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Normkritik i kommunal planering - om olika sätt att förstå och arbeta med normer

Hellqvist, Karolina LU (2016) SGEL36 20161
Department of Human Geography
Abstract
CITIES SHOULD BE OPEN AND INCLUSIVE, say municipality officials
in Sweden. So why are they not? One answer is norms. Invisible norms are
constantly present in our daily lives and affect us by limiting possibilities and
narrowing our perspectives and views of each other in ways that can lead to
exclusion and discrimination. The norm-critical approach has become a
commonly used method to make norms visible and possible to work with.
Piteå, Malmö and Gothenburg are examples of municipalities claiming to
work norm-critically. Through semi-structured interviews with officials, the
aim of this thesis is to explore the municipalities’ attitudes towards norms, the
norm-critical method, and how it is implemented in practice. The material... (More)
CITIES SHOULD BE OPEN AND INCLUSIVE, say municipality officials
in Sweden. So why are they not? One answer is norms. Invisible norms are
constantly present in our daily lives and affect us by limiting possibilities and
narrowing our perspectives and views of each other in ways that can lead to
exclusion and discrimination. The norm-critical approach has become a
commonly used method to make norms visible and possible to work with.
Piteå, Malmö and Gothenburg are examples of municipalities claiming to
work norm-critically. Through semi-structured interviews with officials, the
aim of this thesis is to explore the municipalities’ attitudes towards norms, the
norm-critical method, and how it is implemented in practice. The material is
analyzed through a theoretical framework concerning otherness,
categorization, social diversity and intersectionality - a perspective that is
central in the theory, but has variating impact in the municipalities. The study
also shows that the municipalities have different views on what norms are and
how they operate, placing norms in relation to what is normal and neutral.
They all say that norms simultaneously generates power for the privileged
norm followers and exclusion for non-followers in the city. The study sheds
light on habit and hierarchies as an essential part of norms and how norms
operate: by forced inclusion or exclusion. All interviewed officials agree that
the norm-critical approach is a method for change, and addresses a need for
continuity in practice. Prioritization of questions are nonetheless a
problematized affect that show that even the norm-critical approach is directed
by norms. Although some argue that limitation and prioritization are crucial
in order to keep the norm-critical method manageable. The municipalities
emphasize the role of the citizens, and agree on a new approach towards
diversity-thinking instead of norm based understanding. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hellqvist, Karolina LU
supervisor
organization
course
SGEL36 20161
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Norm-critical, norms, urban planning, citizens, municipalities, intersectionality, anti-discrimination
language
Swedish
id
8889074
date added to LUP
2016-09-13 12:35:40
date last changed
2016-09-13 12:35:40
@misc{8889074,
  abstract     = {{CITIES SHOULD BE OPEN AND INCLUSIVE, say municipality officials
in Sweden. So why are they not? One answer is norms. Invisible norms are
constantly present in our daily lives and affect us by limiting possibilities and
narrowing our perspectives and views of each other in ways that can lead to
exclusion and discrimination. The norm-critical approach has become a
commonly used method to make norms visible and possible to work with.
Piteå, Malmö and Gothenburg are examples of municipalities claiming to
work norm-critically. Through semi-structured interviews with officials, the
aim of this thesis is to explore the municipalities’ attitudes towards norms, the
norm-critical method, and how it is implemented in practice. The material is
analyzed through a theoretical framework concerning otherness,
categorization, social diversity and intersectionality - a perspective that is
central in the theory, but has variating impact in the municipalities. The study
also shows that the municipalities have different views on what norms are and
how they operate, placing norms in relation to what is normal and neutral.
They all say that norms simultaneously generates power for the privileged
norm followers and exclusion for non-followers in the city. The study sheds
light on habit and hierarchies as an essential part of norms and how norms
operate: by forced inclusion or exclusion. All interviewed officials agree that
the norm-critical approach is a method for change, and addresses a need for
continuity in practice. Prioritization of questions are nonetheless a
problematized affect that show that even the norm-critical approach is directed
by norms. Although some argue that limitation and prioritization are crucial
in order to keep the norm-critical method manageable. The municipalities
emphasize the role of the citizens, and agree on a new approach towards
diversity-thinking instead of norm based understanding.}},
  author       = {{Hellqvist, Karolina}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Normkritik i kommunal planering - om olika sätt att förstå och arbeta med normer}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}