the actual process of how choices are made are<br/><br>
less common. This article discusses the implications of greater<br/><br>
freedom of choice for Swedish citizens in diverse socioeconomic<br/><br>
situations, focusing on factors that limit opportunities for choice.<br/><br>
Deregulation and the increasing number of alternatives affect the<br/><br>
relationship between the citizen and the welfare state in several ways.<br/><br>
The Swedish school system is used here as an example of an<br/><br>
empirical field. The analytical focus of the article consists of two<br/><br>
different kinds of restrictions on choice: structure-based and agencybased.<br/><br>
One conclusion is that both affluent and underprivileged<br/><br>
citizens have limited choices. Another conclusion is that social citizenship, when freedom of choice is stimulated, can reproduce and<br/><br>
even increase social and ethnic segregation. An additional potential<br/><br>
consequence is that, when we consider social rights in their tangible<br/><br>
form, the development of greater freedom of choice is focused<br/><br>
increasingly on the consumer’s range of choices and less on the<br/><br>
quality of the service offered.}},
  author       = {{Panican, Alexandru and Hjort, Torbjörn}},
  issn         = {{1892-2783}},
  keywords     = {{deregulation; market orientation; welfare services; Sweden; market-based services; privatization; freedom of choice; citizen; limit opportunities; underprivileged citizens; citizenship; rights; social rights; reproduce; social segregation; ethnic segregation; consumer; quality; school system}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{55--79}},
  publisher    = {{Universitetsforlaget AS}},
  series       = {{Nordic Journal of Social Research}},
  title        = {{Navigating the market of welfare services: The choice of upper secondary school in Sweden}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5232281/4522690.pdf}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}