Agency and self-organised care experiences in Sweden's Collaborative Housing for the second half of life
Arroyo, Ivette LU ; Montesino, Norma LU and Granbom, Marianne LU
(2025)
p.144-163
- Abstract
- In the Swedish context, ‘intergenerational Collaborative Housing’ and ‘Collaborative Housing for the second half of life’ (CH2L), based on the self-work model, were developed in the 1980s and 1990s. The chapter examines how ageing individuals developed caring practices and mutual support strategies in these collective housing forms and how such practices were adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also addresses the role pioneers played in the development of CH2L as a response to the Swedish sociopolitical and cultural context of the 1980s. The chapter draws on interviews and focus group discussions, and the findings highlight the ‘intentional causal agency’ of the pioneers, which led to the emergence of CH2L four decades ago and the... (More)
- In the Swedish context, ‘intergenerational Collaborative Housing’ and ‘Collaborative Housing for the second half of life’ (CH2L), based on the self-work model, were developed in the 1980s and 1990s. The chapter examines how ageing individuals developed caring practices and mutual support strategies in these collective housing forms and how such practices were adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also addresses the role pioneers played in the development of CH2L as a response to the Swedish sociopolitical and cultural context of the 1980s. The chapter draws on interviews and focus group discussions, and the findings highlight the ‘intentional causal agency’ of the pioneers, which led to the emergence of CH2L four decades ago and the reconceptualisation of ageing as ‘a new stage of life’. Also the socio-spatial infrastructure of Collaborative Housing settings created the conditions for the emergence of self-organised and spontaneous care. These unique communities exerted collective agency during the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrated that living and ageing together in collaborative living environments as well as caring for each other generates robust forms of preparedness that were not only useful during the pandemic but are likely to be useful again in future health crises or emergencies.
As ageing populations continue to grow worldwide, the increased need for adequate housing and social care comes into stark focus. This multi-disciplinary book explores how emerging citizen-led innovations in Collaborative Housing and care are challenging mainstream ways of living and ageing. Combining academic theory with practice, the book demonstrates the far-reaching impacts Collaborative Housing with care can have on independence, agency and wellbeing in later life. With contributions from France, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK, it offers insights into the key challenges and opportunities associated with developing and sustaining models of Collaborative Housing with diverse forms of care and support over the life-course. Essential reading for academics, practitioners and policy makers in housing, planning, social care, design and social gerontology, this book proposes a renewed focus on non-paternalistic forms of social and housing care that speak directly to older people’s needs, and that work against the marketisation of care and towards a community-led and co-managed approach in later life housing for all. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/53e4352e-aae7-4b3a-912c-ed37114d7e36
- author
- Arroyo, Ivette
LU
; Montesino, Norma
LU
and Granbom, Marianne
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-09-09
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Collaborative housing, Care, Collaborative housing for the second half of life, Gestures of caring, Agency
- host publication
- Collaborative housing, ageing and social care : lessons from Europe - lessons from Europe
- editor
- Fernandez Arrigoitia, Melissa ; Felstead, Aimee ; Hudson, Jim ; Izuhara, Misa ; Scanlon, Kath and West, Karen
- pages
- 20 pages
- publisher
- Policy Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105021072193
- ISBN
- 9781447375852
- 9781447375821
- DOI
- 10.2307/jj.25941117.13
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 53e4352e-aae7-4b3a-912c-ed37114d7e36
- date added to LUP
- 2025-11-21 10:19:41
- date last changed
- 2026-06-20 11:02:27
@inbook{53e4352e-aae7-4b3a-912c-ed37114d7e36,
abstract = {{In the Swedish context, ‘intergenerational Collaborative Housing’ and ‘Collaborative Housing for the second half of life’ (CH2L), based on the self-work model, were developed in the 1980s and 1990s. The chapter examines how ageing individuals developed caring practices and mutual support strategies in these collective housing forms and how such practices were adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also addresses the role pioneers played in the development of CH2L as a response to the Swedish sociopolitical and cultural context of the 1980s. The chapter draws on interviews and focus group discussions, and the findings highlight the ‘intentional causal agency’ of the pioneers, which led to the emergence of CH2L four decades ago and the reconceptualisation of ageing as ‘a new stage of life’. Also the socio-spatial infrastructure of Collaborative Housing settings created the conditions for the emergence of self-organised and spontaneous care. These unique communities exerted collective agency during the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrated that living and ageing together in collaborative living environments as well as caring for each other generates robust forms of preparedness that were not only useful during the pandemic but are likely to be useful again in future health crises or emergencies.<br/><br/>As ageing populations continue to grow worldwide, the increased need for adequate housing and social care comes into stark focus. This multi-disciplinary book explores how emerging citizen-led innovations in Collaborative Housing and care are challenging mainstream ways of living and ageing. Combining academic theory with practice, the book demonstrates the far-reaching impacts Collaborative Housing with care can have on independence, agency and wellbeing in later life. With contributions from France, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK, it offers insights into the key challenges and opportunities associated with developing and sustaining models of Collaborative Housing with diverse forms of care and support over the life-course. Essential reading for academics, practitioners and policy makers in housing, planning, social care, design and social gerontology, this book proposes a renewed focus on non-paternalistic forms of social and housing care that speak directly to older people’s needs, and that work against the marketisation of care and towards a community-led and co-managed approach in later life housing for all.}},
author = {{Arroyo, Ivette and Montesino, Norma and Granbom, Marianne}},
booktitle = {{Collaborative housing, ageing and social care : lessons from Europe}},
editor = {{Fernandez Arrigoitia, Melissa and Felstead, Aimee and Hudson, Jim and Izuhara, Misa and Scanlon, Kath and West, Karen}},
isbn = {{9781447375852}},
keywords = {{Collaborative housing; Care; Collaborative housing for the second half of life; Gestures of caring; Agency}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
pages = {{144--163}},
publisher = {{Policy Press}},
title = {{Agency and self-organised care experiences in Sweden's Collaborative Housing for the second half of life}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/jj.25941117.13}},
doi = {{10.2307/jj.25941117.13}},
year = {{2025}},
}